This lesson teaches children that God made the world carefully, made people to live with him, and gave us friends and family to help us. It suits children ages 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes, including a short story, a few Bible readings, and one activity.
Big Idea
God made the world and everything in it, and he made people to take care of it and each other.
Memory Verse
Genesis 2:7
The LORD God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
(WEB)
Put one hand on your heart and breathe in slowly, then breathe out. Do this each time you say the verse, so children connect God’s gift of breath with their own breathing.
The Story: Genesis 2 for Kids
When God finished making the sky, the earth, the sea, and all the living things, he rested on the seventh day. He looked at everything he had made and said it was good. Then he made the seventh day a special day, a holy day for resting and remembering him.
Before there were any plants, God sent a mist up from the ground to water the soil. Then God reached down and formed a man out of the dust of the ground. God breathed into the man’s nose, and the man began to live. His name was Adam.
God planted a beautiful garden in a place called Eden and put Adam there. The garden had trees full of good fruit, and a river ran through it. God told Adam he could eat from any tree in the garden except one, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God said that if Adam ate from that tree, he would die.
God looked at Adam and said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make him a helper.” So God brought all the animals and birds to Adam, and Adam gave each one a name. Adam looked for a helper among them, but none was just right for him.
Then God caused Adam to fall into a deep sleep. While Adam slept, God took one of his ribs and made a woman. When Adam woke up and saw her, he was very happy. He said, “This is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh!” Adam and his wife were not ashamed, because they trusted God and each other.
Read It Together
Genesis 2:1-3
1 The heavens, the earth, and all their vast array were finished. 2 On the seventh day God finished his work which he had done; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had done. 3 God blessed the seventh day, and made it holy, because he rested in it from all his work of creation which he had done.
(WEB)
Point out that God finished his work and rested. Explain that God was not tired. He set a pattern of rest for people, and he wanted the seventh day to be special for remembering him.
Genesis 2:15-17
15 The LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate and keep it. 16 The LORD God commanded the man, saying, “You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; 17 but you shall not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil; for in the day that you eat of it, you will surely die.”
(WEB)
Show children that God gave Adam important work to do, caring for the garden. Then point out the one rule God gave, and explain that God’s rules are given out of love to keep us safe.
Genesis 2:18
The LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make him a helper comparable to him.”
(WEB)
Point to the words “It is not good for the man to be alone.” Explain that God designed people to need friends and family, and that is part of what makes life good.
Talk About It
- What is one thing God made that you think is amazing, and why?
- Why do you think God wanted Adam to have someone to help him?
- What did God say Adam should do with the garden, and how can you help take care of God’s world?
- Who is a helper in your life, and how do they show you love?
- Why do you think God gave Adam a rule, and how can rules help us?
Activity Ideas
Garden Drawing
Give each child a sheet of paper, crayons or markers, and a pencil. Ask them to draw a garden with trees, a river, and an animal they like. Encourage them to name one thing in their picture that God made. Let them share their drawings with the group.
Helper Tag Game
Choose one child to be Adam and have the rest of the group stand around the room as animals. Let Adam walk up to each animal and say its name. Then have Adam search for a helper, and when the teacher points to a friend, that child joins Adam. Finish by talking about how God gave Adam a helper.
Take-Home Breath Card
Cut index cards in half and give each child one. Have them write the memory verse or draw a heart and a set of lungs on it, using crayons. Encourage families to read the card together at dinner and practice the breathing motion from the lesson.
Teacher Notes
This passage shows that God made people with purpose. We are created by God, we depend on him for life, and we were designed for relationship, both with him and with others. Adults can see in this chapter the foundation for the rest of Scripture’s story of God’s care for people.
Avoid overstating how much children should understand about the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Keep the focus on God’s love and trustworthiness, and let the deeper questions about sin come up in later lessons.
A Prayer to Close
Thank you, God, for making the world and everything in it. Thank you for making us and giving us breath. Help us take care of your world and be good helpers to the people around us. Amen.
