Hand Commands Explanation

QUESTION: Hi I am a children’s ministry director in South Africa and am busy teaching on God’s laws. I would love to use the Hand Commands too. Please could you email the basic outlines, as you did for Virginia in New Zealand? I would be so grateful.

Here you go!!! Included here are the hand motions from my book, HAND COMMANDS – The Ten Commandments for Little Ones, to assist you in helping your children to easily memorize all of God’s Ten Commandments, in order. Blessings to you all! ~Ann Dunagan

Commandment 1:

I AM the LORD your God…

(Hold up one finger, like a big #1 and a giant Capital “I”)

You shall have no other gods before Me.

(Now shake your finger, as if saying “No, No, No!”)

Commandment 2:

You shall not make any idols to bow down to and worship.

(Hold up two fingers together, and make them “bow” up and down.)

Commandment 3:

You shall not take the Name of the LORD in vain.

(Hold three fingers up to your lips and say, “SHHH.” – Watch what you say – especially when you are speaking God’s HOLY and wonderful Name!)

Commandment 4:

Remember the Sabbath Day, to keep it holy.

(Hold up two fingers on each hand, joined together like a steeple. – “On God’s special day, where do we LOVE to go?” – God wants us to have quiet times with Him – to rest and to listen for His voice.)

Commandment 5:

Honor your father and mother.

(Have child give a “high five” by lifting up their hand and clapping someone else’s hand up high. You need to give you dad and mom a big “high five!”)

Commandment 6:

You shall not murder.

(Hold up six fingers, pointing one finger like a gun into the palm of the other five. – “bang-bang” – God doesn’t want us to hate other people, or to want to hurt them.)

Commandment 7:

You shall not commit adultery.

(Hold up seven fingers – 2 + 5 – and say, “It’s a family!” -  Here is the husband and wife…and over here, their handful of kids! – however many blessings, kids are a handful!!! God wants moms and dads to be married and to always love each other with thoughts and actions pure . . . and He wants ALL of us to keep our thoughts and actions pure.)

Commandment 8:

You shall not steal.

(These hand motions are a little “tricky”! Hold up eight fingers: 5 on the left, 3 on the right, then quickly ‘bump’ your hands together and switch to 4 fingers on each hand. “Did you see that? That right hand just ‘stole’ a finger from the left hand!”)

Commandment 9:

You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

(Hold up nine fingers. Then, say with a ‘sarcastic’ tone, “Nine is close enough to ten, don’t you think? Let’s just call it ten. What difference would it make? What’s wrong with just a ‘little lie?’” –  NO!!! God wants us to always tell the truth!)

Commandment 10:

You shall not covet.

(Hold up ten fingers and pretend to “grab” in front on you as if saying, “Gimmie-Gimmie! I want it!” – Don’t be selfish, or “want” things that belong to others.)

These HAND COMMAND motions are from Ann Dunagan’s book, Hand Commands – The Ten Commandments for Little Ones – published by Kregel Publications.

For assistance with these hand motions, please take a look at the 2nd week of the 40-Day Mission-Minded FAMILY CHALLENGE videos, Day 6 (Commands #1-2) – Day 7 (Commands #3-4) – Day 8 (Commands #5-6) – Day 9 (Commands #7-8), and Day 10 (Commands #9-10).

Click for more about Hand Commands – The Ten Commandments for Little Ones