Bible Lessons on the Five Senses

Kids Bible Lessons on the Five Senses

This collection of lessons is great for any age children.  It has a lot of interaction, especially using their five senses.  Each lesson is based on one of the five senses and uses a Bible story that emphasizes that sense.

Below are descriptions of each lesson with a link.

Lesson 1 - Taste - Esau's birthright

Bible story: Esau sells his birthright to Jacob for a bowl of stew

Theme: Hunger for God
Passage: Genesis 25:19-28
Key Verse: Matthew 5:6 "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.�

Activities:

• Paint and decorate Jacob and Esau
• Taste test - taste things when blindfolded and guess what they are

Lesson 2 - Touch - Woman touches Jesus' garment

Bible story: A sick woman touches Jesus' garment and is healed
Passage: Mark 5:24-34
Theme: Turn to Jesus with our problems
Key Verse: Luke 8:48 And He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace."
Activities:

• Touch test - touch things inside a paper bag and guess what they are
• Jesus and woman puppets - glue fabric onto Jesus and the woman and add popsicles to make them into puppets
• Play "Who touched me?" or "Heads Up, 7 Up"
• Make tassel bookmarks

Lesson 3 - Sight - Elisha and the Blind Army

Bible story: Elisha shows his servant an invisible army of angels who then makes their enemies blind
Passage: 2 Kings 6:8-23
Theme: Trust God
Key Verse:  2 Cor. 5:7 for we walk by faith, not by sight
Activities:

• Optical illusions
• Use watercolor paint to make an invisible army appear (or DIY scratch off craft)
• Play a blindfolded game such as blindman�s bluff, blind potato race, pin the horse to the chariot

Lesson 4 - Smell - Fiery Furnace

Bible story: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego emerge from the fiery furnace smelling of smoke, but unburned
Passage: Daniel 3
Theme: Be faithful
Key Verse: 2 Corinthians 2:15 For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing;
Activities:

• Guess the Smell game - smell things when blindfolded and guess what they are
• Fiery Furnace Board Game
• Fiery Furnace Craft
• Play "Musical Furnace" - like musical chairs, but when the music stops you jump in the "furnace"

Lesson 5 - Hearing - Saul Disobeys

Bible story: Saul disobeys God's command to destroy the Amalekites and their belongings
Passage: 1 Samuel 15
Theme: Obey God completely
Key Verse: Luke 11:28 But He said, "On the contrary, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it."
Activities:

• Identify the Sounds game - listen to noises and guess what they are
• Play "Samuel Says" (like Simon Says)
• Make a lying tongue craft
• Play "Caught in the Web" - make a web of string and have the students try to get through it
• Play "Whisper Down The Alley"

Lesson 6 - All Five Senses Review - Jacob Steals the Blessing

Bible story: Jacob tricks Isaac and steals the blessing intended for Esau
Passage: Genesis 27:1-9
Theme: Senses can deceive, so trust and obey God instead
Key Verse: Colossians 3:9 Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices,
Activities:

• Worksheets about the differences between Jacob and Esau
• Review craft of all the units Bible stories
• Bible drill on verses that incorporate one of the five sense

 Click here or below for more Bible Lessons

Five Senses Bible Lessons - Wrap Up (All Five Senses)

Lesson 6

Sense: All Five Senses
Story:  Jacob Steals the Blessing
Verse:  Colossians 3:9 Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices,

Review the differences between Jacob and Esau (include who was oldest)
Tell story about Jacob stealing the Blessing: Genesis 27:1-9

Make a set of five senses cards for each child (each set should have a picture of mouth/tongue, ear, eyes, nose, hands).  As you tell the story, have students hold up cards that match the senses that you are talking about (see � Jacob blind; smell � smells like Esau; taste � eat the stew; touch � feels like Esau; hear � doesn�t sound like Esau�)

Jacob and Esau worksheet � such as one from:
http://www.dltk-bible.com/old_testament/jacob_and_Esau-activities.htm
http://www.biblefunforkids.com/2013/07/genesis-jacob-esau.html
http://gardenofpraise.com/bibl4s.htm

Discussion:

Was Jacob justified in using deceit to get the blessing?  Do you think Jacob would have received the blessing if he wouldn�t have taken matters into his own hands?  How did his deceit affect his relationship with his brother?

