Free Bible lesson for kids · In the Beginning
Where Art Thou?
The serpent tempted Eve, and Adam and Eve ate the fruit God had told them not to eat. They hid, but God came looking for them, and He promised that one day the woman’s Seed would crush the serpent’s head.
- Bible passage
- Genesis 3:1–24
- Big idea
- When we sin, God comes looking for us.
- Memory verse
And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?
Genesis 3:9 (KJV)- Ages
- Preschool to preteen (3 to 12), with tips for each age
- Time
- About 45 minutes
- Included, free
- Animated story film, coloring page, class sheet, teacher guide, questions and answers, a game
The story
The crafty serpent asked the woman, “Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?” (Genesis 3:1). Then he lied: “Ye shall not surely die” (Genesis 3:4). The woman took the fruit and ate, and she gave some to her husband, and he ate too (Genesis 3:6). Their eyes were opened, and they made aprons of fig leaves (Genesis 3:7). When they heard the voice of the LORD God, they hid among the trees (Genesis 3:8).
The LORD God called to Adam, “Where art thou?” (Genesis 3:9). Adam blamed the woman, and the woman blamed the serpent (Genesis 3:12–13). God said that the woman’s Seed would one day bruise the serpent’s head (Genesis 3:15). Sin brought sorrow, hard work and death (Genesis 3:16–19). God made coats of skins and clothed Adam and Eve. Then He sent them out of the garden (Genesis 3:21–24).
Read it in the Bible: Genesis 3:1–24 (KJV)
1Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? 2And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: 3But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. 4And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: 5For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. 6And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. 7And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons. 8And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden. 9And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? 10And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. 11And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat? 12And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. 13And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat. 14And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: 15And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. 16Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee. 17And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; 18Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; 19In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return. 20And Adam called his wife’s name Eve; because she was the mother of all living. 21Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them. 22And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever: 23Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. 24So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.
Questions to ask
Who tempted Eve?
The serpent.
What did Adam and Eve do when they heard God?
They hid themselves among the trees of the garden.
What did God promise in Genesis 3:15?
The woman’s Seed would bruise the serpent’s head (a promise of Jesus).
What this story teaches
- The tempter tries to make us doubt God’s word (Genesis 3:1, 4).
- Sin breaks our friendship with God and makes us hide (Genesis 3:8–10).
- Blaming others does not take away our sin (Genesis 3:12–13).
- God comes looking for sinners who hide from Him (Genesis 3:9).
- God promised a Saviour who would defeat the serpent (Genesis 3:15).
Jesus Seeks and Saves
God called to Adam and Eve when they hid. Jesus, the promised Seed, came to seek and to save those who are lost.
Luke 19:10
A 45-minute lesson plan
| 5 min | Welcome and pray. Greet each child by name and pray: Tell God we are sorry for our sins and thank Him for sending Jesus. |
|---|---|
| 10 min | The story. Play the story film: each verse appears on screen in the King James Version while the scene plays. Pause to ask what happens next. |
| 10 min | Talk about it. Ask the three questions below. Then ask: “When we sin, God comes looking for us.” What does that mean for us? |
| 5 min | Memory verse. Say Genesis 3:9 together, covering one word at a time until the children can say it alone. |
| 10 min | Activity. Younger children color the coloring page while you retell the story; older children do the class sheet (memory-verse fill-in, word search and questions). |
| 5 min | Pray and send home. Pray together and send the sheet home so families can talk about the first question this week. |
- Preschool: keep it short and physical. Act out the story, use a simple prop, and repeat the big idea in one sentence.
- Elementary: let children find the passage in their own Bibles. Ask “who, what, where” questions first, then “why.”
- Preteens: read the verses before and after the passage, and ask how this story fits the whole story of the Bible.
Game time
For kids · game · indoors · about 12 minutes
Where Art Thou?
You need: Safe places to hide
- Everyone hides while the seeker counts.
- The seeker calls, “Where art thou?” and every hider must answer, “Here I am!” from where they are.
- The seeker follows the voices. The first one found is the next seeker.
Adam and Eve hid, but God came looking for them, and He promised a Saviour. God still comes looking for us.
For youth group · activity · indoors · about 20 minutes
The Blame Game
You need: Scenario cards
- Small groups act out a quick scene where everyone blames someone else, like Adam blamed Eve and Eve blamed the serpent.
- Then replay it with someone honestly owning their part.
- Talk: why is blaming easier than confessing? Read 1 John 1:9.
God called, “Where art thou?” Coming out of hiding and being honest is where grace begins.
Pray
Tell God we are sorry for our sins and thank Him for sending Jesus.