Teaching the Ten Commandments

I pulled out some of our old activities on the Ten Commandments, and since I needed to scan them to send to our grandchildren, I figured I’d post them here also. Hopefully they help someone else as well. For Come Follow Me this week, we’re studying Abinadi’s teachings to King Noah, which included a review of the Ten Commandments. Hundreds of years later, these laws and rules are still important, particularly if we want peace and happiness in our lives and homes.

I love this song from the Children’s Songbook, particularly how it takes a couple of the “thou shalt nots” and turns them into positive statements, and also how it adds the two great commandments from the New Testament to the Old Testament list. If you’re not familiar with this song, you can check it out here.

The Commandments

Thou shalt have no gods but Me.
Before no idols bow thy knee.
Take not the name of God in vain.
Do not the Sabbath day profane.
Honor thy parents all thy days.
Take not life in wanton ways.
Be faithful in thy marriage trust.
And never steal or be unjust.
Always tell the truth-and love it.
What is thy neighbor’s, do not covet.
And the greatest commandments of all:
With all thy heart, love God above;
And as thyself thy neighbor love.

We used a couple of additional tools to help memorize the Ten Commandments in our seminary classes. One was turning the numeral into a reminder, and the other was writing a story on the chalkboard. Have you ever used either of these?

Once you’ve learned all ten, you can review them with this little game. Just make something to pass around, with the numbers 1 – 10 written around the edges. (We used a cardboard circle, but you could write on a paper plate, a frisbee or even a beach ball; use your imagination and creativity!) Pass the object while reciting the phrase:

The Ten Commandments are God’s laws. I’ll say one when I point and pause.

Whoever has the object at that point, sees which number is closest to his thumb (or whichever finger you determine) and states what the commandment is. Then resume passing and chanting. This can also be done in solo play by just rotating the circle yourself.

If your children would rather review with a pencil in hand, here’s a word find (from the September 2017 Friend). 

Finally, here’s a little finger play (which I found in the May 1998 Friend, but it looks like it was repeated in this month’s issue as well) for our youngest grandchildren. You need to be able to count before you can do the above activities!

Ten Commandments

A finger play by Carol McAdoo Rehme

This is the mountain where Moses went. (Put fingertips together to form a peak.)
This is the tablet Heavenly Father sent. (Put hands together, palms open.)
This is Christ’s finger that wrote the words. (Have pointer finger “write” on open palm.)
This is the voice that Moses heard. (Cup hands around mouth.)
This is the cloud on the mountain tall. (Clasp hands above head.)
These are the commandments—count ten in all. (Wiggle all ten fingers.)
 One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten!

Sorry I couldn’t find a picture or diagram, but I’m sure you can figure out the hand motions.