The People of God were in the wilderness. They had escaped from Egypt but were thirsty. They moaned! God told Moses to strike the rock and out came water. The story is from Exodus 17:1-7
W is for Water from the Rock – story idea
Have you ever felt hungry? God’s people had been hungry and so God had given them food to eat.
Have you ever felt thirsty? God’s people felt thirsty. But instead of asking God to help them find water they moaned and groaned! Why isn’t God helping us? they said to Moses.
Why are you moaning and groaning? Moses said
Then Moses asked for God’s help. What shall I do with all these moany and groany people?
God heard Moses. God helped Moses. God said, ‘Moses, take your staff and hit the rock’.
Moses did what God said. He lifted up his staff and struck the rock and out came water!
God gave the people water to drink. He looked after them.
God is able to look after you and me too.
Water from the Rock Craft Idea
A simple collage to make. Beforehand prepare the rock from brown paper, a sun, some blue paper strips for water and Moses (Pdf below). The children can build the scene.
What is God like? Story series for toddlers. This is a great way to teach young children some basic truths about God’s character.
There is a story from the Bible that teaches one truth about God each week. An alternative title would be ‘What does the Bible tell us about God?’
We answered the question by teaching that –
God is everywhere, God knows everything, God is holy, God is powerful and God is faithful. Of course the Bible tells us more about God than we have included here. We finish with the Christmas story explaining that God has made a way for us to know him.
This series would make a great run in to Christmas but I also think it would be fine to tell the Christmas story at a different time of year.
Each week you can use a story bag and a character or two. These can be Pringle people, happyland characters, a mini Moses (toilet roll!) and knitted characters. I think the children like the variety.
You could easily tell these stories to young children at home too.
Week One JONAH Story of Jonah and the big fish
Bible truth for toddlers – God is Everywhere
God is everywhere is a truth we learn from the Bible. We are using the story of Jonah to illustrate this truth in a way that is easy for toddlers.
To tell the Story you need –
Jonah (we used a figure from happyland),
a big fish (the one pictured is VERY big – made over a tent) and
a toy boat.
Jonah and the boat to NinevahThe big fish that swallowed Jonah
Jonah and the Great Big Fish story
God said to Jonah, ‘go to the big city called Ninevah (can you say that? repeat the name together) and tell everyone there about me.’
Jonah listened to God.
But Jonah didn’t like the people in the big city of Ninevah.
‘I don’t want to! I’m not going to go!’ He said (have you ever said that?)
Jonah thought to himself, ‘I will go far away – so far away that God won’t know where I am.’ He went and got on a boat and sailed away, far, far away from Ninevah.
But then the rain came and the wind blew – and out of the boat came Jonah – and splash into the sea!
Down, down, down he went. ‘Please God, help me!’ he prayed. Could God still hear Jonah from inside the great big fish? Was God too far away? No he was not far away. He was right there with Jonah.
God is everywhere. Jonah couldn’t run away from God.
God knew exactly where Jonah was, God always knows where we are; and he sent something to help. It wasn’t a boat – it was one great big fish. The one great big fish opened up it’s mouth and swallowed Jonah. He was safe!
The one great big fish took Jonah back to land. God said, ‘Jonah, go to Ninevah’. And this time Jonah did exactly what God said.
God is everywhere, all of the time. So wherever you go God is already there!
Say hello to Pharaoh! Pharaoh was a very important man. But he was upset. He had had a dream. It was a strange dream and it worried Pharaoh. He wanted to know what his dream meant. What could he do? He sent for all the magicians and wise men. ‘They will tell me what the dream means,’ he thought to himself.
But they had no idea what the dream was all about! No idea at all.
Oh no! What could Pharaoh do? One of his servants was thinking. He was remembering someone he knew. He had an idea.
‘Pharaoh I know someone who can help. He is in your prison. He is able to tell people what their dreams mean.’ Who was this man? His name was Joseph.
Pharaoh sent for him right way. Can you tell me what my dream means? he asked Joseph.
‘No! I can’t. But God can tell us what the dream means’. How can God do that? He can because God knows everything. God told Joseph what the dream meant. He told Pharaoh.
