Noah’s ark is quite possibly the most taught Bible lesson in children’s ministry and for good reason. It has it all, animals, and a boat, an interesting and inspiring hero and of course a rainbow, and undeniable evidence of God’s love. What great lessons we can learn from Noah and his ark; lessons like obedience to God saves us from calamity and that God has made us many precious promises. If you want to revisit this lesson without tissue paper rainbows and a felt board, try this cool method—shadow animals!
You’ll need: a bright flashlight or lamp without the shade, a sheet, paper cutouts, bamboo skewers and tape
You can teach using shadow animals two ways. The first and easiest is to use paper animal cutouts taped to bamboo skewers. By using paper cutouts, you won’t have to master learning hand shadow animals, although these are pretty easy. It’s good to have two of several different types of animals. You should choose animals that are easy to recognize when projected on a wall. Here’s a list of some cutout suggestions:
- Noah
- The Ark
- Elephants
- Rabbits
- Donkeys
- Cats
- Dogs
- Birds
Tell the story of Noah and play out the loading of the ark scene. Have kids identify the animals as they “load” on to the boat. You could even ask for volunteers to help you show the shadow animals. Pass the cutouts in front of the light in a darkened room and watch them come to life on the walls of your classroom.
The second method for shadow animals is to create the animals with your hands. Even if you only know how to make a few animals like a bird or a dog, you’ll make a big impact with your class. The following websites have good tutorials on basic shadow animals:
- PBS Kids
- Sweet Happy Life
- Florida Center for Instructional Technology
Enjoy this nifty lesson idea! Read more from Mimi by visiting her blog at Tools for Kids Church.
Free: complete Sunday school lessons to try
Ready-to-print lessons from our 2027 series: four for kids ages 6–12, six for preschool ages 3–5. Read it through once and teach this Sunday. Free checkout, the download comes by email.
Teaching preschool? Get the 6 free preschool lessons.
New Sunday School Curriculum: Our Bible lessons are designed to keep the kids’ attention and show how God's Word makes a difference. Every series is flexible enough for a wide-age group and affordable enough for small churches. Download a free Bible lesson in pdf or view our latest Sunday School curriculum for small churches.
