This is the 1st lesson of a 5-part series based on the life of Moses. For each story, we are uploading two versions. One is designed for preschoolers and the other for elementary aged children. Click here to view the index.
This free Children’s Church lesson plan was first written for elementary aged students. It covers the story of Moses’ birth and the river. This material could also be used as the Bible lesson for children’s Sunday school. Be sure to consider your own ministry context and modify it as needed. There is also a preschool version of this lesson plan.
Bible Story: Baby Moses and the River
Scripture: Exodus 1:22-2:10
Target Age Group: Age 6 – 11 (U.S. Kindergarten – 5th Grade)
Learning Context: Children’s Church
Target Time Frame: 60 minutes
Printer Friendly Bible Lesson: [print_link] this lesson plan
You Can Help: Please share your feedback and suggestions to improve this children’s Bible lesson. Click here to respond
Learning Objectives: After this lesson, the children will demonstrate and understanding of how Moses was saved by retelling the story.
Target Age: Kindergarten – 5th
Items Needed:
- Bible: Exodus 1:22-2:10. There is a detailed explanation below to help bring out some of the important parts of the story.
- 1 basket template per child (from DLTK website) already put together for the children – print on cardstock to make it sturdier, 6 construction paper strips per child, tape
- Crayons, glue, cotton balls, 1/4 sheet of construction paper per child, 1 circle per child (for baby Moses’ head)
Worship: Use Moses Songs (extra print out) to lead the children to sing before the Bible lesson.
Teaching Plan: Moses and the River
Welcome Activity: Welcome activities are things to have out for the children to do as they are arriving for class. These activities will get them engaged as soon as they arrive and will help the transition from their parents.
Have the children use items in the room to set up an obstacle course. This will be completed during the Bible Lesson Introduction.
Worship: Moses Songs
Bible Lesson Introduction: Have the children take turns completing the obstacle course. This represents the Nile River and somewhat of what it would have been for Moses in the basket floating down the river.
Bible Lesson
Have the children open their Bibles Exodus 1:22. To help them find it, use the following questions. Answers are in italics.
- Which part of the Bible is Exodus in? Old Testament
- What book of the Old Testament is Exodus? #2
Read Exodus 1:22-2:10 (NIV) aloud to the children.
Then Pharaoh gave an order to all of his people. He said, “You must throw every baby boy into the Nile River. But let every baby girl live.”
A man and a woman from the tribe of Levi got married. She became pregnant and had a son by him. She saw that her baby was a fine child. So she hid him for three months.
After that, she couldn’t hide him any longer. So she got a basket that was made out of the stems of tall grass. She coated it with tar. Then she placed the child in it. She put the basket in the tall grass that grew along the bank of the Nile River. The child’s sister wasn’t very far away. She wanted to see what would happen to him.
Pharaoh’s daughter went down to the Nile River to take a bath. Her attendants were walking along the bank of the river. She saw the basket in the tall grass. So she sent her female slave to get it.
When she opened it, she saw the baby. He was crying. She felt sorry for him. “This is one of the Hebrew babies,” she said.
Then his sister spoke to Pharaoh’s daughter. She asked, “Do you want me to go and get one of the Hebrew women? She could nurse the baby for you.”
“Yes. Go,” she answered. So the girl went and got the baby’s mother.
Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this baby. Nurse him for me. I’ll pay you.” So the woman took the baby and nursed him.
When the child grew older, she took him to Pharaoh’s daughter. And he became her son. She named him Moses. She said, “I pulled him out of the water.”
Discuss Bible Lesson
Then Pharaoh gave an order to all of his people. He said, “You must throw every baby boy into the Nile River. But let every baby girl live.”
Pharaoh gives a horrible law to kill all Hebrew baby boys
A man and a woman from the tribe of Levi got married. She became pregnant and had a son by him. She saw that her baby was a fine child. So she hid him for three months. After that, she couldn’t hide him any longer. So she got a basket that was made out of the stems of tall grass. She coated it with tar. Then she placed the child in it. She put the basket in the tall grass that grew along the bank of the Nile River.
A Hebrew woman gave birth to a son and hid him from the Egyptians for 3 months. To save her baby, she put him in a basket in the Nile River (which isn’t the nicest of rivers).
The child’s sister wasn’t very far away. She wanted to see what would happen to him.
The baby’s sister watched to see what would happen to her baby brother. Do any of you have baby brothers or sisters? What would you do/be feeling if that was you?
Pharaoh’s daughter went down to the Nile River to take a bath. Her attendants were walking along the bank of the river. She saw the basket in the tall grass. So she sent her female slave to get it.
When she opened it, she saw the baby. He was crying. She felt sorry for him. “This is one of the Hebrew babies,” she said.
Pharaoh’s daughter finds the baby. She must be a compassionate person because it says that she felt sorry for him. Who wouldn’t feel bad for a crying baby?
Then his sister spoke to Pharaoh’s daughter. She asked, “Do you want me to go and get one of the Hebrew women? She could nurse the baby for you.”
What a brave girl! She, a Hebrew, went up to talk to an Egyptian! And not just any Egyptian! Royalty!
“Yes. Go,” she answered. So the girl went and got the baby’s mother.
Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this baby. Nurse him for me. I’ll pay you.” So the woman took the baby and nursed him.
So the baby’s sister went to get the baby’s mother to take care of him. She was able to keep him longer, legally, and probably even got paid for it! God really had His hand on this situation!
When the child grew older, she took him to Pharaoh’s daughter. And he became her son. She named him Moses. She said, “I pulled him out of the water.”
Moses was the baby in the basket!
Bible Lesson Activities
Activity: Weave a Basket
“What was our Bible lesson about today? (allow for responses) Right, a mother put her baby into a basket. We are going to make our own basket. We will get it started now and then finish it a little later. Is everyone ready?”
• Give each child a basket template and 6 construction paper strips
• Demonstrate to the children how to weave a strip of construction paper in and out of the template (Allow them to make it their own – it won’t be perfect. Just encourage them so that they don’t get frustrated.)
Activity: Bible Verse Memorization
“So she got a basket that was made out of the stems of tall grass. She coated it with tar. Then she placed the child in it.” Exodus 2:3 (New International Reader’s Version)
Have the children do the following hand motions along with repeating the words after you, to help them learn the Bible Verse:
So she got a basket: make the shape of a basket with your hands
That was made: roll hands around each other as though making something
Out of the stems of tall grass: wiggle fingers in front of body
She coated it with tar: place one hand on top of the other
Then she placed the child in it: act as though you are placing the baby in the basket
Do this a few times with the children. Make it fun for them to do the motions and say the words. Involving them in active learning is essential for memorization.
Activity: Finish the Basket
• Have the children color their basket (very carefully)
• Let them glue cotton balls on the bottom of their basket
• Help them glue Moses’ head on the bottom of their basket
• Help them glue the ¼ sheet of construction paper as Moses’ blanket
• When they are finished, help them hold their basket by the handles
Evaluation:
Have the children retell the story to a friend.
This is wonderful. We serve the special needs children of our church (Bridgeway Community Church of Columbia MD) and they are with us for several years. It seems we just did the Mirium story with them, putting Moses in a basket. But it was last year. So, I needed something different but easy to implement. Your craft is just the right mix of simple but complex to keep them engages.
Thank you!!
Thanks alot for your good lesson plan
God bless you
Thank you for your very helpful materials for teaching kids about the bible