God knows everything about you and me too. He knows our names and he cares about us.
(Pharaoh and Joseph are made from pringles cartons)
God knows everything craft idea
This craft relates to the story – children can make their own Pharaoh puppet
Moses and God’s people were in a hurry. They were escaping from being slaves in a place called Egypt. They were leaving as fast as they could taking all their things with them. There were mums and dads and grandmas and grandads and babies and children just like you hurrying away from Egypt. Moses was their leader.
But Pharaoh, the king of Egypt was coming after them! He wanted his slaves back.
Moses and the people hurried. Pharaoh and his armies hurried after them!
Then something awful happened.
Moses and God’s people came to a huge sea of water. They couldn’t go round it. They couldn’t go under it. They couldn’t go through it! They were scared. They said to Moses, ‘ Why did you bring us here to die!
Moses said.’ Don’t be afraid. Stand still and see how God will work to save you today.’
What was God going to do?
God is powerful. He is more powerful than anyone. He moved the sea. The water separated and it stood up like towers. The land became completely dry. God is so powerful. He was able to rescue the people. They walked on the dry land, with the water either side of them – all of them got safely to the other side.
One day a man called Zechariah was in the temple. It was a very special place where people went to worship God. Zechariah had a special job to do there – just once in his life! He was a priest and he had been chosen to go and burn some incense that would make the temple smell beautiful. He was all by himself. All the other people had to wait outside.
Suddenly an angel was there with him. Angels are big, strong messengers from God. Zechariah was frightened!
‘Don’t be afraid’, the angel said, ‘God has heard your prayers and you and your wife Elisabeth are going to have a baby son. You will give him the name John.’
Now Zechariah should have believed the angel but he didn’t! ‘How can that happen?’ he said, ‘Elisabeth and I are far too old to have children!’
The angel said, ‘I am Gabriel. I stand in God’s presence everyday! I was sent to give you this good news. Now since you haven’t believed me you won’t be able to talk until the baby is born.’ Then Gabriel went away.
Zechariah finished what he was doing. He went outside but he couldn’t tell anyone what had happened!
He went back home. Time went by. Would God keep his promise?
God always keeps his promises. God is faithful. Zechariah and Elisabeth had a baby boy and they called him John.
God is faithful craft idea – Elizabeth and Zechariah
Make a picture of Elizabeth with her baby
To find printable PDF’s to use for Elizabeth and baby go to this post about Hannah. I’ve used the same pictures but for a different story.
Week Six Luke 2 God has made a way for us to know him
Bible truth for toddlers – God has made a way for us to know him
We have heard about how God is everywhere. God knows everything. God is powerful. God is holy. God is faithful. Today we find out that God has made a way for us to know him.
‘Mary and Joseph were in the stable. That night something amazing had happened. Jesus had been born as a baby. Jesus was not just an ordinary baby – he was God’s Son sent from heaven.
Out in the fields there were some shepherds looking after their sheep. It was dark. There were stars up in the sky. Suddenly an angel was there! This angel had a message from God.
The shepherds were scared!
‘Don’t be afraid,’ the angel said, ‘I bring you good news of great joy that is for everyone. Today in the Town of David a Saviour has been born to you!’
Who is this Saviour? It is Jesus
The angel told the shepherds ‘ You will find the baby wrapped in cloths and in a manger’.
Then there were lots and lots of angels in the sky singing. It was such a special night – the Saviour had been born.
Then the angels were gone. The shepherds looked at each other. ‘let’s go and find this special baby’, they said to each other.
They dashed into the town and they looked. And they found him – the Saviour sent from God was there. God had sent Jesus to be our Saviour so that we can know God. The shepherds found Jesus. You can find Jesus too.
(The characters are from Early Learning Centre. The ‘straw’ is shredded tissue paper.)
God has made a way for us to know him – craft Ideas
As this is the Christmas story there are so many craft ideas to choose from! Here’s a link to several ideas.
Baby Moses 3D craft for young children. This is a lovely Baby Moses craft that is easy to make and very effective. It uses easy to find materials that take just a little bit of time to prepare.
