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Gulp! Jonah and the Great Fish

Jonah sails the wrong way, a storm roars, a great fish swallows him up, and he gets a second chance

  • 🛡️ CTR 4–7
  • Week 48
  • 📅 Sunday, November 29, 2026
🤔 Forehead Guess🏆 Showdown
💡 The big idea

The Lord helps me obey Him even when it’s hard, and He gives second chances to everyone who turns to Him.

I can listen to the Lord and His prophet, and when I make a mistake, I can turn around and try again.

Come, Follow Me manualOpen this week (Amos; Obadiah; Jonah)
Know the chapters

Amos, Obadiah and Jonah are three short books near the end of the Old Testament. Amos was a shepherd and fig farmer whom the Lord called to be a prophet. He taught that the Lord “revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets” (Amos 3:7): Heavenly Father tells His prophets what we need to know. He also warned of a time when people would be hungry for the words of the Lord and not find them (8:11–12). That famine ended when the gospel was restored through Joseph Smith, and today we have a living prophet again.

Jonah is one of the most exciting stories in the Bible. The Lord told Jonah to warn the people of Nineveh, a big city that was an enemy of Israel. Jonah sailed the opposite way instead. A great storm came, the sailors threw Jonah into the sea at his own request, and the sea went calm. The Lord “had prepared a great fish” to swallow Jonah (1:17). The fish was a rescue, not a punishment. Jonah was inside it three days and three nights. There he prayed, the Lord heard him, and the fish put him out on dry land (2:1–2, 10).

Then “the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the second time” (3:1). This time Jonah went, and the whole city, from the king down, turned from their wicked ways. The Lord forgave them. Jonah got grumpy about that, so the Lord used a shady plant and a hungry worm to teach him that He loves all people, even the ones we think are “bad guys” (chapter 4). Jesus later compared Jonah’s three days in the fish to the three days before His own Resurrection (Matthew 12:40).

For 4- to 7-year-olds, keep the storm and the fish thrilling, not scary: the fish is the Lord’s rescue boat. The big lessons are simple: listen to the Lord and His prophet, it’s never too late to turn around, and the Lord loves everyone. For the 7-year-olds, connect it to baptism, when they’ll make a fresh start, and to the sacrament, which lets them start fresh every week.

Only have 5 minutes?

Read Jonah 1–3 so you can tell it in your own words. Bring a blanket or big towel for the fish. Run the Story Drama from your phone or tablet and let everyone be the storm. Then do the Prophet Whisper, the key verse motions and Forehead Guess. Brought nothing? Tap “I brought nothing” and three kids become the great fish.

What to bring4 items

Tick what you have. Forgot something? Every step that needs a supply has a no-supplies version in the plan below.

Before class

  1. Fold the blanket so two kids can easily hold it up like a big fish mouth.
  2. Decide where the “ship” is (a row of chairs works great) and where the “dry land” is.
  3. Think of one simple message for the Prophet Whisper, like “Say your prayers every day.”
  4. Add your kids’ names in the My Class tab so you can hand out roles with one tap.

If your class is wild

  • The storm is loud on purpose. Teach a “Calm sea!” signal first: when you raise both hands, everyone goes silent and still.
  • Inside the fish, Jonah sits under the blanket with it held up high. Never wrap anyone in it.
  • Let two or three kids be the great fish together. It’s a big fish!
  • When Jonah comes out, the whole class can say “Bleh!” It’s silly, it’s in the Bible, and they’ll remember it forever.

The 25-minute plan25 min + bonus

Bonus steps are for when you have extra time. Steps that mention Teach Mode, the Sound Board or other class games refer to the Gospel Sparks app; on the web you can play Forehead Guess and Scripture Showdown from this page.

1. Hook

Who Lives in the Sea?

3 min

A quick sea-animal guessing game gets everyone moving and ends with the most famous fish in the Bible.

  1. Tap the waves sound on the Sound Board. Say: “We’re going under the sea! I’ll give clues. Act out the animal when you know it!”
  2. Clues: “I have eight long arms” (octopus: wiggle arms). “I walk sideways and pinch” (crab: pinchers). “I jump out of the water and say ‘eee-eee’” (dolphin: jump).
  3. Last clue, in a big voice: “I’m HUGE. The Lord got me ready for a special job. I swallowed a prophet… GULP!”
  4. SAY“A great big fish! Today we’ll find out why the Lord sent a fish to swallow a prophet named Jonah.”
🌪️ Sea animals stay in their own “bubble.” If anyone swims into a friend, everyone freezes like a starfish for five seconds.
🔊 Sound Board (a class game in the Gospel Sparks app)

Class screen: 🌊 Who lives in the sea? · 🐙 · 🦀 · 🐬 · 🐋❓

2. Story

Story Drama: Jonah and the Great Fish

7 min

Acting out Jonah shows that the Lord rescues us and gives us a second chance when we turn back to Him.

