indoor play

Baby Play Ideas

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This is a space where we share our favorite play ideas for babies.  The youngest kids can have fun while learning through play at home, too!  
Babies are such an amazing miniature human.  They are developing at a rapid pace and taking in the senses of our world with wide eyes.  Simply holding and talking to your baby is such a wonderful sensory experience.  Then there is the sensory overload of bath time.  We’ve got some easy play ideas for babies and young toddlers here, as they take on and take in the world around them.

Read this resource on baby container syndrome for an occupational therapist’s perspective on baby positioner devices such as swings, seats, and exer-saucers as these items can have an impact on baby play.
 
activities for babies. Learning through play for baby.
 
 

Resource for New Parents

Many people think new parents are the only ones that need baby advice. Maybe you found yourself as a new mother who suddenly had a lot of questions on sleep patterns, eating and childhood milestones. But, if there is one thing that therapists wish they could tell new parents, it’s that parents could have a better understanding of how movement plays into development.

Therapists are many times, seeking resources to share with parents to support a family through the first year of baby’s development so they can thrive.

Remarkable Infants is a great opportunity for parents and professionals alike to educate more people on how to support a baby’s first-year development for future learning development.

Yes, this course does provide information on helping a baby sleep and eat, but this course is the other more comprehensive sections. The pieces most other baby trainings don’t provide.

It’s a 5-step, all-inclusive online training for new moms focusing on the development of the whole child from birth through 12 months of age. It includes the following:

  • Language Development (Talking with your baby)
  • Healthy Sleep Habits (Understanding baby sleep)
  • Cognitive Development and Motor Development (Playing with your Baby)
  • Reading with your Baby (Vocabulary, visual-motor, speech and language)
  • Infant Nutrition (Feeding your baby)

Even though this course is geared to moms, it’s also great for professionals. It can be a HUGE help to clients, expecting moms you work with and those that have kids with learning challenges. The more we can help educate parents on the necessity of building a baby’s cognition, speech and language and motor movements in their first year, the further ahead that child will be later in life.

The 2 best parts are:

1. Each section is taught by a specific professional (Occupational Therapist, Speech and Language Pathologist, Pediatric Sleep Sleep Specialists and Registered Dietitian) with evidence-based research. So you know you’re getting advice from the pros!

2. If you are a professional, you can get CEU credits/Certificate of Completion for taking this course.

You can also get an additional 10% discount when you use our coupon code “COLLEEN10.” To join the Mommy Academy, click here. Don’t forget to enter the discount code!

 
This spatial awareness for babies post shares tips and tools for promoting child development through play, especially tummy time for babies.
 
For more information on development, check out this development of eye-hand coordination information post to better understand how fine motor skills and visual processing develop in babies and toddlers.
 
Additionally, the baby stage and development is an important time for the integration of primitive reflexes. Check out some of these books on primitive reflexes to read more on child development.
 
Also important in the baby stage is the development of oral motor skills. It’s through the mouth that babies explore their world around them and gain the skills needed to progress from liquid feedings to more complex foods.
 
Typical baby development from 0-12 months with creative play ideas.

Typical Baby Development:

Baby development begins before birth and continues to evolve into functional skills each and every day.  From birth, a baby typically demonstrates random limb movements and a rounded back with drooped head.  Asymmetrical postures dominate and no weight is bared through the legs when a baby is held up.  
 
By one month, baby is able to rotate their head and lift their head momentarily.  Asymmetrical postures continue to dominate
 
At three months, baby holds their head mostly in midline and is able to bob their head in supported sitting.  At three months, baby can visually follow a dangling toy from side to side. Baby may roll to either side from their back.  
 
At 4-5 months, baby kicks and waves arms and shows excitement with movements.  They are unable to typically manipulate or purposefully grasp items.  However, baby will demonstrate a strong grasp when an item such as a rattle is placed in their hand.  They are unable to let go of an item in their hand.
 
By six months, baby will demonstrate a greater variety of gross motor patterns.  You will see movements of elbows and knees and they follow objects with their eyes in all directions.  
 
