In this Joseph and His Brothers Preschool Bible Lesson, children learn that Jacob gave Joseph a special, colorful coat. Joseph’s brothers became jealous and treated him unkindly, but God did not forget Joseph.
The story of Joseph includes family conflict, jealousy, dreams, and Joseph being taken far away from home. These events can be difficult for preschool children to understand. Therefore, the lesson uses clear storytelling, review pictures, numbered retelling cards, sorting activities, and a colorful craft to make the story easier to follow.
The lesson truth is:
Joseph’s brothers treated him unkindly, but God did not forget Joseph.
Connecting Joseph’s Story to Jacob’s Family
The lesson begins with a short review of Jacob’s story.
Children use five large review pictures to remember that:
- God told Jacob to return home.
- Jacob wrestled through the night.
- God gave Jacob a new name, Israel.
- Esau welcomed Jacob home.
- Jacob’s family continued to grow.
The final picture introduces Jacob’s large family and explains that one of his sons was named Joseph.
This short review connects the new lesson to the events children have already learned. It also helps them understand who Joseph was and how he belonged to the family God had promised to Abraham.
Reading the Joseph and His Brothers Story
The printable storybook introduces the events from Genesis 37 in a clear sequence that preschool children can follow.
Jacob loved Joseph and gave him a special, colorful coat. When Joseph’s brothers saw the coat, they became jealous.
Joseph also had two dreams.
In his first dream, Joseph saw bundles of wheat. His bundle stood upright while eleven other bundles bowed down to it.
In his second dream, the sun, moon, and eleven stars bowed down to Joseph.
Joseph told his family about the dreams, but his brothers became even more upset with him.
One day, Jacob sent Joseph to find his brothers while they were caring for the sheep. When Joseph arrived, his brothers took away his colorful coat and put him into an empty pit.
Later, the brothers sold Joseph to traveling merchants. The merchants took Joseph far away to Egypt.
The lesson ends with the reassuring truth:
Joseph’s brothers treated him unkindly, but God did not forget Joseph.
After reading, the teacher uses simple questions to review the story:
- What special gift did Jacob give Joseph?
- How did Joseph’s brothers feel about his coat?
- What bowed down in Joseph’s first dream?
- What bowed down in Joseph’s second dream?
- Where did Joseph’s brothers put him?
- Where was Joseph taken?
Children then repeat the lesson truth together.
Joseph’s Story Path Retelling Activity
The Joseph’s Story Path activity helps children retell the Bible story in the correct order.
Eight numbered picture cards are placed around the classroom or on the floor. Children move a Joseph playing piece from one picture to the next as the teacher reviews each event.
The Story Path includes:
- Jacob gives Joseph a special coat.
- Joseph’s brothers become jealous.
- Joseph has his first dream.
- Joseph has his second dream.
- Joseph goes to find his brothers.
- The brothers put Joseph into a pit.
- Joseph is sold to the merchants.
- Joseph is taken to Egypt.
A separate Meanwhile, at Home picture shows Jacob holding Joseph’s damaged coat while the brothers stand nearby.
Two Joseph playing pieces are included. Children use Joseph wearing his colorful coat for the first part of the story. After the coat is taken away, they change to the second Joseph piece.
The START marker shows Joseph’s colorful coat, while the EGYPT FINISH marker shows the place where Joseph’s journey ended.
Moving Joseph along the path helps preschool children understand the sequence of events and gives them an active way to retell the story.
Joseph’s Two Dreams Sorting Activity
Joseph’s two dreams contain several important visual details. The sorting activity helps children identify which pictures belong to each dream.
The activity includes two sorting mats:
- Joseph’s First Dream
- Joseph’s Second Dream
Children look at each picture card and decide where it belongs.
For the first dream, children place the wheat bundle cards onto the mat. They learn that Joseph’s bundle stood upright while eleven other bundles bowed down.
For the second dream, children sort the sun, moon, and stars onto the second mat.
As children sort the pictures, the teacher asks:
- Does this picture belong in Joseph’s first dream or his second dream?
- What bowed down in the first dream?
- What bowed down in the second dream?
This activity reinforces story comprehension while giving children practice with visual discrimination, sorting, counting, and recalling details.
An optional cut and paste worksheet is included for children to complete after the whole group activity.
Joseph’s Colorful Coat Craft
The Joseph’s Colorful Coat craft gives children a creative way to remember the special gift Jacob gave Joseph.
Children begin with the printable coat template. They glue small squares of colored paper or tissue paper onto the coat to create a bright collage.
The paper pieces may be prepared before the lesson, or older children can practice their scissor skills by cutting the paper into small squares.
As the children work, the teacher reviews the main ideas:
- Jacob gave Joseph a special coat.
- Joseph’s coat had many colors.
- Joseph’s brothers became jealous.
- God did not forget Joseph.
