The prodigal son Bible story teaches children that no matter how far they wander, their loving Father is always ready to welcome them home. It works well for ages 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes to teach, including the story, the discussion, and one activity.
Big Idea
God is a loving Father who always welcomes us back when we come home to Him, even after we have made mistakes and wandered away.
Memory Verse
Luke 15:20
“He arose, and came to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him, and was moved with compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.
(WEB)
Teach the children to hold both arms out wide like a welcoming hug, then bring them in close to their chests as if hugging someone. Say the verse together while you move, so the words and the picture stay together in their minds.
The Story: Luke 15 for Kids
Jesus told a story about a father who had two sons. The younger son came to his father one day and said, “Father, give me the money that will one day be mine.” His father agreed, and the boy took his share and went off to a faraway country. He spent every bit of his money on parties and fun things, and soon he had nothing left at all.
Then a great hunger came to that land, and the young man had no food and no money. He found a job feeding pigs for a man in the country. He was so hungry that he wanted to eat the husks the pigs were eating, but nobody gave him anything. He was lonely, hungry, and sorry.
The boy thought about his father’s house. Even the servants there had plenty of bread. He made a plan. He said to himself, “I will go home and tell my father I am sorry, and I will ask him to let me work for him as a servant.” He got up and started the long walk home.
While the boy was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. His father ran down the road, threw his arms around his son, and kissed him. The boy began to say he was sorry, but his father was already calling to the servants, “Bring the best robe! Put a ring on his finger and shoes on his feet! We are going to have a party, because my son was lost, and now he is found!”
The older brother had been working in the field all day. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. He was angry and did not want to go inside. His father came out and asked him to come to the party, but the older brother was upset. Jesus left the story there, to show us how the father loved both of his sons.
Read It Together
Luke 15:11-13
11 He said, “A certain man had two sons. 12 The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of your property.’ He divided his livelihood between them. 13 Not many days after, the younger son gathered all of this together and traveled into a far country. There he wasted his property with riotous living.
(WEB)
Point out that the younger son asked for his share of the money before his father had died, which was a hurtful thing to ask. Ask the children what they think the son was thinking when he left home. Help them notice that the story begins with a choice the son made.
Luke 15:17-19
17 But when he came to himself he said, ‘How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough to spare, and I’m dying with hunger! 18 I will get up and go to my father, and will tell him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight. 19 I am no more worthy to be called your son. Make me as one of your hired servants.”’
(WEB)
Show the children that the son “came to himself,” which means he began to think clearly about what he had done. Point out his plan to say he was sorry and ask to be a servant. Explain that being truly sorry means turning around and heading home.
Luke 15:22-24
22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe, and put it on him. Put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat, and celebrate; 24 for this, my son, was dead, and is alive again. He was lost, and is found.’ They began to celebrate.
(WEB)
Point out the gifts the father gave: the robe, the ring, and the shoes. Explain that these show the son was welcomed as a family member, not a servant. Help the children see that the father’s joy was the center of the celebration.
Talk About It
- How do you think the younger son felt when he was hungry and far from home?
- What did the father do when he saw his son coming down the road?
- Why do you think the older brother felt angry about the party?
- What does this story tell us about how God feels when we come back to Him?
- Is there a time when you felt like you needed to say sorry and come home to someone?
Activity Ideas
Welcome Home Banner Craft
Give each child a sheet of construction paper, crayons or markers, and a few stickers. Ask them to draw a picture of the father running to hug his son, or a picture of their own family welcoming them home. Tape the finished drawings to a wall or fridge so the children can see God’s welcome every day.
Run to Dad Game
Stand the children at one end of a room and have a volunteer stand at the other end as the father. Let the children walk slowly like the prodigal son at first, then run as fast as they can into the arms of the father when the teacher calls “Welcome home!” Play a few rounds and talk about how the father ran toward his son.
Take-Home Promise Card
Cut index cards in half and give each child a piece. Let them write or draw “God always welcomes me home” on one side and a picture of a hug on the other. Encourage them to place the card on their bedside table and read it aloud before bed each night this week.
Teacher Notes
For adults, this parable shows that God’s love is not earned by our good behavior, and that repentance is met with grace and celebration. The story also addresses the older brother’s resentment, reminding us that God’s generosity is not limited by our sense of fairness. Jesus told it in response to people grumbling that He welcomed sinners.
Avoid overstating the story to children by making it a lesson about what they must do to earn forgiveness. The parable centers on the father’s love and welcome, not on a formula for getting back into God’s good graces. Keep the focus on the Father who runs to meet us.
A Prayer to Close
Father, thank You for always welcoming us home when we make mistakes and wander away. Help us to remember that You run to meet us with open arms. Help us to be quick to say we are sorry and to be glad when others come back too. Amen.
