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Seeds, Pearls and Hidden Treasure

Jesus tells parables, stories about seeds, soil, hidden treasure, a priceless pearl and a fishing net, to teach what God’s kingdom is like. Kids learn to make their hearts good ground where Jesus’s words can grow, and that the gospel is a treasure worth more than anything. Your family will draw the four kinds of ground, hunt for clue words, find a giant tree outside and hunt for a hidden pearl. Sunday is Palm Sunday, so the week ends by getting ready for Easter.

  • Week 12
  • 📅 Mar 15–21, 2027
  • 📖 Matthew 13; Luke 8; 13
Start with Monday
Read it togetherMatthew 13; Luke 8; 13 in Gospel LibraryCome, Follow Me manualNew Testament 2027, week 12

What your kids learn in class

Stories, verses and games for the week come from each child’s own Primary or youth lesson, so home matches Sunday.

Daily sparks

Five to ten minutes a day, Monday to Sunday, with everyday things you already have. Grown-ups lead; kids act, play and answer. Where a step says to tap something, that’s in the Gospel Sparks app; on the web, use the “Play along” links.

Monday · 9 min · Draw

Draw the Four Grounds

🌱 Where will the seed land? Draw it!Fold four boxes.Draw each kind of ground.Make the good ground grow!

✋ Grab: paper and crayons

⏱ Only 10 minutes?

💡 God’s words are like seeds, and our hearts can be good ground where they grow.

  1. Read Matthew 13:3–8 together.
  2. Ask: “Which ground do you want your heart to be like?”
  3. Share one way to help God’s word grow in you this week.

😄 Guess the ground: a parent describes one, and the kids guess path, rocks, thorns or good ground.

📖 Read together: Matthew 13:3–8 ↗

  1. Tap Story and read the scenes together.
  2. Fold a paper into four boxes. Give everyone crayons.
  3. Read Matthew 13:3–8 slowly. Stop after each kind of ground.
  4. Draw it in the next box. Try a path with birds, rocks, thorns, then good ground.
  5. Make the good-ground box the biggest, fullest plant of all.
  6. SAY“God’s words are like seeds. We choose what kind of ground our hearts will be.”

🎭 Play along: the story scenes (from the Valiant 7–8 lesson; pick your kid’s class above for theirs)

Talk about it
  • What thorns can crowd out good things, like screens or being too busy?
  • How can we make our hearts good ground?
🧸 Little ones (2–5)Let your little one color the good-ground box. Help them add big fruit to the plant.
📚 Big kids (10–13)Have your older kid read Jesus’s explanation in Matthew 13:18–23 and label each box with a real-life example.
🧑 Teens (14–18)Read Matthew 13:20–22 with your teen. Ask which soil is most common for people their age. Rocky ground gets excited, then quits when it’s hard. Thorny ground gets choked by worries and busyness. Which one are they most at risk of, and what would pull the thorns?
☕️ For grown-upsThe same heart can be every kind of soil in a single week. The parable isn’t mainly about sorting people. It’s an invitation to tend our own ground. What thorns have grown up in your life lately, maybe good things crowding out better ones?

Sticker for today: 🌾

Tuesday · 7 min · Scripture detective

Eyes, Ears and Heart

👂 Eyes, ears, heart! Point fast!Listen for the clue words.Point when you hear one.Say the verse!

✅ Nothing to prep. Just start!

⏱ Only 10 minutes?

💡 Jesus wants us to listen to Him with our ears and our hearts.

  1. Read Matthew 13:15–16 together.
  2. Ask: “How can we listen to Jesus with our hearts, not just our ears?”
  3. Each person shares one time they felt the Spirit.

😄 Read verse 16 again fast. Point to your eyes and ears every time you hear them!

📖 Read together: Matthew 13:15–16, 23 ↗

  1. SAY“Detectives, listen for three clue words: eyes, ears and heart.”
  2. Read Matthew 13:15–16 slowly. Everyone points to their eyes, ears or heart when they hear one.
  3. Read it again and count. Which word shows up the most?
  4. Tap Key Verse. Learn Matthew 13:23 with the motions.
  5. SAY“Jesus wants us to listen with our ears and our hearts. Then His words can grow in us.”

