Jonah and the Big Fish: Preschool Sunday School Lesson (Ages 3-5)
Ages 3-5 · 30 minutes · free lesson plan · Jonah 1:1-17
A 30-minute interactive preschool lesson on Jonah 1:1-17. Children act out the story with motions, play a stormy sea game, learn Jonah 1:17 with motions, and make a fish craft. They learn that God is in charge of the wind and the sea.
Memory verse
Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. (Jonah 1:17, KJV)
Lesson objectives
- Children will retell that God told Jonah to go, Jonah ran away, and God sent a great fish.
- Children will say that God is in charge of the wind and the sea.
- Children will practice listening to God and obeying.
The full lesson plan
Welcome Waves (3 min)
Setup: Spread the blue sheet on the floor. Have children sit around it.
Say: Hello, friends! Today we hear about a man named Jonah.
Do: Wiggle your fingers like rain, then wave your arms like the sea. Have the children copy you.
Say: God is in charge of the wind and the sea. Let's say it together: "God is in charge!"
Say: Now let's hear what happened to Jonah.
Jonah Runs Away (5 min)
Tell the story in order. Do each motion with the children.
Say: God told Jonah, "Go to Nineveh, that great city." (Point up.)
Say: But Jonah ran away from God. He went down to Joppa and found a ship. (Walk fingers on the floor.)
Say: Then God sent a great wind. The sea was stormy and the ship was ready to break. (Whoosh arms.)
Say: The sailors were afraid. Jonah was asleep, and the captain woke him up. (Pretend to sleep, then wake.)
Say: Jonah said, "Throw me into the sea." The men rowed hard, but the sea only got stormier. (Row arms.)
Say: They cried to the LORD and threw Jonah in. The sea stopped raging! (Hands flat and still.)
Say: Then God prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah. Jonah was inside for three days and three nights. (Hold up three fingers.)
Say: Now let's learn what this story teaches us.
God Is in Charge (3 min)
Say: Jonah did not listen to God. He ran the other way.
Say: But God is in charge of the wind. God is in charge of the sea. Nothing is bigger than God.
Say: God had prepared a great fish. God was still taking care of Jonah.
Say: God's words are good. When God tells us something, we listen and obey.
Ask: "Who is in charge of the wind and sea?" (God!) Have the children shout it with you.
Say: Now let's play the sea game!
Stormy Sea, Calm Sea (4 min)
Setup: Children sit on the floor around the blue sheet. Each child holds the edge.
Time: 4 minutes.
Safety: Everyone stays seated. No one goes under the sheet.
1. Say "Calm sea" and move the sheet in tiny, slow waves.
2. Say "Great wind!" and make bigger waves. The children whoosh like the wind.
3. Say "Be still!" Everyone freezes. The sea stopped raging.
4. Repeat, letting a child call the words.
5. End with "Calm sea" and a deep breath together.
Memory Verse Motions (3 min)
Setup: Children stand or sit in a circle. Say the verse slowly. Children copy the words and motions.
Time: 3 minutes.
1. "Now the LORD had prepared" (point up).
2. "a great fish to swallow up Jonah." (Open arms wide, then clap them shut.)
3. "And Jonah was in the belly of the fish" (hands on tummy)
4. "three days and three nights." (three fingers)
5. Say the verse three times: whisper, normal, then loud. Then say "Jonah 1:17."
Fish Mouth Craft (5 min)
Setup: Before class, pre-cut a small paper Jonah for each child. Fold each plate in half to check it bends.
Time: 5 minutes.
Safety: Teacher uses the scissors only. Check for allergies or skin sensitivities before using glue. Supervise crayons and glue sticks. No small parts.
1. Give each child a folded plate.
2. Children color the outside to look like a fish.
3. Help them draw an eye.
4. Open the plate like a mouth. Glue the paper Jonah inside.
5. Close the mouth. Say: "God prepared a great fish!"
Ask children to write or mark their names on the back.
Talk About It (3 min)
Sit together with the fish crafts. Ask short questions and let children answer in a word or two.
1. Who told Jonah to go to Nineveh? (God.)
2. What did Jonah do? (He ran away on a ship.)
3. Who is in charge of the wind and the sea? (God.)
4. What did God prepare? (A great fish.)
5. What can we do when God tells us something? (Listen and obey.)
Thank You, God (4 min)
Say: Let's close our eyes and fold our hands.
Say: Dear God, thank You that You are in charge of the wind and the sea.
Say: Thank You for taking care of us. Help us to listen to You and obey. Amen.
Prayer points: thank God for being in charge; ask Him to help us obey; thank Him for taking care of us.
Say: Great job today! Hold up your fish and say, "God is in charge!"
Hand out fish crafts. Say goodbye to each child.
Materials
- Large blue sheet or cloth (the sea)
- Paper plates (one per child)
- Crayons
- Glue sticks
- Small paper Jonah figures, pre-cut (one per child)
- Scissors (teacher use only, for setup)
Teacher notes
- Safety: the craft uses glue, crayons and paper. Check for allergies or skin sensitivities and ask parents first. Teacher uses scissors only. Keep paper pieces large.
- Adaptation: for children who are shy or sensitive to noise, let them hold the sheet quietly or use a picture of a fish. Pair younger children with a buddy.
- Background: the Bible says "great fish." It does not name a type of fish. Say it just as the text does.
- Gospel connection (for the teacher): Jesus later pointed to Jonah's three days and three nights (Matthew 12:40). Keep this simple. Tell children Jesus also has power over wind and sea.
Send it home with parents
Today we heard Jonah 1:1-17. God told Jonah to go to Nineveh, but Jonah ran away on a ship. God sent a great wind, and the sea became stormy. Jonah was thrown into the sea, and the storm stopped. God prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah. We learned that God is in charge of the wind and the sea, and that we should listen to Him.
- What did Jonah do when God told him to go?
- Who is in charge of the wind and the sea?
Fill a bowl or the bathtub with water. Make gentle waves, then calm them. Retell the story together with a toy or paper boat and a toy fish. Say, "God is in charge of the sea!"
Each day, practice listening and obeying quickly when you are asked to do something. Then say, "God wants me to listen and obey."
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