This Baby Moses Preschool Bible Lesson helps young children learn how Moses’ family worked to keep him safe and how God watched over him when he was placed in a basket among the reeds beside the Nile River.
Many years had passed since Joseph helped save his family during the famine. Jacob’s family continued to grow in Egypt until they became a very large group of people known as the Israelites. A new Pharaoh became afraid of them and gave a terrible order about the Israelite baby boys.
Through clear storytelling, review pictures, sequencing cards, a sink or float science activity, a simple craft and a take-home booklet, children follow the story of Baby Moses in a way that is concrete and easy for preschoolers to understand.
The lesson truth is:
God watched over Baby Moses.
The storybook follows the events from Exodus 1–2, from Pharaoh’s order through Moses being placed among the reeds, found by Pharaoh’s daughter and eventually brought to live with her.
Connecting Joseph’s Story to Baby Moses
The lesson begins by helping children see how the story of Moses connects to everything they have already learned.
First, review the three promises God made to Abraham:
- God promised Abraham a big family.
- God promised land for his family.
- God promised a special blessing.
The six large review pictures then follow Abraham’s growing family through Isaac, Jacob and Joseph.
Children remember that Isaac was born, God’s promise continued through Jacob, Jacob’s family grew, and God used Joseph to provide food during the famine. Jacob’s family eventually came to live in Egypt, where their children and grandchildren continued to grow into a very large family called the Israelites.
This review is especially important in this lesson because it helps children understand that the Israelites living in Egypt at the beginning of Moses’ story were the same family God had promised to Abraham many years earlier.
Reading the Baby Moses Story
The A Baby in a Basket printable storybook presents the beginning of Moses’ story through simple text and clear illustrations.
Many years had passed since Joseph lived in Egypt. The Israelite families had grown larger and larger, but a new Pharaoh did not remember what Joseph had done.
Pharaoh became afraid of the Israelites and ordered that every Israelite baby boy should be thrown into the Nile River.
One Israelite family had a baby boy whom they loved very much. They hid him safely for three months.
When his mother could no longer hide him, she made a strong basket from reeds and covered it with sticky pitch to help keep the water out. She placed Baby Moses in the basket among the reeds beside the Nile River, while his sister Miriam stayed nearby to watch.
Pharaoh’s daughter came to the river with her servants. She saw the basket and discovered the crying baby inside. She felt sorry for him and decided to care for him.
Miriam stepped out from the reeds and offered to find an Israelite woman to care for the baby. She hurried home and brought Moses’ own mother.
Moses’ mother was able to care for him while he was young. When he was older, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, who named him Moses.
Through every part of the story, children are reminded:
God watched over Baby Moses.
After reading, ask simple questions such as:
- What did Moses’ family do when he was born?
- What did Moses’ mother make for him?
- Where did she place the basket?
- Who watched nearby?
- Who found Baby Moses?
- Who cared for Moses when he was little?
- Where did his mother bring him when he was older?
Finish by repeating the lesson truth together:
God watched over Baby Moses.
God Watched Over Baby Moses Retelling Activity
The retelling activity uses six large picture cards to help children remember the story in the correct order.
The cards show:
- Baby Moses’ family kept him safe.
- Moses’ family made a strong basket.
- Moses’ mother placed him among the reeds.
- Pharaoh’s daughter found Baby Moses.
- Moses’ mother cared for him.
- Moses’ mother brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter.
Begin by displaying the cards in story order. Read the sentence on each card and invite children to explain what happened.
Next, mix up the cards and work together to put them back into the correct sequence.
Use words such as first, next, then and last as children retell the story.
Sequencing the pictures helps young children organize the events while repeatedly returning to the same simple truth:
God watched over Baby Moses.
Baby Moses Sink or Float Science Activity
The Sink or Float activity gives children a hands-on way to explore an important part of Moses’ story.
Set out a shallow container of water and a small collection of objects such as a rock, cork, spoon, craft stick and other classroom items.
Show one object at a time and ask:
“Do you think it will sink or float?”
Children make a prediction before the object is gently placed into the water.
After several objects have been tested, introduce the small basket and Baby Moses piece.
