Mother's Day Sunday School Lesson for Kids
Ages 6-10 · 45 minutes · free lesson plan · Proverbs 31:25-28; Exodus 20:12
An interactive 45-minute lesson for elementary children on honoring and thanking mothers and caring women, using Proverbs 31:25-28, Exodus 20:12 and 2 Timothy 1:5, with charades, a thank-you card craft and prayer.
Memory verse
Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee. (Exodus 20:12, KJV)
Lesson objectives
- Children will hear what Proverbs 31:25-28, Exodus 20:12 and 2 Timothy 1:5 say about mothers and caring women.
- Children will explain that honoring someone means treating them with respect and thankfulness.
- Children will make a card and choose one way to thank a mother or caregiver this week.
The full lesson plan
Welcome: The Thank-You Wave (5 min)
Greet each child by name. Have them sit in a circle.
Say: "Today we are talking about moms and the women who take care of us."
Say: "That might be a mom, grandma, aunt, foster mom, stepmom or another special helper."
Play the Thank-You Wave:
1. Ask a child to name one thing a caring woman does for them.
2. Everyone waves both hands and says, "Thank you!"
3. Go around until most children have had a turn.
Say: "Now let's hear what God's Word says about women who care for their families."
God's Word on Mothers (7 min)
Read from the KJV in order, pausing after each verse to explain it simply.
Proverbs 31:25: "Strength and honour are her clothing." Say: "This woman is strong and respected."
Proverbs 31:26: She speaks with wisdom, and kindness is in her words.
Proverbs 31:27: She looks well to the ways of her household.
Proverbs 31:28: Her children rise up and call her blessed.
Say: "'Blessed' here means her children are thankful for her and speak well of her."
Exodus 20:12: Read the verse aloud. Say: "This is one of God's Ten Commandments. God tells us to honor our parents."
2 Timothy 1:5: Say: "Paul remembered the faith in Timothy, which lived first in his grandmother Lois and his mother Eunice."
Say: "Now let's see what these verses teach us."
What Does It Mean to Honor? (6 min)
Write HONOR on the board.
Say: "To honor someone is to treat them as important, with respect and thankfulness."
Teach three ways to honor:
1. Honor with words: kind, thankful and respectful, like the "law of kindness" in Proverbs 31:26.
2. Honor with actions: listening, helping, and obeying.
3. Honor by remembering: Paul remembered the faith of Lois and Eunice, and we can remember and thank the women who teach us about God.
Say: "No mother or helper is perfect, and no child is either. God still asks us to honor, and He helps us do it."
Gentle connection to Jesus: when Jesus was on the cross, He made sure His mother would be cared for (John 19:26-27). Say: "Jesus showed love and care for His mother."
Say: "Now let's play a game to notice what caring women do."
Game: Care Charades (8 min)
Setup before class: write one action on each index card: cooking dinner, tucking someone into bed, reading a bedtime story, bandaging a knee, folding laundry, praying with a child.
Time: 8 minutes. Children stay in their spots; no running.
1. Invite a volunteer to take a card and act it out silently. Passing is always okay. A child may also ask a buddy to act with them.
2. The group guesses the action.
3. When someone guesses correctly, everyone says, "Thank you for [action]!"
4. Ask: "Who has done this for you?"
5. Repeat until the cards are used up.
Say: "Many small acts of care add up to a lot of love. Let's thank them with a card.
Craft: Blessing Thank-You Card (10 min)
Setup before class: fold the cardstock sheets in half. Write the memory verse reference on the board. Put out supplies at tables.
Safety: Supervise scissors and glue. Use safety scissors only. Check for any craft-material sensitivities.
Time: 10 minutes.
1. Say: "Think of a mom or special woman who cares for you. This card is for her."
2. Write "Thank you for..." on the front and finish it with one or two things she does.
3. Draw a picture of her or something you enjoy doing together.
4. Inside, write: "I am thankful for you!" and sign your name.
5. Add stickers or cut-out hearts if you like.
Help younger writers by writing their words for them. Say: "Give your card to her with a hug or a kind word."
Talk It Over (5 min)
Ask these questions with the whole group:
1. What does it mean to honor someone? (To treat them with respect and thankfulness.)
2. Which words in Proverbs 31:25-28 describe a caring woman? (Strong, wise, kind, looks after her household.)
3. How can we honor someone even when we feel grumpy? (Speak politely, say thank you, ask how to help.)
4. Who has taught you about God, like Lois and Eunice taught Timothy? (A mom, grandma, teacher or friend.)
Say: "Honoring is a choice we can make every day."
Memory Verse and Prayer (4 min)
Say the memory verse (Exodus 20:12) line by line, with the children repeating it. Add motions: hands over heart for "honour", point out for "father" and "mother". Repeat twice, getting faster.
Prayer: Lead in short phrases for the children to repeat.
- Thank You, God, for moms and caring women.
- Help us to honor them with kind words and helpful hands.
- Bless the women who take care of us and give them strength.
- Help us to remember and thank the people who teach us about You.
Say: "Take your card home and give it away this week. Thank you for coming today!"
Materials
- KJV Bible
- Whiteboard or large paper and marker (for the memory verse)
- Index cards with care actions written on them (6)
- Cardstock, one sheet per child
- Crayons or markers
- Safety scissors
- Glue sticks
- Stickers
Teacher notes
- Sensitivity: Some children may not live with their mother or may be grieving. Keep the focus on "women who care for us" and let each child choose who receives their card.
- Safety: Supervise scissors and glue. Use safety scissors only and check for craft-material sensitivities before the craft.
- Adaptation: For children with special needs or a mixed-age group, pair buddies, offer pre-cut shapes or pre-written words, and let children draw or point instead of acting or writing.
- Background: Proverbs 31 is a poem describing a wise and capable woman. Do not suggest that mothers must do everything perfectly.
Send it home with parents
Today your child learned that God asks us to honor our mothers and the women who care for us. We read about the strong, wise and kind woman in Proverbs 31:25-28 and about Lois and Eunice in 2 Timothy 1:5. Your child made a thank-you card.
- What is one thing a caring woman in your life does that you are thankful for?
- How can you honor someone when you feel grumpy or tired?
Have a family Thank-You Time. Each person says one thing they appreciate about the women who care for them, then pray together to thank God for them.
Each day this week, honor someone who cares for you with a kind word or a helpful act, such as setting the table, saying thank you or giving a hug.
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