Pharaoh's Dream Sunday School Lesson for Kids

This free Pharaoh's dream Sunday school lesson teaches kids that God gives wisdom. Pharaoh dreamed that seven lean kine ate up seven fat kine, and seven thin ears of corn devoured seven full ears (Genesis 41:1–7), and no one in Egypt could tell him what it meant. Joseph, brought out of the dungeon, said, "It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace" (41:16). God showed seven years of plenty and seven years of famine, and gave Joseph a plan to save the land (41:25–36). 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 Fat Cows, Thin Cows motion game, a short story with hand motions and repeat-after-me lines, three simple questions, a shortened memory verse ("God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace") with motions, and a drawing of seven full ears of grain.
• Kindergarten to 2nd grade, 45 minutes, 3 pages: a What Is in the Envelope? game, the story in simple words, five recall questions with answers, the Six Strips memory verse game, and a Fill the Storehouse game.
• 3rd to 5th grade, 45–60 minutes, 4 pages: a Plan Ahead team game, kids look up verses in their own Bibles during a fuller story (two full years, the two dreams, "the dream of Pharaoh is one," the fifth part, the Spirit of God), five thinking questions and three recall questions, and a Bible look-up race.
• Preteens (ages 11–12), 45–60 minutes, 3 pages: a Who Gets the Credit? game, students read Genesis 41:1–16 and 41:25–40 out loud themselves, then discuss waiting, giving God the glory, real wisdom and planning ahead. Six discussion questions, a journal page, and two memory verses (Genesis 41:16 and James 1:5).

Lesson at a glance

• Bible passage: Genesis 41:1–40
• Main point: God gives wisdom, so we give God the glory.
• Memory verse: Genesis 41:16 (KJV), with James 1:5 added for preteens
• Ages: preschool to preteen, in four versions

Lesson outline (the same in every version)

1. Opening game: a short game about answers only one person knows, planning ahead, or who gets the credit.
2. Bible story: the forgotten prisoner (Genesis 40:23; 41:1), Pharaoh's two dreams (41:1–7), no one can interpret them (41:8), the butler remembers (41:9–13), "It is not in me" (41:16), seven years of plenty and seven of famine (41:25–31), God's plan (41:33–36), and Joseph set over Egypt (41:38–40). 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 41:16.
5. What this means for us: ask God for wisdom, give Him the glory, the gospel (Acts 2:38), and a challenge for the week.
6. Activity: the word search, crossword, maze, worksheet, the Pharaoh's dream craft, a Fill the Storehouse game, a Bible look-up race or a journal page, depending on the age.
7. Prayer.

Tips for teaching Pharaoh's dream

• Read Genesis 41:16 straight from the Bible. "It is not in me" is the heart of the lesson: Joseph gave God the glory.
• Explain the old words early: kine means cows, and corn means grain like wheat, not corn on the cob.
• Hold up seven fingers each time you say "seven." The numbers matter: seven fat kine, seven lean kine, seven full ears, seven thin ears, seven years and seven years (41:2–7, 41:26–30).
• The magicians and wise men are named only to show that none of them could answer (41:8). Keep the focus on God, who alone knew.
• Short on time? Do the story, three questions and the memory verse. That is a solid 25-minute lesson.