Teach all the time: Young children live in the moment. Help them to learn in the moment by making the most of opportunities as they arise. Talk about God in the day-to-day things you are doing.

Teach at a special time: Try to set aside a special time to read about God. Prepare for this time. If you are going to read the Bible, think about what you will read and how to simplify and explain it.

Questions and answers: Listen to your children's questions, and give quality time to answering them. But also ask them questions about what you've been trying to teach to check they have understood.

Teach through your life: You are a living example (or visual aid) of someone who loves God. Set a faithful example of dependence on God and let them see you reading the Bible for yourself.

Be prayerful: Like adults, children need God's help to grow in Christ and they can learn to pray. So pray for them and pray simple prayers with them (e.g. "sorry God that we...", "thank you God for...", "God, please help...").

Be simple: Young children are not abstract thinkers so be literal and concrete. Use real examples where possible (eg. God made this flower). Use simple vocabulary that they can understand. Avoid jargon.

Be specific: Move from the specific (God loves Ben) to the general (God loves everyone). Use lots of familiar examples so that they can understand.

Repeat and repeat again: You might get tired of saying it, but remember young children thrive on repetition.

Be thankful: Approach God with thankfulness. Model to your children how we can thank God in various situations and what we can thank God for.

Be visual: Young children learn through their eyes as well as their ears. Use pictures, visual aids, picture books etc.

Tips provided by Stephanie Carmichael

Grumpy Day

Some days everything seems to go wrong and everyone feels grumpy. And sometimes, not even a hug from Mum can fix things up. This beautiful story contains a wonderfully clear message about the disappointments of life and the goodness of God. Enjoy the story now online.

The Birthday Party

It's Ben's birthday, but when he falls out of his new wagon and hurts himself, Emily has to think of a way to make the day special again. This lovely story is about families and looking after one another, and about the God who loves us all. Enjoy the story now online.

With these two new books, there are now four titles in the series. The other two titles are Over the Fence and The Rag Doll. All four books teach important truths about God and are ideal for parents to read to children aged 3 to 6 (or for older children to read themselves). Parents may also benefit by seeing ways they can teach their children about God in day-to-day family life. (Notes for parents are included.)

Little Black Books: Science and God

As Christians, do we have to choose between believing in science and believing in God? And aren't we just a little bit foolish to believe in God these days?

In his usual snappy style, Scott Petty faces these difficult questions head-on, covering important topics like the Big Bang, Genesis and the beginnings of human life, evolution, design versus cosmic accident, and—most importantly—the evidence for God.

» About the Little Black Books
The LBBs is a series of books that get straight to the point on the topics that Christians always have questions about. Not too big, not too fancy, and not at all boring. LBBs are ideal for young Christians (ages 14-20+), but speak biblical truths applicable to any age range. See all the books currently in the series: AU store | US store