🐐🍬 The Goat Who Got Stuck in a Gumball Machine Bible Lesson

🐐🍬 The Goat Who Got Stuck in a Gumball Machine

With a toddler-friendly Bible story, hands-on craft, pretend play, snack, and a catchy song, this lesson is perfect for Sunday School, preschool, children’s church, or homeschool.

✝️ Bible Theme:

Self-control

📖 Bible Verse (Toddler Version):

“God’s Spirit helps us have self-control.” – Galatians 5:22-23

💬 Main Point to Repeat with Kids:

“God helps me have self-control!”

📘 Toddler-Friendly Story:

“The Goat Who Got Stuck in a Gumball Machine”

Gilly the Goat loved snacks.

He loved popcorn, pickles, pudding, and peanut butter pizza (yuck!).
But what he loved most of all were gumballs.

One day, he saw a bright, shiny, twisty gumball machine at the petting zoo.

His eyes got wide. His tummy rumbled.

One gumball wouldn’t hurt, he thought.
So he pushed the button—kerplunk!
A green gumball rolled out. He gobbled it up.

Then he pressed the button again—kerplunk! A red one.
Then a blue one. Then pink. Then purple. Then another pink!

But when he reached his head in to peek at just one more…
POP!
His big goat head got stuck in the machine!

The ducks quacked. The chickens clucked. The donkey laughed so hard he snorted.

Gilly wiggled. He squirmed. He snorted too.

Finally, Farmer Joe helped pull him out.
“You don’t need ALL the gumballs,” he said. “Let’s practice self-control.”

Gilly sighed.
“Next time... just one,” he said.

From that day on, Gilly only had one gumball a day.
(Well… maybe two. But only on Sundays.)

🎲 Activity/Game:

“Too Much or Just Right?”

Hold up picture cards (or real snacks) and ask:
“Is one cookie just right, or TOO much?”
Let kids yell “TOO MUCH!” or “JUST RIGHT!”

Great for practicing self-control in a silly way.

🎨 Craft:

Gilly the Goat Paper Plate Puppet

Supplies:

Paper plates
Gray or brown construction paper
Googly eyes
Crayons or markers
Glue
Printable gumballs to glue on

Directions:

Color the paper plate as Gilly’s face.
Cut and glue ears and horns from construction paper.
Add googly eyes, a nose, and a big smile.
Glue a few paper gumballs around his face—but not too many!
Write: “God helps me have self-control!”

🍎 Snack Idea:

Gumball Cups

Give each child a small paper cup with 5 colorful round cereal pieces (like Trix or Froot Loops).
Practice saying: “I can wait,” before eating.

Let kids “pretend” it's a gumball machine snack!

🎵 Song:

“One Gumball Is Enough for Me!”
(Tune: “Mary Had a Little Lamb”)

I don’t need a hundred treats,
A hundred treats, a hundred treats!
I don’t need a hundred treats,
Just one is good for me!

God can help me wait and stop,
Wait and stop, wait and stop!
God can help me wait and stop—
That’s called self-control!

📝 Poem:

Gilly’s Gumball Giggle

Gilly gobbled gumballs fast,
He didn’t think how long they’d last.
He pushed and chomped and chewed with glee—
Until he got stuck comically!
Now Gilly knows the better way:
Just one sweet treat to save the day!

🎭 Pretend Play Game:

“Gumball Machine Freeze”

Play music while kids “chomp” and bounce like gumballs.
When the music stops, yell “STUCK!”
They freeze and giggle—then reset!
Great for practicing impulse control.

🙏 Closing Prayer (Repeat After Me):

Dear God,
Thank You for loving me.
Help me stop and think,
And have self-control.
Even when I want ALL the snacks!
Amen!

📬 Optional Take-Home Note for Parents:

Today we learned about Gilly the Goat, who learned a lesson in self-control after getting his head stuck in a gumball machine! We practiced waiting, thinking before acting, and choosing just one treat instead of too many. Talk with your child this week about making good choices—especially when it comes to snacks!

What We’re Learning:

In this lesson, children learn about self-control through a silly story about Gilly the Goat, who gets stuck in a gumball machine because he couldn’t stop himself from grabbing too many treats. This ties into Galatians 5:22-23, where the Bible tells us that self-control is one of the fruits of the Spirit. That means God helps us make good choices — even when it’s hard! Through play, crafts, and storytelling, toddlers begin to understand that with God’s help, we can stop, wait, and do what’s right — one gumball at a time.