Noah's Big Boat Adventure: A Story of Faith and Rain!

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Journey back in time with Noah as he shares his incredible story of building a giant ark to save his family and all the animals from a great flood, just as God commanded! Dive into this true story of obedience, trust, and a whole lot of rain for children aged 3 and up.

Noah and the ark bible verses - Genesis 6: 5 - 22.

5 The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 

6 And the Lord regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. 

7 So the Lord said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them.” 

8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.

9 These are the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God. 

10 And Noah had three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

11 Now the earth was corrupt in God's sight, and the earth was filled with violence. 

12 And God saw the earth, and behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. 

13 And God said to Noah, “I have determined to make an end of all flesh, for the earth is filled with violence through them. Behold, I will destroy them with the earth. 

14 Make yourself an ark of gopher wood. Make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and out with pitch. 

15 This is how you are to make it: the length of the ark 300 cubits, its breadth 50 cubits, and its height 30 cubits. 

16 Make a roof for the ark, and finish it to a cubit above, and set the door of the ark in its side. Make it with lower, second, and third decks. 

17 For behold, I will bring a flood of waters upon the earth to destroy all flesh in which is the breath of life from under heaven. Everything that is on the earth shall die.

18 But I will establish my covenant with you, and you shall come into the ark, you and your sons, your wife, and your sons' wives with you. 

19 And of every living thing of all flesh, you shall bring two of every sort into the ark to keep them alive with you. They shall be male and female. 

20 Of the birds according to their kinds, and of the animals according to their kinds, of every creeping thing of the ground, according to its kind, two of every sort shall come in to you to keep them alive. 

21 Also take with you every sort of food that is eaten, and store it up. It shall serve as food for you and for them.” 

22 Noah did this; he did all that God commanded him.

Noah introduces himself

Hello, little ones! My name is Noah, and my father's name was Lamech. I was born before the Great flood that destroyed the earth, and I have a most amazing story to tell you. Read on to learn more.

A World Full of Busyness, But Not Always Goodness

Now, we were busy in those day, and we loved our families, but something sad was happening in the world. God, who made everything – the sun, the moon, the stars, and even you and me – looked down and saw that people were not always kind to each other. Their hearts were often full of naughty thoughts and plans, much like when you might feel a little grumpy or want something all to yourself. But this was much, much bigger than a little grumpiness. It was as if everyone had forgotten how to be good and loving.

God saw how much mischief and meanness filled the world. People were doing very bad things. It made God very, very sad. Have you ever felt sad when someone wasn't kind? God felt that way, but even more so. He looked at all the people He had made, and He wished He had never created humans.

God's Big Decision To Destroy The Earth

And so, God decided that He would start fresh. He planned to send a great flood, a huge amount of water that would cover the whole earth. The flood would wash away all the bad things and give everyone a new beginning.

But guess what? There was one person, one family, who still loved God and who did not practice evil. That was me, Noah, and my family!

God Speaks to Noah

One day, while I was probably working in my field, God spoke to me. Can you imagine hearing God's voice? It was an awesome! He told me about His plan for the flood, and then He gave me a very special, very important job.

He said, "Noah, I want you to build a great big boat, an ark!" Now, I had never built a boat before, let alone one big enough to hold my family and lots of animals!  Building a boat was a very, very unusual thing for me to do. 

The Plans for the Ark

God didn't just tell me to build a boat; He gave me very detailed instructions, like a blueprint or a recipe. He told me exactly how big it needed to be.  He told me to "make the ark 300 cubits long, 50 cubits wide, and 30 cubits high," He said. Now, a "cubit" was the length from your elbow to the tip of your middle finger. So, this boat was going to be really, really, really big! Can you stretch out your arm and imagine a boat that many, many, many arms long?

He also told me to make it out of gopher wood. This was a special kind of wood, strong and sturdy. And then, He said, "You must cover it inside and out with pitch." Pitch was a gooey, sticky substance, a bit like tar, that would make the ark watertight, so no water could get in! It was like putting a super-duper seal on everything to keep it safe and dry. Pitch is really asphalt, the same substance that is used to make roads.

Rooms for Everyone!

God said the ark should have many rooms, like a big house with lots of bedrooms! He told me to build three decks, one on top of the other, so there would be plenty of space for everyone. He wanted a door in the side of the ark, and a window near the top, to let in light.

Imagine building something so big! It was a huge task, but I knew God would help me. I told my sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and my wife, about God's amazing plan. We all knew that God's word was true, and we trusted Him.