📖 Play along: the key verse (from the Valiant 7–8 lesson; pick your kid’s class above for theirs)

Talk about it
  • What helps you really listen at church?
  • How do you listen with your heart?
🧸 Little ones (2–5)Play “Where are your eyes? Your ears? Your heart?” with your little one and cheer when they point.
📚 Big kids (10–13)Let your older kid be the reader. Have them read faster to try to catch everyone.
🧑 Teens (14–18)Read Matthew 13:15 with your teen. Hearts can grow hard, ears dull and eyes closed. Ask how that happens little by little, and what keeps a heart soft. Invite them to listen to one general conference talk this week with one question: “What is God telling me?”
☕️ For grown-upsIn Matthew 13:16, Jesus told His disciples, “blessed are your eyes, for they see.” Many around them heard the same words and missed them. What truth have you heard for years that you’re only now starting to see?

Sticker for today: 👂

Wednesday · 9 min · Walk

Find the Biggest Tree

🌳 Tiny seed, giant tree!Pinch a tiny seed.Find the biggest tree.Spot a bird in it!

✅ Nothing to prep. Just start!

⏱ Only 10 minutes?

💡 A testimony starts small like a mustard seed and grows as we follow Jesus.

  1. Read Matthew 13:31–32 together.
  2. Ask: “What helps a tiny seed grow into a big tree?”
  3. Each person names one small thing that helps their testimony grow.

😄 Thirty-second challenge: who can name the most things that grow from tiny seeds?

📖 Read together: Matthew 13:31–32 ↗

  1. Read Matthew 13:31–32 together.
  2. Pinch two fingers together like you’re holding the tiniest seed ever.
  3. Take a short walk, or look out a window. Find the biggest tree you can see.
  4. Ask: “How big was this tree when it started?” Look for a bird in the branches.
  5. SAY“A testimony starts small too. It grows every time we pray, read and do what Jesus teaches.”
  6. Each person names one tiny thing they’ll do this week to help their testimony grow.
Talk about it
  • What helps a seed grow?
  • What helps your testimony grow?
🧸 Little ones (2–5)Hold your little one up to touch a branch or a leaf. Say, “This was a tiny seed once!”
📚 Big kids (10–13)Ask your older kid to read Alma 32:28 and explain how Alma’s seed is like Jesus’s mustard seed.
🧑 Teens (14–18)Have your teen read Alma 32:28–30 and treat it like a real experiment. What is the seed, what is the test, and what counts as evidence? Invite them to plant one small gospel habit this week and watch honestly for growth.
☕️ For grown-upsIn Matthew 13:31–33, Jesus compares His kingdom to a mustard seed and to leaven. Both are small and hidden, and both change everything around them. The quiet, small things you do with your kids every day are the kingdom working that way.

Sticker for today: 🌱

Thursday · 10 min · Game

Game Night: Hidden Pearl

💎 Find the hidden pearl!Warmer… colder…What’s your gospel treasure?Then Draw & Guess!

✋ Grab: a rolled-up sock

⏱ Only 10 minutes?

💡 The gospel is a treasure worth more than anything else.

  1. Read Matthew 13:44–46 together.
  2. Ask: “Why would someone give everything for one pearl?”
  3. Each person names one gospel treasure they’d never trade.

😄 Treasure guess: someone secretly picks a treasure in the room. Everyone gets three yes-or-no questions to guess it.

📖 Read together: Matthew 13:44–46 ↗

  1. Roll up a sock. It’s the pearl of great price.
  2. Kids cover their eyes while you hide it. Give “warmer” and “colder” clues until they find it.
  3. Read Matthew 13:44–46. Ask: “Why would someone sell everything for one pearl?”
  4. Pass the pearl around. Whoever holds it names a gospel treasure they’d never trade.
  5. Tap Draw & Guess and play with this week’s words.

