Bible study for kids of all ages is important. As a Christian parent, you need to be teaching your children to independently study the Bible by choosing the best children’s devotionals. The best devotions for kids will challenge them to draw nearer to Christ and to think deeper about The Bible. But how do you choose the best devotionals for kids in your family?
Today I’d like to talk about this a bit. Because there are some key principles that you need to take into consideration as you hunt down the best children’s devotionals for your own kids.
By keeping these things in mind you can rest assured that your children are learning to find love, joy, and passion for The Bible and God.
So let’s talk about how to choose the best devotionals for kids. So that you can craft a time of Bible study for the kids in your family that will be enjoyable, fun, and consistent.
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The Best Children’s Devotionals are Biblically Accurate
The first, and probably most important, thing that you want to look for as you select the best devotions for your kids is that they are Biblically accurate. Are they teaching your children principles from the Bible that are true and Biblically-sound? Or are there tidbits of falsehood mixed in?
This criteria is probably the most challenging to identify, but it’s also the most important. Which is why I recommend either reading and going through at least most of the devotion yourself ahead of time, or at least alongside your child. Because you will have to dig into it to really identify if there’s a problem.
But before choosing a devotional for your children be sure to also check out the reviews on Amazon. Typically these reviews contain a lot of great insights and feedback about the accuracy. So they can help to point you towards choosing the best devotions for your kids.
The Best Devotionals for Kids Point Them to Jesus
The primary goal as a Christian parent is for your children to find true, life-changing, salvation through Jesus Christ. And as children, they are at a place where they are able to be molded, shaped, and formed to love Jesus with all their hearts.
So the best devotions for kids don’t miss out on this crucial time in your children’s lives. They take every opportunity to point them back to Jesus. Which instills a curiosity and deep desire for your children to come to know Jesus as their own personal savior. And it sets the stage for that transformation to take place.
So as you shape Bible study time for your kids, consider the importance of finding devotionals for your children that always strive to lead them back to Christ.
The Best Devotions for Kids are Engaging and Fun
As children, they just need to have fun! Depending on their age, they can easily get bored with things that are too dry or serious. And they are much more drawn to repeating things that bring smiles to their faces. So as you hunt down the best children’s devotionals for your kid’s Bible study time, be sure to pick things that are fun and engaging for them.
What fun and engaging means will vary depending on their age (which I’ll get to in a moment). But in general, find devotionals that:
- Have graphics that are bright and colorful
- Ask probing questions that help them to think about the lesson deeper
- Give them something fun to do that relates to the lesson
- Contain a variety of different topics and activities for them to choose from
We’ll talk more in a bit about how to choose the best devotionals for kids by age. But just remember that you will want to find something that will draw them in to the lesson in a fun way.
Bible Study for Kids Should Be Challenging and Thought-Provoking
As with an adult Bible study, a children’s Bible study should also strive to help the reader to think deeper about God and The Bible. It should challenge them to dive deep into their hearts and their minds to connect the dots throughout the Bible that all point back to Jesus.
So as you search for the best devotions for the kids in your family, be sure to take this into consideration. Is the devotional you chose shallow and less-than-challenging? Or is it going to help your kids to think outside the box and dive deeper in their relationship with God?
One of the best ways that a children’s devotional can help to challenge them is to ask them direct questions that will force them to think about what they’ve read in the Bible passage and devotional lesson. There are other ways devotionals might make things more thought-provoking, like by providing fun facts and linking stories and ideas for them.
But most importantly, a good devotional for kids should challenge them to think about how what they’re learning applies to their own life.
Children’s Devotionals Should Be Age-Appropriate
The last thing I want you to consider as you look for the best devotionals for your kids is the age and reading level of each devotional. This is extremely important and really ties in with all of the other criteria we’ve already talked about.
If the devotional you choose for your children is too challenging, or not challenging enough, then they will quickly become frustrated, discouraged, and lose interest in it.
I’ve talked a bit about choosing age-appropriate Bibles for your children in the past and honestly the same criteria for choosing a Bible for each age applies to choosing a children’s devotional for each age too. So click here to read through that post to learn about what to look for when it comes to age and reading level appropriateness.
