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Grow, Little Seed!

A farmer, hungry birds, rocks, thorns, good soft ground, a tiny mustard seed, and a hidden treasure

  • 🛡️ CTR 4–7
  • Week 12
  • 📅 Sunday, March 21, 2027
🤔 Forehead Guess🏆 Showdown
💡 The big idea

My heart is like a garden: when I listen to Jesus and do what He teaches, my testimony grows.

I can have a soft, good-ground heart by listening to Jesus and doing what He says.

Study it yourself firstRead Matthew 13; Luke 8; 13 in Gospel LibraryCome, Follow Me manualOpen this week (Matthew 13; Luke 8; 13)
Know the chapters

Matthew 13 is full of parables: short stories about everyday things that teach about God’s kingdom. So many people came to hear Jesus by the sea that He sat in a boat and taught from the water. He told about seeds, weeds, bread dough, a tiny mustard seed that grows into a tree, a treasure hidden in a field, a beautiful pearl and a fishing net. Luke 8 tells the sower story too, and Luke 13 tells how Jesus healed a woman who had been bent over for eighteen years.

The heart of this lesson is the parable of the sower (Matthew 13:3–23). A farmer scatters seeds. Some land on the hard path and birds eat them. Some land on rocky ground, sprout fast, then dry up in the sun because they have no roots. Some land among thorns that crowd them out. Some land on good ground and grow a huge harvest. Jesus explained that the seed is God’s word, and the ground is our heart: how we listen and whether we keep doing what we hear.

Four- to seven-year-olds can’t yet think in symbols easily, so make it physical: be the seeds, be the birds, be the rocks and thorns, and grow tall in the good ground. Then make one simple link: “Your heart is like the ground. When you listen to Jesus and do what He says, good things grow.” The best news is that ground can change. We can clear out rocks and thorns by praying, listening and choosing the right.

The mustard seed (13:31–32) shows that something tiny can grow huge, like a child’s testimony. The treasure and the pearl (13:44–46) show the gospel is worth more than anything. For the 7-year-olds, baptism is like planting in good ground, and the sacrament each week helps their roots grow deep.

Only have 5 minutes?

Read Matthew 13:3–9 and 18–23 so you can tell them simply. Open the Story Drama in Teach Mode and let the kids be seeds that land in four places, then grow tall in the good ground. Teach “Who hath ears to hear, let him hear” with the motions, play Forehead Guess and close with your testimony. Brought nothing? Tap “I brought nothing”: seeds and weeds become pantomimes.

What to bring4 items

Tick what you have. Forgot something? Every step that needs a supply has a no-supplies version in the plan below.

Before class

  1. Put the seeds in your hand or a small cup, out of sight.
  2. Crumple the scrap paper into balls and keep them in a bag.
  3. For the bonus Treasure Hunt, keep the pearl in your pocket to hide during class.
  4. Add your kids’ names in the My Class tab so you can hand out roles with one tap.

If your class is wild

  • Everyone gets to be a seed! Seeds start curled up tiny and quiet, which is a great calm-down position.
  • Birds swoop with arms out and “peck” in the air only. No real pecking of friends.
  • Give readers the screen captions and the Good Ground role. Little ones love being birds, the sun and seeds.
  • Keep coming back to one line: “Your heart is the ground.” Say it at least three times.

The 25-minute plan25 min + bonus

Bonus steps are for when you have extra time. Steps that mention Teach Mode, the Sound Board or other class games refer to the Gospel Sparks app; on the web you can play Forehead Guess and Scripture Showdown from this page.

1. Hook

What Will It Grow?

2 min

A real seed sparks curiosity and sets up Jesus’s story about seeds.

  1. Hold out your closed hand. Say: “I have something teeny-tiny in here that can turn into something GIANT. What could it be?”
  2. Open your hand and show the seeds. Let kids guess what each one grows into (an apple tree, a bean plant, popcorn!).
  3. SAY“A seed needs good ground to grow. Jesus told a story about seeds and different kinds of ground. Let’s be the seeds!”
🌪️ Guessers raise a hand. Every good guess gets a “pop!” sound from the whole class.

Class screen: 🌰 Something tiny that grows GIANT!