At 6 months, object exploration begins with crude manipulation.  
 
At 7-8 months, baby will take objects out of a container and drop them with crude manipulations and exaggerated movements.  Baby is typically able to sit up by leaning forward for support.  
 
At 9-10 months, baby will explore more of his environment and will show isolated movements of fingers as they poke and explore items.  They can pick up small items and begin to demonstrate purposeful play.  
Note: This is not a complete list of Baby’s development.  There are stages of typical development and changes in each skill area, as well as positional developmental changes.  Watch this space for more baby developmental play and information.
 
Beyond this, baby is continuously developing in their gross motor, fine motor, hand dominance, language, and visual perceptual, skills.  All of these areas can be built on with stimulating and encouraging play environments.  
 
Try some of these play ideas with your baby: 
 
                          Baby play ideas for developmental learning and occupational therapy in birth-2 years
 

Baby Play Ideas

One of our favorite ways to support development through the first year is by simply playing on the floor on a blanket. A baby gym is one toy that will always be a recommendation, although it’s definitely not necessary.

 
  
New Baby Wreath Gift | Sensory Shaker Bottles | How to make sensory bottles | Water Bead Sensory Box
  
 

How to Make Homemade Blender Baby Food | Baby Safe Waterbead Sensory Play | Baby Mirror Play | Learning Activities for Babies Aged 0-2

 
  
 
 

More ways to play with your baby…

 
Christmas Ornament Sorting Activity for Toddlers/ Sensory Play for Babies
 
 
We’re adding new and older posts every day to our collection of baby and toddler play ideas.  Be sure to stop back and see what’s new!  As always, keep a close eye on little ones while playing with babies and toddlers with any activity.  Children should always be supervised while completing any of these activities.  Some children may be able to participate in a particular activity, while others are not developmentally appropriate.  Please use your judgment and adjust the activity to meet the needs of your child.  Or, pull out these ideas in a few months when it is safer for your child to participate.
 
 

Deep Blue Sea Sensory Bin

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There are so many books out there that are just fun to read.  The Deep Blue Sea is one of those books.  Sure you learn colors and prepositions with this book, but the simple phrases and fun pictures make this book one that we read over and over again.  In this month’s Book Club Play Date series, we made a simple sensory bin to go along with the simple phrases and vivid images in the 
book, The Deep Blue Sea by Audrey Wood.


 
 
The Deep Blue Sea book sensory bin idea
 


The Deep Blue Sea Book Sensory Bin Activity

This post contains affiliate links. The Deep Blue Sea‘s bright colors were represented in our sensory bin.  We used a bin of water colored with 

a few squirts of blue paint. (This is my favorite paint for painting and it turns out, coloring water, too!) Swirl the paint around and you’ll get a bright and boldly colored blue water.

 
The Deep Blue Sea book sensory bin idea


 
Grab a rock from outside and place it right in the middle of the water bin.  This is a fun stage to stop and play, and you can start reading the book as you play.  ((You an definitely paint the rock red so it goes along better with the book, but we just left ours it’s plain old rocky color and pretended it was red.))
 
The Deep Blue Sea book sensory bin idea
 
Add a plastic palm tree.  As you read the book, you can add each part with the kids.  We used a small purple balloon with details drawn on.  For the orange butterfly, we used a foam sticker from our friends at www.craftprojectideas.com.  Draw a black dot on the butterfly with a marker.  


The Deep Blue Sea book sensory bin idea
 
We made fish using pipe cleaners in different colors.  These were fun because they sink in the water, so we had to search for the fish in the water.  
The kids loved playing in this sensory bin and reading through the book as we played.
 
The Deep Blue Sea book sensory bin idea
 
Looking for more The Deep Blue Sea book and play ideas for a Preschool Play Date?  See what the Book Club Play Dates team have created: 
Deep Blue Sea Craft from Fun-a-Day

We are posting this idea as part of our month-long Learning with Free Materials series where we provide 31 days of learning using free or almost free materials in homeschooling or school-based extension learning like homework.  



hands-on activities to explore social emotional development through children's books.

