Jonah and the Whale — Obeying God Sunday School Lesson Plan For Toddlers

Lesson Title:

"Jonah and the Whale — Obeying God"

Bible Theme:

Obeying God even when we are scared — God takes care of us when we listen and trust Him!

Bible Verse (Toddler Version):

"I will listen to God." — Jonah 2:9 (Toddler-friendly paraphrase)

Main Point to Repeat with Kids:

"I can listen and obey God!"

Story: "Jonah and the Whale" (Toddler Version)

There was a man named Jonah, and God gave him a very special job!
God said, "Jonah, go to the city called Nineveh and tell the people to stop doing wrong things."

But guess what?
Jonah didn’t want to go! He was scared and didn’t want to do what God said.
So Jonah ran away and got on a boat to sail far, far away.

But when Jonah was on the boat, a big storm came!
The wind blew, and the waves crashed!
The sailors were so scared!

Jonah knew that the storm was because he didn’t obey God.
So he told the sailors, "Throw me into the sea, and the storm will stop."
The sailors didn’t want to, but they did — and God sent a big whale to swallow Jonah!

Jonah was inside the big whale for three days and three nights!
But inside the whale, Jonah prayed to God. He said, "I’m sorry. I will do what You say, God."

Then God made the big whale spit Jonah out onto the land!
This time, Jonah obeyed God and went to Nineveh.
He told the people to stop doing wrong things, and guess what?
The people listened, and God forgave them!

God wants us to listen and obey Him too — and He loves us very much!

Activity: "Whale Obey Game"

How to Play:

Pretend to be big whales swimming around the room.
When you say "Swim this way!" — kids swim that way.
When you say "Swim that way!" — kids swim the other way.
When you say "God says stop!" — they freeze.
Practice listening and following directions like Jonah needed to!

Craft: "Jonah and the Whale Craft"

Supplies:

Paper whale cutouts.
Little Jonah figures (paper or drawn).
Crayons, markers.
Glue or tape.

Instructions:

Color the whale and Jonah.
Glue or tape Jonah inside the whale’s mouth.
Write (or help them write): "I can listen to God!"
Talk about how Jonah learned to obey God.

Song (To the tune of "Row, Row, Row Your Boat"):

🎶
Swim, swim, swim the whale,
Jonah was inside!
He prayed to God,
"I'll listen now!"
And God helped him obey!
🎶

Closing Prayer (Repeat After Me Style):

Dear God,
Help me listen and obey.
Thank You for loving me.
Thank You for taking care of me.
Amen.

Optional Take-Home Note for Parents:

Today we learned about Jonah and the whale! Jonah learned to listen and obey God even when he was scared. Talk to your child about times when they can listen to God, too. Let them show you their whale craft and tell you how Jonah obeyed!