5 Senses Craft

Supplies: paper plate, glue, stapler, small fabric �blindfold�,  cotton balls, spice mix, crayons, marker, construction paper, something to imitate hair (I used a cut up fuzzy glove), plastic spoon, smoky cotton ball (see lesson on fiery furnace), fabric scraps

Have the students draw a face on the plate and then glue or staple it to the construction paper.  Staple on one side of the blindfold and discuss the story about Elisha.  Have them trace their hands on a piece of construction paper, cut them out and glue them onto the background.  Then have them rub a glue stick on the bowl of the spoon and dip it in the spice mix.  Glue the spoon onto one of the hands.  Talk about how Esau sold his birthright for stew.   Glue some hair onto the back of the other hand and talk about how Jacob pretended to be Esau.  Have them glue some cotton balls on the bottom corner and draw a head and legs on the sheep.  They should write �baa� on their paper to remind them how Samuel could tell that Saul was lying when he heard the sheep bleating.  Then, draw a furnace in the top corner and glue on the smoky cotton ball.  Talk about how Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego didn�t even smell like smoke after being in the fiery furnace.  This isn�t in the picture, but you can also glue a fabric scrap to one hand and talk about how the woman touched the edge of Jesus� garment and was healed.

Discussion:

What are the 5 senses? Can we always trust our senses?  What can we trust?  How can our senses be bad for us? (tempt us, distract us from trusting God)  How can our senses be good for us? (cause us to praise God for His creation, teach us about Him)

5 Senses Bible Drill

Have a Bible drill with the verses listed below.  Have the student that finds the verse first read the verse and name which of the five senses it mentions.  Ask the students what each verse tells us about our senses.

Psalm 34:8
James 1:22
Genesis 3:3
1 Corinthians 12:17
Numbers 13:18
Psalm 119:103
Matthew 9:21
Joshua 6:5
Matthew 25:39
Luke 14:24
Leviticus 11:8
Luke 8:46

Here are links to all the lessons in the Five Senses Bible Lesson Unit:
1 - Taste
2 - Touch
3 - Sight
4 - Smell
5 - Hearing
6 - Wrap-up (uses all senses)

What do you think?

Would you change anything?  Add anything?  Would you have used a different story that brings out all five senses?  Would you have used a different memory verse?  I'd love to hear your input!!

Did you try this lesson?

I'd love to hear how it went!  What worked?  What didn't work?  Would you change anything?

Click here for all of my Bible Lessons Unit:

Five Senses Bible Lessons - Hearing

Lesson 5 - Hearing

Story: Saul Disobeys

Theme: Obey God completely.

Verse:  Luke 11:28 But He said, "On the contrary, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it."

Introduction:  

Today we will be talking about our sense of hearing.  Every time you hear the word "hear" during class put your hand to your ears.

Play the Identify Sounds Game:

Before the lesson, find familiar sounds and record them on a tape, mp3 player, or laptop.  Play the sounds for the kids and have them write down what they think they are.  Check to see if they have the correct answers.  The sounds I used were a baseball bat, bees swarming, camera, car driving, guitar, helicopter, ocean waves, door opening, popcorn popping, pouring cereal, vacuum, and zipper.  I found the sounds on the internet here. 

Tell the story of Saul disobeying � 1 Samuel 15

Play the game �Samuel Says� (like Simon Says).

Make a lying tongue craft:

Supplies: 2 paper plates per child, scissors, red construction paper, crayons or markers

Before the lesson, cut a slit in each paper plate where the mouth would be.  Create tongues (just slightly smaller than the width of your slit) on the red paper with notches on the end to keep it from going through the slit. 

During the lesson, have the students draw a happy face on one plate and a mean/sad face on the other.  Then, have them write �Truthful lips endure forever � Proverbs 12:19� on one tongue and �A lying tongue is only for a moment � Proverbs 12:19� on the other.  They can insert the tongue through the slit.  They can also just leave the verse reference showing and let their parents pull the tongue all the way out to read the full verse.  Talk about how Saul lied to cover his disobedience.  Ask them if it helped.

Play �Caught in the Web�

Supplies: string, scissors (for easier clean up)

Have the students make a web by wrapping the string around things around the room.  Then, have a child try to walk through the web.  Have the rest of the kids hold onto a piece of string.  Count to five while the child tries to walk through and then the students gently pull the string up to catch the person in the web.  Talk about how Saul was caught getting disobeyed.  Ask them if it�s possible to not get caught.  Ask them who sees everything we do.

Play �whisper down the alley� using the Bible verse (Lk 11:28).

Discussion: Who should we obey?  When we don�t obey, what can happen?  What gave away that Saul had not obeyed?  Samuel says that Obedience is better than sacrifice.  Why?

