Joseph Coat of Many Colors Sunday School Lesson for Kids

This free Joseph Sunday school lesson teaches kids to forgive: Joseph's brothers sold him into Egypt, but the LORD was with Joseph, and God used him to save many people from the famine. When his brothers came, Joseph told them, "Ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good" (Genesis 50:20). 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, 3 pages: a many-colors hunt, a short story with hand motions and repeat-after-me lines, three simple questions, a shortened memory verse ("God meant it unto good") with a motion, and a coat drawing to color.
• Kindergarten to 2nd grade, 45 minutes, 5 pages: the Guess Who Is Talking game, the story in simple words, five recall questions with answers, a coat-stripes memory verse game, a Whose Sack? game with a foil "silver cup," and short teacher notes.
• 3rd to 5th grade, 45–60 minutes, 5 pages: kids look up verses in their own Bibles during a fuller story (the coat and the dreams, the pit, Potiphar's house, the prison, Pharaoh's dreams, the silver cup and "I am Joseph"), five thinking questions and three recall questions, and a Bible look-up race.
• Preteens (ages 11–12), 45–60 minutes, 5 pages: a heavy-backpack opening, students read Genesis 37:18–28, 41:14–16, 41:38–41, 45:1–8 and 50:15–21 out loud themselves, then discuss envy, power and forgiveness. Six discussion questions, a journal page, and two memory verses (Genesis 50:20 and Ephesians 4:32).

Lesson at a glance

• Bible passage: Genesis 37–50 (the lesson tells chapters 37, 39–45 and 50:15–21)
• Main point: Joseph forgave his brothers. God was with Joseph and meant it for good, and God can help us forgive.
• Memory verse: Genesis 50:20 (KJV), with Ephesians 4:32 added for preteens
• Ages: preschool to preteen, in four versions

Lesson outline (the same in every version)

1. Opening game: a short game about not knowing someone, colors, good and bad turns, or carrying hurts.
2. Bible story: "a coat of many colours" (Genesis 37:3), the dreams, the pit and the twenty pieces of silver (37:24–28), Potiphar's house and the prison (39), the butler's and baker's dreams (40), Pharaoh's dreams and the seven years (41), the brothers bowing down (42:6), the silver cup (44), "I am Joseph" (45:4) and Joseph's forgiveness (50:15–21). Every fact has its verse reference so you can check it.
3. Questions to ask: with answers, at the right level for each age.
4. Memory verse: a game or motion to help kids learn Genesis 50:20.
5. What this means for us: forgiveness, the gospel (Acts 2:38), and a challenge for the week.
6. Activity: the Joseph word search, the Joseph crossword, the Joseph maze, the Joseph worksheet, the Joseph craft, a sack game, a Bible look-up race or a journal page, depending on the age.
7. Prayer.

Tips for teaching Joseph

• Read Genesis 50:20 straight from your Bible. It is the heart of the story: the brothers meant evil, but God meant it for good.
• Keep to the King James words: Jacob made Joseph "a coat of many colours" (Genesis 37:3). The Bible doesn't name the colors, so let kids choose their own.
• The hard parts are told gently. The brothers put Joseph in an empty pit and sold him (37:24–28), and Potiphar's wife is told at kid level: she told a lie about Joseph, and he was put in prison (39:17–20). Each lesson has short teacher notes in case a child asks more.
• Short on time? Do the story, three questions and the memory verse. That is a solid 25-minute lesson.