A new school year brings a lot of excitement, and sometimes a few nervous butterflies too.
There are new school supplies to organize, new routines to learn, new teachers and friends to meet, and plenty of things for little ones to look forward to.
And that goes the same with homeschooling. New routines, new challenges, and new opportunities to learn.
But as Christian parents, we can also use this season as an opportunity to remind our children of something even more important:
God is with them in whatever season.
Back-to-school season is a wonderful time to bring faith into your family’s routine through simple Bible activities for back to school. These don’t need to be complicated Bible lessons or require hours of preparation. A short prayer, a Bible verse, a craft, or a simple conversation can become a meaningful part of your child’s day.
Whether you’re homeschooling, sending your child to school, preparing for preschool, or looking for activities for Sunday school, here are 20 easy Christian back-to-school activities you can try with your children.
Why Add Bible Activities for Back to School Routine?
Before we dive into those activities, let’s first discuss the importance of adding bible activities in their routine.
Back-to-school preparation usually focuses on school supplies, schedules, clothes, and getting everyone back into a routine.
But there’s another routine worth establishing: time in God’s Word.
The beginning of a school year gives us a natural opportunity to talk with our children about things they may experience during the year:
- What should I do when I’m nervous?
- How can I be kind to my classmates?
- What if something is difficult?
- How can I be a good friend?
- Who can I talk to when I’m afraid?
Through simple Bible stories, prayer, memory verses, and conversations, children can begin to understand that their faith isn’t separate from school or learning.
God is with them in all of it.
1. Create a “God Is With Me” Backpack Tag
Create a simple backpack tag featuring Joshua 1:9:
“Be strong and courageous… for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
Let your child decorate the tag with crayons, stickers, or markers and attach it to their backpack.
For younger children, simply repeat the phrase together: “God is with me wherever I go.”
It’s a simple reminder they can carry with them throughout the school year.
2. Have a First Day of School Prayer
Before your child begins school or starts their homeschool year, take a few minutes to pray together.
You can pray for:
- Their teacher
- Their classmates
- Wisdom while learning
- Courage when things feel difficult
- Safety throughout the year
- Opportunities to show kindness
Your prayer doesn’t need to be long. Preschoolers especially benefit from hearing simple, sincere prayers they can eventually learn to pray themselves.
3. Leave Bible Verse Lunchbox Notes
Write a short Bible verse or encouraging message on a small piece of paper and tuck it into your child’s lunchbox.
Try messages such as:
“Jesus loves you!”
“God is with you today.”
“Be kind to others.”
“You can pray anytime.”
This is one of those small Bible activities for kids that takes almost no preparation but can become a sweet family tradition.
4. Make a “Shine Your Light” Craft
Read Matthew 5:16 together:
“Let your light shine before others.”
Then make a simple sun, lantern, or light-themed craft.
As you work, talk about what it means to “shine your light” at school.
Ask your child:
“What is one way you can show God’s love to someone this week?”
Their answer might be as simple as sharing a toy, helping a friend, or saying something encouraging.
5. Create a School Supplies Gratitude Activity
Put some of your child’s school supplies on the table—pencils, crayons, books, a backpack, or anything else they’re excited about.
Ask:
“What are you thankful for?”
Then thank God together.
You might say:
“Thank You, God, for the books we get to learn from. Thank You for our teachers. Thank You for our friends. Thank You for giving us the opportunity to learn.”
This simple activity turns ordinary school supplies into an opportunity for gratitude.
6. Have a Back-to-School Bible Scavenger Hunt
Hide Bible-themed objects around your home and give your child simple clues.
You could hide:
- A toy animal for Noah’s Ark
- A star for Creation
- A heart representing God’s love
- A small fish for Jonah
- A paper crown for Esther
- A sheep for the Good Shepherd
As your child finds each item, briefly tell the Bible story connected to it.
This is especially fun for preschoolers because it combines movement, play, and Bible learning.
7. Talk About How God Gives Us Wisdom
Read James 1:5:
“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God.”