  1. Hand out the roles (tap Roles in Teach Mode). Two or three kids are the Great Fish. Everyone left over is on the Storm Crew. You read the Lord’s words.
  2. Set up the ship (a row of chairs) and give the Great Fish the blanket. Practice the “Calm sea!” signal: both hands up means silent and still.
  3. Read each scene and pause for the action. Let a reader read each big caption.
  4. Inside the fish, Jonah sits under the blanket while the Fish holds it high. Never wrap anyone up.
  5. Ask: “Was the fish a punishment or a rescue?” (A rescue!) “What did Jonah do inside the fish?” (He prayed.)
🌪️ The storm lasts ten seconds, then “Calm sea!” Big storms, short storms.

Class screen: 🎭 Story Drama time! · Everyone gets a part

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: A blanket, big beach towel or sheet (the great fish), plus a green scarf, ribbon or strip of paper (seaweed)

  1. Hand out the roles (tap Roles in Teach Mode). Three kids are the Great Fish. Everyone left over is on the Storm Crew. You read the Lord’s words.
  2. Set up the ship (a row of chairs). Practice the “Calm sea!” signal: both hands up means silent and still.
  3. Read each scene and pause for the action. For the seaweed, Jonah wiggles his fingers all over his head: “Yuck, seaweed!”
  4. For the fish, the three Fish kids hold hands in a circle around Jonah and say “GULP!” Jonah crouches in the middle and prays.
  5. For “Bleh!”, the Fish let go of one hand and Jonah hops out onto dry land. Ask: “Was the fish a punishment or a rescue?” (A rescue!)
3. Wiggle break

Row, Row, Storm!

2 min

Sailor moves get the wiggles out and help kids remember the story.

  1. Teach the moves: “Row!” = row a boat. “Storm!” = wobble side to side. “Boxes!” = toss pretend boxes overboard. “Swim!” = swim arms. “Calm sea!” = freeze, silent.
  2. Tap the waves sound. Call the moves out, faster and faster.
  3. End with “Calm sea!” and hold the freeze for five seconds.
🌪️ Wobbles stay on your own feet. Anyone who bumps a friend becomes the Captain and calls the next move quietly.
🔊 Sound Board (a class game in the Gospel Sparks app)

Class screen: 🚣 Row! Storm! Swim! Calm sea! · 🚣 · 🌊 · 📦 · 🏊 · 🤫

4. Object lesson

Prophet Whisper

3 min

Passing a whispered message shows how the Lord tells His prophets what we need to know, and they tell us.

  1. Pick a child to be the messenger. Whisper a short message in their ear, like “Say your prayers every day.”
  2. The messenger stands up and tells the whole class the message in a big voice.
  3. SAY“The prophet Amos taught that the Lord tells His secrets to His prophets. Jonah was a prophet with a message for Nineveh. Our prophet today is a messenger for Jesus Christ too.”
  4. Show the prophet’s picture if you have one, and say his name. Ask: “What has our prophet asked us to do?”
  5. Try it once more with a new messenger and a new message: “Be kind to everyone.”

Class screen: 📣 The prophet tells us God’s message! · Listen 👂 · Follow ✅

5. Scripture

Second Chance Verse: Jonah 3:1

3 min

A short verse with motions shows that the Lord gave Jonah, and gives us, a second chance.

  1. Show the verse on your phone or tablet. Ask a reader to read it slowly.
  2. Teach the motions. Say it together, then say it again, because it’s a second-chance verse!
  3. SAY“The Lord didn’t give up on Jonah. When we make a mistake, He doesn’t give up on us either. We can say sorry, turn around and try again.”
  4. SAY“When you’re baptized, you get a brand-new start. And every Sunday, the sacrament helps us start fresh again.”

Class screen: ✌️ The word of the Lord came… the second time! · Jonah 3:1

6. Game

Forehead Guess: Jonah Edition

3 min

A Heads Up–style game reviews the story with easy picture words.

