2-Minute Back to School Devotions for Kids

I asked my Facebook followers several weeks ago what kind of posts they would like to see from this site for the Back to School season. I had a few requests for simple and quick devotions for kids to do before school, on the drive home from school, during dinner, or before bed.

I thought it would be fun to create a short series of devotions based on school supplies – something that we are all very familiar with and have access to during this time of year. There are a few items you will need in order to use these devotions, so make sure you have your supplies on hand before sitting your family down.

I hope you and your family know Jesus more through these lessons.

Click HERE for your FREE Printable version of these Back to School Devotions for Kids!

The Pencil Devotion

Lesson

Show your kids a pencil without a point. Ask them if they can write or create something with the pencil the way it is. When they say no, tell them that life without God would be a lot like this pencil – there would be no point. When we ask Jesus into our hearts, He gives our lives a purpose and a point. Our point is to love God and love others.

Activity

Use sharpened pencils to copy the Bible verse on paper or draw big hearts that say LOVE GOD and LOVE OTHERS.

Bible verse

“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind.’ This is the first and most important command. And the second command is like the first: ‘Love your neighbor as you love yourself.’” Matthew 22:37-39 (ICB)

Just for Fun

See how long each member in the family can balance a pencil on his/her nose.

The Glue Devotion

Lesson

Hold up a piece of paper and say this piece of paper represents God. Show another piece of paper and that represents us. Say that you want these 2 pieces of paper to be super close and stay together forever. But can those 2 papers stick together on their own? No, they need JESUS. Now show a bottle of glue with Jesus written on it. Have the kids put glue on the paper that represents them, then stick that to the paper that represents God. Explain that Jesus makes it possible for us to come close to God.

Activity

Have kids make their own pages that say God and their names and use the Jesus glue to stick them to God.

Bible verse

“Christ himself died for you. And that one death paid for your sins. He was not guilty, but he died for those who are guilty. He did this to bring you all to God.” 1 Peter 3:18 (ICB)

Just for Fun

Try this CUT STICK DRAW Challenge from Nurture Store.

The Crayon Box Devotion

Lesson

Hold up a box of crayons. Ask your kids what it would be like if all of the colors in the box were brown? Or all beige? Or all orange? It wouldn’t be very fun, would it? We need all of the different colors to create a beautiful picture. In the same way, God created everyone different. Some people are loud and funny, and some are quiet and shy. Some can sing and paint, and some are good with numbers and knowledge. Altogether we can make something beautiful! How can you help make a beautiful picture with the other crayons in the world?

Activity

Draw a rainbow using one color. Draw another rainbow using all of the colors. Discuss which one looks better.

Bible Verse

“God has shown you his grace in giving you different gifts. And you are like servants who are responsible for using God’s gifts. So be good servants and use your gifts to serve each other.” 1 Peter 4:10

Just for Fun

Have someone at the table pull crayons from the box one at a time and take turns coming up with new names for each crayon.

The Calculator Devotion

Lesson

Calculators help us count things. When we want to figure out how to add big numbers quickly, we can use a calculator. But God doesn’t need a calculator. He just knows how many. For example, God knows how many hairs are on your head. He counts each one – and He can keep up with that number even when hairs fall out! God also counts the stars in the sky. Do you know how many stars there are? The number 1 with 24 zeros after it! Astronomers got that number by calculating the number of stars in a galaxy by the number of galaxies there are in the universe. And there are even more stars than that! Only God knows. He knows everything at all times – without any help. So when you feel worried that God won’t take care of you, remember that if He knows how many stars are in the sky and how many hairs are on your head, He also knows how to take care of you!

Activity

Try to count the hairs on your head using the calculator. When it gets too hard, think about how great God is that He knows!

Bible Verse

“He counts the stars and calls them all by name.” Psalm 147:4

“Yes, God even knows how many hairs you have on your head.” Luke 12:7

Just for Fun

Put these numbers into the calculator – 37818. Turn the calculator upside down. What does it say?

The Eraser Devotion

Lesson

There once was a little girl who was in 2nd grade. Whenever she made a mistake at school, the teacher would write her name on the board and put a check mark next to her name. If she made another mistake, the teacher would put another check mark next to her name. Then another check mark. The little girl kept looking at those check marks and felt horrible. Nothing she did could make them go away. Just as school was about to end, there was a knock at the classroom door. The door opened and in walked Jesus. He walked right up to the board, picked up the eraser, and wiped away the check marks that were next to the little girl’s name. Then He drew a big red heart around her name. From then on, no one could put a check mark by her name because the big red heart was her protection.

Activity

Give each child a piece of paper. Have them write their name in the middle. Brainstorm a few examples of ways they had sinned or fallen short that day. When they say them out loud, have them draw check marks next to their name. Then tell them the Bible verse below and have them erase the checkmarks and put a big red heart around their name.

Bible Verse

“So turn away from your sins. Turn to God. Then your sins will be wiped away. The time will come when the Lord will make everything new.” Acts 3:19

Just for Fun

Get a whiteboard and write the word SIN on it in Sharpie marker. Discuss how sometimes our sin can feel like a Sharpie – permanent and not going anywhere. Bring out a red Expo marker and explain the power of Jesus’ blood shed on the cross to remove all of our sins. Take the marker and slowly go back over the Sharpies lines. The Sharpie lines should disappear. That is the power of Jesus’ blood!