Trusting God's Plan

So, what did I do? Did I say, "Oh no, God, that's too much work!" No! Even though it was a very strange request, and no one around me had ever seen a boat like it, I obeyed God. The Bible says, "Noah did everything just as God commanded him." That means I listened carefully and did exactly what God asked.

And that, my little friends, is just the beginning of our big boat adventure!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What did people eat in Noah's time? 

A1: They mostly ate food they grew themselves, like bread from wheat and barley, fruits like grapes and figs, and vegetables. They did not eat meat products until after the flood.

Q2: How long did it take Noah to build the ark? 

A3: The Bible doesn't say exactly, but many believe it took a very long time, perhaps even 100 years! It was a huge project!

Q3: What is "gopher wood"? 

A4: We're not entirely sure exactly what kind of tree "gopher wood" was, but it was likely a very strong, durable wood, perhaps similar to cypress or cedar, that was good for building.

Conclusion

So, little ones, we have learned that Noah was a man who listened to God, even when God asked him to do something very big and very unusual. He trusted God completely. Just like Noah, when we listen to what is right and try our best to be kind and loving, we are following God's plan for us too.

Can you imagine helping Noah build that big boat? It took a lot of hard work and faith! What do you think happened next? We will find out more in the next part of our story!

Call to Action

What are some ways you can be like Noah and show obedience to God? Read  the bible to discover more. 

References

Block, D. I. (1998). The New American Commentary: Judges, Ruth. Broadman & Holman Publishers. (While specifically for Judges/Ruth, this series often provides insights into ancient Near Eastern customs and daily life that are broadly applicable to the biblical period).

Matthews, V. H., Chavalas, M. W., & Benjamin, D. C. (2000). Old Testament Parallels: Laws and Stories from the Ancient Near East (3rd ed.). Paulist Press. (Provides primary source material and context for ancient Near Eastern societies, including customs and legal practices).

Walton, J. H., & Matthews, V. H. (1997). The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Genesis–Deuteronomy. InterVarsity Press. (Offers cultural, historical, and geographical background relevant to the biblical text, aiding in understanding daily life and customs).

Wright, C. J. H. (2004). Old Testament Ethics for the People of God. InterVarsity Press. (Discusses the ethical framework of the Old Testament, which implicitly touches upon societal norms and beliefs).

Noah Opens the Window of the Ark!

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Join Noah as he tells the exciting story of opening the ark's window after the Great Flood! Discover what happened with the raven and the dove in this captivating historical event for children aged 3 and up.

Read more on the website about Noah's Ark.

Noah Opens the Window of the Ark Introduction

Hello, my dear little friends! It's me, Noah, and I'm so glad to see your bright faces again! Do you remember our last story? The big, big boat, the Ark, finally found a resting place on the giant, pointy mountain called Mount Ararat!

We had been inside the Ark for a very, very long time. Can you imagine? Almost a whole year! The big rains came in the second month, on the seventeenth day. Do you remember how loud it was? And then, oh my, the water covered everything! Even the tallest mountains in the land of Canaan, where we used to live, were swallowed by the mighty floodwaters. It was a watery world all around us!

Here is the text of Genesis 8:1–12 from the English Standard Version (ESV):

1 But God remembered Noah and all the beasts and all the livestock that were with him in the ark. And God made a wind blow over the earth, and the waters subsided.

 

2 The fountains of the deep and the windows of the heavens were closed, the rain from the heavens was restrained,

 

3 and the waters receded from the earth continually. At the end of 150 days the waters had abated,

 

4 and in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat. 5 And the waters continued to abate until the tenth month; in the tenth month, on the first day of the month, the tops of the mountains were seen.

6 At the end of forty days Noah opened the window of the ark that he had made

 

7 and sent forth a raven. It went to and fro until the waters had dried from the earth.

 

8 Then he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters had subsided from the face of the ground.

 

9 But the dove found no place to set her foot, and she returned to him to the ark, for the waters were still on the face of the whole earth. So he put out his hand and took her and brought her into the ark with him.

 

10 He waited another seven days, and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark.

 

11 And the dove came back to him in the evening, and behold, in her mouth was a freshly plucked olive leaf. So Noah knew that the waters had subsided from the earth.

 

12 Then he waited another seven days and sent forth the dove, and she did not return to him anymore.

 

The Flood Calendar: Entering the Ark to Opening The Window!

Let's look at our special calendar to see how much time had passed!

The day we entered the Ark was the tenth day of the second month, then the big rain started on the seventeenth day! We floated and floated, then the waters receded at the end of hundred and fifty days or five months. 

