Fruit of the Spirit bible study & activities

 

A couple of weeks ago, the kids and I were reading Galatians 5 about the works of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit. I remembered a funny song we used to sing at FCA about the fruit of the Spirit and the kids thought it was hilarious. It sparked some interesting questions and curiosity in the kids, and so we decided it would be fun to do a fruit of the Spirit bible study to kick off the new school year.

Wait. What did I agree to do?  I didn't even know where to start.

When it comes to teaching, I am so thankful for the wisdom and experience of other parents who are gifted in creating lessons accessible to kids, and I'm also thankful for the internet so they can share their ideas with the rest of us who need help.  There are so many great ideas out there!

If you are interested in going through a fun 9 lesson study of the fruit of the Spirit, here are some materials/ideas you might find helpful:

Fruit of the Spirit bible study for Grades 1-3 - good study resource to pull from with Scriptures, discussion questions, and activities (written by a Southern Baptist children's minister and associate pastor).  Be sure to study these fruits for yourself and adjust the lessons to your own teaching style and your children's needs/level of understanding our preschooler is even following along.

Kindness necklace craft (Proverbs 3:3)

Fruit of the Spirit workbook - prints out to form a workbook for the entire study (works best with 2-sided printing, but can also just print 1-sided), includes a separate printout of the memory verse Galatians 5:22-23 for kids to decorate and hang up to help them practice their verses

Fruit of the Spirit song - includes lyrics, movements, and a link to a YouTube video to hear the song





Fruit of the Spirit Bingo Game - great for reading/memorization practice; let kids take turns being the caller

Fruit of the Spirit Bean Bag Game - gross motor planning, reading practice, upper body strength development

I have been pretty amazed at how the kids have enjoyed this study - it has brought about many questions and opportunities to talk about the Gospel and how it's God's Spirit that produces these fruits in us, not our own ability to be "good."  It has also been a great way to approach some specific challenges our kids have had recently. For example, our almost 4-yr old Truth has a tendency toward gloominess: one thing will go wrong and he pulls out the metaphorical umbrella and rain clouds and a pouty lip.  During our lesson on Joy, we talked about Philippians 4:4, and that Paul was in prison and still encouraging the church in Philippi to rejoice always! Truth was pretty surprised by that and was really thinking about it afterward - he even drew about it in his workbook).

Picture of Paul in jail (right)

I hope this study is as "fruitful" for you as is has been for us! Please comment and let me know if this is helpful and if you have any other great ideas to teach the fruit of the Spirit to your children.