How To Teach The Fruit Of The Spirit To Kids
Have you ever wondered how you can teach your kids about the Bible at home? What better way than to start with the fruit of the Spirit – for kids!
I’ve got you covered with everything you need to know about how to teach your kids the fruit of the spirit, including breaking EACH one down with practical examples and resources to use! 🙂
What Are The Fruits Of The Spirit?
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The fruit of the spirit is GREAT to start with when teaching your kids about the Bible because it’s such a simple, yet POWERFUL concept to understand.
Lists and shorter verses are easier for kids to remember, even toddlers, meaning you can never start teaching them too young. And repetition is key!
The fruit of the spirit applies to all areas of our life because they are all characteristics of God. He is loving, patient, kind, etc. It’s where all that we do and the way we act, comes from.
It’s where all that we do and the way we act, comes from and we can read more about this in God’s Word!
They are also very actionable, as in, we can find practical ways to model them in our lives and show our kids how as well.
First, let’s take a deeper look at what the fruits of the spirit are, and really understand each so we can effectively teach it to our kiddos.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
galatians 5:22-23
The apostle Paul tells us in Galatians, the fruits of the spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
When we instill these “good things” into our kids at a young age, they will grow up knowing them, practicing them, and help them grow in their love for God and others.
So how do we come up with a fruit of the spirit lesson plan to teach these to our kids?
I am glad you asked! Let’s see how we can explain the fruit of the spirit, the kind of fruit we want to produce in our children, and how to avoid bad fruit…
*These tips would make a great fruit of the spirit Bible lessons for homeschool or if you are a Sunday school teacher!
Explaining Each Fruit Of The Spirit To Kids
First and foremost, we have to make sure WE as parents are living these out daily. We can’t expect our kids to do something we aren’t doing ourselves!
If we aren’t showing our children what producing good fruit looks like, it won’t be very fruitful for them.
See what I did there? 😉
No one is perfect, and that is okay. In fact, it is always great to admit when we are wrong to our kids and what we can do to correct our behavior.
Let’s break each spiritual fruit down and explain as it relates to God through scripture memory, questions to ask, and small actionable steps we can show our kids to live these out in their daily lives.
Love
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-5 NIV
Explain: You have probably heard this Bible verse before, maybe even at a wedding! Love is listed first I think because, without it, we can’t really show any of the fruits to other people. Love is from where all things flow. God’s love specifically!
Explain to your kids what love means using the verse above and going through each one. You can have them repeat after you (or read it themselves if they are old enough), but fill it with their name – a great way to show them how God wants us to act and love others!
Ask: How did God show His love to us? How can you show love to someone today?
Actionable Step: Using their answers from above, have them think about ways they can show love to someone today and talk about it during your Family Bible Time this evening. 🙂
Joy
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13 NIV
Explain: Having joy in Jesus Christ means we can have complete peace no matter what situation we are going through. Sometimes we can get sad or upset when something happens, but the joy of the Lord is what we look to, because we trust that He has a plan for us!
Ask: How can you have joy even in tough situations? What does having the joy of the Lord help us do?
Actionable Step: Find a song to sing together about the joy of the Lord! Here are some great, uplifting worship songs for kids with videos you can sing and dance to together. 🙂
Peace
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27 NIV
Explain: The world’s peace and God’s peace are two very different things. The world says we can find peace by having whatever we want, or in other things that aren’t God. God is the one who gives us peace ONLY He can give, so we don’t have to be afraid.
Ask: What are some things you need peace about right now?
Actionable Step: Sit together quietly in a circle. Have them take deep breaths in and out. You can even play soft music in the background. Explain that even in times of fear and trouble, we can have God’s peace by asking Him!
Patience
“Whoever is patient has great understanding, but one who is quick-tempered displays folly.” Proverbs 14:29 NIV
Explain: It can be SUPER hard to be patient sometimes, such as waiting for food to arrive at a restaurant, waiting for Christmas day, or a sleepover at a grandparent’s house. But the Bible says that when we are patient, we are acting more like God and can have better understanding. When we are impatient, we are displaying foolish behavior, and God hasn’t better things for your life!
