Genesis 37:1-36

Joseph's Coat and Dreams Bible lesson for kids

A complete Joseph's Coat and Dreams lesson plan for Sunday school or homeschool — one version for each age band, from preschool to preteen. Pick the section that matches your kids and teach.

Jump to Ages 4–6Jump to Ages 6–9Jump to Ages 9–12

Preschool & Kindergarten

Ages 4–6

Objective

Children will understand that jealousy hurts people and that we can ask God to help us choose kindness.

Opening question

How do you feel when someone else gets a special gift?

Tell the story

Read Genesis 37:1-36 together. Jacob gave Joseph a beautiful coat because Joseph was his favorite son, and Joseph’s brothers became jealous. After Joseph told them his dreams, the brothers threw him into an empty pit and sold him to travelers going to Egypt. They tricked Jacob with Joseph’s coat, but Joseph’s story was not over.

Hands-on activities

Color the Special Coat

Materials: our free printable coloring page, crayons or washable markers

  1. Show our free printable coloring page.
  2. Point to Joseph, Jacob, and the colorful coat.
  3. Color the page together.
  4. Name one kind choice while adding each new color.
  5. Say together, “God, help me choose kindness.”

Pit and Rescue Movement Game

Materials: laundry basket or blanket, stuffed animal

  1. Place the stuffed animal inside the basket or on the blanket.
  2. Pretend the animal is Joseph in the empty pit.
  3. Crouch low and look up as Joseph might have done.
  4. Lift the animal out gently.
  5. March around the room as a traveling caravan.
  6. Freeze and say, “Joseph’s story is not over.”

Talk about it

  1. Why were Joseph’s brothers jealous?
  2. Was it kind for Jacob to treat Joseph as his favorite?
  3. What can you do when jealousy starts to grow inside you?

Closing prayer

God, help us choose kindness and trust you when life feels hard.

Early Elementary

Ages 6–9

Objective

Children will identify how favoritism and jealousy caused harm and practice a wiser, kinder response.

Opening question

Have you ever wanted something special that another person had?

Tell the story

Read Genesis 37:1-36 together. Jacob openly favored Joseph and gave him a tunic of many colors, while Joseph’s brothers received no such gift. Joseph told the family about dreams in which their sheaves and the sun, moon, and stars bowed to him, and his brothers’ jealousy grew. They threw him into a dry pit, ignored Reuben’s plan to rescue him, followed Judah’s idea to sell him, and deceived their grieving father with the stained coat.

Hands-on activities

Dream Scene Coloring

Materials: our free printable coloring page, crayons or colored pencils, pencil

  1. Read Genesis 37:1-36 together.
  2. Color our free printable coloring page.
  3. Circle details that show how a character feels.
  4. Write one thought Joseph or a brother might have had.
  5. Share one wise way Joseph could have spoken about his dreams.

Drop the Jealousy Weight

Materials: backpack, several canned foods or books, scrap paper, pencil

  1. Put on the empty backpack.
  2. Name situations that can cause jealousy.
  3. Add one item for each situation.
  4. Notice how the growing weight feels.
  5. Remove one item for each healthy response, such as praying, speaking kindly, or celebrating another person.
  6. Finish with an empty backpack and open hands.

Talk about it

  1. How did Jacob’s favoritism hurt Joseph and his brothers?
  2. What could Reuben have done more courageously?
  3. Who is a wise person you could tell about a big dream or strong feeling?

Closing prayer

God, help us release jealousy, speak wisely, and do what is right.

Upper Elementary & Preteen

Ages 9–12

Objective

Children will examine the damage caused by favoritism and betrayal and choose courageous responses to jealousy and unfairness.

Opening question

When does unfair treatment become dangerous for a family or group?

Tell the story

Read Genesis 37:1-36 together. Jacob’s obvious favoritism and Joseph’s reports and dreams deepened the conflict between Joseph and his brothers. The brothers plotted murder, but Reuben argued for the pit because he secretly intended to rescue Joseph; later Judah proposed selling Joseph to the passing merchants. Joseph was taken to Egypt, the brothers misled Jacob with the blood dipped tunic, and Jacob mourned while Joseph’s unfinished story continued in a foreign land.

Hands-on activities

Evidence and Emotion Page

Materials: our free printable coloring page, colored pencils, pencil

  1. Examine our free printable coloring page before coloring.
  2. Assign one color to favoritism, one to jealousy, and one to courage.
  3. Color details that connect with those ideas.
  4. Write a caption explaining one character’s choice.
  5. Add a second caption showing a wiser choice that character could have made.
  6. Share without excusing the brothers’ betrayal.

Courage at the Crossroads

Materials: scrap paper, pencils, two bowls or cups

  1. Label one cup “Stay Silent” and the other “Act with Courage.”
  2. Write school or friendship dilemmas on separate slips.
  3. Include examples involving exclusion, favoritism, rumors, or jealousy.
  4. Draw one slip and discuss both possible responses.
  5. Place it in the cup that represents the better choice.
  6. Name a trusted adult who could help if someone is in danger.

Talk about it

  1. How can a person be responsible for harmful choices even when someone else treated them unfairly first?
  2. Where do you see partiality or jealousy affecting friendships, teams, or classrooms?
  3. What does Reuben’s incomplete rescue attempt teach us about acting courageously and promptly?

Closing prayer

God, help us reject jealousy, tell the truth, and act with courage.

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