Look no further for creative ways to teach the Parable of the Wise and Foolish Builders! This powerful Bible story about two builders teaches kids the importance of building their lives on a strong foundation—God’s Word. There are many great ways to teach this parable, including engaging crafts, hands-on activities, and fun YouTube videos that bring the lesson to life. Plus, you’ll find printable lesson plans to make your teaching even easier. Whether you're a Sunday school teacher, homeschooling parent, or work in a faith-based school, these ideas will help kids understand and remember this important parable.

THE parable of the two builders

The Parable of the Wise and Foolish Builders is found in Matthew 7:24-27 and Luke 6:46-49.  Jesus tells the story of two men who each build a house. One man builds on rock, and when a storm comes, the house stands firm. The other man builds on sand, and when a storm comes, the house collapses.  

The Parable of the Two Builders Bible Lessons for Kids

Are you looking for a simple way to teach the Parable of the Wise and Foolish Builders? Our scripted lesson plans, discussion questions, and printable crafts are perfect for children aged 3 to 8.

(Click HERE for the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade version!)

Click here for the preschool/kindergarten version

BACKGROUND INFORMATION ABOUT THE WISE AND FOOLISH builders

A parable is a short story that Jesus used to teach people about God. These stories helped people understand what Jesus was saying because Jesus connected the stories to people’s everyday lives. Parables are also easier to remember than long speeches. 

This parable isn’t really about building a strong home. It’s about building a strong relationship with Jesus and listening to his teachings. While it’s great to go to church, sing worship songs, pray, and read the Bible, we must also follow what Jesus instructs us to do - love God and love others. Our actions need to match what Jesus instructs. 

BUILDING CHALLENGES FOR KIDS

This building challenge worksheet will help bigger kids to plan their toothpick and marshmallow structures.

Kids of all ages love a good building challenge. In this Parable of the Two Builders challenge, you’ll ask the younger kids in your class to build a small house that stands on its own. Keep the challenge open-ended and allow them to build with whatever materials you might have on hand. These could be materials like paper, tape, pipe cleaners, cardboard, popsicle sticks, etc. You could keep it even simpler and have them build something using blocks or magnetic tiles.

Make the challenge a little trickier for older kids in first, second, or third grades. These tiny builders can use toothpicks and marshmallows to create a sturdy structure! Have kids use the planning sheet in The Wise and Foolish Builders for Older Kids to get their ideas on paper. Then, they can revisit the planning sheet as they create.

PRINTABLE CRAFTS FOR KIDS

A printable craft to accompany the Parable of the Wise and Foolish Builders

Printable crafts are great because kids can bring them home to help them retell the story to their families and caregivers. They are also an excellent way for students to visualize the story.

Preschoolers will love gluing a printable house onto solid ground (Find the template pieces in The Wise and Foolish Builder for Preschool).

This simple craft reminds young kids that their home needs to be built on solid ground. Encourage young learners to understand that their faith should be placed in Jesus, the true and lasting Rock, who provides strength, security, and guidance in every season of life!

Older kids will appreciate a slightly more complex lift-the-flap booklet from The Wise and Foolish Builder for Older Kids. Kids will cut and fold the template pieces on the appropriate lines to construct their booklets. Once completed, the front of the craft shows the house built by the foolish man, and kids lift the flaps to see the one built by the wise man. This interactive craft helps reinforce the lesson by providing a hands-on way to visualize the parable’s key message: Listening to God’s Word is wise!

OTHER ACTIVITIES TO TEACH THE PARABLE OF THE WISE AND FOOLISH BUILDER

•  Building Relays: Kids love a good relay race, so why not combine relay races with building challenges? Have kids run blocks to the end of the relay course, then stack the blocks into a house formation. The fastest team wins, but they must be careful not to knock the tower down. You could also use plastic cups or Legos for this relay.

• Jenga is a classic game that many families love. Have kids play several rounds of this game and discuss the story as they do. This will reinforce the point that we need a firm foundation in Jesus.

• Sensory Bins of Sand and Rock: Fill bins with rocks and sand. Add small figurines, shovels, buckets, etc. Then, let the kids play with the materials in the bins. 

• House Building Snack: Looking for a building challenge that will satisfy your sweet tooth? Have kids construct houses using graham crackers and icing. Then eat the houses!  

• ‘The Wise Man Built His House Upon the Rock’ Song: Do you remember singing a simple song that retells this parable as a kid? Here’s a version by Faith Baptist Church Lapaz and another by Cedarmont Kids.

YOUTUBE VIDEOS ABOUT THE PARABLE OF THE WISE AND FOOLISH BUILDER

Watching YouTube videos is a great way to have kids visualize the story. Visual learners will especially love seeing the story on screen. As always, preview the videos to ensure they fit your teaching context. Here are some suggestions:

• Parable of the Two Builders by Saddleback Kids

• God’s Story: Parable of the Two Builders by Crossroad Kids’ Club

• The Wise and Foolish Builders by LifeKids - This creative video tells the story in the form of a news report of two people preparing their houses for a storm!

WANT TO CONTINUE LEARNING ABOUT THE PARABLES OF JESUS?

This lesson is part of a five-week series on the parables Jesus told. The other stories include The Lost Sheep, The Lost Coin, The Parable of the Sower, and The Prodigal Son.

