God’s Special Festivals 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: “A special day to celebrate God!”
God’s people were on their way to a new land. God wanted them to remember him all year long. So God told Moses about special days called feasts. A feast is a big, happy celebration.
God said, “These are my set feasts.” Set feasts are special days that come back every year, like your birthday.
First came the Sabbath. God said, “Six days shall work be done. But on the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest.” Solemn rest means a quiet, holy rest. Let’s count on our fingers: one, two, three, four, five, six days of work. And day seven is rest! Ahhh. A special day to celebrate God!
In the spring came the Passover. Then for seven days the people ate flat bread, made without yeast. Yeast makes bread puffy. When God brought his people out of Egypt, they left in a hurry. There was no time for the bread to puff up! The flat bread helped them remember.
Then came harvest time. Harvest is when the grain is ripe. Then people cut it and bring it in. The people brought the first bundle of their grain to the priest. The priest waved it before the LORD. Can you wave a pretend bundle of grain? Swish, swish!
Nobody could eat the new grain yet. First the first bundle was brought to God. God first – then a good meal! A special day to celebrate God!
Then the people counted. They counted seven weeks – fifty days! On day fifty, they brought two loaves of bread to God. These loaves were puffy, baked with yeast.
God also said, “You must not wholly reap into the corners of your field. You must leave them for the poor and for the foreigner.” That means: leave some grain for people who need food. A foreigner is someone from another land.
In the fall came a day of trumpets. The trumpets blew. Toot, toot! Can you blow a pretend trumpet? A special day to celebrate God!
Soon after came the Day of Atonement. It was a quiet day. Nobody worked. On that day God made his people clean from their sins. Sins are the wrong things we do.
Then came a feast full of joy: the Feast of Booths. A booth is a little hut. For seven days, everyone lived in little huts made of branches! Palm branches, leafy branches, willow branches!
Why huts? Long before, God had brought his people out of Egypt. In the wilderness, they lived in tents and huts. And God took care of them there. God wanted every child to know that.
God said, “You shall rejoice before the LORD your God seven days.” Rejoice means to be very glad. Can you clap your hands for joy? A special day to celebrate God!
So Moses told the people all about God’s special days.
Days to rest, and days to remember. Days to share, and days to be glad! God gives his people days to rest and days to rejoice. A special day to celebrate God!
3. Talk together (3 min)
- What do you think it was like to sleep in a hut made of branches?
- What is your favorite day to celebrate with your family?
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)
Color the 6 work days and the 1 day of rest.
6. Verse and prayer (2 min)
“You shall rejoice before the LORD your God seven days” — Leviticus 23:40 (rejoice → jump and clap; before the LORD your God → point up high; seven days → show seven fingers)
Dear God, thank you for days to rest and days to celebrate. Thank you for taking care of us. Amen.
Lesson for older kids (ages 6–10)
Big idea: God gives us time to celebrate
Memory verse: “This is the day that the LORD has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it!” — Psalm 118:24 · WEB
The Bible story
Discover the joyful festivals God gave His people in Leviticus 23 — special days of rest, remembering, harvest parties and shelters full of thankful wonder.
Talk about it
- Who did God speak to about the special festival days? — Moses
- What did God call these special days? — God's festivals
- How often did the Sabbath rest day come? — Every week
- What did Passover help the people remember? — God freed them from Egypt
- What kind of bread did they eat to remember leaving Egypt quickly? — Flat bread with no yeast
- What did the people bring to God from the very first harvest? — The first and best part
Where is Jesus in this story?
Every one of these festivals was like a little arrow pointing straight to Jesus. Passover reminds us that Jesus, God's own Lamb, would one day set us free from sin. The happy harvest feasts show God gathering His people close to Himself, and the gentle day of saying sorry points to Jesus, who truly washes our hearts clean. All the joy of these special days finds its real home in Him.
What God wants to tell us
God did not only give His people rules — He gave them wonderful parties! He wanted them to stop, rest, and remember how good and kind He is. God still loves to spend time with us, whether we are resting, saying thank you, or celebrating with the people we love. Every one of our days is safe and happy in His gentle hands.
Prayer
Dear Lord, thank You for special days to rest and celebrate with the people I love. Thank You that You are always good and always near me. Help me to remember how much You care for me every day, and to be thankful. Amen.
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