Woman at the Well Sunday School Lesson for Kids
A free woman at the well Sunday school lesson (John 4:1–42) in four age levels, preschool to preteen, with a game, Bible story, questions and take-home.
Preschool–Grade 6
Download
- ⬇ Teacher lesson, kindergarten to 2nd grade (PDF) · 3 pages
- ⬇ Teacher lesson, preschool ages 3–5 (PDF) · 2 pages
- ⬇ Teacher lesson, 3rd to 5th grade (PDF) · 4 pages
- ⬇ Teacher lesson, preteens ages 11–12 (PDF) · 3 pages
- ⬇ Take-home sheet (PDF) · 1 page
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
- John 4:1–42
- Bible story
- The Woman at the Well
What you need
- A Bible (mark John 4:7 and John 4:13–14)
- Bibles for the kids to look up verses (3rd grade and up)
- 6 water drops cut from blue paper, a marker and tape (memory verse game, kindergarten to 2nd grade)
- A chair or a bucket to be the well, and an empty plastic cup or jug (preschool)
- A whiteboard or large paper and a marker (3rd grade and up)
- Paper and pencils (3rd grade and up)
- Printed take-home sheets, one per child
- Printed woman at the well word search and crayons for early finishers
This free woman at the well Sunday school lesson teaches kids that Jesus loves everyone, and that He gives living water that never runs out (John 4:14). 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 short story with hand motions and repeat-after-me lines, a "Come and See" follow-the-leader game, three simple questions, a shortened memory verse ("whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst") with a motion, and a draw-the-well activity.
- Kindergarten to 2nd grade, 45 minutes, 3 pages: the story in simple words, five recall questions with answers, and the Water Drops verse game with six paper drops.
- 3rd to 5th grade, 45–60 minutes, 4 pages: kids look up verses in their own Bibles during a fuller story (Sychar, Jacob's well, the sixth hour, "God is a Spirit," the people of the city coming to Jesus), five thinking questions and three recall questions, and a Bible look-up race.
- Preteens (ages 11–12), 45–60 minutes, 3 pages: students read John 4 out loud themselves, then discuss who Jesus loves, what leaves people "thirsty again," worship in spirit and in truth, and inviting others to "come, see." Six discussion questions, a journal page, and two memory verses (John 4:14 and John 4:24).
Lesson at a glance
- Bible passage: John 4:1–42
- Main point: Jesus loves everyone, and He gives living water that never runs out.
- Memory verse: John 4:14 (KJV), with John 4:24 added for preteens
- Ages: preschool to preteen, in four versions
Lesson outline (the same in every version)
- Opening game: a short game about inviting others or being left out, like "Come and See."
- Bible story: Jesus rests on Jacob's well at the sixth hour, asks a woman of Samaria for a drink, offers her living water, tells her "God is a Spirit" and "I that speak unto thee am he," and she leaves her waterpot to tell her city. 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 John 4:14.
- What this means for us: Jesus loves everyone, living water and the Holy Ghost (John 7:38–39), the gospel (Acts 2:38), and a challenge for the week.
- Activity: the woman at the well word search, crossword, maze or worksheet, a Bible look-up race or a journal page, depending on the age.
- Prayer.
Tips for teaching the woman at the well
- Let kids hear John 4:13–14 read straight from the Bible. It is the heart of the story: well water leaves you thirsty again, but Jesus' living water springs up into everlasting life.
- Point out that the Jews and the Samaritans had no dealings with each other (John 4:9), and Jesus talked with her anyway. That is what "Jesus loves everyone" looks like.
- The woman's five husbands (John 4:16–18): each lesson tells you how to handle it at the right level. The Bible doesn't say why, so we don't guess.
- 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 woman at the well 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 age is this lesson for?
All ages from preschool to preteen. The lesson comes in four separate teacher PDFs: preschool (ages 3 to 5), kindergarten to 2nd grade, 3rd to 5th grade, and preteens (ages 11 to 12). Each one tells the same Bible story at the right length and reading level, with its own questions and activity.
What is the main point of the woman at the well story for kids?
Jesus loves everyone. The Jews had no dealings with the Samaritans (John 4:9), but Jesus talked kindly with a woman of Samaria and offered her living water: "the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life" (John 4:14). Then she told the men of her city, "Come, see a man" (4:29).
How do you explain the woman's five husbands to kids?
The Bible says Jesus told her she had had five husbands, and the man she had now was not her husband (John 4:16–18). It does not say why, so these lessons don't guess. Younger kids hear that Jesus knew all about her life and still talked with her kindly. Older kids read the verses as written.
