Esther
ESTHER
Objectives:
- Children should be able to identify Esther as Queen of Persia.
- Children should be able to identify her husband Ahasuerus and Mordecai and Haman.
- Children should be able to tell the story of Esther.
Possible Lesson Plan:
- Open with prayer.
- Begin by making noisemakers: Take 2 small paper plates. Put a few beans or beads inside. Staple shut. Decorate with coloring or tassels of crepe paper.
- Read the story of Esther in thr Beginner's Bible, pages 240-246. As you read it, have the children shake their noisemakers and boo every time the villain, Haman, is named. This is exactly the way Purim, the holiday commemorating Esther, is celebrated in a Jewish synagogue to this day.
Add Esther to your timeline.
- Feed the Elephant True/False questions:
True False
Esther was a Jewish girl. Esther was a Persian girl.
Esther became Queen of Persia. Esther became queen of Israel.
Mordecai was Esther’s cousin. Mordecai was King of Persia.
Ahasuerus was King of Persia Ahasuerus was Esther’s father.
Haman was Esther’s enemy. Haman was Esther’s friend.
Make Hamantaschen (Haman’s hats): Easy method -- Take powdered pie crust mix and add about ½ cup of sugar. Make dough according to directions on box. Roll and cut into 4-inch circles ahead of time or give children small balls and have them squash them on a cookie sheet (ungreased) into circles. Put a teaspoon of apricot jam in the center of each circle. Bring up 3 edges and pinch them together to make a 3-cornered hat. Bake 350-degree oven for 10-12 minutes (till light brown). This is a traditional Purim cookie. Make 3-4/child.
- Talk about the victories of other Old Testament people over evil – the 3 men in the fire, Daniel, Joseph, David and Jonathon, etc. Talk about our own victories over evil: Were we ever tempted to lie but didn’t? Did we obey our parents when we didn’t want to?
- Close with prayer, with each child remembering a victory of his own over evil and eating a “victory cookie”. Then wrap the remaining cookies in colorful tissue paper and take them to the Social Hall, sharing them with others as the children say, “God gives us sweet victory over evil.”