Printable Devotions for Kids

These short family devotions are made for the kitchen table. Each one takes 10 to 15 minutes and uses one hands-on thing you already have, like a flashlight, a dry bean or a sheet of paper to draw on. They are written for a parent or grandparent with kids of mixed ages, about 4 to 12, and for a Sunday school teacher who wants to send a devotion home. Five devotions are ready below, each with a Bible passage, two questions and a short prayer. The free six-month devotions PDF is further down the page.

A few minutes at the table is enough to start, and every day counts:

What are you doing to teach the whole of God’s truth to your children? Every day is a missed opportunity. In as little as 5 minutes each day you can build God’s Word into your child’s life.

Tony Kummer, founder of Ministry-to-Children, writing in 2007

Short Family Devotions (15 Minutes or Less)

Every devotion on this page follows the same five steps. The whole thing fits in 15 minutes or less, so it works after dinner on a school night.

1. Set out the one thing (1 minute). Put it in the middle of the table before anyone sits down. Kids will ask about it, and that is how the devotion starts.
2. Read the passage from a Bible (2 minutes). Open a real Bible so kids see where the words come from. A child who reads well can read it aloud.
3. Do the hands-on part (5 minutes). Everyone gets a turn to touch, try or draw.
4. Talk about it (4 minutes). Ask the two questions. Let the youngest child answer first, so the older kids don’t answer for them.
5. Pray (2 minutes). Keep it short. One sentence from each person is plenty.

With little ones and big kids at the same table

• Give a preschooler the job of holding the one thing. It keeps small hands busy while others talk.
• Give an older child a job too: find the passage, read the verse or lead the prayer.
• If a question is too hard for a 4-year-old, ask the simple version: “What did you see?”
• If the kids are tired, stop after the hands-on part and pray. A short devotion is still a devotion.

Family Devotional Ideas: One Hands-On Thing a Week

Use one devotion a week for five weeks. Each of these devotion ideas for kids needs only one thing from around the house.

Week	Devotion	Bible passage	The one thing
1	A Light for the Next Step	Psalm 119:105	A flashlight
2	Three Strings Are Stronger	Ecclesiastes 4:9-12	Three pieces of string or yarn
3	A Small Seed That Grows	Mark 4:30-32	A dry bean, a paper towel and a zip bag
4	A Thank-You Placemat	Psalm 136:1 and 136:26	Paper and crayons
5	New Every Morning	Lamentations 3:22-23	A sticky note and a pen

Devotion 1: A Light for the Next Step (Psalm 119:105)

You need: a flashlight and a Bible.

Read: Psalm 119:105, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”

Do: Turn off the lights. Shine the flashlight on the floor just in front of one child’s feet. Let that child walk slowly across the room, one lit step at a time. Give everyone a turn to walk or to hold the light.

Talk:

• Could you see the whole room, or just the next step?
• For older kids: God’s Word does not show everything about tomorrow. How does it help with the next step today?

Turn the lights back on and read John 8:12. Jesus said, “I am the light of the world.”

Pray: Start with “Thank You, God, for Your Word.” Then each person names one place they need that light this week, like school, a friend or being kind at home.

Devotion 2: Three Strings Are Stronger (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12)

You need: three pieces of thin string or yarn, each about as long as an arm.

Read: Ecclesiastes 4:9-12. Read the end of verse 12 twice: “a cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”

Do: Hand one string to the strongest person at the table. Let them pull until it snaps. Now braid three strings together. A preschooler can hold the top while a big kid braids. Pass the braid around and let everyone try to break it.

Talk:

• Why is the braid harder to break than one string?
• Verse 10 says a friend can lift you up when you fall. When did someone in this family help you up?

Many Christians see God as the third strand in a family. When everyone holds on to Him, the family holds together.

Pray: Each person thanks God for one person at the table by name. Hang the braid on the fridge for the week.

Devotion 3: A Small Seed That Grows (Mark 4:30-32)

You need: one dry bean for each child, a damp paper towel and a zip bag. Write each child’s name on a bag.

Read: Mark 4:30-32. Jesus said the kingdom of God is like a mustard seed. It starts as the smallest seed and grows into the largest garden plant.

