Reading Time: 7 minutes

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Coming up with Sunday School lessons can be difficult at times, especially if you’re new to teaching Sunday School. After all, we want activities for kids, not just to keep them engaged, but more importantly, to help them learn God’s Word.

Proverbs 22:6 tells us:

Start children off on the way they should go, and when they are old they will not turn from it. (NIV)

What children learn now matters. Children are faced with so much exposure to the outside world and are easily influenced by what they see online, on television and even what they’re told at school.

By teaching them God’s Word, we are able to share the love of Christ and the goodness of God, so that, in turn, they will not only know the character of God, but also how He guides us in our day to day. And, they will be able to share the light of Christ with others.

My husband and I have decided to teach our son’s Sunday School this year on alternating weeks. And, although our particular church provides lessons and activities, I wanted to create my own activities for the kids since I really enjoy coming up with ideas and wanted to share them here with you in my little corner of the internet.

This is my first time teaching Sunday School— so I’m totally with you if you’re new. I hope this lesson is helpful and if so, please check out my other posts where I share about God’s love and how to focus on God daily.

Jacob and Esau Bible Story for Kids

Before we get into the how-to with the puppets, let’s first go over the story of Jacob and Esau. If you haven’t heard of Through The Word, I highly recommend you check them out if you want a deeper understanding of Scripture. They dive into each chapter of the Bible and give a thorough explanation—and it’s all free. You can check out their website here or you can download their app.

Isaac, the son of Abraham and Sarah, married Rebekah and after many years Rebekah gave birth to twins and named them Jacob and Esau. Esau was born first and therefore had what is known as the birthright. The birthright was a special inheritance of the first born and in ancient times, the oldest son typically gained a larger share of the inheritance, leadership, and in Abraham’s family, a connection to God’s covenant promises.

One day, after working hard from the field, Esau came in and was very hungry and asked Jacob who was cooking some stew if he could have some. Jacob replied, “First, sell me your birthright” (Genesis 25:31 NIV), and Esau replied, “Look, I’m about to die, what good is the birthright to me” (Genesis 25:32 NIV) and then proceeded to swear an oath to Jacob selling his birthright to him. Esau ate and then got up and left.

Years later when their father Isaac was old and almost blind, Isaac told Esau to go out into the open country to hunt some food and make his favorite meal so that he can give him a blessing.

Rebekah, their mother, overheard this and encouraged Jacob go outside and get two young goats so that she could cook a meal for Issac, and then proceeded to tell Jacob to dress like Esau so that he can receive Esau’s blessing that was intended for the first born. Rebekah took the best clothes of Esau and put them on Jacob and covered his hands as well as the smooth part of his neck with goatskins since he is not as hairy as Esau.

While Jacob was talking to Isaac, Isaac sensed that it wasn’t truly Esau so he reached out to Jacob to touch him, saying “The voice is the voice of Jacob but the hands are the hands of Esau.” Isaac then proceeds to give him the firstborn blessing.

When Esau returned from hunting and preparing the food, he went in to receive the blessing from Isaac, only to find out that Issac had been tricked by Jacob and the blessing had already been given. Jacob had to flee to avoid conflict.

After many years, Jacob returned with his family. Because he feared revenge, he prepared gifts and humbled himself before Esau. Instead of conflict, Esau embraced Jacob and both brothers were reconciled.

What’s Included in the Puppet Printable

For the puppet activity free printable, scroll down to the bottom of the page to click the image. You can also find it in my free resource library by clicking on the link above and then clicking on Kid’s Printables. There’s no longer a password required- no strings attached- so check out my other printables for personal use.

The printable that I have created included character images of Abraham, Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah (both young and older) as well as Jacob and Esau. I have also included the stew as well as birthright and blessing cards to use when telling the story. Keep reading and download the puppets at the bottom of this blog post.

