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Activities for Kids so YOU can have Quiet Time with God

ByErika Dawson

Do you have time alone with God each day? Quiet time might seem impossible with small children nearby, but these activities will engage them independently, so that you can soak up God's word and model what it looks like to have a relationship with Jesus.What is your quiet time routine with kids in the house?

Do you struggle with creating a quiet space to meet alone with God? Or maybe every.time you sit down to read your Bible, one of the kids needs something.

One of my biggest struggles over the years has been early risers.

While we can meet with God any time of the day, I prefer to start my day in the Word of God and prayer. But with little kids in the house, the morning hours zoom to a start.

Even today, after 9 years of parenting, when I rise earlier than the typical time my kids wake up, one of the kids invariably wakes up when I do, or within 5-10 minutes of me. It’s like an internal alarm goes off inside of them! MOM’S UP, I’M UP!!

To be consistent in my own Bible study time, I worked at occupying the little kids so I could steal 30 minutes of quiet time with Jesus.

Over the years, I’ve used the “ok to wake” clock and set up quiet play activities. I’ve moved my Bible time to the kids’ nap time, and I’ve adjusted the length of my quiet time.

But my favorite ideas of quiet activities for little kids so Mamma can have her quiet time are those that help my kids spend time with Jesus, too — or at least receive some quality Biblical content.

The following list shares the ideas our family found most effective. I hope one of these will work great for you, too!

Quiet, Bible-centered ideas for Little Kids

Bibles & Bible-based books for kids

Two of my four kids started life as book lovers. For those two, I could sit them near me with their own Bibles or Bible-based book, and they’d be content to read their Bibles while I read mine.

Picking a Bible can be overwhelming, though, because there are so many options available (and not all of them are good choices). If you’re looking for a Bible for your kids, check out our favorite Bibles (sorted by age) here.

Bible-based cartoons

Some of our favorite Christian kids’ shows are on Jelly Telly, a Christian streaming service for kids. Just last week, I turned on a show for my 4 year old, so I could spend 24 minutes with Jesus.

I knew it was a show I could trust and one that reinforced how to live out Biblical truth in our everyday lives, but what I wasn’t prepared for was my son’s response.

About 4 minutes before the show was over, he looked over at me and said with wonder in his voice, “I just love God soooooo much!”

Of course his love for the Lord is growing not because of a TV show, but to see his little eyes light up and his heart explode with gratitude while he’s watching a show about God makes me so, very grateful for a resource like Jelly Telly.

Bible-based apps

Apps are one of those tools that can be helpful or totally mind-numbing. I love when I find an engaging app that is also Bible-focused! Find our favorites here.

Bible-themed Audiobooks

My kids enjoy audio stories tremendously. Some of our current favorite Christian audio dramas are

  • Adventures in Odyssey :: We are huge Adventures in Odyssey fans. My husband grew up listening to AIO, and we’ve been sharing them with our kids since they were little. (Themes in some episodes are better suited toward older kids, so double-check the title and description before starting an episode.)
  • Focus on the Family Radio Theatre :: My kids’ favorites continue to be this one and this series.
  • Jonathan Park Adventures ::  These are also better suited toward older kids, and they are a huge hit. Engaging and well-done.
  • Brinkman Adventures :: I received a Brinkman Adventures CD at a conference years ago and we have been enjoying their stories ever since!

but you can click here to read our full list of audio stories we enjoy.

When I put on an audio story for the sake of my quiet time, I snuggle the kids up on the couch, or if they’re a little fidgety, I give them something to color or build while listening.

Bible-themed Activities

From floor puzzles and stacking towers to shape sorters and all kinds of figures and play sets, we’ve slowly started a collection of Bible-based toys. We find these especially helpful for keeping fidgety hands moving in purposeful, quiet play and will often hear the little ones re-telling the Bible story while playing with the characters.

In addition to the kids’ quiet time play, we use these activities as conversation starters during play, props and visuals during family Bible time, and as aides with some of our Bible memory work.

Some of our favorites include these floor puzzles, these story figures and finger puppets, and these felt book activities.

Choose the better option.

Whew! THat’s a lot of information and too many options.

Don’t try to do ALL of these things! Pick one or two you feel will work for your family, then try it out. Adjust as needed and keep working at it. Most of the time, our kids won’t sit quietly on-demand without consistent, gentle training and encouragement. Persevere, Friend! You can do this — and it always helps to remember that this is just a season. 😉

Cheering you on!
Erika // erikadawson.com

ps — If you’re looking for a way to get in the Word WITH your kids, grab our free “surprisingly simple worship plan” for families.

Erika Sweeting Dawson is the founder of FaithfulMoms.org, an online ministry where moms find practical tools and Biblical teaching to grow in their faith and nurture faith in their kids, and the creator of the Faithful Life Planner A graduate of Moody Bible Institute, Erika has been an elementary school teacher, a children’s ministry director, and most recently a writer and speaker. She and her husband have four children and live in the Chicagoland area where they are active in their local church and community.

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