Use this free One Thankful Leper lesson (Luke 17:11-19) with kids ages 6 to 12 in Sunday school or children’s church on any Sunday before Thanksgiving. It is a printable PDF with a teaching plan for about 45 to 60 minutes.
Maybe I was a weird kid, but I always liked Thanksgiving more than Christmas. And I think for a lot of families, it’s a time just to enjoy being together…
Tony Kummer, founder of Ministry-to-Children, in 2026
Luke 17 adds one question to the Thanksgiving table. Who remembers to say thank you?
What is inside the free One Thankful Leper lesson
The download covers Luke 17:11-19, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 and Philippians 4:6-7. You pick the NIV, ESV or KJV version.
- A 17-page teaching plan that stands alone, written for elementary ages and adaptable for kindergarten through 6th grade
- Attention-keeping activities to open the lesson
- An object lesson, with a video demonstration
- Game suggestions
- Craft ideas, with a video demonstration
- A coloring page and a word find worksheet
- A memory verse poster
Free printable: One Thankful Leper lesson (PDF, NIV, KJV or ESV)
Who this ten lepers lesson for kids is for
It is for the Sunday school teacher or children’s church volunteer with a mixed-age room and not much prep time. The plan is flexible for mixed age groups.
The craft list is simple: construction paper, paper bags, glue, popsicle sticks, stickers, googly eyes, felt, pipe cleaners, tape, scissors and Bibles. No supplies on hand? Skip the craft and use the coloring page and word find instead.
How to teach the thankful leper lesson in one hour
Here is one order for the hour, using the parts in the download. Adjust it to your room.
- Open with an attention-keeping activity from the plan.
- Tell the story from the teaching plan, then read Luke 17:11-19 aloud from a Bible.
- Show the object lesson with its video.
- Ask the kids who came back to say thank you in the story, and what that man did.
- Choose one game or the craft.
- Finish with the coloring page, the word find and the memory verse poster.
The one leper who came back: Luke 17:11-19 in a minute
Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem, passing between Samaria and Galilee. Ten men with leprosy stood at a distance and called out for mercy. Jesus told them to go show themselves to the priests, and as they went, they were cleansed.
When one of them saw that he was healed, he came back, praising God in a loud voice.
Luke 17:15 (BSB)
He fell facedown at Jesus’ feet, and he was a Samaritan.
Jesus then asked about the others.
“Were not all ten cleansed?” Jesus asked. “Where then are the other nine? Was no one found except this foreigner to return and give glory to God?” Then Jesus said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well!”
Luke 17:17-19 (BSB)
Lessons from the ten lepers kids can understand
- Mercy comes first. All ten men were cleansed. The printable notes that Jesus did not punish the nine who did not return.
- Saying thanks takes a turn-around. One man saw he was healed and came back.
- Thanks is worship. He praised God in a loud voice and fell facedown at Jesus’ feet.
- The thankful one was an outsider. Luke calls him a Samaritan, and Jesus calls him a foreigner.
A verse to send home with the kids: Give thanks in every circumstance, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:18, BSB)
Why did only one leper come back, and were all ten healed?
Yes, all ten were healed. Luke says they were cleansed as they went, and Jesus asks, “Were not all ten cleansed?”
Why only one returned, Luke does not say. The text shows three details. The men were on the road Jesus sent them down. The one who returned saw that he was healed and turned around. He was a Samaritan.
An honest answer for kids is that the Bible does not give the reason. It does show what the one man did with his thanks.
Add free Thanksgiving coloring pages
Kids who finish early can keep going with the free Thanksgiving Coloring Pages. The PDF has eight single coloring sheets and a thankful pilgrims craft project.
About this lesson
Kristin Highley wrote this lesson for The Sunday School Store. Sunday School Works is a free ministry of The Sunday School Store.
Want a longer Thanksgiving series? The free Week 1 lesson from Bible Bake Off is a complete lesson for ages 6 to 12, with a script, game, object lesson, craft and word search. More ideas are in the Thanksgiving Sunday school lessons collection.
How do you teach thankfulness in the weeks before Thanksgiving? Tell other teachers in the comments.
