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Younger Primary Lesson Plan

Week 17 · April 20–26 · Exodus 19–20; 24; 31–34

Week 17
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Full Lesson Flow

Teaching Outline

Use the sections below as a menu. Swap cards and activities to keep the class interactive.

Happy Opening (2 minutes): “Treasure Box!”

Main smile idea: Heavenly Father treasures us, and His commandments help us be happy.

Materials: A small box or bag labeled “TREASURE,” a paper heart (or a shiny rock/coin).

What to do (simple):

  1. Show the “TREASURE” box and let one child open it.
  2. Inside is a heart. Say: “You are Heavenly Father’s treasure!”

What to say (big idea words): “Heavenly Father loves me, and His commandments help me be happy.”

(Connects to today’s story about God giving commandments and helping His people come back to Him.)

Simple Scripture Story (6–8 minutes): “Moses, the Mountain, and God’s Loving Rules”

Props/actions: A chair/table as “Mount Sinai,” paper “stone tablets” (two sheets), a small toy calf (or a simple paper drawing).

Tell the story simply:

  1. Moses goes up the mountain. Have children tiptoe in place while you say: Moses went up the mountain to learn from the Lord.
  2. God gives commandments. Hold up the paper “tablets.” Explain: God gave His people important rules (commandments) to help them.
  3. The people make a mistake. Show the little calf picture/toy. Explain gently: Some people chose to worship a statue instead of God.
  4. God is still loving and helps them. Teach that the Lord is merciful and helps His people come back.

Scripture lines (quote when it matters):

“Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” (Exodus 20:3)

And when the people turned away, the Lord taught Moses what He is like:

“The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,” (Exodus 34:6)

Participation questions:

  • “What do rules help us do, stay safe or get hurt?”
  • “Who do we worship, God or a statue?”
  • “If we make a mistake, does Heavenly Father still love us?” (Yes.)

Big Idea (repeat often)

Big Idea: Heavenly Father loves me, and His commandments help me be happy.

(Repeat this after each activity in the same simple sentence.)

Wiggle and Learn Activities (12–15 minutes total)

Activity options

1) **Object Lesson: “Happy or Ouch Choices”** (3–4 minutes)

Materials: Two cups/papers labeled “HAPPY” and “OUCH,” a few simple picture slips (or words you say) like: “pray,” “help Mom,” “hit,” “take a toy.”

What to do:

  1. Show a choice. Children point to “HAPPY” or “OUCH.”
  2. Briefly affirm: “Commandments help us choose happy!”

What to say: “Heavenly Father loves me, and His commandments help me be happy.”

Connects forward: Now we’ll move our bodies to practice staying on God’s way.

1) **Object Lesson: “Happy or Ouch Choices”** (3–4 minutes)

Materials: Two cups/papers labeled “HAPPY” and “OUCH,” a few simple picture slips (or words you say) like: “pray,” “help Mom,” “hit,” “take a toy.”

What to do:

  1. Show a choice. Children point to “HAPPY” or “OUCH.”
  2. Briefly affirm: “Commandments help us choose happy!”

What to say: “Heavenly Father loves me, and His commandments help me be happy.”

Connects forward: Now we’ll move our bodies to practice staying on God’s way.

2) **Physical Activity: “Stay on the Path!”** (4 minutes)

Materials: Tape line on the floor (or a scarf/rope) as a “path.”

What to do:

  1. Children take turns walking carefully on the path.
  2. You softly say: “Sometimes we feel tempted to step off.”
  3. If someone steps off, kindly say: “Come back on the path!”

What to say (use the bundle’s phrase): The Israelites “turned aside quickly out of the way.” (Exodus 32:8) Then add: “We can choose to stay on God’s way.”

Connects forward: Next we’ll do a quick game to remember one commandment about families.

3) **Game/Role-Play: “Honor Helpers!”** (4 minutes)

Materials: None (optional: a pretend phone, a small towel, a toy).

What to do:

  1. Teach the phrase together (say it like a chant).
  2. One child acts out a helpful thing (pick up toys, gentle voice, help with a sibling).
  3. Others guess: “Honoring parents!”

Quote the commandment:

“Honour thy father and thy mother:” (Exodus 20:12)

What to say: “When we honor our parents, we are following a commandment. Heavenly Father loves me, and His commandments help me be happy.”

Connects forward: Now we’ll make something to take home and remember our Big Idea.

4) **Hands-On Craft: “My Commandment Heart”** (4 minutes)

Materials: Paper hearts, crayons, stickers.

What to do:

  1. Each child colors a heart.
  2. Help them draw ONE happy choice on it (pray, be kind, go to church, help parents).
  3. Say: “This is my ‘happy commandment heart!’”

What to say: “Heavenly Father loves me, and His commandments help me be happy.”

Picture Time (2–3 minutes)

Gospel Art Book picture: Moses Holding the Ten Commandments (use the picture your ward/Primary has available).

Ask:

  1. “What is Moses holding?”
  2. “Why did God give commandments?”
  3. “How do commandments help us feel happy and safe?”

Re-teach Big Idea together.

Song and Actions (2–3 minutes)

Song: “Keep the Commandments” (Children’s Songbook, 146–47)

Simple actions:

  • On “Keep the commandments”, march in place.
  • On “In this there is safety”, hug yourself like you feel safe.
  • On “In this there is peace”, hands on heart, take a quiet breath.

Tie back: “Commandments help us be happy and safe.”

Jesus Loves Me Moment (1–2 minutes)

Hold up the “TREASURE” heart again.

Say: “The Lord is loving. The scripture says He is ‘merciful and gracious’ (Exodus 34:6). When we keep commandments, we show love to God. If we make a mistake, He will help us come back.”

Invite children to finish a sentence (let a few share):

  • “I can be like Jesus when I ______.”
  • “I can keep a commandment by ______.”

Take-Home Hug (tiny weekly action)

This week: Choose one way to honor your parents each day (Exodus 20:12), a hug, listening the first time, or helping pick up.

Teacher Survival Tips (for wiggly Sunbeams/CTR kids)

  1. Keep turns lightning-fast: During “Stay on the Path,” let each child take 5–10 seconds, then rotate.
  2. Repeat the Big Idea often: Say it after every activity, kids learn by repetition.
  3. Gentle redirection: If someone gets silly, give them a “helper job” (hold the heart, point to HAPPY/OUCH, hold the path rope).

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