This is the 3rd in a 5-part series on the life & ministry of Moses, including a lesson entirely on the 10 Commandments.
This printable lesson plan is designed to teach preschool aged children about the story of Moses and the Exodus of the Israelites. It could be used in any setting with children age 2-5 at church, including a preschool Sunday School class or a preschool children’s church class. As always, consider your own ministry context and modify it as needed. Click here to see the series index.
Bible Story: Moses and the Red Sea – Exodus 13:17,21, 14:4-5,8-16,21-22,26-28
Learning Objectives: After this lesson, the children will demonstrate an understanding of the how God got Moses’ attention by reenacting the story.
Target Age: 2 year olds – 5 year olds
Items Needed:
- Bible, Exodus 13:17,21, 14:4-5,8-16,21-22,26-28
- “Moses and the Red Sea” Booklet PDF download
- Watered down paint, 1 straw per child, 1 piece of construction paper per child, trays or boxes (optional)
- Jump Rope
Worship: Use the “Moses Songs” (extra print out) to lead the children to sing before the Bible lesson.
Teaching Plan: Moses and the Red Sea
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.
* Painting with straws – Have some watered down paint in bowls and straws available for the children to paint with. Give children construction paper and put a little paint on their papers. Tell them to blow through their straws to spread the paint around. You may want to have the children put their papers in trays or boxes while they are blowing, to try to contain the paint.
Worship: Moses Songs
Bible Lesson Introduction
When have you ever been in water? (bath, swimming, etc.) Have you ever walked through water? Today in our Bible lesson we will learn about how God helped some people escape through water!
Bible Lesson
Read Exodus 13:17,21, 14:4-5,8-16,21-22,26-28 (NIRV) aloud to the children. There is also a book that you can print out that has the story along with simple pictures to help the children understand what is being read.
Read the verses (story) to the children. If you are using the print out story, point to the pictures as you read the story so that the children can better understand what you are saying.
Read Exodus 13:17,21, 14:4-5,8-16,21-22,26-28 (NIRV) aloud to the children.
17 Pharaoh let the people go.
21 By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud. It guided them on their way. At night he led them with a pillar of fire. It gave them light. So they could travel by day or at night. 22 The pillar of cloud didn’t leave its place in front of the people during the day. And the pillar of fire didn’t leave its place at night.
4 “I will make Pharaoh’s heart stubborn. He will chase them. But I will gain glory for myself because of what will happen to Pharaoh and his whole army. And the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.” So the Israelites camped by the Red Sea.
5 The king of Egypt was told that the people had gotten away. Then Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds about them. They said, “What have we done? We’ve let the people of Israel go! We’ve lost our slaves and all of the work they used to do for us!”
8 The Lord made the heart of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, stubborn. So he chased the Israelites, who were marching out boldly. 9 The Egyptians went after the Israelites. All of Pharaoh’s horses and chariots and horsemen and troops went after them.
10 As Pharaoh approached, the people of Israel looked up. There were the Egyptians marching after them! The Israelites were terrified. They cried out to the Lord.
11 They said to Moses, “Why did you bring us to the desert to die? Weren’t there any graves in Egypt? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? 12 We told you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone. Let us serve the Egyptians.’ It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die here in the desert!”
13 Moses answered the people. He said, “Don’t be afraid. Stand firm. You will see how the Lord will save you today. Do you see those Egyptians? You will never see them again. 14 The Lord will fight for you. Just be still.”
15 Then the Lord spoke to Moses. He said, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the people of Israel to move on. 16 Hold your wooden staff out. Reach your hand out over the Red Sea to part the water. Then the people can go through the sea on dry ground.
21 Then Moses reached his hand out over the Red Sea. All that night the Lord pushed the sea back with a strong east wind. He turned the sea into dry land. The waters were parted. 22 The people of Israel went through the sea on dry ground. There was a wall of water on their right side and on their left.
26 Then the Lord spoke to Moses. He said, “Reach your hand out over the sea. The waters will flow back over the Egyptians and their chariots and horsemen.” 27 So Moses reached his hand out over the sea. At sunrise the sea went back to its place. The Egyptians tried to run away from the sea. But the Lord swept them into it. 28 The water flowed back and covered the chariots and horsemen. It covered the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed the people of Israel into the sea. Not one of the Egyptians was left.
Read the story again, but this time have the children make the following motions:
Pharoah: make an angry face
Moses: hold a staff up in your hand
Red Sea or water: move your arm like it was a wave of water
Discuss the Bible Reading
When you are finished reading the story the second time, ask the children the following questions so that you can know they understood it.
“Who was in the story?” Moses, God, Pharoah, people of Israel
“Was the Pharoah nice or mean?” Mean
“What miracle (really special thing) did God do with the Red Sea?” He split it open with wind
“Why did God do that to the Red Sea?” So that the people of Israel could get across safely on dry land
Bible Lesson Craft / Activity
Activity: The Red Sea is Falling Down (a.k.a. London Bridge)
“During our Bible Story today we learned how God opened up the Red Sea so that the Israelites could go across on dry land. But then what happened when the Egyptians tried to cross the Red Sea? (allow for responses) Right. God made the Red Sea fall down on them. We are going to do that same thing. Let’s play!”
Activity: Bible Verse Memorization
“The people of Israel went through the sea on dry ground. There was a wall of water on their right side and on their left.” Exodus 14:22
Have the children do the following hand motions along with repeating the words after you, to help them learn the Bible Verse:
The people of Israel: point to yourself and others in the class
Went through the sea: act like you are walking through something
On dry ground: pat the ground
There was a wall: put your hands up like there is a wall in front of you
Of water: wiggle your arm like it was a wave of water
On their right side: make the wall motion with right hand
And on their left side: make the wall motion with the left hand
Exodus 14: put all 10 fingers up and then 4 fingers
22: hold up 2 fingers on each hand to represent 2-2
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 at this age.
Bible Verse Activity: Crossing the Red Sea
“In our Bible Verse today, it says that the people crossed the Red Sea. We’re going to pretend to go across the Red Sea, too.“
• Line the children up at one end of the classroom.
• You will need 2 children or 2 teachers to hold the ends of the jump rope.
• Have the 2 holders hold the jump rope where it is stretched out on the floor in front of the other children
• Keep the jump rope still and on the floor and have the children jump over it
• Once all of the children have gone over it, you can move the rope a little and have them jump over it again. Make sure that it is on the floor so that the children are not getting hurt.
Evaluation: Have the children reenact the story. Use this time to reinforce the main points about God.