Noah’s Ark Song and Animal Activities for Kids

Noah’s Ark is one of those Bible stories children naturally lean into.

There are animals, rain, a big boat, a rainbow, counting, movement, sounds, and a beautiful reminder that God cares for His creation. For toddlers and preschoolers, that combination is powerful. A Bible story becomes easier to understand when they can sing it, act it out, count the animals, make animal sounds, and colour a rainbow.

I have seen this with children again and again. When a child hears “Noah built an ark,” they may listen for a moment. But when they get to stomp like an elephant, flap like a bird, roar like a lion, and march two by two, the story suddenly becomes something they can feel and remember.

At Kids Songs Learning Hub, we believe children learn best when music, movement, stories, and hands-on activities work together. This Noah’s Ark song and animal activity guide is designed to help parents, caregivers, Sabbath School teachers, Sunday School leaders, home school families, and preschool teachers teach the story in a joyful, gentle, age-appropriate way.

Why Noah’s Ark Works So Well for Kids

Noah’s Ark is a wonderful Bible story for young children because it includes so many early learning skills.

Children can practise:

Animal names Animal sounds Counting in twos Colour recognition Listening skills Story order Fine motor skills Movement and pretend play Simple faith vocabulary Kindness toward animals and creation

For toddlers, the animals usually catch their attention first. That is okay. Animal sounds are a beautiful doorway into language, rhythm, and participation.

For preschoolers, you can begin adding more story meaning. Noah listened to God. The animals came into the ark. The rain came. God kept Noah, his family, and the animals safe. The rainbow reminded them of God’s promise.

You do not need to explain everything at once. Young children learn through repeated, gentle exposure. Sing the song, act out the animals, read a short Bible story version, and let the learning grow over time.

A Simple Noah’s Ark Song for Kids

You can sing this song to the tune of “The Wheels on the Bus,” which many children already know.

The animals went in two by two, Two by two, two by two. The animals went in two by two, Safe inside the ark.

The lions went roar, roar, roar, Roar, roar, roar, roar, roar, roar. The lions went roar, roar, roar, Safe inside the ark.

The birds went flap, flap, flap, Flap, flap, flap, flap, flap, flap. The birds went flap, flap, flap, Safe inside the ark.

The elephants stomped, stomped, stomped, Stomped, stomped, stomped, stomped, stomped, stomped. The elephants stomped, stomped, stomped, Safe inside the ark.

The rain came drip, drip, drop, Drip, drip, drop, drip, drip, drop. The rain came drip, drip, drop, God was watching still.

The rainbow shone bright and high, Bright and high, bright and high. The rainbow shone bright and high, God’s promise in the sky.

Keep the song simple and repeat the verses your child enjoys most. If they love animal sounds, add more animals. If they enjoy movement, make the actions bigger. If they need calm, sing it slowly with soft hand motions.

How to Teach the Song With Actions

Actions help children remember the words and understand the story.

Try these simple movements:

Two by two: hold up two fingers on each hand Lion: make gentle claws and a soft roar Bird: flap arms slowly Elephant: swing one arm like a trunk Rain: wiggle fingers downward Ark: make a roof shape with both hands Rainbow: sweep one arm across the sky God’s promise: place a hand over the heart

For younger toddlers, choose only two or three actions. For preschoolers, let them invent their own animal movements.

Parent tip: Do not worry if your child only joins in with one sound. A toddler who only says “roar” during the whole song is still participating, listening, and learning.

Noah’s Ark Animal Sound Game

Animal sounds are wonderful for early speech and language development. They are short, playful, and easier for many toddlers to copy than full words.

Try this simple game:

Say, “Noah heard a lion. What did the lion say?”

Let your child answer, “Roar!”

Then say, “Noah heard a duck. What did the duck say?”

Continue with different animals.

Animal sound ideas:

Lion: roar

Cow: moo

Duck: quack

Dog: woof

Cat: meow

Sheep: baa

Bird: tweet

Elephant: trumpet sound

Horse: neigh

Frog: ribbit

You can sing each sound into the song. This gives children a chance to listen, copy, and take turns.

