David and Goliath: Sunday School Lesson for Ages 6-10
Ages 6-10 · 45 minutes · free lesson plan · 1 Samuel 17:32-50
Children hear how David faced Goliath trusting the LORD, play a stone-toss game, and make a five-stones pouch to remember that the battle is the LORD's.
Memory verse
And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD'S, and he will give you into our hands. (1 Samuel 17:47, KJV)
Lesson objectives
- Retell how David faced the Philistine giant in the name of the LORD.
- Explain that David trusted God, who had helped him before, and not his own strength or armor.
- Name one "giant" in their own life and one way to trust God with it.
The full lesson plan
Welcome: Giant Steps and Tiny Steps (5 min)
Setup: Clear a space. Hang the giant poster on a wall.
Say: "Welcome! Today we meet a young shepherd and a very big enemy."
Have the children stand. Call out "Giant steps!" and they take slow, stretched steps on the spot with arms high. Call out "Tiny steps!" and they take quick, small steps. Do it a few times.
Say: "What is something that feels like a giant to kids your age?" (Examples: a test, a bully, a scary place.)
Say: "Today we learn what David did when he faced a real giant."
Say: "Now let's hear what happened."
Bible Story: David Faces Goliath (8 min)
Background: The Philistines were enemies of Israel. Their champion was a giant named Goliath.
Say: "Listen for what David says about the LORD."
Tell the story in order, with actions. Children copy: swing a sling, shake their head "no" to the armor, and so on.
1. David tells King Saul that he will fight the Philistine (v. 32).
2. Saul says David is only a youth. David says he kept his father's sheep. When a lion and a bear took a lamb, he went after them and rescued it. The LORD delivered him then and would deliver him now (vv. 33-37).
3. Saul puts his armor on David. David tries it but takes it off, "for I have not proved them" (vv. 38-39).
4. David takes his staff, chooses five smooth stones from the brook, and holds his sling (v. 40).
5. The Philistine looks down on David. David says, "I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts" (vv. 42-45).
6. David runs toward the army, slings one stone, and the Philistine falls on his face (vv. 48-49).
Say: "David won with a sling and a stone, and no sword in his hand" (v. 50).
Say: "Now let's think about what this means."
Teaching: Three Big Ideas (7 min)
Hold up three fingers one at a time. Children repeat each idea.
Say: "One: God has helped before. David remembered the lion and the bear." Ask: "What has God helped you with?"
Say: "Two: use what God gave you. Saul's armor did not fit David, so he used the shepherd's tools he already knew." Ask: "What are you good at that God gave you?"
Say: "Three: the battle is the LORD'S. David did not trust a sword or spear. He said he came in the LORD's name."
Say: "David was not saying, 'I am strong.' He was saying, 'God is greater than any giant.'"
Gospel link: Say: "God later sent an even greater rescuer, Jesus. He beat sin and death for us, so we never face our biggest enemy alone."
Say: "Now let's play a game about giants."
Game: Stone Toss at the Giant (8 min)
Setup: Tape the giant poster at child height on a wall. Put a tape line on the floor about 6 feet away. Crumple scrap paper into soft "stones." Keep everyone behind the line.
Steps:
1. Each child names a "giant" out loud or whispers it to a leader (worry, a fight, a hard subject).
2. The child tosses a paper stone at the poster while the class says, "The battle is the LORD'S!"
3. Children take turns, one at a time, walking (no running) to pick up stones after each round.
4. Between rounds, the group repeats the memory verse, adding a clap on each key word.
5. Finish when everyone has thrown twice.
Time: 8 minutes.
Say: "Notice we did not win by being strong. We remembered who fights for us."
Craft: My Five Stones Pouch (8 min)
Safety: Supervise scissors and glue. Check for allergies or skin sensitivities before using any markers or glue.
Setup: Pre-cut a few gray ovals for younger or slower children. Put out supplies at each table.
Steps:
1. Decorate a paper bag as David's shepherd bag.
2. Cut out five gray paper "stones."
3. On each stone, write or draw one way to trust God: pray, read the Bible, tell a friend, remember God's help, say the verse.
4. Write 1 Samuel 17:47 on the bag.
5. Put the stones inside and share one with a partner.
Time: 8 minutes.
Say: "When a giant shows up this week, pull out a stone and trust God."
Talk Time: Giants and God (5 min)
Say: "Let's talk in pairs, then share with the group."
1. Why did David say he could fight the Philistine? (Because God had rescued him from the lion and the bear.)
2. Why did David take off Saul's armor? (It was not proved, and he used what he knew.)
3. In whose name did David come? (The name of the LORD of hosts.)
4. What is a giant you might face this week? (Answers will vary: a test, a friendship problem, fear.)
5. How can we remember God is with us? (Pray, say the verse, ask for help.)
Say: "Now let's finish by talking to God."
Prayer and Goodbye (4 min)
Say: "Let's thank God and ask for his help with our giants."
Lead a short prayer, pausing for children to repeat each line:
- Thank you, God, for helping us before.
- Help us trust you when we feel afraid.
- Help us use what you have given us.
- The battle is yours, LORD. Amen.
Say the memory verse together once more. Remind children to take home their pouches and tell family one story from today.
Materials
- Bible (KJV)
- Large sheet of paper with a giant face drawn on it
- Scrap paper to crumple into balls
- Masking tape
- Small paper lunch bags
- Gray paper
- Markers or crayons
- Scissors and glue sticks
Teacher notes
- Safety: Craft uses scissors and glue. Supervise closely and check for allergies or sensitivities first. Use soft paper balls only in the game, with all throwing from behind the line.
- Adaptation: Pair children as buddies. Offer pre-cut stones and picture cues for those who need support. Let quieter children whisper their giant to a leader or draw it instead.
- Stick to the text. The Bible does not say how old David was, how tall Goliath was in this passage, or how David felt. Do not add details.
- If time runs short, shorten the game to one throw each.
Send it home with parents
Your child heard how David faced the Philistine giant, trusting God who had rescued him from a lion and a bear. David used the simple tools he knew and said the battle belongs to the LORD. Children learned they can trust God with their own big problems.
- What giant felt big to you this week?
- When has God helped our family before?
- What are the five stones in your pouch?
Read 1 Samuel 17:32-50 together. Then have each person name one "giant" and pray together, ending with the words "The battle is the LORD'S."
Each night, pull one stone from the pouch and do what it says. Say the memory verse before bed.
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