Family home evening with a toddler works when it's short, close to home and finished before bedtime. That's the whole method. A song, a picture, a one-sentence lesson, an activity the child can do with their body, and a treat. Twenty or thirty minutes is a full evening for a 2-year-old, and stretching it doesn't make it more spiritual; it makes it longer.
This guide pairs short lessons from the Church's own nursery manual with places in Utah Valley that are open on Monday evenings and work for very small children. Hours and prices were checked on October 19, 2026. If you're looking for daytime toddler activities, our toddler activities guide and storytime schedule are the better pages; this one is about the after-dinner hour.
Start with the nursery manual
The Church publishes Behold Your Little Ones, its nursery manual, free online. You don't need to teach its lessons as written. You need its titles, because each one is already a toddler-sized lesson:
- "I Am a Child of God"
- "I Can Pray to Heavenly Father"
- "Jesus Christ Created the World for Me"
- "I Have a Body like Heavenly Father's"
- "Jesus Christ Showed Us How to Love Others"
Say the title, show one picture, sing one song, and you've taught the lesson. The Church's General Handbook lists singing "hymns and Primary songs" among the things home evening may include, which for a toddler is most of it.
The custom was built for this age, too. The Church's history of home evening describes the original 1909 plan as prayer, singing, scripture reading, short gospel lessons, "child-focused activities" and refreshments, and says it encouraged parents to avoid "all formality and stiffness."
Five pairings: one lesson, one place
"Jesus Christ Created the World for Me" at the Bean Museum
BYU's Monte L. Bean Life Science Museum is free and open 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, according to its website. Its programs page lists a Family Home Evening program on Monday nights at 6:30 or 7:30 p.m. For a toddler, the 6:30 session is the one; you'll be home before 8. If the program is too long for your child, skip it and just walk the animal displays, naming each animal as something Heavenly Father made. Our Bean Museum guide has parking details.
"Jesus Christ Created the World for Me," outdoor version, at the Botany Pond
BYU's Botany Pond loop is 1 mile and nearly flat, with 39 feet of gain, according to AllTrails. You won't walk the whole loop with a 2-year-old, and you don't need to. Walk to the water, look for birds, walk back. AllTrails lists it as no dogs. In October the sun sets in Provo around 6:48 p.m. by Sunrise-Sunset.org's data, so this is a summer and early-fall idea.
"I Have a Body" at the ice rink
Peaks Ice Arena in Provo rents walkers. Provo City's arena page lists $6 admission, $4 skate rental and $5 for a walker, and warns that walkers are first come, first served and "sell out quickly in winter months." A toddler pushing a walker on ice for twenty minutes is a real activity and a real lesson about what bodies can learn to do. Public skate times change daily; check the arena's calendar that afternoon. Our Peaks guide has the rest.
"I Am a Child of God" at the library
The Provo City Library at Academy Square is listed open until 9 p.m. on Mondays on Google, and so is the Orem Public Library. Pick a picture book together, read it in the children's area, check it out, and read it again at bedtime as the lesson. Our Provo City Library guide covers the children's floor. If you'd like a structured evening session, a few city libraries schedule evening storytimes; our storytime guide keeps the current list.
"Jesus Christ Showed Us How to Love Others" with a delivery
Bake something simple in the afternoon. At home evening, let your toddler put it on a plate, then walk it to a neighbor. That's the lesson and the activity, and it takes fifteen minutes. If you want a project for an organization, our FHE service guide explains that the local pantries' on-site shifts are for ages 12 and up, so at-home collection drives are the toddler-age option.
Stroller-friendly walks for a summer evening
Distances and grades from AllTrails; drive times are estimates from the OSRM routing service, and real traffic is slower.
| Walk | Distance and surface | AllTrails notes | From the nearest city |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dripping Rock, Spanish Fork | 0.7 mi, paved | Stroller and wheelchair friendly | About 8 min from central Spanish Fork |
| Spanish Fork River Trail loop | 2.3 mi, paved | Kid friendly, 22 ft gain | About 5 min from central Spanish Fork |
| BYU Botany Pond | 1 mi loop, partly paved | No dogs | About 3 min from downtown Provo |
| Cascade Springs | 0.8 mi, boardwalk | Stroller friendly, seasonal road | About 46 min from Orem |
Dripping Rock follows the Spanish Fork River to a spot where springs pour from the far bank, according to AllTrails, which also notes a suspension bridge farther on. Park at the Spanish Fork River Trailhead.
