Lesson Aim
- To teach the story of Jonah and the Whale.
- To help the children understand the rewards of obeying God when it is difficult.
Introduction
Gather the children together and explain they will play some games in a moment. Before playing explain the reward system in place and show the children their smiley face sticker charts.
Game 1: Fishing
Set Up
- Tie chopsticks and washers together with string to make fishing rods.
- Cut fish shapes from paper and glue small magnets on them.
Rules
- Place fish on a blue mat and give each child a rod.
- Time the children to see how fast they can catch all the fish together.
Game 2: Fishies In The Sea
- Ask for a volunteer to be the Fisherman. The other children are the fish.
- The Fisherman stands in the middle of the room/yard and the fish line up side by side one side.
- The Fisherman calls,
”Fishies, Fishies In the Sea,
Won’t you come and play w
Fishies who have…… (i.e. brown hair)”.
- All the children with the attribute the Fisherman has chosen (i.e brown hair) must try to run to the opposite side of the yard without being touched by the Fisherman. The first person caught becomes the new Fisherman.
- Encourage children to choose a different attribute each time they play. The Fisherman may only touch no rough playing allowed.
Story
Option 1: Video- Jonah & the Big Fish
Ask the children to sit down for story time. Ask the children if they can guess what story we may be reading today. As you read the story answer children’s questions and talk about the pictures you see.
Click here to view https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKwjDJGTRwo
Option 2: Picture Story
Jonah was a good man. He loved God very much.
But one day, God asked him to go and talk to some people in a different city. The people in Nineveh were doing terrible things and God decided to destroy there city.
God wanted Jonah to go and tell them to change there ways so he wouldn’t harm them. But Jonah was scared. He didn’t want to go and tell such horrible news to a bunch of mean, nasty people. What if they got angry with him and hurt him? So Jonah ran away.
He decided to get on a boat and sail as far away as possible from Nineveh.
The problem was, God knew where Jonah was. He couldn’t run away. God still wanted him to tell the people in Nineveh to turn back to Him so He sent a big storm.
Jonah realized what God had done and told the sailors to throw him into the sea.
So they threw him overboard. Then suddenly along cam a huge fish and swallowed Jonah up. Jonah didn’t die. Oh no, it was worst, he stayed inside the fish for 3 days! This gave him rather a lot of time to think and decide that maybe he should obey God after all.
After 3 days the fish spat Jonah out on the beach near Nineveh. Imagine how Jonah looked after 3 days in a fish’s stomach! When he told the Ninevites to turn back to God, do you know what happened? They listened! They turned back to God and were saved.
Download printable version here kidstimewithjesus Jonah and the Big Fish Picture Story
Prayer Time
Ask children how they think Jonah felt when God asked him to go to Nineveh. Ask if they have ever felt the same way. Explain that even though it was hard to do what God asked him to do, when he did, the people in Nineveh all changed into good people. Ask children what they find hard to do that God wants them to do (i.e. watching good things on TV, telling their friends that they love Jesus, letting someone go first, sharing their favourite toy with someone). Let each child pray that God will help them face their Nineveh.
Song: Who Did Swallow Jonah
Ask children to stand up and sing a song about Jonah. Act out the words as you sing.
Who Did Swallow Jonah
Who did, who did, who did, who did
Who did swallow Jo..Jo..Jo..Jo..Jonah
Who did, who did, who did, who did
Who did swallow Jo..Jo..Jo..Jo..Jonah
Did swallow Jonah down.
(Child’s Name) did, (Child’s Name) did, (Child’s Name) did, (Child’s Name) did,
(Child’s Name) did, swallow Jo..Jo..Jo..Jonah
(Child’s Name) did, (Child’s Name) did, (Child’s Name) did, (Child’s Name) did,
(Child’s Name) did, swallow Jo..Jo..Jo..Jonah
Did swallow Jonah down.
No!!!! (Repeat for each child)
Whale did,whale did, whale did whale did
Whale did swallow Jo..Jo..Jo…Jonah
Whale did,whale did, whale did whale did
Whale did swallow Jo..Jo..Jo…Jonah
Did swallow Jonah down.
View at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XP6pD1xk1gE&feature=related
Craft: Paper Bag Fish
Materials
- Paper Lunch Bags
- Colored paper cut into triangles (for fins)
- Scrunched Up Sxrap Paper (to fill the fish)
- Pens
- String or Sticky Tape
Make It
- Give each child a paper bag and ask them to fold the corners of the closed end of the bag inwards to make a triangle shaped face for the fish.
- Stick a circle shaped sticker on the face to make the fish eye.
- Scrunch up some scrap paper and stuff it inside the paper bag to give it shape.
- Push together the opening of the bag and tape it closed to make a tail.
- Sticky tape small triangle pieces of coloured paper to become fins.
Picture taken from https://eastcoastmommyblog.blogspot.com.au/2016/08/under-sea-crafts.html
Free Play
Encourage children to re-enact the story of Jonah with their fish or watch the Vegietales “Jonah” DVD.
Kids Time With Jesus 