Esther, the Brave Queen

Teacher, this lesson has a gesture right in the middle of it, and that gesture is what your class will take home: the golden scepter held out. The king raised the golden scepter toward Esther, and that meant only one thing — you may come, I welcome you. Hold on to that image, because the whole class moves toward it.

The story begins with a young woman from Heavenly Father's people who became queen in a foreign country. And she is going to have to do something hard: speak to the king without being called, which no one was allowed to do. Esther was scared. And here comes what this age needs to learn: before going, she prayed.

Keep three sentences in mind and repeat them all morning: "Esther was scared, but she prayed first", "the king raised the golden scepter: you may come!" and "King Jesus always welcomes me".

Two precautions before you start. The first is the part about the bad man. It is in the story, but for 3- and 4-year-olds it is one sentence and then you move on: "there was a man there in the palace who did not like Heavenly Father's people and wanted to do something mean." That is all. Nothing about a law of death, nothing about a gallows, no monster voice, no turning off the lights. The long part is the good part: the prayer, the scepter, the people protected.

The second precaution is what we do with the word courage. Do not ask for bravery from a small child. Esther felt afraid — the Bible does not hide that — and she prayed. Courage, here, is praying and going anyway, in the size of a three-year-old: saying good morning, saying I'm sorry, saying "thank you," telling Mom or Dad something hard. And never, under any circumstance, tell a child to confront someone who is doing wrong. The adult handles it; the child tells.

I — Arrival: the crown, the verse wall, and the hidden scepter

Arrive early. While you set up the room, pray for the children and their families. Welcome each one by name, crouched down at eye level, the way the quarterly asks: "How are you, little friend?" And encourage them to greet one another that way too.

Build the verse wall before the class comes in, as the quarterly teaches: clean, empty milk cartons wrapped in red or orange paper to look like bricks. On seven of them, glue a white piece of paper with the words of the verse. Stack them to form a low little wall, and seat the children right nearby to tell the story.

Open the Bible and show the book of Esther. Say: "Today's story comes right from here, from God's Book. We have already met lots of kings, haven't we? Today there is a king, there is a palace — and there is a very brave queen."

Now the crown. Bring it hidden behind your back and make it a mystery:

— What could it be that I brought today? Shall we count to three? One... two... three!

Bring out the crown — made of poster board, foil paper, whatever works. Hold it up high, turn it slowly so it shines.

— Look what this is! A crown! Who wears a crown? The KING! And who else? The QUEEN! Today our story is about a queen.

Let each child put the crown on their head for a moment, if they want to — without forcing anyone and without a line of children fighting over it. Then leave the crown in plain sight all morning.

The wall that falls down. Still before the story, do what the quarterly suggests: read the verse pointing to the cartons, one by one, and then say: "who here is strong and brave enough to knock down this wall?" Let them knock it down — all together, with their hands, pushing. Then build it again with their help and knock it down once more, as many times as time allows. It is good noise, free laughter, and the verse getting into them through their bodies. Only empty, lightweight cartons, a low little wall, away from furniture corners and outlets, no one climbs on anything, and no one pushes anyone.

Collect the offerings with a single sentence: "our offering helps a little friend who needs food and clothes. Thank You, Heavenly Father!" Then, a lively time of praise: clapping, jumping, loud voices.

👑 Fun fact — what is a scepter? In Esther's time, the king held a long golden staff in his hand called a scepter. It was not for hitting anyone: it was for giving a signal. When the king raised the scepter toward someone, everyone understood right away — you may come close, you are welcome. Make one with a rolled-up newspaper rod, gold paper on the outside, and a ribbon at the tip. When you raise your scepter in front of the class, you will get a free "wow."

II — The story: the scared queen who prayed first

Seat the children in a circle, right close to you, with the pictures from the quarterly in hand.

A long, long time ago, there was a young woman named Esther. Shall we say her name while clapping our hands? ES-THER! She loved Heavenly Father very much. Esther lived with her cousin, Mordecai, who took care of her with great love.

One day something amazing happened: the king of that country needed to choose a new queen. And among lots of young women, do you know whom he chose? Esther!

(Put the crown on your head and strike a very funny queen pose.)

