Free Bible lesson for kids · Noah and the Nations
Noah Builds the Ark
The earth was filled with violence, but Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD and walked with God. God told Noah to make an ark of gopher wood, three hundred cubits long, with a window above and a door in the side, and to bring in his family and two of every living thing. Noah did everything God commanded him, even before he saw a drop of rain (Hebrews 11:7).
- Bible passage
- Genesis 6:5–22
- Big idea
- Noah trusted God and did all that He commanded.
- Memory verse
Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he.
Genesis 6:22 (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
In Noah’s day the earth was filled with violence, and God saw that the wickedness of man was great (Genesis 6:5, 11). But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD. He was a just man, and he walked with God (Genesis 6:8–9). God told Noah that a flood was coming, and He said, “Make thee an ark of gopher wood” (Genesis 6:13–14, 17).
God gave Noah the plan: three hundred cubits long, fifty cubits wide and thirty cubits high, with a window, a door in the side, and three stories inside (Genesis 6:15–16). Noah was to bring his family, two of every living thing, and food for them all (Genesis 6:18–21). Noah had not yet seen the flood, but he believed God (Hebrews 11:7). “Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he” (Genesis 6:22).
Read it in the Bible: Genesis 6:5–22 (KJV)
5And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. 7And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them. 8But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD. 9These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God. 10And Noah begat three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. 11The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. 12And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth. 13And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth. 14Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch. 15And this is the fashion which thou shalt make it of: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits. 16A window shalt thou make to the ark, and in a cubit shalt thou finish it above; and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof; with lower, second, and third stories shalt thou make it. 17And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die. 18But with thee will I establish my covenant; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons’ wives with thee. 19And of every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort shalt thou bring into the ark, to keep them alive with thee; they shall be male and female. 20Of fowls after their kind, and of cattle after their kind, of every creeping thing of the earth after his kind, two of every sort shall come unto thee, to keep them alive. 21And take thou unto thee of all food that is eaten, and thou shalt gather it to thee; and it shall be for food for thee, and for them. 22Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he.
Questions to ask
What does the Bible say about Noah?
He found grace in the eyes of the LORD; he was a just man, and he walked with God (Genesis 6:8–9).
What was the ark made of?
Gopher wood, pitched within and without with pitch (Genesis 6:14).
How much of what God said did Noah do?
All of it: “according to all that God commanded him, so did he” (Genesis 6:22).
What this story teaches
- God sees sin, and it grieves His heart (Genesis 6:5–6).
- God gives grace to people who do not deserve it (Genesis 6:8).
- God warned Noah before the flood came (Genesis 6:13, 17).
- Faith trusts God even before we can see (Hebrews 11:1, 7).
- Obeying God means doing all He says, not just part (Genesis 6:22).
Jesus Is Our Ark
The ark carried Noah’s family safely through the flood. Jesus brings everyone who trusts in Him safely to God.
1 Peter 3:18–20
A 45-minute lesson plan
| 5 min | Welcome and pray. Greet each child by name and pray: Ask God to help us obey Him in everything, even before we see why. |
|---|---|
| 10 min | The 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 min | Talk about it. Ask the three questions below. Then ask: “Noah trusted God and did all that He commanded.” What does that mean for us? |
| 5 min | Memory verse. Say Genesis 6:22 together, covering one word at a time until the children can say it alone. |
| 10 min | Activity. 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 min | Pray 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 · activity · outdoors · about 15 minutes
How Big Was the Ark?
You need: A long string or tape measure, cones, a parking lot or field
- The ark was about 450 feet long: a football field and a half!
- Measure it out with the kids, setting cones at each end and pacing it together.
- Stand inside the shape and imagine every animal in it.
Noah built an ark exactly as God said, before he ever saw a drop of rain. Noah trusted God.
For youth group · activity · indoors · about 10 minutes
Rainmakers
You need: A group of any size
- Stand in a circle. The leader starts a motion and it passes around: rub hands, then snap, then pat legs, then stomp.
- It builds into a rainstorm, then fades back down to silence.
- Talk: Noah obeyed for years before a drop fell (Hebrews 11:7).
Noah did all that God commanded him. Faith obeys before it sees.
Pray
Ask God to help us obey Him in everything, even before we see why.