Then, in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day, the Ark rested on the mountains of Ararat! But still, the water was very high. It wasn't until the tenth month, on the first day, that the tops of the mountains could be seen! Imagine, a whole new world slowly peeking out from under the water!

Waiting and Watching

Even though the mountain tops were showing, the ground was still too wet for us to step out. So we waited. We waited for forty days:

"At the end of forty days Noah opened the window of the ark that he had made" (Genesis 8:6 ESV).

Forty days! That's a long time, isn't it? Like playing 40 games of hide-and-seek! I opened a window, a special window right at the top of the Ark, so I could see what was happening outside. Was the water going down more? Was it safe yet?

The Raven's Journey

The first creature I sent out was a big, black bird. Do you know which one?

 

"He sent forth a raven. It went to and fro until the waters had dried from the earth" (Genesis 8:7 ESV).

A raven! It's a clever bird. The raven flew out and went back and forth until the waters dried up from the earth. Ravens are known to scavenge and can find food even in difficult conditions. When it did not return I knew that there was enough exposed land for it to survive outside the ark.

A raven

Noah Sent Out The Gentle Dove

After the raven, I wanted to send a gentler bird, one that liked clean, fresh places.

"Then he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters had subsided from the face of the ground" (Genesis 8:8 ESV).

A beautiful, white dove! I hoped the dove would bring good news.

But what happened?

"But the dove found no place to set her foot, and she returned to him to the ark, for the waters were still on the face of the whole earth" (Genesis 8:9 ESV).

Oh, dear! The dove couldn't find anywhere dry to land. So, it came fluttering back to me. I reached out my hand and brought it back into the safety of the Ark. The ground was still too soggy, too muddy, too wet. We had to wait longer.

A dove

Waiting Again, and Again!

It was hard to wait, but we knew God was with us.

"He waited another seven days, and again he sent forth the dove from the ark" (Genesis 8:10 ESV).

Seven more days! Can you count to seven? 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7! Then, out went the dove again, flying across the sky. This time, I had a hopeful feeling in my heart.

And guess what? The dove returned with a freshly picked olive leaf in her mouth:

"And the dove came back to him in the evening, and behold, in her mouth was a freshly plucked olive leaf. So Noah knew that the waters had subsided from the earth" (Genesis 8:11 ESV).

An olive leaf! A green, fresh, beautiful olive leaf!

That meant there were trees, growing trees, with leaves, on the dry land! It was such a wonderful sign! The water was going down, and new life was appearing!

I Sent Out The Dove One More Time!

But I wanted to be absolutely sure.

"Then he waited another seven days and sent forth the dove, and it did not return to him anymore" (Genesis 8:12 ESV).

One more time, seven days later, I sent the dove out. And this time, it didn't come back! It had found its new home, a safe, dry place in the wide, wide world. This told me that the earth was finally ready for us!

What Does My Experience Teach Us?

My experience in the flood teaches us about patience and trust. Even when things seem to take a long time, God is always working. He had a plan for us, just like He has a plan for you! We waited, and we watched, and finally, God showed us that it was safe to come out.

FAQ

Q: Why did Noah send out a raven first? A: Noah sent out the raven because ravens are known to scavenge and can find food even in difficult conditions. Its not returning indicated that there was enough exposed land for it to survive outside the ark.

Q: Why did the dove come back the first time? A: The dove came back the first time because it found no dry place to land. Doves prefer clean, dry areas, so its return showed that the floodwaters were still covering most of the earth.

Q: What did the olive leaf mean? A: The freshly plucked olive leaf meant that the floodwaters had receded enough for trees to be growing again. It was a clear sign that new life was returning to the earth and it was becoming safe to leave the ark.

Q: How many times did Noah send out the dove? A: Noah sent out the dove three times, each time waiting seven days in between.

Conclusion

So, my little friends, that is how we knew the time was near to leave the Ark! The raven, then the dove, each brought us clues about the drying land. Soon, we would step out onto a brand new earth, ready for a fresh start with God!

Want to see some amazing animations of the Ark and the animals? Ask your grown-up to help you find videos about Noah's Ark on YouTube! It's super exciting!

What do you think will happen next when we finally leave the Ark? Come back next time to find out!

References

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. (2016). Crossway Bibles. (Original work published 2001)

Sarna, N. M. (1989). Genesis: The traditional Hebrew text with new JPS translation. Jewish Publication Society.

Walton, J. H. (2001). Genesis. Zondervan.

YouTube. (n.d.). Noah's Ark for kids. [Search for educational videos about Noah's Ark on YouTube for visual aids