The Good Samaritan story teaches children that God wants us to help anyone who needs us, even people we do not know well. Children aged 5 to 11 can learn it in 20 to 30 minutes, using the story, a memory action, and a simple activity.
Big Idea
Being a good neighbor means stopping to help someone who is hurt, no matter who they are. God wants us to show kindness with our hands and our feet.
Memory Verse
Luke 10:27
He answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.”
(WEB)
Put one hand on your heart and the other hand out in front of you, as if reaching to help someone. Say the verse slowly while you do the motions, then do it again together until everyone can say it with you.
The Story: Luke 10 for Kids
One day a teacher of the law stood up to test Jesus. He asked, “What must I do to have life that lasts forever?” Jesus asked him what the law said, and the man answered that we should love God with all our heart and love our neighbor as ourselves. Jesus said, “You are right. Do this and you will live.”
The man wanted to know who his neighbor really was, so Jesus told a story. A man was walking down the road from Jerusalem to Jericho when robbers attacked him. They took his things, hurt him badly, and left him lying on the road, barely alive.
Soon a priest came walking down the same road. He saw the hurt man, but he crossed to the other side and kept walking. Then a Levite came by, looked at the man, and also passed by on the other side.
Next came a Samaritan, a man from a group that many people did not like. When he saw the hurt man, his heart was full of pity. He knelt down, cleaned his wounds, and carried him on his own donkey to an inn. He said to the innkeeper, “Please take care of him. If it costs more, I will pay you when I come back.”
Then Jesus asked the teacher of the law, “Which of these three was a neighbor to the man who was hurt?” The teacher answered, “The one who showed mercy.” Jesus said, “Go and do the same.”
Read It Together
Luke 10:33-34
33 But a certain Samaritan, as he traveled, came where he was. When he saw him, he was moved with compassion, 34 came to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. He set him on his own animal, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
(WEB)
Point out how the Samaritan saw the hurt man and felt compassion. Ask the children what he did next, and notice that he did not just feel sorry but took action.
Luke 10:36-37
36 Now which of these three do you think seemed to be a neighbor to him who fell among the robbers?” 37 He said, “He who showed mercy on him.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”
(WEB)
Show how Jesus turned the question around, asking who acted like a neighbor rather than who counts as one. Explain that the answer is the person who shows mercy.
Luke 10:42
But one thing is needed. Mary has chosen the good part, which will not be taken away from her.”
(WEB)
Let the children hear that Martha was busy and worried while Mary sat and listened. Point out that Jesus wants us to remember what matters most, which is spending time close to him.
Talk About It
- Who was the hurt man, and how do you think he felt lying on the road?
- Why do you think the priest and the Levite walked past the man?
- How was the Samaritan kind to the man, even though they were not friends?
- Who is someone near you who might need a helping hand this week?
- What is one way you can show love to a neighbor, like a friend at school or someone in your family?
Activity Ideas
Draw a Helping Hand
You will need paper, crayons or markers, and scissors. Have each child trace one of their hands onto paper and cut it out. On each finger, have them draw or write one way they can help someone, such as sharing a toy, carrying a bag, or saying a kind word. Hang the hands on the wall as a reminder.
Good Neighbor Relay
You will need two cups, a few soft toys or socks, and a open space where children can run. Split the children into two teams and have them race to carry an item from one spot to another, one at a time. Stop the game halfway through and have a child pretend to be the hurt man, and let the others take turns helping him by walking him to the finish line.
Kindness Card for Home
You will need a sheet of card stock, markers, and a pencil. Have each child write “I can be a good neighbor by…” and finish the sentence with one specific action they will try at home or school this week. Encourage them to take the card home and place it somewhere they will see it each morning.
Teacher Notes
For adults, this passage shows that loving our neighbor is not limited to people who look like us or live near us. Jesus made the Samaritan, a person from a group many looked down on, the hero of the story, which challenges our own prejudices. It also reminds us that true faith shows itself in practical mercy.
Avoid suggesting to children that they must earn God’s love by being helpful. Make clear that we help others because God has already shown us great kindness, not so that we can get something in return.
A Prayer to Close
Dear Jesus, thank you for showing us what it means to love our neighbor. Help us to notice people who are hurt or lonely, and give us brave and kind hearts to help them. Show us how to be good neighbors every day. Amen.