🖍️ Play along: Draw & Guess with this week’s words (from the Valiant 7–8 lesson; pick your kid’s class above for theirs)

Talk about it
  • What’s the most precious gospel treasure we named?
  • What would you give up to follow Jesus?
🧸 Little ones (2–5)Let your little one hide the pearl in an easy spot. Help them name a treasure, like our family.
📚 Big kids (10–13)Have your older kid hide the pearl and give the clues. They can add a verse from Matthew 13 as a bonus hint.
🧑 Teens (14–18)Read Matthew 13:44–46 with your teen. The man sold everything “for joy.” Ask: does following Jesus feel more like finding treasure or more like giving things up? What would help it feel like treasure?
☕️ For grown-upsIn Matthew 13:44 the man sells all he has “for joy.” Sacrifice for the gospel is meant to feel like trading up, not losing out. Where has duty crowded out the joy in your discipleship, and how could you find it again?

Sticker for today: 🦪

Friday · 7 min · Service

Lift Someone Up

🙌 Hunch down… then stand up TALL!Try to look up.Now stand up tall!Lift someone up today.

✅ Nothing to prep. Just start!

⏱ Only 10 minutes?

💡 Jesus lifted up a woman who couldn’t stand straight, and we can lift people up too.

  1. Read Luke 13:11–13 together.
  2. Ask: “How can a kind word lift someone up?”
  3. Each person picks one person to lift up today.

😄 Everyone hunches down low. When a parent says “Lifted!” everyone stretches up as tall as they can.

📖 Read together: Luke 13:11–13 ↗

  1. Read Luke 13:11. Everyone hunches over and tries to look at the ceiling. Hard!
  2. Read Luke 13:12–13. Everyone straightens up tall.
  3. SAY“For eighteen years she couldn’t stand up straight. Jesus lifted her up. We can lift people up too.”
  4. Each person picks someone to lift up today. Try a compliment, a thank-you or playing with someone who’s alone.
  5. Tonight, everyone shares who they lifted up.
Talk about it
  • How do you feel when someone says something kind to you?
  • Who needs lifting up this week?
🧸 Little ones (2–5)Let your little one give out hugs or high-fives as their way of lifting people up.
📚 Big kids (10–13)Ask your older kid to write a kind note or send a message to someone who’s been having a hard time.
🧑 Teens (14–18)Read Luke 13:14–16 with your teen. The synagogue ruler was upset about the day, while Jesus saw a “daughter of Abraham” bound for eighteen years. Ask who they know who’s been weighed down a long time, and what one real act could help lift them.
☕️ For grown-upsIn Luke 13:11, the woman had been bent over for eighteen years. Some burdens last a long time. Jesus noticed her, touched her and honored her. Is there a long-bent person in your circle, maybe even you, who needs to be seen?

Sticker for today: 🙌

Saturday · 8 min · Dinner table

Everyone’s in the Net

🐟 Every kind of fish! Everyone’s invited!Who’s invited?Everyone!Play the quiz.

✅ Nothing to prep. Just start!

⏱ Only 10 minutes?

💡 Everyone is invited to come unto Jesus and be part of God’s kingdom.

  1. Read Matthew 13:47–48 together.
  2. Ask: “A net catches every kind of fish. Who does God invite?”
  3. SAY“Tomorrow is Palm Sunday. Easter is one week away!”

😄 Speed round: go around naming people you love until someone gets stuck. Then start again, faster!

📖 Read together: Matthew 13:47–48 ↗

  1. At dinner, read Matthew 13:47–48 together.
  2. Ask: “A net catches every kind of fish. Who is invited into God’s kingdom?”
  3. Go around the table. Name people you love who are invited too.
  4. SAY“Tomorrow is Palm Sunday. Crowds waved palm branches to welcome Jesus. Easter is next week!”
  5. After dinner, tap Quiz for a quick review. Then lay out Sunday clothes.

