Teaching the story of the birth of Moses to kids is an excellent way to introduce them to themes of faith, courage, and love. This beloved Bible story about Moses’ journey in a basket comes to life with engaging activities like kid-friendly videos, crafts, and easy-to-use printable lesson plans. Whether you're a Sunday School teacher, work in a faith-based school, a homeschool parent, or simply looking to share this story at home, these creative ideas will help you captivate young learners and make the story of the birth of Moses memorable and meaningful.
THE STORY of Moses’ birth - a baby in a basket
Exodus 1 outlines the oppression of the Israelites in Egypt. Pharaoh feared the Israelite people, so he made them slaves and ordered all baby boys to be thrown into the Nile River.
Exodus 2:1-10 continues the story with the birth of Moses. When Moses was born, his mother hid him for three months. Then, it became too difficult to hide him, so she made a basket and put Moses in it. She then hid the basket among the reeds of the Nile River.
Moses’ sister, Miriam, watched over the basket until Pharaoh’s daughter came to the river to bathe. The princess found the basket and took pity on the baby inside. The princess adopted Moses as her son.
The Birth of Moses Bible Lesson for Kids
Are you looking for an easy way to teach about Moses’ early days? Our scripted lessons, which include printable crafts and discussion questions, are perfect for children aged 3 to 8.
Background information - Why was Moses placed in a basket?
The Israelites were God’s chosen people. For years and years, the Israelites lived peacefully in Egypt, but then a new Pharaoh came into power, and he worried that there were too many Israelites, so he made them all slaves.
They kept growing in number, and this made Pharoah even more nervous. He believed that soon, there would be enough Israelites that they would overthrow the Egyptians. To solve this, Pharoah decided to make a horrific law to kill all the baby boys. He ordered all the baby boys to be thrown into the Nile River.
MOSES IN THE REEDS CRAFT FOR PRESCHOOL
Kids in preschool and kindergarten will love this simple craft where they can move Moses through the reeds.
Using the template pieces provided in Baby Moses for Preschool, kids will use common craft materials to make a craft that shows Moses in a basket sliding through the reeds.
First, glue Baby Moses to a popsicle stick. Then cut a slit in the reeds template and insert the popsicle stick into the reeds. Now, kids can slide their Baby Moses back and forth among the reeds.
BABY MOSES IN A BASKET CRAFT FOR BIGGER KIDS
Crafts aren’t just for little kids. Bigger kids in first, second, and third grades can also benefit from creating a simple craft that will help them to internalize the main point of the Bible story. For The Birth of Moses, big kids will create a simple scene of Moses in his basket in the reeds. They’ll start by cutting out the printable pictures of Moses, the basket, and the reeds. Exodus 2:3 is then added in a simple printable card.
And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river's brink. Exodus 2:3 KJV
The template pieces for this printable craft can be found in the lesson, Baby Moses for Older Kids.
OTHER ACTIVITIES TO teach about the birth of moses
Hop Through the Reeds Obstacle Course: Use green pool noodles to be the reeds and create an obstacle course with them. Position the pool noodles so kids have to hop over them, climb under them, or weave around them.
Sink or Float Experiment: Get a small basket that will float in a tub of water. Place various objects of different weights into it. Have kids guess whether the basket will sink or float with the other objects.
Paint a Watercolor River Scene: Give students paper and paints. Ask them to paint a simple river scene. Once the scene is dry, use pencil crayons or pastels to add reeds and Baby Moses’ basket.
Basket Weaving: Follow the instructions provided by But First We Craft and teach kids simple basket weaving.
Paper Weaving: Or do some paper weaving by following these instructions from First Palette
YOUTUBE VIDEOS ABOUT the birth of moses
You could also show kids some great videos to help them visualize the story better. Be sure to pre-watch the videos to make sure they line up with what you are teaching.
God’s Story: Moses by Crossroad Kids is a great video that tells the whole story of Moses. Just the first part is about Moses in a basket.
Saddleback Kids’ Baby Moses gives a good overview of the story.
For a slightly longer video, check out Baby Moses by VeggieTales.
need more BIBLE LESSONS FOR KIDS?
Continue the learning with more lessons about Moses. This lesson is part of a four-week series from the book of Exodus that explores significant moments in Moses’ life including the Ten Plagues of Egypt, A Miracle at the Red Sea, and the Ten Commandments.
These lessons are also included in the 52-week Bible curriculum for little kids in preschool/kindergarten and bigger kids in first, second, and third grades.
The story of The Birth of Moses and his journey in a basket is an excellent opportunity to teach children about family love, courage, and kindness. Whether you're teaching at home, Sunday school, or a faith-based school, there are many great activities to introduce this story.
