Lesson

Elijah and the Ravens Sunday School Lesson for Kids

A free Elijah and the ravens Sunday school lesson (1 Kings 17) in four age levels, preschool to preteen, with a game, Bible story, questions and take-home.

Preschool–Grade 6

Elijah and the Ravens 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: 1 Kings 17
Bible story: Elijah and the Ravens

What you need

A Bible (mark 1 Kings 17:6, 1 Kings 17:16 and Philippians 4:19)
Bibles for the kids to look up verses (3rd grade and up)
7 paper strips, a marker and tape (memory verse game, kindergarten to 2nd grade)
A paper "bread" (a brown paper circle) or a small bag with a roll in it (opening game, kindergarten to 2nd grade)
Brown paper circles for "bread", one per child, and a strip of blue paper or tape for the brook (preschool and kindergarten to 2nd grade)
A whiteboard or large paper and a marker (3rd grade and up)
Paper and pencils (3rd grade and up)
Printed take-home sheets, one per child
Printed Elijah and the ravens word search and crayons for early finishers

This free Elijah and the ravens Sunday school lesson teaches kids that God provides, from 1 Kings 17, where the ravens brought Elijah "bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening" (1 Kings 17:6) and a widow's barrel of meal and cruse of oil did not run out. It comes in four age levels, each a separate printable teacher lesson, plus one take-home sheet for families. Pick the one that fits your class. Everything is in the order you teach it.

Choose your age level

Preschool (ages 3–5), 20–30 minutes, 2 pages: a fly-like-a-raven game, a short story with hand motions and repeat-after-me lines, three simple questions, the memory verse with a motion, and a drawing of the ravens bringing bread.
Kindergarten to 2nd grade, 45 minutes, 3 pages: the Pass the Bread game, the story in simple words, five recall questions with answers, the Need Strips memory verse game, and a Morning and Evening game where kids act out the ravens.
3rd to 5th grade, 45–60 minutes, 4 pages: a Need or Want? opening game, kids look up verses in their own Bibles during a fuller story (no rain, the brook Cherith, the ravens, the widow's meal and oil, her son), five thinking questions and three recall questions, and a Bible look-up race.
Preteens (ages 11–12), 45–60 minutes, 3 pages: students read 1 Kings 17 out loud themselves, then discuss obeying before you can see, God's provision one day at a time, and putting God first. Six discussion questions, a journal page, and two memory verses (Philippians 4:19 and Matthew 6:33).

Lesson at a glance

Bible passage: 1 Kings 17
Main point: God provides. He takes care of His people and gives them what they need.
Memory verse: Philippians 4:19 (KJV), with Matthew 6:33 added for preteens
Ages: preschool to preteen, in four versions

Lesson outline (the same in every version)

Opening game: a short game about what God gives us.
Bible story: Elijah's word to Ahab, the brook Cherith, the ravens with bread and flesh morning and evening, the brook drying up, the widow of Zarephath and her barrel of meal and cruse of oil that did not run out, and her son living again, told gently. 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 Philippians 4:19.
What this means for us: God provides, the gospel (Acts 2:38), and a challenge for the week.
Activity: the Elijah and the ravens word search, crossword, maze, worksheet, the Elijah and the ravens craft, a Bible look-up race or a journal page, depending on the age.
Prayer.

Tips for teaching Elijah and the ravens

Read 1 Kings 17:6 and 17:16 straight from your Bible. The ravens brought "bread and flesh" (flesh means meat), and the barrel of meal "wasted not."
Explain the old words as you go: meal is flour, a cruse is a small jar, and sustain means feed and take care of.
The widow's son (1 Kings 17:17–24) is told gently at every level, with a teacher note in case a child asks.
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 the ravens 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 Elijah and the ravens for kids?

God provides. God told Elijah, "I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there" (1 Kings 17:4), and the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning and in the evening (17:6). Then God fed Elijah, the widow and her house with meal and oil that did not run out (17:15–16). The memory verse is Philippians 4:19.

What did the ravens bring Elijah?

"The ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook" (1 Kings 17:6, KJV). Flesh means meat. When the brook Cherith dried up, God sent Elijah to a widow in Zarephath (17:7–9).

How do I teach the widow's son to young kids?

Gently and briefly. The preschool lesson says the boy got very sick, Elijah prayed, and God made him live again (1 Kings 17:17–22). The kindergarten to 2nd grade lesson adds that Elijah carried him to his bed and cried to the LORD. The older lessons tell more, and each level has a teacher note in case a child asks.