Crossing the Red Sea: Sunday School Lesson for Ages 6-10
Ages 6-10 · 45 minutes · free lesson plan · Exodus 14:10-31
Children hear how God saved Israel at the sea, learn that God does the saving when we are afraid, and practise taking their fears to him. Includes an action retelling, a walking game, a craft, discussion and a memory verse.
Memory verse
The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace. (Exodus 14:14, KJV)
Lesson objectives
- Retell in order how God saved Israel at the sea (Exodus 14:10-31).
- Explain that the people could not save themselves, and God did the saving.
- Choose one way to bring a fear to God in prayer this week.
The full lesson plan
Welcome: Stuck! (5 min)
Say: "Good morning! Today we meet people who were in big trouble."
Say: "Show me a stuck face and fold your arms. Now tell a partner about a time you felt stuck or scared."
Let children share for one minute. Then ask a few to tell the group.
Say: "Everyone feels afraid sometimes. The people in our story had a sea in front of them and an army behind them. Let's find out what happened."
Transition: Now let's hear the story from God's Word. Do the actions with me!
Bible Story: Trapped at the Sea (8 min)
Read or retell Exodus 14:10-31 in order. Children do the actions.
Say: "Pharaoh's army came after the people of Israel, and they were sore afraid." (Shake with fear.)
Say: "They cried out to the LORD. They also told Moses they would rather have stayed in Egypt." (Cup hands around mouth.)
Say: "Moses answered, 'Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD.'" (Stand very still.)
Say: "God told Moses to lift up his rod and stretch out his hand over the sea." (Raise arm.)
Say: "The pillar of cloud moved behind the people, between them and the Egyptians." (Arms wide, step back.)
Say: "A strong east wind blew all night. The sea became dry land. The waters were a wall on their right hand and on their left." (Hands up on both sides.)
Say: "Israel walked through on dry ground." (Tiptoe in place.)
Say: "The Egyptians followed. In the morning, Moses stretched out his hand, and the sea returned. Not one of the Egyptians remained." (Hands crash down.)
Say: "The people saw the great work of the LORD. They feared the LORD and believed him."
Transition: Now let's talk about what this story shows us about God.
God Does the Saving (7 min)
Say: "First, fear is real. The people were sore afraid, and they cried out to the LORD. We can do that too."
Say: "Second, God made a way when there was no way. The people could not part the sea. Moses stretched out his hand, but God sent the wind and made the dry land."
Ask: "Who did the saving, the people or God?" (God!)
Say: "Third, God fights for his people. Even the Egyptians said, 'Let us flee from the face of Israel; for the LORD fighteth for them.'"
Say: "The people did not have to be strong. Moses told them to stand still and see the salvation of the LORD."
Say: "Christians see a bigger picture here. We cannot rescue ourselves from sin and death, but God sends Jesus to save us. God still rescues his people."
Say: "Being brave does not mean having no fear. It means trusting the God who is with us."
Transition: Now let's walk through the sea ourselves!
Game: Walk Through the Sea (8 min)
Setup: Clear a wide, open aisle about 3 metres long. Give each child a blue streamer or strip.
Time: 8 minutes. Walking only, no running.
1. Make two lines facing each other, with the aisle between them. These children are the walls of water. Hold the blue strips up and out at your sides.
2. Choose a few children to be Israelites. They stand at one end of the aisle.
3. Call out: "Fear not!" The Israelites walk slowly through the sea. The walls wave their strips gently.
4. Call out: "Stand still!" Everyone freezes. Ask: "Who is fighting for us?" (The LORD!)
5. Swap roles until everyone has walked through. End by saying the memory verse together once.
Say: "You walked on dry ground. The people of Israel did too, because God made a way."
Transition: Now let's make something to help us remember.
Craft: Path Through the Sea (8 min)
Safety: Use glue sticks only. Supervise anyone using scissors. Tearing paper works well for this craft.
Setup: Write the memory verse on the board. Give each child a tan sheet, a blue sheet and a glue stick.
Time: 8 minutes.
1. Tear or cut the blue sheet in half from top to bottom, with a wavy edge on each piece.
2. Glue one blue piece on the left side of the tan sheet and one on the right. Leave a tan path between them.
3. Draw small people walking on the path. Add a cloud or pillar at the top.
4. Write or copy "The LORD shall fight for you" (Exodus 14:14) at the bottom.
5. Write your name on the back.
Say: "Take this home and tell your family how God made a way."
Transition: Let's put down our crafts and talk about the story.
Talk It Over (5 min)
Ask the group:
1. What did the people do when they saw the army? (They were afraid and cried out to the LORD.)
2. What did Moses tell them to do? (Fear not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD.)
3. Who made the way through the sea? (God did, with the wind and dry land.)
4. What are you afraid of? How can you tell God about it? (Pray and ask him for help. Answers will vary.)
Say: "God wants us to bring our fears to him, just like the people did."
Transition: Let's finish by learning our verse and praying.
Verse and Prayer (4 min)
Say the verse in parts with motions, three times: "The LORD shall fight for you" (point up), "and ye shall hold your peace" (finger on lips, then stand still).
Say: "Let's pray together. I'll say a line and you repeat it."
Prayer points:
- "Thank you, God, for rescuing your people."
- "When I am afraid, help me to cry out to you."
- "Thank you that you make a way when I see no way."
- "Thank you for sending Jesus to save us. Amen."
Say: "Remember, the LORD fights for you. Go in peace!"
Materials
- Bible (KJV)
- Blue streamers or strips of blue cloth/paper (one per child)
- Blue construction paper (one sheet per child)
- Tan or brown paper (one sheet per child)
- Glue sticks
- Crayons or markers
- Safety scissors (optional)
- Memory verse written on a poster or board
Teacher notes
- Read Exodus 14:10-31 several times before class so you can tell it in order. Keep to what the text says and avoid adding details.
- Safety: Check for glue or paper sensitivities. Supervise any scissors. The walking game is for walking only, with a clear aisle.
- Adaptation: Use pictures to show the story steps for children who learn visually. Offer a quieter role, such as holding a streamer as a wall or watching and drawing. Pair younger children with an older buddy.
- Some children may know the Red Sea name. Background: Exodus 14 calls it simply 'the sea', and the exact location is not given in this passage.
Send it home with parents
Today we studied Exodus 14:10-31. The people of Israel were trapped between Pharaoh's army and the sea. They were afraid and cried out to the LORD. God made a way through the sea and saved them. The people could not save themselves, and God did the saving.
- What is something that makes you afraid, and how can we pray about it?
- Why do you think Moses told the people to stand still?
Read Exodus 14:21-22 together. Then lay two towels or blankets on the floor with a path between them. Take turns walking through. Say: "The LORD shall fight for you."
Each night this week, tell God about one thing that worries you. Then say Exodus 14:14 together as a family.
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