All you need for this Baby Moses 3D craft –
A4 card (cut the slits so that the card will fold and stand up),
small baby printout (there are some to download in this blog post),
A long time ago there was a very bad King in Egypt. He was very bad. He wanted to get rid of all the baby boys. That was very awful.
But there was a family who didn’t think that the very bad King was right. And they had a brand new baby boy. He was so lovely! He gurgled and he burped! The baby wriggled and he slept. It was good that he slept a lot because his mummy and daddy had to keep him a secret. (Everyone go ‘shush’)
But as he grew and got bigger he began to make more noise! When he cried it was LOUD. Oh no! (Everyone say this together)They weren’t going to be able to keep him a secret for much longer.
His mummy had an idea. It was a good idea. She made a basket. She made a waterproof basket with a lid.
And then she wrapped her lovely baby son up and placed him in the basket and tucked him in. She and her daughter went down to the river. They carefully picked a spot where they knew someone very important would come to wash in the river. They put the basket in the water and the mum went home, but his big sister hid and watched.
And sure enough the women came to wash in the river. The bad king’s daughter and her servant. Down into the water they went. ‘Oh! What’s that? Can you get me that basket? I wonder what’s inside?’
They lifted up the lid …. and there … inside.. was a beautiful baby boy with big tears, crying for his mummy.
Now the big sister did something very brave. She came and said, ‘Shall I go and find someone to look after the baby you have found?’
‘Yes’, said the bad king’s daughter.
And the big sister ran home and called her mum to come.
‘Take this baby and look after him for me’, said the bad king’s daughter, ‘and when he is older he can come and live in the Palace. And she gave him the name Moses.
We made these over two weeks at our after school club. The first week we made the basket and baby Moses and today we made the hand shaped reeds and tissue paper water. The four year olds did a great job of using scissors. I never use scissors with preschoolers but the children today are already in year one so it’s good for them to use their skills.
Here’s some simple instructions for making the Baby Moses paper plate craft. I’ve made a baby Moses paper plate craft before (you can find it here) but wanted something a little simpler for our Holiday Bible Club as we don’t have a lot of time per age group. So this time there was no drawing round hands and the paper plate is a square plate.
To prepare the Baby Moses paper plate craft I pre cut a slit in each square plate, prepared a piece of green card the right size to slot into the slit and printed lots of baby Moses’s (there is a link to the download below) and basket lids.
The children needed to cut the green card to make reeds, slot into the plate (a leader then used cellotape to secure the green card under the plate), the children mould a plasticine basket and place a coloured in Moses inside. The plate was decorated with blue and white tissue paper. A label was added ‘God kept Moses safe’ by ________ ; the children fill in the blank with their name.
You could use air drying clay to make the basket but the plasticine was pretty much mess free. There is a softer version of plasticene for young children.
Moses has a sad face because he was crying when the basket was opened.
Bible story from Exodus 8. This is part of our series of stories about animals in the Bible.
Meet the main characters – Moses, Pharoah and frogs!
Moses was the leader of God’s people. God’s people lived in Egypt. They were very sad (can you look sad). Everyday they had to make bricks. they made bricks 1,2,3,4,5,6,7, days a week. It was hot and dusty and horrible.
God told Moses to go and rescue the people. It’s always good to do what God says. ‘Moses, go and tell the King of Egypt to let all of my people go’
So Moses went to see the King of Egypt.
God says you are to let his people go
‘No’ said the king of Egypt ‘i won’t’. It’s always a bad idea to ignore God.
Moses told the king, ‘God will send something to make you change your mind!’
God sent … frogs!
Not just 1 frog, or 2 frogs or even 10 frogs but lots of frogs.
When the people wanted to cook food there were frogs in the oven, when they went to get a wash there were frogs in the water, when they went to bed there were frogs under the covers! frogs everywhere! When the king went to sit on his throne there were frogs already sitting there!
‘Take the frogs away’, said the King.
So Moses asked God to take the frogs away and God did. Now the frogs were back in the river.
After the story we sang our ‘new’ song. This went down really well.
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