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Good Ground

A farmer’s seeds, hungry birds, spiky thorns, a tiny seed that becomes a tree, and a pearl worth everything

  • 💧 CTR 8
  • Week 12
  • 📅 Sunday, March 21, 2027
🤔 Forehead Guess🏆 Showdown
💡 The big idea

When I listen to God’s word with a ready heart, my testimony of Jesus Christ grows like a seed in good ground.

I can make my heart good ground by listening to God’s word and living it.

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 Jesus’s great chapter of parables: short stories about ordinary things (seeds, weeds, bread dough, a buried treasure, a pearl, a fishing net) that teach about the kingdom of heaven. So many people came to hear Him by the Sea of Galilee that He got into a boat and taught from the water. Luke 8 tells the sower parable too, and Luke 13 adds the mustard seed, the leaven, and Jesus healing a woman who had been bent over for eighteen years.

For eight-year-olds, the heart of this week is the parable of the sower (Matthew 13:3–23). Jesus explains it Himself: the seed is the word of God, and the different kinds of ground are different kinds of hearts. A hard path is a heart that doesn’t really listen, so the word gets snatched away. Rocky ground is a heart that gets excited but gives up when things get hard, because there are no roots. Thorny ground is a heart so crowded with worries and wanting stuff that the word gets choked. Good ground is a heart that hears, understands and keeps living the word, and it grows a big harvest.

The good news for kids: ground can change. We can clear out thorns, dig out rocks and soften the path by praying, listening in Primary and at home, reading scriptures, taking the sacrament and choosing the right. Most of the children have just made baptism covenants, and every time they act on what they learn, their roots grow deeper.

The treasure and the pearl (Matthew 13:44–46) show how much the gospel is worth: people in the parables gladly gave up everything to have it. The mustard seed (13:31–32) shows that the kingdom, and a testimony, can start tiny and grow huge.

Only have 5 minutes?

Read Matthew 13:3–9 and 18–23. Grab any tiny seed from your spice cabinet for the hook. Open Teach Mode and let the Seeds, Birds, Sun and Thorns act out the story. Teach Matthew 13:23 with the motions and play Forehead Guess. No sponge or pearl? Tap “I brought nothing”: kids use their hands as hard or soft ground, and your own scriptures become the hidden treasure.

What to bring3 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 tiny seed in a small bag or piece of folded paper so it doesn’t get lost.
  2. Set the sponge, rock and cup of water on the tray. Fill the cup only halfway.
  3. Read Matthew 13:18–23 so you can explain the parable in your own words.
  4. Pick a spot for the Sower’s four zones: a “path” by the door, “rocky ground” by a chair, “thorns” by the table, and “good ground” in the middle.
  5. Add your kids’ names in the My Class tab so you can hand out story parts with one tap.

If your class is wild

  • Almost every kid is a Seed in the drama, so nobody waits. The Sower taps each Seed on the shoulder to “plant” it in a zone.
  • Thorns choke with spiky arms held around the Seed, never touching. Practice once before the scene.
  • The Birds get to flap and swoop, but they may only “peck” by tapping a shoulder with one finger.
  • In the pearl hunt, the class hums louder as the seeker gets closer. Humming keeps the room busy and quiet at the same time.
  • If they come in wild, start with Parable Poses and do the seed hook second.

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

The Tiniest Seed

2 min

A mystery in a closed fist builds suspense and plants the idea that small things grow big.

  1. Hold out a closed fist. Say: “In my hand is something that could grow into a tree so big birds could rest in its branches. What is it?” Take three guesses.
  2. Open your hand very slowly and show the tiny seed. Let a couple of kids who are sitting ready look closely.
  3. Read Matthew 13:31–32. Say: “Jesus said God’s kingdom starts tiny like this and grows HUGE. So can your testimony. But a seed only grows in the right kind of ground. Let’s find out what kind of ground you are!”
🌪️ Only kids with folded arms get to lean in and look at the seed.

