This printable lesson plan is designed to teach preschool aged children about the story of Samson. It could be used in any setting with children age 2-5 at church, including a preschool Sunday School class or a preschool children’s church class.
As always, consider your own ministry context and modify it as needed. Be sure to print off the Samson storybook linked in the supplies below.
Bible Story: The Story of Samson
Scripture: Judges 13:3,5,24 & 16:6,7,16,17,20,23,25,26,28,29
Target Age Group: 2 year olds – 5 year olds
Learning Context: Children’s Church
Target Time Frame: 40 minutes
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Learning Objectives: After this lesson, the children will demonstrate an understanding of the story by using their puppets to retell it.
Items Needed:
- Bible, Judges 13:3,5,24 & 16:6,7,16,17,20,23,25,26,28,29
- Printable Samson storybook
- Blown up balloons – 1 per child
- 1 lunch bag per child, construction paper strips (or yarn strips), glue, crayons
- Items from around the room
Worship: Use Samson Songs (extra print out) to lead the children to sing before the Bible lesson.
Samson Preschool Bible Lesson
Welcome Activity: Welcome activities are things to have out for the children to do as they are arriving for class. These activities will get them engaged as soon as they arrive and will help the transition from their parents.
- Have balloons available for the children to play with.
Worship
Samson Songs
Bible Lesson Introduction
Have the children see if they are strong enough to pop the balloons from the Welcome Activity.
Bible Lesson
Read Judges 13:3,5,24 & 16:6,7,16,17,20,23,25,26,28,29 (NIRV) aloud to the children. There is also a book that you can print out that has the story along with simple pictures to help the children understand what is being read.
Read the verses (story) to the children. If you are using the print out story, point to the pictures as you read the story so that the children can better understand what you are saying.
3 The angel of the Lord appeared to Manoah’s wife. He said, “You will have a baby boy.
5 “You will become pregnant. You will have a son. He must not use a razor on his head. He must not cut his hair. That is because the boy will be a Nazirite. He will be set apart to God from the day he is born. He will begin to save Israel from the power of the Philistines.”
24 Later, the woman had a baby boy. She named him Samson. As he grew up, the Lord blessed him.
6 So Delilah spoke to Samson. She said, “Tell me the secret of why you are so strong. Tell me how you can be tied up and controlled.”
7 Samson answered her, “Let someone tie me up with seven new leather straps. They must be straps that aren’t completely dry. Then I’ll become as weak as any other man.” She called out to him. She said, “Samson! The Philistines are attacking you!” But he snapped the leather straps easily. So the secret of why he was so strong wasn’t discovered.
16 She continued to pester him day after day. She nagged him until he was sick and tired of it.
17 So he told her everything. “I’ve never used a razor on my head,” he said. “I’ve never cut my hair. That’s because I’ve been a Nazirite since the day I was born. A Nazirite is set apart to God. If you shave my head, I won’t be strong anymore. I’ll become as weak as any other man.”
20 She called out, “Samson! The Philistines are attacking you!”
He woke up from his sleep. He thought, “I’ll go out just as I did before. I’ll shake myself free.” But he didn’t know that the Lord had left him.
23 The rulers of the Philistines gathered together. 25 So they called Samson out of the prison.
They had him stand near the temple pillars. 26 Then he spoke to the servant who was holding his hand. He said, “Put me where I can feel the pillars. I’m talking about the ones that hold the temple up. I want to lean against them.”
28 Then he prayed to the Lord. He said, “Lord and King, show me that you still have concern for me. God, please make me strong just one more time.”
29 Then Samson reached toward the two pillars that were in the middle of the temple. 30 Samson said, “Let me die together with the Philistines!” Then he pushed with all his might. The temple came down on the rulers. It fell on all of the people who were in it.
Read the story again, but this time have the children act like they are Samson.
Discuss the Bible Reading
When you are finished reading the story the second time, ask the children the following questions so that you can know they understood it.
“Who was in the story?” Samson, Delilah
“What did Delilah want Samson to tell her?” How he got his strength
“Did he tell her the first time?” No, he lied
“What did Samson finally tell Delilah where he got his strength?” His hair
“Where did Samson really get his strength?” God
Bible Lesson Craft / Activity
Activity: Samson Puppet
• Give each child a lunch paper bag.
• Have them draw a face on both sides of the bag.
• On one side of the bag, have the children glue the construction paper strips (or yarn strips) as Samson’s hair.
• As the children are gluing, go around and make sure that each child’s name gets written on their bag.
• The other side of the bag won’t have any hair because that is Samson after his hair got cut.
• If there’s time, have the children color their puppet
Activity: Bible Verse Memorization
“If you shave my head, I won’t be strong anymore. I’ll become as weak as any other man.” Judges 16:17b (NIRV)
If you shave my head: act like you are shaving your head
I won’t be strong anymore: put your arms up as though showing muscles and shake your head “No”
I’ll become as weak: put your arms down showing you are not weak
As any other man: point to other people in the class
Judges 16: show ten fingers and then six fingers
17b: show ten fingers and then seven fingers
Do this a few times with the children. Make it fun for them to do the motions and say the words. Involving them in active learning is essential for memorization at this age.
Bible Verse Activity: How Strong Are You?
“In our Bible Verse today, it says that Samson would become weak if his hair was cut. His strength really came from God. We need God to help us be strong too.”
• Have items from around the room available for the children.
• Have each child try to pick up the items to see how strong they are.
• Have 1 item that no child would be able to pick up.
o Have them try to pick it up
o When they can’t, help them (like God helped Samson be strong)
Evaluation: Have the children use their puppets to retell the story of Samson.
