Teaching kids to pray is one of the greatest privileges for parents and ministry leaders, but many of us feel intimidated by this task. It’s normal to feel hesitant about praying out loud, and we all know that prayer can seem boring to kids. Add that to the fact that adults are usually much better at words than kids, and it can feel really daunting to help kids practice prayer. Taking your prayer instruction and practice outside can be a fresh way to approach teaching prayer to kids and can help kids remember and experience that prayer is not restricted to church or Sunday mornings but is available to them anytime, anywhere. The ideas we’re going to share here are also not heavily word-based, and they’re designed to help kids embrace quiet, slowness, and peace. With these ideas, we’re going to suggest that you lean into the slow, quiet, restful nature that can accompany prayer, helping kids to experience the good of being still with God as children.
Here are a few ways to get outside as you teach kids to pray:
1. Nature Prayer Walk
Choose one of the books on our booklist to read together and then take a short walk outside. Invite kids to notice something that reminds them of God. If it is something that they can pick up, encourage them to bring it back to the classroom. When you return, share what you picked and what it tells you about what God is like. Write down what children say, and end your time together with a prayer of thanksgiving and praise. You can display the things children picked on a shelf in your classroom.
2. Sidewalk Chalk Prayers
Invite children to write or draw their prayers on your church’s sidewalk or parking lot with sidewalk chalk. If you are in the parking lot, make sure you mark the area you’ll be using with cones and review safety rules with kids and volunteers before heading outside. Prayer prompts can help get everyone comfortable with the idea, but make sure you also allow some undirected time for kids to pray as they want to.
Here are some ideas:
- Draw a picture of something you want to thank God for.
- Draw a picture of a time you felt close to God.
- Draw a picture of someone you want to pray for.
- Draw a picture of something you want to tell God.
3. Bubble Prayers
Blowing bubbles is a great way to visualize prayer. Give kids several prompts and then invite them to “blow” their prayers to God.
This is what it might sound like:
Today we are going to pray with bubbles. Have you ever tried to talk to God but weren't sure if he heard you? We can forget that God is right here with us and that the Bible teaches us that God knows what we need even before we ask. Bubble prayers can help remind us that God hears our prayers. We’re going to spend a few moments thinking about our week, and then I will suggest some things you can talk to God about. As you blow the bubbles, imagine they are your words, and know that God sees them, hears them, and understands them. Now we’re going to spread out and enjoy being with God for a few moments.
Pause for a few moments of quiet to give kids a chance to calm down and relax into prayer time. Then choose one or two of these prompts to read, pausing to give children a chance to talk with God.
- Tell God what you love about what he is like.
- Tell God about a time when you felt close to him.
- Tell God about something that made you happy.
- Tell God about something that made you sad.
- Tell God who you are worried about right now.
- Is there anything else you want to say to God?
4. Enjoying God’s Presence
Outdoors can be a great place to practice enjoying God’s presence. Here is a simple script you can use to help kids enjoy God’s presence. You don’t need materials to do this successfully, but a bell and some towels or blankets might help.
During this exercise, you and the children will spend a short time in quiet together, practicing silence. If you have a bell, you can ring it at the start and end of the silence to signal that the special time is beginning and ending. Giving kids a towel or blanket to sit on will also help provide them with a sense of a unique space to be with God.
Choose a short time to begin with. 30 seconds to one minute is good. You want to leave kids wanting more time, not exhausted by a struggle. Slowly work your way up. If kids express wanting more time, remind them that this is something they can do anywhere.
You might want to start your quiet time by reading a verse, asking a question, or saying a breath prayer together.
This is what it might sound like:
What do you know about David? Pause for kids to share. In Psalm 73:28, David says,
But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds.
There are so many things happening and so much that we have to do that we don’t always remember that God is with us. One thing Christians have done for a long time is enjoy being with God. We’re going to practice enjoying being with God together. You will find a space to lay your towel or blanket and put your body in a comfortable position. When we are ready to start, I will ring this bell. That is how we will all know we’ve started to practice paying attention to God. As I said, we are practicing and will only start with ___ (time amount). We need to keep our voices quiet because someone might be trying to talk to or listen to God, and it’s not fair to interrupt them. When I ring this bell again, we will be finished with our special time of paying attention to God. What do you have to do during this time? Nothing. Just enjoy being with God.
These are just a few ideas for how to take your Sunday school prayer time outside. What ways of praying outdoors have you tried with kids? How could you help parents and kids try these prayers at home?