How do you teach spirituality to kids? These simple lessons and spirituality activities will help you raise spiritually-minded kids who have a life purpose and appreciate the world around them.
As I woke up one random weekday, I became aware that I was completely and unequivocally being consumed by the grind.
By the grind, I mean this constant rat race that defines modern day living. This meaningless daily routine that reminds me of the movie “Groundhog Day”.
Basically, my days were filled with too many moments lacking any real connection to, well, anything.
Get kids on the bus. Work on my computer. Do the laundry. Drive to baseball. Go to bed. Repeat.
I decided to learn more about spirituality, or seeking a meaningful connection with something bigger than myself.
As I started to learn more about the importance of spirituality, I realized that my kids desperately needed to learn these topics, as well.
Related: Mindfulness Activities for Kids
How do You Explain Spirituality to Children?
In the most basic terms, spirituality is the concept that we are all part of something bigger than ourselves. There is more to life than just what we experience on a daily basis with our senses.
While spirituality can be related to religion, it doesn’t have to be.
Unlike religion, there are no set rules or restrictions. Also, it focuses more on your personal journey of discovering what is meaningful in life.
I know this can feel like a really complicated topic for kids.
When you are teaching spirituality to kids, simply explain it as:
- Having a sense of wonder and curiosity
- Caring for other living things
- Appreciating love and nature
As a parent, you can decide whether you focus on religion, karma, nature or other values as a form of spirituality. However, providing your kids with some type of a belief system should be an essential part of parenting.
You may also like: 3 Mindfulness Activities for Teens with Anxiety
5 Activities that Teach Spirituality to Kids
Children are born with open hearts and minds.
As a family, you can help your child retain their innocence, connect with the world around them, and focus their energy on good. Or – in other words to be spiritual.
These 5 simple spirituality 101 lessons and activities will help you teach guide your children to be more spiritual.
1) Deepen Their Connection with Nature
To me, spirituality is actually defined by the way children see nature.
The way young kids look in awe at a beetle or are thrilled by leaves falling from trees shows a true connection with nature.
We can all preserve or regain this magical appreciation for nature with a little effort.
Activities that can help you and your children connect with nature include:
- Starting a vegetable or herb garden
- Going on a “treasure hunt” – gather sticks, flowers, moss, etc
- Painting or sketching a landscape
- Going on a hike – take a moment to focus on your senses – ask “what do you hear, see, smell?”
- Having an outdoor picnic
Talk to your kids about being kind to the earth because it does so much for us.
Check out these activities that help kids reconnect with nature.
Draw inspiration from these 7 bible verses for kids, too!
2) Focus on the Here and Now with Mindfulness Activities
Often our minds get lost in the past or race ahead to the future.
Part of spirituality is understanding that the most important time is the here and now.
Mindfulness is the basic ability to be fully present in the moment. Aware of where we are and what we’re doing. The concept of mindfulness refers to being able to live in the present moment – or to stop and smell the roses.
This simple Mindful Break Activity is a great way to train your kid’s mind to return to the present moment.
Looking for Mindfulness Activities for Moms? Start here!
Also read: How to Hardwire Your Kids for Happiness
3) Appreciate the Mystery in Life
Another side to spirituality is appreciating that we will not have all the answers in life.
There are some things that will remain a mystery, and that is part of the beauty. Developing your own opinions, beliefs, and questions is part of reflecting on life.
When your child asks you questions that you do not know the answer to, it is okay to say things like “I am still trying to figure that out” or “we may never know, what do you think?”
4) Reflecting, Journaling, and Meditating Activities
As mentioned earlier, spirituality differs from religion as it refers to one’s personal journey.
For older children and adults, journaling is a great way to reflect on your life. There are many different types of journals, and you can learn about them here:
- Manifestation journals can help you attract positivity into your life
- Bullet journals can help you organize your life to focus on the present
- Self love journal prompts can guide you towards self acceptance
Meditation is another way to get you to a mindful state of mind. Learn how to use visualization prompts for easy meditation here.
If you are not into journaling and meditating – or if you have younger kids- you can simply ask questions to get them to open up, such as:
- “What is something you are thankful for today?”
- “Tell me about your favorite part about your life”
- “What were the highs and lows in your day today?”
5) Gain Knowledge and Open Your Mind
Spirituality involves exploring certain universal themes – love, compassion, wisdom and truth.
Children should be encouraged to gather as much knowledge that they can, have an open mind, and ask plenty of questions.
Go to museums, read books, develop anchor routines and ask your kids constantly what they are thinking.
Also, open your kid’s minds to the fact that everyone experiences life differently- and this shapes their own views. When they aren’t sure how to react to others- always chose empathy and kindness.
Good and bad is not always black and white, but if you guide your children to be critical thinkers it will help you teach spirituality to kids.
Follow these simple tips to raise critical thinkers.
No matter what your beliefs are, it is important to share them with your family. Talk openly and give your children the opportunity to ask many questions and express their personal views.
Final Thoughts on How to Teach Spirituality to Kids
A nature walk was my first step in teaching my three children about spirituality.
We talked about what we felt heard and smelled. Then, we all discussed what our biggest life questions were. Lastly, we thanked God and mother earth for the beautiful trees and bugs we saw along the way.
It may sound simple to you, but we all left with a deeper connection to nature and a stronger appreciation for each other.
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