Noah’s Ark Two by Two Counting Activity

The phrase “two by two” is a perfect early counting activity.

You can use toy animals, printable animal cards, stickers, or simple drawings.

How to play:

Place animals in a pile. Ask your child to find two animals that match. Count them together: “One, two.” March them into the ark. Repeat with another pair.

If you do not have toy animals, draw simple animals on paper or use printable cards.

Learning focus:

Counting to two Matching Taking turns Animal names Listening to instructions Story connection

For older preschoolers, ask, “How many animals are in the ark now?” after each pair goes in.

Build a Simple Noah’s Ark at Home

You do not need expensive materials to create a Noah’s Ark activity.

Try one of these easy ideas:

Use a cardboard box as the ark. Draw an ark on a large sheet of paper. Build an ark with blocks. Use a laundry basket as a pretend ark. Make a paper plate ark craft. Use a blanket over chairs for a large pretend ark.

Let your child place animals inside while singing the song. This makes the story active and memorable.

Adult note: If using small toys, always supervise young children closely and avoid small pieces with toddlers who still put objects in their mouths.

Rainbow Promise Colour Activity

The rainbow at the end of Noah’s Ark is a beautiful part of the story for children.

You can keep the explanation simple:

“After the rain, God gave a rainbow as a promise.”

Then let your child colour or build a rainbow.

Simple rainbow activity ideas:

Colour a rainbow printable Use paper strips to make a rainbow Sort blocks by rainbow colours Paint a rainbow with cotton balls Make a rainbow with crayons Use scarves or ribbons for a rainbow dance

As you colour, name each colour slowly. This supports early colour recognition and vocabulary.

You can say:

“Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple. God made beautiful colours.”

Noah’s Ark Movement Activity

Movement helps children release energy while still learning.

Call out an animal and let children move like that animal.

Examples:

“Stomp like an elephant.” “Hop like a frog.” “Fly like a bird.” “Waddle like a duck.” “Crawl like a turtle.” “Stretch like a giraffe.” “Walk slowly like a bear.” “Tiptoe like a quiet mouse.”

Then say:

“Now all the animals go into the ark two by two.”

Children can march back to a mat, rug, chair, or pretend ark.

This works well for home, church groups, preschool classrooms, and rainy-day indoor play.

Noah’s Ark Listening Game

Listening is an important early learning skill. This simple game helps children pay attention to sounds and respond.

You say:

“When I say rain, wiggle your fingers.” “When I say rainbow, stretch your arms wide.” “When I say ark, make a roof with your hands.” “When I say lion, roar softly.”

Then call the words in a random order.

This activity supports:

Listening Memory Body control Bible story vocabulary Following directions

Keep it playful. If children get silly, that is normal. Bring them back with the song.

Free Printable: Noah’s Ark Animal Song Activity Pack

To make this lesson easier to use at home, church, homeschool, Sabbath School, Sunday School, or preschool, add a free Noah’s Ark Animal Song Activity Pack.

This printable can help children sing, colour, count, match animals, practise movement, and remember the Bible story in a hands-on way.

Inside the printable, include:

✓ Noah’s Ark song lyrics page

✓ Two by two animal matching cards

✓ Animal sound activity sheet

✓ Rainbow promise colouring page

✓ Build the ark activity page

✓ Noah’s Ark movement cards

✓ Count the animals worksheet

✓ Little Ark Helper certificate

You can download it from the 👉Free Preschool Printables Library and use it alongside the song and activities in this article.

How to Use This Lesson in Sabbath School or Sunday School

This activity works beautifully for a children’s Bible class.

Here is a simple 20-minute structure:

Start with a short welcome song.

Read a child-friendly Noah’s Ark story.

Sing the Noah’s Ark song.

Let children act out animal movements.

Match animals two by two.

Colour the rainbow promise page.

End with a short prayer thanking God for animals and His care.

Keep the lesson gentle.

Young children do not need long explanations.