Esther became queen! She went to live in a huge palace, with pretty clothes andyummy food. Let's make a happy face together with Queen Esther! Show your little teeth!

(Now lower your voice. Slowly. This part is short — very short.)

Except there was a man there in the palace who did not like Heavenly Father's people. He wanted to do something mean to them. The people of God needed help very much.

Then her cousin Mordecai sent a message to Esther: "Esther, maybe Heavenly Father let you become queen just so you could help our people."

But there was a big problem: in that palace, no one could go into the king's room without being called. No one at all.

And Esther was scared.

Little friends, have you ever been scared? (Let two or three speak. Really listen. Do not correct anyone.)

That's right. Queen Esther was scared too. But do you know what she did before anything else? The most important thing of all:

(Little hands together, little eyes closed. Do it with them, slowly.)

She prayed. She talked to Heavenly Father: "help me, give me courage." Shall we do the same? Little hands together... little eyes closed... "Heavenly Father, give me courage." All done! You can open your eyes!

And Heavenly Father filled her little heart with courage.

(Now get everyone standing. This part is for marching.)

On your feet, little friends! Esther put on her prettiest dress and walked toward the king's room. Shall we march with her? One, two! One, two! March, march, march...

(Stop everything all of a sudden. Finger on your lips. Whisper.)

Shhh! She arrived. The king was sitting there on his throne. And Esther's little heart went thump-thump, thump-thump...

(Now pick up the scepter. Raise it high, slowly, toward the children.)

And the king raised the golden scepter toward her! Do you know what that meant?

"YOU MAY COME! I welcome you!"

(Big smile. Clapping. Relief.)

The king welcomed Esther with joy! And she told him everything, in just the right way, at just the right time. The king got very angry with the bad man and had him locked up right away. And he said to the queen: "I am going to take care of you and your people."

Heavenly Father protected all His people — through the prayer and the courage of a woman who prayed first!

Shall we clap our hands really loud? (Clapping, jumping, celebrating.)

❤ For the child's heart. Esther had to wait for the king to raise the scepter before she could come close. But I have wonderful news for you: with King Jesus it is not like that. He already has His arms wide open, all the time. (Open your arms really wide.) You do not have to wait, you do not have to be called, you do not have to be the best-behaved one. When you are scared, when you have a tummy ache, when you feel sad or alone, just talk to Him — with your eyes open, with your eyes closed, in the shower, in bed. Jesus listens. And He never, ever sends us away.

III — Sing, memorize, and keep in the heart

Sing. A short little song with gestures, three times in a row: "When I'm scared I pray, Heavenly Father helps me!" On the words "when I'm scared," little hands cover the eyes; on "I pray," hands come together; on "helps me," arms go up high.

The verse with two gestures. The whole verse is too long for this age, so teach only the beginning, always the same, word for word: that our help comes from the Lord (Psalm 121:2). The gestures: on my help, both little hands open in front of the chest, asking for help; on comes from the Lord, the little fingers point up. Repeat three times, always with the same words and the same gestures. Explain very simply: "help is when someone comes to take care of us. When we need help, the One who truly helps is Heavenly Father."

Simon Says of the brave queen. Everyone standing, everyone doing it together — no one singled out, no one eliminated, no one touching anyone. Simon says put on the crown and strike a queen pose! Simon says march to the king's room: march, march, march... and STOP! Simon says put your little hands together and say softly: "Heavenly Father, give me courage." Simon says raise the scepter high and shout: "YOU MAY COME!" Simon says give yourself a big bear hug, because King Jesus always welcomes you! Finish with applause for everyone.

The finger puppets. Do the activity from the quarterly: cut out the cardstock finger puppets and let each child color their own. While they color, chat softly, reviewing who is who in the story and what each one did. Put the puppets aside until they finish the quarterly activities; then glue them and slip them onto their little fingers to retell the story together at the end of class. Praise the effort, not the result — a smudged puppet is a beautiful puppet, and no child compares theirs to their neighbor's if you do not compare first.

