Come to Me, All Who Are Weary Preschool Lesson
Preschool lesson (ages 3–6, 20 minutes)
1. Welcome (3 min)
Sit in a circle, greet every child by name and show one thing from the story to touch.
2. The little story (5 min)
Teach the refrain first: “Jesus gives rest to the tired.”
One day Jesus prayed to his Father in heaven. He said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth.” Jesus thanked God because God had shown these things to little ones. Some wise and clever people did not understand them. But the little ones did! Even little children like you!
Jesus said, “Yes, Father, for so it was well-pleasing in your sight.” Well-pleasing means it made God glad. Jesus said that he knows God the Father best of all. And he shows the Father to us.
Some people are very tired. They work hard all day. They carry heavy loads. And some are tired and sad inside. Maybe you feel tired too, after a long day.
Long ago, people carried heavy things on their backs. Big sacks of grain. Big jars of water. Bundles of wood.
Let’s pretend to carry a heavy bag on our back. Oof! It is so heavy. Can you walk bent over, like this?
Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened. I will give you rest.” To labor means to work hard. Burdened means carrying something heavy. Who did Jesus invite? All who are tired! Big people and little people. Moms and dads, grandmas and grandpas. Jesus gives rest to the tired.
Now put the heavy bag down. Ahhh! Stretch up tall. Doesn’t that feel good? Rest is what you feel after a busy day. You sit down, or lie down, and you are still. Jesus gives rest to the tired.
Jesus said, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me.” A yoke is a wooden bar. It goes over the necks of two oxen. Then they can pull a plow side by side. Oxen are big, strong animals, like cows. Can you say “moo” like a big ox? A yoke helps two oxen pull together. Then the work is not so hard.
Jesus said, “For I am gentle and humble in heart.” Gentle means soft and kind. Humble means Jesus does not show off. He does not think he is better than others.
Jesus said, “You will find rest for your souls.” Your soul is the inside of you – the part that feels happy or sad. Jesus gives rest to the tired.
Jesus said, “For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Light means not heavy at all. Light as a feather! Jesus does not make our load heavier. He helps us carry it. Can you blow a little feather into the air? Whoo!
Jesus is gentle and kind, and we can come to him. Tonight, when you lie down, you can tell Jesus about everything that feels heavy. Jesus gives rest to the tired.
3. Talk together (3 min)
- What makes you feel tired or heavy inside?
- How do you feel when you get to rest?
4. Move (3 min)
Refrain Freeze: move around the room; when you say the refrain, everyone freezes and says it together.
5. Make (4 min)
Draw yourself putting down a heavy bag and resting.
6. Verse and prayer (2 min)
“I will give you rest” — Matthew 11:28 (I will give → hold out your open hands; you rest → put your hands together under your cheek)
Dear Jesus, thank you that I can come to you when I am tired. Thank you for giving me rest. Amen.
Lesson for older kids (ages 6–10)
Big idea: Jesus Carries It With Us
Memory verse: “Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest.” — Matthew 11:28 · WEB
The Bible story
On a dusty, tired day, Jesus sees people carrying heavy worries and gently invites every weary child to come to Him and finally rest.
Talk about it
- Who did Jesus invite to come to Him? — All who are weary
- What did Jesus say about His yoke? — It is easy
- What did Jesus tell people to take upon them? — My yoke
- What did Jesus say His burden is? — Light
- What did Jesus call out to everyone who was tired? — Come to Me
- What is a yoke? — A wooden bar for oxen
Where is Jesus in this story?
When Jesus says, “Come to me … and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28), He offers to carry what we cannot. Isaiah said God's promised Servant would take up our pain and carry our sorrows (Isaiah 53:4), and Peter wrote that Jesus “bore our sins” in His body on the cross (1 Peter 2:24). That is why the rest Jesus gives is real.
What God wants to tell us
Sometimes we feel small and tired, as if we have to be good enough or strong enough all by ourselves. But Jesus does not ask us to carry everything alone. He says, "Come to me," and He means it for you too. When we bring Him our worries, our tired days, and our little troubles, He walks right beside us and shares the weight. With Jesus, our hearts can finally rest, safe and loved just as we are.
Prayer
Father God, thank You that I never have to carry my worries all by myself. When I feel tired or sad or too small, help me remember to come to You. Thank You for being gentle and kind, and for giving my heart a safe and happy rest. I love You. Amen.
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