The series “Jesus Visits People’s Homes” features stories suitable for toddler groups. These narratives highlight relatable home settings for young children, making Bible stories easier to grasp. Six stories depict various homes Jesus visited, including Simon’s, Levi’s, and Mary and Martha’s. Each story is linked to craft ideas, such as creating home collages from shapes. Additionally, play activities are suggested, like setting up a home corner to encourage imaginative play related to the stories.
Jesus visits people’s homes story series. These stories can be used at toddler groups. I really enjoyed telling these stories to young children. There is something familiar about the setting of the domestic home that children can easily relate to and understand – a good place to start when telling Bible stories to very young children.
Here you’ll find six different stories to tell all about homes that Jesus visited and the people who lived in them. Click on the links for the story ideas.
Most of the links will also contain a craft idea. For an optional idea see if you can make collages of homes and houses using shapes. Provide various shapes of houses/flats and smaller squares for windows and doors and glue.
Jesus visits people’s homes story series craft ideas
Make a houseman made betterman on his matPeter’s mother in law
Jesus visits people’s homes play ideas
home cornerdinner time
Set up a home corner with tables, chairs, a cooker, sink, pots and pans and crockery and pretend food.
Some more ideas for a home corner are in this blog post.
Jesus calls Levi is found in Mark 2:13-17 , Luke 5:27-28 and Matthew 9:9-13 In Matthew’s gospel Levi is called Matthew. When you tell the story it’s up to you which name to use.
To tell the story you need some props for Levi and the Lord Jesus , a picture of a house, some of Levi’s friends. I’ve used a set of power point pictures from lampbiblepictures.co.uk You have to purchase from the site but they are good value. I won’t be using them as a power point but as printed pictures that I’ve attached to lollipop sticks. I’ve also made a large house picture that opens up to reveal Levi and his friends having a meal with Jesus.
Jesus calls Levi – Bible story
There was once a man called Levi who had a job that meant that most people didn’t like him very much at all! I wonder what that job was? Let’s say hello to Levi and find out.
Hello Levi! (Take Levi out of the story bag)
Levi! Aren’t you going to say hello?
He’s too busy counting all the money. Levi is a tax collector. Everyone thinks he is really awful. His only friends are other tax collectors. He probably takes too much money and keeps some for himself.
One day someone comes along to just where Levi is sitting doing his job, collecting the money. But this isn’t just anyone walking along, this person is Jesus. He knows all about Levi. He knows he isn’t a good person. he knows he does things that are wrong and unfair. What is Jesus going to do?
Jesus looks at Levi and he says to him, ‘Follow me’.
Levi stops counting the money. Levi gets up and he follows Jesus. And Levi wants his friends, all the other tax collectors to meet Jesus too so he invites them all to his home for some food.
Some people were cross! ‘Look at what Jesus is doing’, they said. ‘Doesn’t he know how bad those people are?’ But Jesus said, ‘I’ve come to help the people who know they need me.’
Some of the pictures below are from Lampbiblepictures. The large house picture opens up to show Levi’s friends
Jesus calls Levi – craft idea
I really like a ‘lift the flap’ craft and this one is very simple. Part of the craft is the house and inside are some people.
All you need
House printed on to A4 (portrait) and folded in half (if you use the download below the house will be in the lower half of the A4 page – and this is right.)
Group of people printed out. You need a group of 4 for each house. (Have some extra as children often use more than 1)
Tissue paper, crayons, glue to decorate the house and the people
Jesus heals the Centurions Servant video. This is the last short story in the Homes Jesus Visited series. The house that Jesus never visited! The story is from Luke 7:1-10. The pictures used in the video are from Free Bible Images
It’s a lovely series of Bible Stories for toddler group and pre-school. Young children know what home is and so we are starting with something familiar and building the story around that.
The pictures in the video are from Free Bible Images. A great website full of useful resources. The words are my own based on Luke 5:27-32. The name Matthew has been used for simplicity.
Zacchaeus story, video and craft for young children.
Zacchaeus story telling idea
Jesus was walking along the road to a town called Jericho. Lots of people wanted to see Jesus as he walked through their town. They had heard a lot about all the amazing things that he had done.