Ask: Is it hard to wait for things sometimes? What are some situations when you find it hard to be patient? What are ways you can be patient in xyz situation?
Actionable Step: Come up with a list of ways you can display patience – for example, play a fun game, read a book, sing a song in your head, etc.
Kindness
“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” Ephesians 4:32 NIV
Explain: Sometimes it can be hard to be kind to people, especially when they are unkind to you. But the Bible says we should show kindness to others, with compassion, and quick to forgive. Compassion means considering others’ feelings. Why do we do this? Because Jesus did this for us. He forgives us when we sin, and we want to be more like Him.
Ask: When do you find it harder to be kind? How do you feel when someone is kind to you? What are some ways you can show kindness to your friends, siblings, others, etc.?
Actionable Step: Make a card for a sibling, family member, or friend with kind words of encouragement and mail it to them, “just because.” 🙂
Goodness
“Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” Galatians 6:10 NIV
Explain: Being good doesn’t just mean listening to your teachers, or obeying your parents. While those things are important, the Bible says we need to be good to ALL people, no matter who is looking. God always sees us so even in moments when we think no one is watching, God wants is to do the RIGHT and good thing. We want to serve others like Jesus did for us!
Ask: How does God show His goodness to us? How can we show goodness to others?
Actionable Step: Pick out 3-5 (or as many as you want) toys and donate them to a local shelter OR bake cookies for a neighbor with a nice note saying how Jesus loves them.
Faithfulness
“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23 NIV
Explain: God is faithful to us always, and never breaks His promises. People do sometimes, but we can be comforted that God never will. Everything He says in the Bible came true – including sending Jesus to die on the cross for us, so we can have a relationship with Him and spend forever in Heaven with Him. When we come to know Him, we can rest assured that His love for us will never end!
Ask: Have you ever broken/kept a promise? Has someone ever broken a promise to you; how did you feel? Do you feel better knowing God will never break His promises?
Actionable Step: Try a trust fall with your kids – tell them you (and/or your spouse) PROMISE to will catch them and do this a few times. This teaches them God’s faithfulness by showing them that just like you promised you would catch them, God keeps His promises to!
Gentleness
“Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Matthew 11:29 NIV
Explain: Jesus was the perfect example of showing gentleness, grace and truth. He approached every situation with a humble spirit! Being humble and gentle go hand in hand, when you think of others MORE and yourself LESS. WE want to be more like Jesus in this way, saying kind words and encouraging others, not tearing them down.
Ask: How would you want someone to speak to you when you are sad? Can you do the same for others?
Actionable Step: Have your child pretend they are holding something VERY fragile – think of an infant, breakable objects, glass frame, etc. This is a great example of the precious care we need to keep in mind when talking with others!
Self-Control
“For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.” 2 Timothy 1:7 NIV
Explain: When someone is being unkind to you, or saying hurtful things to you, you may start to feel angry or upset. Maybe we want to say unkind words back, yell, or even physically hurt someone. But through the Holy Spirit, we have the POWER to exercise self control. Yay! We can choose to do the right thing, pray and/or talk to a trusted adult when we start to feel angry.
Ask: What should we do when we get angry or upset? How can you respond like Jesus when someone is being unkind to you?
Actionable Step: Sit face to face with your child. Take turns making silly faces at each other, the first to laugh is out. **This is a different type of “self-control,” of course, but shows that it can be hard sometimes and with God, we can do it!
Fruit of The Spirit for Kids Prayer:
It’s so important to always begin and end with prayer when reading God’s Word or teaching it. Here is a prayer your children can pray with you when learning about the fruit of the spirit!
Heavenly Father, thank you for your Word and for showing me what it means to produce good fruit in my life. Help me to make good choices that would honor you. Help me to grow in each fruit God, and be a follower of Jesus all the days of my life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
More Fun & Interactive Activities To Help
It’s always good to use fun, hands-on activities that are made specifically for kids!
