September 9th is National Teddy Bear Day! Here’s a fun Family Time Activity you can do as a family to teach your children about comfort this week!

BIG IDEA God comforts us so we can comfort others
KEY SCRIPTURE 2 Corinthians 1:4
MATERIALS your favorite stuffed animal
PREPARATION 1. Find your favorite stuffed animal.
2. If you want to do something specific to comfort someone else, make the plans before doing this activity as a family.

ACTIVITY

Teddy Bears are a symbol of comfort and safety. Many people call their favorite stuffed animals “loveys” because it’s something they love to cuddle! Let’s all take a minute and go get our favorite lovies/stuffed animals and bring them back.

Give everyone time to collect their loveys.

Go around the family and have everyone answer these questions and listen for their answers:
Why is this stuffed animal your favorite one?
What do you like to do most with your favorite stuffed animal?
Why do people like holding stuffed animals?

Listen for answers.

We like to be with people and things that bring us comfort. There is even something called “comfort food.” There are some foods that remind us of happy memories, safe memories, or something we’re used to.

Some of my favorite comfort foods are… share a few of your favorites with your children.

Have everyone share a favorite comfort food.

God helps us feel safe and comforts us. He gives us lots of comforts in this life to help us feel safe and to remind us He’s with us.

2 Corinthians 1:4 says, “He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.”

Our teddy bears and comfort food are kind reminders of God’s comfort in our lives. This verse says He comforts us so we can comfort others.

What are some things we can do to comfort other people when they need to know they are loved and safe?

Listen to answers.

Let’s make a plan to comfort someone right now to remind that person that God loves him/her.

Some comforting suggestions would be to buy a widow some flowers and a stuffed animal, bake some cookies to take to neighbor children who have parents who are divorced, or make dinner together with grandma’s favorite chicken and dumplings recipe and take it to her as a surprise.