Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Bible Basics: Noah and the Ark

 

Welcome back to Bible Basics!  If you've been stopping by each Tuesday, you'll have already seen our previous lessons.  And if you missed them, stop by and have a look!


Today we're going to be looking at a very familiar story: Noah and the Ark.  This is a favorite for children's Bible curriculum because it involves animals.  With a quick Google search you can easily find crafts and activities for this Bible story.  At the bottom of this post I will include some links to a few that we've tried or will try in the future.


For this lesson I wanted to break away from paper crafts and have some fun.  So, we constructed an ark and set to the seas with a few animals in tow.  The kids had fun (water play is always a favorite amongst the littles) and the older kids had a chance to test their memories and retell the story as they played with their smaller siblings.

So, here's what we did.  (Please note that you can find another lesson plan for Noah and the Ark here.)


NOAH AND THE ARK
Genesis 6:5-9:17 

Memory Verse
"God remembered Noah and all the animals with him on the ark...and the waters went down."  -Genesis 8:1-2 (simplified)
 
Lesson Focus
God remembered Noah.

It is important for children to know why God flooded the earth.  People had forsaken Him and were doing evil.  This was so angering to the Lord that He decided to start over and so sent a flood.  BUT in His great mercy, He preserved a remnant of all living creatures.  Through Noah, a man who loved the Lord, God saved mankind from His own wrath.  And once the earth flooded HE REMEMBERED NOAH and caused the waters to subside.  We all know that the rainbow was given as a sign of a covenant between God and Noah, that God would never again flood the whole earth.  He has certainly kept that promise, as He keeps every promise He makes.

Project 
Ark Water Play 

Materials
- Old yogurt or other plastic container, washed

- Scissors
- Brown craft foam
- Stapler

- Small animals
- Large bowl or container
- Water
- Towel
- Camera!  :)

Directions
1. Cut off the top half of the yogurt container.
2. From the craft foam, cut out two pieces in the shape of an ark.
3. Staple the craft foam around the yogurt container.  Now you have an ark!
4. Place the animals inside the ark.  Place the ark inside a large bowl or other container.
5. Fill the large bowl with water and allow your child to play with the ark.
6. Retell and re-enact the story of Noah and the ark while you play.
7. Enjoy your little one(s) and take a few pictures for the scrapbook!  :)

 


How We Go Through the Lesson
1. Recite or sing memory verse.
2. Read Bible story.  We use the Beginner's Bible, but you can choose a children's story Bible or "grown-up" translation that suits you and your family.
3. Recite or sing memory verse.
4. Craft or project.  Depending on the day of the week this may be a project like the one above or it could be a coloring page or something completely different.

5. Don't forget to repeat the lesson several different times through the week.


 As you can see, 12-month-old Jeremiah wanted in on the action.  This is a great activity for older babies, younger toddlers, and even a range of ages.  All kids love playing in water, and if you're willing to sop up a few spills, they'll be entertained for quite a while.


 Here's the song that Abby and I used to learn this week's memory verse.  I made it up myself...please don't judge.  ;)  And also, ignore any background noise you might hear.  These posts are written in the midst of real life and real life is far from quiet in these here parts!  At the very least this will give you a little courage and creativity as you learn Bible verses with your tot!  :)

Check out some of these projects for more ideas:
Condensed Milk Paint Rainbow
Noah's Ark Craft
Edible Noah's Ark
Paper Plate Rainbow and Ark Craft


What's your favorite Noah's Ark craft or activity?


This post is linked up at:
Ultimate Homeschool Link-Up @ The Homeschool Village
Titus 2 Tuesdays @ Cornerstone Confessions
Teach Me Tuesdays @ Growing Home
Hip Homeschool Hop @ Hip Homschool Moms
Preschool Activities {The Sunday Showcase} @ Learn Play Imagine
Welcome Home Wednesday @ Raising Arrows
Babies & Beyond @ My Joy-Filled Life




8 comments:

  1. The little ark is a cute idea! I will have to try it! Pinning it! Thanks for sharing at Titus 2 Tuesdays!

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    1. Thank you! It's one of my favorites and every child I've done this with has had a blast! :)

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  2. Thanks for a great resource. I have linked to it from my Homeschool Review post.

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    1. Thank you! I love teaching the Bible to toddlers and I hope these lessons will be helpful to others.

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  3. I love this! What a cute idea. I'll definitely have to check out your other lessons. It only takes two minutes to turn a bowl into an ark but it's infinitely more fun for little ones.

    Thanks for linking up at Babies and Beyond. This is a great post!

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    Replies
    1. Thank you! I hope these lessons will be helpful to parents and teachers as they introduce their little ones to God and to His Word!

      And thanks for hosting Babies and Beyond. I'm glad I ran across it!

      I just read your recent blog post about pregnancy exhaustion. I've definitely been there (and I'm currently there...again!). I especially second the need to extend yourself grace. Thanks for the reminder! :)

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  4. Looks like a fun way to learn!

    Thanks for linking to The Sunday Showcase. I've pinned to our board.

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