Talk about how Moses’ mother made a strong basket from reeds and covered it with sticky pitch to help keep the water out. She placed the basket safely among the reeds beside the Nile River.
Children can then test the little basket and observe what happens.
The activity connects simple preschool science with the Bible story while giving children another opportunity to remember that Moses’ family cared for him and God watched over Baby Moses.
Sink or Float Sorting Worksheet
An optional cut-and-paste worksheet can be used after the hands-on experiment.
Children cut apart the pictures at the bottom of the page and decide whether each object belongs under SINK or FLOAT.
They then glue each picture into the correct section.
This simple follow-up allows children to revisit what they discovered during the experiment while practicing cutting, sorting and classification skills.
God Watched Over Baby Moses Craft
The Baby Moses in a Basket craft provides a hands-on reminder of the central part of the story.
Children begin by coloring the river, reeds, basket and Baby Moses.
Next, they cut out the basket front and Baby Moses. The two side edges and bottom edge of the basket front are glued to the background while the curved top remains open.
Once the glue is dry, Baby Moses can be slipped inside the basket pocket.
The finished craft reads:
God Watched Over Baby Moses
As children work, review the story:
Moses’ mother loved him and wanted to keep him safe. She made a strong basket, placed him among the reeds and trusted that he would be cared for. Miriam stayed nearby, and Pharaoh’s daughter found him.
The movable Baby Moses piece makes the story especially concrete for preschool children and provides a visual reminder of the lesson truth.
Reviewing the Bible Truth
Bring the children together again for a short closing review.
Ask:
- What promise did God make to Abraham?
- What did Moses’ mother make for him?
- Where did she place the basket?
- Who watched Moses from nearby?
- Who found Baby Moses?
- Who cared for him while he was little?
- Did God watch over Baby Moses?
Finish by saying together:
God watched over Baby Moses.
The closing prayer thanks God for keeping His promises and for watching over Baby Moses.
Baby Moses Take-Home Booklet
The take-home booklet gives children another opportunity to revisit the lesson with their families.
The booklet includes a coloring cover based on Exodus 2:3, a simple Today I Learned review, the tracing sentence “God watched over Baby Moses,” a picture-search activity and a path activity leading Pharaoh’s daughter to Baby Moses.
Children can color and complete the activities before taking the booklet home, or families can work through it together.
The booklet provides simple repetition of the people and events from the story while reinforcing the same lesson truth children heard throughout the lesson.
Why This Baby Moses Preschool Bible Lesson Works
The Baby Moses Preschool Bible Lesson uses several different ways of learning to help young children understand and remember the story.
- The Three Promises to Abraham visual connects Moses to the larger Bible story.
- The review pictures show how Abraham’s family eventually became the Israelites living in Egypt.
- The storybook presents the events in a clear visual sequence.
- The retelling cards help children organize and retell the story.
- The Sink or Float experiment makes the idea of Moses’ basket more concrete through hands-on exploration.
- The optional worksheet reinforces sorting and early science skills.
- The basket craft combines story review with coloring, cutting and gluing.
- The take-home booklet supports repetition and family discussion.
Each part of the lesson returns to one simple truth that preschool children can understand and remember:
God watched over Baby Moses.
What Is Included
The complete Baby Moses Preschool Bible Lesson includes:
- Teacher lesson plan and script
- Three Promises to Abraham review visual
- Six large review pictures connecting Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph to the Israelites in Egypt
- A Baby in a Basket printable storybook
- Six Baby Moses retelling cards
- Sink and Float printable labels
- Baby Moses science activity piece
- Sink or Float hands-on science activity
- Optional Sink or Float cut-and-paste worksheet
- God Watched Over Baby Moses basket craft
- Baby Moses and basket cutout pieces
- Foldable take-home booklet
- Printable preparation and activity directions
- American and Australian spelling options
Get the Complete Baby Moses Preschool Bible Lesson
Bring the story of Baby Moses together with storytelling, sequencing, science, craft and review in one complete preschool lesson.
The Baby Moses Preschool Bible Lesson is designed for Sunday School, church preschool programs, Christian classrooms, homeschool Bible time and other faith-based early learning settings.
The complete resource is available from Kinder Resources.
Blessings as you teach! 😊
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