This lesson teaches children that God saw Noah’s faith and kept Noah and his family safe through the flood, and that God always keeps his promises. It suits children ages 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes, including the story, a short Bible reading, and one activity.
Big Idea
God is good and faithful. When Noah trusted God and did what he was told, God took care of him and kept his promise to save him.
Memory Verse
Genesis 6:22
Thus Noah did. He did all that God commanded him.
(WEB)
Teach the children to hold both hands out flat, then lift them slowly up over their heads like a boat rising on the water. Say the verse together while you move your hands, and repeat it until the motion and the words feel familiar.
The Story: Genesis 6 for Kids
Long ago, people were filling the earth. But many of them stopped listening to God. They were mean to each other, and their hearts were full of bad thoughts. God looked down and saw how much wrong was happening, and it made his heart very sad.
God chose a man named Noah. Noah was different from the others. He loved God and tried to do what was right, even when everyone around him did not. God said to Noah, “I am going to send a great flood to clean up the earth. But you will be safe, because I am going to make a promise to you.”
Then God gave Noah a very big job. He told him to build a huge boat called an ark. It was as long as a football field and as tall as a house with three floors. Noah had to cover it with a sticky tar called pitch, so no water could get in. Imagine how long that took!
God also told Noah to bring his family onto the ark. Noah’s wife, his three sons, and their wives all climbed aboard. Then God told Noah to bring two of every kind of animal, a male and a female, so they could live through the flood. Birds, farm animals, and little creeping things all came to the ark. Noah also gathered food for everyone.
Noah listened to God and did everything God told him to do. He did not know exactly how God would keep his promise, but he trusted God completely. Noah built the ark and gathered the animals, just as God had asked.
Read It Together
Genesis 6:8-9
8 But Noah found favor in the LORD’s eyes. 9 This is the history of the generations of Noah: Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time. Noah walked with God.
(WEB)
Point out that God found favor with Noah, and that Noah walked with God. Explain that this means Noah talked with God and tried to live the way God wanted, even when it was hard.
Genesis 6:13-14
13 God said to Noah, “I will bring an end to all flesh, for the earth is filled with violence through them. Behold, I will destroy them and the earth. 14 Make a ship of gopher wood. You shall make rooms in the ship, and shall seal it inside and outside with pitch.
(WEB)
Show the children that God gave Noah clear instructions. Ask them to notice how God told Noah exactly what to build and how to build it, and that God was the one planning the rescue.
Genesis 6:18-19
18 But I will establish my covenant with you. You shall come into the ship, you, your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives with you. 19 Of every living thing of all flesh, you shall bring two of every sort into the ship, to keep them alive with you. They shall be male and female.
(WEB)
Point out the word “covenant,” which means a promise. Remind the children that God promised to keep Noah and his family safe inside the ark, and that God keeps his promises.
Talk About It
- What do you think Noah felt when God asked him to build such a big boat?
- How did Noah show that he trusted God, even before it started raining?
- Why do you think God wanted Noah and his family to be safe?
- What is one promise someone has made to you that they kept?
- How can you trust God when you do not understand what he is doing?
Activity Ideas
Paper Plate Ark Craft
You will need a paper plate, markers or crayons, glue, and some scraps of paper or cotton balls. Have each child draw an ark on the plate and then glue on pairs of animals, two of each kind, to show that Noah took two of every animal. Ask the children to tell you which animal they put on the ark first.
Two by Two Animal March
You will need a open space in your home or classroom and a few pieces of paper with animal names written on them, one for each child. Have the children pair up and march around the room together, like animals walking into the ark. Call out “Stop!” and have each pair make the sound of their animal before marching again.
Promise Keeper Card to Take Home
You will need index cards, a pencil, and a pen. Ask each child to write or draw one way they can keep a promise this week, such as helping a sibling or cleaning up toys. Let them take the card home and put it somewhere they will see it, so they remember that God keeps his promises and they can keep theirs too.
Teacher Notes
For adults, the story of Noah shows that God judges sin and also rescues those who trust him. Noah stood out not because he was perfect, but because he walked with God and obeyed him when it mattered most. The covenant God made with Noah points forward to the faithful love God shows throughout the whole Bible.
Be careful not to make the flood into a scary story that focuses only on destruction. Keep the focus on God’s faithfulness to Noah and his family, and on the promise of safety. Children should come away knowing that God cares for those who trust him.
A Prayer to Close
Dear God, thank you for keeping your promises to Noah and his family. Help us to trust you like Noah did, even when we do not understand everything. Help us to listen to you and obey you each day. Thank you that you always keep us safe in your care. Amen.