Talk about what your child might need God’s help with during the school year.
Maybe they want help learning to read, making friends, solving a difficult problem, or being patient.
Then have them draw something they’d like to learn this year and pray about it together.
8. Make a Bible Memory Verse Bookmark
Choose one short Bible verse for the beginning of the school year.
Write or print it on a bookmark and let your child decorate it.
Some good choices include:
- Joshua 1:9
- Proverbs 3:5
- James 1:5
- Matthew 5:16
- Psalm 119:105
Keep the bookmark inside their Bible or favourite storybook and practice the verse throughout the week.
9. Start a Five-Day Kindness Challenge
Back-to-school is a great time to teach children that faith should influence the way we treat other people.
Create a simple five-day challenge:
Monday: Help someone.
Tuesday: Share something.
Wednesday: Say something encouraging.
Thursday: Thank someone.
Friday: Pray for a friend.
At the end of the week, talk about what happened.
This turns a simple Bible lesson into something your child can actually practice.
10. Take a First-Day-of-School Prayer Walk
Before the school year begins, walk around the places where your child will spend their time.
If your child attends school, you can pray together at home before leaving.
If you’re homeschooling, walk through your homeschool area.
Pray for:
- Wisdom
- Patience
- Good friendships
- A kind heart
- A love for learning
- God’s protection
It can become a meaningful family tradition every year.
11. Make a “Jesus Loves My Teacher” Card
Help your child create a simple card for their teacher.
It doesn’t need to be elaborate. A drawing, a few words, or even a handprint can make a sweet gift.
While making it, talk about showing gratitude toward people who help us learn.
You can also pray for your child’s teacher together.
12. Try Bible Story Sequencing
Choose a familiar Bible story and print or draw three to five pictures representing what happened.
For example, with Noah’s Ark:
- God tells Noah to build the ark.
- Noah gathers the animals.
- The rain comes.
- The waters eventually go down.
- God gives Noah His promise.
Ask your child to put the pictures in the correct order.
This is a wonderful way to combine Bible learning with early learning skills such as sequencing, memory, and storytelling.
13. Learn About the Armor of God
Read Ephesians 6:10–18 and introduce your child to the Armor of God.
You don’t need to explain every theological detail. Keep it simple and age-appropriate.
Talk about:
- The belt of truth
- The breastplate of righteousness
- The shield of faith
- The helmet of salvation
- The sword of the Spirit
Then ask:
“What can help us when we feel scared, worried, or tempted to do something wrong?”
For preschoolers, you can turn this into a colouring activity or simple dress-up game.
14. Make a “God Made Me Special” Self-Portrait
Read Psalm 139:14 together:
“I am fearfully and wonderfully made.”
Give your child paper and crayons and invite them to draw themselves.
Talk about the things that make them special.
You can say:
“God made you wonderfully. There is no one else exactly like you.”
This can be especially encouraging for children who may feel nervous about meeting new classmates or starting a new school.
15. Sort School Supplies While Talking About God’s Creation
This is a simple activity that works especially well for preschoolers.
Give your child a collection of crayons, pencils, blocks, or other school supplies.
Ask them to sort the items by:
- Colour
- Size
- Shape
- Type
While they’re working, talk about how God created a world filled with different colours, shapes, animals, plants, and people.
It’s a simple way to combine early learning with faith.
16. Try a Fruits of the Spirit Challenge
Read Galatians 5:22–23 and choose one fruit of the Spirit to focus on each day.
For example:
Monday: Kindness
Tuesday: Patience
Wednesday: Joy
Thursday: Gentleness
Friday: Self-control
At the end of each day, ask:
“How did we practice this today?”
This gives children a practical way to understand that Bible lessons aren’t just things we learn—they’re things we live.
17. Pray for Your School Friends
Help your child create a simple prayer list.
Write down the names of:
- Classmates
- Teachers
- Friends
- Homeschool friends
- Family members
Choose one person each day and pray for them.
For preschoolers, you can keep the prayer very simple:
“God, please help Sarah today. Thank You for giving me a friend like her. Amen.”
