Timothy and I want our children to grow up to have an UNUSUAL and UNEXPLAINABLE love for the Lord. We want to train them to be obedient to the Lord’s commands and have a faith that produces rich fruit. And maybe you want these things for your children too. But where do we start? With these 6 Best Devotionals for Elementary aged kids!
Our family spends a lot of time reading straight from God’s word and discussing it’s meaning and application. But we’ve also enjoyed many devotional books together. We feel the best ones are great for instilling spiritual truths in our Elementary School kids. Devotional reading is a great time for kids to discuss, ask questions, and explore difficult concepts with the adults in their lives.
Because we are a homeschooling family, we work devotional time into our school day (immediately after opening prayer). But a family devotion can take place any time that works for your family! I would suggest you peg devotional time to something that takes place in your everyday schedule. Great times include first thing in the morning, before or after mealtime, after school, or before bedtime.
Family devotional time is great for exploring your faith on a deeper level with your children. But it is by no means a substitute for your own personal quiet time with the Lord. Our kids are watching us and will eventually begin to have individual quiet times of their own. It is so important to model this for them. I have many sweet memories of coming down the stairs for breakfast in the morning to see my Dad’s open bible on the table next to his coffee cup. I want my children to have these memories of me and my husband as well.
Listed below are my favorite devotionals for Elementary School kids…plus my sons’ very favorite graphic bible!
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FOUNDATIONS: 12 BIBLICAL TRUTHS TO SHAPE A FAMILY by ruth chou simons and troy simons
Foundations: 12 Biblical Truths to Shape a Family is the devotional my 1st – 4th graders are working through now. This rich devotional will help you direct your family one day at a time as you explore 12 key truths that will help connect your children’s hearts – and yours – to the heart of God. Each of the 12 truths has 5 days of unpacking that spiritual foundation with scripture, devotional thoughts, meditations, discussion questions, and a verse to memorize. This books is encouraging, inspiring, convicting, and necessary in today’s times. And it includes beautiful art!
12 BIBLICAL FOUNDATIONS…
- LOVE GOD above all else and with all you’ve got.
- HATE SIN especially your own.
- HIDE THE WORD IN YOUR HEART and live by it.
- SET YOUR MIND WHERE CHRIST IS and on all that is good and true.
- BE AN ENCOURAGER and build each other up.
- GIVE GENEROUSLY in word, action, and supply – there is nothing to lose.
- WALK WISELY that Christ might be visible.
- CULTIVATE PRAISE, PRAYER, THANKSGIVING.
- BEAR WITH ONE ANOTHER forgive as God has forgiven you.
- THINK OF OTHERS AS GOD DOES: image-bearing souls.
- KEEP YOUR HOPE IN HEAVEN and hold lightly the things of earth.
- STRIVE IN GRACE.
LOVE DOES FOR KIDS by bob goff
Love Does for Kids by Bob Goff was my kids’ VERY favorite devotional last year. Goff tells personal stories that are hilarious and wise and help make faith meaningful and real to the children who read them. The back cover reads, “When LOVE DOES, life gets interesting. You might even…learn to ride a unicycle for a carnival show, drop ice cream down to hikers from a seaplane, give other people gifts on your birthday, adopt a box full of ducts, and free slaves!” If that summary doesn’t peek your curiosity, I don’t know what will! My Kindergarten – 3rd graders loved these stories so much that I often overheard them talking about the antics of “Mr. Bob” as if he were a family friend!
our 24 family ways by clay clarkson
I am a big fan of Clay and Sally Clarkson and I always devour their content. Our 24 Family Ways is a devotional guide that I’ve gone through with my preschoolers all the way up to my teens. It is a multi-purpose family devotional that will shape hearts in your home for God and His ways. The book is set up with 24 easy to learn principles, 120 complete family devotionals, 24 scripture memory passages, 24 character qualities, and 25 line art coloring pages (which can be used to make “My Family Ways” notebooks for each child). The Clarksons also offer Our 24 Family Ways: Kids Color-In Book which kids can use to color, study, and practice. This devotional is a practical way to disciple your children and train them in Christian character while instilling biblical values.
grace for the moment by Max lucado
I have loved reading Max Lucado’s books since I was a teen. Grace For The Moment: 365 Devotions for Kids is adapted from Lucado’s best selling devotional for adults. It presents the message of God’s grace in a way that kids can understand. Each day includes a devotion and scripture that encourages regular time with God. It also offers practical and easy-to-do activities to help kids apply God’s grace in their everyday lives. Grace is God’s best…more than we deserve…greater than we can imagine.
my big book of 5-minute devotions by pamela kennedy
My Big Book of 5-Minute Devotions was a big hit at our house! Each day includes a story about an animal living in a different part of the world (farms, zoos, forest, fields, mountains, water, sky, and the unseen). After the devotion concept there are questions to answer and scripture to read. This beautifully illustrated book is all about celebrating God’s world. Though it is geared towards kids ages 4-7, my older Elementary School aged kids loved following along and thinking through the concepts. We look forward to reading More Five Minute Devotions for Children: Celebrating God’s World As A Family soon!
indescribable by louis giglio
Indescribable: 100 Devotions About God & Science was a HUGE hit with my 8-year-old science junkie! The devotions take a deeper look at space, galaxies, planets, and star, Earth, Geology, oceans, and weather, Animals (from Doves to Dinosaurs), and our minds, bodies, and imaginations. Each devotion includes scripture, prayer, and a “Be Amazed” section that give a neat fact about the devotion topic. Any science lover in your home will be engaged with and challenged by this creative book. We’ll be reading How Great Is Our God: 100 Indescribable Devotions About God and Science together soon!
the action bible by sergio cariello
Those are my 6 best devotionals for Elementary aged kids! My last recommendation is not a devotional, but it IS the book that has taught my 8 and 9-year-old boys more about the stories in the bible than ANY other resource. The Action Bible is a bible told in pictures and fast-paced narratives in chronological order. My boys have read through their Action Bibles at least a dozen times and the stories they have read have really stuck in their minds! This bible is recommended for children ages 9-12, but my boys have enjoyed theirs since age 7 (be aware that there are depictions of violence so some children may be sensitive to the content). Children age 4-8 may also enjoy The Action Storybook Bible: An Interactive Adventure through God’s Redemptive Story.
I hope you found these devotionals for Elementary kids helpful! Our children are only young for a short period of time and it’s so important to plant God’s word in their hearts early. The time you invest scripture into your Elementary children will plant seeds that you will see grow into beautiful fruit in the years to come!
Please read more of my story at Meet Tanna From Megavan Mama. And please leave your favorite devotional books for Elementary kids in the comments below. I’d love to check them out!
And, if your children are older, check out 9 Inspiring Books Every Teen Girl Should Read and 12 Character Building (and fun!) Books For Teen Boys.
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