Thanksgiving Sunday School Lesson and Crafts for Kids

If you are looking for Thanksgiving Sunday School Lessons and Crafts for Kids, you're in the right place!  This page includes the FREE text for a Thanksgiving Sunday School Lesson that you can use at your church this Thanksgiving season.  We also have several other Thanksgiving Sunday School Lessons that you can order.  And don't miss out on our FREE Thanksgiving Children's Ministry resources available for download as well if you are looking for some additional game or activity ideas. Lastly check out this page for lots of Thanksgiving Crafts for Kids. 

Who doesn't love Thanksgiving? Between the food, family, and friends, there is a lot to be thankful for. Use the FREE Sunday School Lesson below to remind kids to always be thankful to God and to others. This lesson can be used in Children's Ministry, Kids Church, or Sunday School.

BOTTOM LINE: 

Be thankful to others and to God. 

OBJECTIVE: 

Kids will choose someone in their life they are thankful for and plan a way to thank that person this week.

KEY PASSAGE:  

Luke 17:11-19, Jesus heals ten lepers, but only one is thankful

MEMORY VERSE: 

“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NIV)

“Give thanks no matter what happens. God wants you to thank him because you believe in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NIrV)

SUMMARY: 

We say thank you all the time, often out of habit, but do we really mean it? God wants us to be intentional about our gratitude, thanking him and others for all the blessings we receive.

OBJECT LESSON:

Toothbrush and Toothpaste 

How many of you head straight for the bathroom to brush your teeth after a big meal?  How many of you brush in the mornings? Or right before bed? How many of you have to be reminded all the time by Mom and Dad to go in and brush your teeth? 

If we are wise and want to stay healthy, we will all develop a good toothbrushing habit. It should be automatic. We eat, we brush. We head to bed, we brush first. It’s good hygiene, and it doesn’t take a lot of thought. 

Unlike brushing, being thankful should never be an absent-minded habit. Being thankful should be intentional. We need to say thank you for little things and big things. God wants us to count our blessings and to express our thanks to him and to others. 

Being grateful is an important part of following Jesus. It lifts us up when we are down, and it helps us to be mindful of the blessings God gives us. This week, seek out a few people who have been extra kind to you, and let them know you appreciate all they’ve done. Give thanks to the people who bless you, and give thanks to God who sends all good things from above.

LARGE GROUP LESSON

INTRO:

When was the last time you blessed someone when they sneezed? I don’t mean saying, "God bless you," when you hear them blow. I mean when was the last time you said, "God bless you," and meant it? My guess is most of us in here – kids and adults – have never thought of it that way. Saying, "God bless you" is a habit. We are taught that when someone sneezes, we say, "God bless you." We are taught to say the words, but we aren’t necessarily taught why.

Parents teach kids a lot of habits like this. We wash our hands after using to the bathroom. We brush our teeth at bedtime. We buckle our seat belts when we get in the car. We tuck our nose into our elbow when we sneeze. These are great habits because they are habits that keep us healthy and safe.

Parents also teach their kids other habits, habits that help us to be polite and kind. They teach us to say, "God bless you" when someone sneezes. They teach us to say, "May I," and, "Please," when we ask for things. They teach us to say, "Thank you," when someone gives us something or does something nice for us.

Saying, "Thank you," is a very important habit, one we should all practice, but if "Thank you" is just an automatic habit, like saying, "God bless you," we are missing out. Being thankful is an important part of being a Christian. God wants us to be thankful every time we pray. He wants us to count our blessings and praise him for all of them. And God wants us to show gratitude to the people who do good things for us, big and small, every day. Let’s look at a story from Jesus’ life and see what being truly thankful looks like.

READ LUKE 17:11-19

MAIN POINT:

Jesus gave these ten lepers something no one else could. He gave them back their health, but he also gave them back their lives. Leprosy was such a contagious disease, lepers were forced to live outside the city. They could never see their families or friends again. If someone came too close, they literally were required to chase them away!

When Jesus healed them, he restored their health and their lives, but only one man came back to say thank you. The others were too excited to show themselves to the priests, to be declared clean, and get home to see their loved ones. The one leper who said, "Thank you" shows us how important it is to stop what we’re doing and show real gratitude to the people who bless us every day. 