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: A few seeds from the kitchen (apple seeds, dry beans, popcorn kernels or sunflower seeds), for looking only: keep them in your hand so no one eats them

Secret Seed

  1. Cup your hands like you’re holding a secret. Say: “I have an invisible seed in here. It can turn into something GIANT.”
  2. Give clues and let kids guess: “It grows red and crunchy fruit.” (An apple tree!) “It pops in the microwave.” (Popcorn!)
  3. SAY“A seed needs good ground to grow. Jesus told a story about seeds and different kinds of ground. Let’s be the seeds!”

Class screen: 🌰 What will my secret seed grow?

2. Story

Story Drama: The Farmer and the Seeds

7 min

Being a seed that lands in four kinds of ground helps kids feel the difference a good heart makes.

  1. Hand out the roles (tap Roles in Teach Mode). Everyone without a part is a Seed.
  2. Point to four spots in the room: the path, the rocky ground, the thorns and the good ground. The Farmer “tosses” a few seeds to each spot.
  3. Read each scene and pause for the action. Let a reader read each caption out loud.
  4. The teacher reads Jesus’s words. Nobody plays Jesus.
  5. Play it again if time allows, letting new kids be the birds, sun and thorns.
🌪️ Seeds curl up tiny and quiet until it’s their turn. A wiggly seed gets “replanted” in the good ground right next to the teacher.

Class screen: 🌱 Where will your seed land? · Path 🛤️ · Rocks 🪨 · Thorns 🌵 · Good ground 🌾

3. Wiggle break

Tiny Seed, Giant Tree

2 min

Growing from a tiny mustard seed into a tree gets the wiggles out and teaches that small things grow big.

  1. SAY“Jesus said the mustard seed is one of the tiniest seeds, but it grows into a tree so big that birds live in its branches!”
  2. Everyone curls up as tiny as they can. Count slowly to ten while they grow: roots (wiggle toes), stem (stand up), branches (arms out), leaves (wiggle fingers).
  3. Pick two or three kids to be birds that fly and land gently next to a tree.
  4. SAY“Your testimony can start tiny like a mustard seed and grow big and strong.”
🌪️ Branches stay in your own space. If trees start bumping, a “wind” blows and everyone bends low and still.

Class screen: 🌳 Tiny seed… GIANT tree! · Matthew 13:31–32

4. Object lesson

Clear the Garden

3 min

Picking up paper “rocks and thorns” shows that we can make our hearts into good ground.

  1. Scatter the crumpled paper balls on the floor. Say: “This garden is full of rocks and thorns. Seeds can’t grow here!”
  2. SAY“We can make our hearts good ground. Every time you pick one up, tell me something that helps a heart listen to Jesus.”
  3. Kids take turns picking up a ball and naming an idea: pray, listen in Primary, read scriptures, take the sacrament, be kind, sing about Jesus. Help little ones with a whisper.
  4. When the floor is clear, pat it and say: “Good ground! Now the seed can grow.”
🌪️ Paper rocks are picked up, not thrown. Anyone who throws one plants it back and picks it up again, nicely.

Class screen: 🧹 Clear out the rocks and thorns! · Pray 🙏 · Listen 👂 · Sacrament 🍞

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: 6 to 10 sheets of scrap paper, crumpled into balls (the rocks and thorns)

Invisible Weeding

  1. SAY“Look! This garden is full of invisible rocks and thorns. Seeds can’t grow here!”
  2. Everyone kneels and pretends to pull big weeds (“Heave!”) and toss heavy rocks (“Oof!”).
  3. Before each pull, a child names something that helps a heart listen to Jesus: pray, listen in Primary, read scriptures, take the sacrament, be kind.
  4. Pat the floor and say: “Good ground! Now the seed can grow.”
5. Scripture

Listening Verse: Matthew 13:9

3 min

A short verse with motions teaches the key to good ground: really listening.

  1. Show the verse on your phone or tablet. Ask a reader to read it while little ones do the motions.
  2. Say it together three ways: bird voice (squeaky), farmer voice (deep), and whisper voice.
  3. Play “Good Listener”: whisper a silly instruction (“Touch your nose,” “Wiggle your elbow”). Only the kids who hear it can do it.
  4. SAY“Good-ground hearts really listen to Jesus, and then they do what He says.”

