Scripture: Genesis 11: 1-9 or page 32 in The Golden Children’s Bible
Target Age Group: 1st through 6th grade
Welcome the children to the classroom and chat with them about their week as they gather around the table.
Pray and ask God to teach the children not just head knowledge, but also heart knowledge.
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Bible Lesson:
Have the children open their Bibles to Genesis 11 or pages 32 in The Golden Children’s Bible.
(Read the story to the children because at this age some of the children do not read smoothly, which hinders comprehension for the whole class.)
Discussion:
- After the flood, God told Noah and his family to spread out all over the world. Did they do that? No.
- They settled in the plain in Shinar, below the mountain where the ark landed. Why do you think that they all stayed there? It would have been easy and safe and secure to stick together. Going out into the world apart from one another would have been difficult and scary.
- What did they decide to do? To build a city with a tower that reaches to the heavens.
- What did they build the tower with? bricks and tar
- Do you think they could reach heaven with a tower of bricks? No. The only way to heaven is by trusting in Jesus.
- Why were they building it? to make a name for themselves and so that they wouldn’t be scattered throughout the earth.
- But, what had God told them to do? To fill the earth
- What do you think it means when the Bible says that they wanted to make a name for themselves? They were pretty impressed with themselves because they could build a big tower like that. They thought that they were pretty smart.
- Do you see people doing the same thing today? (Think of some big towers or monuments etc. Or think of spaceships to the moon or to mars. Discuss why man builds these things and if it is right or wrong. Building something isn’t wrong unless it is done in pride and defiance of God.)
- And do you think that God wanted them to make a name for themselves? No. God wanted them to glorify him – not themselves.
- They were directly disobeying what God had told them to do, weren’t they.
- What did God do to stop them? He confused their language so that they weren’t able to understand each other.
- Can you try to imagine what that would have been like? If you asked for a hammer, your partner would maybe have handed you a saw, or you need a screwdriver and you’re handed a yardstick, etc.
- After their language was confused what did they do? They quit building the tower and spread out to other places in the world.
- Do you think that you can stop God’s plan from happening? No. God’s will will be done.
- God planned that Jesus would come and die on the cross for our sins. Satan wasn’t able to stop that plan either, was he.
- Let’s pray and ask the Lord to help us to always be humble and do what he has told us to do. And let’s thank him for his plan of salvation in Christ…
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During the remaining class time do activities that help to reinforce what the children have learned. Here are some suggestions…
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Memorize the verse.
Proverbs 16:18 “Pride goes before destruction,
And a haughty spirit before a fall.”
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Share a video of this story:
God’s Story: Tower of Babel from Crossroads Kids Club
Storytellers: Tower of Babel from Crossroads Kids’ Club
What was the sin of Babel? from Ripple of Light Ministries
The Rebellion at Babel from Answers in Genesis
“What Was So Wrong With The Tower of Babel?” from Bible Study Fellowship (for the teacher)
Share the story “A Giant Staircase to Heaven” from “The Jesus Story Book Bible”. (Make sure that you order the collector’s edition, which has the DVD with the stories animated and narrated. It’s wonderful.)
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Have the children use colors or pastels to draw their own vision of the story on a sketch pad page. Or have them color a color page related to the story.
An excellent color page book is “Through-the-Bible Coloring Pages For Ages 4-8” by Janet Skiles. The pages are reproducible.
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This is a great idea for a Story Telling Box. (But, leave out the part about the big earthquake.)
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Play one of these two Tower of Babel games from Crafting the Word of God.
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Introduce the story with this activity from When One Teaches, Two Learn. Talk about how they feel about what they built. Were they proud? Then go into the story.
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Here is a cute craft from Mozi Esme,
Older children may be able to handle this more complicated pop up tower.
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My Little House has a Tower of Babel craft.
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This Tower of Babel craft is from Charlotte’s Clips
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Have the children make this Tower of Babel craft from Auntie’s Bible Lessons.
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Here are worksheets and activities from Sunday School Curriculum.
Here are more worksheets and activities from Bible Story Printables.
Or have the children fill out worksheets from Calvary Curriculum. (You need a paid membership at this site.)
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Older children will enjoy this game object lesson from Teach Them.
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Here is another lesson plan from Sunday School Sources along with review activities.
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This is also a great lesson from Mission Bible Class.
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Sing:
“Babbling On” by Mary Rice Hopkins.
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Evaluate what the children have learned. While they are coloring or crafting ask each one what they learned today.
Send each child’s parent an e-mail (or a hard copy) of the Parents’ Page.
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