  1. Tap Forehead Guess. One child holds your phone or tablet on their forehead, screen facing the class.
  2. Classmates give clues or act it out without saying the word. The picture helps pre-readers.
  3. Tilt down for “got it,” up to pass. About 30 seconds per guesser.
  4. Pair younger guessers with an older buddy.
🌪️ Clue-givers raise a fin (a flat hand) to give a clue. One “GULP!” per turn.
▶ Play Forehead Guess on the web

Class screen: 🤔 Forehead Guess! · Give clues. Don’t say the word!

7. Talk it over

Ask Jonah

2 min

Kids talk about obeying when it’s hard and how the Lord shows mercy.

  1. Let a 6- or 7-year-old sit in the “Jonah chair” with the seaweed on (or wiggly seaweed fingers). The class asks Jonah the questions; Jonah answers, and friends can help.
  2. Tap Name Spinner if lots of kids want to be Jonah.
  3. Share your own answer to one question.
💬 Ask the class
  • Jonah, why did you run away?
  • What did you do inside the fish?
  • What did you learn about the Lord?
  • When is it hard for you to obey? How can the Lord help?
🎡 Name Spinner (a class game in the Gospel Sparks app)

Class screen: 🎤 Let’s ask Jonah!

8. Testimony

Three Days, Then Out!

2 min

End calm by connecting Jonah to Jesus Christ, who makes every second chance possible.

  1. Everyone sits still like a calm sea. Say: “Jonah was in the fish for three days, and then he came out.”
  2. SAY“Jesus said that was like Him. After He died, on the third day He came out of the tomb, alive again! Because Jesus did that, we can all have second chances, and we will all live again.”
  3. Share a short testimony that Jesus Christ loves everyone and never gives up on us.
  4. Introduce the challenge. Invite a child to say the closing prayer.

Class screen: 🌅 Jesus gives us second chances! · Turn around · Try again

9. Game

Sailors vs. the Storm

3 minBONUS

A fast Tug of War lets the sailors try to row to shore, just like in Jonah 1:13.

  1. Split into Team Sailors and Team Storm. Tap Tug of War.
  2. Each team taps its side of your phone or tablet as fast as it can. Best two out of three.
  3. SAY“The sailors rowed as hard as they could, but the storm was stronger, until Jonah told the truth.”
🪢 Tug of War (a class game in the Gospel Sparks app)

Class screen: ⛵ Sailors vs. the Storm!

10. Game

Scripture Showdown

5 minBONUS

A team quiz reviews the story if you have extra time.

  1. Split into two teams: Team Fish and Team Ship. Tap Scripture Showdown.
  2. Read each question and the choices out loud for the pre-readers.
  3. Teams whisper together, then point to an answer. Tap the team that got it right.
▶ Play Scripture Showdown on the web

Class screen: 🏆 Scripture Showdown!

Story drama

Jonah and the Great Fish

Jonah 1–3 ↗

Parts to hand out

  • JonahSails the wrong way, falls asleep, gets swallowed by the fish, prays and finally obeys.
  • Ship CaptainWakes Jonah up (“Wake up, sleepyhead!”) and tells him to pray to his God.
  • SailorsRow hard, toss pretend boxes overboard and wobble in the storm.
  • Storm CrewWhoosh like wind and wave arms like giant waves, then go totally still.
  • The Great FishTwo or three kids hold up the blanket like a big fish mouth: “GULP!”, then “Bleh!”
  • King of NinevehTakes off his royal robe, sits down humbly and tells everyone to stop doing wrong and pray.
  • People of NinevehListen to Jonah, say, “We’re sorry!” and turn around.

Scenes

  1. 📣🏙️ The Lord sends Jonah to Nineveh

    The Lord gave the prophet Jonah a job: go to the big city of Nineveh and tell the people to stop doing wrong things. But Jonah didn’t want to go. The people there were his enemies!

    🎬 Jonah folds his arms and shakes his head: “No way!”

  2. ⛵😴 Jonah sails the other way

    Jonah got on a ship going the opposite direction, far, far away. He went down inside the ship and fell fast asleep.

    🎬 Jonah sits in the ship and snores. The Sailors row: “Row, row, row!”

  3. 🌬️🌊 A big, big storm!

    But the Lord sent a great wind. Huge waves crashed over the ship! The sailors were scared. They prayed and threw boxes overboard to make the ship lighter.

    🎬 The Storm Crew whooshes and waves. The Sailors wobble and toss pretend boxes. Everyone rocks side to side!

  4. ⚓😴 “Wake up, Jonah!”

