Young ones love to connect to the Bible Ideas. In a preview session we let them chat about what they think.  Ideas added by them included:  what Jonah experienced in the belly. We included a bag filled with cooked noodles, slime, and smelly fish which they handled with plastic gloves to let them experience that mess Jonah got into!  ...God still loving him through the yuck!

A vine plant, fan for wind, and plastic fishing worms were also suggested. Despite all the glitches in Jonah's relationship with God, God still was there through it all the way to love Jonah and save Nineveh.  

Students will construct the Great Fish with a Jonah figure. Props to be included as object lessons - details to be worked out!

Questions:

• What do you know about Ninevah?  Why would God be interested in this city?
• Why did Jonah a prophet not feel God could/would enable not  him to reach Ninevah? 
• Who was at the root of his fear, doubt, disappointment?
• How sure was Jonah that the storm was from God and why?
• Who was being save besides the people of Ninevah?
• What does being vomited up mean to you in your life today?
• What is inside of you that comes up and out and is putrid?
• How did the sailors know it was safer to trust God?

Their ideas could go on forever!!!!  So will work on the implementation and heighten their ideas with more activity.

Am wanting to see what they feel is THE MOST important concept learned from this Bible account!  What we see as obvious may not be for them at their age.

This lesson is on them so they need to be ready for additional guests coming!  Thanks for your informative post on your work through this Scripture!  Will share your thoughts.

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Hi everyone,

It's great to see all of your ideas here and amazing that so many people have shared ideas on how to create these fantastic whales for the re-telling of the story of Jonah. I am running a Christian holiday club on the 8th of August in a Church in Oxford, England. The club is for 30 children aged 5-11 and having one of these inflatable whales for our  Jonah story would be amazing. Before we attempt to make one I was just wondering if anyone on here has one that we could borrow? We are happy to pick it up or pay for postage or rental. Please let me know if this is a possibility!

Thanks all and God bless,

Georgina

Hi, @Georgina Fensom! Welcome to rotation.org. 

I have also shared your request on our Facebook page. If you are on Facebook, you might want to like our page and comment on the post to increase its visibility.

 https://www.facebook.com/Rotation.org/

I made a whale years ago at a different church. I imagine the big black tarp has disappeared in a supply closet clean out. But it was pretty simple version with lots of tape and a borrowed box fan  (and a can of open tuna for “smell effects”).  The kids loved it  

Amy  

Hi @Amy Crane,

Thanks so much for your message and for sharing this request on the Rotation Facebook page. I've been on and liked the paged and commented on the post. Fingers crossed someone has an inflatable whale lying around! If not the fantastic instruction on here should help us make one!

Thanks again and best wishes,

Georgina

Jonah's Whale Appears!

We left our Jonah whale deflated and covered with a blue tarp, then when we turned on the fan inside the whale, and the whale inflated, the blue tarp fell off, and the kids loved it!

See the next post below of Jonah being swallowed up and complaining.

(Videos from the Goodwood Church of Christ in Baton Rouge, LA)

Here is one of our students who played the part of Jonah and prayed inside of our big fish!

This is fantastic idea 

Awesome!

We are doing Jonah for V.B.S. this year and my mom found your website with the blow up whale, so many great ideas . We are going to try to make one. Thanks to everyone for sharing.

Sandra, thank you so much for your kind comment. Hope you will continue to explore our website and encourage others to join!

After using Rotation.org's Jonah's "Blow Up Whale" instructions, my church added a blacklight and glow-in-the-dark scripture inside the whale's belly!

Awesome program,  We have a huge whale and are ready for our adventure !

Thank You for all your wonderful ideas.

Blessings,

Audrey