They need repetition, visuals, songs, and loving guidance.

How to Use This Lesson at Home

At home, you can use this as a simple family worship activity.

Try this routine:

Read a short Noah’s Ark story. Sing one or two verses of the song. Make animal sounds together. Colour a rainbow. Say a short prayer.

A simple prayer could be:

Dear God, thank You for animals, rainbows, and Your care. Help us listen, be kind, and remember that You love us. Amen.

What Children Can Learn From Noah’s Ark

For young children, the main lesson can stay simple:

God cared for Noah. God cared for the animals. Noah listened. God gave a rainbow promise. We can care for God’s world too.

You can connect this to everyday life by saying:

“We can be gentle with animals.” “We can take care of plants.” “We can listen when grown-ups keep us safe.” “We can thank God for the world He made.”

This helps children see the Bible story as something connected to their real lives.

Helpful Related Resources

If your child enjoys Bible songs, visit our Bible Songs page for more faith-based music and children’s learning videos.

For a broad Bible song guide, read “Best Bible Songs for Kids That Teach Faith, Kindness, and Love.”

For courage and Bible story learning, read “David and Goliath Song Activity for Teaching Courage.”

For creation, nature, and sequencing, read “Creation Songs for Kids: 7 Days of Creation Learning Activities.”

You can also visit the Free Preschool Printables Library for Bible song activities, nursery rhyme pages, routine charts, and preschool learning printables.

Frequently Asked Questions

What age is the Noah’s Ark song good for?

This Noah’s Ark song is suitable for toddlers, preschoolers, and early learners. Younger children may enjoy the animal sounds and actions, while older preschoolers can begin to understand the story order and Bible meaning.

How do I teach Noah’s Ark to toddlers?

Keep it simple. Focus on animals, the ark, rain, the rainbow, and God’s care. Use songs, animal sounds, toy animals, colouring pages, and movement instead of long explanations.

What can children learn from Noah’s Ark?

Children can learn that God cares, Noah listened, animals are part of God’s creation, and the rainbow reminds us of God’s promise. They can also practise counting, matching, colours, listening, and movement.

Can I use this in Sabbath School or Sunday School?

Yes. This song and activity plan works well for Sabbath School, Sunday School, preschool Bible class, homeschool Bible time, and family worship.

What activities go well with Noah’s Ark?

Good Noah’s Ark activities include animal matching, animal sounds, two-by-two counting, rainbow colouring, ark building, story sequencing, movement games, and Bible song time.

A Final Word for Parents and Teachers

Noah’s Ark is more than a favourite children’s Bible story. It is a beautiful opportunity to help children sing, move, count, listen, imagine, and talk about God’s care.

You do not need a complicated lesson plan. You need a simple song, a few animal sounds, a rainbow, and a little time to connect.

A toddler roaring like a lion or a preschooler carefully matching two animals may look like play, but real learning is happening. They are remembering the story, practising language, building confidence, and connecting Bible truth with joy.

One song, one animal sound, one rainbow at a time, children can begin to understand that God cares for His world and for them.

About the Author

Janerine Watson is the founder of Kids Songs Learning Hub, a mother of three, and a BSc Health and Social Care graduate. She creates music-based learning resources, children’s songs, printable activities, and parent-friendly guides that help toddlers and preschoolers learn through rhythm, repetition, movement, routines, Bible stories, and play. Through parenting and creating early learning content, Janerine has seen how songs can support language, listening, confidence, kindness, faith conversations, and joyful family connection.

Faith and Educational Disclaimer

This article is for educational, family learning, and faith-based encouragement purposes only. Bible songs, printable activities, animal activities, and family worship ideas can support children’s learning, memory, kindness, and faith conversations, but every child and family is different. Always supervise children during crafts, movement activities, small objects, toy play, online videos, and printable activities. This content is not a substitute for professional advice. If you have concerns about your child’s speech, hearing, development, behaviour, or learning, speak with a qualified health visitor, pediatrician, speech and language therapist, or early years professional.