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Free Bible lesson for kids · Noah and the Nations

The Flood

God told Noah, “Come thou and all thy house into the ark,” and the animals went in two and two. Then the LORD shut him in, the fountains of the great deep broke open, and rain fell forty days and forty nights until even the high hills were covered. Everything outside was lost, but Noah and all who were with him in the ark were kept safe.

Bible passage
Genesis 7:1–24
Big idea
God keeps His people safe through the storm.
Memory verse
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Psalm 46:1 (KJV)
Ages
Preschool to preteen (3 to 12), with tips for each age
Time
About 45 minutes
Included, free
Animated story film, coloring page, class sheet, teacher guide, questions and answers, a game

The story

The LORD said to Noah, “Come thou and all thy house into the ark” (Genesis 7:1). In seven days the rain would come, and Noah did all that the LORD commanded him (Genesis 7:4–5). Noah, his wife, his sons and their wives went into the ark, and the animals went in two and two (Genesis 7:7–9). Then “the LORD shut him in” (Genesis 7:16).

The fountains of the great deep broke open, and rain fell forty days and forty nights (Genesis 7:11–12). The waters rose and lifted the ark up above the earth (Genesis 7:17). Even the high hills and mountains were covered (Genesis 7:19–20). Everything that lived on the dry land died, but “Noah only remained alive, and they that were with him in the ark” (Genesis 7:22–23). The waters stayed for a hundred and fifty days (Genesis 7:24).

Read it in the Bible: Genesis 7:1–24 (KJV)

1And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation. 2Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens, the male and his female: and of beasts that are not clean by two, the male and his female. 3Of fowls also of the air by sevens, the male and the female; to keep seed alive upon the face of all the earth. 4For yet seven days, and I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights; and every living substance that I have made will I destroy from off the face of the earth. 5And Noah did according unto all that the LORD commanded him. 6And Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters was upon the earth. 7And Noah went in, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons’ wives with him, into the ark, because of the waters of the flood. 8Of clean beasts, and of beasts that are not clean, and of fowls, and of every thing that creepeth upon the earth, 9There went in two and two unto Noah into the ark, the male and the female, as God had commanded Noah. 10And it came to pass after seven days, that the waters of the flood were upon the earth. 11In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened. 12And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights. 13In the selfsame day entered Noah, and Shem, and Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah’s wife, and the three wives of his sons with them, into the ark; 14They, and every beast after his kind, and all the cattle after their kind, and every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind, and every fowl after his kind, every bird of every sort. 15And they went in unto Noah into the ark, two and two of all flesh, wherein is the breath of life. 16And they that went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God had commanded him: and the LORD shut him in. 17And the flood was forty days upon the earth; and the waters increased, and bare up the ark, and it was lift up above the earth. 18And the waters prevailed, and were increased greatly upon the earth; and the ark went upon the face of the waters. 19And the waters prevailed exceedingly upon the earth; and all the high hills, that were under the whole heaven, were covered. 20Fifteen cubits upward did the waters prevail; and the mountains were covered. 21And all flesh died that moved upon the earth, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of beast, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth, and every man: 22All in whose nostrils was the breath of life, of all that was in the dry land, died. 23And every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground, both man, and cattle, and the creeping things, and the fowl of the heaven; and they were destroyed from the earth: and Noah only remained alive, and they that were with him in the ark. 24And the waters prevailed upon the earth an hundred and fifty days.

Questions to ask

  1. How did the animals go into the ark?

    Two and two, the male and the female (Genesis 7:9).

  2. Who shut the door of the ark?

    The LORD shut him in (Genesis 7:16).

  3. How long did the rain fall?

    Forty days and forty nights (Genesis 7:12).

What this story teaches

  • God warned the world, and His word came true (Genesis 7:4, 10).
  • Noah obeyed all that the LORD commanded him (Genesis 7:5).
  • God Himself shut the door and kept Noah safe (Genesis 7:16).
  • There was only one place of safety: the ark (Genesis 7:23).
  • God is our refuge and strength in trouble (Psalm 46:1).

Jesus Keeps Us Safe

God shut Noah safely inside the ark. Jesus gives His sheep eternal life, and no one can pluck them out of His hand.

John 10:27–28

A 45-minute lesson plan

5 minWelcome and pray. Greet each child by name and pray: Thank God that He is our safe place when we are afraid.
10 minThe story. Play the story film: each verse appears on screen in the King James Version while the scene plays. Pause to ask what happens next.
10 minTalk about it. Ask the three questions below. Then ask: “God keeps His people safe through the storm.” What does that mean for us?
5 minMemory verse. Say Psalm 46:1 together, covering one word at a time until the children can say it alone.
10 minActivity. Younger children color the coloring page while you retell the story; older children do the class sheet (memory-verse fill-in, word search and questions).
5 minPray and send home. Pray together and send the sheet home so families can talk about the first question this week.
  • Preschool: keep it short and physical. Act out the story, use a simple prop, and repeat the big idea in one sentence.
  • Elementary: let children find the passage in their own Bibles. Ask “who, what, where” questions first, then “why.”
  • Preteens: read the verses before and after the passage, and ask how this story fits the whole story of the Bible.

Game time

For kids · game · indoors · about 10 minutes

Into the Ark Before the Rain

You need: Tape for an ark outline, rain sounds

  1. Kids walk around as animals, making their animal’s sound.
  2. When the rain sound starts, every animal finds a partner and hurries into the ark two by two.
  3. The leader counts to ten and “shuts the door”. Then the rain stops and everyone comes out to play again.

The LORD shut Noah in, and everyone inside the ark was safe. God keeps His people safe.

For youth group · game · indoors · about 20 minutes

Ark Sardines

You need: A darkened building with safe hiding places

  1. One person hides: they are the ark.
  2. Everyone searches in the dark. When you find the ark, quietly squeeze in with them.
  3. The last one to find the ark hides next.

Everyone who came into the ark was saved. Jesus is our ark: everyone who comes to Him is safe.

Pray

Thank God that He is our safe place when we are afraid.

Questions people ask

How did the animals go into the ark?

Two and two, the male and the female (Genesis 7:9).

Who shut the door of the ark?

The LORD shut him in (Genesis 7:16).

How long did the rain fall?

Forty days and forty nights (Genesis 7:12).