Manna and Quail Sunday School Lesson for Kids

This free manna and quail Sunday school lesson teaches kids that God provides what we need, so we can trust Him every day and thank Him instead of complaining. When His people grumbled in the wilderness, God sent quails at evening and bread from heaven every morning, and "he that gathered little had no lack" (Exodus 16:18). 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 cotton-ball gathering game, a short story with hand motions and repeat-after-me lines, three simple questions, a shortened memory verse ("But my God shall supply all your need") with motions, a drawing activity and an optional snack reminder.
• Kindergarten to 2nd grade, 45 minutes, 4 pages: the Gather It Up game, the story in simple words, five recall questions with answers, the Gather the Verse memory game, and the Just Enough game (one cup a day, two on day six, rest on day seven).
• 3rd to 5th grade, 45–60 minutes, 4 pages: a turn-a-complaint-into-thanks game, kids look up verses in their own Bibles during a fuller story (the flesh pots, the glory in the cloud, the omer, the worms, the sixth and seventh days, the pot of manna), five thinking questions and three recall questions, and a Bible look-up race.
• Preteens (ages 11–12), 45–60 minutes, 3 pages: students read Exodus 16 out loud themselves, then discuss complaining as a trust problem, having enough, daily bread and Jesus, the bread of life (John 6:35). Six discussion questions, a journal page, and two memory verses (Philippians 4:19 and Matthew 6:11).

Lesson at a glance

• Bible passage: Exodus 16
• Main point: God gives us what we need, so we can trust Him every day and thank Him instead of complaining.
• Memory verse: Philippians 4:19 (KJV), with Matthew 6:11 added for preteens
• Ages: preschool to preteen, in four versions

Lesson outline (the same in every version)

1. Opening game: gathering "manna" from the floor, turning complaints into thank-yous, or a save-it-or-trust-it game.
2. Bible story: the people murmur in the wilderness, quails cover the camp at evening, manna lies on the ground in the morning, an omer for every person, the leftovers that bred worms, twice as much on the sixth day and none on the seventh, and the pot of manna kept for later. 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 motions to help kids learn Philippians 4:19.
5. What this means for us: trust God and give thanks, the gospel (Acts 2:38), and a challenge for the week.
6. Activity: the manna and quail word search, crossword, maze, worksheet, the manna and quail craft, a gathering game, a Bible look-up race or a journal page, depending on the age.
7. Prayer.

Tips for teaching manna and quail

• Read Exodus 16:31 straight from your Bible: manna "was like coriander seed, white; and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey." That is all the Bible says about how it looked and tasted, so the lessons don't add more.
• Kids may giggle at "the wilderness of Sin." Tell them Sin is just the name of the place (Exodus 16:1).
• A snack is fine as a reminder, but say plainly that it is not manna. Check for food allergies first.
• Short on time? Do the story, three questions and the memory verse. That is a solid 25-minute lesson.