This free Children’s Church lesson plan was first written for elementary aged students. It covers the story of Ruth. This material could also be used as the Ruth Bible story lesson for children’s Sunday school.
Be sure to consider your own ministry context and modify it as needed. We’ve tried to include enough activities to allow some choice in your lesson planning. Look for additional teaching ideas and resources linked at the bottom of this page. Click here to browse all our children’s Bible lessons.
Bible Story: God takes care of Ruth & Naomi
Scripture: Ruth
Target Age Group: Kindergarten – 5th grade
Learning Context: Children’s Church
Target Time Frame: 40 minutes
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Learning Objectives: After this lesson, the children will demonstrate an understanding of the story by drawing a picture to explain what happened in the story.
Items Needed:
- Bible: Ruth 1:3-18. There is a detailed explanation below to help bring out some of the important parts of the story.
- 9 index cards – write words on Bible Verse on cards (1 word per card) and then cut them in half (like a puzzle)
- Paper, markers/crayons
- Optional: You can use this Ruth coloring page as a teaching illustration or a class activity.
Worship: Use Family Songs (click here to print) to lead the children to sing before the Bible lesson.
Teaching Plan: Ruth
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.
Family Portrait – have the children draw their family on a piece of paper
Worship: Family Songs
Bible Lesson Introduction
- Put the children in groups and have them discuss their Family Portraits from the Welcome Activity.
- Then get together as a class and discuss the differences in families.
Bible Lesson
- What part of the Bible is Ruth in? The Old Testament
- What book of the Old Testament is Ruth? #8
Read Ruth 1:3-18 (NIRV) aloud to the children. For younger children you can use our printable story booklet about Ruth.
3 Naomi’s husband Elimelech died. So she was left with her two sons. 4 They got married to women from Moab. One was named Orpah. The other was named Ruth. Naomi’s family lived in Moab for about ten years. 5 Then Mahlon and Kilion also died. So Naomi was left without her two sons and her husband.
6 While Naomi was in Moab, she heard that the Lord had helped his people. He had begun to provide food for them again. So Naomi and her daughters-in-law prepared to go from Moab back to her home. 7 She left the place where she had been living. Her two daughters-in-law went with her. They started out on the road that would take them back to the land of Judah.
8 Naomi spoke to her two daughters-in-law. “Both of you go back,” she said. “Each of you go to your own mother’s home. You were kind to your husbands, who have died. You have also been kind to me. So may the Lord be just as kind to you. 9 May he help each of you find a secure place in the home of another husband. May he give you peace and rest.”
Then she kissed them good-by. They broke down and sobbed loudly. 10 They said to her, “We’ll go back to your people with you.”
11 But Naomi said, “Go home, my daughters. Why would you want to come with me? Am I going to have any more sons who could become your husbands?
12 “Go home, my daughters. I’m too old to have another husband. Suppose I thought there was still some hope for me. Suppose I got married to a man tonight. And later I had sons by him. 13 Would you wait until they grew up? Would you stay single until you could get married to them? No, my daughters. My life is more bitter than yours. The Lord’s powerful hand has been against me!”
14 When they heard that, they broke down and sobbed again. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law good-by. But Ruth held on to her.
15 “Look,” said Naomi. “Your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods. Go back with her.”
16 But Ruth replied, “Don’t try to make me leave you and go back. Where you go I’ll go. Where you stay I’ll stay. Your people will be my people. Your God will be my God. 17 Where you die I’ll die. And there my body will be buried. I won’t let anything except death separate you from me. If I do, may the Lord punish me greatly.”
18 Naomi realized that Ruth had made up her mind to go with her. So she stopped trying to make her go back.
Discuss Bible Lesson
3 Naomi’s husband Elimelech died. So she was left with her two sons. 4 They got married to women from Moab. One was named Orpah. The other was named Ruth. Naomi’s family lived in Moab for about ten years. 5 Then Mahlon and Kilion also died. So Naomi was left without her two sons and her husband.
- In those days, women didn’t have jobs. They depended solely on their husband and sons.
- Naomi’s husband and sons were all dead.
- She was left with nothing.
6 While Naomi was in Moab, she heard that the Lord had helped his people. He had begun to provide food for them again. So Naomi and her daughters-in-law prepared to go from Moab back to her home. 7 She left the place where she had been living. Her two daughters-in-law went with her. They started out on the road that would take them back to the land of Judah.
- Naomi was from Bethlehem.
- She needed to eat…so she decided to go back to her hometown.
- Her 2 daughters-in-law went with her.
8 Naomi spoke to her two daughters-in-law. “Both of you go back,” she said. “Each of you go to your own mother’s home. You were kind to your husbands, who have died. You have also been kind to me. So may the Lord be just as kind to you. 9 May he help each of you find a secure place in the home of another husband. May he give you peace and rest.”
Then she kissed them good-by. They broke down and sobbed loudly.
- Naomi didn’t want to take her daughters-in-law away from their families.
- She gave them her blessing to find another husband.
10 They said to her, “We’ll go back to your people with you.”
11 But Naomi said, “Go home, my daughters. Why would you want to come with me? Am I going to have any more sons who could become your husbands?
12 “Go home, my daughters. I’m too old to have another husband. Suppose I thought there was still some hope for me. Suppose I got married to a man tonight. And later I had sons by him. 13 Would you wait until they grew up? Would you stay single until you could get married to them? No, my daughters. My life is more bitter than yours. The Lord’s powerful hand has been against me!”
- They don’t want to go back to their families.
- They are devoted to Naomi – she is their family now.
- Naomi tries to talk common sense to the girls. Even if she got married tonight – and had a child – they would be waiting a long time to marry him.
- Naomi is also feeling sorry for herself because her husband and two sons have died. “My life is more bitter than yours.”
14 When they heard that, they broke down and sobbed again. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law good-by. But Ruth held on to her.
15 “Look,” said Naomi. “Your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods. Go back with her.”
16 But Ruth replied, “Don’t try to make me leave you and go back. Where you go I’ll go. Where you stay I’ll stay. Your people will be my people. Your God will be my God. 17 Where you die I’ll die. And there my body will be buried. I won’t let anything except death separate you from me. If I do, may the Lord punish me greatly.”
18 Naomi realized that Ruth had made up her mind to go with her. So she stopped trying to make her go back.
- Orpah goes back.
- Ruth stays with Naomi.
- She is very devoted to Naomi and wants to make the One True God her God.
Bible Lesson Activities
Activity: Follow the Leader
- Play “Follow the Leader” with the children
- Try to have different children be the leader
- Talk to the children about following Godly leaders and not just following anyone
Activity: Bible Verse Memorization
“Where you go I’ll go. Your God will be my God.” Ruth 1:16
Where you go: point to someone else
I’ll go: point to yourself
Your God will be: point to the ceiling
My God: point to yourself
Ruth 1: hold up 1 finger
16: hold up 10 fingers and then 6 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.
Activity: Missing Halves
- Give each child a piece of the Bible Verse
- Have the children find their “missing half”
- Once the children have put their words together, have the group put the Bible Verse in order
Evaluation: Have the children draw a picture of what happened in the story.
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This is great. Thank you for much. You are a blessing.