Helpful Tips for a Child Friendly Family Devotion Time

Many parents know the benefit of a family devotion time and wish for that to be a habit within their families but aren’t sure exactly how to accomplish that with kids. We can tend to spend so much time overthinking how we can do this well that we never get started. Let us offer you a few suggestions and take some of the stress out of this time. We know that time spent in God’s Word will never return void, and He can do great things with our obedience and humble offerings.

Tips for Reading the Bible with Your Kids

We hear you. You want to have family devotion time and spend time with your kids in the Word, but you don’t know where to start. Your children are never too young to begin hearing the Word of God directly from the Bible. This not only sets a good example for your kids but also creates a habit and introduces them to God’s Word. It also shows them right away that God’s Word is for them as well, and they can read it.

With that in mind, here are some tips for reading from the Bible with your kids.

• Read from the actual Bible and then pause and explain as you go. You can change up the wording to more easily understood words as you go or edit out topics or passages that are not age appropriate.
• Have them do a timeline as you read. You choose a book (Genesis is a great one) and have them make a timeline of events as you go. You can do this in a notebook, or if your kids like the visual, you can use a roll of paper. Draw a line down the middle and after each reading have them add the events of what you just read. This allows you to review what has happened previously as you go. It also allows children to see how God said He would, and He did.
• Another option is having the children narrate back to you, telling you what you read. You would expect a better narration from older kids and a very basic one from young kids. This ensures they are listening to what you read and also helps them build their narration and summary skills. Expect them to summarize what you read in full sentences. You can do this together the first few times or use leading questions to prompt them as they learn and develop the skill.
• Let them read as well. You can go around and take turns reading verses or have a different person read per day. Don’t count out your beginner readers. Have them sit beside you and read the words they know and you fill in the ones they don’t. It takes a little extra time but allows them to feel a part of the Bible time and shows them that the Bible is for them too!
• Use a time that you are already together. Meal times can be perfect! It doesn’t have to be the same meal time every day but just commit that at one of the three meal times in a day, you will all sit down and eat together and do your Bible time. This has so many benefits to the family. Another option could be at bedtime or right before bedtime as a way to wind down the day.

Incorporating the Littlest Ones

Do not let your littlest kids be your excuse. Instead let them be the reason you make this habit! The earlier your children start to learn to listen respectfully to Bible teaching and that this is an important part of the family, the easier it will be for them to adjust. There is no reason even your tiniest of kids cannot take part in this special family Bible time. You need to adjust your expectations accordingly, but it can happen!

• Keep it short. If you have all little ones, you probably want your time to be under 5 minutes. The Our Daily Bread for Preschoolers has a very short devotion and then one question. It is brief and to the point. You could also read from a Children’s Bible such as The Jesus Storybook Bible or The Big Picture Story Bible. This way they are still hearing the lesson from Scripture in a way they can understand.
• If you have a wider variety of ages, you may need to be more creative. Let this be a time for the littlest ones to snuggle you or a big sibling. Bring a blanket and snuggle them up. Read a passage and then explain it to them in a couple short sentences OR have an older sibling do that summary (mutually beneficial).
• You can have kids act out what you are learning to keep their interest or use peg people to tell the story.
• Print colouring pages of the Bible passage you are discussing and let your little ones colour while they listen. Busy hands can help keep minds focused.
• There are options for short videos available (always preview first) such as The Bible Project and Kids on the Move (These are very silly.) that do a quick overview and can hold kids’ attention. You could show it before or after your Bible time.

Some Great Resources

There may be some circumstances where you prefer to use a devotional book to guide you through your family Bible time. If that is the case, here are some good resource suggestions. This is just the tip of the iceberg of what is out there but please make sure you check that the resource you choose is teaching sound doctrine.

• The Daily Bread for Preschoolers is short and sweet for those tiny people.
• Kids Read Truth Exodus storyline cards
• God Always Keeps His Promises by Max Lucado
• Long Story Short by Marty Machowski
• Case for Christ for Kids by Lee Strobel
• I Am Devotional by Diane M Stortz
• Our 24 Family Ways by Clay Clarkson

The biggest suggestion I can offer is just to start. God will reward your obedience in discipling your children. Ask Him for help and wisdom as you raise your little ones up.

This article has been written by homeschooling staff writers of The Canadian Schoolhouse (TCS). Enjoy more of our content from TCS contributors and staff writers by visiting our Front Door page that has content on our monthly theme and links to all our content sections.