The Five Love Languages – Week 2 – Gifts

This week at Bridge Kids, we began with a brief review of each Love Language (Words of Affirmation, Gifts, Acts of Service, Time Spent With and Physical Touch) and what we talked about last week, Words of Affirmation.

Our main focus this week was Gifts. We discussed showing love to others by giving thoughtful gifts (hand-made gifts, cards, flowers, etc.). Gifts that show you are thinking of the other person and not of yourself. We discussed God’s gifts to us – Jesus, Life, Nature, Laughter, Music, People, etc.


We started out reviewing unconditional love and God’s unconditional love for us and how we don’t have to do anything to win God’s love for us – we just have it….always.


We talked about our emotional fuel tanks and how giving a thoughtful gift to someone we love, can show the other person, “he or she was thinking of me’. We discussed when a person’s primary Love Language is ‘receiving gifts’- those expressions of love are what helps fills up their “love-tank”. A gift is a symbol of thought. It says – “I was thinking of you.” It doesn’t matter whether it costs money or not – the cost is immaterial, mostly! It’s what it conveys that is important. A card, a small home made object, a book, each conveys love – the thoughts of the heart and mind, and what’s cool is, cost isn’t all that relevant! Gifts are visual symbols of love, and for some people it is those symbols which fill up their “love-tank”. A flower picked from the garden, a special surprise visit from a friend or loved one, paint for an artist – all mean incredible amounts to the person whose primary love language is receiving gifts. Don’t wait for a special occasion to give gifts! If you are thinking about someone and have an idea of something that would make them feel loved, do it!

Giving a gift to someone, without expecting something in return, is one way we can express our love for one another. We should never use gifts to bribe others into doing something for us.


Each Bridge Kid received a gift from us today and created a gift for someone they love. We challenged them to give the gift to someone they love this week! We also challenged them to be thoughtful of the people they love this week with hand made or “found” gifts and give or send them to three different people in a genuine way to see how it makes other people feel and to see how it makes them feel, as well.



Dine and Dish:


Ask your kids how they felt when they un-wrapped their gifts today.
Create home made gifts together, for another person or family you love and leave the gifts on their doorstep! Be thoughtful in the gifts you make, with that specific person or family in mind.

Ideas for gifts** – Mixed CDs or Tapes, Framed pictures of your kids with that person/family, Framed pictures of drawings your kids have created for that person/family, Hand picked flowers, T-Shirt with a home-made iron-on, Bake cookies/cupcakes, Make Dinner

Do an activity together:


In-home Scavenger Hunt – place small gifts (bouncy ball, flowers, small stuffed animal, coloring books, etc.) around your home that reflect who your kids are and be sure to wrap them! Once your kids have found all the gifts, sit in a small circle together and watch your kids unwrap their gifts. Talk with them about why you chose the gifts you gave them and ask them their thoughts about each item.
Talk about how gifts have either encouraged or discouraged you when you were growing up – ask your kids about times people have given them thoughtful things and how it made them feel.
Music – if your kids love music, create a mixed CD or tape with them and have a dance party or hang out time together listening to the music. Create one for other people you love and write a note as to why you chose those specific songs!
Rent a movie – Let your kids pick out which one(s) you get!


Keep a journal. Write down the things you are learning from your kids and the things you do together. Keep track of their reactions to your questions or to the fun things you do together. See if your relationship changes or stays the same.


**Make sure you express your love verbally or in writing with the gift. This can be overdone and then, become meaningless; but remembering his or her love language with occasional and personal gifts will create good, loving experiences.