Solomon Asks for Wisdom: Sunday School Lesson for Ages 6-10
Ages 6-10 · 45 minutes · free lesson plan · 1 Kings 3:5-15
Elementary children hear how God offered young King Solomon anything, and why he asked for an understanding heart. They play a wise-choices game, make a wisdom crown, and learn 1 Kings 3:9.
Memory verse
Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people? (1 Kings 3:9, KJV)
Lesson objectives
- Retell how God offered Solomon anything and Solomon asked for an understanding heart.
- Explain that wisdom means knowing and choosing what is right, and that God gives it to those who ask.
- Practice asking God for wisdom in everyday choices.
The full lesson plan
Welcome: Ask for Anything! (5 min)
Setup: Write "Ask what I shall give thee" on the board.
Say: Good morning! Imagine someone says, "Ask for anything you want, and I will give it."
1. Have children turn to a partner.
2. Give 30 seconds to share what they would ask for.
3. Invite three or four children to tell the group.
Say: Those are fun ideas! Today we meet a young king who really was given that chance.
Say: God told him, "Ask what I shall give thee." Let's see what he chose.
Now let's listen to what happened in 1 Kings 3.
Solomon's Dream at Gibeon (8 min)
Tell the story in order from 1 Kings 3:5-15. Children copy two motions: hand up when they hear "ask", and tap their head when they hear "wise".
Say: At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night. God said, "Ask what I shall give thee." (v5)
Say: Solomon thanked God for the great mercy shown to his father David. God had made Solomon king in David's place. (vv6-7)
Say: Solomon said, "I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in." He knew he needed help. (v7)
Say: God's people were a great people, too many to count. (v8)
Say: So Solomon asked for an understanding heart, to judge God's people and tell good from bad. (v9)
Say: This pleased the Lord. Solomon had not asked for long life, riches, or the death of his enemies. (vv10-11)
Say: God gave him a wise and understanding heart. There was no one like him before, and none after. (v12)
Say: God also gave what Solomon did not ask for: riches and honour. (v13)
Say: God added, if Solomon walked in his ways and kept his commandments, he would lengthen his days. (v14)
Say: Solomon woke up. It was a dream! He went to Jerusalem, stood before the ark of the covenant, offered offerings, and made a feast for his servants. (v15)
Quick check: What did Solomon ask for? (An understanding heart.)
Game: Wise or Not Wise? (7 min)
Setup: Give each child a green square (wise) and a red square (not wise). Children stay seated.
Steps:
1. Say: I will read a choice. Hold up green if it is wise, red if it is not.
2. Read a choice: "Someone is left out at recess, so you invite them to play." (Green.)
3. Read: "You find a classmate's lost money and keep it." (Red.)
4. Read: "A friend teases you, so you tease back." (Red.)
5. Read: "You don't know what to do, so you pray and ask a trusted grown-up." (Green.)
After each round, ask: What could we ask God for in that moment? (Help to be kind, honest, or brave.)
Make up two more choices if time allows. Stand and stretch between rounds.
Say: Wisdom is knowing what is right and choosing it. Let's see where wisdom comes from.
Where Wisdom Comes From (7 min)
Say: Solomon did not ask for toys, treasure, or power. He asked for a heart that understands.
Say: First, Solomon was humble. He said he was "a little child" who did not know how to lead. He told God the truth.
Say: Second, he asked for what would help him serve others. He wanted to judge God's people well.
Say: Third, God is generous. He gave wisdom, and then more than Solomon asked for.
Talk it over: Solomon knew he could not do the job alone. When do you feel too small for something? (A new school, a hard test, a fight with a friend.)
Say: God invites us to ask him for wisdom too. We do not ask just to get extras. We ask so we can do what is right.
Say: God also told Solomon to walk in his ways. Wisdom means asking and obeying.
Background: Christians believe Jesus is the wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:30). He shows us how to live, and he forgives us when we get it wrong.
Now let's make something to remind us to ask.
Craft: My Wisdom Crown (8 min)
Safety: Teacher only uses scissors, and strips are pre-cut. Check for allergies before using stickers. Small jewels are not for children under 3.
Setup: Cut cardstock strips long enough to wrap a child's head, with a zigzag top edge. Put out crayons and optional stickers.
Steps:
1. Write your name on the back of the crown.
2. On the front, write or copy: "Give me an understanding heart."
3. Decorate the crown with patterns, jewels, and stickers.
4. On one point, draw or write one place you need wisdom (for example school, home, friends).
5. Teacher tapes the crown to fit each head.
Say: This crown is not about being a king. It reminds us to ask God for wisdom every day.
While children work, say the memory verse slowly, one phrase at a time, and have them echo you.
Time: about 8 minutes. Help children who need it with writing.
Talk About It (5 min)
Ask the questions below. Accept short answers and thank every child.
1. What did God say to Solomon in the dream? ("Ask what I shall give thee.")
2. Why do you think Solomon said he was "a little child"? (He felt he did not know enough to lead.)
3. What did Solomon ask for instead of riches or a long life? (An understanding heart to tell good from bad.)
4. How did God answer? (He gave wisdom, and also riches and honour.)
5. When could you ask God for wisdom this week? (Before a hard choice, in an argument, or when I feel unsure.)
Memory Verse and Prayer (5 min)
Say: Let's learn our verse from 1 Kings 3:9 with motions.
1. Say it phrase by phrase, and children echo.
2. Add motions: "Give" (hands out), "understanding heart" (hands on heart), "judge" (point to the ground), "discern" (cup hand over eyes), "good and bad" (thumb up, thumb down).
3. Say it together twice, then once more faster.
Prayer: Have children put on their crowns and bow heads. Pray a line at a time and let them repeat:
- "Dear God, thank you for loving us."
- "Like Solomon, we need your help."
- "Give us wisdom to choose what is right."
- "Help us to be kind, honest, and brave."
- "In Jesus' name, amen."
Say: Take your crown home and ask God for wisdom this week. See you next time!
Materials
- Bibles (KJV) or printed passage
- Whiteboard and marker
- Green and red paper squares (one of each per child)
- Cardstock crown strips, pre-cut (one per child)
- Crayons or markers
- Tape or stapler for the teacher
- Stickers or foil scraps for crown jewels
Teacher notes
- Safety: Only the teacher uses scissors. Check for allergies and small-parts concerns before using stickers or jewels.
- Adaptation: Use picture cards for the game and offer buddy pairs. Children who struggle with writing can draw on their crowns or copy from the board.
- Solomon called himself "a little child" (v7). The text does not give his age, so focus on his feeling of needing help.
- Avoid suggesting that God gives riches to everyone who prays. Emphasize that Solomon asked for wisdom first.
Send it home with parents
Today we studied 1 Kings 3:5-15. God told young King Solomon, "Ask what I shall give thee." Solomon humbly asked for an understanding heart to lead God's people well. God was pleased and gave him wisdom, and also riches and honour. Children learned that God gives wisdom to those who ask, and that wisdom means choosing what is right.
- What would you have asked God for, and why?
- When was a time you needed wisdom to make a good choice?
- How can we ask God for help when we feel unsure?
Wear the Wisdom Crown at dinner. Take turns sharing one decision you face this week, then pray together, asking God for wisdom for each person.
Each morning, pray a short prayer: "God, give me wisdom today." At night, tell someone about one wise choice you made.
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