Lesson Overview
1
Get Them Curious
Prepare kids for an exciting
learning journey.
Fan A-way
Separate ping pong balls of 2 different colors using only paper plates as fans.
2
Screen Time
Show kids a video on the
Bible story.
Crossing the Red Sea
The Prince of Egypt 1998: Red Sea
3
Make it Stick
Help kids remember the
Bible story.
One Word at a Time
Kids re-tell the Crossing of the Red Sea story one word at a time.
4
Dig Deeper
Help kids grasp
the big idea.
Crossing the Red Sea Craft
Create a 3D model and move the Israelites across the Red Sea on dry ground.
5
Walk the Talk
Help kids live out
the big idea.
Sea of Balloons
Walk through a sea of balloons!
6
Take it Home
Send kids home with a concrete action plan and fun midweek activities.
Will You Trust Me?
Fall backwards and trust the adult standing behind you to catch you as you fall!
Big Idea
God has the power to overcome obstacles!
Key Verse
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6
Live it Out
We should trust God and obey His instructions.
This Sunday School Lesson requires some advance preparation. For a consolidated summary of preparation, supplies and free printables required, please scroll to the bottom of this lesson.
1. Get Them Curious – Fan A-way
Separate ping pong balls of 2 different colors using only paper plates as fans.
You will need:
- 1 Hula Hoop
- 20 Ping Pong balls (2 different colors, 10 each)
- 1 Paper Plate per player
Up to 4 players can play at a time. If you have more than 4 players, either take turns to play, or set up multiple sets and play in teams to compete against each other
Place a Hula hoop in the middle of the room.
Place 20 ping pong balls inside the Hula hoop (2 different colors, 10 each).
(Consider using fewer ping pong balls for younger children.)
Give each player a paper plate to use as a fan.
On “go”, work as a team to fan the ping pong balls.
The goal is to separate the two colors with a “path” between them.
If the ping pong balls are knocked outside of the Hula hoop, place them back in the middle and continue playing.
Discuss: Can anyone guess the title of today’s Bible story?
Say: Let’s watch a video on the Crossing of the Red Sea.
Pray: Dear God, thank you for our game of Fan A-way! Please help us learn what this game has to do with today’s lesson and teach us how you want us to live it out! In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
2. Screen Time – Crossing the Red Sea
This is our favorite YouTube video on the Crossing of the Red Sea: https://youtu.be/avShZS2GJMc
Caution: Very young children may find the night scene in the video a bit scary.
3. Make it Stick – One Word at a Time
Discuss: What Bible story did we just watch?
Show Slide 1 (Sunday School Lesson Title & Bible Reference):
Have the children collectively re-tell the story in their own words.
You can begin the story with this sentence:
“Pharaoh had finally allowed the Israelites to leave Egypt.”
The children must continue the story from there, taking turns to say 1 word at a time, until they have finished re-telling the story.
4. Dig Deeper – Crossing the Red Sea Craft
Remember to download and print the Crossing the Red Sea Craft Printable in advance. 
Say: Now that you are familiar with the Bible story about Crossing the Red Sea, let’s make a 3D craft model that you can take home. We will play a game with this before digging deeper to see what we can learn from today’s Bible passage.
Show kids a sample of the 3D craft model that you have made.
Here’s how to make a Crossing the Red Sea 3D model.
You will need for each child:
- 1 copy of Crossing the Red Sea Craft Printable
- 1 empty tissue paper box (rectangular boxes made for at least 200 sheets work best)
- Construction paper: Brown and blue
- Scissors
- Glue
- 1 magnet
- 8 paper clips
To Make the Crossing the Red Sea 3D Model:
For the Red Sea:
1. Remove the plastic sheet covering the opening of the tissue box so that you can put your hand inside. If the opening is too small for your hand, cut to enlarge it.
2. Place the tissue box on its side with the opening facing you.
3. Cut a piece of brown construction paper the same size as the top of your box.
Paste it on the top of your box. This forms the dry land.
4. Cut a piece of blue construction paper the same size as the top of your box.
Then cut it lengthwise such that one piece is slightly wider than the other.
Cut another piece of blue construction paper the same size as the wider piece.
