Cain and Abel - Genesis 4:1-16

Teaching Videos

Idea 3

Read through the story with the kids. (this is a great compact story and a colouring page combined)

  • Ask them questions while they are colouring:

  • What were the two brother’s names?

  • What did each brother offer God?

  • Which gift did God accept?

Idea 2

Read Cain and Abel - A Tale of Two Brothers (The Bible Adventure Series) to the kids.

This book has great pictures, and there are also discussion questions in the book which makes it easy for teaching. Also here are some other questions you can ask the kids as you read the book to them.

  1. Why do you think Cain became angry when God accepted Abel’s offering but not his?

  2. What could Cain have done differently when he felt upset with Abel?

  3. How do you think Abel felt about giving God his best offering?

  4. What can we learn from this story about how we should treat others, even when we're upset?

Idea 5

Act out a skit with the kids.

  • Choose people to the the Narrator, Cain, Abel, and God

  • Act out the skit. or ask the older kids to practice the skit and then perform it for the younger kids.

Idea 4

Read “Cain and Abel” on page 22 in The Story for Children: A Storybook Bible by Max Lucado, Randy Frazee, and Karen Hill

Questions:

  1. What kinds of offerings did Cain and Abel give to God?

  2. Why did Cain become angry with his brother Abel?

  3. What did God say to Cain after he became upset?

  4. How does the story of Cain and Abel teach us about jealousy?

Idea 6

Read “Brothers at War” on page 31 of the The Action Bible by Sergio Cariello

Questions:

  1. What did Cain and Abel offer to God as a sacrifice?

  2. Why did God accept Abel’s offering but not Cain’s?

  3. How did Cain feel about God favoring Abel’s offering?

  4. What did Cain do after he became jealous of Abel?

Idea 7

Tell the kids that you have two different gift ideas that you would like to show them.

  • One gift should be amazing, something really nice in a great bag, and the other gift should be terrible, like a half eaten chocolate bar in a plastic bag.

  • Ask the kids what they think of the gifts? Which one did you work hard on? How would they feel if they got the good gift and how would they feel if they got the bad gift.

  • Relate it to the story. Abels gift was a good gift and Cain didn’t work as hard at his gift. Cain didn’t give his best to God.

Idea 8

Giving our best to God.

  • Ask the kids if they can think of a way to give their best to God?

  • What does it mean to Give our best to God and what does it look like?

  • Think of a story when you gave your best to God and share it with the kids.

Click below for formal lesson plans.

Large group

Kindergarten and Grade 1

Grades 2,3

Grades 4,5

Teaching Ideas

Idea 1

Set up a murder mystery event for the kids.

  • Tell them that someone has been killed and they need to figure out who died, and why they were killed.

  • Set up the scene by setting up a kids house and inside, put up pictures of Cain and Abel with their names on them.

  • Outside of the house have two different platters, one with a nice piece of steak and another with some fruits and vegetables that don’t look very good.

  • Put up a sign that says Garden of Eden pointing one way and Nod pointing the other.

  • Have two people act as Adam and Eve. They can be in or around the house and very upset about what has happened.

  • Set up a grave site for Abel.

  • Let the kids walk around and ask questions. Keep going until the get the whole story.