Student work and goodbye circle. Hand out the quarterlies and the crayons. Guide them to draw Esther's throne and color the picture; while they work, tell them that Esther was very brave and that the One who gave her courage was Heavenly Father. Next, have them trace the dotted letters of the word; read it with them and remind them: in the face of danger, Esther prayed, talked to Heavenly Father, and He helped. In the goodbye circle, retell the story with the finger puppets, repeat the verse one more time, and review the three sentences. And go over the standing rule: when something scary happens, a child does not handle it alone and does not go after anyone — they tell Mommy, Daddy, or their teacher. The adult handles it; the child tells. Pray asking protection over each family and say goodbye to each child by name, telling them you will be waiting for them next Sunday.

Christ in the Lesson

Start with the detail we usually miss: the book of Esther does not mention the name of God a single time. Not once. And even so, it is impossible to read this story without seeing His hand around every corner — the orphan who becomes queen, the cousin who overhears the right conversation at the right time, the king who cannot sleep on that exact night. It is the clearest picture the Bible gives of providence: God governing the details without appearing in the credits. That is worth sharing with a parent who asks why God seems silent on their hard days.

Notice the real weight of what Esther faced, because that is what gives size to the scene of the scepter: "“All the royal officials and the people of the king’s provinces know that one law applies to every man or woman who approaches the king in the inner court without being summoned— that he be put to death. Only if the king extends the gold scepter may that person live. But I have not been summoned to appear before the king for the past thirty days.”" (Esther 4:11). That was the law. Coming near the throne uninvited cost your life — unless the king chose to receive you.

And look at what Mordecai says to her. It is not a self-help speech; it is theology: "For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows if perhaps you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" (Esther 4:14). Two things together, and neither cancels the other: God is going to save His people one way or another — the promise does not depend on anyone's courage — and Esther is genuinely invited to step into it, with a choice that is truly hers. God does not force Esther's hand; He calls her. She could have kept silent. She chose not to.

What she does next is the key to the lesson for the children. Before acting, she stops: "“Go and assemble all the Jews who can be found in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day, and I and my maidens will fast as you do. After that, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish!”" (Esther 4:16). First her face on the ground, then her step toward the throne. And then the scene: "As soon as the king saw Queen Esther standing in the court, she found favor in his sight. The king extended the gold scepter in his hand toward Esther, and she approached and touched the tip of the scepter." (Esther 5:2). Hold on to the expression the text uses: she obtained favor. She did not win the king over by argument or by beauty — she was received by his favor.

Now the contrast, and this is where the lesson flows into Christ. Esther needed three days of fasting, royal robes, and a raised scepter to be able to approach a human throne — and even then she went at the risk of her life. The throne we come to today has another rule: "Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." (Hebrews 4:16). Not because we are brave, but because Someone has already gone ahead of us: a King who did not hold out a golden rod, but His own arms on a cross, so that no one would ever again need to ask permission to come close. Esther risked her life to save her people; Jesus laid down His life to save His own.

And there is a sentence of His that fits the exact size of the child who will be sitting on your rug: "But when Jesus saw this, He was indignant and told them, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them! For the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.”" (Mark 10:14). In the palace of Persia, no child would ever get in. In the Kingdom of Jesus, they go in first.

To the child, say it simply: "The king held out the scepter to Esther once. King Jesus holds out His arms to you every day — all you have to do is talk to Him."

Practical Application

Pray before, not after. That is the whole lesson turned into a home habit. Before a doctor's appointment, before the first day of preschool, before the child speaks to someone who feels too big to them: stop, little hands together, just one sentence — "Heavenly Father, give me courage". Thirty seconds. Done every time, it becomes the reflex they will carry into adulthood.

Never call the child a scaredy-cat. Never. Not as a game, not in front of others, not as a joke. Fear at this age is normal and passing; the label of "scaredy-cat" is not — it sticks. Replace it with: "I know it gives you butterflies in your tummy. Let's pray and we'll go together."

Courage is the size of their age. For a 3-year-old, courage is saying good morning to the neighbor, saying I'm sorry to a sibling, walking into the Sunday School (EBD) classroom on their own, saying "thank you" while looking at someone's face. Celebrate those victories for the size they are — because to the child, they are huge.

