Below the story is written for you to have props for the children to hold up or stand up and hold when it is their turn. Make sure you have enough props for every child to be able to hold and show when it is their turn. If you do not have enough props then make sure you read the store twice so that every child has a chance to be a part of the story.
You can draw these pictures or print some out to have ready. You can say, “I am going to pass out some parts of the story for you to hold. Everyone will have a chance to hold something. Please do not rip it or crumple it up. Please hold it nicely while you listen to the story and wait for your turn. When I get to the part in the story that has your picture I will ask you to bring it to the front so everyone can see it.” You can decide if you’d like for the children to stay up there or if you’d like for them to leave the picture and go sit down.
Here are some pictures that you can have for the children to hold: Have pictures of animals (or if you have plastic toy animals you can use those) for children to hold up and a basket (with a picture of an ark taped to it) or an ark built out of blocks. Have a pictures of Noah and his family. Pictures of water/waves. I have written into the story in bold italics where you can have children bring up their items.
Animals With Noah
Genesis 6:19
People had forgotten about God and they were doing bad things all the time. They were filling God’s world with hate instead of love. They were destroying themselves, each other and the world God had made. God’s heart was so sad. So God decided to send a storm that was going to wash away all the hate, sadness and everything that had gone wrong, and make the world clean again. Before God asked Noah to build a huge ark with enough room for his family and all the animals to be safe in from the coming flood.
God said to Noah, “Enter the ark, you and all your household, for you are a good man who loves me, listens to me and who has made good choices. You will take with you every animal, a male, and a female. In seven days, I will send rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights.”
Have children bring up their animal to put into the ark.
Noah did everything that God had told him to do. When the flood came Noah was 600 years old. Noah, his family, and all the animals entered the ark because the flood was coming.
You can have a child put pictures into the ark of Noah and his family.
Then the rain fell upon the earth for forty days and forty nights. And on that day Noah and his whole family entered the ark. God said, “Two of every kind of bird, of every kind of animal and of every kind of creature that moves along the ground will come to you to be kept alive. You are to take every kind of food that is to be eaten and store it away as food for you, your family and for the animals.
Ask children to name the animals they thought were on the ark.
Then God closed the door of the ark behind them. The flood came upon the earth for forty days, and the water increased and lifted the ark, so that it rose above the earth. The ark floated on the top of the water. There was so much water that all the high mountains everywhere were covered.
You can have children hold up waves and move back and forth slowly.
Noah’s family and every living creature were safe inside the ark. God kept Noah, his family, and the animals safe just like he keeps you safe.
Bible Story Questions & Answers
Talk about what the Bible story was about by asking the children questions. You can decide ahead of time how you want them to answer the questions. I like to have the children raise their hand to answer the question. If they are incorrect that is fine. You can say what the answer is or ask: “Does anyone else have a thought or answer to the question?”
- Were people making good choices to follow God or bad choices? (They were making bad choices)
- Were they following God (No)
- Did this make God happy or sad? (Sad)
- Did Noah listen and obey God, and build an ark? (Yes)
- What did God tell Noah and his family to get into? (The ark)
- Who went inside the ark? (Noah, his family and the animals)
- How long did it rain for? (40 days and 40 nights)
- Did God keep the animals safe inside the ark? (Yes)
- Does God keep you safe? (Yes)
Prayer
While sitting on the floor with criss cross legs, have the children repeat after you. You can have them fold their hands and close their eyes or just sit quietly and say after you. Following is a prayer written out that you can use, or you can make up your own.
Dear God (children repeat)
Thank you for this day. (children repeat)
Please help me (children repeat)
To keep animals safe (children repeat)
Like you did (children repeat)
When they were in the ark (children repeat)
Thank you for (children repeat)
Keeping me safe (children repeat)
I love You (children repeat)
Amen (children repeat)