Do: A dry bean from the pantry stands in for the mustard seed. Wrap each bean in the damp paper towel and seal it in its bag. Tape the bags to a sunny window. In a few days, look for a root.

Talk:

• How small is the bean next to a whole bean plant?
• God’s kingdom started small, with Jesus and a few friends. Now people all over the world follow Him. What small thing can you do for God this week?

Pray: “Thank You, God, for growing big things from small ones.” Each person names one small thing to do this week, like a kind word or a short prayer. Check the beans at dinner each night. That is a one-minute devotion for the rest of the week.

Devotion 4: A Thank-You Placemat (Psalm 136:1)

You need: a sheet of paper for each person and crayons or markers.

Read: Psalm 136:1, “Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good. His loving devotion endures forever.” Every verse in Psalm 136 ends with the same words. God’s people could say it back and forth, like a call and an answer.

Do: Everyone draws things they are thankful for. Small kids can draw one big picture. Older kids can draw and label several. Use the drawings as placemats at the next meal.

Talk: Go around the table. One person holds up a placemat and names one gift, like “Thank God for Grandma!” Everyone answers together, “His loving devotion endures forever.”

• What is one thing on your placemat that God gave you?
• For older kids: What does “endures forever” mean? Which gifts on the placemats will last forever? God’s love lasts longer than all of them.

Pray: Read Psalm 136:26 together: “Give thanks to the God of heaven! His loving devotion endures forever.”

Morning Devotional for Kids Before School: New Every Morning (Lamentations 3:22-23)

This one is shorter, about 10 minutes, so it fits at the breakfast table.

You need: a sticky note and a pen for each child.

Read: Lamentations 3:22-23. Say verse 23 together: “They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness!” “They” means the LORD’s mercies, His kindness that never fails.

Do: Each child writes “New every morning” on a sticky note. A child who can’t write yet can draw a sun. Stick the notes on a lunch box, a backpack or the bathroom mirror.

Talk:

• Did yesterday have a hard part? God’s kindness starts fresh today.
• Who can you be kind to at school today?

Pray: A parent prays for each child by name: “God, thank You that Your mercy is new this morning. Go with Sam to school today.” After school, ask, “Where did you see your sticky note? Where did you see God’s kindness today?”

Daily Devotions for Families: The Rest of the Week

One table devotion a week is a strong start. To make it daily, keep the same verse and the same one thing out all week. Spend one or two minutes on it each day.

• Day 1. Do the full devotion, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Days 2 to 4. At breakfast or dinner, read the verse again and ask one of the two questions.
• Day 5. Let a child lead. They hold the one thing and tell the family what it means.
• The weekend. Ask, “What do you remember from this week’s devotion?”

Looking for a year of dinner table devotions? This page gives five, about a month’s worth, not a full year. When you finish them, the free six-month PDF below gives kids who can read a daily reading on their own.

How to Send a Devotion Home from Sunday School

Teachers can send any of these five devotions home with a class. Pick the one that matches your lesson, or go in order.

1. Print one devotion. Each one is short enough to fit on one page.
2. Send the one thing with it. A bean in a zip bag, three pieces of yarn or a sticky note makes the page hard to forget.
3. Add one line for parents. “This takes 10 to 15 minutes at the table.”
4. Ask about it next Sunday. When one child tells what happened at home, others want to try it.

For kids who read on their own, the free Kids Can! Devotions PDF is made to send home. Give one sheet a month, printed back to back.

More Free Devotions and Printables for Kids

• Need a short daily devotion a child can read alone? See more printable devotions for kids on Ministry-to-Children.
• Leading a short devotion at church? Sunday School Works has 5-minute devotions to read aloud to a small class.

Free Family Devotional PDF

The free downloads below are printable family devotions for the months after these five: the six-month Kids Can! series and the seven-week Choose Joy devotions from Philippians. Kids who read can use them alone. Younger kids can do them with a parent.

Help children get deeper into God’s Word daily with these 100% free printable kids devotions. Simply download the print friendly PDF below or click to view the full devotional online. These are perfect for families to share quality time together learning about Jesus and God’s Word. Don’t miss our Bible verses for kids to memorize.

