The Parable of the Lost Son craft helps children retell Jesus’ story from Luke 15:11-32 while exploring forgiveness, repentance, restoration, and unconditional love. The story shows a father running to meet his returning son with open arms, a joyful welcome, and a celebration.
This craft shows the father running to his son - arms open, face full of joy. It’s a picture of what unconditional love looks like. The father didn’t wait for an apology or a promise of good behaviour. He ran. He embraced. He celebrated.
The Parable of the Lost Son
The “Parable of the Lost Son” is also called the “Parable of the Prodigal Son,” and it was taught by Jesus when he walked on this earth. The story can be found in Luke 15:11-32.
It is about a son who has decided he didn’t want to wait for his father to die before he received his inheritance, so he asked for it early. His father gave it to him, and he went off and spent it all on “wild living.” Soon, he had nothing and dreamed of eating the slop that pigs were being fed.
He figured out that his father’s servants had more than him, so he returned to his father with the plea, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Make me like one of your servants.”
First of all, the father was waiting in anticipation and ran out with wide arms to greet him. Rather than condemn the son when he returned, the father threw a celebration for the son. He eagerly and quickly forgave and embraced his son completely.
The Father’s Welcome
My favorite image from the story of The Prodigal Son is of the father running to meet his son. I love how the arms open wide with a willingness to forgive. I also like how they interlock to show a big embrace as the son returns to the father.
“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
“The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
“But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate.
“For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.
Craft Theme: Welcome Home
With this craft I wanted to emphasize the “welcome home” the father gave to his returning son. This is exactly how our Heavenly Father feels about us. He created you. He loves you. He is eagerly waiting for you to turn to Him for grace and forgiveness.
He wants to move forward in a restored relationship with you. I want my kids to understand this beyond anything else. There is NOTHING that can separate us from the love of God.
We may feel like our sins our insurmountable, but Jesus told this parable in anticipation of his death on the cross that offers forgiveness of sin and restoration of our relationship with God. What exciting news to tell our kids.
In the Christian world, where kids hear rules and commandments, it’s easy for young minds to think that God’s love is based on their behaviour. Use this story to completely erase that lie.
Tell them: just like the father in the story never stopped loving his son, no matter how many bad decisions he made, God is just like that towards us. When God looks at us, He doesn’t love us because of any good thing that we do. He doesn’t love us less if we make a bad choice. He just loves us. Period.
Help your children understand that the Father’s love is not a reward for good behaviour - it’s a gift, freely given, to every child He creates.
Craft 1: Welcome Home Door
This door was created with two different sizes of craft sticks adhered together with white glue. We added a welcome home greeting and a button for a door knob.
You can decorate yours with paper punch shapes or stickers. I added the verses above to the back.
Materials
- Two different sizes of craft sticks
- White glue
- A button for a door knob
- Paper punch shapes or stickers
- A welcome home greeting
- The verses from Luke 15:20-24
Instructions
- Adhere two different sizes of craft sticks together with white glue to create the door.
- Add a welcome home greeting.
- Attach a button for a door knob.
- Decorate the door with paper punch shapes or stickers.
- Add the verses from Luke 15:20-24 to the back.
Craft 2: Father’s Open Arms Craft
I wanted to do a craft to drive home this point. This craft shows the father running to his son - arms open, face full of joy.
I chose the verse, “In Him we have the redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance of the riches of God’s grace.” - Ephesians 1:7.
Although this has some big words that need explaining, it’s such a rich verse that can bring such hope to all of us. After all, we are ALL sinners and can only come into God’s presence because of his abundant forgiveness and grace.
Materials
- Construction paper or colorful card stock
- A ruler
- Scissors
- A printable with the verse and head outline
- Google eyes
- A Sharpie or another pen
- White glue
- Twine or yarn
Instructions
- Use a piece of construction paper or colorful card stock. Measure in 3 inches along the length of the paper and draw a guide line.
- This was a great opportunity to teach kids how to measure and draw straight lines using a ruler.
- Have your kids cut along your guide lines. This will give you a strip of paper 3″ by 11.”
- Fold this paper into thirds.
- You or your kids will want to cut out the printable I made for you.
- Printable with Just the Verse and Head Outline - Older kids can do the google eyes and draw in their own face.
- Printable with Drawn in Face - Easier for Sunday School Lessons and younger kids to color.
- Draw around your kids’ hands and cut them out.
- Kids can now glue down the verse/head and hands.
- I recommend using a glue stick for paper crafts like this.
- Kids can use a Sharpie or another pen to create the mouth and nose.
- I like to use white glue to attach the eyes.
- The final step is to add on the hair.
- I used twine, but you could use yarn too.
- Again, I used white glue for this part.
- They can add hair on top of the head or facial hair too.
Craft 3: The Prodigal Son Paper Scene
How big is the Father’s love for us? So big we cannot measure it. Yet Jesus told stories people could relate to.
