Lesson

Hagar Sunday School Lesson for Kids

A free Hagar Sunday school lesson (Genesis 16 and 21) on the God who sees, in four age levels, preschool to preteen, with a game, story, questions, 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: Genesis 16:6–13; Genesis 21:14–20
Bible story: Hagar and the God Who Sees

What you need

A Bible (mark Genesis 16:13 and Genesis 21:17)
Bibles for the kids to look up verses (3rd grade and up)
4 paper strips, a marker and tape (memory verse game, kindergarten to 2nd grade)
A blue paper circle to be the "well" (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 Hagar word search and crayons for early finishers

This free Hagar Sunday school lesson teaches kids that God sees them and hears them. When Hagar ran away, the angel of the LORD found her "by a fountain of water in the wilderness" (Genesis 16:7), and she called the LORD "Thou God seest me" (16:13). Years later, when the water was spent, "God heard the voice of the lad," and God opened her eyes to see a well of water (21:17, 21:19). 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: an I See You! game, a short story with hand motions and repeat-after-me lines, three simple questions, a shortened memory verse ("Thou God seest me") with a motion, and a drawing activity.
Kindergarten to 2nd grade, 45 minutes, 3 pages: the Find the Well game, the story in simple words, five recall questions with answers, the Point and Say verse game with four paper strips, and a hide-the-well game.
3rd to 5th grade, 45–60 minutes, 3 pages: a whisper-across-the-room game, kids look up verses in their own Bibles during a fuller story (God finds Hagar by the fountain, "Thou God seest me," God hears the lad and opens her eyes), five thinking questions and three recall questions, and a Bible look-up race.
Preteens (ages 11–12), 45–60 minutes, 3 pages: students read Genesis 16:6–13 and 21:14–20 out loud themselves, with short background for both, then discuss being seen and heard by God, obeying when it's hard, and noticing what God provides. Six discussion questions, a journal page, and two memory verses (Genesis 16:13 and Psalms 34:15).

Lesson at a glance

Bible passage: Genesis 16:6–13 and Genesis 21:14–20
Main point: God sees me, and God hears me.
Memory verse: Genesis 16:13 (KJV), with Psalms 34:15 added for preteens
Ages: preschool to preteen, in four versions

Lesson outline (the same in every version)

Opening game: a short game about seeing, hearing and finding.
Bible story: Hagar flees (Genesis 16:6), the angel of the LORD finds her by a fountain of water (16:7), "Thou God seest me" (16:13), the water is spent in the wilderness of Beer-sheba (21:14–15), "God heard the voice of the lad" (21:17), and God opens her eyes to see a well of water (21:19). 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 Genesis 16:13.
What this means for us: God sees and hears us, the gospel (Acts 2:38), and a challenge for the week.
Activity: the word search, crossword, maze, worksheet, the Hagar craft, a find-the-well game, a Bible look-up race or a journal page, depending on the age.
Prayer.

Tips for teaching Hagar

Read Genesis 16:13 and 21:17 straight from your Bible. God saw Hagar, and God heard the lad.
The lessons start at Genesis 16:6 and 21:14. How Hagar came to have a child and why Sarah sent her away (16:1–5; 21:9–13) get one plain sentence in the preteen lesson only.
The Bible doesn't describe the angel of the LORD, and the lessons don't either.
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 Hagar 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 Hagar for kids?

God sees me and God hears me. When Hagar ran away, she called the LORD that spoke to her "Thou God seest me" (Genesis 16:13). Later, in the wilderness, "God heard the voice of the lad," and God opened her eyes to see a well of water (Genesis 21:17, 21:19).

What does "Thou God seest me" mean?

It means "You are the God who sees me." Hagar said it in Genesis 16:13 after the angel of the LORD found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness. She was alone and running away, but God saw her and spoke to her.

Why did Abraham send Hagar away?

Genesis 21:9–13 tells it: Sarah asked Abraham to send Hagar and her son away, it grieved Abraham, and God told him to listen to Sarah and promised, "also of the son of the bondwoman will I make a nation" (21:13). The lessons start at 21:14 and focus on how God cared for Hagar and the lad.