This free Bible lesson is designed for younger children (2 year olds – 5 year olds). Use it in your Sunday School or Children’s Church to help introduce the events from Esther to this age group.
We’ve included several learning activities below, but you may want to have some of our free Esther coloring pages on hand as well.
The Bible Story is taken from selected passage of Esther – Esther 2:17, 3:1-2,5-6, 4:1,6-8,10-11, 5:1-3, 7:3-6,9b, 8:16
Learning Objectives: After this lesson, the children will demonstrate an understanding of the story of Queen Esther by retelling the main parts of the story.
Items Needed:
- [print_link] this lesson plan
- Bible, Esther 2:17, 3:1-2,5-6, 4:1,6-8,10-11, 5:1-3, 7:3-6,9b, 8:16
- “Esther” Booklet (download here)
- Blank crowns, crayons, stapler
- 1 paper towel roll per child (or 1 piece of rolled up construction paper), 1 piece of aluminum foil per child (about 6”x6” – it doesn’t have to be exact), crayons, marker
- Crown, CD player, CD, 1 chair per child (minus 1)
Teaching Plan: Esther
Welcome Activity: Welcome activities are things to have out for the children to do as they are arriving for class. These activities will get them engaged as soon as they arrive and will help the transition from their parents.
- Have the children decorate blank crowns. As the children finish their crowns, staple them to fit their heads. Don’t forget to write their names on their crowns.
Bible Lesson Introduction: Who would like to be a king or a queen? What do you think that they do? What would you do if you were a king or a queen? We are going to learn about a queen who risked her life so that her people would live.
Bible Lesson: Read Esther 2:17, 3:1-2,5-6, 4:1,6-8,10-11, 5:1-3, 7:3-6,9b, 8:16(NIRV) aloud to the children. You can use our printable “Esther” Booklet (download here). It has the story along with simple pictures to help the children understand what is being read. Read the verses (story) to the children. If you are using the print out story, point to the pictures as you read the story so that the children can better understand what you are saying.
- Read Esther 2:17, 3:1-2,5-6, 4:1,6-8,10-11, 5:1-3, 7:3-6,9b, 8:16(NIRV) aloud to the children.
17 The king liked Esther more than he liked any of the other women. So he put a royal crown on her head. 1 After those events, King Xerxes honored Haman. Haman was the son of Hammedatha. He was from the family line of Agag. The king gave Haman a higher position than he had before. He gave him a seat of honor. It was higher than the positions any of the other nobles had. 2 All of the royal officials at the palace gate got down on their knees. They gave honor to Haman. That’s because the king had commanded them to do it. But Mordecai refused to get down on his knees. He wouldn’t give Haman any honor at all. 5 Haman noticed that Mordecai wouldn’t get down on his knees. He wouldn’t give Haman any honor. So Haman burned with anger. 6 But he had found out who Mordecai’s people were. So he decided not to kill just Mordecai. He also looked for a way to destroy all of Mordecai’s people. They were Jews. He wanted to kill all of them everywhere in the kingdom of Xerxes. 1 Mordecai found out about everything that had been done. 6 So Hathach went out to see Mordecai. He was in the open area in front of the palace gate. 7 Mordecai told him everything that had happened to him. He told him about the exact amount of money Haman had promised to add to the royal treasures. He said Haman wanted it to be used to pay some men to destroy the Jews. 8 Mordecai also gave Hathach a copy of the order. It commanded people to wipe out the Jews. The order had been sent from Susa. Mordecai told Hathach to show the order to Esther. He wanted him to explain it to her. He told him to try and get her to go to the king. He wanted her to beg for mercy. He wanted her to make an appeal to the king for her people. 10 Then Esther directed him to give an answer to Mordecai. She told him to say, 11 “There is a certain law that everyone knows about. All of the king’s officials know about it. The people in the royal territories know about it. It applies to any man or woman who approaches the king in the inner courtyard without being sent for. It says they must be put to death. 1 On the third day Esther put her royal robes on. She stood in the inner courtyard of the palace. It was in front of the king’s hall. The king was sitting on his royal throne in the hall. He was facing the entrance. 2 He saw Queen Esther standing in the courtyard. He was pleased with her. So he reached out toward her the gold rod that was in his hand. Then Esther approached him. She touched the tip of the rod. 3 The king asked, “What is it, Queen Esther? What do you want? I’ll give it to you. I’ll even give you up to half of my kingdom.” 3 Then Queen Esther answered, “King Xerxes, I hope you will show me your favor. I hope you will be pleased to let me live. That’s what I want. Please spare my people. That’s my appeal to you. 4 “My people and I have been sold to be destroyed. We’ve been sold to be killed and wiped out. Suppose we had only been sold as male and female slaves. Then I wouldn’t have said anything. That kind of suffering wouldn’t be a good enough reason to bother you.” 5 King Xerxes asked Queen Esther, “Who is the man who has dared to do such a thing? And where is he?” 6 Esther said, “The man hates us! He’s our enemy! He’s this evil Haman!” Then Haman was terrified in front of the king and queen. The king said to his men, “Put Haman to death! 16 The Jews were filled with joy and happiness. They were very glad because now they were being honored.
- Read the story again, but this time have the children wear their crowns from the Welcome Activity.
Discuss the Bible Reading: When you are finished reading the story the second time, ask the children the following questions so that you can know they understood it.
- “Who was in the story?” Esther, Mordecai, the king
- “What did the king give to Esther?” A crown to make her the queen
- “What brave thing did Esther do?” She went before the king without being called “Why did she do that?” She wanted to save her people
- “What did the king do?” He lowered his scepter
- “Did it work?” Yes
Bible Lesson Craft / Activity Activity: The King’s Sceptor
“During our Bible Story, the king lowered his scepter to Esther so that she knew that she wasn’t in trouble. We are going to make our own scepters today.”
- Hand each child a paper towel roll and let them color — As the children are coloring, walk around and make sure that each child’s name gets written on their project
- Demonstrate to the children how to take their aluminum foil and make a ball at the end of their paper towel roll (for the end of the scepter)
- If time permits, allow the children to wear their crowns and use their scepters to act out the story with each other
Activity: Bible Verse Memorization
“The king liked Esther. So he put a royal crown on her head. He made her queen.” Esther 2:17
The king: bow
Liked Esther: hug yourself
So he put a royal crown on her head: act as though you are putting a crown on your head
?????????He made her queen: curtsey
Esther 2: hold up 2 fingers
17: hold up 10 fingers and then 7 fingers
Do this a few times with the children. Make it fun for them to do the motions and say the words. Involving them in active learning is essential for memorization at this age.
Bible Verse Activity: King or Queen Musical Chairs
“In our Bible Verse today Esther became queen. She got a crown. We are going to play King or Queen Musical Chairs. We are going to put chairs in a circle in the middle of the room. As the music is playing, you will all walk around the circle of chairs. When the music stops, you need to find a chair. One person will not find a chair. That person is crowned King or Queen for the next round. They will be able to wear a crown while walking around for the next time. Let’s play!”
Play the game with the children to Have the child wearing the crown put the crown on the next person.
Evaluation: Have the children retell the main parts of the story using their crafts that they made during class.
