What we need to do is to lead the way to know God. They say the first five years of life is very important when it comes to the development of reading and speaking. The first five years are also important for them to know that God's word..the Bible is not a set of rules. We need to write in their hearts and minds that they do not have to be good so God will love them and that if they misbehave, God will stop loving them.
I always believe that you can never start too early when it comes to teaching young ones about God's word. His love and unending mercy. His amazing grace. I take this very seriously. Our children belong to Him, entrusted to us. We hope that one day they will become the citizen that our Heavenly Father called them to be. We just can not teach them how to behave properly in the church. We can not just pack our bags with "busy bags", hoping that they will be occupied for the rest of the service. We need to equip them starting at an early age.
Can a toddler really grasp it? Will they be able to absorb God's word? YES! Let's first discuss the cognitive development of a toddler. When your child was an infant they learned about the world around them by touching, looking, manipulating, and listening. As a toddler, the learning process is more thoughtful. His grasp of the language is increasing. His memory and intellectual abilities develop. Their learning is through imitation as well. Toddlers can choose a book, can repeat words, can tell what the story of the book is ( in their own words and understanding).
Invest in a great Beginners Bible.
At this stage, they love to see pictures! Make sure that it is age-appropriate. If you are not decided on which Bible to get, you can first check it out at your local library. We use The Beginner's Bible Book.
Simple crafts
Do some fun and simple crafts with them. Pinterest is such a wonderful tool for this kind of stuff. Not just recipes! I saw this cute and fun activity for Noah's Ark. See It HERE. It doesn't have to be complicated or expensive.
Devotional night
Start a nightly devotional with your family. You can involve toddlers! It doesn't have to be formal or at night. We prefer to do it at night before we go to bed because everybody is relaxed and calm after a shower or bath. Our mornings are usually busy and we do not want to hurry this very important time of ours together. If mornings work for you..do it and be consistent as much as possible. If you still do not know how to do a family devotional with a toddler, READ THIS from Intentional by Grace.
Worship Songs
Our girls love worship songs. It makes my heart happy and I can't help to smile every time they sing a worship song. You can listen to Spotify or youtube. Here in our area, we listen to radio station 89.7 KSGN.H ere's a few songs that our family loves!
Simple Lesson at Home
Again, I will give credit to Pinterest. There are tons and tons of Bible-based lessons and activities. Some are free, and some are a complete curriculum that you can purchase. I suggest to just start with the free ones, to see what works for you and your toddler. Just look at these fun lessons from Steadfast Family. Just poke around her blog and I am sure that you will be inspired!
Reading- Board Books
Both of our girls, love board books. Through reading, you are not only helping them to love reading and speaking but it also strengthens your relationship with them. It helps develop their cognitive skills. It opens up a whole new world to them. It matters what we read to them too, so why not add Bible-based board books to your collection.
Children will learn that God asked Noah to build a big boat; that it rained and rained for days; and that God saved Noah and the animals, placing a rainbow in the sky. They will learn to count the animals two by two and will discover the many colors of the rainbow. Both books feature the vibrant artwork of Susana Gay. Uncluttered pages make animals and objects stand out, helping to build a child’s vocabulary as the parent or child names zebras, fish, bears, and more. These board book keepsakes are fresh, simple, and uniquely crafted for today’s families.
Invest in a great Beginners Bible.
At this stage, they love to see pictures! Make sure that it is age-appropriate. If you are not decided on which Bible to get, you can first check it out at your local library. We use The Beginner's Bible Book.
Simple crafts
Do some fun and simple crafts with them. Pinterest is such a wonderful tool for this kind of stuff. Not just recipes! I saw this cute and fun activity for Noah's Ark. See It HERE. It doesn't have to be complicated or expensive.
Devotional night
Start a nightly devotional with your family. You can involve toddlers! It doesn't have to be formal or at night. We prefer to do it at night before we go to bed because everybody is relaxed and calm after a shower or bath. Our mornings are usually busy and we do not want to hurry this very important time of ours together. If mornings work for you..do it and be consistent as much as possible. If you still do not know how to do a family devotional with a toddler, READ THIS from Intentional by Grace.
Worship Songs
Our girls love worship songs. It makes my heart happy and I can't help to smile every time they sing a worship song. You can listen to Spotify or youtube. Here in our area, we listen to radio station 89.7 KSGN.H ere's a few songs that our family loves!
Simple Lesson at Home
Again, I will give credit to Pinterest. There are tons and tons of Bible-based lessons and activities. Some are free, and some are a complete curriculum that you can purchase. I suggest to just start with the free ones, to see what works for you and your toddler. Just look at these fun lessons from Steadfast Family. Just poke around her blog and I am sure that you will be inspired!
Reading- Board Books
Both of our girls, love board books. Through reading, you are not only helping them to love reading and speaking but it also strengthens your relationship with them. It helps develop their cognitive skills. It opens up a whole new world to them. It matters what we read to them too, so why not add Bible-based board books to your collection.
We got these books and even though our youngest is already 5 yrs old, she still loves it! Pages are very sturdy for babies and toddlers! Colorful, modern and cute illustrations will keep them entertained. I also love that the illustrations are right on point and not too busy! Simple words yet straight to the point--the truth.
About the book:
Retail price: 6.99
About the book:
Retail Price 6.99
In the Beginning, tells the story of Creation in just one hundred words, highlighting key moments for little ones. Children will learn that in the beginning, everything was dark. Then God said, “Let there be light.” He created the seas and the land, the sun and the moon, all the creatures on the earth . . . and us! And then God rested.
About the Authors:
Susana Gay is an award-winning graphic designer and the owner of Threehaus, a branding and design studio in Winter Park, Florida. Susana collaborated with her seven-year-old son, Owen, to create Noah’s Ark as a gift for a family baptism. Owen retold the story and sketched some of the fun and friendly scenes. Working with Owen, Susana polished the text and created the art. They followed Noah’s Ark with, In the Beginning, resulting in a series of unique and beautiful introductions to favorite childhood Bible stories.DISCLOSURE: I received one or more of the products/services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it in my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this is in accordance with FTC guidelines.
G I V E A W A Y T I M E
------> GIVEAWAY ENDED<------
Winner:
Maria Dizon
Fontana, CA
Winner:
Maria Dizon
Fontana, CA
Don't forget to pin and share!
Good luck to those in the US who can enter the giveaway! :)
ReplyDeleteThese are good tips too! We only do a few of these things with the boys - I like the idea of involving them with the devotional, that's a nice habit to have :)
Hope you are having a great weekend :)
Away From The Blue Blog
These are some great ideas, I use to teach the 3 and 4 year olds on Wednesday nights and they love learning about God, I also try to incorporate it in to my daycare as you said they are never to young to start learning.Thanks for sharing at Literacy Musing Mondays hope to see you next week.
ReplyDeleteConnie