The Hidden Treasure 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: “He found a treasure in the field!”
Jesus was in a house with his friends. That day he had told many stories to the crowds by the lake. A story about a farmer sowing seeds. A story about a tiny mustard seed that grew into a tree. A story about yeast that makes bread dough rise. Can you count those stories on your fingers? One, two, three!
Jesus used stories to show what God’s Kingdom is like. Now, in the house, he told his friends some more. Here is one of his shortest stories.
Jesus said, “The Kingdom of Heaven is like treasure hidden in the field.” The Kingdom of Heaven is God’s kingdom, where God is King.
Long ago, there were no banks. So people sometimes hid their treasure in the ground. They dug a hole and put it in. Then they covered it up.
In Jesus’ story, a man was in a field. And there in the ground was something hidden. Treasure! A treasure is something very precious, like gold coins or jewels. Can you dig with your hands? Dig, dig, dig! He found a treasure in the field!
What kind of treasure was it? Jesus did not say. Was it gold? Was it shiny jewels? We do not know. But it was something wonderful!
The field did not belong to the man. So he hid the treasure again. He covered it up. Shhh! Can you hide something behind your back?
Then the man was full of joy. In his joy, he went and sold all that he had. Everything he owned! Everything had to go!
Was he sad? No! He was glad. Now he could buy that field. And the treasure in it would be his. He found a treasure in the field!
So the man bought the field. He gave everything he had, and he got the treasure. What a happy day!
Then Jesus told another little story, just like it. A merchant was looking for fine pearls. A merchant is a man who buys and sells things.
Pearls are small, round, shiny jewels. They grow inside shells in the sea. Fine pearls were worth a lot of money.
One day the merchant found one pearl of great price. It was worth very, very much! What do you think he did?
He went and sold all that he had. And he bought that one pearl.
The man in the field found his treasure by surprise. The merchant was looking and looking for his. Two stories, but one big idea. God’s Kingdom is the best treasure of all. It is worth more than everything else. He found a treasure in the field!
Then Jesus asked his friends, “Have you understood all these things?” They answered him, “Yes, Lord.”
God’s Kingdom is worth more than everything. And God gladly gives it to his children. He found a treasure in the field!
3. Talk together (3 min)
- What do you think the man said when he found the treasure?
- What is something very precious to you, and why?
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 the field, and the treasure hidden in the ground.
6. Verse and prayer (2 min)
“The Kingdom of Heaven is like treasure hidden in the field” — Matthew 13:44 (the Kingdom of Heaven → point up high; like treasure → open your hands like a treasure box; hidden in the field → cover your hands, then peek)
Dear God, thank you for your Kingdom. Thank you that it is the greatest treasure of all. Amen.
Lesson for older kids (ages 6–10)
Big idea: God's love is the greatest treasure
Memory verse: “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid. In his joy, he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” — Matthew 13:44 · WEB
The Bible story
A man in a field discovers a hidden treasure so wonderful that he joyfully sells everything he owns just to buy that field.
Talk about it
- Who was telling the story about the hidden treasure? — Jesus
- Where was the treasure hidden? — In a field
- Did the field belong to the man at first? — No, he had to buy it
- What did the man find in the field? — Hidden treasure
- Which story did Jesus tell right after this one? — A man looking for fine pearls
- How did the man feel when he found the treasure? — Full of joy
Where is Jesus in this story?
The man in the field gladly gave up everything for the treasure, because it was worth so much more. The apostle Paul felt the same way about Jesus. He wrote that everything he once had was like nothing compared with the far greater worth of knowing Christ Jesus his Lord (Philippians 3:8). Jesus is the treasure worth more than anything you could own.
What God wants to tell us
In this little story, Jesus shows us that being close to God is worth more than anything money can buy. The man was so happy about the treasure that giving up his other things did not make him sad at all. God's love is like that treasure. It is the most precious gift in the whole world, and it is waiting for anyone who looks for it. When we make God the most important treasure in our hearts, we find a joy that lasts forever.
Prayer
Dear God, thank You for loving me more than gold or jewels. Help me to treasure You above everything else and to follow You with a happy heart. You are the best treasure of all. Amen.
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