Materials Needed

When preparing the puppets for storytelling, you will need the following materials:

1. Printer- to print out the puppets. Any printer will work; however, I currently use the Epson Ecotank, similar to this one and I absolutely love it. Even if you do not have a printer or if your printer is currently inoperable, you can always draw the characters yourself on an index card or cardstock.
2. Paper or Cardstock- When creating my puppets, I used the AstroBright Ultra White Cardstock. I found this particular cardstock printed very well. It’s a 65 lb cardstock so it’s thick enough to provide some stability to the puppets but lightweight enough to still be printed without complication.
3. Laminator (optional)- I chose to laminate these puppets to ensure they stayed protected.
4. Craft Sticks- I chose to use craft sticks like these since they are wider and easier for little hands to grasp.
5. Scissors or cutting machine- I chose to use scissors to cut the puppets out; however if you have a cutting machine like a circuit, you can do the print and cut feature. When designing the puppets, I chose to include a light border around the edges so that it would be easier to cut them out.
6. Tape or glue- I chose to tape the characters to the craft sticks so that I could reuse the craft stick for other puppets in the future. However, if glue is what you prefer, go right ahead. You could also use Velcro if you prefer as well.

Step-By-Step Instructions

1. Print the download (See image at the bottom to download)
2. Cut around the border either with scissors or a cutting machine if preferred.
3. Laminate (Optional). Laminate the puppets if desired to ensure they stay protected and can reuse it again.
4. Tape (or glue) to Craft Sticks

Teaching Ideas

Retell Genesis 25-27 Using the Puppets

When teaching this Sunday School lesson, I chose to review with them the story of Abraham, Sarah and Isaac, which is why they are also included in the download. I wanted the children to have a good understanding of the covenant between God and Abraham before telling the story of Jacob and Esau.

Before retelling the stories, I first divided up the puppets to ensure they were organized for easy story telling, so that as I was explaining the characters, I could easily grab the one I needed.

Act out the story Using the Puppets

After telling the students the story, have students act out the story using the puppets. This way students can apply the knowledge of what they learn to show their understanding. Additionally, have students also act out the part of the blessing of Isaac to Jacob.

Smooth vs. Hairy Texture Activity

For the Sunday school lesson, I also had a separate activity prepared for the students. I created two sets of different textures using craft sticks – satin ribbon and yarn – to represent smooth and hairy texture. I wrapped a smooth, satin ribbon around one craft stick and wrapped coarse yarn around another and used a small amount of tape to tape it in place so that it wouldn’t interfere with the texture itself.

After discussing the story of Jacob and Esau, I passed the craft sticks around so the students would have to guess with their eyes closed, which craft stick was smooth (to represent Jacob) and which one was hairy (to represent Esau).

Bible Lesson Themes

1. Honesty- While Jacob desired God’s blessing, he went about it in a dishonest way by deceiving his father Isaac to get the blessing, and in turn it hurt the family. Instead of trusting in God’s timing, he took matters into his own hands. Jacob then had to flee from home afterwards to avoid conflict. And, while Jacob didn’t deserve the blessing, there are times when we act imperfect like Jacob in other ways and don’t deserve the blessings that God has given us either. However, God is patient with us, meets us where we’re at and provides for us.
2. Choices Matter- The choices we make matter. Esau didn’t see the value of the birthright or the blessing, but rather instead focused on his fleshly desire for only a moment. Jacob, on the other hand, desired God’s blessing, although he went about it in an imperfect way. We should be thankful for what we have and appreciate all that God has given us.
3. God works through imperfect people- God doesn’t demand perfection from us, but wants us to have a heart for him—to seek him. There are many times in the Bible that God uses imperfect, messy people to accomplish His will.
4. Forgiveness and reconciliation- Genesis 33 is the reconciliation of Jacob and Esau.

Download the Puppets

I hope these puppets are helpful in your lessons. Click on the image below to download the printable PDF of these puppets for personal use and for use in Sunday school lessons and homeschool lessons. If you have any questions, please feel free to email me.

Conclusion

And there you have it—an easy DIY Craft Bible Activity to keep children engaged during Bible lessons. This makes for a great lesson and activity— whether it be for Sunday school or homeschool. It’s a great way to keep teach God’s Word and a great Bible activity for kids.

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