Love exploring books with hands-on play?  

Grab our NEW book, Exploring Books Through Play: 50 Activities based on Books About Friendship, Acceptance, and Empathy, that explores friendship, acceptance, and empathy through popular (and amazing) children’s books!  It’s 50 hands-on activities that use math, fine motor skills, movement, art, crafts, and creativity to support social emotional development.

Sorting Sentence Types Activity Recycled Lids

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We love using recycled materials in play, crafts, and learning (notice that “Recycled Fun” tab up there at the top?) so this lid learning activity is just one way that we’ve re-used something that we had around the house in learning.  These recycled lids are just the plastic lids that your child gets at a restaurant.  My kids always want to carry their dripping, empty cup home after a dinner out, so we end up with a stack of plastic cups and lids.  They make the perfect fine motor and learning tool!


Use recycled plastic cup lids in learning with this sentence type sorting activity. This is great for first grade English Language Arts requirements.


Use take out lids in learning!

This post contains affiliate links.
Use recycled plastic cup lids in learning with this sentence type sorting activity. This is great for first grade English Language Arts requirements.
While you can use recycled lids in a ton of learning activities, like stamping sightwords, letter learning, or 10s counters, these plastic lids are a bit different.  They are a larger size and perfect for writing more information.  If you use a 

fine-tip dry erase marker
(these are my favorites!), you can use the lids again and again for so many learning activities.

Use recycled plastic cup lids in learning with this sentence type sorting activity. This is great for first grade English Language Arts requirements.

First Grade English Language Arts Sentence Types Activity:

We used our lids recently to practice sorting sentence types.  I wrote out the four types of sentences: Imperative, Exclamatory, Interrogative, and Declarative. 

Use recycled plastic cup lids in learning with this sentence type sorting activity. This is great for first grade English Language Arts requirements.
I had my daughter string them on long strands of 

bright red yarn. These were taped to the wall for overhead activity and a movement task. Adding movement to learning is a great way to get the whole brain involved in building and retaining learned information.




Use recycled plastic cup lids in learning with this sentence type sorting activity. This is great for first grade English Language Arts requirements.

I then wrote out different sentences on other plastic lids.  My daughter sorted these by stringing them onto the appropriate string.  This is a fantastic way to practice first grade English language arts and sentence types. 

Use recycled plastic cup lids in learning with this sentence type sorting activity. This is great for first grade English Language Arts requirements.
This activity was a big success and a fun way to practice sentence type identification with a fine motor component.  Stringing the lids onto the yarn requires a tripod grasp and bilateral hand coordination.   

Use recycled plastic cup lids in learning with this sentence type sorting activity. This is great for first grade English Language Arts requirements.
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This post is part of our month-long Learning with Free Materials series, part of the 31 Days of Homeschooling Tips as we blog along with other bloggers with learning at home tips and tools.


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5 Minute Ideas for Kids Who Don’t Do Quiet Time

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I am an early bird (make that a caffeinated early bird).  I wake up early and get things done.  Before kids, it was household things, an early morning run before work, or just reading.  After four kids, I am still waking up early, but productive tasks are not being checked from my to-do list.  Now, those early mornings are spent changing diapers, fixing breakfast, wiping spills, getting kids dressed, wiping more spills, snuggling sleepy babies, wiping spills… The tasks may have changed from a few years ago, but the morning is still a time of productive (and some days, not-so-productive) work.  This job called Motherhood is a tough one that is repetitive, thankless, but oh so important.  Through it all those early mornings were and now REALLY are fueled by coffee.  


five minute activities and ideas for moms. keep the kids busy so mom can take a time out and stay sane!






Motherhood is messy quotes. Spilled milk happens


So, when this mama is running all day long chasing kids, breaking up arguments, and wiping up all of those spills (WHY do kids spill so many things??!!) and the early mornings lead into sleepy afternoons, I need a mini-break.  It is so exhausting when the kids are in that tired/hungry/bored time around 4:00 pm.  It can be easy to let the exhaustion get to you.  Sure, you can throw on a movie or encourage a little rest time, but with four kids, someone always needs something.  I can’t recall a moment when all four kids napped at the same time.  I’m not one of the lucky moms whose three year old and four year old still nap.  They just. keep. going.  Quiet time in their rooms turn into a little someone yelling or pounding on the door about a dire emergency.  Or a spill.  

