Printable Prayer Starters for Kids- Teaching Independent Prayer

It’s great that we pray with our kids at Mass, at bedtime, at rosary, and before we eat. However, no matter how many times a day we manage to pray with out kids, it’s still important to teach them to pray independently. After all, we’re not going to be there with them in the dorm room reminding them to say their bedtime prayers, are we? So I developed these prayer starters to help Lydia get started with her (hopefully lifelong) journey of independent prayer.

printable prayer starters for kids

Some of the prayer starters are meant to help children with their own spontaneous prayers, and some of them prompt already established prayers. Each one has a simple clip art picture that goes with each prayer starter. Here’s a list of some of the prayer starters for kids included in the printable:

  • Lord, help me with…
  • God, forgive me for…
  • Please help me do better when I…
  • Please help my friends and family, especially…
  • God, you created me to know, love, and serve you. Our Father…
  • Saint _______, pray for us.
  • God, you are…
  • Please bless…
  • For those I said I would pray for…
  • God, thank you for…
  • Sweet Mama Mary, please pray for us. Hail Mary…
  • Guardian Angel, you stay with me all the time. Angel of God…
  • Jesus, I ask that you…
  • Holy Spirit, guide my life so that I…
  • Glory be to the…
  • St. Michael the archangel…
  • Lord Jesus Christ, I pray for…
  • God, sometimes I feel…
  • Jesus, help me to be like you in…
  • Father, help me to know that you…
  • (Silent Reflection)

printable prayer starters for children

According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC 2623) , there are 5 main types of prayer.

  1. Blessing and adoration
  2. Prayer of Petition (this on includes asking forgiveness)
  3. Prayer of Intercession
  4. Prayer of Thanksgiving
  5. Prayer of Praise

It was important to me that all the types of prayer be included. I did a whole lesson on prayer with Lydia for her First Holy Communion prep, and we made the prayer cards together.

How to Assemble the Prayer Starters on a Ring:

We printed them on paper and glued them on card-stock, but I would suggest just printing them right on the card-stock from the beginning. Punch a hole, and put them on a ring. We got our rings at Wal-Mart, but if you don’t have any, you can make a ring from a pipe cleaner.

prayer ring for kids on wall

I am happy to report that after having these for several weeks now, Lydia is using and loving them. You’ll have to find what works for your family, but I told Lydia to go through at least 3 of these per night before bed. She has started using them at other times of the day as well, all on her own!

Post continues after this brief information about the Catholic Icing Monthly Membership


Monthly Liturgical Membership

Catholic Liturgical Monthly Membership

Perfect for families! Each month you gain access to printable activity pages, crafts, home altar pieces, and more.
 
Never has living the liturgical year been so easy and affordable!
 

I think it’s important for the kids to be a part of the assembling process, because then the prayer ring is “theirs”. We hung them one a little sticky command hook beside Lydia’s bed.

prayer starters beside bed for kids

We also made this prayer spinner craft to show that we can pray any time during the day. We slid this into Lydia First Holy Communion Notebook.

Be sure to also check out an idea for getting your kids to reflect on scripture independently.

The prayer starters are free for all Catholic Icing Subscribers to download. You’ll find them on the subscriber bonus page. Read about how to access all the subscriber bonuses here.

If you need the download right now and don’t want to wait for a subscriber email, you can purchase the download below for $2.

Related Posts:

Comments

  1. This is AWESOME! Thank you so much! I’m going to print these out right now, and start using them with my 5-year old. I was just this morning wondering how to encourage him to have more of a prayer life and a more personal relationship with God.

  2. Lacy,
    How can I ever thank you for all of your awesome ideas? I can’t tell you how many times I have read your post and said to myself, “That is EXACTLY what we need to do!” I can’t come up with these ideas, but I jump up to implement yours. You are performing a spiritual work of mercy by sharing this with my family and so many others. Thank you.
    Rebecca

  3. I just love your ideas and curriculum. THank you for so graciously and generously sharing such lovely ideas! Our family Easter celebration was so special this year with your printables to help guide us through this solemn and joyful time. A million thanks!

  4. Call me dumb…but I cannot find the link for the actual printable….I want to use it for our little ones! H-E-L-P!!
    thanks!!

  5. I just discovered your website. This is really great stuff. Thanks for sharing all this!

  6. Hi Lacy, these are perfect! I used them in my RE class this morning. It certainly takes the pressure off of children on starting their prayers. Thank you and may God continue to bless you with your creativity and generosity!

  7. Happily subscribed to your blog email so I could have access to your subscriber bonus page.

    Very much love your blog! Thank you for making these resources available!

  8. I just made two sets of these prayer starters – one for each kiddo of mine. I think this is a wonderful idea to help children get off to a good, healthy prayer life! Thanks so much for all the inspiration!! We have also started a First Communion Journal with my little man since he is going to be receiving First Communion this year!

  9. LeighAnn Pruiksma says

    How can I print these out? Thanks! ~LeighAnn

  10. I have to tell you, my children were so EXCITED about their prayer starters when they got home from school! They want to make two more sets to take to their CCE classes…this definitely sparked my kiddos!!!

  11. I love your ideas. I’ve used so many and I can’t thank you enough for all the time and love you put into it. I’m trying to locate a download of a “I can pray when I …” craft. Can you help me?

  12. How do I print the Printable Prayer Starter Kits? I can’t seem to find the link?

    Thank you!

  13. Thank you! These look wonderful. I can’t wait to try them. I’m going to print out sets and attach them together for each child to use individually and then I’m also going to have a set in a bowl that we all can pick from and use together for prayer. That way we will get exposed to all of them. I can just see my boys picking a few of them and only using those ones over and over again. Thanks again!

  14. Rose Cullen says

    Hi Lacy,
    I love the prayer starter ring! I would like to make this with my religious ed class this weekend. I’ve signed up for the bonus pages and I’m really hoping you put up a new blog soon so that I can have access to the link for the printable page! Please blog away soon!

  15. Trying to figure out how to print and put on a ring without gluing to card stock first. There isn’t a space on one end of each card to be able to punch a hole to put them on a ring without going through a word or picture…..I guess lower right corner of each would work, but I like the way yours look with the hole in the upper left corner better.

    • Yes, it’s true that the holes might be a problem if you aren’t gluing it onto cardstock for a border.

  16. Hi Lacy,
    Even though I have read your subscriber page many times, I can not find the little pink arrow at the bottom of the page to get the free prayer starters printable. I know you must get a million people saying this, but am I color blind?

    • Hi Mary –

      I’m not sure what pink arrow you are looking for on the page, but there are no pink arrows there. So, that’s why you’re not finding one.

      On the subscriber page, the prayer starters are currently closer toward the end of that page, but not all the way at the end. If you use the table of contents and click to get taken to that area, the prayer starters are currently #16 on the table of contents, though that will change if anything new gets added and they may get bumped down to number 17.

      I hope that helps!

      Angie, Catholic Icing Project Manager

  17. Hello!

    I love these prayer cards and look forward to using them with all my 3 kids. I’m having a hard time understanding/explaining the difference between prayers of blessing and adoration and prayers of praise. Do you have any suggestions?