These lessons about the Parables of Jesus are also included in the 52-week Bible curriculum for little kids in preschool/kindergarten and bigger kids in first, second, and third grades.

The Wise and Foolish Builder teaches kids the importance of building their lives on a strong foundation. Through engaging activities, kids can learn to make wise choices. By reinforcing these lessons with creativity and consistency, we can help kids develop faith that stands firm through life’s storms.

Teaching the Parable of the Sower to kids is a wonderful way to help them understand the importance of a heart that is receptive to God’s Word. This timeless story, told by Jesus, uses the simple imagery of seeds and soil to illustrate how people respond differently to the Gospel. There are many ways to teach this story, including kid-friendly videos, printable lesson plans, creative crafts, and hands-on activities. Whether you teach at home, in Sunday school, or in a classroom setting, these resources will bring the parable to life and encourage children to grow in their faith!

What is the parable of the sower about?

The Parable of the Sower is found in Matthew 13:1–23, Mark 4:1–20, and Luke 8:4–15. Jesus tells a parable where a farmer scatters seeds on different types of ground. Some fall on a path and are eaten by birds, some on rocky ground and wither without roots, and some among thorns, which choke them. But seeds that fall on good soil grow and produce a great harvest. This illustrates how people receive God’s word differently—only those with open and faithful hearts truly flourish.

Parable of the Sower - Bible Lesson for Kids

Are you looking for a simple way to teach the Parable of the Sower? Our scripted lesson plans, discussion questions, and printable crafts are perfect for children aged 3 to 8.

(Click HERE for the Preschool/Kindergarten version)

Click Here for 1st, 2nd, 3rd grade version

BACKGROUND INFORMATION ABOUT THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER

A parable is a short story that Jesus used to teach people about God. These stories helped people understand what Jesus was saying because Jesus connected the stories to people’s everyday lives. Parables are also easier to remember than long speeches. 

The seeds represent the Word of God, and each soil represents different people who hear the Word of God:

• The hard path represents people with hard hearts who refuse to listen to God’s Word.

• The rocky soil represents people who initially had joy when they heard God’s Word, but it faded.

• The thorny soil represents people who worry about things and are distracted by things around them.

• The good soil represents people who hear the Word of God and do what it says.

SOWING THE SEEDS BOOKLET FOR PRESCHOOL

Young kids love to use their senses when learning, so why not bring in some real seeds to interact with? Have kids look at the seeds, feel them, smell them…you could even have them taste them (make sure to get something edible, like sunflower or pumpkin seeds). 

Once the children have observed the seeds, have them make a little booklet that retells the parable. Glue the physical seeds into the booklet. Check out The Parable of the Sower and the Seed for Preschool for template pieces.

STORY CIRCLES CRAFT FOR OLDER KIDS

Each type of soil represents a different reaction someone had when they heard the Word of God. Keeping all the representations straight can be tricky, so creating a visual representation of the story is a great way to help kids remember. 

Use the template pieces in the printable lesson The Parable of the Sower for Older Kids. Have kids match each image with the corresponding Bible verse. Glue the verse to the back of the image, punch holes in the images, and then attach them with a binder clip. Once the project is complete, kids can use these to retell the story and help them remember which soil type corresponds to each verse. 

OTHER ACTIVITIES TO TEACH ABOUT THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER

• Plant a Seed: Take time to plant a seed together. This could be done as a whole group, or each kid can plant their own seed. Discuss what plants need to grow and connect it back to what they need to do to grow in their relationship with God. 

• Soil Sensory Bins: Fill four bins with things that represent the different soil types. Use rocks, stones, twigs/thorns, and planting soil so kids can use their senses to observe the soil types. 

• Bean Bag Seed Relay Races: Set up a fun relay race where kids have a pile of beanbags at one end and run the beanbags, one at a time, to a basket at the end. The beanbags represent the seeds, and the basket represents the hole in which you plant a seed. Divide kids into teams and race to see which team can ‘plant’ all their seeds first. 

• Seed Art: Check out this incredible Air Dry Clay Seed Mosaic Craft by Raising Up Wild Things. Use various seeds to create something beautiful to help kids remember the Sower and the Seed parable.

YOUTUBE VIDEOS ABOUT THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER

Watching a YouTube video about this parable might help kids visualize what Jesus is talking about. As always, preview videos before showing them to your kids. Here are a few suggestions:

• The Parable of the Farmer and the Seed or Bible Stories for Toddlers by Saddleback Kids  

• God’s Story: Seeds and a Farmer or Storytellers: Seeds and a Farmer by Crossroad Kids’ Club 

WANT TO CONTINUE LEARNING ABOUT THE PARABLES OF JESUS?

This lesson is part of a five-week series on the parables Jesus told. The other stories include The Wise and Foolish Builders, The Lost Sheep, The Lost Coin, and The Prodigal Son.

These lessons about the Parables of Jesus are also included in the 52-week Bible curriculum for little kids in preschool/kindergarten and bigger kids in first, second, and third grades.

Teaching the Parable of the Sower helps kids understand the importance of a receptive heart and growing in their faith. There are many great ways to help make this story memorable to kids.