This lesson teaches children that God gave His people rules about clean and unclean animals so they would know He is holy and set them apart. It is best for children ages 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes, including a short story, a few Bible verses, and a simple activity.
Big Idea
God is holy, and He invites His people to be holy too. Everything about our lives can show that we belong to Him, from what we eat to how we treat others.
Memory Verse
Leviticus 11:44
For I am the LORD your God. Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be holy; for I am holy. You shall not defile yourselves with any kind of creeping thing that moves on the earth.
(WEB)
Hold both hands up, palms out, then slowly bring them together in front of your heart as you say the words. Doing it every time you say it helps children connect the word “holy” with a gentle, reverent movement.
The Story: Leviticus 11 for Kids
A long time ago, God spoke to Moses and Aaron, the leaders of the people of Israel. God wanted His people to know that He was different from everything else they knew. He was holy, which means perfect, pure, and set apart.
God told Moses to share a set of rules about food. He explained which animals the people could eat and which they could not. Animals that chewed their cud and had split hooves were clean, like cows and sheep. Animals like the pig or the camel were unclean, so the people were not to eat them.
God also talked about fish. Fish with fins and scales could be eaten, but creatures in the water without them were not. He named birds, too, and listed insects that could be eaten, like locusts and grasshoppers. Each rule showed the people that God cared about every part of their daily life.
Then God said something very important. “I am the LORD your God,” He told them. “Be holy, for I am holy.” God was reminding His people that He had rescued them out of the land of Egypt. Because He had set them free, they belonged to Him, and He wanted them to live differently from the nations around them.
These rules were not just about dinner. They were a reminder that God’s people should be set apart and careful about what made them unclean. They were to honor the Lord in small things as well as big ones.
Read It Together
Leviticus 11:2-3
2 “Speak to the children of Israel, saying, ‘These are the living things which you may eat among all the animals that are on the earth. 3 Whatever parts the hoof, and is cloven-footed, and chews the cud among the animals, that you may eat.
(WEB)
Point out that God spoke directly to Moses and Aaron, and then told them to speak to all the people. Ask children to notice that God chose which animals were clean, and His people were to trust His choice.
Leviticus 11:44-45
44 For I am the LORD your God. Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be holy; for I am holy. You shall not defile yourselves with any kind of creeping thing that moves on the earth. 45 For I am the LORD who brought you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.
(WEB)
Show children how God introduces Himself as the One who brought the people out of Egypt. Explain that because God rescued them, He is the reason they can be holy, and He is the holy One they belong to.
Leviticus 11:47
To make a distinction between the unclean and the clean, and between the living thing that may be eaten and the living thing that may not be eaten.’”
(WEB)
Point out the word “distinction,” which means a difference or a line between two things. Help children understand that God wanted His people to see the difference between what was clean and unclean, and between what was holy and not.
Talk About It
- What do you think it means that God is holy?
- Why do you think God cared about what the people ate?
- How did God remind the people that He had rescued them from Egypt?
- What are some ways we can show that we belong to God in our everyday lives?
- How can we remember that God is always set apart and good?
Activity Ideas
Clean and Unclean Animal Drawings
You will need paper, crayons or markers, and a few pictures of animals from magazines or printed from a library book. Ask children to sort the animals into two piles, clean and unclean, based on the rules in the story. Then have them draw a happy face on the clean animals and a sad face on the unclean ones. Talk together about how God’s rules showed what made each animal different.
Holy Freeze Game
Gather the children in an open space. Choose one child to be the leader who calls out “Holy!” and the others must freeze in a respectful pose. When the leader calls out “Clean!” or “Unclean!”, the children move in a way that matches, such as hopping like a clean animal or wiggling low like a creeping thing. Afterward, remind them that God is holy and calls His people to live differently.
Take-Home Holy Card
You will need a sheet of card stock or thick paper and a pencil. Have each child write “God is holy” on the front and draw a simple picture of something that shows God’s care, like a sun or a flower. On the back, they can write a short sentence about one way they can be holy this week, such as sharing a snack. Encourage them to keep the card on their desk or in their backpack as a reminder throughout the week.
Teacher Notes
For adults, this chapter shows that God’s holiness shapes every part of life, including ordinary choices like eating. The rules marked Israel as a people set apart for God, and the distinctions between clean and unclean pointed toward the broader call for God’s people to reflect His character. Adults can see in these laws a picture of God’s desire for a people who are wholly devoted to Him.
Avoid overstating how these food laws apply to Christians today, since the New Testament addresses this question in its own way. Children do not need to understand every detail of the ceremonial rules. Focus on the central truth that God is holy and that He invites His people to live in a way that honors Him.
A Prayer to Close
Holy God, we thank You that You are set apart and good in every way. Thank You for rescuing us and calling us to be Your own. Help us to honor You in the small things we do each day, and help us to remember that You are with us. Amen.
