Fun Ways to Get Your Child Interested in Religion

For many, religion plays an important part of their life. If you are a parent who feels this way, then having your child share in your religious philosophy and activities may also be important. Yet, attending religious services is often not high on kids’ list of fun things to do.

Never fear. There are steps that you can take to help your child develop a new love for their religion, as well as a devotion to it.

Youth Programs
Does your church, synagogue, mosque or other place of prayer have programs for young children? This is typically best if you have children who are toddlers or of elementary school age. With that in mind, there may also be programs designed for teenagers, as well. Depending on your religious institution, these programs may include fun religious classes, where educational materials are used, as well as using teenage volunteers to assist with the programs.

Events and Activities
If your child has been dreading going to religious services each week, or if they are insisting that they do not want to go, you may want to consider taking them to an upcoming activity or event. In this way, they can be introduced to the community in a fun way — maybe even make new friends who they look forward to seeing once a week.

You will find that most churches, possibly even yours, host a number of events, both privately and throughout the community. These events can include anything from having a sporting team to putting on a play for the community. I went to one church that had an annual St. Patrick’s day feast featuring corned beef, potatoes and cabbage. A friend of mine went to a Buddhist temple that had an annual teriyaki dinner.

For many teens and even younger children, these activities may sound appealing. Each time that your church or temple sponsors a community related event or a fundraiser, you may want to think about volunteering with your child. This is a great way to help your child understand that there is more to church than simply just attending weekly services.

At Home Activities
You may also want to do your own fun activities at home. This is particularly ideal if you have an elementary school aged child, a toddler or a preschooler, as they may be more receptive to at home religion-focused activities.

Media and Games
There are a variety of books, audio and video that may be able to help your child understand their religion, but in a matter that is fun and exciting at the same time. There are also games that you can play, which can be purchased online or you can even make your own religion-focused games. In all honestly, the decision as to how you want to work with your children at home is yours to make, but you should know that you do have a number of different options.

The above mentioned approaches, are just a few of the many ways that you can go about encouraging your child to attend religious services.