Baby Moses in the Basket: Sunday School Lesson for Ages 6-10
Ages 6-10 · 45 minutes · free lesson plan · Exodus 2:1-10
Children act out the story of baby Moses, play a river-rescue game, make a paper basket, and learn that God watches over His people and works through ordinary people.
Memory verse
And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months. (Exodus 2:2, KJV)
Lesson objectives
- Retell the story of baby Moses in order: hidden, placed in the basket, found, and raised.
- Explain that God cared for Moses and used ordinary people to protect him.
- Respond by trusting God and caring for others when things feel scary.
The full lesson plan
Welcome: Treasure Keepers (4 min)
Setup: Sit in a circle. Hold the doll.
Say: Welcome! Today we hear about a baby who was kept safe in a surprising way.
Say: Think of something precious to you. How do you take care of it?
Pass the doll gently around the circle. Each child says one precious thing and how they care for it. Anyone may say "pass."
Say: People care for what they treasure. Today we see how much God cares for His people.
Say: Now let's listen to the story from God's Word.
Bible Story: The Basket on the River (8 min)
Background: Earlier in Exodus, Pharaoh ordered that Hebrew baby boys be thrown into the river (Exodus 1:22).
Read or tell Exodus 2:1-10 in order. Children do an action at each part:
• A man and a woman of the house of Levi have a son. She sees he is a goodly child. (Rock arms like a baby.)
• She hides him three months. (Cover eyes with hands.)
• She can no longer hide him, so she makes an ark of bulrushes with slime and pitch. She puts the child inside and lays it in the flags by the river's brink. (Make a basket shape with hands.)
• His sister stands far off to see what will be done. (Hand over eyes, looking.)
• Pharaoh's daughter comes down to wash at the river. She sees the ark and sends her maid to fetch it. (Pretend to wash, then point.)
• She opens it. The babe weeps, and she has compassion. (Rub eyes.)
• His sister asks if she should fetch a Hebrew nurse. The child's own mother is called to nurse him. (Hug yourself.)
• The child grows and becomes Pharaoh's daughter's son. She names him Moses, "Because I drew him out of the water." (Pull hands up.)
Say: Now let's see what this story shows us about God.
Teaching: God Was at Work (6 min)
Say: This story never says "God" in these verses, but God was clearly at work.
Ask and answer together:
• Who protected Moses? (His mother, his sister, and even Pharaoh's daughter.)
• Where did Moses end up? (Safe, nursed by his own mother, and raised in Pharaoh's house.)
Say: God used a mother's care, a sister's watching, and a kind princess to keep baby Moses safe.
Say: God had a plan. Later in Exodus, Moses leads God's people out of Egypt.
Say: Moses' rescue points ahead to Jesus, who rescues people for good.
Say: When we feel afraid, we can trust God. He sees us, too.
Teach the memory verse. Say it line by line, children echo. Then whisper it, then shout it. Say it three times with the actions "hide" (cover eyes) and "three" (hold up three fingers).
Say: Now let's play a game to feel the story.
Game: Rescue Down the River (8 min)
Setup: Lay the blue cloth along the floor as a river. Put the doll in the basket at one end. Clear the walking path.
Steps:
1. Divide into two teams. Teams line up on either side of the river.
2. Say: Walk, don't run. Each child carries the basket carefully along the river and passes it to the next child.
3. Each carrier names one part of the story before passing. (Examples: "She hid him." "She made a basket." "The princess found him.")
4. At the end, the last child gently lifts the doll out. Everyone says, "Drawn out of the water!"
5. Play again. This time each child says something God might help us with when we are afraid.
Say: Great job! Now let's make something to remember the story.
Craft: Paper Basket Boat (9 min)
Safety: Supervise scissors and glue. Keep small items away from mouths.
Setup before class: Cut brown paper into rectangles (about 6 x 9 inches), one per child. Also cut a small baby shape for each child, or let them draw their own.
Steps:
1. Draw a basket pattern on the brown paper. Use crayons to make a woven look with crisscross lines.
2. Fold the paper in half lengthwise. Glue the sides together, leaving the top open like a basket.
3. Draw a baby on a small paper circle or shape. Tuck it inside the basket.
4. Write "Exodus 2:2" on the outside.
5. Practice the verse with a partner using the basket.
Say: Take it home and tell someone how God kept Moses safe.
Say: Now let's talk about what we learned.
Talk Time (5 min)
Ask the group:
1. What did Moses' mother do to keep him safe? (She hid him, then made a basket and put him by the river.)
2. Who else helped Moses? (His sister watched, and Pharaoh's daughter drew him out.)
3. What do you think it is like to be afraid for someone you love? (Answers will vary.)
4. How can we trust God when we feel afraid? (Pray, remember He cares, and ask others for help.)
5. Who are some people God uses to take care of you? (Parents, teachers, friends.)
Closing and Prayer (5 min)
Say: God was watching over Moses, and God is watching over you.
Say: Let's say our memory verse one more time together. (Say Exodus 2:2 with actions.)
Prayer points (children repeat each line):
• Thank You, God, for people who take care of us.
• Help us trust You when we are afraid.
• Help us to care for others the way Moses' family did.
• Thank You for sending Jesus to rescue us.
Say: Amen! Take your basket home and share the story with your family.
Materials
- Bible (KJV)
- Small doll or stuffed toy (the baby)
- Basket or small box
- Blue cloth or blanket (the river)
- Brown construction paper
- Crayons
- Safety scissors
- Glue sticks
Teacher notes
- Stay with the text. The passage does not name Moses' parents or sister, and it does not describe their feelings. Do not add details.
- Safety: Supervise scissors and glue. Check for small pieces and keep them away from young children. Walk, don't run, in the game.
- Adaptation: Pair younger or shy children with a buddy. Offer pre-cut shapes and let children say "pass" in discussion. Use the doll and basket as visual aids for all learners.
- Keep the gospel link gentle: Moses' rescue points ahead to God's plan to rescue through Jesus.
Send it home with parents
Today we studied Exodus 2:1-10. Baby Moses was hidden, placed in a basket on the river, found by Pharaoh's daughter, and raised, with his own mother nursing him. We learned that God watches over His people and uses ordinary people in His plans.
- Who helped keep Moses safe in the story?
- When have you felt afraid? How can we trust God then?
Use a basket or box and a doll or toy. Retell the story together, taking turns to play the mother, sister, and princess. Then say Exodus 2:2 together.
Each night this week, thank God for one person who takes care of your family. Tell that person thank you.
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