In the parable of the prodigal son, no matter how “bad” the son was, it wasn’t a factor in how much the father loved him.
Use this story to completely erase the lie that God’s love is based on behaviour. The father ran, embraced, and celebrated his son, and the craft gives children a simple way to act out that welcome.
Materials and Equipment
- Printer paper
- Colouring tools
- Craft knife (adults only!)
Instructions
- Colour in.
- Cut out all pieces.
- Adults, use a craft knife to cut along the dotted line.
- Fold both lines on the father.
- Glue the bottom flap together to strengthen it.
- Fold the dashed line on the scene backward.
- Insert the father into the slot.
- Help him run to meet his son!!
Craft 4: Parables of the Lost Things
Jesus tells these parables to reminds us that He is never too quick to forget about those that are lost and that we shouldn’t;t be either. I love that this is the mission of our church and we are reminded of it so frequently that we could not forget.
We must have a heart for the lost. Use this week’s craft to retell the parables.
Items You Need
- Crayons
- Green construction paper or a piece of paper colored green
- Glue
- 2 craft sticks
- About 5 cotton balls
- Scissors
Directions
- Start by reading Luke 15.
- You can have your child color the printable.
- Cut across the dotted line.
- Cut out the sheep pieces.
- Glue on the cotton balls to the large circle.
- Then add the head piece and the little legs.
- Cut out the roman coin piece and color it.
- Glue the coin to the back of the sheep and wedge a craft stick between the two pieces.
- Next start on the pig.
- Glue the snout pice below the eyes.
- Bend the top pf the triangle down and glue off to one side of the head and do the same to the other side.
- Color the lost son and glue to the back side of the pig with the last craft stick wedged between.
- Take the construction paper and cut in in about half.
- Cut it to about an inch from the edge in strips making close cuts to resemble grass.
- Glue this along the edge of the grass printable.
- Now you have all the pieces available to tell the stories of the lost things in the parables of lost things and they can get “lost” in the grass.
Craft 5: Prodigal Pig in the Mud
The story of the prodigal son provides us with a comforting reminder that God loves us and forgives us, no matter what we do. Even when we make mistakes, He is faithful and loves us as His dear children.
These crafts serve to recount and act out the story for children. A “pig in the mud” is a fun and creative illustration of the son’s hopeless despair and moment of return to his senses, plus, it’s just fun to craft pigs.
Materials
- Partial paper towel or toilet paper tube (optional)
- Glue or tape
- Scissors
- Construction paper, cardstock or cardboard
- Markers or decorating materials
- Stickers, glitter, jewels, or other decorations
Procedure
- Decorate paper or cardstock with verses or captions.
- Consider using a brown “mud-colored” paper for the background.
- Cut shapes out of pink (or other “pig-colored”) paper to create a pig shape.
- Glue onto the background paper.
- Add ears, eyes, and tail.
- If desired, attach partial paper towel or toilet paper tube as “snout.”
- Add extra stickers, glitter, and decorations as desired.
- Display to recall the story and need to not “eat with the pigs”!
Craft 6: Prodigal Son Puppet
A double-sided puppet helps to tell the parable and engage with it, considering how the son was before and after leaving-and returning- home.
Materials
- Scissors
- Construction paper or cardstock
- Glue and/or tape
- Decorative materials such as markers, crayons, and stickers
- Paper bag or paper plate
- Cloth or felt (optional)
Procedure
- Decorate the bag or plate to be a two-sided puppet.
- On one side, create an interpretation of the “extravagant” or rich son.
- Use felt or cloth for robes, gems for rings on fingers, and other items to represent the son in “privileged” state.
- On the other side of the puppet, depict a sad and poverty-stricken son, with rags and mournful features.
- Perhaps even smear or draw some dirt on this side.
- Add verses or captions as desired.
- Use the puppet to tell the story.
- The “rich side” can show the son when first running away, as well as after returning home.
- The “poor side” can be used to exhibit the action in the middle of the story.
- If desired, make additional puppets to portray the father, brother, and pigs in the story!
Bible Verses and Craft Captions
“For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.” - Matthew 6:14
And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. -Luke 15:20
For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate. -Luke 15:24
Don’t be a pig in the mud!
Riches…to rags…to riches… the story of the Prodigal Son!
Teaching Forgiveness Through the Craft
Adding onto my character series, I am focusing on teaching kids about forgiveness through this parable of the lost son craft.
The story I paraphrased at times and read directly at times. I want to make the story accessible to kids, so I find that I like to explain things as I go along and simply some of the terminology.
I like to have my Bible sitting open as I tell the story to the kids so they really can see the source. You can also read the story from the Jesus Storybook Bible.
The father loved his son dearly, and wanted nothing more to be in a right relationship with him again. This is exactly how our Heavenly Father feels about us.
The “Parable of the Lost Son” can help children understand that forgiveness restores relationships and that returning home is met with compassion rather than condemnation.