When it comes to teaching students about Moses and the Exodus from Egypt, there are a lot of fun, interactive ways to explain this miracle. After reading this blog post, you’ll have a fun lesson and four ideas for lesson extensions all about the Parting of the Red Sea and the Exodus from Egypt.

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Moses + The Exodus Lesson for Kids

Materials:

• Butcher paper 2 pieces (preferably blue– blue fabric could also work)
• Stick or pole to use as a staff

Before students arrive: 

Put down two long pieces of butcher paper to show the Red Sea.

Print out any of the printables or coloring sheets that you need here.

Lesson directions:

Typically, the students and I will learn about the 10 plagues on a different day. On this day, we will review them by using the cut out and paste activity out of my Moses + the 10 Plagues Printable Activity Sheets on Teachers Pay Teachers (you could also do the one where students write in instead of cutting and gluing if that seems like too much for you). 

After we have reviewed the plagues, we talk about the last one and why it was necessary. With every Bible story, I focus on the WHY behind it– I don’t want them thinking all of these things are arbitrary. But instead, we talk about how Pharaoh’s heart was hard, so God had to do something drastic to make him change his mind. It also says in Exodus that God did all of these plagues so that Egypt would know that He was the one true God– because Egypt was the biggest, most important country in the world at the time. 

Then, split the group into two sections. One group is the Egyptians and the other is the Isrealites. 

Have the Isrealites gather their things and begin marching. Designate one area (I did the front of our room) as the Red Sea. The butcher paper or fabric should be on the floor here. Pick one person to be Moses, and let him put his staff down to part the sea. If you have the butcher paper down, you or a student can move it to the side. 

Next, let the Isrealites walk through the Red Sea. 

Then, have the Egyptians come after them! When they get half way through the “sea”, then have Moses put his staff down. The Egyptians fall to the ground, and you can cover them up with butcher paper. 

Then, of course, you’ll need to switch so that the students get to play the opposite parts. 

After the acting out, ask the students: 

• Why did the plagues happen? 
• Why do you think that Pharaoh wouldn’t let the people go? 
• Do you think there was a better way than going through the Sea? 
• Why do you think that the Isrealites went through the Sea? 
• Do you think it will be easy for them to trust God after this? 

Lesson Extenders for Moses and the Exodus: 

After you’ve finished with the main portion of the lesson, you can pick from any (or all!) of the extensions below. 

1.Put the events in order! 

Print the put the events in order page from the Moses and the Exodus printable activities on TPT or create your own. All you need to do is type up the main events of the story and have the students cut them out and glue them in the correct order. 

This is a great way to ensure that students remember the story, and if they have questions this is usually where they will come up. 

Pro tip: Before giving them the glue, check to make sure they have the events in the right order!

2. The Red Sea Game

The last time we did this lesson, it struck me that we could play a London Bridge-esque game. Here’s how to play: 

1. Everyone stands in a circle
2. Two people create the Red Sea by holding their hands up above everyone (Pro tip: The first few rounds, make sure you are in the bridge to make sure it goes smoothly).
3. Play a song (ocean themed songs are definitely the best). When the song goes off, the bridge comes down on the “Egyptians” and that person is out!

Now, when we went to play this game, I discovered that my kids had never play London Bridge, so we ended up playing it both ways. Because every kid should play London Bridge. Even my fifth graders were into it, which was a bit surprising. 

3. Kaboom!

My favorite Bible Trivia game is Kaboom! 

1. First, write trivia questions on little squares. Also make some that say “Kaboom”
2. Students sit in a circle. One person pulls out a question. If they answer correctly, they keep the card. If not, they put it back in the box. 
3. Then the next person pulls out a card– so on and so forth. 
4. If someone pulls out a “Kaboom” card, then they put all of their cards back in the box (this way the game lasts forever)

You can make your own set, or you can purchase a print and go set of Moses Trivia Kaboom by clicking here. 

4. Coloring Sheets

And, of course, when all else fails, use coloring sheets like these or have students draw pictures. 

You could even have them get into groups and have each group draw one of the plagues or one event in the story, then you can put those in order and have students retell the story!

What’s your favorite lesson about Moses and the Parting of the Red Sea? Let me know over of Instagram @beccasbibleclass

Happy teaching!

Becca