I’ve been asked to tell the story of The Woman at the Well to toddlers. It’s a complicated story for under 4’s – lots of conversation and difficult concepts. So here is my attempt – I’ve left out some of the detail that would be lost on young children . Left to myself I would probably have just told a different story! But a challenge can be good so here is my retelling of John 4:1-42.

Our story has lots of surprises – as we listen lets count the surprises as they happen (each time you come to a surprise hold up the word – I know the children probably can’t read it but the adults can)

Jesus and his friends were on a long journey. They were hungry, hot and tired. They stopped just outside a town and while Jesus’ friends went to buy food Jesus sat down by the well. It was very quiet. No one came near the well in the middle of the day. 

But then there was a surprise. A woman, carrying a large jar came to the well. She needed to get water. She wanted to avoid everyone in town so she came by herself. 

Jesus asked her if she would get some water for him. This was a surprise! Normally people who were from Jesus’ town wouldn’t speak to people from this woman’s town. They avoided each other.

Then there was another surprise. Jesus knew all about the woman. He told her everything she had ever done. How could he do that? Jesus is God and he knows all about all of us. 

Can there be any more surprises? Yes! The woman went back to the town she told everyone she had met Jesus and he knew all abut her. 

They came to find Jesus. Right there at their well they met Jesus. This was a huge surprise for them! They had met the Saviour of the World. 

That is who Jesus is – he was sent from God to be the Saviour of the World. A Saviour for me and for you.

The props are quite simple – a doll to represent Jesus and the woman. A small jar for the water jar (mine is glass but the children won’t be handling it) and a picture of a well.