Lesson 5 of 6 · Care you can put into action
Ruth's Kindness
Explain how Ruth and Boaz showed care and choose one helpful family action.
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Story retelling · Based on Scripture
Read the story
These are our own words, not a Bible quotation. Source links open Bible Gateway in a new tab for a grown-up to read.
Short story · Ages 3–5
Ruth gathered grain for food. Boaz helped her work safely. Ruth brought food home to Naomi. Kindness became something they could share.
Full story · Ages 6–12
Ruth asked Naomi if she could go gather grain in a field. She gleaned behind the harvest workers in a field belonging to Boaz. Ruth 2:2-3 (KJV)
Boaz told Ruth to stay near his workers, offered access to water, and told the young men not to harm her. He had heard about her care for Naomi. Ruth 2:8-11 (KJV)
At mealtime, Boaz invited Ruth to eat. She worked, brought grain home to Naomi, and shared food left from her meal. Ruth 2:14-18 (KJV)
Word to know: Gleaning means gathering grain left after the harvest workers.
Make it your own
Family activity · Our application of the story
Care often looks like an ordinary helpful action. Ask your family what needs doing. Help set the table, tidy a shared space, or make a kind card. People deserve kindness whether or not they can repay it.
Ages 3–5 · Little Learners
A helping hand
- Choose one small task with your grown-up, such as placing napkins on a table.
- Do it together, one item at a time.
- Draw a picture for someone you care about.
Talk together: Who received the food Ruth brought home?
Ages 6–8 · Young Explorers
Sort the kindness
- Write Ruth and Boaz at the top of two columns.
- Place these actions: gathered grain; offered water and protection; brought food home; invited Ruth to eat.
- Pick one helpful action for today and draw it.
Talk together: Why does safe treatment matter as much as sharing food?
Ages 9–12 · Scripture Discoverers
Care and dignity
- Read Ruth 2:8-18 (KJV). List practical help and respectful words separately.
- Find where Ruth is described as a stranger. Discuss why that detail matters to her question.
- Plan a useful act of service with an adult, without photographing or embarrassing anyone receiving help.
Talk together: Is Ruth's hard work a reason to deny help to someone unable to work?
Let’s remember
Choose one answer for each question. A grown-up can read with you.
Parent & teacher guide
Learning goal: Explain how Ruth and Boaz showed care and choose one helpful family action.
Before you start: Ruth is identified as a Moabite in Ruth 2:2 (KJV); do not rewrite her origin. Explain gleaning as gathering leftover grain, not stealing. Avoid implying that need or poverty is a personal failure. Use paper pieces instead of loose grain with very young children.
A simple rhythm: Read the selected story, explain the new word, do one activity, and ask one question. Use the quiz only if it helps; youngest children can answer aloud or skip it.
Activity answers & discussion
Ages 3–5: Naomi (Ruth 2:18 (KJV)).
Ages 6–8: People need protection and respect as well as food. Ruth—gathered/brought home; Boaz—water/protection/meal.
Ages 9–12: No such rule is given in this passage. That conclusion would go beyond the text. Ruth identifies herself as a stranger in Ruth 2:10 (KJV).
Quiz answer key
- Grain. Ruth gleaned in a field after the harvest workers. Ruth 2:2-3 (KJV)
- Boaz. Boaz gave those instructions and told her where to drink. Ruth 2:8-9 (KJV)
- Brought it home and shared. She brought her gleanings and leftover food to Naomi. Ruth 2:17-18 (KJV)
During the week: Choose a family task and do it together without expecting a reward.
Story and activities: original educational retellings and applications. Source text: King James Version via Bible Gateway. Quotations preserve the translation's words; retellings use Yahuah. Artwork depicts an imagined learning setting, not a historical reconstruction.
Children’s Kingdom · Activity sheet
Ruth's Kindness
My name: _______________________ Date: ______________
Ages 3–5: A helping hand
- Choose one small task with your grown-up, such as placing napkins on a table.
- Do it together, one item at a time.
- Draw a picture for someone you care about.
Who received the food Ruth brought home?
Ages 6–8: Sort the kindness
- Write Ruth and Boaz at the top of two columns.
- Place these actions: gathered grain; offered water and protection; brought food home; invited Ruth to eat.
- Pick one helpful action for today and draw it.
Why does safe treatment matter as much as sharing food?
Ages 9–12: Care and dignity
- Read Ruth 2:8-18 (KJV). List practical help and respectful words separately.
- Find where Ruth is described as a stranger. Discuss why that detail matters to her question.
- Plan a useful act of service with an adult, without photographing or embarrassing anyone receiving help.
Is Ruth's hard work a reason to deny help to someone unable to work?
One thing I can practice:
Grown-ups may write a child's spoken answer. There is no score for this activity.