Preschool Bible Lesson: Cain and Abel

Use this preschool Bible lesson based on Genesis 4:1-16 to teach about Cain and Abel—through activities, a craft, and a snack. Find more great Sunday school lessons to help kids grow in their faith.

Prepare for the Preschool Bible Lesson

You’ll Need:

• General Supplies
  • Bible (check out this kid-friendly version!)
  • bedsheet or blanket
  • real or artificial fruits and vegetables
  • stuffed sheep or picture of sheep
  • battery operated candles
• #1. Happy and Sad Faces
  • paper plates (1 per child)
  • craft sticks (1 per child)
  • markers
  • glue sticks
• #3. V.I.P. Plate Craft
  • more paper plates (1 per child)
  • stickers
  • markers
• #4. Mended Heart Snack
  • broken heart-shaped sugar cookies
  • icing
  • blunt knives

Easy Prep:

• Create an altar by draping a bedsheet or blanket over a table.
• Lay fruits and vegetables on the altar.
• Also, lay the sheep on the altar.
• Place a candle on each side of the altar.

Teach the Lesson About Cain and Abel

#1. Happy and Sad Faces

First, make the faces using the following steps:

• Give each preschooler a paper plate.
• Have them draw a happy face on one side and an angry face on the other side
• Help kids glue the stick as a handle.

Tell kids that the angry face will represent Cain and the happy face will represent Abel.

#2. Mend-a-Quarrel

Lead children in the words and actions of this finger play.

Any quarrel (frown with hands on hips)

I will mend (smile and hug yourself),

for my brother (hold up first finger of left hand)

is my friend (hook first fingers of each hand together).

Repeat the finger play several times, exchanging “sister” for “brother.”

#3. V.I.P. Plate Craft

Paraphrase the story of Cain and Abel from Genesis 4:1-16.

Say: God wants us to get along with our families—not fight with them! Let’s make a craft that will help us show our families we care about them.

• Give each child a new paper plate and lay out the stickers and markers.
• Have children each decorate a V.I.P. plate for a sibling by attaching stickers to their plate and coloring it.

As kids are working, say: Give your V.I.P. plate to your brother or sister—or to anyone in your family if you don’t have brothers or sisters. Say a kind thing about that person, and tell them that you made them the plate to help them feel cared for.  

#4. Mended Heart Snack

Show a broken heart cookie.

Say: When we quarrel with family members, it feels like our hearts are breaking. But we can mend broken hearts with the “icing” of love and kind words.

Have children mend their cookies with frosting and eat them.

Contributors: Patti Chromey, Kathy Downs, Nancy Dunn, and Cindy Newell

Looking for more preschool ideas? Check out these posts!