Bible Stories for Kids - Jonah & the Whale

Once upon a time, there was a man named Jonah. God spoke to Jonah and said, "Go to the city of Nineveh and tell them to stop doing bad things." But Jonah didn't want to go to Nineveh. He decided to run away and hide from God!

Jonah got on a big boat sailing far away. He thought he could hide from God, but can anyone really hide from God? No way! God sent a great storm to shake the boat. The sailors were scared and asked, "Why is this happening?" Jonah told them, "It's my fault. I am running away from God."

The sailors didn't want to, but Jonah told them to throw him into the sea to stop the storm. Once Jonah was in the water, the storm stopped. God sent a big fish, sometimes called a whale, to swallow Jonah.

For three days and three nights, Jonah was in the belly of the whale. He prayed to God for help. God heard Jonah's prayers and told the whale to spit Jonah out onto dry land.

Now Jonah understood he should listen to God. He went to Nineveh and told the people to stop doing wrong things, and they listened! Jonah had learned that it's always best to do what God says.

Activity

Make Your Own Whale Craft

Materials Needed:
- Blue construction paper
- White paper
- Scissors
- Glue
- Crayons or markers
- Googly eyes (optional)

Instructions:
1. **Draw and Cut Out the Whale:**
   - Draw a large whale shape on the blue construction paper. It should look like a big oval with a tail.
   - Carefully cut out the whale shape.

2. **Make Jonah:**
   - On the white paper, draw a small stick figure to represent Jonah.
   - Cut out Jonah and color him using crayons or markers.

3. **Attach Jonah to the Whale:**
   - Fold the whale in half slightly and cut a small slit in the middle.
   - Glue the bottom of Jonah just above the slit so it looks like he's coming out of the whale.

4. **Add Details:**
   - Draw and cut out a fin from the blue construction paper and glue it onto the whale.
   - Draw a smile on your whale and add googly eyes or draw eyes with a marker.

5. **Decorate:**
   - You can add waves or draw other sea creatures to decorate your scene.

Enjoy your whale craft and remember the story of Jonah and how he learned to listen to God!

Reflection Questions

1. Why did Jonah run away from God, and what happened because of it?
2. How did Jonah feel when he was inside the whale, and what did he do?
3. Why is it important to listen and do what is right, just like Jonah learned in the end?