In this lesson, children learn that they should remember God while they are young, because life changes and God is good to us all our days. This lesson is for children ages 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes to teach, including the story, the verses, and the activity.
Big Idea
God made us, so we should remember Him and love Him now, while we are young, and trust Him for the rest of our lives.
Memory Verse
Ecclesiastes 12:1
Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come, and the years draw near, when you will say, “I have no pleasure in them”…
(WEB)
Cup both hands together like you are holding a small gift. Then lift your hands up high and open them wide, like you are giving that gift back to God. Do this motion each time you say the verse together.
The Story: Ecclesiastes 12 for Kids
Long ago, there was a wise teacher called the Preacher. He loved to help people learn true and good things. He wanted the young people to know something very important. He wanted them to remember their Creator, the God who made them, while they were still young.
The Preacher talked about getting older. He said that a time would come when people would not feel happy in the things they used to enjoy. Their bodies would grow tired, and their eyes and hands would not work as well as before. He used pictures to explain this. He spoke about a house whose workers shake, and a grinding of grain that stops because there are so few left to grind.
He also said that one day everyone goes to their everlasting home, and the people who love them are sad. He told the young people not to wait until the hard days come to think about God. They should remember Him now, when they are full of energy and can play, learn, and worship.
At the end of his teaching, the Preacher said, “Fear God and keep His commands.” He meant that we should love and respect God and do what He asks us to do. He reminded everyone that this is the most important thing a person can do.
The Preacher also reminded everyone that God sees everything we do. He told them that God will judge every good thing and every bad thing, even the things no one else sees. So children can know that God always knows them and loves them.
Read It Together
Ecclesiastes 12:1-2
1 Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come, and the years draw near, when you will say, “I have no pleasure in them”; 2 Before the sun, the light, the moon, and the stars are darkened, and the clouds return after the rain…
(WEB)
Point out the words “Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth.” Ask the children to say what the word “Creator” means, and then help them see that God is the one who made each of them.
Ecclesiastes 12:7
And the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.
(WEB)
Explain that people’s bodies return to the ground, but the spirit goes back to God who gave it. Help children understand that God takes care of us forever, even after life here ends.
Ecclesiastes 12:13
This is the end of the matter. All has been heard. Fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man.
(WEB)
Read this verse slowly and point out the words “Fear God, and keep his commandments.” Explain that keeping God’s commands is a way to show that we love Him, and that it is good for us.
Talk About It
- What are some ways you can remember God during your school day?
- Why do you think the Preacher wanted young people to remember God early in life?
- What is one thing God made that you enjoy seeing or touching?
- How can you show love to God when you are playing with your friends?
- What helps you feel close to God when you are scared or sad?
Activity Ideas
Draw a Creation Picture
You will need paper, crayons or markers, and a pencil. Ask each child to draw one thing God made that they love, such as a tree, a pet, or the sun. Let them write or sign their name at the bottom, then talk together about how God made each thing for us to enjoy. Display the drawings where everyone can see them.
Remember-the-Creator Musical Chairs
You will need a few chairs, some music, and a room with space to move. Arrange the chairs in a circle, one fewer than the number of children. When the music plays, the children walk around the chairs. When the music stops, they sit down and say, “I remember my Creator.” Continue until everyone has a turn, and cheer for each child.
Take-Home Memory Card
You will need an index card, a pen, and a rubber band. Write the memory verse on the card, and ask the child to decorate it with stickers or drawings. Encourage them to read the card to a family member at dinner. Let them keep the card in a pocket or on the fridge so they can say the verse each day this week.
Teacher Notes
For adults, this passage is a call to live with God in view from the start of life, not only when trouble comes. The Preacher describes the weakening of the body and the coming of death with honest, poetic images, and he ends by pointing to the fear of God and His coming judgment as the whole duty of a person. Adults can hear in it an invitation to daily faithfulness, not a gloomy message about aging.
When teaching children, avoid overstating the heavier images of old age and death. Do not frighten them with the picture of judgment or make them feel they must be perfect to please God. Keep the focus on God as the loving Creator who knows and cares for them, and present the call to remember Him as an invitation to a close and happy relationship.
A Prayer to Close
Dear God, thank You for making us and for loving us every day. Help us remember You while we are young, and help us love and obey You in everything we do. Be with us as we grow, and keep us close to You always. Amen.