One man really wanted to see Jesus. His name was Zacchaeus (can you say that name?) Let’s say hello to Zacchaeus as he comes out of the story bag.
Now Zacchaeus was very, very rich. He had loads of money. Some of his money he had by taking what wasn’t his! So people didn’t like Zacchaeus.
But that wasn’t all. Zacchaeus was a short man. So when Jesus was coming to his town he had a problem! He couldn’t see past the crowds! The crowds of people didn’t like Zacchaeus so they weren’t going to let him get to the front. Standing on tip toe didn’t help either. So Zacchaeus began to run. He ran to a tree. Then he did something that he hadn’t done for a long, long time. He climbed the tree. Now he could see Jesus.
And there Jesus was, walking along the road. And then Jesus stopped! Right under the tree. ‘Zacchaeus, come down. I’m coming to your house today!’ said Jesus.
Zacchaeus came down the tree. ‘I will give back all the money that isn’t mine and I will give extra money too’ he said.
Zacchaeus was a different person now that he had met Jesus.
Jesus said ‘I came to look for and to save the lost’. All of us are lost without Jesus. He is looking for us and is able to find and save us.
Zacchaeus story video
Zacchaeus craft idea
Craft Idea – download and print the tree and Zacchaeus. Decorate with tissue and /or sugar paper and colour. Stick Zacchaeus in the tree.
Homes Jesus visited – the crowded house is a short video story for young children to enjoy. It is a retelling of a Bible story from Mark 2:1-22
Take a look at the other videos in the series by vising let their light shine’s You Tube channel where you will find stories for young children and some short videos about telling stories.
The Crowded house craft ideas
Here’s a link to an easy craft based on this story
Here’s a craft using an envelope. This is better suited to older children (we made it with reception age – 4/5 year olds) To make you need…
Blank square envelope
Face stickers
Man on a mat
Yarn
Tissue paper for the bricks (or colour these with crayons)
Turn the envelope into a house by adding windows and a door. Add faces to the windows so the house is full. Add yarn to the man on his mat and colour. The children can enjoy making this craft and suing it to retell the story.
Homes Jesus visited – the crowded house craft step by step
If you would like to use the man on the mat visual go to Teachkids.eu by clicking this link. Download Little kids can know God through his miracles. It’s a free download. Then go to page 79 where you will find the man on the mat. There are lots of other things in the download too!
I’ve had a go at making a short video to share with our toddler group parents. If you like it and want to use it feel free! I’m still learning how to do this so any hints and tips welcome 🙂
The pictures are from Free Bible Images. The words are my own.
Man with four friends craft is ideal for young children to make with minimal help. Sometimes it’s nice to make a craft that you can also use for telling and retelling the Bible story and this craft does just that as you make the man and his mat!
The story is from Matthew 9:1-8; Mark 2:1-12 and Luke 5:17-26.
Man with four friends story idea
Our story begins in a house with a flat roof and some steps up the side. It had windows and a door. I wonder what could be happening in this house? We are not told who lived in this home, (show the house) but when Jesus arrived lots of people went to the house to meet him. They squashed themselves inside. There was hardly any room. The house was full!
In another part of town there was a man who couldn’t walk. He lay on his bed. (show the man on his bed) He needed the help of his friends everyday. Let’s count the friends together as they come out of the story bag – 1,2,3,4
His friends wanted him to see Jesus.
So, they picked him up and carried him to the house where Jesus was – carefully, carefully they carried their friend through the town to the house where Jesus was…
…they believed Jesus could help their friend.
When they arrived at the house they could not get in the front door because of the crowd. They didn’t give up!
They carried him up the outside stairs and onto the roof – slowly, slowly – carefully, carefully…
…they made a hole in the roof, then – slowly, slowly, carefully, carefully they lowered him down in front of Jesus!
When Jesus saw that they really believed he could help the man he said, “Your sins are forgiven.”
Some people in the house didn’t believe that Jesus could forgive the wrong people do. So, Jesus said to the man, “So that you can be sure that I can forgive sin, get up, pick up your mat and go home.” Straight away and really quickly he got up, rolled up his mat, and walked home!
All the people in the house were amazed!!
‘We never saw anything like this!’ They said to one another.
All you need to make the man with four friends craft..