Here are links to all the lessons in the Five Senses Bible Lesson Unit:
1 - Taste
2 - Touch
3 - Sight
4 - Smell
5 - Hearing
6 - Wrap-up (uses all senses)

What do you think?

Anything you would have done differently?  A different memory verse?  Do you know a game or a craft that would also work well?  Would you have used a different story altogether?  I'd love to hear your input?

Click here for all of my Bible Lessons Unit:

Five Senses Bible Lessons - Smell

Lesson 4: Smell

Story: Fiery Furnace
Theme: Be faithful.
Verse:  2 Corinthians 2:15 For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved  and among those who are perishing;

Can you guess the smell game

Supplies:

• baby food jars (or Ziploc bags) 
• cotton balls 
• smell (extracts, essence oils, essential oils�)

Before the lesson, put familiar scents on several cotton balls using extracts or essence oils.  I used lemon, vanilla, orange, vinegar, cinnamon, and smoke.  For the smoke smell, light a candle, blow it out and then attach a cotton ball to the lid of the candle and put the lid on the jar for 30-60 minutes.  Seal the cotton balls in the baby food jars (You may want to do several cotton balls so that you have extra for the 5 senses craft in lesson 6). Number the jars and right down what each one is on an answer key. 

For the lesson, have the students number their papers.  Then, they should open the jars and smell them and guess what the smell is.  When they are all done, check to see how many they got right.

Tell the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Daniel 3
Play this fiery furnace board game. 
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego Paper Craft by DLTK

Supplies: printout of furnace and parts, scissors, glue, crayons (or markers), red orange and yellow tissue paper (cut in small pieces), candle

Prepare the basic paper craft from this website.   Use the tissue paper option.  Before the lesson, light a candle, blow it out, attach the tissue paper to the lid of the candle and put the lid back on the jar for 30-60 minutes. Or put a lit candle in a microwave (or other enclosure) with the tissue paper.  Blow out the candle and close the microwave door (DO NOT TURN ON MICROWAVE). During the lesson, have the decorate the people and parts of the furnace and put it together and glue on tissue paper flames. Ask who is missing from the picture.

Play �Musical Furnace�

Put a pile of red, orange, and yellow cloths, rags, towels or fabric in the center of the room to be the furnace.  Play music and have the kids walk around the pile.  When it stops, they should jump in the �furnace.�  If you want, you can make it like musical chairs, having one less piece of fabric then kids.  Then, when they jump in the pile they should grab one of the cloths.

Discussion � When is it hard to be faithful to God?  What can we remember that will help us be faithful?  Did Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego know that they would be saved?  Why didn't they bow down?  God was with them in the furnace.  Is God with you too when you are faithful to Him?


Here are links to all the lessons in the Five Senses Bible Lesson Unit:
1 - Taste
2 - Touch
3 - Sight
4 - Smell
5 - Hearing
6 - Wrap-up (uses all senses)

Now, it's your turn.

What did you like about the lesson?  Would you add or change anything?  Did you think the story worked well with the theme of smell?  Would you have used a different story or memory verse?  Do you have an idea for a different class or activity?

Click here for all of my Bible Lessons Unit:

Five Senses Bible Lessons - Sight

Lesson 3 - Sight

Story: Elisha and the blind army
Theme: Trust God.
Verse:  2 Cor. 5:7 for we walk by faith, not by sight

Introduction:

Optical Illusions: Print some of these optical illusions (probably the dual picture, motion, disappearing, color, and parallel line effects are the best) and have the students do them:

• http://www.sheknows.com/kids-activity-center/list/optical-illusions/
• http://brainden.com/optical-illusions.htm

Or download an optical illusion slide show here:         http://science.pppst.com/opticalillusions.html

Tell the story about Elisha and the blind army. 2 Kings 6:8-23
Seeing the invisible Army:

Supplies: printout of Elisha and servant overlooking army, white crayon, water colors, paintbrush

 Before the lesson, draw or trace horses and chariots of fire into the top of this picture (or something similar) using the white crayon.

During the lesson, when you get to verse 17, have the students paint the top with the water colors to see what the servant saw.

Update:  I recently updated this with a better coloring page that I found on www.audiovie.org. The original page is here.  I digitally erased the army.  You can print my erased version for each child in your class and one of the unedited coloring page.  Then, trace the horses and chariots of fire from the coloring page onto each of the erased versions using white crayon.  Then, the army will show up when they are painted with watercolors.

Alternatively, you can make scratch off pictures.

