Lesson

Achan Sunday School Lesson for Kids

A free Achan Sunday school lesson (Joshua 7) in four age levels, preschool to preteen, with a game, Bible story, questions, memory verse and take-home.

Preschool–Grade 6

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Free to print and copy for your church, classroom, VBS and home. Please don't resell or re-post our files; link to the page instead.

Ages: Preschool (3–5), Early Elementary (K–2), Upper Elementary (3–5), Preteen (5–6)
Time: 20–60 minutes (depends on the age level)
Scripture: Joshua 7:1–26
Bible story: Achan's Sin

What you need

A Bible (mark Joshua 7:19, Joshua 7:21 and Proverbs 28:13)
Bibles for the kids to look up verses (3rd grade and up)
6 paper strips, a marker and tape (memory verse game, kindergarten to 2nd grade)
A small paper robe, a yellow paper bar and a gray paper bar, and a blanket (kindergarten to 2nd grade game)
A tray and 8 to 10 small things from around the room, and a towel (3rd to 5th grade)
A whiteboard or large paper and a marker (3rd grade and up)
Paper and pencils (preteens)
Printed take-home sheets, one per child
Printed Achan word search and crayons for early finishers

This free Achan Sunday school lesson teaches kids to be honest with God. God told Israel the silver and gold of Jericho belonged to Him (Joshua 6:19), but Achan saw a beautiful robe, silver and a wedge of gold, "coveted them, and took them," and hid them "in the earth in the midst of my tent" (7:21). Israel lost at Ai, and Achan's sin could not stay hidden. It comes in four age levels, each a separate printable teacher lesson, plus one take-home sheet for families. Everything is in the order you teach it.

Choose your age level

Preschool (ages 3–5), 20–30 minutes, 2 pages: a peek-a-boo hiding game, a short story with hand motions and repeat-after-me lines, three simple questions, a short memory verse ("whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy") with motions, and a drawing activity.
Kindergarten to 2nd grade, 45 minutes, 3 pages: the Find It! game, the story in simple words, five recall questions with answers, the Uncover the Verse game with six paper strips, and a Run to the Tent review game.
3rd to 5th grade, 45–60 minutes, 4 pages: a What's Missing? game, kids look up verses in their own Bibles during a fuller story (the treasury of the LORD, the defeat at Ai, "hide it not from me," saw, coveted, took, hid), five thinking questions and three recall questions, and a Bible look-up race.
Preteens (ages 11–12), 45–60 minutes, 3 pages: students read Joshua 7 out loud themselves, then talk about the steps of temptation, how hidden sin hurts others, and confessing right away. Six discussion questions, a journal page, and two memory verses (Proverbs 28:13 and 1 John 1:9).

Lesson at a glance

Bible passage: Joshua 7:1–26
Main point: Be honest with God. Sin can't stay hidden from God, but God has mercy when we confess it and turn away from it.
Memory verse: Proverbs 28:13 (KJV), with 1 John 1:9 added for preteens
Ages: preschool to preteen, in four versions

Lesson outline (the same in every version)

Opening game: a short hide-and-find game.
Bible story: God's command at Jericho (Joshua 6:18–19), Achan takes the accursed thing (7:1), the defeat at Ai (7:4–5), "Israel hath sinned" (7:11), "hide it not from me" (7:19), Achan's confession (7:20–21) and the messengers at his tent (7:22–23). Every fact has its verse reference so you can check it.
Questions to ask: with answers, at the right level for each age.
Memory verse: a game or motion to help kids learn Proverbs 28:13.
What this means for us: being honest with God, confessing and forsaking sin, the gospel (Acts 2:38), and a challenge for the week.
Activity: the word search, crossword, maze, worksheet, the Achan craft, a Run to the Tent game, a Bible look-up race or a journal page, depending on the age.
Prayer.

Tips for teaching Achan's sin

Let kids hear Joshua 7:19 read straight from the Bible: "tell me now what thou hast done; hide it not from me." It is the heart of the story.
Joshua 7 ends hard. Every lesson says only that Achan's sin cost him his life (7:25) and leaves out the details, with a note for the teacher.
Point kids to the mercy in the memory verse: whoever confesses and forsakes sin "shall have mercy" (Proverbs 28:13).
Short on time? Do the story, three questions and the memory verse. That is a solid 25-minute lesson.

Frequently asked questions

How long does this Achan lesson take?

It depends on the age level. The preschool lesson takes 20 to 30 minutes, the kindergarten to 2nd grade lesson about 45 minutes, and the 3rd to 5th grade and preteen lessons 45 to 60 minutes. For a short class, do the story, three questions and the memory verse.

What is the main point of the story of Achan for kids?

Be honest with God. Achan took what God said not to take and hid it in his tent, but sin can't stay hidden from God. Joshua told him, "hide it not from me" (Joshua 7:19). God shows mercy to whoever confesses and forsakes sin (Proverbs 28:13).

What did Achan take and hide?

"A goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight." He hid them "in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it" (Joshua 7:21). That is a beautiful robe from Babylon, silver and a bar of gold.

How does this lesson handle the hard ending of Joshua 7?

Gently and truthfully. The lessons say Achan's sin cost him his life (Joshua 7:25), with no details. They leave out how he died and what happened to his family, and keep the focus on being honest with God and God's mercy for those who confess.