The Pearl of Great Price 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: “One pearl of great price!”
One day Jesus sat in a boat by the sea. A big crowd stood on the beach. Jesus told them many stories. Then he sent the people home. He went into a house with his friends.
Jesus wanted to tell his friends about the Kingdom of Heaven. That is where God is King. So Jesus told them two very short stories. Are you ready? Here they come!
Here is the first story. Long ago, there were no banks. Sometimes people hid their treasures in the ground, to keep them safe.
One day a man was in a field. And there in the ground, he found a treasure! Maybe it was a jar full of gold and silver. A treasure is something very, very precious. Can you dig with your hands, like this? Dig, dig, dig!
What do you think he did? The man hid the treasure again. Shh! It was a secret. Then he was full of joy. He went and sold all that he had. And he bought that whole field. Now the treasure was his! Jesus said, “The Kingdom of Heaven is like treasure hidden in the field.”
Here is the second story. A man was a merchant – someone who buys and sells things. He was looking for fine pearls.
A pearl is a little round jewel. It shines softly. It grows inside a shell, deep down in the sea. People had to dive down deep to find pearls. Long ago, a fine pearl cost very much money.
The merchant looked and looked. Is this the one? No. Is this the one? No. Maybe he went from town to town. Maybe he even went across the sea. Then he found one pearl. It was worth more than all the others. One pearl of great price! Great price means it was worth very, very much.
Can you hold a tiny pearl in your hands? Cup your hands together, like this. Hold it very carefully.
What do you think the merchant did? He went away. He sold all that he had. Everything! And with the money, he bought that one pearl. One pearl of great price!
Then Jesus said, “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who is a merchant seeking fine pearls.” One pearl of great price!
The man in the field found a treasure. The merchant found a pearl. And both men gave everything they had for it.
Then Jesus asked his friends, “Have you understood all these things?” They answered him, “Yes, Lord.” Can you say it too? “Yes, Lord!”
God’s Kingdom is worth more than everything else. Being with God, our King, is the best treasure of all. Hold your hands softly together, like holding a pearl. God holds you, too, all night long. One pearl of great price!
3. Talk together (3 min)
- What would you do if you found a treasure in a field?
- Why do you think the merchant sold everything for just one pearl?
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 a line from each man to what he found.
6. Verse and prayer (2 min)
“Found one pearl of great price” — Matthew 13:46 (found → hands over your eyes, then open them wide; one pearl → hold up one finger; great price → spread your arms wide)
Dear God, thank you for your Kingdom. Being with you is the best treasure of all. Amen.
Lesson for older kids (ages 6–10)
Big idea: God is our greatest treasure
Memory verse: “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who is a merchant seeking fine pearls, who having found one pearl of great price, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.” — Matthew 13:45–46 · WEB
The Bible story
A merchant searching for fine pearls finds a single pearl so precious that he sells everything he has to buy it.
Talk about it
- What was the merchant looking for? — Fine pearls
- What was the merchant's job? — He bought and sold things
- How many pearls of great value did he find? — One
- Which story did Jesus tell just before this one? — The hidden treasure
- Jesus said the kingdom of heaven is like whom? — A merchant looking for pearls
- What was special about the pearl? — It was worth very much
Where is Jesus in this story?
The merchant sold everything he had for one perfect pearl. Jesus once met a rich young man and invited him to give away his riches and follow him, but the man went away sad because he couldn't let go (Mark 10:21–22). Jesus is worth more than every treasure, and whoever follows him gains far more than they give up (Mark 10:29–30).
What God wants to tell us
Jesus told this little story to show us that being close to God is the best treasure in the whole world. Just like the merchant was so happy to find his perfect pearl, God wants us to know that His love and His kingdom are worth more than anything money can buy. When we let God into our hearts, we find a joy that never runs out and never breaks. Nothing else, no toy, no game, no shiny thing, can ever make us as happy as knowing that God loves us and wants us to be with Him.
Prayer
Father God, thank You for loving me so much. Help me to see that You are the greatest treasure of all, better than anything I could ever own. Fill my heart with Your joy today, and help me to keep You close forever. Amen.
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