The story of Jonah and the whale teaches children that God can be trusted even when we run the other way, and that he keeps loving us and calling us back. This lesson suits children ages 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes to teach.
Big Idea
God sees us when we run away, and he still wants us to come home to him. He is always ready to help us do the right thing, even when we do not want to.
Memory Verse
Jonah 2:9
But I will sacrifice to you with the voice of thanksgiving. I will pay that which I have vowed. Salvation belongs to the LORD.”
(WEB)
Have the children hold both hands out in front of them, palms up, as if offering a gift. Then bring the hands to their hearts while saying the words slowly together. Repeat it three times, speeding up a little each time, so the words stick.
The Story: Jonah 1 for Kids
One day God spoke to a man named Jonah. God said, “Go to the great city of Nineveh and tell the people there that I know about their wickedness.” But Jonah did not want to go. He did not like those people, and he did not want them to be forgiven. So Jonah ran away from God and bought a ticket on a ship heading the opposite direction, toward a place called Tarshish.
Soon after the ship set sail, God sent a huge storm. The waves crashed, the wind howled, and the sailors were terrified. Each sailor cried out to his own god. They threw their cargo overboard to make the ship lighter, but the storm only grew stronger. Jonah, meanwhile, had gone down into the bottom of the ship and fallen fast asleep.
The captain found Jonah sleeping and shook him awake. “How can you sleep at a time like this?” he said. “Get up and pray to your God! Maybe he will notice us and save us.” The sailors decided to draw lots to find out who was to blame for the storm. The lot fell on Jonah. They asked him who he was and where he came from, and Jonah told them he was a Hebrew who feared the LORD, the God who made the sea and the land.
The sailors were frightened when they heard this. They asked Jonah what they should do to make the sea calm. Jonah answered honestly. He told them to throw him into the sea, because the storm was happening because of him. The sailors did not want to do it. They rowed hard to reach the land, but the sea only got rougher. Finally they prayed to the LORD and asked him not to hold them responsible for Jonah’s death.
So they picked Jonah up and threw him into the sea, and at once the raging water became calm. The sailors were amazed. They respected the LORD, offered a sacrifice to him, and made promises to serve him. God had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah stayed inside its belly for three days and three nights.
Read It Together
Jonah 1:1-2
1 Now the LORD’s word came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, 2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach against it, for their wickedness has come up before me.”
(WEB)
Point out that God spoke to Jonah clearly and gave him a specific job. Ask the children what God asked Jonah to do and where he was supposed to go. Remind them that God still speaks to his people today.
Jonah 1:3
But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid its fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.
(WEB)
Show the children how Jonah turned around and went the wrong way. Explain that running from God does not hide us from him, because God is everywhere. Let them see that Jonah’s choice had consequences.
Jonah 1:15
So they took up Jonah, and threw him into the sea; and the sea ceased its raging.
(WEB)
Point out the moment the sea became calm after Jonah was thrown overboard. Explain that God brought peace to the storm. Help the children see that God can bring good out of hard situations.
Talk About It
- What do you think Jonah was feeling when God gave him a job he did not want?
- Why do you think Jonah went to sleep during the storm?
- How did the sailors act differently by the end of the story?
- What is one thing you could do if you felt like running away from something God asked you to do?
- How did you see God taking care of people in this story?
Activity Ideas
Paper Plate Storm and Sea
You will need paper plates, blue and gray crayons or markers, cotton balls, and glue. Have the children draw waves on one half of a paper plate and clouds on the other half. Let them glue cotton balls onto the clouds and talk about how the storm calmed down. Encourage them to tell the story using their picture as they show it to you.
Storm Calm Freeze Game
Turn on some music and have the children dance wildly like the stormy sea. When you pause the music, they must freeze as still as a calm sea. Repeat several times, reminding them that God brought peace to the storm. You can talk about how God gives us calm when our feelings feel stormy.
Take-Home Promise Card
Give each child an index card and a pencil. Ask them to write or draw one thing God has asked them to do this week. Show them how to tape the card to their bedroom door or refrigerator. Encourage them to talk with their family about it at dinner and to pray together for courage to obey.
Teacher Notes
For adults, this passage shows that God pursues people even when they try to flee from him. Jonah’s disobedience did not cancel God’s purpose, and God’s mercy reached even the pagan sailors, who came to fear and worship the LORD. The story invites us to examine how we respond when God’s call is inconvenient.
Avoid suggesting to children that God punishes every disobedient person with a storm or a dramatic rescue. Children may start to think their troubles are always caused by sin. Instead, emphasize that God is faithful and that he invites us to trust and obey him.
A Prayer to Close
Dear God, thank you for loving us even when we run away from you. Help us listen when you call us and be brave enough to do what you ask. Thank you that you are always near and always ready to bring us back to you. Amen.
