I Love to See the Temple Touch the Temple

Although primary children may not be able to enter the temple yet, they can think about the temple as they participate in this I Love to See the Temple Touch the Temple activity. This intro lesson can be a great way to introduce I Love to See the Temple in singing time this year.

For this activity, bring in some items to help remind the children of the temple. As they touch and feel these items, they will better understand the importance of striving to go there someday.

I Love to See the Temple Touch the Temple

I’m really excited to try this activity in singing time! Whenever I bring items from home into primary, my kids love it! For many children, having something tangible that they can feel and see keeps them actively engaged.

The idea behind this activity is to bring in some simple items that can remind children of the temple. When I think of the temple, the words that come to my mind are “clean, beautiful, white,” and “peaceful.” Think about what the temple means to you and what items might symbolize those feelings.

Then, choose some items from home to bring in! You might choose to bring something white, such as a white handkerchief or towel. You might even choose to bring in your own temple recommend to show the children.

I compiled a list here of some ideas you might use for this activity. This list is not all-inclusive, and I encourage you to think of the temple near you! What does it look like? What does it smell like?

Items for Touch the Temple:

• Flowers
• White Towel
• White Handkerchief
• A piece of marble
• mirror
• Lightbulb or small light fixture
• Pretty fabric
• Carpet samples
• Temple recommend

Once you’ve chosen which items you’ll bring into singing time, decide how you’ll share these items. If you are introducing I Love to See the Temple for the first time, you may want to start by inviting the children to look at and feel the items. Then, have them guess which song you’ll be singing.

If you’re using this as a review activity, I would recommend starting with a short review of the song. Then, you might pass around the items one at a time while you sing. Alternatively, you could watch for children singing reverently and invite them to come up and touch the items.

Activity Instructions:

1. Collect 5-8 items that represent things you might find in the temple or on the temple grounds. Arrange these items on a table for primary.
2. At the beginning of primary take a few minutes to review the first verse of I Love to See the Temple (flip chart here).
3. Show the children the items on the table and ask them what the items remind them of. Explain that each of these items can help us think about the temple.
4. While you sing, invite the children to come up one at a time and touch the items. You might encourage them to think about how they feel holding these items and thinking about the temple.
5. If you have a large primary, you could also pass around one item around the room instead of having children come up.
6. Sing I Love to See the Temple and share your testimony of the importance of preparing for the temple.

Extension Ideas:

• Hide each item in a gift basket. While you sing, have children close their eyes and touch one item in a bag. After you finish the verse, invite the children to guess what’s inside the gift bag. Continue singing until you’ve revealed all the items!
• If you want to use this as an introduction activity, start by sharing your testimony of the temple. As you teach the song, bring out one of the items each time you teach a phrase.
• Hide & Seek! Hide the items around the room. While you sing, invite one or two children to look for an item. Once they find an item, start over with the verse and choose new children to search for an item.

For another really fun and engaging object lesson plan, see our Come Follow Me Hands & Feet activity!

I Love to See the Temple Touch the Temple Printable Lesson Plan

Here’s a simple printable lesson plan to help you prep for this Touch the Temple activity! This one-page printable includes activity instructions and some extension ideas. Simply print out this page and keep it in your singing time binder as you prep OR download and save for later!

This activity is easily adaptable to nearly any primary song, so it’s a great one to keep in your back pocket.

Once you’re ready to review this song, try out this FUN I Love to See the Temple Playdoh Mats activity!

What items will you bring in to help the children understand the importance of the temple?

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