Class screen: 👂 Who hath ears to hear, let him hear. · Matthew 13:9

6. Game

Forehead Guess: Garden Edition

3 min

A Heads Up–style game reviews the parables with easy picture words.

  1. Tap Forehead Guess. One child holds your phone or tablet on their forehead, screen facing the class.
  2. Classmates give clues or act it out without saying the word. The picture helps pre-readers know what it is.
  3. Tilt down for “got it,” up to pass. About 30 seconds per guesser.
  4. Pair younger guessers with an older buddy who can whisper hints.
🌪️ Clue-givers raise a hand and wait to be called on. Growing like a seed is a great clue.
▶ Play Forehead Guess on the web

Class screen: 🤔 Forehead Guess! · Act it out. Don’t say the word!

7. Talk it over

Growing Good Ground

2 min

Kids connect the parable to how they listen and what they do.

  1. Sit close. Tap Name Spinner to pick who answers.
  2. Little ones can point, act or show with their hands.
  3. Share your own answer to one question first.
💬 Ask the class
  • Which seeds grew the best? Why?
  • How can you be a good listener in Primary?
  • What helps your heart be soft and ready for Jesus?
  • What is something tiny that grows big?
🎡 Name Spinner (a class game in the Gospel Sparks app)

Class screen: 💬 Let’s talk!

8. Testimony

My Heart Is Good Ground

3 min

End calm with the promise that a listening heart grows a strong testimony.

  1. Everyone sits still and puts a hand on their heart. Softly sing or hum “Listen, Listen” (Children’s Songbook, 107).
  2. SAY“When we listen to Jesus and do what He says, our testimony grows like a plant in good ground. When our 7-year-olds are baptized and take the sacrament each week, their roots can grow deep.”
  3. Share a short testimony: something you learned from Jesus that has grown in your life.
  4. Show the challenge on the screen. Invite a child to say the closing prayer.

Class screen: ❤️ I can have a good-ground heart · Listen 👂 · Do 🙌 · Grow 🌱

9. Game

Treasure Hunt: The Pearl

3 minBONUS

Hunting for a hidden pearl shows that the gospel is a treasure worth more than anything.

  1. SAY“Jesus told about a man who found one beautiful pearl. He gave up everything else to have it!”
  2. Hide the pearl while kids cover their eyes. One child hunts while the class says “warmer” or “colder.”
  3. When it’s found, ask: “What is a treasure in the gospel that’s worth more than anything?” (Jesus, families forever, the scriptures, prayer.)
  4. Play again with a new hunter.

Class screen: 💎 Find the pearl of great price! · Matthew 13:45–46

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: A “pearl”: a white button, bead, marble or cotton ball, for the bonus Treasure Hunt

Treasure in a Field

  1. SAY“Jesus told about a treasure hidden in a field. The man who found it was so happy that he gave up everything to have it!”
  2. One child is the treasure and curls up somewhere in the room while the hunter covers their eyes.
  3. The hunter searches while the class says “warmer” or “colder.” When they find the treasure, the treasure says one gospel treasure (Jesus, families forever, prayer).
  4. Play again with new kids.
10. Game

Scripture Showdown

5 minBONUS

A team quiz reviews the lesson if you have extra time.

  1. Split into two teams. Tap Scripture Showdown.
  2. Read each question and the choices out loud for the pre-readers.
  3. Teams whisper together, then point to an answer. Tap the team that got it right.
▶ Play Scripture Showdown on the web

Class screen: 🏆 Scripture Showdown!

Story drama

The Farmer and the Seeds

Matthew 13:3–9, 18–23 ↗

Parts to hand out

  • FarmerWalks around pretending to scatter seeds from a bag: “Toss, toss, toss!”
  • BirdsSwoop in with flapping arms and gobble up the seeds on the path: “Tweet, gulp!”
  • Hot SunRises slowly with arms in a big circle and shines hot: “Sizzle!”
  • ThornsGrow up fast with pointy fingers and crowd around the little plants.
  • Good GroundA reader who pats the floor and reads, “Good, soft ground!”
  • SeedsEveryone else! Curl up tiny, land where the farmer tosses you, then grow (or not!).

Scenes

  1. ⛵👥 Jesus teaches from a boat

    So many people came to see Jesus by the sea that He got into a boat and sat down, and the whole crowd stood on the shore. He told them a story about a farmer.

