Who Was Noah in the Bible? (For Kids)
Noah was a man who obeyed God when nobody else did. God told him to build a huge boat called an ark, because a flood was coming to cover the whole earth. Noah, his family and two of every kind of animal went inside — and God kept them safe.
- When
- Long before Abraham — the very early chapters of the Bible
- Found in
- Genesis 6–9
- Big idea
- Noah obeyed God even when it looked strange and nobody agreed with him.
Noah’s story, step by step
- 1
God saw a world gone wrong
People everywhere were doing wicked things. The Bible says Noah “found grace in the eyes of the LORD” (Genesis 6:8) — he walked with God when almost nobody else did.
- 2
Build an ark
God told Noah exactly how to build a wooden boat: about 450 feet long, three decks high, one door and one window. It took Noah years, and there was no sea anywhere near.
- 3
Two by two
God brought the animals to Noah — birds, cattle and creeping things, two of every kind, and seven of some. Noah did not have to catch a single one.
- 4
Forty days of rain
The rain fell for forty days and forty nights and the waters covered the mountains. Everyone inside the ark was safe, because “the LORD shut him in” (Genesis 7:16).
- 5
The dove and the olive leaf
When the rain stopped, Noah sent out a raven, then a dove. The second time, the dove came back with an olive leaf — the water was going down and the trees were showing again.
- 6
The rainbow promise
When Noah stepped out he built an altar and worshipped God. God set a rainbow in the clouds as a promise never again to destroy the earth with a flood.
Memory verse
“Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he.”
Genesis 6:22 (KJV)
Fun facts about Noah
- Noah was 600 years old when the flood came (Genesis 7:6).
- The ark had only one door — everyone who was saved came in the same way.
- Noah and his family were eight people in total: Noah, his wife, and his three sons and their wives.
- The ark rested on the mountains of Ararat when the water went down.
Noah's Ark coloring page
Free printable Noah's Ark coloring page for kids — rainbow, animals two by two, and the KJV verse from Genesis 9:13.
Open & printTake the Noah quiz
Test what you remember with questions drawn straight from the King James text.
Start the quiz More Bible quizzes for kidsRead the full stories
Talk about it
- Noah kept building for years before it rained. When is it hard for you to keep obeying?
- What do you think the neighbours said while Noah worked?
- What do you remember every time you see a rainbow?
Do it together
Build an ark out of blocks or a cardboard box and line up toy animals two by two. Then colour the free Noah’s Ark page and write Genesis 6:22 across the top.
Dear God, thank You for keeping Noah safe. Help me to obey You even when it is hard and other people don’t understand. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Questions kids ask about Noah
Who was Noah in the Bible?
Noah was a righteous man in Genesis who obeyed God by building an ark. He, his family and pairs of every animal were kept safe through a worldwide flood, and afterwards God gave the rainbow as a promise.
How old was Noah when the flood came?
Genesis 7:6 says Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters came upon the earth.
How many people were on the ark?
Eight — Noah, his wife, his three sons Shem, Ham and Japheth, and their three wives (1 Peter 3:20).
What does the rainbow mean?
God set the rainbow in the clouds as the sign of His covenant: never again would a flood destroy all life on earth (Genesis 9:13–15).