What are some things we know about kids?
They like to play, and ask lots of questions. They can be easily upset and self-centered. We also know that they are quick to believe and want to feel big and important! Sound like anyone you know? (insert laughter)

Knowing these things, how can we present the gospel to kids in such a way that they will experience the love and power of God’s Word? That’s easy...include them in the story! We can do this by using all the senses we possibly can to illustrate the gospel.

Here are some ideas for sharing the story of Noah’s Ark

Hold a piece of wood or a toy boat while telling the story
Hold an umbrella over your head while telling the story. When you talk about the rain, have a volunteer use a spray bottle of water over you and the kids to represent the rain
When talking about all the animals on board, have some of the kids wear animal masks
Draw stick figures of Noah, a big boat, and some animals while you tell the story
Walk around the room with a small bag of tuna while you talk about what it may have smelled like on the boat. Allow the kids to smell what’s inside the bag
Give kids an opportunity to speak during the story “In the Bible, God told Noah to do something very important! Do you know what he told him to do?” (allow kids to answer) “God told Noah to build an ark. Do you know what an ark is?” (let them answer again) “Yes, an ark is a really big boat!”
Use repetition in the story - When you talk about the rain, the kids could say, “It rained, and rained, and rained!” each time you say the word rain or water
When talking about all the animals on the boat, the kids can make animal noises
Kids can participate in activity stations before and after the story to reinforce the lesson.
Sing a song about obeying God, or about Noah building the ark
Make and eat a snack that is related to the story. This could be animal crackers or goldfish. (Always be alert of kids with food allergies within your ministry.)
Make an animal mask out of a paper plate for kids to wear during the story
Create rainbows out of play-doh