“In God’s Garden, Part 1” is a 40-minute 0–5 lesson plan featuring several “In the Garden” articles that focus on God’s love and care and how He helps His children to grow in faith, joy, and contentment.

Read “Just the Right Kind of Care.”

Talk about things that happen in your child’s day that may cause him or her to compare with others; for example, things that a friend or sibling has/received that your child didn’t. Then discuss why things can still be “fair” even when everyone doesn’t have or get exactly the same thing. (Possible answers: (1) Everyone has different needs. (2) Not everyone needs or appreciates the same thing, so rewards and blessings are meted out differently. (3) Sometimes something is more important to someone at a given time—something they have worked hard for and receive as a reward, a replacement for something lost or broken, etc.)

Watch “The Garden.”

Discuss the importance of being content with who you are and how you are made. God created each person, and there is something special about each person, and we should praise Him for that uniqueness.

Read “A Happy, Healthy Garden.”

Ask the children to think of themselves as plants in God’s garden. Discuss some of the things that would be needed to keep a plant growing healthy and strong, and then talk about how that could apply to everyday life. (For example, a plant needs proper soil and the right environment to grow well, just like people need a good environment and proper food and care to develop properly.)

Read “The Sun Will Shine Again.”

Talk about something that each child might be struggling with, then brainstorm something that each one can do to persevere through the struggle, and then list what steps can be taken to get there.

Read “Cling like a Vine.”

Tell of a difficulty you struggled with and how your relationship with Jesus grew through it.

Select one or more coloring pages from these options: “Coloring Page: A Happy, Healthy Garden” or “Coloring Pages: Cling like a Vine.”

Listen to “Me and You” while coloring.