Class screen: ✊ What tiny thing can become a giant tree? · Guess! · 🌱 ➡️ 🌳

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: A tiny seed (mustard, poppy or sesame seed from the spice cabinet), for looking only, not eating

The Invisible Seed

  1. Hold out a closed fist. Say: “In my hand is something that could grow into a tree so big birds could rest in its branches. What is it?” Take three guesses.
  2. Open your hand very slowly. Say: “It’s a seed so tiny you can’t even see it!” Pass the invisible seed very carefully down the row. Nobody drop it!
  3. The last kid plants it in the floor. Everyone makes it rain with fingers, then the whole class grows into one giant tree with arms stretched out, and two kids become birds that land in the branches.
  4. Read Matthew 13:31–32. Say: “Jesus said God’s kingdom starts tiny and grows HUGE. So can your testimony. But a seed only grows in the right kind of ground. Let’s find out what kind of ground you are!”
2. Story

Story Drama: The Sower and the Four Kinds of Ground

6 min

Every kid becomes a seed and feels the difference between the four kinds of ground.

  1. Hand out the roles (tap Roles in Teach Mode to assign them). Everyone without a role is a Seed.
  2. Show the four zones: the path, the rocky ground, the thorns and the good ground.
  3. Read each scene aloud and pause for the action cue. In scene 2, the Sower sends a few Seeds to each zone, with the most going to good ground.
  4. Before scene 6, practice spiky Thorn arms with no touching.
  5. At the end, ask: “Which Seed would you want to be? What kind of ground do you want your heart to be?”
🌪️ Seeds who have “withered” or been “eaten” become the Sound Effects Crew for the rest of the story.

Class screen: 🎭 Story Drama time! · Everyone gets a part

3. Wiggle break

Parable Poses

2 min

Every parable in Matthew 13 becomes a quick pose, so kids move and review at the same time.

  1. Everyone stands. Call out a parable picture and everyone strikes the pose:
  2. Seed = curl up tiny · Mustard tree = arms stretched high and wide · Bird = flap · Thorn = spiky arms and a scowl · Treasure = dig, dig, dig, then gasp · Pearl = hold something tiny and precious up to the light · Net = link arms with a neighbor · Bread dough = puff up your cheeks and rise slowly.
  3. Go faster and faster. Anyone who does the wrong pose just laughs and keeps going.
  4. Finish with “Good ground!”: everyone sits down calmly, hands on their heart.

Class screen: 🌳 Seed! Tree! Bird! Thorn! Treasure! · 🌱 🌳 🐦 🌵 💰 🦪 🎣 🍞

4. Object lesson

Rock or Sponge?

3 min

Water on a rock and on a sponge shows the difference between a hard heart and a good-ground heart.

  1. Hold up the rock. Say: “This is a hard heart.” Pour a little water on it over the tray. Ask: “Did it soak in?” (No, it ran right off!)
  2. Hold up the sponge. Say: “This is a soft, good-ground heart.” Pour water on it. Ask: “Where did the water go?” (It soaked in!)
  3. SAY“The water is like God’s word: what we hear in Primary, in scriptures, in prayer.”
  4. Squeeze the sponge over the tray. Say: “A soft heart soaks up God’s word, and then good things come out: kindness, obedience, sharing, being honest. That’s the fruit!”
  5. Ask: “What helps our hearts stay soft?” (Listening, praying, reading scriptures, repenting, choosing the right.)
🌪️ Pick one helper to hold the tray. Everyone else stays seated so nobody gets soaked.

Class screen: 🧽 Is your heart a rock or a sponge? · 🪨 Water runs off · 🧽 Water soaks in

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: A kitchen sponge, a smooth rock (or a plastic lid), a cup of water, and a tray or towel

Hard Hands, Soft Hands

  1. SAY“Make your hands into tight fists. These are hard hearts.” Tap the rain sound on the Sound Board and walk around “pouring” pretend water over their fists.
  2. Ask: “Did you catch any water?” (No! It ran right off.)
  3. SAY“Now cup your hands like a bowl. These are soft, good-ground hearts.” Pour pretend water in again. Everyone carefully holds their full hands still.
  4. SAY“The water is like God’s word: what we hear in Primary, in scriptures, in prayer. A soft heart catches it and keeps it, and good things grow: kindness, obedience, sharing, being honest.”
  5. Ask: “What helps our hearts stay soft?” (Listening, praying, reading scriptures, repenting, choosing the right.)

Class screen: 🤲 Fist or cupped hands? Which one catches the rain? · ✊ Runs off · 🤲 Stays in

5. Scripture

Scripture Spotlight: Matthew 13:23

2 min

Motions help kids remember Jesus’s own explanation of good ground.

