Vacation Bible School Sunday School Lesson for Kids
Ages 6-10 · 45 minutes · free lesson plan · Joshua 1:9
A first-day VBS lesson where children hear how God promised to be with Joshua, play a team trail game, make a backpack tag and learn Joshua 1:9.
Memory verse
Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest. (Joshua 1:9, KJV)
Lesson objectives
- Retell how God told Joshua to be strong and not afraid because He would be with him.
- Say Joshua 1:9 from memory, or its key phrase, and explain that God is with us wherever we go.
- Work with a team and make friends on the first day of VBS.
The full lesson plan
Welcome to VBS! (5 min)
Setup: Greet each child at the door. Put the verse poster where everyone can see it.
Say: "Welcome to Vacation Bible School! We are so glad you are here."
Have each child say their name and wave. Everyone waves back and says, "Hi, [name]!"
Say: "Today we are going on a trip. We will not use a bus or a plane. We will follow a man named Joshua."
Say: "Let's stand up and walk in place. Stomp, stomp, stomp! Where do your feet take you each day?"
Take quick answers (school, home, park, grandma's house).
Say: "Sometimes new places feel big and scary, like the first day of VBS. Today we will hear a promise for every place we go."
Say: "Now let's hear the story God gave Joshua."
God Speaks to Joshua (7 min)
Read or tell Joshua 1:1-9 from the KJV in order. Use motions and keep to the text.
Say: "Moses, the Lord's servant, had died. The Lord spoke to Joshua, who had helped Moses." (Hold up one finger.)
Say: "God told Joshua to go over the Jordan River into the land He was giving to Israel." (Walk fingers across your arm.)
Say: "God promised, 'As I was with Moses, so I will be with thee. I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.'" (Hands over heart.)
Say: "God told Joshua three times to be strong and courageous." (Flex arms: 1, 2, 3.)
Say: "God also told Joshua to keep His law and not let it leave his mouth. Joshua was to think about it day and night."
Read verse 9 slowly: "Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest."
Explain: "Whithersoever" is an old word for "wherever."
Say: "Now let's learn what this means for us."
Wherever You Go (6 min)
Say: "God did not only say, 'Be brave.' He gave a reason: 'The LORD thy God is with thee.'"
Say: "Joshua's job was big, but he was not alone. God was with him every step."
Say: "God is with you at school, at home, at the pool, and at VBS. You never walk anywhere by yourself."
Teach the verse with motions, one line at a time. Children repeat each line.
- "Be strong and of a good courage" (flex arms)
- "Be not afraid" (shake head, palms out)
- "The LORD thy God is with thee" (point up, then hug yourself)
- "Whithersoever thou goest" (walk in place)
Repeat twice, then say the whole verse together.
Gospel connection: Jesus later promised His followers, "Lo, I am with you alway" (Matthew 28:20). Through Jesus, God's people can know He is near.
Say: "Now let's play a game about walking together."
Team Trail Walk (8 min)
Setup before class: Make 2 or 3 winding trails on the floor with masking tape. Mark 3 "stop" spots on each trail. Give each team a long piece of yarn.
Steps:
1. Make teams of 4 or 5. Each child holds the yarn with one hand. Nobody touches another child.
2. Say: "Walk the trail together. Do not let go of the yarn. Walk slowly. No running!"
3. At each stop, the team says together, "The Lord is with us!"
4. At each stop, one child tells a place they go during the week. Anyone may say "pass."
5. At the end, the team says Joshua 1:9 together, using the motions. Then switch trails if time allows.
Say: "Great teamwork! You stayed together and helped each other."
Say: "God stays with us even more closely than this yarn."
Time: 8 minutes.
Say: "Now let's make something to remind us."
Wherever I Go Tag (8 min)
Setup before class: Cut cardstock into tag shapes, one per child. Punch a hole in each tag. Cut yarn into short loops long enough for a backpack zipper. Safety: Only adults or helpers use scissors and the hole punch. Keep yarn away from necks. The tags are for backpacks, not to wear.
Steps:
1. Give each child a tag and crayons.
2. Write "God is with me!" on one side.
3. Draw footprints or a favorite place you go on the tag.
4. Write "Joshua 1:9" and your name on the back.
5. A helper threads the yarn through the hole and ties it. Children hang the tag on a backpack or bag.
Say: "Every time you see this tag, remember God is with you wherever you go."
Time: 8 minutes. Children who finish early can add more drawings.
Say: "Let's sit and talk about the story."
Talk About It (6 min)
Sit in a circle. Ask each question and take two or three answers.
1. Who was God talking to in our story? (Joshua.)
2. What did God tell Joshua to do? (Be strong and of a good courage, and not be afraid.)
3. Why did God say Joshua did not need to be afraid? (Because the Lord his God was with him wherever he went.)
4. Where is a place you might feel nervous this week? (Answers will vary: a new class, the dark, the doctor.)
5. How can knowing God is with you help in that place? (I can pray, remember He is near, and be brave.)
Say: "Being brave does not mean you never feel scared. It means you remember God is with you."
Say: "Let's close with a prayer."
Closing Prayer and Send-Off (5 min)
Say: "Let's say our verse one more time with the motions." Say Joshua 1:9 together.
Say: "Let's pray." Lead a short prayer. Children repeat each line:
- "Thank You, God, that You are with us."
- "Help us be strong and brave this week."
- "Be with our families at home."
- "Help us be kind to new friends at VBS."
- "In Jesus' name, amen."
Say: "Don't forget your tag! Tomorrow we will learn more about God's promises."
Dismiss children one team at a time, walking, to their next activity or to their parents.
Materials
- Bible (KJV)
- Poster or paper with Joshua 1:9 written large
- Masking tape
- Yarn (one long piece per team, plus short pieces for the craft)
- Cardstock, pre-cut into tag shapes
- Crayons or markers
- Safety scissors (for the teacher or helpers)
- Hole punch
Teacher notes
- Safety: Only adults use scissors and the hole punch. Keep yarn away from necks. Children walk, never run, on the trail.
- Adaptation: Pair shy or younger children with a buddy on the trail. For children who struggle to walk or hold yarn, let them lead the verse motions or hold a stop sign. Use the verse poster for visual learners.
- The full verse is long. For younger children, focus on the last phrase: "The LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest."
- Keep the pace moving. If time runs short, shorten the craft decorating rather than the discussion.
Send it home with parents
On day one of VBS your child heard how God told Joshua to be strong and not afraid because the Lord would be with him wherever he went. We practiced Joshua 1:9, played a team game and made a backpack tag.
- Where did you feel brave today, and where did you feel nervous?
- What does it mean to you that God is with you wherever you go?
Take a family "wherever walk." At each place you pass (home, street, park), say together, "The Lord is with us here!" Then say Joshua 1:9 together.
Say the key phrase, "The LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest," each morning before leaving home. Notice one place where you remember God is with you.
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