Noah’s Ark

About this episode

Noah loved God and listened to Him. When God told him a great flood was coming, Noah built an enormous ark, warned everyone, and brought in the animals two by two. Through forty days and forty nights of rain, God remembered Noah, and when the waters went down He set a rainbow in the cloud as His promise. A gentle, faithful retelling of Genesis 6–9 for toddlers and preschoolers.

What children learn

• Noah listened to God and did everything God told him.
• God remembers us and takes care of us, even when it rains.
• God always keeps His promises. The rainbow helps us remember.

The Bible passage

Genesis 6–9 (selected verses) 18 verses · King James Version Read the passageHide the passage

^6:9These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.

^6:11The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.

^6:14Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch.

^6:19And 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.

^6:22Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he.

^7:7And 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.

^7:9There went in two and two unto Noah into the ark, the male and the female, as God had commanded Noah.

^7:12And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights.

^7:16And they that went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God had commanded him: and the LORD shut him in.

^7:23And 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.

^8:1And God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the cattle that was with him in the ark: and God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters asswaged;

^8:4And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat.

^8:11And the dove came in to him in the evening; and, lo, in her mouth was an olive leaf pluckt off: so Noah knew that the waters were abated from off the earth.

^8:18And Noah went forth, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons’ wives with him:

^8:19Every beast, every creeping thing, and every fowl, and whatsoever creepeth upon the earth, after their kinds, went forth out of the ark.

^8:20And Noah builded an altar unto the LORD; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar.

^9:13I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth.

^9:15And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh.

King James Version (Authorized Version)

Talk about it together

1. What did God ask Noah to build? Who came into the ark, two by two?
2. How did Mimi feel when the rain came? Who looks after us when we feel scared?
3. What does the rainbow help us remember?

Try this

Line up toy animals two by two and march them into a “boat” (a cardboard box or a laundry basket), counting each pair together like Mimi. Then draw a rainbow with all seven colours: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet.

A little prayer

Dear God, thank you that you remember me and take care of me, even when it rains. Thank you that you always keep your promises. Amen.

Free printables

Print these for home, Sunday school or a toddler group. They’re free to copy and share.

Notes for parents and teachers

• Mimi and Lumi are our storyteller friends; they aren’t in the Bible. Their visit to Noah while he builds is our own creative touch to help little ones follow the story.
• The Bible calls Noah “a preacher of righteousness” (2 Peter 2:5), so we show him telling the people about God and warning them, and the people walking away.
• Genesis 7:21–23 says that everything outside the ark was destroyed, and only Noah and those with him in the ark were kept alive. We say this simply and show only rain, water and the ark, never anyone in the water.
• Two of every kind went into the ark (Genesis 6:19; 7:9). The Bible also says Noah took seven of every clean animal and bird (Genesis 7:2–3). We show the pairs, so little ones can count them with Mimi.
• “The LORD shut him in” (Genesis 7:16), so in our episode the door closes by itself with a warm glow. God is never pictured.
• Noah first sent out a raven, then a dove; the second time the dove went out, she came back with an olive leaf (Genesis 8:6–11). We show the dove and her olive leaf.
• Eight people were saved in the ark: Noah, his wife, their three sons and their sons’ wives (Genesis 7:13; 1 Peter 3:20). All eight come out of the ark in our episode.
• God set His bow in the cloud as the token of His promise never again to destroy all flesh with a flood (Genesis 9:13–15). Our rainbow has all seven colours, from red on the outside to violet on the inside.

Scenes and artwork

Transcript

Read the whole episode

Lumi: Mimi! Look! Our storybook is glowing!

Mimi: Ooh! Which story is it today?

Lumi: A story about a man who listened to God… and a very, very big boat!

♪ Mimi and Lumi, shine your light! Mimi and Lumi! ♪

Narrator: Long, long ago, there lived a man called Noah. Noah loved God… and Noah walked with God. But many people had stopped listening to God, and they were unkind to one another. So God told Noah that a great flood was coming. He told him to build an ark, a great big wooden boat… and to bring in the animals, two by two.

Mimi: What are you building?

Noah: A boat, little one. A very big boat!

Lumi: But… there’s no water here!

Noah: God told me to build it… so I’m building it.

Narrator: Noah told everyone about God, and warned them that the flood was coming… but the people would not listen. Noah’s family filled the ark with food… and Noah did everything that God told him to do. Then all kinds of animals came, two by two… and birds too!

Mimi: Two giraffes! Two elephants! Two zebras! Two snakes! Two… sheep!

Narrator: Noah and his family went inside… and the Lord shut the door. Then it rained, and rained, and rained… for forty days and forty nights. The water covered the whole earth, and everything outside the ark was destroyed. Only Noah, and all who were with him in the ark, were safe.

Mimi: Lumi… I’m a little bit scared.

Lumi: God hasn’t forgotten us, Mimi. He’s taking care of us.

Narrator: And God remembered Noah. God made a wind blow over the earth. The water went down, and down… and the ark came to rest on the mountains. Noah opened the window, and sent out a little dove… and the dove came back, with an olive leaf in her beak!

Mimi: A leaf! That means there’s land!

Narrator: Out came Noah, and his family! And all the animals came out too! And the very first thing Noah did… was to thank God. Then God set a rainbow in the cloud. It was His promise that He would never flood the whole earth again.

Mimi: Ooh… it’s beautiful!

Lumi: Every time we see a rainbow, we can remember: God keeps His promises. God remembered Noah… and God remembers you, too. Every single day.

Mimi: Even when it rains?

Lumi: Even when it rains!

Narrator: And God remembered Noah. Genesis, chapter eight, verse one.

[On screen] “And God remembered Noah.” Genesis 8:1 (KJV)