  1. Show the verse on your phone or tablet and read it slowly.
  2. Teach the motions one phrase at a time.
  3. Say it twice: once as tiny seeds (crouched low and whispering), once as tall trees (standing and proud).

Class screen: 🟫 Hear it. Understand it. Grow fruit!

6. Game

Pearl of Great Price Hunt

3 min

A hot-and-cold hunt shows how the man in the parable searched for the one precious pearl.

  1. Read Matthew 13:45–46. Say: “A merchant was searching for fine pearls. When he found one of great price, he sold everything he had to buy it. The gospel is that kind of treasure.”
  2. The seeker stands in a corner with eyes covered while you hide the pearl somewhere in the room.
  3. The seeker hunts. The class hums quietly, louder as the seeker gets closer and softer as they move away.
  4. When the seeker finds it, they hold it up and name one gospel treasure worth more than anything (Jesus, my family forever, the Holy Ghost, the scriptures, my baptism). Play three or four quick rounds.
🌪️ Hummers stay in their seats. If anyone points, the pearl gets hidden again.

Class screen: 🦪 Find the pearl of great price! · Hum louder when they’re close · Hum softer when they’re far

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: A “pearl”: a white marble, bead, button or cotton ball

Treasure Hid in a Field

  1. Read Matthew 13:44. Say: “A man found a treasure buried in a field. He was so happy he sold everything he had to buy that field. The gospel is that kind of treasure.”
  2. Hold up your own scriptures. Say: “This is our treasure.” The seeker stands in a corner with eyes covered while you hide the scriptures somewhere in the room.
  3. The seeker hunts. The class hums quietly, louder as the seeker gets closer and softer as they move away.
  4. When the seeker finds it, they hold it up and name one gospel treasure worth more than anything (Jesus, my family forever, the Holy Ghost, the scriptures, my baptism). Play three or four quick rounds.

Class screen: 💰 Find the treasure hid in the field! · Hum louder when they’re close · Hum softer when they’re far

7. Game

Forehead Guess: Parable Edition

3 min

A Heads Up–style guessing game that reviews every parable picture from today.

  1. Tap Forehead Guess. One kid holds your phone or tablet on their forehead, screen facing the class.
  2. The class gives clues without saying the word. The hint under each word helps if they get stuck.
  3. Tilt down for “got it,” up to pass. Each turn is 45 seconds.
  4. Bonus rule: clue-givers can use their Parable Poses from the wiggle break.
🌪️ Clue-givers stay in their seats. Anyone who shouts the word loses their next clue turn.
▶ Play Forehead Guess on the web

Class screen: 🤔 Forehead Guess! · Give clues, don’t say the word!

8. Talk it over

Talk It Over

2 min

Help kids spot the rocks and thorns in their own week.

  1. Sit in a circle. Pick two of these questions; share your own answer first.
💬 Ask the class
  • What are some “thorns” that can crowd out Jesus in a kid’s life? (Too many screens, being too busy, wanting more stuff.)
  • What could you do to pull out one of those thorns this week?
  • What helps you really listen in church and at home?
  • What is one gospel treasure you would never trade for anything?

Class screen: 💬 Let’s talk!

9. Testimony

Testimony & the Good Ground Gardener

2 min

End calm and reverent, with a way to keep their hearts soft.

  1. Lower your voice. Share one or two sentences about how your testimony started small and grew as you listened and obeyed.
  2. Introduce the Good Ground Gardener challenge on the screen.
  3. Ask a child to say the closing prayer.

Class screen: 🧑‍🌾 This week: be a Good Ground Gardener! · Listen to one scripture story each day · Do one thing it teaches

10. Game

Scripture Showdown

5 minBONUS

A fast team quiz reviews everything they learned.

  1. Split into two teams. Tap Scripture Showdown to start.
  2. Read each question aloud. Teams whisper together, then point to an answer.
  3. Tap the team that got it right to give them a point.
▶ Play Scripture Showdown on the web

Class screen: 🏆 Scripture Showdown!

