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Family Home Evening: The Ten Commandments

Age Range: Star, CTR

Scripture: Alma 50:20

Blessed art thou and thy children; and they shall be blessed, inasmuch as they shall keep my commandments they shall prosper in the land. But remember, inasmuch as they will not keep my commandments they shall be cut off from the presence of the Lord.

Lesson:

Mother Bear Protects Her Cubs from LDS.org Family Home Evening Resource Book

“In the spring when Mother Bear came out of her cave, she brought her two new baby cubs with her. She began from the very first day to teach them how to be safe. She taught them to climb up high in a tree whenever there was danger. It was a rule that they had to obey. They couldn’t come down until Mother Bear let them know it was safe. If they did, she would chase them back up again. They learned the rule very well.

One day, while they were wandering through the forest, they came upon a hungry cougar that thought a baby bear would be good to eat. Mother Bear gave a warning, and both cubs scrambled up the nearest tree. Then Mother Bear fought the cougar and chased him away. The baby cubs were glad their mother had made rules to keep them safe.”

We discussed why parents make rules about safety and listed a few rules from our family (don’t go into the street, babies aren’t allowed to stand on the table, no fighting on the top bunk) and why those are rules.

Then we watched the Scripture Story version of The Ten Commandments and went through them one by one to discuss what they meant (because as written the boys had almost no idea). We also discussed how we can keep them and ways we might break them.

Activity: Treasure hunt! I hid clues around the house and gave the boys one to start with. The trail of clues led them to a small prize, which they got to keep. Afterwards we reminded them that following the guidelines He has set for us is the only way for us to get to the treasures Heavenly Father promises.

Treat: Ice Cream with Sprinkles! No connection, just tasty.

The Eternal Purposes of Knowledge

I had such a sweet experience with my boys today. We were watching our Scripture Story movies this morning (we bought the whole set last year for something like $14, so they can pick any story they want) and on his turn Max decided to watch one of their favorites: Jesus Makes the Earth.

After watching quietly for a few minutes, Max said, “Mommy, I wish I could make the Earth.”

This thought led to a beautiful discussion. I told them that someday they would be able to create worlds and all the things in them, if they were faithful and righteous and learned everything they needed to know to do it. For a few minutes the boys chattered excitedly, talking about what they would put in their worlds. Charlie told me with glee that he would put aliens in his world, while Max decided (more practically) that he would supply his world with racecars so that everyone could get places fast.

After a few moments, though, they turned to me again and asked, “But Mommy… how do we make those things?”

I told them that they would have to learn all about them and how they worked so that they would know what parts they needed and how to make them work. We spent at least the next half hour carefully investigating the parts needed for flowers, trees, ants, bees, and spiders, what those parts were used for, and why they were important. Then we watched a few episodes of the Magic School Bus (where they got up close and investigated those things).

After that, I asked the boys to draw me pictures of the things they wanted to have in their worlds.

It was a fun day.

1 Comment

by Melissa on September 18, 2011 • Permalink

Posted in CTR, Lesson Ideas, Star, Temporal is Eternal

Posted by Melissa on September 18, 2011

https://lessonplanofhappiness.com/2011/09/eternal-purposes-of-knowledge/

Here We Are

Train your children to be intelligent and industrious. First teach them the value of healthful bodies, and how to preserve them in soundness and vigor; teach them to entertain the highest regard for virtue and chastity, and likewise encourage them to develop the intellectual faculties with which they are endowed. They should also be taught regarding the earth on which they live, its properties, and the laws that govern it; and they ought to be instructed concerning God, who made the earth, and his designs and purposes in its creation, and the placing of man upon it… And whatever labor they pursue, they should be taught to do so intelligently; and every incentive, at the command of parents to induce children to labor intelligently and understandingly, should be held out to them.

– John Taylor

Welcome to my new blog! I have been feeling the urge lately to share some of the things I teach my children, the things that inspire me, and to delve more deeply into religious topics. I did not feel that my other blog was the place to do that, however, and so I’ve created a dedicated space where those who are interested in religion, educational philosophy, learning activities, and practical (religious/academic) teaching plans can get the scoop without impinging on those who are only interested in the crafts and adventures.

Image via Wikimedia Commons