 Motherhood is messy quote

 I can’t keep going full steam without a mini-rest.  Some days are HARD to pull it together and be the patient, kind, loving, peaceful, joyful mom that the kids need.  Moms need time-outs too!  We’ve got some ideas to keep the kids busy for five minutes while mom gets a break (and a little caffeinated pep to keep you going through dinner).  Grab a cup of iced coffee, give the kids a quick activity in their rooms, and re-fresh yourselves.  Ignore the spills for a minute and take a deep breath.  You’ve got this!


I am SO excited to share my love of afternoon mini-break time and iced coffee with you.  I was able to try Folgers® Iced CaféTM Coffee Drink Concentrates.  They are a new line of concentrated coffee, sweetener, and flavor that are all conveniently combined in a portable package.  Moms need convenience when it comes to getting a few moments to herself so the quick prep makes it a winner for me!  I loved that I can add the concentrates quickly into an ice cold glass of milk and enjoy a little pick-me-up to beat the afternoon fatigue.  What makes them even better is that no sugar or preservatives are added to the portable squeeze bottles.  I have been loving all of the available flavors (Original Latte, Vanilla Latte, Caramel Macchiato and Hazelnut Latte) but the Caramel Macchiato iced coffee in a cute glass mug and a straw makes my min-break seem even more luxurious.  The kids know that the sight of coffee in the afternoon is a mom-only drink by now so for at least 5 minutes, the spills should be at a minimum.  “Should” being the key word. 


Grab Make Summer Fridays even cooler with new Folgers® Iced CaféTM Coffee Drink Concentrates and a little me time (even if it is only for five minutes!) while the kids are busy:


five minute activities and ideas for kids who don't do nap time or quiet time.



5 minute activities for kids who don’t do quiet time:

Grab a stack of books and a timer.  Have your child read or look at pictures for five minutes.  When the timer goes off, join your child and read together.


Hand your child a box of sidewalk chalk and a baby doll or pretend figure.  Encourage your child to draw a picture with the chalk and place the baby doll or figure into the sidewalk art.  Watch from the side for 5 minutes as you sip your iced coffee.


Set up a healthy snack.  


Pull out a piece of paper and a fun pen.  Ask your child to draw a picture or write a letter to someone special.  A grandparent, neighbor, cousin, or friend would love to receive mail!  After five minutes, join your child and help them address their mail.


Spread out a stack of easy puzzles.  Kids need to do all of the puzzles in the stack before they are done with their mini-quiet time.  When they are done, join them and do the puzzles in reverse by taking the pieces out and building them on the table.  For silly giggles, do the puzzles in slow motion and at super speed together!


Pull out bubbles and head outside.  Grab your iced coffee and just watch the excitement.  Let the bubble spills happen.  And they will. Just watch the giggles and the fun.  Then grab a bubble wand and join in on the fun!

time out for mom with iced coffee

Motherhood is messy. Moms need a little time out when they can enjoy the little things.

Easy No Prep Free Summer Activities

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Summer is upon us.  For me, I am at home with my four kids and playing, (trying) to stay on top of the laundry, feeding constantly hungry mouths, planning hikes and park visits, scheduling play dates, visiting the library, and trying to keep this little blog business afloat.  The kids do a great job of unstructured free play and come up with some pretty wild imaginative ideas.  They are playing school, cops, library, and pirates on almost a daily basis.  Then there is the daily coloring and TV tag in the yard that keeps the kids creating and moving.  We also find ourselves pulling our hair out with bickering kids, whining, and boredom.  A little inspiration in EASY and basically free activities for the kids is needed sometimes.  Use this list of essentially Free Summer Fun Activities for those times when the kids need a little encouragement to create, play, and get along.  Because we all know that sometimes distraction can change a sour attitude into smiling happy kids!