Story drama

The Sower and the Four Kinds of Ground

Matthew 13:1–23 ↗

Parts to hand out

  • The SowerWalks around tossing pretend seeds and taps each Seed to send it to a zone.
  • Hungry BirdsTwo kids who flap, swoop and “peck” the seeds on the path.
  • The Hot SunRises tall, spreads arms wide and says, “Sizzle!”
  • Thorny WeedsTwo kids who grow up with spiky arms and crowd around the seeds.
  • Curious DiscipleAsks, “What does the story mean?”
  • SeedsEveryone else: curl up small, get planted, then sprout, wither, get squished or grow tall.

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 taught them with parables: stories about everyday things that teach about God’s kingdom.

    🎬 Everyone sways like gentle waves, then sits down on the “shore.”

  2. 🧑‍🌾🌱 A farmer goes out to plant

    Jesus said, “Behold, a sower went forth to sow.” A farmer went out to plant seeds. He scattered them by hand, and they landed in all kinds of places.

    🎬 Seeds curl up small. The Sower tosses pretend seeds and taps each Seed toward a zone.

  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.

    🎬 Birds flap in and tap the path Seeds, who cover their faces and disappear.

  4. 🪨🌱 Seeds on the rocky ground

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

    🎬 Rocky Seeds pop up quickly and flex: “Look at me!”

  5. ☀️🥀 The hot sun scorches them

    But when the hot sun came up, those little plants had no deep roots to drink water. They dried up and withered away.

    🎬 The Sun rises: “Sizzle!” Rocky Seeds droop and flop down.

  6. 🌵😵 Seeds among the thorns

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

    🎬 Thorns grow up with spiky arms around the Seeds (no touching). Seeds shrink down.

  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 times more, sixty times more, even a hundred times more than was planted!

    🎬 Good-ground Seeds grow slowly to tiptoes. Everyone counts: “Thirty! Sixty! A HUNDRED!”

  8. ❓👂 “What does the story mean?”

    Jesus said, “Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.” Later His disciples asked what the story meant. Jesus explained: the seed is God’s word, and the ground is the heart of the person who hears it.

    🎬 The Disciple asks the question. Everyone cups hands behind their ears.

  9. ❤️🌱 Your heart is the ground!

    A hard heart doesn’t really listen. A rocky heart gives up when it gets hard. A thorny heart is too busy and worried. But a good-ground heart listens, understands and keeps doing what God says, and it grows and grows.

    🎬 Everyone points to their heart and says, “Good ground!”

Key verse

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 listens to God’s word, understands it, and lives it, and good things grow in their life.
🙌 “received seed” = pinch fingers like holding a seed · “into the good ground” = pat the floor · “heareth the word” = cup your ears · “and understandeth it” = tap your head · “which also beareth fruit” = arms up like a tree, wiggle your fingers like fruit

More verses

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 tree big enough for birds to live in.
Matthew 13:44 ↗
“the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field”
In kid words: A man found treasure in a field. He was so happy that he sold everything he had to buy that field.
Matthew 13:45–46 ↗
“when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it”
In kid words: A man found one beautiful pearl and gave up everything else to have it. The gospel is worth that much!
Matthew 13:16 ↗
“But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear”
In kid words: You are blessed when you really look and really listen to Jesus.

Forehead Guess words18 words

  • 🧑‍🌾 Sower
  • 🌱 Seed
  • 🐦 Birds
  • 🪨 Rocks
  • ☀️ Sun
  • 🌵 Thorns
  • 🟫 Good ground
  • 🌿 Roots
  • ⛵ Boat
  • 📖 Parable
  • 🌳 Mustard seed
  • 💰 Treasure
  • 🦪 Pearl
  • 🎣 Fishing net
  • 🍞 Bread dough
  • 👂 Ears
  • ❤️ Heart
  • 🍎 Fruit
Clues for each word
  • Sower: A farmer who scatters seeds
  • Seed: In the parable, it’s God’s word
  • Birds: They gobbled the seeds on the path
  • Rocks: Hard ground where plants have no deep roots
  • Sun: It scorched the plants with no roots
  • Thorns: Spiky weeds that choke the plants
  • Good ground: Soft soil where seeds grow a big harvest
  • Roots: The part of a plant that grows deep underground
  • Boat: Jesus sat in one to teach the crowd
  • Parable: A story about everyday things that teaches about God
  • Mustard seed: Tiny seed that grows into a tree
  • Treasure: A man found it hidden in a field
  • Pearl: A merchant sold everything to buy one
  • Fishing net: It gathered every kind of fish
  • Bread dough: A little yeast makes it rise
  • Ears: “Who hath ___ to hear, let him hear”
  • Heart: In the parable, it’s the ground
  • Fruit: The good things that grow when we live God’s word
▶ Play Forehead GuessFull screen, 60-second timer, works on any phone.