When they tell you something hard, thank them first. If the child worked up the courage to tell you they broke something, that they lied, or that someone did something that scared them, your very first sentence decides whether they will tell you again next time. Start with: "I'm so glad you told me." The conversation about what to do comes later — and it comes calmly.

Teach the rule and repeat it without fear: the adult handles it, the child tells. They do not confront anyone, they do not go after anyone, they do not stay quiet carrying a heavy burden alone. They go to Mom, Dad, or their teacher. Make it clear who their trusted adults are, by name.

Let your child see you praying when you are afraid. They learn more from seeing Dad say "I'm worried about something, I'm going to pray" than from hearing ten explanations about faith. Prayer a child sees happening becomes prayer a child does.

Closing Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank You for Queen Esther, who felt afraid and still talked to You before anything else. Thank You because You took care of her and protected all Your people. Teach these children to pray first — in the tiny things, in the fears of right now, in the dark bedroom, and on the first day of school. Watch over every family in this little classroom, watch over every teacher. And thank You for Jesus, our King, who does not stay far away on a high throne: He stands with His arms wide open, and He welcomes every one of these children whenever they come. In His name, amen.

Soli Deo Gloria — Scripture governs; everything else, on its knees.

Teacher's Guide

Essence of the class

When we feel scared, we pray first — and King Jesus always welcomes us with open arms.

Map of the class

Time	Stage
0–7 min	Arrival, the hidden crown + offering and gratitude
7–13 min	Lively praise + the verse wall (build and knock down)
13–22 min	The story: the scared queen who prayed first
22–28 min	Class activity "The golden scepter"
28–33 min	Song with gestures + Simon Says of the brave queen
33–41 min	Snack + cardstock finger puppets + quarterly activities
41–45 min	Goodbye circle with the finger puppets, prayer, and dismissal

Start like this

Come in with the crown hidden behind your back and make it a mystery: "What could it be that I brought today? Shall we count to three? One... two... three!" Bring out the crown and hold it up high, turning it slowly so it shines. Ask: "Who wears a crown?" They will shout "a king!", "a princess!" — and someone will say "me!". Great, welcome it. Close like this: "That's right! And who else wears a crown? The QUEEN! Today our story is about a very brave queen, who felt scared and did something very important before going." Leave the crown in plain sight all morning.

Point 1 — Esther became queen, and Heavenly Father was taking care

• In the quarterly: the story section, in the opening, where it introduces Esther as belonging to Heavenly Father's people, living with her cousin Mordecai, and tells how the king needed a new queen and chose Esther (picture 12.1).
• What to teach: Esther loved Heavenly Father and became queen. This part is cheerful, colorful, and a little silly on purpose — crown on your head, queen pose, happy face. It is the safe base of the story: the child needs to feel comfortable here before anything hard shows up. Do not rush ahead to the problem.
• Anchor verse (BSB): "My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth." (Psalm 121:2)
• Key question: "Who wears a crown? And who else? Shall we strike a queen pose?"
• Likely answers (+ going deeper): "a king!", "a princess!", "me!", "Elsa!". Welcome them all, without correcting. Go deeper: "that's right! And our queen today is named ES-THER. Let's clap our hands on her name!"
• If no one speaks: put the crown on your own head and strike the most exaggerated pose you can. Imitation at this age is instant.

Point 2 — Esther was scared, but she prayed first

• In the quarterly: the story section, when Mordecai lets Esther know that the people need her and she prays and talks to Heavenly Father, asking for help — and the quarterly itself teaches that when we have something hard to do and do not know how, we should pray and ask for help (picture 12.2).
• What to teach: the heart of the lesson is right here. Esther needed to speak to the king and no one could go in without being called; she felt afraid — and before going, she prayed. Courage is not feeling no fear: it is praying and going anyway. The part about the bad man comes in a single sentence ("there was a man there in the palace who did not like Heavenly Father's people and wanted to do something mean") and moves right on. Nothing about death, the law, a gallows, a monster voice, or a dark room.
• Anchor verse (BSB): "For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows if perhaps you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" (Esther 4:14)
• Key question: "Have you ever been scared? Shall we do what Esther did? Little hands together: 'Heavenly Father, give me courage.'"
• Likely answers (+ going deeper): afraid of the dark, of a big dog, of sleeping alone, of bath time, of thunder. Listen to two or three and do not minimize any of them (never say "that's nothing"). Go deeper: "do you know what? Queen Esther was scared too. And she prayed. We can do the exact same thing."
• If no one speaks: share a small, real fear of your own first, on a level the class can understand ("I'm scared of cockroaches!"). They will open up right away.

