How to Explain Parables to Kids
Parables are stories that strive to teach moral lessons. They do this by comparing good behavior vs. bad or using examples of some of life's hard lessons we all need to learn. The Bible is full of parables and getting your child to understand these lessons is easy if you use a few simple techniques. Children love stories and being read to, whether it is a story before bed or in the middle of the afternoon. The rapt attention they give you can be a terrific time to share some of the wisdom in parables.
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Things You'll Need
- Book of parables
- Coloring book or paper
- Crayons
- Different colors of clay
Instructions
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Create a comfortable place for all of you to cuddle while you read. This can be in bed, in a cozy chair by the fireplace or sitting cross-legged on the floor.
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Prepare your children for the parable by having a craft time before you read the story. If the story is about a lazy son, have them draw you a picture of the son napping beneath a tree. Likewise, if the story is about gifts, you can use comic strips or plain brown paper to wrap empty boxes and then decorate the gifts with crayons and ribbons. If the children are older, you may ask them to shape an object using clay to illustrate something in the story.
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Stop frequently during the story time if your child asks a question or does not seem to be digesting the material. Correlate examples of how certain issues have happened in real life to explain the parable in terms they understand.
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Create a drama by play-acting with your children. You can use puppets or let them act out parts of the story. This action will make the parable more memorable, educational and reinforce the lessons.
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Teach the child how to memorize the Bible verse that goes with the parable. This can be accomplished by saying or writing the verse repeatedly.
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Reward children with gold stars or smiley face stickers when they complete their colorings or memorize the verse or moral of the story.
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