Scripture Showdown8 questions

  1. Where did Jesus sit to teach the huge crowd by the sea?
    • A. On a mountain
    • B. In a boat
    • C. On a roof
    Show answer

    ✅ B. In a boat The crowd was so big He taught from a boat while they stood on the shore.

  2. In the parable of the sower, what is the seed?
    • A. God’s word
    • B. A cookie
    • C. Money
    Show answer

    ✅ A. God’s word Jesus explained it Himself: the seed is the word of God.

  3. What happened to the seeds that fell on the hard path?
    • A. They grew tall
    • B. They turned to gold
    • C. Birds gobbled them up
    Show answer

    ✅ C. Birds gobbled them up When we don’t really listen, the word gets snatched away before it can grow.

  4. Why did the plants on rocky ground dry up?
    • A. They had no deep roots
    • B. Too much rain
    • C. Bugs ate them
    Show answer

    ✅ A. They had no deep roots Deep roots keep a testimony strong when life gets hard.

  5. What crowded out the seeds that fell among the thorns?
    • A. Birds
    • B. The thorns
    • C. Snow
    Show answer

    ✅ B. The thorns Worries and wanting stuff can crowd out Jesus if we let them.

  6. How much did the seeds on good ground grow?
    • A. Nothing
    • B. Just one plant
    • C. Up to a hundred times more
    Show answer

    ✅ C. Up to a hundred times more A good-ground heart grows an amazing harvest!

  7. The kingdom of heaven is like a tiny ___ seed.
    • A. Mustard
    • B. Apple
    • C. Pumpkin
    Show answer

    ✅ A. Mustard It starts tiny and becomes a tree where birds can rest (Matthew 13:31–32).

  8. What did the merchant sell everything to buy?
    • A. A boat
    • B. One pearl of great price
    • C. A castle
    Show answer

    ✅ B. One pearl of great price The gospel is worth more than everything else we have.

▶ Play Scripture ShowdownTeams take turns on one screen.

Songs

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

    How we help God’s word grow in our hearts. Find it ↗

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

    “Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.” Listening to the Holy Ghost keeps our hearts soft. Find it ↗

  • I Want to Live the Gospel Children’s Songbook, p. 148

    Good ground doesn’t just hear the word, it lives it. Find it ↗

This week’s challenge

Good Ground Gardener

Every day this week, listen to one scripture story with your family (or on Gospel Library), then do one thing it teaches. Pull out one “thorn” too: maybe a little less screen time so you have time for Jesus.

Text the parents

Today in Primary we acted out Jesus’s parable of the sower. We learned that the seed is God’s word and the ground is our heart, and we poured water on a rock and a sponge to see the difference between a hard heart and a soft one. Ask your child: what kind of ground do you want your heart to be, and what is one “thorn” our family could pull out 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?

🌾 Wheat and Weeds · 4 min

  1. Read Matthew 13:24–30. An enemy sowed weeds (tares) among the wheat, and they looked the same until they grew up.
  2. Kids hold up both hands like wheat. You whisper “tare” to two of them, who blend in. At “Harvest!”, the tares must show a scowl while the wheat shows a smile. Can everyone spot them?
  3. SAY“Good and bad grow side by side in the world. We choose which we will be, and at the end, the Lord gathers the good.”

🧍 Standing Up Straight · 3 min

  1. Read Luke 13:11–13. A woman had been bent over for eighteen years and couldn’t straighten up. Jesus put His hands on her and she stood up straight and praised God.
  2. Everyone walks bent over for 15 seconds. Then, on “Loosed!”, stand up tall and stretch.
  3. Ask: “What heavy things can Jesus help lift off of us?”

🍞 Rising Dough Science · 5 min

  1. In a clear bottle, mix a packet of yeast, a spoonful of sugar and warm water. Stretch a balloon over the top (latex-free if anyone has a latex allergy). Nothing here is for eating.
  2. While you wait, read Matthew 13:33: a little leaven (yeast) makes the whole batch of dough rise.
  3. Check the balloon at the end of class. Say: “One small good choice can spread and lift everyone around you.”

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.

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