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Toddler Bible Lessons – Week 9: Jonah

Posted by on September 28, 2020

Day 2: The Boat and the Storm

*There are 3 activities for this day’s lesson. Feel free to choose one or two of the activities OR spread them out over several days! :)

  • Materials:
  • Bible (I like the NirV)
  • Children’s Bible (I’m using the Say & Pray Bible)
  • Activity #1: Toy boat that floats, Spray bottle, squeeze bottles, fan (for stormy rain and wind)
  • Activity #2: Ice cube tray, Water-soluble paints (or food coloring), Sheet of tin foil, Straws cut in pieces, Paper sails (optional) – I didn’t use sails since I had her in the bathtub and didn’t want to deal with wet, soggy paper dissolving
  • Activity #3: Large tub – Label one side SINK and the other FLOAT, Small tub filled with water – I used a salad spinner and added dishsoap to make bubbles!, Objects that float or sink

Day 1: Lesson and Activities

  • Open Bible to Jonah 1:3-5 and 12. Ask if child wants to touch God’s Word. Touch gently. Then, read the verses.

Children’s Bible Reading: Open Say & Pray Bible and point to Jonah, water, ship, fish, bubbles… Notice the huge waves. God sent a storm because Jonah disobeyed! But God was always with Jonah, even in the storm.

Activity #1: The Storm

  • Place toy boat on water and make a storm with spray bottles and fan.
  • Sing: (Tune: Rain, Rain Go Away) Rain, rain, stormy seas. Help us, help us – please, please, please! Rain, rain, stormy seas; Jonah now is on his knees!

Activity #2: Sinking Boats

  • Prep boats ahead of time (I had Katelyn help me prep the day before, and she enjoyed playing with the colored water, the cups, and the straw pieces)
    • Fill ice cube tray with water and stir in water-soluble paint colors
    • Cover tray with tin foil sheet
    • Poke straw pieces through the tin foil into each section (can attach paper sails to the top of each straw piece)
    • Freeze
  • Remove boats and place in water – play with them as they float, tip, sink, and melt into the water. In the storm on Jonah’s boat, they had to throw out the heavy items to try to stay afloat. Jonah had them throw HIM overboard, too!
  • Speak (or sing Tune: The Wheels on the Bus) Jonah tried to run away, run away, run away Jonah tried to run away. Jonah, Jonah – no, no, no! God sent a storm so big, big, big – big, big, big – big, big, big! God sent a storm so big, big, big! Uh, oh! Uh, oh! Jonah overboard! God is always watching even in the storm, even in the storm, even in the storm God is always watching even in the storm. God is always with us – yes, yes, yes!

Activity #3: Float or sink?

  • Prep: Place smaller tub filled with soapy water in center of larger tub (or just on a towel)
  • Present a basket or box of small objects that float or sink (I used a small tub so it could be used in water play)
  • Place each one in the soapy water – does it float, or does it sink?
  • Take the object out and put it on the FLOAT or SINK side of the larger tub to categorize the floating and sinking objects.
  • In the storm on Jonah’s boat, they had to throw out the heavy items to try to stay afloat. Jonah had them throw HIM overboard, too!
  • Sing (Tune: I’m a Little Teapot) Does the ____ float or does it sink? Put it in the water and think, think, think. We can see the ____ (float, float, float or sink, sink, sink). Take it out and place it here.
  • Katelyn really enjoyed free play after this activity. The objects were interesting, the bubbles were fun to rub in her hands, and the water was fun to pour from one container to the other. Since I have done this kind of activity with her before, she was really good about keeping the water in the containers (though a little bit got out onto the towel). She was so intrigued with the play. I literally just sat there next to her watching her for 30 minutes straight while she just played and poured and dumped. The salad spinner was an added excitement because she could spin the water/objects, take the lid on and off, and remove and replace the inner layer.

Closing: Psalm 73:23, I am always with you. Even when things feel crazy like a storm, God is always with us!

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