Preschool Sunday School Lesson: Jesus and Zacchaeus

Use this Preschool Sunday School Lesson: Jesus and Zacchaeus to teach preschoolers about Jesus and Zacchaeus. Find more great Sunday school lessons to help kids grow in their faith.

Preschool Sunday School Lesson: Jesus and Zacchaeus

For this Bible lesson about Zacchaeus, from brown poster board, cut out a 3-foot-tall tree trunk. Use a marker to draw vertical lines of bark. Tape the trunk to the wall. Then tape inflated green balloons to the top of the tree for leaves. Sit at the foot of the sycamore tree during the lesson.

Jesus Knew Zacchaeus

Have children sit in a circle. Tell children a paraphrase of Luke 19:1-10. Afterward, establish a rhythm by having children slap their thighs twice, clap once, slap thighs twice, clap once. Once the rhythm is comfortable, introduce this chant: Je-sus knew Za-cchae-us, Je-sus knows [child’s name].

Name any child. Then have all the children chant the first line and the chosen child chant the second line naming the child to his or her left. Continue this pattern until all children have been named. Finish the chant by shouting together “you and me.”

Climbing Zacchaeus Craft

Cut a 6-inch-poster board gingerbread person for each child. Punch a hole in each hand and foot. Have children decorate their “Zacchaeus.” Then help them each thread a 6-foot length of yarn through the right foot and right hand, loop over the head and around through the left hand and left foot. Tie a bead to each end of the yarn. Have children take turns looping their yarn over a doorknob. As they pull the strings out to the sides, Zacchaeus will climb.

Snack

You’ll need:

• breadsticks
• marshmallows
• pretzel sticks
• gumdrops

Have children each poke a bread stick into a marshmallow, but not through it. Have them poke several pretzel sticks into the marshmallow. Then have them press gumdrops onto the ends of their pretzel sticks. They’ll have a Zacchaeus tree to enjoy eating.

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

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