Spiritual Characteristics of this age group:

• have a growing sense that God is very special and real
  
• tend to have a literal concept of God, as a grandfather figure
  
• readily accept what you say about God
  
• sense that God loves them and cares for them and that they can love and trust him
  
• enjoy frequent repetition of Bible stories
  
• can recite simple prayers and may add their own ideas
  
• generally, do the “right thing” out of fear of punishment or to win approval
  
• sense that church is a good place to be

Concepts with this age group:

By the time children have completed the twos and three-year-old Toddlers, they should have a concept of the following:

• God is love
• God created all things
• God is good
• God loves and cares for me
• Experience a sense of belonging to God’s family-Children of God
• Jesus is God’s son
• Jesus is my special friend

Scripture

• The Bible is a very special and important book
  
• Hear Bible stories about people who tried to live as God wanted
  
• Practice holding a Bible
  
• Say and sing Bible verses
  
• Begin to associate Bible stories read with reading out of the same book that is at home, in worship, and in Faith Formation.
  
• Observe parents and teachers reading from the Bible/Bible story book.
  
• I give thanks to God by praying and sharing

What stories are appropriate?

Age appropriate Bible stories for younger children:

• God Made the World (Genesis 1:1, 27, 31)

• Birth of Jesus (Luke 2:1-7)
  
• Shepherds Hear the Good News (Luke 2:8-20)
  
• Jesus Grew and Helped Joseph (Luke 2:39-40)
  
• A Boy Shares His Lunch of Loaves and Fishes (John 6:1-14)
  
• Jesus Helps Jairus’ Daughter (Luke 8:40-42, 49-56)
  
• Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10)
  
• Jesus Loves the Children (Luke 18:15-17)
  
• Jesus’ Rides into Jerusalem (Mark 11:1-11)
  
• Jesus’ Last Supper (Matthew 26:17-20, 26-28; Mark 14:17-25; Luke 22:14-20)
  
• Jesus’ Enemies Killed Him, but God Didn’t Let Jesus Stay Dead (treated together in simple form—Matthew 27:35a, 57-60; 28:1-8)
  
• Jesus has a cookout with His friends (omitting when it happened—John 21:1-13)
  

Prayer

• Associate prayer with good things
  
• Learn simple table prayers
  
• God is great and God is good, and we thank God for our food. AMEN
  
• No particular body position is necessary
  
• Simple language used
  
• Giving thanks for food after eating makes more sense to this age child

Music

Bible Reccomendations

Ages 0-2

Preschool

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