Five to seven-year-olds love stories, so this is a wonderful time to share the great stories of the Bible with them. They have a high trust and faith in adults so teachers need to model the Christian life.
They are beginning to comprehend right and wrong and want to know what Christians should and should not do.
More About Understanding Age Groups
What Are Five to Seven-Year-Olds Like?
- They have a sense of adventure but still need to feel a sense of security.
- They are becoming more aware of others around them:
- They crave approval from others, and they worry about being liked.
- They enjoy playing games but do not enjoy competition. They don’t know how to handle losing.
- They are beginning to stand up for their personal rights and can sometimes be bossy.
- They enjoy a variety of teaching methods:
- Experimenting and discovering things on their own.
- Looking at pictures
- Being read to.
- Listening to stories.
- Five to seven-year-olds are learning to distinguish fact from fantasy and enjoy simple role-play.
- They are acquiring new skills:
- Reading
- Art
Learning Activities Five to Seven-Year-Olds Enjoy
- Think of ways children can mimic what is happening in the Bible story you are teaching. For example, the Wise Men Followed a Star, so hold up a picture of a star and let the children follow you. The lions roared in the story of Daniel and the Lions so let the children roar!
- Play games for the joy of it, and do not stress winning and losing.
- Creative Expression:
- Provide opportunities to respond to God and what they are learning in His Word. Allow for artistic expression through a variety of methods such as drawing, painting, colouring with crayons, moulding clay, cutting and glueing.
- Look for simple craft projects that relate to the Bible story you are teaching.
- Singing Songs
- Praying
- Lots of pictures and other visual aids when you tell the story.
- Sensory activities that relate to the Bible story you are teaching. For example, when learning about The Parable of the Lost Sheep, bring some lamb’s wool to feel. When teaching about Elisha and the Widow’s Oil, bring some real olive oil to class so they can touch and even taste it.
Teaching Tips
- Place special emphasis on the Bible story and use a variety of story-telling methods.
- This age group craves the approval of others, so provide a lot of verbal affirmation and encouragement.
- Play games for enjoyment and do not stress competition (winners and losers).
- The attention span of Five to seven-year-olds is 5-8 minutes. Instead of one continuous lesson, break your class down into segments. A lesson template will help you plan for this.
- Since their concept of space is still limited provide clear physical boundaries to help them focus. A physical boundary might be everyone sitting at a table or on a mat. In a big room, you might put tape or a rope in a circle on the floor and ask everyone to sit inside the circle.
- Children of this age still think in a literal and not figurative way. Teachers should use simple phrases instead of metaphors. For example, instead of saying “Jesus is the Lamb of God” say “Jesus is God’s son and he helps us”.
Relating to the Bible at This Age
- Children of this age can learn to recite the names of the 66 books of the Bible. I think it really helps to learn them by singing the songs.
- With help, children can find a book, chapter and verse in the Bible when given a Scripture reference. This is much easier to accomplish with a few children than a big group.
- Depending on their reading ability, they can usually read a Bible verse that you have chosen (short and simple).
- They can use their finger to follow along in their own Bible as the teacher reads
Mission Bible Class Resources to Help You Teach
- How to Plan a Bible Class
- Songs Children Enjoy
- Teaching Ideas
- Quick List of Bible Stories and Suggested Themes
References and Other Helpful Online Resources
- The ABC’s of Spiritual Growth
- Power Point Slides about Age Characteristics
- Collection of Child Development Articles
- Child Development Information
- Play and Developmental Stages
Help for Teaching Children of Various Ages
