Skip to main content

How to Teach the Scriptures to Toddlers

Teaching scripture stories to toddlers is important for instilling them with faith in God, gospel knowledge, and power to do what’s right. But it’s not easy for them to understand the scriptures and they have short attention spans, so try the following ideas to help them learn better.

  1. If your toddler has difficulty cooperating during family scripture study, let them read their church books while the family reads from the scriptures. They will learn that it is a special time to read about the gospel. 
  2. Try reading toddler books about scripture stories together before bed.
  3. Retell scriptures stories in your own words at a toddler level. To get little children involved, have them do something (like clap) every time they hear a certain key word (like faith). Or make little happy and sad faces for them to hold up when they hear the words “happy” and “sad.”
  4. Read the Church's scripture stories for children. After a few sentences, read the corresponding verses from the scriptures. Remember Elder Bednar's words that even babies can feel the spirit of the scriptures although they do not understand them.
  5. Use puppets, stuffed animals, toys, pictures, and other props for visual and audio aides while you tell scripture stories. Toddlers enjoy a lot of sensory stimulation.
  6. Buy or make a flannel board to teach scripture stories. Let the kids help you put up the paper cutouts.
  7. Have toddlers act out scripture stories. Make it fun and dress them up in bath robes and sandals and use props. This idea works best for Family Home Evening.
  8. Watch Veggie Tales cartoons or other animated scripture stories. Discuss the story afterward to help your toddler understand the lessons taught and how to apply them in their young lives. Try corresponding the movie to what you are reading in family scripture study.
  9. Sing Primary songs about scripture stories, such as “Nephi's Courage.” Again, try to correspond them to what you are reading.
  10. Most important, be an example to your children. Let them see you read and study the scriptures, follow the commandments, and live a Christ-like life. They will learn by example how to apply the gospel to their own lives.
Sharing Time: How do you teach the scriptures to your toddlers?

Comments

Anonymous said…
very good ideas - use them and watch him grow loving the Gospel like you!-DAD

Popular posts from this blog

A Few Degrees

"I have learned that the difference between happiness and misery in individuals, in marriages, and families often comes down to an error of only a few degrees," said President Uchtdorf in General Conference April 2008 . To illustrate this point, he explained that if your course flying around the world were just one degree off, by the time you got back around, you would be 500 miles (800 km) off course. It almost seems unfair that a small mistake can have such a negatively dramatic effect on our lives. However, it is not one small error that does this, but many "small errors and minor drifts away from the doctrine of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is therefore of critical importance that we become self-disciplined enough to make early and decisive corrections to get back on the right track and not wait or hope that errors will somehow correct themselves. "The longer we delay corrective action, the larger the needed changes become, and the longer it takes to get back ...

How to Know if the Book of Mormon Is True

photo from lds.org A previous set of elders put me on the 12-week course for new missionaries. Last night as I was finishing up the week on revelation through the Book of Mormon, I came upon this study activity: Read Moroni 10:3-5 and discuss how these verses show what an investigator must do to gain a testimony of the Book of Mormon. Discuss the meaning and importance of real intent and how to help investigators develop real intent. I considered skipping it since I had read that scripture passage countless times, especially with studying Preach My Gospel , and because the discussion seemed to focus on real intent, which had been covered thoroughly in that week's study. But I decided to humor myself and do it anyway. And what I learned surprised me. There are actually four steps an investigator must complete before asking God with real intent and receiving an answer: Read the Book of Mormon. How can we know if something is true if we haven't even read it? We have to b...

Why Organized Religion?

Some people say they are spiritual but not religious; they don't believe in organized religion. With so many scandals across denominations, it is understandable why people avoid joining churches. So many are run by corrupt leaders or have judgmental members. Such evil has been found even in our church, unfortunately. So why did Jesus organize a church when He was on earth and have it restored through Joseph Smith? Why organized religion? A House of Order To receive exaltation we must make covenants with the Lord through special ordinances performed by one who has the authority to do so. We know who can do it and how they should do it because "mine house is a house of order" ( D&C 132:8 ). The Lord reveals everything we need to know through the proper channels: to the prophet for the whole church, to other leaders for their respective areas and callings, to parents for their families, and to individuals for their own lives. By following this order, we ensure that...