Five-Minute Devotions for Children: Celebrating God's World as a Family: Our Latest Favorite Kids' Devotional

When you find a great resource, you just have to share, right?

Well, Five-Minute Devotions for Children: Celebrating God's World as a Family is one of those finds.

We first read the book about a year ago as a part of our Morning Prayer Peg time and talked about the otters in it at bedtimes.  The kids enjoyed the book then, but they really loved it over the past few weeks as we made our second annual reading through it’s 21 rich stories.   

We love this book!

Jack, at two, demanded to sit where he could see the playful watercolor illustrations that accompany the text of each page.  He giggled as he points to the different creatures depicted throughout the book.

Luke, at six, and Nina, at five, delighted in the details of each story.  They talked about the facts they have learned and reminded one another of the faith and character principles that each animal exemplifies throughout the book.  They now try to be patient like penguins and hard working like ants; to avoid being selfish like cuckoos; to remember their safe places and strategies like geckos when afraid.  They also enjoy teaching the new facts that they have learned to their Daddy as they re-tell the devotional's stories to him at night sometimes.

Luke often asked to "read" the devotional to himself after we had read each day's stories.

Me?  I simply had stand strong that we could only read two stories a day despite the children always asking for more.  If I had given into their requests, we’d have buzzed through the devotional too quickly.  Then, I'd have had to find new readings for our Morning Prayer Peg all too quickly.  Plus, I am not sure we'd would gained the full benefit of the Five-Minute Devotions for Children: Celebrating God's World as a Family if we had raced through it.  Since we tended to review prior stories each day before moving forward, faith principles and Bible verses had more time to be written strongly on the children’s hearts.   A faster read-through might not have encouraged this.

Simple, engaging and rich, this book is now a perennial favorite on our home.  Even after focusing on it for a second year's reading, the children have not tired of it.  In fact, they have asked me if we can read it again.  So, our intention it to read it annually until Jack reaches Luke's current age and, then, to maybe gift it forward...

In future years. I can absolutely see us using this devotional a base for a unit, lapbook or other exploration of animals with a faith-centered twist.  It would lend itself effectively towards such explorations.  This year, however, we simply enjoyed it as a faith-based read-aloud and conversation starter.   Well, that, and the impetus to build nests in the year. But that is a story for another day...

What are some of your favorite children’s devotionals? 
 
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