Point 3 — The king raised the scepter: "you may come!"

• In the quarterly: the story section, when Esther speaks to the king, he finds out about the evil plot, orders the bad man locked up, and promises a law that will keep the queen and her people safe (pictures 12.3 and 12.4). The detail of the golden scepter is in the Bible text, in Esther 5:2 — that is what you act out with the golden rod.
• What to teach: this is the climax, and it is what the child takes home. Raise the scepter slowly toward the class and say what it meant: "you may come, I welcome you." The king welcomed Esther, locked up the bad man, and promised to take care of the people. Celebrate loudly — clapping, jumping. And close in Christ with the gesture of open arms: "the king held out the scepter to Esther once; King Jesus holds out His arms to you every day."
• Anchor verse (BSB): "As soon as the king saw Queen Esther standing in the court, she found favor in his sight. The king extended the gold scepter in his hand toward Esther, and she approached and touched the tip of the scepter." (Esther 5:2)
• Key question: "What do you think the king is going to do? (suspense) He raised the golden scepter! And that means: YOU MAY COME!"
• Likely answers (+ going deeper): they will guess all sorts of things, they will want to hold the scepter, they will shout along. Perfect. Go deeper: "and do you know who always welcomes us, without even needing a scepter? King Jesus. Arms wide open!"
• If no one speaks: build the suspense in silence, raising the scepter very slowly, with an amazed look on your face. Silence draws every pair of eyes.

Class activity

• Goal: to experience with their whole body the scene the entire lesson points to — coming close and being welcomed — with everyone participating, no one singled out, no competing, and no one touching anyone.
• Materials: a "scepter" (a sheet of newspaper rolled up tightly, wrapped in gold or yellow paper, with a ribbon at the tip), the paper crown, and a small chair serving as a throne.
• Step by step: sit on the small chair with the crown on your head and the scepter in your hand, and explain the game before starting: "I am going to be the king, and today's king welcomes everybody." Have the whole class stand on the other side of the room. Say: "first we do what Esther did." Everyone together, little hands together: "Heavenly Father, give me courage." Then you call out: "who wants to come close?" One at a time, at their own pace, each child marches up to you — and you always raise the scepter and say out loud: "YOU MAY COME! I welcome you!" The child touches the tip of the scepter (the ribbon), the class claps, and the child sits down in the circle. No one is turned away, no one waits standing in line for long, no one is rushed, and no one is forced — a child who does not want to go alone can walk hand in hand with the assistant teacher or stay seated clapping along, and that is wonderful. When everyone has had a turn, do one final round with everyone together: raise the scepter toward the whole class and have everyone shout "YOU MAY COME!".
• Wrap-up (back to the text): "Queen Esther was scared, but she prayed and went. And the king raised the golden scepter to her: you may come, I welcome you. Now listen to something so wonderful: King Jesus does not even need a scepter. He already has His arms wide open, all the time, waiting for you to come. All you have to do is talk to Him."

Wrap-up + challenge of the week

• Wrap-up: "Esther was queen and Heavenly Father's people needed help. She was scared to talk to the king — but before going, she prayed. Then she went, and the king raised the golden scepter: you may come! Heavenly Father protected all His people. And the best part of all: with King Jesus we do not even have to wait for the scepter to go up. He already has His arms wide open. When you feel scared, do just like Esther: pray first."
• Challenge: ask the parents at the door: Moms and Dads, this activity is for you to do together with your child, once a day this week. Choose with your child one tiny thing that gives them butterflies in their tummy — saying good morning to the neighbor, saying I'm sorry to a sibling, saying "thank you" while looking at someone's face, telling you something hard. Before doing it, both of you stop, put your hands together, and always pray the same sentence: "Heavenly Father, give me courage." Then the child goes and does it. When they come back, open your arms really wide, like the king's scepter, and say: "You may come! King Jesus always welcomes you." If your child prayed and could not go through with it, celebrate the prayer just the same. And if the hard thing is telling you something, your first sentence is always "I'm so glad you told me" — never scolding. On Sunday, come back with the story.

