Using finger puppets is a great way to teach a bible lesson your children will remember. The little puppets keep the children’s attention as you use them to teach, and then they can color their own set to take home. Reinforce the lesson by asking the children to tell a short version of the bible account with you using their puppets after they complete them.

Click on “Print this Resource” and print the finger puppets for this lesson on card stock or heavy paper. Have your set prepared in advance, cut out enough to distribute to the children to color after the lesson.

Carefully cut out each puppet, making sure to cut the lines on the bottom of each one only halfway through the base. These cutlines are designed to fit different sized hands. After the puppet is colored, form a ring by inserting a cutline from one side into a cutline from the other side. Slip on your finger and share the bible account. (Have some tape nearby in case any of the children tear their puppets.)

Prodigal Son Finger Puppet Lesson

Jesus told about a man that had 2 sons. Here’s the father (put father on finger). Here’s the older son (put older son on finger). Here’s the younger son (put younger son on finger).

One day the younger son (point to younger son) came and talked to his father (point to father). The younger son (point to younger son) said, “Father, someday part of all you have will belong to me. I want you to give me my part now.”

How do you think the father felt (point to father, listen to answers)? I think the father must have felt sad, but he loved his son very much, so he gave each of his sons (point to the sons) a portion of what he had.

What do you think the younger son did (take away father and older son and listen to answers)? The younger son took the money his father gave him and went to a faraway country. He spent it all partying. He was hanging out with the wrong crowd. He was acting wild and doing things he knew were wrong. When his money was gone, so were the people he thought were his friends.

Then things got even worse. There was a famine in the land. That means there was hardly any food. He was hungry and the only job he could find was feeding pigs (put pigs on fingers). How would you like that job? That young man was Jewish. Jewish people don’t eat pigs. They don’t touch pigs. They don’t like to be around pigs. That was a terrible job for him.

He was so hungry he wanted to eat the food he was feeding the pigs. Yuck! Then he remembered his father’s house. His father had hired servants that had plenty to eat. He decided to go back to his father’s house. He said to himself, “I will say to my father, ‘I have sinned against heaven and against you. I’m not longer worthy of being called your son. Make me a hired servant.’ (take pigs off)”

He got up and went to his father’s house (put father on finger). What do you think his father did? He ran to his younger son and hugged him and kissed him. He called his servants and said “My son is home! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and shoes on his feet. Get the fatted calf. We’re going to celebrate.”

The older son was out in the field (take off the father and younger son, put the older son on your finger). When he heard the music and dancing, he asked a servant what was happening. When the servant said there was a celebration because his younger brother had come home, he got so angry he wouldn’t go into the house.

His father came out and talked to him (put father on finger). The older son (point to older son) told his father that he had served him faithfully, but he never gave a celebration for him. Now he was having a celebration for the younger son who had wasted all his money on wild living. I think the older son was jealous, don’t you?

The father (point to the father) said, “You are here with me and all I have is yours. We should rejoice and be glad for your brother was lost and now is found.”

(put down all puppets) What do you think we can learn from this lesson? (listen to answers)

Do you think the younger son made some bad choices running off and doing things he knew were wrong?

We shouldn’t do things we know are wrong should we?

Do you think the father loved the younger son even though he did bad things?

Do you think God loves us even though we do bad things? He sure does, but he wants us to stop doing those bad things and obey Him. Just like the younger son went back to his father to ask for forgiveness, we should ask God to forgive us for the bad things we do.

Do you remember how the older son got angry when he heard the celebration? We shouldn’t get angry like he did. We should be happy when someone turns away from the bad things they are doing and comes to God.