Mesa Valley Church of Christ Grand Junction, Colorado
Illustration for Noah and the Ark

Old Testament people Ages 3–8 Story 3 of 25

Genesis 6–9 · ESV memory verse below

Noah and the Ark

Who is this?

Noah walked with God when the world was full of wrong. He found favor with the LORD.

What happened?

God sent a flood in judgment and saved Noah’s family in the ark. Then God set a rainbow as His covenant sign.

The story

The LORD saw that people’s wickedness was great on the earth. But Noah found favor with the LORD. Noah was a righteous man. He walked with God.

God told Noah to build an ark. Noah did all that God commanded him. His family and the animals God sent went into the ark.

Water burst up from below, and rain poured from the sky. The flood covered the earth. Only those in the ark were kept alive.

When the land was dry, Noah built an altar. God blessed Noah and set His bow—the rainbow—in the cloud. He promised never again to destroy all life with a flood. Judgment is real—and so is God’s mercy.

Memory verse (ESV)

But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.

Genesis 6:8

Talk about it

Ages ~4–7

  1. Who built the ark?
  2. What did God put in the cloud after the flood?

Ages ~8–12

  1. Why does this story hold both judgment and rescue together?
  2. What does walking with God look like in a hard world?
  3. How does the rainbow help us remember God’s promise?

Family activity

Build a simple “ark” from couch cushions. Retell who went in and why the rainbow matters.

Parent take-home

Read Genesis 6–9 in short sittings. Keep both the flood’s judgment and Noah’s favor in view—the rainbow is God’s covenant sign. Practice Genesis 6:8 at bedtime.

Talk on the way home

  1. What did Noah do when God told him to build the ark?
  2. What does the rainbow remind us God promised?
  3. How can our house walk with God when others do not?

Longer family guide: Week 3 on the family page.

Print coloring and activities (PDF) All children’s stories

In the PDF: coloring page, memory verse with blanks, plus kid activities (maze). Trace the path with a finger first, then a crayon.

For parents and teachers

Hebrews 11:7 says Noah prepared an ark to the saving of his house, by faith. Do not skip the judgment; do not skip the grace. The rainbow is God’s covenant sign, not a decoration.