Why Teaching the Bible early Matters to Toddlers
The toddler years might feel a little chaotic at times—short attention spans, constant movement, and lots of repetition—but they are also some of the most formative years of your child’s life. Even at ages 1–4, little hearts and minds are soaking in more than we often realize. Have you ever noticed how your toddler sometimes talks just like you, even when you haven’t openly taught them the phrases you often say? Or how your toddler suddenly knows how to put their toys in the correct place, even if you haven’t shown them? They’re watching everything, and this can be a very good thing.
This is a window to begin introducing simple, foundational truths about God.
Teaching the Bible early isn’t about expecting deep understanding and discussion. It’s about gently planting seeds—truths your child will hear again and again as they grow. Simple phrases like “God made you,” “Jesus loves you,” and “God is always with you” begin to take root, shaping how they see the world and their place in it.
And the best part? You don’t need long lessons or a perfectly structured plan. Consistency in small, meaningful moments is what makes the biggest impact over time.
Teaching your toddlers what the Bible is, Who it’s about, and what we read it for is vital to the foundations of their faith. God’s word is alive and active, and sharper than a double edged sword (Hebrews 4:12). It’s the Book of Life that teaches us who God is, His great love for us, and how we can respond. Laying this strong foundation is so important for toddlers and preschoolers alike.
What Toddlers Can Actually Understand about the Bible
I truly believe that toddlers can understand far more than we might initially expect them to. Toddlers can repeat words back to us. They can follow simple one and two step instructions. They can learn to obey, to come, to stay. In addition to all the things of life that we are teaching and modeling each day, we can begin teaching them about God’s word. We can tell them that the Bible is about God and His love for us. We can tell them that the Bible is God’s word, that it is all Good and True! We can even begin to teach them that the Bible helps us to live rightly, to love God and to love others. If your toddler is able to understand when you tell them to share, or not to hit their sibling, then they are able to hear these truths of the Bible as well!
Simple Ways to Teach the Bible at Home
Use repetition and simple truths
Toddlers and preschoolers need to hear the same things over and over again. This is true of the simple directions you may tell them throughout the day, and also to the truths of the Bible. Using simple phrases, you can repeat Big Truths all throughout the day. “This is the BIble, it’s God’s true word!” Or “Everything in the Bible is Good and True.” If you say simple phrases like this enough throughout the day, your toddler will hide those words in their heart.
For more on creating a simple family discipleship routine, check out this blog post.
Keep lessons short and engaging
To enrich these phrases that you say, you can add more formal lessons to it. Take 10-20 minutes of your day to sit with your toddler and instruct them on what is true. This can be during breakfast when you’re already gathered, right after, during snack, during lunch, or really any pocket of time that you find.
Use hands-on activities (crafts, sensory play)
Little ones love to explore and their curiosity can be met with crafts, sensory play, and hands on activities to help them to tangibly see what God’s word is and why it is so important to us.
This sensory dig is part of our Holy Spirit lessons.
Read Bible stories daily
Grab your favorite children’s bible and read it to your toddler! Find a consistent time of day to read these stories to your little ones. Show them the pictures and talk about what happened in the pages you read. Kids love stories, and the Bible is full of them!
Use songs and movement
Have you ever walked around your house and found yourself singing a nursery rhyme that got stuck in your head hours ago? Songs stick. Use this to your benefit, and sing with your toddler! We’ve written some catchy songs about the truths of the Bible in our Bible Basics Lesson Plans.
Model faith in everyday life
Perhaps the most valuable of all advice, is this - your toddler is watching. They will catch what you practice yourself. If they see you reading your Bible, they will be more interested in theirs. If they hear you talking about God’s word, they will ask questions about it too! Let them see you fall in love with God’s word.
For more on how faith is caught, not just taught, check out this blog post.
Easy Bible Topics to Teach First
Our Bible Basics Lesson Plans have broken it down into four topics.
- The Bible is about God and His love for us
- The Bible is God’s True Word
- Everything in the Bible is Good and True
- The Bible Teaches us to Love God and Love Others
Even before I get into the many rich stories in the Bible, I make sure that my little ones know what the Bible is and why it is so important to our family.
A Simple-Done-for-You Bible Curriculum
We hope that this curriculum helps you take the first steps to laying a foundation of faith and knowledge of the Bible for your toddler. Each lesson has a prayer, discussion cards, a game, a craft, and catchy song to sing with your little ones.
Get Started today: You Don’t have to do this Perfectly
As parents, we really want to do the best for our kids. If you’re like me, you want to disciple them well. You earnestly pray for their salvation. You teach them God’s word. You hope that the seeds you are planting will one day grow fruit. But, at the end of the day, salvation is the Lord’s. He wants us to teach and train our children His way, but He is responsible for changing their hearts. I pray that you and I would both continue on, diligently teaching our little ones about God and His word. That we would not grow weary of doing good, and also that we would rest in Him to do the good work. So if you haven’t already - start today! Teach them what the Bible is and who it is about. Help your little ones know the great God that we love and serve.
