Commandment Garden

We grew a Commandment Garden two Sundays ago and reviewed not only "Keep the Commandments" but most of our other Program Songs. The preparation was more involved than I usually do, with all of those flowers, but my daughter helped and made it faster. The activity itself was very straight forward. We did lots of singing, and some gospel instruction. Here's how I did it.

After a RS Activity 'Auction' my friend gave me the Bidder Paddles she had made with paper plates and wooden skewers. They sat in my house for a few months, but I knew they would come in handy for Singing Time. 

PREPARATION: I made eight of the Bidder Paddles into flowers using colored construction paper. In the middle of each one I wrote a blessing for following a specific commandment. Then I made a seed for each flower that had the commandment that went with the blessing. (See list below.) I displayed the flowers in a pitcher, you could use a vase. Also, I drew a somewhat bumpy line on the chalkboard for the 'dirt' so we knew where to put the seed.

 

PRESENTATION: First we sang "Keep the Commandments." Then I shared D&C 130:20-21 and talked about it briefly - we receive blessings by obeying commandments. I told them we were going to grow a Commandment Garden and each seed was a commandment that brought a blessing, which was the flower.

There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated --And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated.

For Junior Primary I had the seed attached to the back of the flower. A child chose a flower and we read the  commandment and blessing as they attached them to the chalkboard. Then I asked if they kept (or did) that commandment and told them they would receive that blessing. We sang the song that corresponded and picked another flower.

For Senior Primary I had the seeds on the board already. A child chose a flower and matched it to the seed by matching up the commandment with the blessing. The rest was the same as Junior.

When we were done we admired our garden and I testified that the Lord will bless them as they follow His commandments.

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Commandments, Blessings and Songs

You can download my list of Commandments, Blessings and Songs by clicking on the image to the right. Or you can make your own list. Some blessings are subjective, but I reminded the kids that by keeping these commandments we are becoming like our Heavenly Father. That's why He gives us commandments and that's the ultimate blessing.