The story of Joseph teaches children to forgive others when they do wrong to us. Help your preschooler learn how important forgiveness is.

The ideas below may help you when teaching a lesson about forgiveness. Feel free to use these ideas to supplement your current curriculum, or to create your own.

Story Suggestion

(This story is based on Genesis 37:3 – Genesis 50:19)

Joseph’s brothers did mean things to him. They threw him into a deep, dark pit. Some of his brothers even wanted to leave him there! Instead his brothers decided to sell him. Then Joseph was taken away to the land of Egypt, to be a slave.

A long time later Joseph’s brothers were in trouble. They needed his help. Joseph was a very important man in Egypt by that time. So Joseph’s brothers went to him and they threw themselves down and they said “We are your slaves!” And they said “Joseph please forgive us.” And Joseph told them “Don’t be afraid, I will take care of you and your children. And he spoke to them kindly, and made them feel better.”

Game Ideas

Learning about Forgiveness, Hide and Seek Verse Match

Materials: Two copies of each of the following verses, written on separate index cards.

• Psalm 130:4
• Mathew 6:12
• Mathew 6:14
• Mark 3:28
• Luke 5:20
• Acts 13:38
• Romans 4:7
• Colossians 3:13
• Hebrews 8:12

Directions: This is a matching game, so only use enough verses as needed, based on the amount of children you have. Before the class arrives, “hide” one set of verse cards around your classroom. When ready to play the game, give each child an index card with a verse printed on it. Let them know that somewhere in the room is another copy of their verse and their job is to find it.

Verse Memory

Materials: Same as above

Directions: Lay all verses on a table, plain side up. Let child take turns turning over verses, trying to find the ones that match.

Snacks

A good snack for this lesson would be:

Tell the children “When Jesus died on the cross all of our sins were forgiven.” Have Cross Cookies. Use a cross-shaped cookie cutter to make sugar cookies. Let children decorate the cookies with icing and sprinkles.

Another good snack for this lesson would be:

Cross-shaped Sandwiches

Give each child one piece of bologna, one slice of cheese, and two bread slices. Let them use a cross-shaped cookie cutter to cut out the shape of the cross from each thing, and build a “cross sandwich.”

Art Center Ideas

Print out coloring pages and activity sheets below that tell the story of Joseph. Let the children color the pictures to take home with them.

Another good craft to use with this lesson is:

God Is Our Eraser

Materials:

• Variety of pencils, in different sizes, shapes and colors. (They all must have good erasers!)
• Yarn
• Wiggly eyes
• Glue
• Felt

Directions: Say “Look at all these pencils. They all are very different; short, tall, thin, fat - different sizes, shapes and colors. They all have one thing in common, though. They all have an eraser for when they make mistakes.” Compare the pencils to people. Tell children that people have an eraser too. God is our eraser. When we ask forgiveness, He takes away our sins, just like the eraser wipes away the pencils' mistakes. Let children create “pencil people” with the craft materials.

Suggested Prayer

Dear God, teach me to forgive, as you have forgiven me. Let me be a light for all the world to see. I want people to know that I love you. Forgiving is the best thing that I can do. Amen.

See more Sunday School lesson ideas and great Bible crafts here.