Daniel in the Lions' Den: Sunday School Lesson for Ages 6-10
Ages 6-10 · 45 minutes · free lesson plan · Daniel 6:1-23
An interactive 45-minute lesson on Daniel 6:1-23 for ages 6-10. Children hear how Daniel kept praying and trusting God, play a listening game, make a lion craft, and learn Daniel 6:22.
Memory verse
My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt. (Daniel 6:22, KJV)
Lesson objectives
- Retell in order how Daniel kept praying and God shut the lions' mouths.
- Explain that Daniel trusted God more than he feared people or trouble.
- Choose one way to keep trusting and praying to God this week, even when it is hard.
The full lesson plan
Welcome: Would You Keep Going? (5 min)
Greet each child by name. Ask: "Have you ever done something right even when someone told you to stop?" Let two or three children answer.
Say: Today we meet a man who kept praying to God even when a law said he must not.
Say: His name is Daniel, and his story has a king, a trick, and a den full of lions.
Quick warm-up: Have children stand and show their "brave face." Then show their "scared face." Then fold their hands for a "praying pose."
Say: Daniel was brave because he trusted God. Let's listen to what happened.
Transition: Now let's hear the story from God's Word.
Bible Story: Daniel in the Lions' Den (9 min)
Open your Bible to Daniel 6 and tell the story in order. Add the motions below.
1. King Darius set 120 princes over the kingdom, with three presidents over them. Daniel was one president. (Hold up three fingers.)
2. Daniel was preferred above the others because an excellent spirit was in him, and the king thought to set him over the whole realm.
3. The other men looked for a fault in Daniel but found none. They said they would find something against him only in the law of his God.
4. They asked the king to sign a decree: for thirty days, anyone who prayed to any god or man except the king would be cast into the den of lions. The king signed it. (Shake head, "uh-oh.")
5. Daniel knew it was signed. He went home, opened his windows, and kneeled three times a day to pray and give thanks, as he had always done. (Kneel.)
6. The men found him praying and told the king. The king was sore displeased with himself and worked until sundown to save Daniel, but the law could not be changed.
7. Daniel was cast into the den. The king said, "Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee." A stone was laid on the den and sealed.
8. The king could not eat or sleep. At first light he hurried to the den and called out. (Cup hands to mouth.)
9. Daniel answered: God sent his angel and shut the lions' mouths. No hurt was found on Daniel, because he believed in his God.
Say: Daniel did not stop trusting God, and God took care of him.
Say: Later, Jesus was laid in a tomb sealed with a stone, and God raised Him up. God is the one who saves.
Transition: Now let's play a game that tests who we listen to.
Game: Daniel Says (8 min)
Setup: Clear a space so children can stand in place with room to move. No running.
Steps:
1. Say: When I say "Daniel says," do the action. If I say "The decree says," stay still and keep praying quietly. (Hands folded.)
2. Call actions: "Daniel says kneel and pray." "Daniel says say thank you to God." "Daniel says open the window." (Pretend to push windows open.)
3. Now mix in: "The decree says stop praying!" Children keep folded hands or kneel. Praise them for staying with Daniel.
4. Play about 4 minutes. A child who moves wrongly just joins the praying pose, so no one is out.
5. Finish by saying the memory verse together in two parts. Part 1: "My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths." Part 2: the rest of the verse. Do one action for each part.
Say: Daniel listened to God more than he listened to the rule that said stop.
Transition: Now let's talk about what we heard.
Talk About It (7 min)
Sit in a circle. Ask each question, wait for answers, then affirm.
1. What did the men ask the king to do? (To sign a law saying no one could pray to anyone but the king for thirty days.)
2. What did Daniel do when he knew about the law? (He went home and kept praying and thanking God, like always.)
3. How do you think the king felt that night? (The Bible says he did not eat or sleep and he hurried to the den in the morning.)
4. Why was Daniel not hurt? (God sent his angel and shut the lions' mouths, because Daniel believed in his God.)
5. What is one time it is hard to keep trusting or praying? (Answers vary: when friends tease, when I am scared, when I am busy.)
6. What can we do in those times? (Pray anyway, ask God for help, tell a trusted grown-up.)
Say: Daniel trusted God before the lions and after the lions.
Transition: Let's make something to remind us.
Craft: Lion Face Reminder (10 min)
Safety: Check for allergies and sensitivities to glue or markers. Use safety scissors only, under supervision. Pre-cut paper strips for children who need help.
Setup: Cut orange and yellow paper into strips about 1 inch wide. Place supplies on tables.
Steps:
1. Give each child a paper plate. Glue or tape paper strips around the edge for a mane.
2. Draw a lion face: eyes, a nose, and a closed mouth with a straight line.
3. On the back write: "God shut the lions' mouths. Daniel 6:22."
4. Write or draw one way you will keep trusting God this week, such as "I will pray when I am scared."
5. Tape a paper strip to the back as a handle, or let children hold the plate.
Say: Look at your lion's closed mouth. It reminds us God can protect His people.
Walk around and ask each child to tell you about their lion.
Transition: Let's gather and talk to God.
Prayer and Memory Verse (6 min)
Have children hold their lions and say Daniel 6:22 together one more time, using the two-part motions.
Say: Daniel prayed three times a day and gave thanks to God.
Say: Let's pray like Daniel. Repeat each line after me.
Prayer, line by line:
"Dear God, thank You for Daniel's story."
"Thank You that You hear us when we pray."
"Help us trust You when we are afraid."
"Help us keep praying, even when it is hard."
"Thank You for sending Jesus to save us. Amen."
Invite quiet one-sentence prayers from any child who wants to share, with no pressure.
Say: Take your lion home and show your family. Tell them what Daniel did.
Dismiss children one by one to their grown-ups.
Materials
- Bible (KJV)
- Paper plates (1 per child)
- Orange and yellow construction paper
- Markers or crayons
- Safety scissors
- Glue sticks
- Masking tape
- Paper strips for verse cards
Teacher notes
- Safety: the craft uses scissors, glue, and markers. Check for allergies and ask parents first. Supervise scissors closely.
- The Bible does not describe how many lions there were or how they looked. Keep to the text and avoid inventing details.
- Adaptation: for children with special needs or a mixed-age group, use pictures of each story step, pair younger children with a buddy, and offer a quieter version of the game where children point instead of moving.
- The Daniel 6:22 verse is long. Teach it in two parts and keep repeating it with motions; children do not need to master it in one session.
Send it home with parents
Today your child heard Daniel 6:1-23. Daniel kept praying to God even after a law forbade it, and God shut the lions' mouths so Daniel was not hurt. We learned that God is faithful to those who trust and pray to Him.
- What did Daniel do when he knew praying was against the law?
- When is it hard for you to keep praying or doing what is right?
- How did God show He took care of Daniel?
Pray together three times in one day, perhaps morning, midday, and bedtime, and thank God for something each time. Use the paper plate lion as a reminder.
Each day this week, pray at a set time and say Daniel 6:22 once. Tell a family member when you chose to pray even though it felt hard.
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