Thanks & Giving: Kids Bible Lesson on Gratitude and Generosity Crafts, Skits, and Family Challenge (Acts 20:35; Psalm 100:4)
LESSON OVERVIEW
Theme: Thankfulness and Generous Living
Big Truth: True thanksgiving is shown when we gratefully give and serve others—just like Jesus.
Key Scriptures: Acts 20:35; Psalm 100:4
Pillar Focus: Presence — Experiencing God’s joy as we give and serve with thankful hearts.
1) INTRODUCTION
Do you know the difference between feeling thankful and living thankfully? Thanksgiving isn’t just a good feeling or a holiday—it’s an action! The Bible says when we thank God, it naturally turns into giving, sharing, and blessing others. Today, we’ll explore how a thankful heart overflows into giving and how that changes not only others but ourselves!
2) GAME: “Gratitude Toss”
Introduction: "Who here likes playing games? (Pause for hands or cheers.) Today’s game is all about showing thanks—not just with our words, but with our actions! When we’re thankful, God wants that thankfulness to jump out of our hearts and into what we do for others. Ready to play and practice giving in a really fun way? Let’s get started!"
Materials Needed:
Soft beanbags, small balls, or rolled-up socks (one per child or group)
Buckets or baskets (at least four)
Big signs for each bucket labeled with a giving action, like "Serve," "Share," "Say Thanks," and "Help"
How to Play:
1. Leader: "Let’s all line up behind this line. When it’s your turn, pick up a beanbag and aim for one of our giving buckets!"
2. When you toss your beanbag and it lands in a bucket, look at the action word on that bucket—maybe it says, "Serve."
3. Call out the giving word loud and proud! Then, either share one way you can do that action (“I can serve by cleaning up after dinner!”) or act it out for us (like pretending to help a friend up for "Help").
4. After each turn, invite everyone: "Let’s all act out that giving word together! Ready? Go!"
5. Once everyone’s had a turn, you can play again and encourage kids to get creative with their actions and ideas. Let’s fill the room with ideas for how we can show our thanks by giving!
Connection Moment: "Did you know God loves it when our thankfulness doesn’t just stay in our hearts? He wants it to splash out into the world—by helping, sharing, and saying thank you! Every time you hit a bucket, you’re reminding yourself—and all of us—to put thanks into action!"
Preschool Adaptation:
Place the buckets really close so everyone has a chance to score.
Use bright, colorful balls or beanbags.
After each toss, help little ones act out the action they picked—give a big pretend hug for "Serve," a wave for "Say Thanks," a sharing gesture for "Share," or a helping hand for "Help."
Celebrate every toss and every action, so everyone feels like a winner!
3) PRAISE & WORSHIP
Say this: Kids, today we get to worship God with thankful hearts! The Bible says to “enter His gates with thanksgiving” — that means we come close to God by remembering all the good things He’s done. And when our hearts are full of thankfulness, it overflows into giving and serving others—just like Jesus did!
So as we sing today, let’s clap, dance, and stretch our hands out like we’re giving our praise right back to God. Are you ready to thank Jesus with your whole heart? Let’s worship!
Song List:
“Thank You Lord” — Lifetree Kids
“Give It Away” — Yancy
“Grateful” — Elevation Rhythm / Kids Worship Versions
“Every Move I Make” — Hillsong Kids
“You Gave” — Gateway Kids Worship
Encounter / Ending
Kids, place your hands on your heart. Take a deep breath.
Jesus, thank You for giving everything for us. Thank You for loving us, helping us, and taking care of us every single day. Fill our hearts with Your joy so that we can give and serve others the way You do.
Now kids, imagine your thankfulness shining like a bright light inside you… and now imagine sharing that light with someone else this week — a friend, a sibling, or even someone who needs help.Jesus, make us generous like You.Help us see people the way You see them, love them the way You love them, and give with joyful hearts. Amen.
4) BIBLE STORY: Thanks & Giving — Paul’s Example (Acts 20:35; Psalm 100:4)
Room Prep & Prop Suggestions:
Set up two tables at the front: one labeled “Thanks” (with a bright cloth and a stack of blank or pre-written thank you notes) and one labeled “Giving” (with play bread, coins, or simple gifts like small boxes).
Prepare a simple “apostle” robe or shawl for the child playing Paul, plus props: a scroll or Bible, loaf of bread, a small coin pouch, a bowl, and a cleaning cloth.
Seat children on the floor as the "early church," divided so some are near each table.
Act-Out Bible Story
Narrator:
Long ago, after Jesus rose again, followers began meeting in small homes and caring for each other like family. One of the most passionate of these was Paul, a man who loved Jesus deeply. Paul traveled from city to city, telling everyone the Good News of Jesus and always looking for ways to help people
(Paul enters, wearing a robe, carrying a scroll and a loaf of bread. Walks between the two tables: first to "Thanks," then to "Giving".)
Paul believed that giving thanks wasn’t just about saying kind words—it meant showing love with generous actions, too!
Paul (speaking to the early church, addressing kids):
“Friends! Remember what Jesus Himself taught: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’
Narrator:
Paul was always thanking God—for food, friends, and even hard times. He’d write notes, offer prayers, and make sure everyone felt appreciated at the "Thanks" table. But he didn’t stop there—he believed that real gratitude is shown by giving.
