The parable of the Wise Man and the Foolish Man is a fun story Jesus told to teach an important lesson about making smart choices. By building their lives on God's Word, children learn how to be like the wise man who built his house on solid rock. Discover activities, songs, and verses to help preschoolers understand this parable in a fun, engaging way!
Scripture: Matthew 7: 24-29
The New Bible in Pictures for Little Eyes: pg 272
My Story Bible: pg 82-85
Through the Bible Felt: pg 176-177
Shorten the verses as appropriate for the child's developmental level.
Tune: Mary Had a Little Lamb
I will listen to what God says
What God says, what God says
I will listen to what God says
Psalm 85, verse 8
Matthew 7:24 (NIV)
Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.
Matthew 7:25 (NIV)
The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.
Matthew 7:26 (NIV)
But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.
Psalm 18:2 (NIV)
The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge.
Proverbs 12:7 (NIV)
The wicked are overthrown and are no more, but the house of the righteous stands firm.
1 Corinthians 3:11 (NIV)
For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.
Isaiah 28:16 (NIV)
So this is what the Sovereign Lord says: See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who relies on it will never be stricken with panic.
The wise man built his house upon the rock. (pound fist in hand ending strong on word “rock”) - 3x
And the rains came a-tumbling down! (shower rain down with fingers)
Chorus:
The rain came down, as the floods came up. (shower rain down with finger and then raise palms back up) - 3x
And the house on the rock stood firm! (make house with hands and hit fist to palm on word “rock”)
The foolish man built his house upon the sand. (pound fist in hand ending with palms moving out on “sand”) - 3x
And the rains came a-tumbling down! (shower rain down with fingers)
Chorus:
The rain came down, as the floods came up. (shower rain down with finger and then raise palms back up) - 3x
And the house on the sand went splat! (spread hands out)
So build your life on the Lord Jesus Christ. (pound fist in hand, point up for Jesus) - 3x
And the blessing will come down! (shower rain down with fingers)
Chorus:
The blessing will come down as the prayers go up. (shower rain down with fingers, raise prayer hands up.) - 3x
So build your life on the Lord! (pound fist in hand, point up for Jesus)
Sheet available in the Bible Activity Workbook
Tear small pieces of gray tissue paper
Lay a layer of glue on the sand on the worksheet. Sprinkle with glitter. Shake off excess.
All Printables Free for Immediate Family Use and with a Current License Only
Free Coloring Sheet for Immediate Family Use: Wise Man and the Foolish Man
Create a house with large marshmallows. Create another house using Legos. Turn on a fan or hair dryer and see how the houses stand when the "wind" blows. Relate this to the Bible story.
Build two houses out of Legos. In a container, make a pile of rocks and a pile of sand. Set a Lego house on each. Pour water on both foundations and observe the difference.
Have the child draw a number from a stack of flashcards. Try to build a tower using that many marshmallows.
Imagine sitting with the disciples on a boat and a storm comes. Have the child help you create the storm by following your lead. Add this activity to a Family Night for more fun!
1. Slowly rub fingertips together (wind coming)
2. Slowly rub hands together (wind getting heavier)
3. Quickly rub hands together (wind getting stronger)
4. Slowly snap fingers (raindrops coming) - This is a very difficult task for a preschooler but the child will have fun trying!
5. Quickly snap fingers (heavy rain)
6. Clap hands (thunder)
7. Clap and then immediately hold hands up with spread fingers and strike downward (lightning)
8. Quickly tap thighs (very hard rainfall)
9. Repeat in reverse order (storm gradually calming down)
This story is free for family use only and may not be used in any form in a non-family situation. A script of this story for non-family use is available in the New Testament Curriculum and 3 Year Interactive Bible Stories.
Flannelgraph Needed:
Water Board
S2 – Beach
S3 – Small Beach
S8-9 – Two Trees
1 – Jesus
87A – People
197A – Rock
205 – House on the rock
206 – House on the sand
Have on the Board – S2, S3, S8-9, 1, 87A, 197A
Have in Order – 205, 206
Bible Story:
(While telling this story, create a rainstorm. Directions are in parenthesis throughout the story.)
When Jesus walked on the earth, He taught the people by telling them stories. We call these stories parables. Parables are special stories because they teach us a lesson and help us understand more about God. The Bible tells us in Matthew 7:24-27 (point to the passage in the Bible) that Jesus told a story about two men (put up two fingers) who built two houses (put up two fingers).
The first man said, “I am going to build a house. I want it to be very strong so I am going to build it over there on that big strong rock. I don’t care if it takes longer or if it is more work. I want my house to be safe.” So he started building. (Pound your fist into your hand) Hammers, nails, boards. Up the house went.
The second man said, “I am going to build a house. I love the beach and want to hear the waves. The sand feels so wonderful. I am going to build my house right on the beach.” So he started building. (Pound your fist into your hand) Hammers, nails, boards. Up the house went. With the job done, both men stepped back from their house to see the finished view. Wow! Both houses looked great!
(Slowly rub fingertips together) Oh, there’s a little wind. (Slowly rub hands together) Wow...the trees are beginning to really move. (Quickly rub hands together) There are some dark clouds. Is it going to rain? (Slowly snap fingers) Was that a raindrop? (Quickly snap fingers) I am getting wet. I am going to get shelter! (Clap hands) Do you hear that thunder? (Clap and then immediately hold hands up with spread fingers and strike downward) That was lightning. (Quickly tap thighs) This is a strong storm!
The first man watched the storm and knew that his house was strong. The storm didn’t scare him. He knew that his house was built on a rock. But, the second man watched in horror. While the beach was beautiful, it wasn’t looking good for his house. The sand wasn’t a firm foundation. Right before his eyes (clap loudly), the house collapsed!
Which man was wise? Jesus explained, “People who obey what I say are wise. They are like the man who built his house on the rock. But everyone who ignores what I say is foolish. They are like the foolish man who built his house on the sand.”
Jesus doesn’t want us to just hear the stories in the Bible. He wants us to obey His word. Just as the house on the rock stood firm, we can never go wrong when we obey God’s commands.