Supplies: 

printout of Elisha and servant overlooking army with heavenly army, laminate (or contact paper or clear packing tape), white acrylic paint, liquid dish soap, paint brush, coins (or something to scratch off)

Print out pictures of Elisha and his servant with the heavenly army already on it.  Laminate the papers (or cover with contact paper or clear packing tape).  Then paint over the angel with white acrylic paint mixed with liquid dish soap (1 part dish soap and 2 parts acrylic paint).  Let it dry completely and have the students scratch off the paint at the right point in the story.

Play a blindfolded game such as blindman�s bluff, blind potato race, pin the horse to the chariot�

Here are some more blindfold games.

Discussion:  Why was Elisha calm even though he was surrounded by the enemy?  Could Elisha�s servant see the heavenly army with his eyes?  What needed to happen for him to see?  What can we do today to see things from God�s view? (read our Bible and pray)  Could Elisha's servant trust what he could (or couldn't) see?  Is it better to trust God or what we see for ourselves?


Here are links to all the lessons in the Five Senses Bible Lesson Unit:
1 - Taste
2 - Touch
3 - Sight
4 - Smell
5 - Hearing
6 - Wrap-up (uses all senses)

I love sharing.

What was your favorite part?  Was there a part of the story that you would have brought out more (there certainly is more you could focus on)?  Do you know of any crafts or activities that you would have used?  What about a different story or Bible verse you would have used for teaching about sight?

Click here for all of my Bible Lessons Unit:

Five Senses Bible Lessons - Touch

Lesson 2: Touch

Bible Story: Woman Touches Jesus� Garment
Theme: Turn to Jesus with problems
Verse: Luke 8:48 And He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace."

Introduction:

What are the 5 senses?  Which one did we talk about last week?  Today we're going to talk about touch.

Touch Test

Supplies: paper bags and small objects like paper clip, pencil, coins, rubber band, spoon �

You can make a paper bag for each child with each bag having identical objects or pass one bag around the room.  Have the kids put their hands in the paper bags (without looking), feel the objects, and write down what they think is in the bag.  Tell them how many objects there are.  When they have a guess written down for that many objects, empty the contents of the bag and see how many they got correct.

Tell the story of the woman who touched Jesus� garment: Mark 5:24-34

Jesus and woman puppets

Supplies: printouts, craft sticks or pipe cleaners, glue stick, fabric scraps, crayons, tape

Use this website or this website to print out a boy and girl puppet for each child: Depending on age, cut them out ahead of time.  Have them color the puppets and glue fabric on their clothes to make the woman and Jesus.  Then glue or tape them to the craft sticks.  Use them to reenact the story.

Play �Who Touched Me?�

Blindfold one child and have the others stand on the other side of the room in a line.  Point to a child and have them touch the blindfolded one.  Have the blindfolded child guess who touched him.  If they guess correctly, that child gets blindfolded.  Discuss how it is hard to know who touched you.  Ask how Jesus could have known.

Or for an older group, play �Heads Up, 7 up�

Pick a few of the children to be �it.�  Have the others sit down.  The teacher says, �Heads down, thumbs up.�  Each of the children who are �it� walk around the room quietly and touch one persons thumb.  Then, they return to the front of the room.  When they have all returned to the front, the teacher says, �Heads up.�  Those who thumbs were pressed stand up.  They have to guess who pressed their thumbs.  If they guess correctly, they switch spots with the one who pressed their thumb.  Discuss how it is hard to know who touched you.  Ask how Jesus could have known.

Discussion:*

Why did the woman touch Jesus' garment and not His hand or arm or face? Read Numbers 15:37-38 to see what the Jews put on their hem or corner of their garment. The LORD also spoke to Moses, saying, "Speak to the sons of Israel, and tell them that they shall make for themselves tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and that they shall put on the tassel of each corner a cord of blue.  Read Malachi 4:2 to see what would be special about the Messiah's hem of his garment. "But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings; and you will go forth and skip about like calves from the stall." The verse could also read "healing in its borders/hem" because the word is originally the same as "corners" in Numbers.  So if the woman had read the book of Malachi she would know that the Messiah would have healing in the hem of his garment.

