Preschool Lesson: God Planned for Families

Help your preschool students understand that God has a plan for parents to care for their children. 


Download the lesson below. Cut out the visuals of Moses, Basket Lid, Moses in Basket, Miriam, Jochebed, and Pharaoh’s Daughter from Teaching Visuals 45A and 45B. Cut a slit in Jochebed’s arms, as shown. Cut a 5” x 3” piece of construction paper and trim it to look like grass or reeds. Glue flannel or felt to the back of each visual. Bring a flannel board.

Ask the children to name people who help take care of them. Then say, I’m glad God planned for people to care for us. Let’s listen quietly to a Bible story about a boy whose mother loved him very much. Hold your open Bible on your lap. Explain that this is a true story from God's Word, the Bible.

A MOTHER’S LOVE 

Amram [AM-ram] and Jochebed [JOCK-uh-bed] had a secret. Big brother Aaron and big sister Miriam had a secret, too (place Miriam visual on the flannel board). They had a new baby boy in their house, but they couldn’t tell anyone. Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, thought there were too many Hebrew people. Pharaoh said that all new Hebrew baby boys had to be killed.

When Jochebed’s baby was born (place Jochebed visual on the board), Jochebed knew God had given her a special child (place Moses visual in Jochebed’s arms, sliding it into the slit). Jochebed loved her baby very much. She did not want her baby to die, so she hid him in the house. She took good care of the baby and he grew bigger and stronger. Soon he could cry loudly, and Jochebed knew it was not safe to hide him in the house any longer.
Jochebed had an idea. She took a strong basket and made sure that no water could get in it — not even one drop. Then Jochebed lovingly wrapped her baby in a blanket. She gently laid the baby in the basket (remove Moses visual and place Moses in Basket in Jochebed’s arms).

“Come, Miriam,” Jochebed said to the baby’s big sister. “I need your help.” (Move Jochebed and Miriam visuals to the middle of the flannel board.) Miriam and Jochebed went to the river, and Jochebed put the basket in the water near some tall grass (place grass visual to the right of Jochebed; place Moses in Basket to the right of the grass; place the Basket Lid on the basket).
Jochebed pointed to a nearby spot. “Now, Miriam,” she said, “stay here. Watch the basket and see what happens to our baby.” (Place Miriam visual slightly behind the grass.)

Soon the princess, Pharaoh’s daughter, came to the river (place Pharaoh’s Daughter on the board). The princess looked out into the river, and saw something strange floating in the water. It was the basket!

When the princess opened the basket, the baby was surprised (remove Basket Lid and move Moses in Basket beside Pharaoh’s Daughter). The baby began to cry.

The princess was surprised, too. “Look,” she said. “This is a Hebrew baby. I feel sorry for him. I want to keep him.”

Just then Miriam came out of her hiding place and ran to the princess (move Miriam next to Pharaoh’s Daughter).

“Would you like for me to find a Hebrew woman to help you feed and care for the baby” she asked.

“Oh, yes,” answered the princess.

Miriam ran home (remove Miriam). She told her mother what had happened and brought her to the princess (place Miriam and Jochebed on the board).

“Here, take the baby,” the princess said to Jochebed. “Feed him and take care of him until he is old enough to live with me. I will pay you.”
Jochebed agreed (remove Moses in Basket; place Moses in Jochebed’s arms). She took her own baby boy home. She did just what the princess told her. God helped her so she was able to care for her own little boy. When the boy was old enough, Jochebed took him to live with the princess. The princess named him “Moses.” Moses grew up to be one of God’s great helpers.

Close by talking about some ways your preschoolers can be helpers at home and church.

Download the full preschool lesson: A Mother's Love.