    The captain found Jonah still sleeping! He told Jonah to wake up and pray to his God. Jonah told the truth: the storm came because he ran away from the Lord. He told the sailors to throw him into the sea, and it would be calm.

    🎬 The Captain shakes Jonah’s shoulder gently: “Wake up, sleepyhead!” Jonah yawns and stands up.

  5. 💦😮 Splash! The sea goes calm

    The sailors didn’t want to, but at last they put Jonah into the sea. SPLASH! Right away the wind stopped and the waves went flat and still.

    🎬 Jonah steps off the ship. Everyone says, “SPLASH!” Then the Storm Crew freezes. Shhh!

  6. 🐋😲 GULP! A great big fish!

    Jonah sank down, and seaweed wrapped around his head. But the Lord had a plan! He had prepared a great fish, and it swallowed Jonah up. The fish was a rescue! Jonah was inside it for three days and three nights.

    🎬 Put the seaweed on Jonah’s head. The Great Fish holds up the blanket, says, “GULP!”, and Jonah sits under it.

  7. 🙏🐋 Jonah prays inside the fish

    Inside the dark fish, Jonah prayed. He told the Lord he was sorry, and he promised to obey. And the Lord heard him!

    🎬 Jonah folds his arms under the blanket. Everyone whispers, “The Lord heard him!”

  8. 🏖️🐋 Bleh! Out onto dry land!

    The Lord spoke to the fish, and the fish spit Jonah right out onto the dry sand. Bleh! Jonah was safe!

    🎬 The Great Fish lifts the blanket: “BLEH!” Jonah tumbles out onto “dry land.” Everyone cheers!

  9. 🏙️🙇 A second chance for everyone!

    The Lord told Jonah a second time to go to Nineveh. This time Jonah went! The people listened. Even the king took off his royal robe and said sorry. They stopped doing wrong, and the Lord forgave them all.

    🎬 Jonah marches to Nineveh. The King takes off his pretend robe and sits down. The People turn around and say, “We’re sorry!”

Key verse

Jonah 3:1 ↗
“And the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the second time”
In kid words: The Lord gave Jonah a second chance!
🙌 “And the word of the LORD” = point up · “came unto Jonah” = cup a hand behind your ear to listen · “the second time” = hold up two fingers and turn all the way around.

More verses

Jonah 1:17 ↗
“Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah”
In kid words: The Lord got a great big fish ready to swallow Jonah.
Jonah 2:2 ↗
“I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me”
In kid words: When I was in trouble, I prayed to the Lord, and He heard me.
Jonah 2:10 ↗
“And the LORD spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land”
In kid words: The Lord told the fish to spit Jonah out on dry land. Bleh!
Amos 3:7 ↗
“he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets”
In kid words: Heavenly Father tells His prophets what we need to know.

Forehead Guess words16 words

  • 🧔 Jonah
  • 🐋 Big Fish
  • ⛵ Boat
  • ⛈️ Storm
  • 🌊 Waves
  • 🚣 Sailor
  • ⚓ Anchor
  • 😴 Sleep
  • 🌿 Seaweed
  • 👑 King
  • 🏙️ City
  • 🙏 Pray
  • 🏖️ Beach
  • 🐙 Octopus
  • 🪱 Worm
  • 📣 Prophet
Clues for each word
  • Jonah: The prophet who got swallowed by a fish
  • Big Fish: GULP! It swallowed Jonah
  • Boat: It floats on the water
  • Storm: Wind, rain and thunder!
  • Waves: Water that goes up and down in the sea
  • Sailor: Rows and works on a ship
  • Anchor: Heavy thing that keeps a ship still
  • Sleep: Jonah did this during the storm
  • Seaweed: Green and slimy, it wrapped Jonah’s head
  • King: The ruler of Nineveh said sorry
  • City: Lots of buildings and people, like Nineveh
  • Pray: Jonah did this inside the fish
  • Beach: Dry sand where the fish spit Jonah out
  • Octopus: A sea animal with eight arms
  • Worm: A wiggly crawler that ate Jonah’s shade plant
  • Prophet: Tells us messages from the Lord
▶ Play Forehead GuessFull screen, 60-second timer, works on any phone.

Scripture Showdown8 questions

  1. Where did the Lord ask Jonah to go?
    • A. The zoo 🦁
    • B. Nineveh 🏙️
    • C. The moon 🌙
    Show answer

    ✅ B. Nineveh 🏙️ The big city of Nineveh, to tell the people to stop doing wrong.

