Family Devotions for Preschoolers at Ages 3 to 5

Family devotions for preschoolers work best as about ten minutes of one Bible story, one simple question and one short prayer. At three to five years old many children can listen to a story from the Gospels, answer a plain question and say a sentence to God, and that is a full and good session.

This is a happy age to begin, because your child is old enough to take part. Here is a plan you can use tonight, some questions a five-year-old can answer, and what to say when a three-year-old asks something big about God.

What a preschooler can do

A preschooler can sit and listen to a short story, answer a simple question, repeat a short verse after you, sing a hymn they know and pray a sentence of their own. They will also interrupt, wriggle and ask why. That is part of it, so welcome it and bring the child back to the Bible gently.

Family devotions for preschoolers in ten minutes

1. Begin in prayer, with one short sentence such as “Lord, please speak to us from Your Word.”
2. Sing one hymn or a verse of one. Repeat the same hymn through the week so it becomes familiar.
3. Read a few verses from one of the Gospels, or tell the story in your own words from an open Bible.
4. Ask two or three simple questions, and let the children answer first.
5. Pray again together. Let each child say a few words, and thank the Lord for the story you heard.

Jesus calms the storm, a story to begin with

Mark 4 has a story that preschoolers follow easily. The disciples are in a boat in a great storm, and Jesus, who has been asleep, gets up. Mark writes, “He awoke, and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, ‘Peace! Be still!’ The wind ceased, and there was a great calm” (Mark 4:39). The disciples ask one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” (Mark 4:41).

That last question is the one to ask your child. “Who is this?” The answer is Jesus, the Son of God, who has power over the wind and the sea. You can find the story in the session for Mark chapter 4, with the whole chapter, questions and a closing prayer.

Questions a five-year-old can answer

• Who is in the story?
• What did Jesus do?
• What does this show us about Jesus?

If your child gives a short answer, say thank you and move on. If they have no answer, tell them yourself, in a sentence.

When a preschooler asks a big question

A preschooler may ask where God is, why Jesus died or what happens when people die. Answer in short, true sentences. If you do not know, say so. For the cross you can say, “We have all sinned, and Jesus died in the place of sinners, to take the punishment of everyone who trusts in Him, and then God raised Him from the dead.” A small child can hear that.

Jesus began His preaching with the words, “Repent, and believe in the Good News” (Mark 1:15). So we call even our youngest to turn from sin and to trust Him. We also take care never to say that a child is saved because they repeated a prayer or said they love Jesus. A child can say the right words without a new heart. Only God gives a new heart, and we ask Him for it.

Should preschoolers memorise Scripture?

They can learn short verses by hearing them said again and again. Psalm 34:11 is a good first one, “Come, you children, listen to me. I will teach you the fear of Yahweh.” Say one line at a time at the end of devotions and let the child say it after you. Keep it pleasant and do not test them.

Questions parents ask

How long should family devotions be for a preschooler?

Ten minutes is plenty. If the children are restless at five minutes, finish with a hymn and a prayer and try again tomorrow.

What if my preschooler does not want to pray aloud?

Do not push. Let the child listen to others pray, and invite them again the next day. Some children need time before they will speak.

What if I have a toddler and a preschooler together?

Keep the session at the preschooler's level, and let the toddler sit on a lap and join the hymn and the amen.

Take ten minutes tonight, sit your child on your lap and open a session. The site is free, and gifts at this page help other families begin. May the Lord draw your little ones to Himself.