Lesson

Elijah and Elisha Sunday School Lesson for Kids

A free Elijah and Elisha Sunday school lesson (2 Kings 2:1–15) in four age levels, preschool to preteen, with a game, Bible story, questions and a take-home.

Preschool–Grade 6

Elijah and Elisha Sunday School Lesson for Kids

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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: 2 Kings 2:1–15
Bible story: Elijah and Elisha

What you need

A Bible (mark 2 Kings 2:2 and 2 Kings 2:11)
Bibles for the kids to look up verses (3rd grade and up)
4 sheets of paper, a marker and tape for four town signs (kindergarten to 2nd grade)
6 paper strips (memory verse game, kindergarten to 2nd grade)
A towel or a jacket to be a "mantle" (preschool and kindergarten to 2nd 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 Elijah and Elisha word search and crayons for early finishers

This free Elijah and Elisha Sunday school lesson teaches kids to stay faithful to God, because God's work goes on. Three times Elijah told Elisha to stay behind, and three times Elisha answered, "As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee" (2 Kings 2:2). Then "Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven" (2:11), and Elisha took up his mantle. 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 follow-me game, a short story with hand motions and a towel "mantle," repeat-after-me lines, three simple questions, a shortened memory verse ("and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven") with a motion, and a drawing activity.
Kindergarten to 2nd grade, 45 minutes, 3 pages: the I Will Not Leave You game with four town signs, the story in simple words, five recall questions with answers, the Whirlwind Verse game with six paper strips, and a Pass the Mantle game.
3rd to 5th grade, 45–60 minutes, 3 pages: a keep-going game, kids look up verses in their own Bibles during a fuller story (how Elisha first followed Elijah, "Tarry here" three times, the double portion, the mantle), five thinking questions and three recall questions, and a Bible look-up race.
Preteens (ages 11–12), 45–60 minutes, 3 pages: students read 2 Kings 2:1–15 out loud themselves, with the background of Elijah's mantle cast on Elisha (1 Kings 19:19–21), then discuss staying faithful when others say quit and where faith is anchored. Six discussion questions, a journal page, and two memory verses (2 Kings 2:11 and 2 Kings 2:2).

Lesson at a glance

Bible passage: 2 Kings 2:1–15
Main point: Stay faithful to God. God's work goes on.
Memory verse: 2 Kings 2:11 (KJV), with 2 Kings 2:2 added for preteens
Ages: preschool to preteen, in four versions

Lesson outline (the same in every version)

Opening game: a short game about following and not quitting.
Bible story: "I will not leave thee" at Bethel, Jericho and the Jordan (2 Kings 2:2–6), Elijah's mantle parting the water (2:8), the double portion (2:9), the chariot of fire and the whirlwind (2:11), and Elisha taking up the mantle (2:13–15). 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 2 Kings 2:11.
What this means for us: stay faithful to God, the gospel (Acts 2:38), and a challenge for the week.
Activity: the word search, crossword, maze, worksheet, the Elijah and Elisha craft, a pass-the-mantle game, a Bible look-up race or a journal page, depending on the age.
Prayer.

Tips for teaching Elijah and Elisha

Read 2 Kings 2:2 straight from your Bible, then point out that Elisha says it three times (2:2, 2:4, 2:6). That is the heart of the story.
Tell the chariot of fire and the whirlwind just as 2 Kings 2:11 says. The Bible names no angels here, and the lessons don't add any.
The double portion (2:9) is told as written, with no extra teaching added.
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 Elijah and Elisha 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 Elijah and Elisha?

Stay faithful to God. Three times Elijah told Elisha to stay behind, and three times Elisha said, "I will not leave thee" (2 Kings 2:2, 2:4, 2:6). Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven, and God's work went on: Elisha took up Elijah's mantle, and the waters of Jordan parted for him too (2 Kings 2:11–14).

What does "a double portion of thy spirit" mean?

Elisha asked Elijah, "let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me" (2 Kings 2:9). A double portion is a double share. Elijah said it was a hard thing, but Elisha would have it if he saw Elijah taken (2:10). Elisha saw it (2:12), and the sons of the prophets said, "The spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha" (2:15).

Were there angels in the chariot of fire?

The Bible doesn't say. 2 Kings 2:11 says "there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven." The lessons tell it just as the Bible says, without adding angels or anything else.