18. Have Bible Coloring Time
Bible colouring is an easy way to combine creativity with Scripture.
Choose a Bible colouring page connected to a story or verse you’re learning.
As your child colours, talk about the picture.
You might ask:
- What do you see?
- Who is in the picture?
- What happened in this Bible story?
- What can we learn about God?
This makes colouring more than a quiet activity—it becomes an opportunity for conversation.
If you’re looking for more ideas, you can also explore our collection of Bible coloring pages for kids and preschool Bible activities.
19. Create a “What I’m Excited About” Prayer Page
The beginning of a school year can bring both excitement and worry.
Give your child a piece of paper and divide it into two sections:
I’m excited about…
I’m nervous about…
Let them draw or write their answers.
Then turn both sections into a prayer.
You can remind them:
“We can talk to God about the things that make us happy and the things that make us nervous.”
This teaches children that prayer isn’t only for emergencies. We can talk to God about everything.
20. Create a Family Back-to-School Blessing
End your back-to-school preparation with a special family prayer.
Gather together and pray over the upcoming school year.
Ask God to give your children:
- Wisdom
- Courage
- Kindness
- Patience
- Good friendships
- A love for learning
- A heart that loves God
You can even place your hand gently on your child’s head or shoulder while praying.
It doesn’t have to be elaborate.
Sometimes the simplest family traditions become the ones our children remember most.
A Simple Back-to-School Bible Routine
You don’t have to do all 20 activities.
In fact, please don’t feel like you have to!
Choose one or two activities each week and build a simple routine around them.
Here’s a 10-minute back-to-school Bible routine you can try:
2 Minutes — Pray
Thank God for the new school year and ask Him for wisdom.
3 Minutes — Read a Bible Story
Choose one short Bible story or passage.
2 Minutes — Practice a Memory Verse
Repeat one short verse together.
3 Minutes — Do an Activity
Colour, craft, play a game, or talk about how the Bible story applies to your child’s day.
That’s it.
Ten minutes is enough.
But it would be lovely if they would ask for more extended moments.
The goal isn’t to create another complicated lesson plan. It’s to create small, consistent opportunities for your child to hear God’s Word and talk about their faith.
7 Bible Verses for the New School Year
If you’re looking for Bible verses to encourage your child during back-to-school season, these are wonderful places to start:
Joshua 1:9 — Courage
“Be strong and courageous… for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
A beautiful reminder for children who feel nervous about a new school year.
Proverbs 3:5–6 — Trust
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart.”
Talk about trusting God when something feels unfamiliar or difficult.
James 1:5 — Wisdom
“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God.”
A great verse to pray before starting a new lesson or school day.
Matthew 5:16 — Shine Your Light
“Let your light shine before others.”
A wonderful reminder to show kindness and God’s love to others.
Philippians 4:13 — Strength
“I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”
Encourage your child to turn to God when learning something feels challenging.
Psalm 119:105 — God’s Word
“Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.”
A simple way to explain why God’s Word is important in our daily lives.
Ephesians 4:32 — Kindness
“Be kind and compassionate to one another.”
A practical verse to carry into friendships and classroom relationships.
Starting the School Year with Faith
Back-to-school preparation doesn’t have to stop with backpacks, pencils, new shoes, and school schedules.
It’s also an opportunity to remind our children that God is with them in every classroom, every lesson, every friendship, and every new beginning.
You don’t need an elaborate curriculum to make faith part of your child’s school routine.
Start with a prayer.
Read a Bible story.
Practice one memory verse.
Make a simple craft.
Talk about kindness.
Those little moments may seem ordinary today, but they can become meaningful memories your child carries with them for years.
So as you prepare for the new school year, don’t worry about doing everything.
Choose one simple activity and start there.
And trust that God can use even the smallest moments to grow your child’s faith.
Looking for more simple ways to bring Bible learning into your child’s day? Explore more Bible activities for preschoolers, free Bible printables, and faith-based resources here at Joyful Zion.