    🎬 Everyone sits like a crowd on the beach and cups their ears to listen.

  2. 🧑‍🌾🌱 A farmer plants his seeds

    A farmer went out to plant seeds. He scattered them with his hand, and they landed in all kinds of places.

    🎬 The Seeds curl up tiny. The Farmer walks by and “tosses” them. Each seed rolls to a different spot.

  3. 🛤️🐦 Seeds on the hard path

    Some seeds fell on the hard path where people walked. They just sat on top, and the birds swooped down and gobbled them up!

    🎬 A few seeds sit on the “path.” The Birds swoop in: “Tweet, gulp!” Those seeds flop over, all gone.

  4. 🪨🌱 Seeds on the rocky ground

    Some seeds fell where there were lots of rocks and only a little dirt. They popped up super fast!

    🎬 Some seeds shoot up quickly: “Boing!”

  5. ☀️🥀 The hot sun dries them up

    But the hot sun came up. Those little plants had no deep roots to drink water, so they dried up and wilted away.

    🎬 The Hot Sun rises: “Sizzle!” The rocky-ground plants droop and wilt slowly to the floor.

  6. 🌵🌱 Seeds in the thorns

    Some seeds fell among thorny weeds. They started to grow, but the thorns grew faster and crowded them until they couldn’t grow anymore.

    🎬 The Thorns grow up fast with pointy fingers and stand close around a few little plants, who get squished small.

  7. 🟫🌾 Seeds on good ground!

    But some seeds fell on good, soft ground. They grew roots, then stems, then tall plants full of grain: thirty, sixty, even a hundred times more!

    🎬 Good Ground pats the floor and reads the caption. The last seeds grow slowly, slowly, all the way up on tiptoe with arms high.

  8. 👂❓ “Who hath ears to hear, let him hear”

    Jesus said, “Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.” That means, “Really listen!” Later His disciples asked what the story meant. Jesus said the seed is God’s word.

    🎬 Everyone cups their ears and leans in close to listen.

  9. ❤️🌱 Your heart is the ground!

    The ground is like our heart. A good-ground heart listens to Jesus, understands, and keeps doing what He says. Then good things grow and grow in our lives.

    🎬 Everyone puts a hand on their heart, then grows up tall like a big plant and says, “Good ground!”

Key verse

Matthew 13:9 ↗
“Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.”
In kid words: If you have ears, really listen to Jesus!
🙌 “Who hath ears” = point to your ears · “to hear” = cup your hands behind your ears · “let him hear” = lean in, finger to lips, and nod.

More verses

Matthew 13:23 ↗
“he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit”
In kid words: Good ground is a person who hears God’s word, understands it and lives it, and good things grow.
Matthew 13:31–32 ↗
“The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed … Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree”
In kid words: God’s kingdom is like a teeny-tiny seed that grows into a big tree.
Matthew 13:44 ↗
“the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field”
In kid words: The gospel is like a hidden treasure worth more than anything!

Forehead Guess words16 words

  • 🌱 Seed
  • 🧑‍🌾 Farmer
  • 🐦 Bird
  • 🪨 Rock
  • ☀️ Sun
  • 🌵 Thorns
  • 🟫 Dirt
  • 🌳 Tree
  • 👂 Ears
  • ❤️ Heart
  • ⛵ Boat
  • 💰 Treasure
  • 💎 Pearl
  • 🍞 Bread
  • 🎣 Fishing Net
  • 💧 Water
Clues for each word
  • Seed: Plant it and it grows
  • Farmer: He planted the seeds
  • Bird: It gobbled up the seeds on the path
  • Rock: Hard and heavy, no room for roots
  • Sun: Hot and bright in the sky
  • Thorns: Pointy, ouch!
  • Dirt: Good, soft ground for planting
  • Tree: The mustard seed grew into one
  • Ears: You use them to listen
  • Heart: Jesus said it’s like the ground
  • Boat: Jesus taught from one
  • Treasure: Hidden in a field
  • Pearl: A beautiful white jewel
  • Bread: Yeast makes the dough grow big
  • Fishing Net: Fishermen catch fish with it
  • Water: Plants need it to grow
▶ Play Forehead GuessFull screen, 60-second timer, works on any phone.