Teacher's kit

• Before: read Esther 2 to 5 with an open Bible and the quarterly's story section beside you. Memorize the three anchor sentences — "Esther was scared, but she prayed first", "the king raised the golden scepter: you may come!", "King Jesus always welcomes me" — and practice your voice: the queen part is cheerful and silly; the bad man part is quiet and very short; the prayer is slow and hushed; the march is lively; the scepter starts in a whisper and ends in a celebration.
• Bring: the poster board or foil crown, the scepter (rolled-up newspaper + gold paper + ribbon at the tip), the empty milk cartons wrapped in red or orange paper with the verse glued on, cardstock for the finger puppets, crayons, glue, blunt-tip scissors (in your hand, never in the children's hands), and the quarterly.
• About the verse: translations differ slightly in the wording of Psalm 121:2: "My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth." (Psalm 121:2). With the children, use only the beginning — the part saying that our help comes from the Lord — always with the same words and the same two gestures.
• Good to know (to answer a parent): the book of Esther is the only book in the Bible that does not mention the name of God once — and yet it shows His hand in every detail. If someone asks, that is a comforting answer for anyone going through a season when God seems silent. Do not bring this into the classroom with the little ones.
• Safety: the wall is made only of empty, lightweight cartons, low, set up away from furniture corners, glass, and outlets; no one climbs on anything and no one pushes anyone — they push the cartons together. In the scepter activity, no one is turned away, no one is rushed, and no one is forced to go alone; the scepter is made of newspaper and paper, never touches any child, and never becomes a sword. No physical contact as a method, no acting out the punishment of the bad man, no darkening the room. Do not compare the finger puppets or single out anyone's work. And if a child shares something serious from home, welcome them right away without asking for details in front of the others — "thank you for telling me, let's pray right now" — pray one short sentence, and bring the matter to church leadership that very same day.
• Watch the tone: the risk of this lesson is ending on "be brave." Do not end there. Esther's courage was born out of prayer and led into the grace of being welcomed — and that is where the class points: King Jesus welcomes the child just as they are, fear and all. And never tell a child to confront someone who is doing wrong: the adult handles it; the child tells.
• Pray beforehand: ask the Lord for a calm heart. In this lesson, the way you open your arms teaches more than everything you say about being welcomed.

Homework

Your mission for the week

Moms and Dads, this activity is for you to do together with your child, once a day this week. Choose with your child one tiny thing that gives them butterflies in their tummy — saying good morning to the neighbor, saying I'm sorry to a sibling, saying "thank you" while looking at someone's face, telling you something hard. Before doing it, both of you stop, put your hands together, and always pray the same sentence: "Heavenly Father, give me courage." Then the child goes and does it. When they come back, open your arms really wide, like the king's scepter, and say: "You may come! King Jesus always welcomes you."

Why

Queen Esther needed to talk to the king and was scared — and the first thing she did was not to go: it was to pray. Then she went, and the king welcomed her: "As soon as the king saw Queen Esther standing in the court, she found favor in his sight. The king extended the gold scepter in his hand toward Esther, and she approached and touched the tip of the scepter." (Esther 5:2). A 3- or 4-year-old does not understand an explanation about courage, but understands through the body: stopping, praying the same sentence, and going. And they understand open arms. That is how they learn, before they can explain it in words, that with King Jesus we can always come close — "Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." (Hebrews 4:16). Two things do not belong in this activity: telling a child to confront someone (that is the adult's job — the child only tells) and scolding them when they work up the courage to tell you something hard. If they told you, your first sentence is "I'm so glad you told me."

How to know you did it

Your child said the sentence on their own, out loud — "Heavenly Father, give me courage" — before doing the little task of the day. If they prayed, you did it; and if afterward they could not go through with it, celebrate the prayer just the same.

On Sunday, come back with the story

Share in the classroom what the hardest little thing of the week was and what happened after the prayer. On Sunday, come back with the story.