Cascade Springs is on the Alpine Loop side of the mountain, a seasonal road. Check our Cascade Springs guide before you drive up in spring or fall.
Our hikes for kids under 8 guide applies a stroller test to more trails, and the FHE hikes guide has drive times from every corner of the valley.
Skip these with a toddler
Upper Falls, Provo Canyon. Half a mile, but 301 feet of climbing on stairs, and AllTrails warns of poison ivy along the trail.
Grotto Falls, Payson Canyon. Short, at 0.6 miles, but AllTrails describes the trail crossing the stream on large timbers. Fine for a confident 6-year-old, hard with a toddler on your hip.
Bridal Veil Falls. Normally the easiest waterfall in the valley for a stroller, but the area is under a multi-year Utah County reconstruction. Our Bridal Veil Falls guide explains what's closed and why to check the county's notice first.
The winter Monday at home
From November through February, the sun sets in Provo before dinner is over: about 5:03 p.m. in mid-December and 5:26 p.m. in mid-January, by Sunrise-Sunset.org. Most toddler home evenings in those months happen in the living room, and that's fine.
A pattern that works:
- Opening song the child can do with motions.
- One picture related to the lesson title.
- One sentence of lesson, repeated twice.
- One movement activity: dancing, a pillow obstacle course, a "find the picture" hunt around the room.
- Treat at the table, and the closing prayer before the treat if you want anyone to stay for it.
If cabin fever wins, the Museum of Natural Curiosity at Thanksgiving Point in Lehi was listed open until 8 p.m. on Mondays on Google. It charges admission, so treat it as a once-a-season outing; our museum guide has tickets and the toddler areas.
Timing, for parents
Eat early. A 5:30 dinner leaves room for a 6:15 outing and a 7:30 bath.
Do the lesson first. A toddler who has just spent forty minutes at a museum doesn't have a lesson left in them.
Pick one place, not two. The drive between two places is where the evening falls apart.
Know which week you're in. Holiday Mondays and school breaks shift hours at the places above. Everything here was checked October 19, 2026.
Related Guides
- Family Home Evening in Utah Valley: 52 Ideas for the Year
- FHE at the Library, the Museum and the Free Places
- Mom Groups and Playgroups in Utah Valley
- Baby's First Winter in Utah Valley
- FHE Treats: the Utah Valley Classics and Where to Buy Them
Frequently Asked Questions
How long should family home evening be with a toddler?
What Church materials are there for teaching toddlers?
Where can I take a toddler on a Monday evening in Provo?
Is there a stroller-friendly walk in Utah Valley for an evening?
Can toddlers ice skate at Peaks Ice Arena?
Is the Museum of Natural Curiosity open on Monday evenings?
What is a good toddler FHE at home in winter?
Which short hikes should I skip with a toddler?
Sources
The facts in this guide were checked against these sources. Hours, fees and rules change, so confirm anything time-sensitive with the source before you go. How we make Provo.com.
- Peaks Ice Arena, Provo City. Checked October 19, 2026.
- Behold Your Little Ones: Nursery Manual, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Checked October 19, 2026.
- General Handbook 2.2.4: Home Evening and Other Activities, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Checked October 19, 2026.
- Family Home Evening (Church History Topics), The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Checked October 19, 2026.
- Monte L. Bean Life Science Museum home page, Brigham Young University. Checked October 19, 2026.
- Bean Museum Programs, Brigham Young University. Checked October 19, 2026.
- AllTrails: Brigham Young University Botany Pond, AllTrails. Checked October 19, 2026.
- AllTrails: Dripping Rock Falls, AllTrails. Checked October 19, 2026.
- AllTrails: River Trail Loop from Sports Park, AllTrails. Checked October 19, 2026.
- AllTrails: Cascade Springs Interpretive Trail, AllTrails. Checked October 19, 2026.
- AllTrails: Upper Falls Trail, AllTrails. Checked October 19, 2026.
- AllTrails: Grotto Falls Trail, AllTrails. Checked October 19, 2026.
- AllTrails: Bridal Veil Falls Trail, AllTrails. Checked October 19, 2026.
- Sunrise and sunset times for Provo, Utah (API, mid-month 2027), Sunrise-Sunset.org. Checked October 19, 2026.
- Google Places listings (hours, addresses), checked Oct 19, 2026, Google. Checked October 19, 2026.
- OSRM routing service (drive-time estimates), Project OSRM. Checked October 19, 2026.
