The story of Cain and Abel teaches valuable lessons about choices, consequences, and God's love. On this page, you'll find age-appropriate ideas, Bible verses, songs, and impactful activities that help bring this important story to life. From learning about choices and consequences to discovering how God wants our best, these resources are sure to make the story of Cain and Abel both engaging and memorable for little ones!
Objective: God will help me stay calm even when I am upset.
Scripture: Genesis 4:2-11
The New Bible in Pictures for Little Eyes: pg 22
Through the Bible Felt: pg 7-8
Peace
Definition: Being calm at appropriate times; still
Opposite: Holding grudges; jealous; fighting and in disagreement; angry
Big Thoughts for Little People: Letter Q
Shorten the verses as appropriate for the child's developmental level.
A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Ephesians 4:26 (NIV)
In your anger do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry.
James 1:19 (NIV)
My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.
Proverbs 29:11 (NIV)
Fools give full vent to their rage, but the wise bring calm in the end.
Romans 12:18 (NIV)
If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
Colossians 3:8 (NIV)
But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.
Proverbs 14:29 (NIV)
Whoever is patient has great understanding, but one who is quick-tempered displays folly.
Matthew 5:9 (NIV)
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
Psalm 37:8 (NIV)
Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil.
Philippians 4:7 (NIV)
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Introduce your preschoolers to the God's love with our fun and engaging Old Testament Curriculum. Filled with interactive Bible stories, play-based activities, and learning crafts, this Curriculum brings the teachings of the Old Testament to life in a way young children will understand and enjoy.
When teaching this story to preschoolers, I believe it's important to strike a balance between simplifying the message and not overwhelming them with details they're not ready to understand. I use the phrase "hurt him very, very bad" instead of discussing death directly, as it's more relatable for young children. The concept of death and its finality is something children developmentally don't grasp until they’re older. For preschoolers, the focus should be on the deeper themes of the story—anger, lack of self-control, disobedience, and trying to hide the truth from God. These are the key points that are most appropriate and meaningful for their developmental stage.
Use the story of Cain and Abel to discuss tithing. The main lesson of tithing is that everything we have belongs to God, not to us. He asks us to give back to Him with a cheerful heart, acknowledging His provision in our lives. See the craft below as well as more on the Giving and Tithing page.
Create an envelope from the Heart Envelope template and follow the instructions provided in the PDF. Once the envelope is made, allow the child to fill it with money to give to God during the church offering. Discuss how God asks us to give an offering, just like He asked Cain and Abel to do. Also, talk about how Abel gave his best to God, while Cain did not.
Create a sensory bin filled with soft objects like cotton balls, foam shapes, or textured items. Have children practice "softly" touching or moving objects, as a way to represent controlling anger and choosing peaceful responses.
Join the ABCJesusLovesMe challenge and watch your child thrive! Say goodbye to couch potato days and hello to vibrant outdoor adventures filled with play, learning, and essential Vitamin D. Discover all of the details and tips in this FREE download.
Teach the child a fun, physical way to "release" anger by jumping like frogs, stretching like cats, or doing “peaceful” breathing exercises with bubbles. This helps them understand how to manage their emotions in a healthy way.
ABCJLM Bible Coloring Sheets: Cain and Abel
For Family Use: Color and cut out the faces from the Teaching Emotions printable (in the 4 Year Workbook), then glue them onto popsicle sticks for durability. Use these faces to tell the story. You can also use flannelgraph (40, 54) or puppets to represent Cain and Abel during the lesson.
Today’s story is filled with a lot of emotions.
There is anger. Show me the angry face.
There is sadness. Show me the sad face.
There is surprise. Show me the surprised face.
And there is happiness. Show me the happy face.
These two men are named Cain and Abel. They are the sons are Adam and Eve – the first man and woman God created. While Cain and Abel are brothers, they are very different.
Cain was the oldest and he was a farmer. He liked to plant seeds and watch them grow and produce yummy fruit and vegetables.
Abel was a shepherd. He took care of the sheep. What do sheep say? (Baa!)
Just like we take money to church to give to God, Cain and Abel brought gifts to God.
Abel brought the best lamb he had for God. This made God very happy because God knew that Abel loved and trusted Him. Show me the happy face.
Cain brought fruit and vegetables as an offering to God. God knew that Cain did not bring his best gift to God and God was sad by Cain’s offering. Show me the sad face.
Instead of Cain asking forgiveness, he got angry. Really angry. Show me the angry face.
Instead of making the right choice, Cain was so angry that he hurt his brother Abel! He hurt him really bad. Are you surprised? I am too! Show me the surprised face.
Instead of having peace with his brother, Cain was jealous of Abel. He was angry that God liked Abel’s offering but didn’t like his.
But it gets worse! God knew what Cain had done yet Cain lied to God about it. That is really sad because God knows everything. He knew what really happened. Show me the sad face.
When we get angry, don’t have self-control, and don’t obey, we can remember from this story that bad things will happen. We need to say we are sorry and be calm even if we don’t want to be.