You’ll also be interested in our new Summer Occupational Therapy Activities Packet. It’s a collection of 14 items that guide summer programming at home, at school, and in therapy sessions. The summer activities bundle covers handwriting, visual perceptual skills and visual motor skills, fine motor skills, gross motor skills, regulation, and more.

You’ll find ideas to use in virtual therapy sessions and to send home as home activities that build skills and power development with a fun, summer theme. Kids will love the Summer Spot It! game, the puzzles, handouts, and movement activities. Therapists will love the teletherapy slide deck and the easy, ready-to-go activities to slot into OT sessions. The packet is only $10.00 and can be used over and over again for every student/client!

Grab the Spring Occupational Therapy Activities Packet HERE.

summer occupational therapy activities for kids

 

Basically free summer activities for kids and families this summer. Creative play is inspired play!
 
 
 
 
 

Free Summer Activities for Kids

 
Use what you’ve got in the house with these activities:
Create with recycled materials and make arts, crafts, and activities.
Pull plastic ware out of the cupboards and sort the lids onto the containers.
Mix colors with food coloring in water.
Blow bubbles
Jump rope
Play Kickball
Throw a book picnic: grab snacks, a blanket, and a pile of books and head outside.
Dress up with old fancy dresses and clothes from mom’s closet (then throw them in a bag and donate!)
Bake
Poke holes in a cardboard box and push pipe cleaners through the holes
Bowl with recycled plastic water bottles
Act out a favorite nursery rhyme
Play Pizza Tag: one person is “it” and chases the others.  Players run from “it” and can stay safe from being tagged by naming pizza toppings and touching the ground.
Put dollhouses or play sets into a bin of shredded paper.
Play hide and seek
Climb trees
Watch and draw clouds
Tell stories where one person starts a story and each person adds a sentence to continue the story.  Write it down and illustrate your story!
Make and deliver lemonade to neighbors
Go birdwatching
Make creative firefly catchers and then catch the fireflies that night.
Play charades
Act out a favorite book
Create with finger paints (make your own with flour, water, and food coloring or washable paint!)
Sing songs
Turn on music and dance
Pick flowers and give them to neighbors
Make crafts. Have an art show and invite friends.
 
Creative play
 
Whatever you do this summer, enjoy every minute and have fun!
 
More creative fun you may enjoy this summer:
 

Want to take summer play to the next level? Be sure to grab your copy of the Summer OT Activities Bundle!

Summer activities for kids

Firefly Catcher Kit Creation Station

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“This post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group® and Glad, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #pressnsealhacks
Summer means fireflies (do you call them lightning bugs in your house?) on warm nights with the kids running around the yard.  We are such huge fans of lightning bugs, and really all types of bugs–that we decided to create a firefly catcher…or 8!  This firefly catcher creation station was a HUGE hit in our house and would be the perfect craft for a summer play date or bug-themed party.  


Firefly bug catcher creation station kit for kids

Host a firefly bug catcher creation station:

Supplies for a lightning bug firefly bug catcher kit.

You’ll need just a few materials to get the kids creating and excited to make their firefly catchers.  We stopped at Walmart and picked up:

Ribbons
Glad Press’n Seal
tape (clear tape and/or colored or washi tape)
scissors
Added extras like sticks, leaves, and stones for the fireflies
You’ll need recycled jars and containers for the firefly homes.

Set up a table with all the firefly catcher items.  Be sure to cut the Glad Press’n Seal into small square shaped pieces to fit the tops of your containers.

Firefly catcher creation station. This is a great idea for a play date or a bug themed party craft.
These kids were excited to get started.  They decorated the containers with tape, ribbon, and string.

lightning bug catcher
Once you’ve got the jars decorated as you like, place a piece of Glad Press’n Seal over the top.  It’s resealable and will make a great lid for the bug catchers.  Use a fork to poke holes in the Glad Press’n Seal for breathing holes.  You can remove the covering during the bug catching and simply pull it back into place to keep the lightning bugs happy in their new temporary home!
Make a firefly bug catcher this summer with the kids.
Lightning bug catcher creation station
My son decided to add star decorations using a star-shaped hole puncher and printer paper.  The paper stars stuck right to the Glad Press’n Seal and reminded us of a stary night.  Hopefully the lightning bugs thought the same!

