Preschool Sunday School Lesson: Dealing With Grief

Use these activities to help young children deal with grief. You could lead them at church, or share them with parents to do with young children at home. Find more great Sunday school lessons to help kids grow in their faith.

Preschool Sunday School Lesson: Dealing With Grief

1. Barnyard Bonanza

Play with wind-up barnyard animals, such as a cow, dog, cat, or pig. After kids have had a chance to wind up the animals and watch them move, collect the animals. Then form a circle.

Say: We’ve had such a good time playing with these toys! When you wind them up, they become alive and move. (Wind up a toy as an example.)

Ask:

• What happens to the toy after it has wound down?
• How about real animals? What happens to real animals after they stop breathing?
• What happens to people after their bodies wear out and they stop breathing?

2. Bag-o-Feelings

Draw a different face on three paper plates: a happy face, a sad face, and a mad face. Put the paper plates in a paper sack.

Say: When someone we know dies, we may feel lots of different feelings. There are times we feel sad (pull out the sad face) because we really miss that person. Sometimes we feel mad (pull out the mad face) because we wish that person would come back! Other times we feel happy (pull out the happy face) because we have good memories of that person. It’s okay to have all of these feelings!

Ask:

• Have you ever known an animal or person who died? Tell us about it.

3. Joy From Jesus

Have kids wrap themselves up in a comforter or blanket.

Say: Jesus was sad when people died. But Jesus said if we’re sad, he’ll comfort us or help us feel better. In Matthew 5:4, Jesus says, “God blesses those who are sad, for they will be comforted” (paraphrased). When we feel sad because someone has died, Jesus comforts us. That means he helps us feel better just like this blanket makes us feel warm and safe.

4. Grief Comforter Collage

Set out a large sheet of paper and various supplies such as yarn, construction paper, cotton balls, and markers.

Ask:

• What are some of your favorite things or people that help you feel better when you’re sad?

Say: We’re going to make our own “comforter” with this sheet of paper! You can use any of these supplies to draw a picture of your favorite things or people that help you feel better when you’re sad.

Remind children that Jesus is our comforter when we feel sad because someone we love has died. Close in prayer asking God to be our comforter when we’re sad.

Elaine Friedrich is a theoretical practitioner, teacher, and published author in Georgia.

Looking for more lessons? Check out these ideas!