Bringing in fun to help aid them in learning about the fruit of the spirit and making the right choice in life will go far, and can be done over and over again, reiterating each one in their minds. 🙂
Here are some great books, songs, activities, visual aids, and printables you can use to help teach the fruit of the spirit for kids!!
Books For Kids About The Fruit Of The Spirit:
What has been the most effective teaching tool for us personally when it has come to the fruit of the spirit to my child??
To me, books may be the best way to teach the things of God to my child!
So the book listed at # 1 is… Drumroll, please…
1. The Fruit Of The Spirit Board Book from The Daily Grace Co.
This is our PERSONAL FAVORITE!!! Seriously, I cannot speak highly enough of this book.
It is the CUTEST book, and it explains each one so well. Each page has a verse about each fruit, with the most adorable illustrations and simple explanations kids can understand – I can’t be the only sucker for adorable fruit designs, right?? 😀
We will use this as our family Bible time material some nights and even read it casually throughout the day. It’s such a great way to help kids memorize each fruit and associate them with its meaning.
There is also a little quiz at the end to help really seal what the fruits are and point kids back to Christ. 🙂
Check out this book at The Daily Grace Co. and make sure to use the code MINDYJONES for 10% off!
2. The Fruit of the Spirit: A Devotional, Bible Study, Workbook, & Journal for Kids
This is a devotional, Bible study, workbook, and journal all wrapped up into one for kids! This book helps kids memorize, understand, and learn how to use each fruit of the spirit in their daily life.
There are devotionals for each fruit, questions to ask, verses, prayer games, and coloring pages for fun! 🙂
I have not read this one personally but it has amazing reviews and seems like such a sweet book to read to kids about the fruits of the spirit!
It’s part of an entire series dedicated to teaching kids about different things in the Bible! Win-win. 😉
Fruit of The Spirit Songs For Kids:
Here are a couple of fun fruit of the spirit songs for kids (some with motions!) to help them memorize each fruit!!
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Fruit Of The Spirit Activities/Printables:
I’ve created a couple of GREAT resources to help teach your kids about the fruit of the spirit in a fun, hands-on way!
Check out these FREE bible activity printables you can start using today…
Fruit of the Spirit Printable Playdough Mats
FREE Fruit Of The Spirit Printable Bundle For Kids {30+ Pages}
DIY Fruit of the Spirit Activity Sensory Bin For Kids
Fruit of The Spirit Printable Memory Cards For Kids
These would be great tools to help build a fruit of the spirit Bible lesson, especially for younger children!
Do you want access to MORE awesome, biblical, FREE printables like this one? Get exclusive access to my free printables resource library here!!!
I hope this list helps give you the knowledge and confidence to teach your kids about the fruit of the spirit!
Once you break it down into easy, actionable steps, it makes teaching the Bible to our kids seem like a much less daunting task.
Regardless, God has called you to this… you have been equipped with the Holy Spirit and you have got this Mama!
What is your favorite fruit of the Spirit? Let me know in the comments below!
What a great resource! Saving this for my son when he gets older and maybe for my Sunday school class!
Thank you so much! I’m glad you loved it! You can download my free fruit of the spirit printable activity bundle to use for your son and Sunday school class! Shoot me an email and I can send it to you if you’d like. 🙂
I love the way you teach.It makes it easier for me to teach my children.Which way is better,teaching them the fruits of the spirit all at once or one fruit of the spirit daily?
I’m so glad you found this post helpful! When we first started, we read Galatians 5:22-23 and practiced memorizing each fruit, just the name. Once we worked on that, we would go over one at a time (could be a few days to a week) until I felt she had a decent understanding, and review that one before moving on to the next! But there isn’t a right or wrong way to do it, whatever works best for your family! 🙂 This book was a huge help for us in learning about each: The Fruit of The Spirit board book – it can be simplified for toddlers and a great resource for older kids to read on their own, even though it’s a board book! I hope this helps. <3