---

---

“Choose Joy” Devotions for Children

---

Free Children’s Devotionals

The following are our most popular kids devotions. Scroll down to see more or use our search feature to find a specific Bible story or scripture verse. This is a very basic format and younger children will need help from a parent. Each daily scripture is ordered around a theme and offers on simple question for reflection. These should take only a few minutes each day, but can be a great conversation starter for family worship time too. If you are teaching a children’s devotion or ministry moment, we recommend our weekly children’s sermon object lesson that included PDF print and video demonstration.

---

Bible Reading Chart for Devotions

This is a simple approach that offers a devotional reading for each day in the month. Children are encouraged to read and then discuss what they learned with mom or dad. A brief prayer can follow to further reflect thanks to God will say for the truth they learned. Consistency is the key, 365 days a year. It’s as normal as eating and sleeping – there is no better way to plant the seeds of the Gospel in their life.

• “Esther In 30 Days” Bible Reading Chart for Kids
• Printable 30 Day “Book of Ruth” Reading Plan for Kids
• Autumn / Fall Bible Reading Logs for Kids (Free Printable)
• 30 Days of Philippians; Printable Bible Verse Bookmarks
• Printable Bible Reading Chart for Kids

---

---

Bonus Kids Devotion Ideas

Our website has thousands of resources to help kids grow closer to Christ. Here are a few more examples. For more ideas see our sister site Devotional Christian.

Perfume (a Devotional for a Young Girl’s Heart) Mark 14:6

This kids devotional is designed to be done between a parent and their daughter; it teaches young girls about beauty and about the love of Christ. Often kids have an idea that God is far away, but this devotional draws the understanding of God close to the young girl. Devotional Reinforcement: A Bottle of perfume Pre-Devotional […]

Devotions with a Kid-Friendly Pirate Theme

I can’t say that I understand the fascination with pirates, but it exists! Kids love pretending to be pirates! They adore the ideas of ship travel, the anchor drop, a hook for a hand, buried loot, and treasure maps. If your little one has a fascination for playing the part of a pirate, why not teach […]

8 Easy Tips for Devotions

Two weeks ago, our family sat around the breakfast table and opened our first “Resurrection Egg.” I was so excited to break open these nifty little teaching tools, with elements of Christ’s journey to the cross, tucked inside. I had visions of dreamy Bible lessons and sweet little children soaking in every word. Well, it […]

Creepy Crawly Devotions

In our home, we have a thing for bugs, spiders, and the like. I don’t mind them and all, but my kids LOVE them. It’s almost disturbing how my daughter can have seven worms climbing up her arms simultaneously. She giggles as I gasp…. Yuck! Though you would never catch me covered with creepy crawlers, […]

Family Devotions for the Big City

Cooking Up Devotions with Your Kids

Psalm 34:8 invites us to, “Taste and see that the Lord is good.” Jesus calls Himself the bread of life and He encourages His followers to be the salt of the earth. There are innumerable references to fruit, fish, and oil in the Bible. Sometimes food staples such as these are mentioned as part of […]

5 On-The-Go Devotions for Summertime

“Back to School” Devotional for Kids (Proverbs 1:5-7)

This free devotional is designed to prepare the heart of the kids for “yet another” year of school. The whole family is invited to join in on this devotional so that you can learn together about God and His heart for wisdom! Devotional Reinforcements: Give each child a backpack and a Bible. Pre-Devotional Questions: Why […]

Seek Thee (Family Devotional)

Seek Thee is a kids devotional designed to connect God’s creation to the Bible. This devotional would be perfect for summer and/ or a camping trip. It focuses on one verse and helps the kids put it into action.  Activity One: As a family wake up early enough to watch the sunrise. The kids would […]

Trick-Or-Treat (Halloween Devotional for the Family)

This devotional is designed for families to be used on the night of Halloween. Halloween can be a scary time for children and so this devotional focuses on the fact that we can trust Christ in all situations. What does God say about fear? Pre-Devotional Questions: What is your favorite part of trick-or-treating? Does Halloween […]

Devotional: People Please Don’t Reduce People to “Quality Lists”

Scripture quotes from the New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Don’t miss our reviews on child sponsorship programs like Compassion International.