Scripture Showdown8 questions

  1. What did the farmer plant?
    • A. Toys 🧸
    • B. Seeds 🌱
    • C. Shoes 👟
    Show answer

    ✅ B. Seeds 🌱 He scattered seeds everywhere!

  2. What ate the seeds on the hard path?
    • A. Birds 🐦
    • B. Cows 🐄
    • C. Dinosaurs 🦖
    Show answer

    ✅ A. Birds 🐦 The birds swooped down and gobbled them up.

  3. Why did the plants on rocky ground dry up?
    • A. It snowed ❄️
    • B. Someone stepped on them 🦶
    • C. They had no deep roots 🌱
    Show answer

    ✅ C. They had no deep roots 🌱 When the hot sun came, they couldn’t get water.

  4. What crowded out the seeds so they couldn’t grow?
    • A. Thorns 🌵
    • B. Flowers 🌸
    • C. Balloons 🎈
    Show answer

    ✅ A. Thorns 🌵 The thorny weeds grew faster and squished them.

  5. Where did the seeds grow the best?
    • A. On the path 🛤️
    • B. In good ground 🌾
    • C. In a puddle 💦
    Show answer

    ✅ B. In good ground 🌾 Good ground grew a huge harvest!

  6. Jesus said the ground is like our…
    • A. Shoes 👟
    • B. Hair 💇
    • C. Heart ❤️
    Show answer

    ✅ C. Heart ❤️ A good-ground heart listens to Jesus and does what He says.

  7. What did the tiny mustard seed grow into?
    • A. A big tree 🌳
    • B. A rock 🪨
    • C. A cupcake 🧁
    Show answer

    ✅ A. A big tree 🌳 Something tiny can grow huge, like a testimony!

  8. What helps our hearts be good ground?
    • A. Never listening 🙉
    • B. Praying and listening to Jesus 🙏
    • C. Being grumpy 😠
    Show answer

    ✅ B. Praying and listening to Jesus 🙏 When we listen and do what Jesus says, good things grow.

▶ Play Scripture ShowdownTeams take turns on one screen.

Songs

  • Listen, Listen Children’s Songbook, p. 107

    Who hath ears to hear, let him hear! Find it ↗

  • Seek the Lord Early Children’s Songbook, p. 108

    Children can grow good ground in their hearts while they’re young. Find it ↗

  • Search, Ponder, and Pray Children’s Songbook, p. 109

    Reading, thinking and praying help a testimony grow. Find it ↗

This week’s challenge

Good Ground Gardener

This week, be a super listener during family prayer and scripture time. Then do one thing you heard. Ask a grown-up to help you plant a seed in a cup and watch it grow.

Text the parents

Today in Primary we were seeds in Jesus’s story of the farmer: some landed on the path, some on rocks, some in thorns, and some in good ground (Matthew 13:3–23). We learned that our hearts are like the ground, and when we listen to Jesus and do what He says, our testimony grows. Ask your child: where did the seeds grow best, and how can our family be good ground this week?

📝 After class

What worked? Who needs a check-in this week? Jot it here on a printed copy, or in the app’s private class notes.

Got extra time?

🪴 Plant a Cup · 5 min

  1. Give each child a paper cup with a little soil and a bean or seed.
  2. Kids poke the seed in with a finger and pat the soil. Readers write their name on the cup.
  3. SAY“Water it and put it in the sun. Every time you see it grow, remember: your testimony grows when you listen to Jesus.”

🧍 Bent Over, Standing Tall · 3 min

  1. Tell how Jesus healed a woman who had been bent over for eighteen years (Luke 13:11–13).
  2. Everyone walks bent over for a few steps. Then the teacher reads Jesus’s words, “Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity,” and everyone straightens up tall.
  3. SAY“Jesus can help us with things we can’t fix by ourselves.”

🔍 Parable Match · 4 min

  1. Gather or draw a seed, a slice of bread, a button “pearl,” a coin “treasure” and a net (a mesh bag).
  2. Describe each of Jesus’s short stories in one sentence, and kids point to the matching object.
  3. Ask: “Why did Jesus use everyday things to teach?” (So we can remember Him every day!)

Sources

Scripture quotations are from the King James Version, the Bible used by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Tap or click a reference to open it in Gospel Library. Start with the official Come, Follow Me manual; these ideas are here to help it come alive.

All CTR 4–7 lessons