You should have 3 pieces of blue construction paper:
5. Cut slits on the blue construction paper, leaving about a ½ inch margin uncut:
(It’s ok if you accidentally cut all the way through. You can paste the separate pieces side by side on the top of the box later.)
6. Gently roll each small strip to form a wave:
7. Apply some glue to the 2 longer edges of the dry land:
8. Paste the 2 larger pieces of waves onto the dry land.
9. Apply some glue on the uncut portion of waves near the front:
10. Paste the smaller piece of waves.
For the Israelites:
1. Cut out the Israelites along the black solid lines.
2. Fold each piece along the grey dashed lines. The printed images should be facing out.
3. Insert 1 paper clip on each side of the base. The figure should be able to stand on its base.
Play a Game with your Red Sea Crossing Craft
1. Place an Israelite on one end of the dry land.
2. Hold a magnet in your hand and place your hand inside the tissue box.
3. Use your magnet to move the Israelite from one end to the other.
If necessary, roll the waves back so that they don’t block the way of the Israelites.
4. Repeat until all 4 Israelites have crossed the Red Sea.
5. Have a race! See who is quickest in helping the Israelites cross the Red Sea.
Read Exodus 14:10-12
Say: Pharaoh allowed the Israelites to leave Egypt, but later changed his mind and chased after them.
Discuss: How did the Israelites feel when they saw the Egyptians marching after them?
Read Exodus 14:19-22
Discuss:
- What did God do?
- What did the Israelites do?
- What can we learn from this story?
Say:
- God had earlier promised the Israelites that He would lead them out of slavery in Egypt, to a good and fertile land.
- Neither the Egyptians nor the Red Sea could prevent God from fulfilling His promise to the Israelites.
- God has the power to overcome obstacles!
Show Slide 2 (Big Idea): 
Have everyone read the slide.
5. Walk the Talk – Sea of Balloons
Remember to inflate one long blue balloon for each child in advance.
Have everyone stand in two lines, facing each other.
Give each child a long blue balloon.
Hold the balloon in one hand and stretch out your arm so that your balloon touches that of the person you are facing.
Have a volunteer stand at the beginning of the line, facing the sea of balloons.
Explain that when the volunteer takes 1 step forward, the first pair in the line must raise their balloons to “part the sea” for the volunteer to pass through. They must lower their balloons after the volunteer has walked pass them.
Subsequent pairs in the line must similarly raise and lower their balloons, such that the volunteer safely crosses the sea of balloons (from one end of the line to the opposite end) without hitting any balloon.
Have everyone take turns walking through the sea of balloons.
Next, try walking at a quicker pace.
You can play as many rounds as you like, quickening the pace for each round.
Discuss:
- How did you feel walking through the sea of balloons the first time?
- Were you able to walk quicker the second time? Why or why not?
Read Exodus 14:13-16
Say:
- This was just before God made a path through the Red Sea for the Israelites.
- The Israelites had left Egypt and were camping next to the Red Sea, and they saw the Egyptian army marching towards them.
Discuss:
- How were the Israelites feeling?
- What did God tell Moses to do?
- Did Moses believe God? How do you know that Moses believed God?
- Did the Israelites believe God? How do you know that the Israelites believed God?
- What might have happened to the Israelites had they refused to step into the Red Sea?
Say:
- God has the power to overcome obstacles!
- When we are faced with difficulties, we can cry out to God for help.
- In order to experience God’s power, we must trust God, pay careful attention to His instructions, and obey them.
Discuss: How can we know what God wants us to do when we are faced with difficulties?
Say:
- We can pray. God hears our prayers, and He will answer us.
- We can read the Bible. The Bible is God’s word and contains important instructions for us.
- We can talk to our parents, pastors, teachers, or other trustworthy adults and friends.
Say: Let us look at today’s Key Verse.
(You may like the kids to turn their Bibles to Proverbs 3:5-6.)
Show Slide 3 (Key Verse): 
Have everyone read the slide.
Discuss: What do these verses tell us to do?
Say:
- God has the power to overcome obstacles!
- We should trust God and obey His instructions.
Show Slide 4 (Live it Out): 
Have everyone read the slide.
6. Take it Home – Will You Trust Me?
Say: Let’s recall all that we have learned today. Can you remember the title of today’s Bible Story?
