Widows Mite Bible Activities

Give the children 10 coins. These can be real pennies, play coins or candy coins. On the table have labels along a road. Tell the children you are taking a walk. Explain that at every stop they will need to lay out the amount required in front of them.

At the first stop tell the children, “Here you pay rent for your house. Lay down three coins.” The next stop is for house supplies of water for washing and drinking, oil for the lamps and straw for bedding, which takes two coins. Give up one coin for food, another coin for clothing and other expenses. Taxes come next with one coin, leaving two coins. Show there are three places left to spend their coins. They can buy a treat at a store, save their coins at a bank or give them in the church offering box. Discuss what they can do and what they would do. Read the story from Luke 21:1–4. Let the children keep all their coins at the end of the activity.

Tell or read the story of the widow's mite. Focus the lesson on trust. The widow trusted that God would take care of her even when she gave all she had. Have the children memorize Proverbs 3:5–6 about trusting God. Make a coin purse. Use an envelop the children decorate, cutting out coins to put inside and adding their memory verse to the outside. Make the purse from felt, cutting back and front pieces, with the back longer for use as a closing flap. Punch holes and lace with ribbon or yarn. Decorate with glitter, buttons and markers. Buy coin purse kits and have the children lace up leather coin purses with plastic lacing.

Teach a lesson on the widow's mite from Luke and Mark focusing on how much the widow loved God. She loved God enough to give all she had left to live on. Use the memory verse from Mark 12:30–31 about loving God and others. Emphasize that giving to others in need is also loving God. Talk about what the children could do with their money or possessions. Cut a large circle out of gold or silver card stock.

Have children add the text, “What Will I Give Jesus?” with the memory verse beneath. Let them decorate around the text. Make a coin out of cardboard the children cover with foil.

Have them cut letters out of construction paper to glue onto the coin hanging. Use large plastic lids.

Write the text and decorate with markers, stickers and glitter. Glue unused CDs together with the shiny play-side out. Glue a loop of yarn of ribbon between the CDs for hanging. On one side add the “What Will I Give Jesus?” with the memory verse on the other side.

Provide a coloring page of the widow's mite story. Make sure there is about a two-inch plain area around the edges of the picture. Show the children how to place coins under the paper and rub a crayon over them. Do this around the picture to make a rubbed coin border.