The finished craft provides a colorful visual reminder of the story and can be displayed in the classroom or taken home.
Reviewing the Bible Truth
The lesson closes with a short review using simple questions.
- Who gave Joseph a special coat?
- Why were Joseph’s brothers jealous?
- How many dreams did Joseph have?
- What happened to Joseph’s coat?
- Where did the brothers put Joseph?
- Who bought Joseph?
- Where was Joseph taken?
- Did God forget Joseph?
Children repeat the lesson truth once more:
Joseph’s brothers treated him unkindly, but God did not forget Joseph.
The closing prayer thanks God for remembering Joseph and asks Him to help the children be kind, make good choices, and remember that God is always with them.
Joseph and His Brothers Take Home Booklet
The take home booklet gives children another opportunity to review the story with their families.
The booklet is printed double sided and folded in half. The cover includes a picture of Joseph wearing his colorful coat and a Bible verse from Genesis 37:3.
Children can color Joseph’s coat before taking the booklet home.
Inside, the booklet reviews the main ideas:
- Jacob gave Joseph a special, colorful coat.
- Joseph’s brothers became jealous.
- Joseph told his family about his two dreams.
- Joseph’s brothers treated him unkindly.
- Joseph was taken to Egypt, but God did not forget him.
This simple booklet supports family discussion and helps children revisit the lesson truth after leaving the classroom.
Why This Joseph and His Brothers Preschool Bible Lesson Works
This Joseph and His Brothers Preschool Bible Lesson uses several ways of learning to help young children understand the story.
- The review pictures connect Joseph’s story to Jacob’s family.
- The storybook provides clear visual storytelling.
- The Story Path helps children remember the correct sequence.
- The movable Joseph pieces make the loss of the colorful coat easier to understand.
- The dream sorting activity reviews important story details.
- The colorful coat craft provides a hands on creative experience.
- The take home booklet supports repetition and family learning.
Together, these activities make a complex Bible story more concrete and understandable for preschool children.
Most importantly, children learn one clear and reassuring truth:
Joseph’s brothers treated him unkindly, but God did not forget Joseph.
What Is Included
The complete Joseph and His Brothers Preschool Bible Lesson includes:
- Teacher lesson plan and script
- Joseph and His Brothers printable storybook
- Five Jacob review pictures
- Eight numbered Story Path cards
- Meanwhile, at Home story card
- Two movable Joseph playing pieces
- START and EGYPT FINISH markers
- Joseph’s First Dream sorting mat
- Joseph’s Second Dream sorting mat
- Dream sorting picture cards
- Optional cut and paste sorting worksheet
- Joseph’s Colorful Coat craft template
- Take home booklet
- Closing review questions and prayer
Get the Complete Joseph and His Brothers Lesson
The complete resource is available from Kinder Resources.
The Joseph and His Brothers Preschool Bible Lesson is designed for Sunday School, church programs, Christian preschool, and faith based early learning settings.
It provides everything needed to teach the story through visual storytelling, movement, sorting, crafting, review, and repetition.
Blessings as you teach! 😊
Other Preschool Bible Lessons
Hello! I cannot thank you enough for your resources. I teach preschool Sunday and I have used these along side our curriculum. I’ve looked through your posts to see if you have the stories as they continue. I haven’t seen anything. I wondered if you created this resource or pulled from somewhere else. I would to continue to work with these! Thank you again!!
Gracias por su apoyo y esfuerzo me
Encanta au material para enseñar alos niños
Love these resources! Thanks for sharing! I’ve been wanting to do a lesson about Joseph in conjunction with something more serious about forgiveness for the older kids.
Hello, i love your lessons. is this the last one ?
Hi Sairah,
Yes, this is the last one 🙂
– Lavinia
Are these Bible lessons free?
Joyce, they are free for presonal use at home or in a classroom 🙂
– Lavinia
hey i am a Sunday school teacher for 3to 5 year old’s and i love your lessons .thank you so much for them . my question is is there any more some where else? i truly love them want to to use these and others .
Hi Sue,
Thank you so much for your kind words! I’m so glad to hear you’re enjoying the lessons and using them with your Sunday school class — that truly means a lot! At the moment, I have lessons available up to Lesson 17.
Thanks again for your support and encouragement! 😊
Is There a way I can buy your Lessons .your Lessons are so good with the Little ones . I really don’t know what I am going to do with your lessons with our little ones .I have been look and very thing I see is just not on there level 😕.
Hi Sue Ann, thank you so much for your kind words! That really means a lot. 💛
At the moment, my Sunday School lessons aren’t available for purchase, but it’s definitely something I’m working on for the near future. Once they’re ready, you’ll be able to find them on my website at http://www.kinder-resources.com
I really love these resources. Thank you for these.
Thank you so much, Linda! 💛 I’m so glad you’re enjoying the resources. I hope your students love using them too!