DRIVE IT HOME:

We say thank you for a lot of things. We thank people for holding doors for us. We thank them for our drinks in restaurants. We thank them for loaning us pencils. It’s important to say thank you, even in these small instances, to let people know we appreciate their little kindnesses. But it’s equally important that we thank the people who bless us in big ways.

When was the last time you thanked God for life? For flowers? For puppies? Or for Jesus? When was the last time you sat down and counted all the blessings, big and small, that God has given you?

How about your parents? When did you last thank them for all they’ve given you? Moms and Dads work hard to provide homes and clothes and food and toys for their kids. Even the things we don’t necessarily love, like doctor visits and school, are blessings from our parents. Have you ever taken the time to thank them for making sure you get an education and stay healthy?

God wants us to have grateful hearts. He wants us to show our thanks to him and everyone who blesses us. When we are thankful, we let other people know that we appreciate them. We also remind ourselves, over and over, how blessed we truly are. A grateful heart can’t be a sad heart for long because a grateful heart is always aware just how much our God and our loved ones care for us!

Saying, "Thank you," is a great habit, but it should never be a mindless habit. God wants us to be mindful of our blessings. He wants us to take the time to thank Him and others for all they do for us. Be intentional when you say thank you, and go out of your way to thank the people who go out of their way for you.

Don’t just say the words, "Thank you," because you have to; say, "Thank you," because you mean it.

CLOSE WITH A SIMPLE PRAYER:

Dear God, 

Thank you for all you’ve given us. 

In Jesus’ name, 

Amen

MEMORY VERSE: 

“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NIV)

“Give thanks no matter what happens. God wants you to thank him because you believe in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NIrV)

LARGE GROUP MEMORY VERSE ACTIVITY: 

Read the verse aloud to the kids. Have the group read it normally, then as loud as they can, then as quietly as they can. 

SMALL GROUP MEMORY VERSE ACTIVITY: 

Write each word of the verse on a single notecard. Give each kid a card containing a single word (if you have fewer students than words, some kids may need multiple cards). Have the group arrange the cards and put the verse in the right order. Then read the verse aloud with the kids. 

CRAFT IDEA:

Have the kids write a note or draw a picture for someone special, someone they are thankful for. Let them take these notes and drawings home, and encourage them to pass these on to the people they need to thank.

LARGE GROUP GAME:

TURKEY CALLS

ITEMS NEEDED: 

None

INSTRUCTIONS: 

Thanksgiving is the holiday we associate with giving thanks, and turkeys are the centerpieces of  great Thanksgiving feasts. Choose three kids to come on stage to do their best impression of a turkey call. Let the audience decide by applause who does the best turkey call. 

VARIATION: 

Why stop at a turkey’s gobble? See who can not only gobble like a turkey, but strut like a turkey.

SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION (K-2ND)

ICEBREAKER:

When was the last time someone said thank you to you? 

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

Read Luke 17:11-19

What did Jesus tell the ten lepers to do? 

What happened when the men went on their way? 

Why did the one man come back to Jesus? 

Is there someone special in your life that you are thankful for? 

How can you show that person you are thankful for him or her? 

SIMPLE PRAYER:

Dear God, 

Help us to always be grateful for the kindness of others. 

In Jesus’ name, 

Amen

SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION (3RD-5TH) 

ICEBREAKER:

When was the last time someone said thank you to you? 

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

Read Luke 17:11-19

What did Jesus do for the ten lepers? 

Why do you think only one man came back to say thank you? 

Why is it important to have a thankful heart? 

Is there someone special in your life that you are thankful for? 

What can you do to show that person you are thankful for him or her this week? 

SIMPLE PRAYER:

Dear God, 

Help us to always be grateful for the kindness of others.

In Jesus’ name, 

Amen

For your convenience, you can also download the entire PDF version of this Thanksgiving Children's Church Lesson (just click the link).  Saddleback Kids has made a great video re-telling the story of the 10 lepers for kids.  You can view it here from Youtube.

You can also find additional Thanksgiving Sunday School Lessons and Ideas from these websites:

25 Fun Thanksgiving Ideas for Sunday School Lessons and Activities

Thanksgiving Ideas for Children's Ministry - Ministry-To-Children

Thanksgiving Sunday School Lessons - Sunday School Center

Thanksgiving Bible Lesson - Little Blots of Faith

Preschool Sunday School Lesson for Thanksgiving - Real Thanksgiving