Jonah and the Whale - Bible Lessons for Kids
Dive into the story of Jonah with fun and engaging resources that help kids understand God's mercy and Jonah’s journey. With creative crafts, interactive activities, and kid-friendly YouTube videos, children will connect with this powerful Bible story. These ideas are perfect for Sunday school, homeschool lessons, family devotion time, or faith-based schools.
The Bible Story of Jonah
The story of Jonah is outlined in the Book of Jonah. Jonah was a prophet of God and one day, he received a message to go to Ninevah to preach the message God would give him. Jonah didn’t want to go, so he ran away on a ship.
While Jonah was out to sea, God sent a storm. The sailors were all terrified and asked Jonah to pray. Jonah told them to throw him overboard and the storm would stop. The sailors listened and when they threw Jonah overboard, the storm stopped.
God send a big fish to swallow Jonah. He spent three days and nights in the belly of the fish. Then the fish spat him onto land. Jonah went to Ninevah to deliver the message from God and the people of Ninevah turned from their wickedness.
Jonah and the Whale Bible Lessons for Kids
Are you planning to teach the story of Jonah? Our scripted lesson plans, discussion questions, and printable crafts are perfect for children aged 3-8.
Background Information About Jonah
Nineveh was the capital of the Assyrian Empire, and the Assyrians were an enemy of Israel. History books tell us a lot about Nineveh, and we know that Nineveh was a place known for causing great pain to Israelites and doing terrible things.
Jonah was likely afraid of the Ninevites, and he didn’t think they deserved God’s mercy or love because of all the terrible things the Ninevites had done.
A Whale in the Ocean CRAFT FOR OLDER KIDS
The ocean is a place of wonder and mystery. There are so many things, like underwater volcanoes, caves, and plant life!
Have kids create a wax resist underwater scene, highlighting the wonders of the ocean. Do this by using crayons to draw a scene. Make sure to press relatively hard with the crayons. Once kids are done drawing, use watered down water colors to paint blue over the page. The paint has to be quite watered down or it doesn’t work as well. When the scene is dried, kids can glue a whale into their scene. Check out Jonah and the Whale for Older Kids for the whale template.
‘Inside the Fish’ CRAFT FOR PRESCHOOL
Kids will get a kick out of this simple craft! It will also help them as they describe the story of Jonah and the Whale to their family.
Using the printable templates in Jonah and the Whale for Preschool, have kids color their fish and Jonah. Cut the fish on the indicated line and glue Jonah into the mouth of the whale. Using a paper fastener, hinge the two pieces of the fish together so the fish looks like it’s eating Jonah!
Other Activities to Teach About Jonah
Fish Art: Take time to do a fish drawing, like some of these from Art for Kids Hub:
Surprise Shark: This directed drawing is fun because it’s a shark that folds out to show a fish in its mouth. Instead of doing a shark, have kids draw a whale and then draw Jonah in the whale’s mouth.
Hide Jonah: Use a small figurine, like a LEGO person, to be Jonah. Have your group sit in a circle and designate one kid to be “it”. That kid has to leave the circle and cover their eyes. The other kids will pass Jonah around to music. When the music stops, everyone pretends to be holding Jonah. The “it” person has to guess who is actually holding Jonah.
Ocean in a Bottle: Check out Happy Hooligans for an Ocean in the Bottle craft. After making the ocean in a bottle, give each kid a small laminated Jonah and Big Fish to add to their bottle. Kids can watch him and the whale swimming around.
PomPom Shooters: Using balloons and toilet paper rolls, create a pompom shooter. Then have the kids use their imaginations that the toilet paper holder is the big fish, and the pompom being shot out is Jonah being spat out of the fish! For step-by-step instructions on how to create a pompom shooter, check out Little Bins for Little Hands.
YouTube Videos About Jonah
There are some great YouTube videos to help kids visualize the story. As always, be sure to preview the videos to ensure they are age-appropriate. Here are some suggestions:
WANT TO CONTINUE LEARNING ABOUT OLD TESTAMENT PROPHETS, KINGS, AND QUEENS?
This lesson is part of an eight-week series on the Old Testament Prophets, Kings, and Queens. The other stories include Elijah and the Prophets of Baal, Elisha and the Widow’s Oil, Naaman is Healed, Daniel in the Lions’ Den, Esther the Brave Queen, David and Goliath, and Joshua and the Battle of Jericho.
These lessons are also included in the 52-week Bible curriculum for preschoolers and kindergarteners, as well as for older children in first, second, and third grades.
Jonah and the Whale is a story that creates wonder in kids (and adults) of all ages! There are so many great ways to help kids engage in the learning in memorable ways.