Teaching Preschoolers to Ask for God’s Forgiveness

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God. Ephesians 2:8

If you’re blessed to care for a toddler or preschooler, take advantage of opportunities to have fun with books while demonstrating a biblical theme.

Here’s an idea for implementing an activity, a Christian value and the reading of a nursery rhyme—Humpty Dumpty.

Place one hard-boiled egg, facial tissues, cotton balls, and bubble wrap in four resealable plastic bags and seal. Position each bag on a table or shelf. Ask your child to predict which, if any, of the eggs will crack when she pushes it off and it hits the floor. Allow her to push them one at a time and observe which shells cracked.

Talk: “Often we do or say things that are hurtful to other people. Every time we ‘fall down’ by saying or doing something mean, God is there to pick us up. The Bible tells us in Ephesians 2: 8 that grace is God’s gift to us. When we believe in and accept God’s love, we can ask for forgiveness from Him and the person we hurt.”

Pray with your child: God, please forgive us for when we choose to do the wrong thing. We don’t want to hurt You or other people. Help us to love You and other people.