Joseph and his Coat of Many Colors

Joseph was the story for this week. We learned about Joseph and his brothers and how he was loved so much by his father and envied by his brothers. We learned of the coat that Joseph’s father gave him. We learned how the brothers sold him and put blood on his coat and gave the coat to their father and told their father that Joseph was killed, and this made their father very sad.

The kids remembered the story very well and were able to tell me what happened to Joseph and what the brothers did to Joseph, what they did with the coat, what they told their dad had happened, and how it made him feel.

Discuss how it is wrong to tease others and that teasing makes others feel bad and mad and want to hurt other people. Let them know that it is not right to do like the brothers and hurt others even if they have made you feel bad.

We could all learn from this. This world is not fair! Bad things happen to good people. But when we take matters into our own hands as the brothers did, we take away from God the chance to take care of us and work out our problems so they can be used for His glory. We should always trust in God and let Him handle things His way, for His way is always the best way. Joseph trusted in God and God used him in a special way. Next lesson will show us how.

To help illustrate the story as I told it, I used a worksheet that I pre-colored that used colors to describe the feelings of the people in the lesson. I also gave each child a copy so they could color along with the story. I also used another color sheet of Joseph and his brothers at the well.

For crafts I have taken paper dolls in the shape of a young boy and printed out one for each child and cut them out. Then the kids glued them onto construction paper. I made a template for a coat for Joseph and then cut out the coats from scraps of material I had using the template I made. (A quilter always has leftover scraps.) The kids glued the coats onto the Joseph doll. If you don’t have material scraps, you could use leftover brightly colored wrapping paper. You could also cut out a head-covering for your “Joseph” out of the fabric or paper.

You can also make cards for memory verses by writing the verse on construction paper that has been cut into pieces about the size of large index cards. Then let the child glue a coat onto the card next to the verse.
Another idea is to cut cards out in the shape of a coat and write the memory verse on the card.

“We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him.”
- Romans 8:28

“My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.” – Proverbs 1:10