Make lightning bug catchers with the kids this summer. Add this to the summer bucket list!
These firefly catchers are gorgeously decorated in ribbons, bows, tape (even electrical tape!)

Firefly bug catchers

These lightning bug catchers are (almost) too pretty to catch bugs!  We had a lot of fun running around the yard catching fireflies and capturing memories together.  These bug catchers will be used a lot this summer!
Create pretty and fun bug catchers, lightning bug houses, and firefly catchers for summer nights with family and friends.
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Host a firefly catcher creation station play date or craft area at a bug-themed party.
Be sure to stop by and follow our Facebook page where you can see tons of crafts and activities for kids from all over the internet.  Feel free to share pictures of your firefly catchers with us there!

Outer Space Books for Kids

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You may have noticed that we’ve been on a bit of an Outer Space theme.  We’ve had a stack of space library books and favorites from our own collection out in the traffic of the living room for a few weeks now.  These are our favorite Outer Space books for reference, fun, and space-themed activities.  If you’ve got a space fan, rocket lover, or future astronaut on your hands, these are the books for you!


Outer space books for kids


Best Outer Space Books for Kids:



On the Moon
by Anna Melbourne is a picture book that we have read probably 1,500 times. I’m sure you have books in your own personal library that are hits with the kids. They are the books that you read every night before bedtime for 6 months strait. This is one of those books for us. My husband was able to recite the 24 page book from heart…and he can still do so! This is a special book in our house! It’s got great illustrations and and facts that your preschooler and toddler will love.


Basher Basics: Space ExplorationThis book is for a little older kids, but we love it for it’s fun illustrations and information.


 The Planets
by Gail Gibbons is great for kids with it’s big illustrations and interesting facts on each planet.


 
What Is the Moon Made Of?: And Other Questions Kids Have About Space (Kids’ Questions)
by Donna H. Bowman is such a cute book with lots of facts about space. This book ignites more questions and fun discussions. This is a must-read for space fans.


The Kids Book of the Night Sky
by Ann Love & Jane Drake is a wealth of information. We loved all of the activities in the book that extend concepts. Read the book and find out how to make a sky carousel, a sighting tube, and a pinhole eclipse view among other experiments.


 
The Planets in Our Solar System (Let’s-Read-and-Find-Out Science, Stage 2)
by Franklyn M. Branley has bright and engaging illustrations with lots of facts mixed into the text. We loved the instructions on how to make a solar system mobile at the end of the book.


 
Where Does the Moon Go? (Question of Science Book)
by Sidney Rosen answers questions that my kids are always asking. This is a fun book all about the moon.




If you’ve got a little space fan, be sure to check out our Outer Space theme learning and play activities for crafts, activities, snacks, movement, and sensory fun.


Follow our Outer Space Awesome Pinterest board here.

Follow Sugar Aunts’s board Outer Space Awesome on Pinterest.

Galaxy and Outer Space Sensory Activities

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We have been loving all things Outer Space lately.  We have been having a ball pinning to our Outer Space Awesome pin board.  And last week’s constellation crafts were such a hit that we had to dig for more fun space ideas. When we saw the Outer Space Discovery  bottle from Artsy Momma linked up in this week’s Share It Saturday, we had to check it out.  Of course we wanted to find more sensory activities dealing with space, the galaxy, planets, and stars.  We’ve got them all here for you:

If you’ve got a little space fan, be sure to check out our Outer Space theme learning and play activities for crafts, activities, snacks, movement, and sensory fun.

Outer space ideas for sensory play


Outer Space Sensory Play Ideas for Kids



Space Sensory Tub from One Perfect Day
Outer Space Play Dough from I Can Teach My Child
Space Discovery Bin from Craftulate
Coffee Beans Sensory Bin from I Heart Crafty Things
Sensory Galaxy Jar from Lemon Lime Adventures
Galaxy Oobleck from Two-daloo
Glowing Bedtime Stars Bottle from Kids Activities Blog
Galaxy Slime from Two-daloo
Glowing Galaxy Water Bin from Fun-a-Day


Which will you try first?