  2. What did Jonah do instead?
    • A. Sailed the other way ⛵
    • B. Went right away 🏃
    • C. Stayed in bed 🛏️
    Show answer

    ✅ A. Sailed the other way ⛵ He got on a ship going the opposite direction.

  3. What did the Lord send while Jonah was on the ship?
    • A. A rainbow 🌈
    • B. A pizza 🍕
    • C. A big storm ⛈️
    Show answer

    ✅ C. A big storm ⛈️ A great wind and crashing waves!

  4. What swallowed Jonah?
    • A. A great fish 🐋
    • B. A crocodile 🐊
    • C. A cloud ☁️
    Show answer

    ✅ A. A great fish 🐋 The Lord prepared a great fish to rescue him (Jonah 1:17).

  5. What did Jonah do inside the fish?
    • A. Played games 🎲
    • B. Prayed 🙏
    • C. Took a nap 😴
    Show answer

    ✅ B. Prayed 🙏 He prayed, and the Lord heard him (Jonah 2:2).

  6. Where did the fish spit Jonah out?
    • A. Into a tree 🌳
    • B. Back in the boat ⛵
    • C. On dry land 🏖️
    Show answer

    ✅ C. On dry land 🏖️ Bleh! Right onto the dry land (Jonah 2:10).

  7. What did the people of Nineveh do when Jonah warned them?
    • A. Laughed 😂
    • B. Said sorry and changed 🙇
    • C. Ran away 🏃
    Show answer

    ✅ B. Said sorry and changed 🙇 Even the king said sorry, and the Lord forgave them.

  8. Who tells us messages from the Lord today?
    • A. Our prophet 📣
    • B. A fish 🐟
    • C. A TV show 📺
    Show answer

    ✅ A. Our prophet 📣 The Lord tells His prophets what we need to know (Amos 3:7).

▶ Play Scripture ShowdownTeams take turns on one screen.

Songs

  • Quickly I’ll Obey Children’s Songbook, p. 197

    Jonah learned to obey the second time. We can obey the first time! Find it ↗

  • Follow the Prophet Children’s Songbook, p. 110

    Jonah was a prophet, and we follow our prophet today. Find it ↗

  • Jesus Said Love Everyone Children’s Songbook, p. 61

    The Lord loved the people of Nineveh too, even though they were Jonah’s enemies. Find it ↗

This week’s challenge

Turn Around and Try Again

This week, when you make a mistake, be like Jonah: turn around, say sorry, and try again. At church on Sunday, think about your fresh start while you take the sacrament.

Text the parents

Today in Primary we acted out Jonah and the great fish. Jonah ran away from the Lord, but the Lord sent a fish to rescue him, Jonah prayed, and “the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the second time” (Jonah 3:1). We learned the Lord gives second chances and loves everyone. Ask your child: what did Jonah do inside the fish?

📝 After class

What worked? Who needs a check-in this week? Jot it here on a printed copy, or in the app’s private class notes.

Got extra time?

🌿 Jonah’s Shady Plant · 3 min

  1. Tell Jonah 4 in your own words: Jonah was grumpy that the Lord forgave Nineveh. The Lord grew a big leafy plant to shade him, then a worm ate it, and Jonah was even grumpier!
  2. Kids act it out: grow like a plant, wiggle like a worm, flop down like a wilted plant, and make a grumpy Jonah face.
  3. SAY“The Lord taught Jonah that He loves ALL people. Who can we be kind to, even if they aren’t our friends yet?”

🍽️ Hungry for God’s Word · 3 min

  1. Read Amos 8:11. Everyone rubs their tummy and pretends to be very hungry.
  2. SAY“Amos said a time would come when people were hungry for God’s words and couldn’t find them. Then Heavenly Father gave us prophets and scriptures again!”
  3. Take turns sharing a favorite scripture story, and everyone takes a big pretend bite: “Yum!”

🐟 Fish Cracker Countdown · 3 min

  1. After checking for food allergies and your ward’s policy, give each child three fish crackers.
  2. Eat one for each day Jonah was in the fish: “Day one… day two… day three… BLEH!”
  3. Ask: “What did Jonah do in the fish?” (He prayed!)

Sources

Scripture quotations are from the King James Version, the Bible used by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Tap or click a reference to open it in Gospel Library. Start with the official Come, Follow Me manual; these ideas are here to help it come alive.

All CTR 4–7 lessons