Tassel bookmarks

Supplies: cardstock cut in 2 inch strips across, hole punch, yarn, cardboard (3 inch x 3 inch), scissors

Tape a piece of yarn to one edge of the cardboard.  Have the kids wrap the yarn tightly around the cardboard until they�ve used all you gave them (4 feet).  Take the tape off the yarn at the top of the cardboard and tie it around the loops of yarn.  Cut the yarn loops at the other end of the cardboard.  Tie a piece of yarn around the top of the tassel to hold it together.  Tie it to the hole in the bookmark.  Have the students write the bible verse on the bookmark.  Here is a helpful tutorial on making tassels.  Remind them that when they use the bookmark they can remember the woman who turned to Jesus with her problem.  They should remember to turn to Jesus, too.

Discussion:  Who did this woman turn to with her problems first?  Who was able to help her?  Where can we turn when we have a problem?  Is any problem too big for Jesus?


Here are links to all the lessons in the Five Senses Bible Lesson Unit:
1 - Taste
2 - Touch
3 - Sight
4 - Smell
5 - Hearing
6 - Wrap-up (uses all senses)

I want to hear your thoughts

What would you have done differently?  Would anything not work well with your kids?  What could you do instead?  Would you have used a different story or verse?  Do you have any ideas for a craft or activity that would go well with this story?  There may be simpler ways to explain things (I was a high school teacher, not elementary school).  If so, please let me know of changes I can make.

* The information for this discussion was found in the July-August 2011 issue of the "Words of Truth"publication available from Christian Literature, Inc.  It was found in the article "Touching the Hem" by Philip Johnson.

Click here for all of my Bible Lessons Unit:

Five Senses Bible Lessons - Taste

Last year, I taught some Bible lessons with the theme of the Five Senses.  It was so much fun that I thought I'd share it.  I taught everything in two lessons that were two hours each because we were at a Bible conference, but I broke them down here into several lessons that could be taught in Sunday School.  Feel free to adapt them or use just the pieces that you like.  Today's post is just the first lesson.  More lessons are coming!

Lesson 1: Taste 

Story: Esau�s birthright
Theme: Hunger for God
Verse:  Matthew 5:6  "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.�

Introduction: Name the five senses.  Why do you think God gave them to us?  Today we're going to talk about taste, using a story about Jacob and Esau.
Tell Jacob and Esau's birth story � Genesis 25:19-28
Painting Craft - 

Supplies: cardstock, construction paper, craft paint, paintbrushes

Before the lesson, make two or more "person templates" by printing the person below on cardstock (make it about 4" x6").  Cut them out.  If you want to make shirt and pants templates, cut the hands and feet off of one and cut it through at the waist.  During the lesson, have the children fold their construction paper in half.  Then, have them trace the template onto one half.  They should fill in the person with paint.  Fold the paper in half again and press down on it so the paint transfers to the other side.  Allow the "twins" to dry.  

Tell the Birthright Story � Genesis 25:19-34
Discussion: What is your favorite food?  What would you pay for your favorite food?
Taste test � 

Supplies: food, paper, pencil, blindfolds (optional)

Before the lesson, prepare bite size portions of different foods.  For younger kids, it makes it easier to use different textures (bananas, apple, orange).  For older kids, make it more difficult by using similar textures (carrot, pepper, apple onion, pear). During the lesson, have the students number their paper for how many foods you have.  Then, blindfold the kids or have them close their eyes.  Have them eat each food and write down what they think it is.  See how many they got correct.  You might want to give the winner an edible prize.

Discuss the differences between Jacob and Esau � physically, personality, and what they liked.
Decorate the twins painting craft � 

Supplies: glue stick, shirt and pants template (optional), paper (or scrap fabric), hair (or cut up fuzzy object), crayons or markers, scissors

Have the kids write Jacob above one twin and Esau above the other.  Then have them decorate each to show what they looked like and what they liked to do.  Use the shirt and pants template to cut out paper or fabric for their clothing or have them cut out robes (with or without a pattern to trace, depending on age) to be more authentic.

Discussion:  What did Esau think was more valuable: the stew or the birthright?  What did Jacob think was more valuable?  Which do you think was more valuable?  Which would last longer?  Why do you think Esau traded his birthright for a bowl of stew that would only last a short time?  What are other things of the world (like the stew) that we can hunger for? How can you hunger for God�s blessing?


Here are links to all the lessons in the Five Senses Bible Lesson Unit:
1 - Taste
2 - Touch
3 - Sight
4 - Smell
5 - Hearing
6 - Wrap-up (uses all senses)

I want your input.

Do you have any ideas about this lesson that you would like to share?  Would you have used a different story or a different Bible verse  (I had debated about Ps 34:8 "O taste and see that the LORD is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!"? Do you have any craft or activities that would go well with this lesson?

Click here for all of my Bible Lessons Unit: