Four Friends Far from Home
Daniel and his three friends arrive far from home and learn to support one another without forgetting their faith.
Bible stories to share
Daniel and His Friends: Faithful Far from Home
Daniel and his friends live far from home and must decide how to remain faithful. Their stories bring together prayer, friendship, courage, and trust in difficult situations.
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Faithfulness far from Jerusalem
Daniel and his friends arrive in Babylon as captives. New customs and difficult commands test them; faithfulness includes prayer, respect for others, and accepting responsibility.
Stories in the series
Read the chapters in the order listed, or choose one to share today.
A Choice at the Table
At Babylon's palace, Daniel and his friends had a great deal to learn. They were also given food from the king's table and wine to drink. At first, that might have seemed like a special privilege.
Four Friends Ask for Help
One night, Nebuchadnezzar had a dream that left him deeply troubled. Although he was a powerful king, he could not rest. He needed to understand what he had seen while he slept.
A Kingdom That Will Last Forever
Daniel now knew the king's dream, but before entering the palace he thought about other people. He found Arioch and asked that Babylon's wise men not be harmed. He had an answer for Nebuchadnezzar.
Three Friends Stand Firm
A golden statue stood on a great plain in Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar had ordered it to be built and had gathered many officials for a ceremony. He wanted everyone to do what he commanded.
The King Learns Humility
Nebuchadnezzar lived among great buildings and many riches. His kingdom seemed strong, and people obeyed his commands. But a new dream left him troubled and unable to understand its meaning.
A Message on the Wall
Years passed, and Belshazzar ruled in Babylon. One night he prepared a great feast at the palace. There were many guests and cups on the tables, but the king was not acting respectfully toward God.
Daniel and the Lions
Daniel was now an elderly man. Many years had passed since he arrived in Babylon. Under Darius's rule, he still worked responsibly, and the king had seen that he could trust him.
Games and coloring from this series
These activities belong to the stories above. Open one to play or use its print option.
Bible maze for kids
Four Friends Far from Home
An activity based on “Four Friends Far from Home.” Find a route to the goal in an activity related to the story. Play online or print it to work on paper.
OpenBible counting game for kids
A Choice at the Table
An activity based on “A Choice at the Table.” Look at quantities and answer the activity’s number challenges. Play online or print it to work on paper.
OpenBible memory game for kids
Four Friends Ask for Help
An activity based on “Four Friends Ask for Help.” Find matching cards and remember where their pictures are. Play online or print it to work on paper.
OpenBible building game for kids
A Kingdom That Will Last Forever
Build the five parts of the statue in the dream. Its materials represent passing kingdoms; God’s kingdom endures.
OpenBible story feelings game for kids
Three Friends Stand Firm
An activity based on “Three Friends Stand Firm.” Look at the situations and identify how the characters might feel. Play online or print it to work on paper.
OpenBible story sequencing game for kids
The King Learns Humility
Put four moments in order: the dream, the advice, the hardship, and acknowledging God. Play online or print.
OpenAn activity to do together
A welcome in a new land
Materials: A printed and cut-out memory game from this series (choose three pairs), or six paper cards for drawing two suns, two houses, and two trees. You also need three paper cards and a pencil to write “Name,” “Rule,” and “Help.” An adult helps with cutting.
Time: 10–15 minutes
A grown-up guides the activity; each person may ask for help or choose to listen.
Read: Four Friends Far from Home- Read “Four Friends Far from Home.” Talk about how difficult arriving in Babylon without their families may have been. Then practice welcoming someone new: one person is the host and another is the visitor. You need at least two people; others can watch and take a role in the next round.
- Prepare the memory game. You can open “Four Friends Ask for Help,” linked here, select “Print cards,” cut them out, and choose three complete pairs. Alternatively, draw two suns, two houses, and two trees on six cards of the same size, with no marks on the backs. The host shuffles the six cards and places them face down on a table in two rows of three. Keep the “Name,” “Rule,” and “Help” cards face up to one side: they are welcome reminders, not matching cards.
- The visitor approaches as if arriving somewhere new. The host picks up “Name,” greets the visitor, and introduces themselves: “Hi, I’m Anna. What would you like us to call you?” The visitor may use their name, invent one, or choose not to give one.
- The host picks up “Rule” and explains: “We will find the three pairs together. On your turn, turn over two cards so everyone can see them. If the pictures match, leave them face up; if they are different, turn them face down again in the same places. Then the other person takes a turn, even if you found a pair. We finish when all three pairs are face up. We do not keep score.”
- With “Help,” the host asks: “Would you like us to take your first turn together?” The visitor goes first and may choose the two cards alone or point to them for the host to help. Then alternate turns, following the rule. Anyone may ask to hear the explanation again; no one makes fun of mistakes.
- After finding all three pairs, shuffle the cards again and swap host and visitor roles. The new host uses “Name,” “Rule,” and “Help” again. At the end, each person names a gesture that helped them feel included. Choose one to welcome someone new at school or church.
Questions about this series
Where should we begin?
Start with the first story and follow the order listed. Each chapter includes its Bible passage and activities.
How do the sounds work?
Turn on voice tracking and read aloud: sounds play when the reading reaches the corresponding phrases. You can also tap the underlined phrases directly to hear their sounds without turning on voice tracking.
Where is the Bible passage for each account?
Each story card includes its Bible reference and a link to the passage. Activities also show the passage for their own story.