(Paul moves to the "Giving" table, pretends to divide bread among others, hands out coins, and uses the bowl/cloth to serve someone’s hands or feet.)
Whenever Paul met someone hungry, he shared his bread. When a friend was sad, he’d pray with them and offer encouragement. When someone needed hope, Paul would remind them that Jesus loved them.
One day, after a long, hard journey, Paul was tired and hungry, yet still looked for ways to serve. One child (from the group) asks: “Paul, why do you always give?”
Paul:
“Because whenever I give, I receive even more from God! He fills me with joy—He gives me new friends and deeper love.
Then Paul invites everyone to join him at the Giving table. The children act out sharing bread, hugging friends, saying prayers for each other. Whenever anyone does something gentle or helpful, everyone says together: “Thank You, God, for ___!”
Narrator:
Paul and his friends lived every day with thankful hearts. True thanksgiving for them wasn’t just nice words. It was acts of kindness, sharing, and generosity—just as Psalm 100:4 says:“Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name.”
Moral for your Kids:
When we live with thankful hearts like Paul—and turn our thanks into giving—God’s joy overflows in us. The best way to show our gratitude to God is to serve and bless others
Pause for Questions & Reflection
Why do you think Paul loved giving so much?
How does it feel when you give to others out of gratitude, not just because you have to?
Who in your life might need your thanks or your help this week?
Preschool Tips
Use big props and hands-on actions: pass around a big play-bread or fruit, let little ones “hug a friend” or bring a play coin/napkin to someone.
After each act of thanks or giving, say together: "Thank You, God, for ____!" (fill in with whatever was just shared or given)
5) HOLY SPIRIT ACTIVATION: “Thanks & Giving Jar”
Materials:
Clear plastic jar/cup for each child
Strips of colorful paper
Markers or crayons
Fun stickers for decorating
Step-by-Step Instructions:
Give each child their own "Thanks & Giving Jar."
Show how to fold or cut colored paper into slips. On one side of each slip, kids write or draw something they're thankful for. On the other side, they write or draw a way they can give or help someone.
Example: Front – "Thank you, God, for my grandma!" / Back – "Give grandma a hug today."
Kids decorate their jars with stickers, their name, and maybe a big "THANKS!" sign on the outside.
Challenge everyone: "Add at least one slip to your jar every day this week. When you wake up or after dinner, pull a slip from your jar: first, say thank you to God for what's written; then, put your gratitude into action!"
Closing:
Kids, the more we practice gratitude AND giving, the more our hearts fill up with joy, just like Paul experienced. Thankfulness is never just a word—it's a way of life! Let’s all say this together and repeat after me: "When you fill your jar with thanks and giving, you fill your life with God’s joy!”
Activation Prayer:
"Holy Spirit, please show us someone to thank and someone to give to. Fill our hearts so our thankfulness always overflows into love and serving. Amen."
6) CRAFT 1: “Gratitude Garland”
Materials Needed:
String or yarn (long enough to hang as a banner)
Construction paper (cut into shapes like hearts, leaves, or circles)
Markers, crayons, or colored pencils
Mini clothespins or tape
Instructions:
Hand out pre-cut shapes or let kids cut out their own hearts, leaves, or circles from colored paper.
On each shape, kids use markers to write or draw something they’re thankful for (“Family,” “Food,” “God’s love”) and something they will do to give or help (“Help clean,” “Share my toys,” “Say thank you”).
Attach each decorated shape to the string or yarn using mini clothespins or small pieces of tape.
Hang the garland across a window, mantle, door frame, or classroom wall as a daily reminder to practice gratitude and giving!
Encourage kids to add new shapes throughout the week whenever they think of something new.
7) CRAFT 2: “Giving Hands Wreath”
Materials Needed:
Construction paper in fall or bright colors
Pencil for tracing hands
Scissors
Markers or crayons
Glue or glue sticks
Optional: a cardboard ring as a wreath base
Instructions:
Give each child several sheets of colored paper. Show them how to place their hand on the paper and trace around it with a pencil.
Cut out the hand shapes (leaders can help younger children).
On each hand, kids write or draw a way they can help, serve, or give to others, such as “Help my sister,” “Share with a friend,” or “Pray for someone.”
Arrange the paper hands in a circle, overlapping them like leaves, and glue them together. If using a cardboard wreath base, glue the hands around the edge.
Write in the center or on a big hand: “A Thankful Heart Gives!”
Hang the finished wreath on a classroom door, family fridge, or wall as a reminder to use your hands for giving and kindness.
8) SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Why is it “more blessed to give than to receive?”
Share one time someone gave to you. How did it make you feel?
What act of thanks & giving can you do this week?
How does giving show God’s love to the world?
9) PRAYER
“Dear God, thank You for every good gift. Teach us to return thanks, not just with words but with giving hearts. Make us encouragers, helpers, and givers like Jesus, so that many can see and celebrate Your love. Amen.”
Encourage your kids to add to their Thanks & Giving Jar all week with every act of thanks and every act of giving they experience!
10) FINAL THOUGHT FOR PARENTS AND LEADERS
This lesson will help children and families experience thankfulness as an action—not only at Thanksgiving, but every day. Encourage families to keep their Thanks & Giving Jars at the dinner table or family altar, review their gratitude garlands and give wreaths as reminders, and try “secret giving” as a family
