Children need to learn the Ten Commandments. He says in Deuteronomy 6:7 “And you shall diligently teach them to your children, and shall speak of them.”
Preschoolers are very visual. They learn better by seeing things as well as being told. If you want them to memorize the Ten Commandments, simply saying them over and over again will not do it effectively. You will need to create visual representations to make them easier to remember.
Flash Cards Help Teach the Ten Commandments Create some flash cards for your preschoolers. On one side put one of the Ten Commandments. On the other side put an image representation. Show preschoolers the representation of the picture and say the commandment that goes with it.
- You will have no foreign gods before Me. God must be Number One. Draw a 1st place ribbon.
- You shall not make yourself any graven image. Bow down to nothing or anyone but God. Draw a person kneeling before a statue.
- You shall not take the Name of the Lord your God in vain. Don’t use your lips to dishonor God. Draw some ridiculous looking lips.
- Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Do not neglect the things of God. Draw a Bible.
- Honor your father and your mother. Moms and dads are special people that God put in their charge to teach and take care of their physical and spiritual needs. Draw a picture of a mom and dad.
- You will not kill. This is bad. Draw a cartoon bomb.
- You shall not commit adultery. Adultery leaves a broken heart. Draw a heart split in two.
- You will not steal. Stealing is wrong. Draw a cartoon thief.
- No lies. Telling lies can lead to a very bad habit. Draw a number nine “liar”.
- You shall not covet Do not long for what others have, and forget the blessings you have. She draws a fancy ring with a man reaching for it.
Singing Helps Teach the Ten Commandments Another way to teach preschoolers to memorize the Ten Commandments is to sing them. If you know the well-known nursery rhyme “Ten Indians”, set the words of the Ten Commandments to music. Using this in combination with the flashcards, preschoolers will memorize the Ten Commandments in no time.
An example of a verse would be: Hon-o your father and mother, Hon-o your father and mother, Hon-o your father and mother, This is com-commandment five.
Memorizing the Ten Commandments doesn’t have to be tedious and difficult. Make it fun for preschoolers and they’ll memorize them without even knowing it.
Make learning about the Ten Commandments fun Print out some Ten Commandments coloring pages and ask preschoolers to color them. The time they spend coloring the picture will put that picture in their heads with the attached commandment. It may seem simple, but it works very well with this age group. Maybe that’s why there are so many places to print free coloring pages on the web, huh?
Another method uses the child’s fingers:
#1 – Have no other gods (God is #1, hold up a finger)
#2 Do not worship idols (two fingers “bow down”)
#3 Do not abuse the name of God (three fingers on your mouth), etc.
Use your imagination. Preschoolers love finger plays. This is a good way to memorize the Ten Commandments and in numerical order.
It’s also important for preschoolers to learn the Ten Commandments and what they mean, not just memorize them. You can put each commandment in an easy-to-understand format for a preschooler to understand. Ask them to repeat the meaning to you. Turning this into a rhythm works great and is easy for preschoolers to remember.
God gave us the Ten Commandments so that we can live our lives ever closer to Him. They are an important part of knowing right from wrong. Preschoolers are at the perfect age to learn and practice right from wrong. With your role as a Sunday school teacher, you can achieve this in a memorable and imaginative way.