Show Slide 1 again (Sunday School Lesson Title & Bible Reference):
Have everyone read the slide.
Say: Can you remember today’s big idea?
Show Slide 2 again (Big Idea):
Have everyone read the slide.
Say: Can you remember today’s key verse?
Show Slide 3 again (Key Verse):
Have everyone read the slide.
Say: How can we live out today’s lesson?
Show Slide 4 again (Live it Out):
Have everyone read the slide.
Give each child a copy of Crossing the Red Sea Take it Home Handout.
Divide the children into pairs or threes.
Say:
- I want you to spend a few minutes telling each other something that you are worried or scared about. Do you have a test in school that you are worried about? Or are you having some trouble at home?
- What are you going to do about it this week?
- Write these down in the Live it Out section on the first page of your Crossing the Red Sea Take it Home Handout.
- Pray for each other: Tell God that you trust in His power to overcome obstacles. Ask God to help you to keep on trusting Him and following His instructions!
Give everyone some time to discuss, pray and write down their Live it Out action plan before ending the lesson with this closing prayer:
Pray: Dear Jesus, thank you for today’s Bible lesson on the Crossing of the Red Sea. Thank you that you have the power to overcome obstacles! We commit all the things that we are worried or afraid of into your hands. We pray that you will help us overcome these worries and fears. Please help us to keep on trusting you and following your instructions. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
Lesson Preparation and Supplies
Here’s a summary of all the preparation, supplies and free printables required for this lesson.1
Get Them Curious
Prepare kids for an exciting
learning journey.
Fan A-way
Separate ping pong balls of 2 different colors using only paper plates as fans.
You will need:
- 1 Hula Hoop
- 20 Ping Pong balls (2 different colors, 10 each)
- 1 Paper Plate per player
Up to 4 players can play at a time.
If you have more than 4 players, either take turns to play, or set up multiple sets and play in teams to compete against each other.
2
Screen Time
Show kids a video on the
Bible story.
Crossing the Red Sea
The Prince of Egypt 1998: Red Sea
Ensure that you can play this YouTube video:
The Prince of Egypt 1998: Red Sea
(Video URL: https://youtu.be/avShZS2GJMc)
3
Make it Stick
Help kids remember the
Bible story.
One Word at a Time
Kids re-tell the story of the Red Sea crossing one word at a time.
Download Slide 1 (Sunday School Lesson Title & Bible Reference):
4
Dig Deeper
Help kids grasp
the big idea.
Crossing the Red Sea Craft
Create a 3D model and move the Israelites across the Red Sea on dry ground.
Download the Crossing the Red Sea Craft Printable.
You will need for each child:
- 1 copy of Red Sea Crossing Craft Printable
- 1 empty tissue paper box (rectangular boxes made for at least 200 sheets work best)
- Construction paper: Brown and blue
- Scissors
- Glue
- 1 magnet
- 8 paper clips
Make a Red Sea Crossing craft in advance.
(Follow the instructions in “Dig Deeper” section above.)
You will need to show your Red Sea Crossing Craft to the children as a sample.
Download Slide 2 (Big Idea):
5
Walk the Talk
Help kids live out
the big idea.
Sea of Balloons
Walk through a sea of balloons!
You will need 1 long blue balloon for each child, plus some spares.
We suggest that you inflate them in advance and keep them in a large black garbage bag.
Download Slide 3 (Key Verse):
Download Slide 4 (Live It Out):
6
Take it Home
Send kids home with a concrete action plan and fun midweek activities.
Will You Trust Me?
Kids learn more about trust with a trust fall activity they do with an adult.
Download Crossing the Red Sea Take it Home Handout. You will need to print 1 copy for each child.
It would be good to tell parents about the Take it Home Handout. Encourage them to do the suggested family activity with their child.
1 thought on “Crossing the Red Sea”
LOVE the balloon idea for the water. Just make sure you do this with children OVER THE AGE of 8, as blue balloons, if they are put in their mouths can pop…when this happens they may gasp and the balloon go down their esophagus and block their airway. Blue does not x-ray. I would hate to hear of a tragedy.
Also, at first I thought, why would you put Moses and the Red sea on a kleenex box, but this is brilliant!!! Thanks for the idea! The kids are going to LOVE LOVE LOVE it!