But I’d also like to share some suggestions for children’s devotionals for each age group. Here are some ideas that you can check out by age range.
Devotionals for Babies (ages 0-2)
There aren’t really too many options for designated devotional books that would be good for babies. Once they get to be toddlers there are a few good options, but as babies there’s very few. I recommend reading from either their baby Bible with them, and/or from a very simple board book that includes some foundational truths that you want to ingrain in their hearts. I’ve included some suggestions in this list.
Also be sure to check out what to look for in a Bible for babies in my post here. A lot of that same criteria will apply to devotionals for babies as well.
Devotionals for Toddlers (ages 1-3)
With toddlers, they won’t be reading yet and their attention spans are still quite short. So there aren’t too many devotionals geared for this age range. But there are a few good ones that can work great for this age group.
Also be sure to check out what to look for in a toddler Bible in my post here. A lot of that same criteria will apply to devotionals for toddlers as well.
Devotionals for Preschoolers (ages 3-4)
Preschoolers are finally at the age where they can sit still for a little longer as you read to them from their devotional. So there’s a lot of great children’s devotionals to choose from for this age group.
At this age my son really loved the Gotta Have God For Little Ones devotional. Also be sure to check out what to look for in a Bible for preschoolers in my post here. A lot of that same criteria will apply to devotionals for preschoolers as well.
Devotionals for Pre-Readers (ages 4-6)
As pre-readers, your child has an even longer attention span (although nothing too crazy). They are also learning to identify letters and some words as you read to them, which is all a stepping stone to reading their devotional by themselves one day. Your pre-reader might also be developing more of a unique personality that is drawn to some devotionals more than others.
At this age my son loves the One Year Devotions for Preschoolers by Little Blessings and his VeggieTales God is With Me Daily Devos for Boys the most. Also be sure to check out what to look for in a Bible for pre-readers in my post here. A lot of that same criteria will apply to devotionals for pre-readers as well.
Devotionals for New Readers (ages 5-8)
New readers might love the challenge of trying to read portions (or all) of their devotional on their own. There might still need to be some guidance on your part, but allow them to start to learn how to seek God on their own during their special Bible study time too.
Also be sure to check out what to look for in a Bible for new readers in my post here. A lot of that same criteria will apply to devotionals for new readers as well.
Devotionals for Tweens (ages 9-12)
Tweens are more than capable of reading their own devotions at this point. But they might need a lot of guidance in learning what is right and wrong as they find themselves more influenced by other children and the world around them. They need a devotional that will address these issues they might be facing.
Also be sure to check out what to look for in a Bible for tweens in my post here. A lot of that same criteria will apply to devotionals for tweens as well.
Devotionals for Teens (ages 13-18)
Teens are still facing a lot of the same issues that they were as tweens, but they might be a bit more mature and thoughtful about the struggles they’re facing. They need a devotional that will guide them through these issues and teach them how to make the right choices according to God’s Word.
Also be sure to check out what to look for in a Bible for teens in my post here. A lot of that same criteria will apply to devotionals for teens as well.
The Best Children’s Devotionals Will Change Your Child’s Life!
A good devotional that is geared towards your child’s age group and meets all the criteria we’ve talked about has so much potential to impact your child’s life and lead them to Jesus. Having a devotional for kids their age will help them to start to get to know God more intimately. And it will teach them how to study the Bible, which is a lifelong skill that they need to learn.
Plus, the very best devotions for kids will equip your children with all they need to know in order to choose to follow Jesus with all their hearts and all their souls and all their minds. And as they get older and more interested in their Bible study time, make it even more interesting and fun for them by equipping them will additional Bible study tools that will enhance their studies.
So don’t wait to hunt down a good devotional for your children. Start with some of the suggestions I’ve provided above. And watch your child grow and flourish into young Christians who love God and are growing to know Him everyday.
Learn how to raise godly kids!
If you liked these suggestions for finding the best devotions for kids of all ages, then you’ll love my free guide, 17 Ways to Raise Godly Kids. In it, you’ll learn all the different things you can do as a mom to lead your children towards Christ. Just fill out the form below to grab your copy.
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