Back-to-school season was much closer to “back-to-chaos” season for my family. Even as an only child, I was part of so many extracurriculars that my parents were constantly running me around, even on weekends. There was rarely time for family dinners, much less a moment to try and squeeze in family devotions. My family could have used a steady routine, especially when it came to planning family time.
With the back-to-school season fast approaching, it’s a great time for your family to start, or find, a daily devotional routine. Daily devotions are the best way to keep your family centered on Christ throughout this busy time of year. This month, pair musical coloring pages and a bookmark with hymn-centered devotionals made specifically for busy families to find time with Christ.
No matter what age or stage your child is at with reading, there are plenty of amazing devotionals available. Happy Times is designed for preschoolers to have their own moments with Christ. Six issues per year are filled with a variety of devotional projects, such as crafts, recipes, and more, so you can adapt each issue’s ideas to fit your ever-changing schedule. Pair these devotions with My First Hymnal, a children’s hymnal especially for young readers. Slowly teach children about the symbols and colors of the Church Year, and pair a song with an activity each day.
For older children who love to sing, there’s the new children’s hymnal, One and All Rejoice, which features two hundred hymns, Luther’s Small Catechism, psalms, and more. Pair this hymnal with My Devotions for the elementary and pre-teen students in your family. These devotions can easily be adapted to fit your family schedule. Daily devotions make sure that you always have something to sit down with together, even if it’s just for five minutes before bedtime. For families who would like a different or additional devotion for Sundays, use the One and All Rejoice Devotions Guide to get even more out of the new hymnal. This guide is great for older kids who want to see how the Church Year flows and how hymn selections fit into the lectionary.
Many families find it difficult to incorporate music into their devotional time. There are plenty of children’s devotionals available without music for your household to enjoy together. If your family gets Portals of Prayers, consider ordering Portals of Prayer for Kids so that the children in your family can participate in devotions just like mom and dad. This also makes transitioning from the kids’ version to the adult Portals of Prayer seamless as your family grows.
Another great devotional for kiddos who can’t seem to settle down at night, or for the family who is all in one place right before bedtime, is Little Visits at Bedtime. This engaging devotional gets your rambunctious night owls to settle down with a short story, prayer, and Bible verse, letting your children think about their day and how God was with them.
Children learn in various ways. Some children need hands-on activities in their devotional time to truly understand what they are meant to learn. Luckily, there are many visual faith projects that you can do with your children. Download the monthly content downloads and color them together as a family. This month’s download is music themed, but you can download past months’ coloring pages too. You can also find lots of ways to teach the faith through visual means on the CPH Teach blog. Additionally, try using Lutheran Service Book prayer cards for short, easy devotions that your child can hold in his or her hand.
There’s a devotional tool for every family looking to start a back-to-school routine. Use a calendar in your home to mark out a time for each day of the week that works best for your family. Keeping a consistent time every day is best, but as your family needs to adjust for life, your devotions might have to move around a bit too. No matter what, stick to your goal of daily devotions and watch as your family grows in the faith together.
Print the musical coloring pages by clicking the button below. Pair them with all the family devotional ideas above to have a well-rounded moment with Christ.