🏆 Play along: Scripture Showdown (from the Valiant 7–8 lesson; pick your kid’s class above for theirs)

Talk about it
  • Who is invited into God’s kingdom?
  • What do you know about the week before Easter?
🧸 Little ones (2–5)Let your little one wave their arms high like palm branches and shout “Hosanna!”
📚 Big kids (10–13)Have your older kid read Matthew 21:1–11 so they can help tell the Palm Sunday story tomorrow.
🧑 Teens (14–18)Read the wheat and the tares with your teen in Matthew 13:24–30. Tares look like wheat until harvest, and the servants were told not to pull them early. Ask why the Lord would let good and evil grow side by side, and what that means for living faithfully among friends who believe differently.
☕️ For grown-upsIn Matthew 13:49, the angels do the separating at the end of the world. That frees us to gather and love generously now and leave the judging to God.

Sticker for today: 🎣

Sunday · 6 min · Sabbath

Palm Sunday

🌿 Palm Sunday! Easter is one week away!Teach what you learned.How’s your tiny seed?Get ready for Easter week!

✅ Nothing to prep. Just start!

⏱ Only 10 minutes?

💡 On Palm Sunday, crowds welcomed Jesus with branches and shouts of praise.

  1. Ask: “What did you learn at church today?”
  2. Read Matthew 21:8–9 together.
  3. Ask: “How can we welcome Jesus into our home this week?”

😄 Thumbs-up vote: pick one way to welcome Jesus this week. Do the winner tomorrow!

📖 Read together: Matthew 13:23 ↗

  1. Ask: “What did you learn in Primary today?” Let your kids teach you.
  2. Ask: “How is your tiny testimony seed growing?”
  3. SAY“Today is Palm Sunday. Long ago, crowds waved palm branches to welcome Jesus. Next Sunday is Easter!”
  4. Tell your kids that starting tomorrow, you’ll walk through Jesus’s last week together.
  5. Each person thanks Heavenly Father for one gospel treasure. A parent shares a short testimony of Jesus.
Talk about it
  • What did you learn in Primary today?
  • What are you excited about for Easter?
🧸 Little ones (2–5)Let your little one wave their arms like a palm branch and say “Hosanna!”
📚 Big kids (10–13)Invite your older kid to help plan one part of your family’s Easter week.
🧑 Teens (14–18)Give your teen a real role in Easter week. Have them read ahead in Matthew 21–28 and choose one day to lead, including what to read and what to ask. Teens remember what they teach.
☕️ For grown-upsBefore Easter week begins, decide what you personally hope to feel on Easter morning, then plan a few quiet moments this week to prepare for it. Kids can tell when a parent is spiritually present.

Sticker for today: 🌿

Family challenge

Grow Your Seed

Each night this week, at dinner or bedtime, everyone shares one tiny thing they did that day to help their testimony grow. A prayer, a scripture or a kind act all count. Count how many seeds your family planted by Easter!

Parent Corner

Jesus could have described His kingdom with armies and thrones. Instead He chose a seed, a pinch of leaven, a hidden treasure, a pearl and a fishing net. Parables work slowly: they stay closed to casual listeners and open to those who come back and ask, which is exactly what the disciples did (Matthew 13:10, 36). The parable of the sower is really about hearers, and it quietly asks which soil we are right now. The wheat and the tares warn that good and evil will grow side by side until harvest, and that pulling up tares too early would damage the wheat. The treasure and the pearl insist that the kingdom is worth everything, not as grim sacrifice but as a joyful trade. Small, hidden, patient and priceless: that is how God usually works.

  • Ponder: What small, hidden thing is God growing in you or your family right now that you might be tempted to dismiss because it’s small?
  • Try this: Take a short walk alone and look for real examples of hard paths, rocky ground, thorns and good soil. Pray about which one describes your heart this month and which one thorn you could pull.

From general conference

“You may at times not feel like a strong, mature strand of wheat. Be patient with yourself! The Lord said that the wheat would include tender blades springing up.”

— Elder Neil L. Andersen, “Drawing Closer to the Savior,” October 2022

For parents on Saturday, with the parable of the wheat and the tares.

Read the talk ↗

Dinner-table questions

  • If you could be one thing from Jesus’s parables, like a seed, a pearl or a fish, which would you be?
  • What is something that helps your testimony grow?
  • What thorns try to crowd out good things in our family?
  • What gospel treasure would you never trade?
  • Why do you think Jesus taught with stories?

Sources

Scripture quotations are from the King James Version, the Bible used by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

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