The Lost Coin

Luke 15:8-10


Our true story comes from the parts of the Bible called the Gospel of Luke. Luke loved Jesus and wanted others to know and love Jesus, too. And the word gospel means “good news!”

One day, Jesus told a story about a woman who had ten silver coins. She kept her coins safe in her home. Each coin was very important to her.

But one day, one coin was missing! The woman looked and looked. She could not find it anywhere. So, she lit a lamp to see better. She took a broom and swept the whole house. She searched carefully in every corner. She did not stop looking until she found the lost coin!

And then—she found it! The woman was so happy. She called her friends and neighbors and said, “Come celebrate with me! I found my lost coin!”

Jesus said that God is like the woman in the story. God cares about every person. And when someone who is lost is found, God is very happy!

Key Takeaway for Preschoolers

You are very important to God. He loves you and is happy when you come to Him!


Dear God,

Thank You for loving us and for knowing how important each person is. Thank You for the story of the woman who searched carefully for her lost coin. Help us remember that we are precious to You. Thank You for always caring about us and for being happy when we come to You. Help us show others that they are important and loved, too. We love You, God.

In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.





Bible Verse: “Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” —1 John 4:11, BSB

Paraphrase: “God loves us, so we should love one another.”



Activities

These activities help preschoolers engage with the story through movement, crafts, music, and storytelling, making the lesson fun and memorable.


1. Find the Lost Coin

Objective: To help children remember that the woman searched carefully for her lost coin because it was important to her.

Materials: Ten large pretend coins made from cardstock or construction paper, A small container or cloth bag 

Activity: Show the children ten pretend coins and count them together. Ask the children to close their eyes while you hide one coin somewhere in the classroom. Place the other nine coins where everyone can see them.
  • Say, “Oh no! One coin is missing! What did the woman in Jesus' story do?”
  • Invite the children to search carefully for the missing coin. Encourage them to look around the room until someone finds it.
  • When the coin is found, have everyone celebrate together: “Hooray! The lost coin is found!”
  • Return the coin to the others and count all ten again. Repeat the activity several times, hiding the coin in different easy-to-find locations.
Talk About It: “The woman kept looking because her coin was important to her. Jesus told this story to teach us that every person is important to God. You are important to God!”


2. Sweep and Search

Objective: To help children reenact the woman's careful search for her lost coin.

Materials: A large paper or cardboard pretend coin, Child-sized broom or clean hand broom, Blocks, crumpled paper, or other safe classroom objects, Optional battery-operated lantern

Activity: Create a small pretend “house” area. Place several safe objects on the floor and hide the pretend coin among them.
  • Dim the room slightly if appropriate, or simply give the child a battery-operated lantern to represent the lamp in the story.
  • Let the children take turns pretending to be the woman. Each child can shine the “lamp,” gently sweep around the objects, and search for the missing coin.
  • When the coin is discovered, encourage the children to raise their hands happily and say: “I found the lost coin!”
  • Then everyone can clap and celebrate.
Talk About It: “The woman lit her lamp, swept her house, and looked carefully. Did she give up? No! She kept looking until she found her coin. God cares about every person, too.”


3. I Found My Coin! Song (Musical Activity)

Tune: The Farmer in the Dell (Public Domain)

Objective: To reinforce through music that the woman searched for her coin and rejoiced when she found it.

Materials: One large pretend coin, Optional toy broom 

Activity: Have the children form a circle. One child can hold the pretend coin while another pretends to search for it. Sing the verses together, adding simple motions such as looking from side to side, pretending to sweep, and clapping when the coin is found.

Song Lyrics:

        The woman lost her coin,
        The woman lost her coin,
        She looked and looked around her house,
        The woman lost her coin.

        She swept and looked around,
        She swept and looked around,
        She searched and searched until she found
        The coin upon the ground.

        She found her little coin!
        She found her little coin!
        She called her friends to celebrate—
        She found her little coin!

Talk About It: “How did the woman feel when she found her coin? She was very happy! Jesus said there is joy when someone comes to God.”


4. Ten Special Coins

Objective: To help children connect the ten coins in Jesus' parable with the truth that every person is precious to God.

Materials: Paper with a simple outline of a small coin purse or container, Ten large paper circles for each child, Child-safe glue, Crayons, Optional metallic or yellow crayons

Activity: Give each child ten paper “coins.” Count them aloud together: “One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten!”
  • Let the children color their coins and glue them onto or around the picture of the coin purse.
  • As they work, occasionally ask, “What if one coin were missing?” Remind them that the woman cared about every coin and searched until the missing one was found.
  • When the crafts are finished, count the ten coins again.
  • If desired, the teacher can write beneath the picture: “I am important to God!”
Talk About It: “Every coin was important to the woman. Jesus told us this story because every person is important to God. God knows you, loves you, and cares about you.”

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Story illustrations are the copyright of James M. Thomas. All rights reserved.
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