King Solomon Bible Lesson for Kids

This free King Solomon Bible lesson for kids teaches wisdom and asking God for help: in a dream at Gibeon, God told Solomon, "Ask what I shall give thee" (1 Kings 3:5). Solomon asked for "an understanding heart" to lead God's people (3:9), and the LORD was pleased. God gave him a wise and an understanding heart, and riches and honour too (3:12–13). 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 what's-in-the-box game, a short story with hand motions and repeat-after-me lines, three simple questions, a shortened memory verse ("If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God") with motions, and a heart hunt.
• Kindergarten to 2nd grade, 45 minutes, 4 pages: the What's in the Box? game, the story in simple words (with the two women told gently), five recall questions with answers, the Heart Hunt memory game, and a Good or Bad? choosing game.
• 3rd to 5th grade, 45–60 minutes, 4 pages: an anything-you-want game, kids look up verses in their own Bibles during a fuller story (the dream at Gibeon, what Solomon asked, God's answer, the ark of the covenant, and Solomon's wise judgment), 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 3:3–15 out loud themselves, then discuss knowing you need help, wisdom to serve others, seeking God first (Matthew 6:33) and wisdom that obeys. Six discussion questions, a journal page, and two memory verses (James 1:5 and Proverbs 2:6).

Lesson at a glance

• Bible passage: 1 Kings 3
• Main point: Solomon asked God for an understanding heart, and God gave him wisdom. When we need wisdom, we can ask God too.
• Memory verse: James 1:5 (KJV), with Proverbs 2:6 added for preteens
• Ages: preschool to preteen, in four versions

Lesson outline (the same in every version)

1. Opening game: what's in the box, an anything-you-want game, or a smart-or-wise game.
2. Bible story: Solomon's thousand burnt offerings at Gibeon, the dream by night, "Ask what I shall give thee," the understanding heart, the speech that pleased the Lord, riches and honour too, and the two women and the wise judgment, told gently (left out for preschool). 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 James 1:5.
5. What this means for us: ask God for wisdom, the gospel (Acts 2:38), and a challenge for the week.
6. Activity: the Solomon word search, crossword, maze, worksheet, the Solomon craft, a heart hunt, a good-or-bad game, a Bible look-up race or a journal page, depending on the age.
7. Prayer.

Tips for teaching King Solomon

• Read 1 Kings 3:5 and 3:9 straight from your Bible. Explain discern (tell the difference) before kids answer what Solomon asked for.
• The story of the two women (1 Kings 3:16–28) is told gently in every level, and left out for preschool. Call them "two women," keep the baby who died brief, and point out that the king ordered the child not be hurt at all (3:27).
• Kids may ask about a crown or a palace. 1 Kings 3 doesn't describe them, so the lesson doesn't either.
• Short on time? Do the story, three questions and the memory verse. That is a solid 25-minute lesson.