For the craft we made the man’s mat by decorating sugar paper with large pieces of tissue paper and then we made a man – on one side he was happy and on the other side he was sad. We used fabric for clothes and wool for hair.
People shapes – if you can get skin coloured shapes rather than bright white
Yarn for hair
Fabric for clothes
Crayons
Sugar paper for the man’s mat – you want to be able to roll and unroll this
Tissue paper
When telling the story I pretended to carry the man up the steps to the roof of a house and then lower him down to the feet of Jesus. The paper mat was rolled up as part of the story too.
The people shapes are from Baker Ross via Amazon. This is an affiliate link – if you click and purchase you won’t be charged any extra but I will receive a small commission to help fund the blog – so a big thank you if you support in this way. It’s much appreciated.
This is a short video of this story for young children to enjoy!
To tell the story I used some simple pictures. I introduced ‘Jairus’ first and asked the children to repeat his name and say hello.
The pictures I used were a selection of symbols and a photo of a house that I made from a shoe box, and one phrase. I realise that the children weren’t necessarily going to be able to read this but the adult listeners are there too! Plus is a useful prompt for the storyteller 🙂 They are all held together with string and so make one large visual aid by the end of the story.
Jairus’s daughter story idea
In our story today something very sad happens but it has a happy ending!
Jesus was very famous and lots and lots of people crowded round him to see him. But one man in the crowd really needed Jesus’ help. He needed Jesus to come to his house straightaway.
This man’s name was Jairus (can you say that?). He was very sad.
He knelt down in front of Jesus and pleaded with him, ‘please come to my house and help! Mt daughter is dying and I need you to come and see her, lay your hands on her and make her better.’
What would Jesus do? He went with Jairus to go the house.
But on the way there Jesus stopped to help someone else and things were taking too long. Jairus knew they needed to hurry but Jesus had stopped walking!
Some one came from Jairus’ house, ‘Don’t bring Jesus back with you. It’s too late. Your daughter has died.’ It was such sad news.
Jesus heard what they had said. He looked at Jairus and told him, ‘Don’t be afraid. Just believe.’
They carried on to Jairus’ home and they went inside.
Jesus held the hand of the little girl and he said to her, ‘ Little girl, arise’
What do you think happened? The little girl got up! She began to walk around.
‘Get her something to eat’, Jesus said to her family. Can you imagine how happy they felt! They were amazed at what Jesus had done.
Jesus was able to bring the little girl back to life because Jesus is God the Son.
Simon’s Mother in Law was ill in bed with a fever. This is a simple craft/story telling prop idea for the story of her being healed from Mark 1:29-31.
The bed is made from an egg box and the people from cardboard rolls. If you wanted to make larger people you could easily use Pringle cartons (instructions in this post) or similar and a shoebox for a bed.
Simon’s mother in law story
‘Jesus had met some fishermen by the lake of Galilee. Do you know what fishermen do? Yes, that’s right, they catch fish!
Their names were Simon and Andrew, who were brothers and James and John who were also brothers.
Jesus called them to be his followers.
One day Jesus went to the home of Simon and Andrew. Even though they were grown ups they lived in the same home with their families. Their friends James and John were there too.
It’s really nice to have friends visit us isn’t it? But things weren’t happy in this home… everyone was sad.
Simon’s mother-in-law was very poorly. She had a temperature and had to stay in bed.
When Jesus found out that she was poorly he went to see her. He cared about her. He cares about you and me too.
Jesus held her hand and helped her get up – and she was better!!
Now I couldn’t have done that. And you couldn’t have done that. But Jesus could because Jesus is God.
Simon’s mother-in-law was so happy to be well. The first thing she did was to start looking after her friends and she made them something to eat.
Everyone in the house was happy!’
A video of this story
There is a craft idea for this Bible Story in this post. Take a look!
One of the homes Jesus visited was the place where the paralysed man was healed. Luke 5:17- 26. If you look very closely you can just see crowds of people in the model of the house. To tell the story to young children you could use lego duplo figures.( Of course avoid the clearly identifiable charcters such as Bob the Builder) The mat is brown paper and material – chosen because it has to be rolled up. It fits really well in the duplo figures hand.
If you didn’t want to use duplo for telling the story you could let a small group play with the figures and model afterwards to retell the story to you.
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