Rhyming Grace Before Meals

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prayer before meals for kids

In this blog post, you’ll find some ideas to use as a prayer before meals for kids. A rhyming grace before meals is an easy way to use the rhythm and rhyme to make the rhyming prayers “stick”. Take a look at the rhyming prayers for kids and families below.

prayer before meals for kids

One of my favorite memories from mealtimes as a child was the blessing, or the prayer before meals. A prayer before meals, for kids, is a wonderful way to connect with families, while saying grace and thank you for the food at the table and other blessings in life.

I can still remember the rhyming thanks to God that started each meal.  We would all bow our heads and fold our hands as we said a small prayer that showed our gratitude for the day’s blessings.  

Now as a mom to small children, that blessing is one of the best slow moments of our day. My children have their small chubby hands (and usually sticky fingers) clenched into small folded prayer hands.  

They have their heads bowed and are all saying a rhyming prayer together as their baby sister looks on from her high chair with wide eyes at the moment. And then someone starts the prayer in their opera voice. Or Pig Latin.  It happens.  

Life with four kids 7 and under brings surprises and chaos.  During blessing time is no exception.  We just start over and try again! 

rhyming grace before meals

The routine of a meal prayer, or a meal time blessing is a blessing in itself! To a family of any size, a prayer before meals can signal the start of a meal and a time to slow down and connect.

For families, a prayer before meals offers a moment of quiet and calm from the chaos a family brings.  

Saying a blessing at meals is a time to focus on the gifts from God: each other, the food, events from the day.  It’s that simple prayer before meals that adds another routine to family meals.

Having a palpable moment of quiet (usually!) during a blessing prayer is a calming moment and a signal to regroup as a family together around a meal.

Even the smallest children can recognize the moment of calm during a prayer before the meal.  A mealtime blessing is a time to express gratitude.  And when those sweet little children that are the biggest blessing of all are saying their prayer, this mama just has to sneak a look up and express her gratitude too.  Until a glass of milk spills.

In these cases, a simple prayer before meal can be a calming moment of self-regulation for the parents, too!

 
 
 
prayer before meals for kids
 

Rhyming Prayers to Say before Meals

Growing up, my family said our blessing at each dinner meal until we were much older than preschool age. I’m sure that is why it’s stuck with me for so long.
 
These are blessing prayers that can stay with a family for a lifetime, starting from a young age.
 
Toddlers start to recognize rhyming words, making rhyming grace a great addition to dinnertime. This is a time when sitting at the dinner table for a whole meal is possible due to greater attention during meals. The routine of a prayer before meals for kids is part of that attention-building development.
 
These blessings are prayers that we’ve either said as a child or my kids have learned through their preschool class.  
 
They are now part of our meal!

Try these Family Blessings to say before a meal:

God is Great Rhyming Prayer 

(This food prayer is simple and effective, with a nice little rhyme.)

 
God is great, 
God is good. 
And I thank Him for our food.
Amen
 

Johnny Appleseed Rhyming Prayer

 
(This is one from my son’s preschool class)
Oh, the Lord’s been good to me.
And so I thank the Lord,
For giving me the things I need.
The sun and the rain
and the apple seed.
The Lord’s been good to me.
Amen

Thank You God Prayer

 
(said to the tune of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star)
Thank you God 
for Food and prayer.
Teach us how to love and share.
Amen

prayer before meals
 

Do you have a special prayer before meals that you say with your family?  



Colleen Beck, OTR/L has been an occupational therapist since 2000, working in school-based, hand therapy, outpatient peds, EI, and SNF. Colleen created The OT Toolbox to inspire therapists, teachers, and parents with easy and fun tools to help children thrive. Read her story about going from an OT making $3/hour (after paying for kids’ childcare) to a full-time OT resource creator for millions of readers. Want to collaborate? Send an email to contact@theottoolbox.com.