Prayers for Children
The first prayers a child learns become the prayers they carry for life — simple, gentle, and full of love.
Teaching a child to pray is one of the greatest gifts a parent or grandparent can give. The prayers learned in childhood stay with us when everything else fades — they come back in hospital rooms, in quiet mornings, in the moments we need them most.
You don't need to teach everything at once. Start with the Sign of the Cross. Then add one prayer at a time. Let it grow with the child.
A child who learns to pray learns that they are never alone.
The Prayers
The Sign of the Cross
The very first prayerIn the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Teach this first. It is the prayer a child will use for the rest of their life — before every meal, every prayer, every sleep.
Guardian Angel Prayer
For bedtimeAngel of God, my guardian dear, to whom God's love commits me here, ever this day be at my side, to light and guard, to rule and guide. Amen.
A gentle reminder that God gives each child their own angel to watch over them.
Grace Before Meals
For mealtimeBless us, O Lord, and these Thy gifts, which we are about to receive from Thy bounty, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
A child can learn this in a single sitting. It turns every meal into a moment of gratitude.
Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep
For bedtimeNow I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take. Amen.
An old and simple prayer, easy for little ones to memorize and say on their own.
A Child's Morning Prayer
For the morningDear Jesus, thank You for this new day. Help me to be kind, to be good, and to love You all day long. Amen.
Short and personal — a child's first attempt at praying in their own words.
The Hail Mary (Simplified)
For ages 4 and upHail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
This is the full prayer, but even a child who only learns the first line is learning to love Mary.
The Our Father (Simplified)
For ages 5 and upOur Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.
The prayer Jesus Himself taught. It is the one prayer every Christian should know by heart.
An Act of Love
For ages 5 and upMy God, I love You with all my heart, and above all things. Help me to love You more and more each day. Amen.
The simplest expression of the greatest commandment — love of God.
Tips for Teaching Prayer
Pray with them, not just for them.
Let your child hear you pray. They learn by watching. Your prayer becomes their prayer.
Keep it short.
A child's attention is short. A one-line prayer said with love is worth more than a long one rushed through.
Make it part of the routine.
Before meals, before bed, in the car. When prayer is woven into daily life, it becomes as natural as breathing.
Let them pray in their own words.
After the memorized prayers, ask: 'Is there anything you want to tell Jesus?' Their answer might surprise you.
Don't worry about getting it perfect.
God hears the heart, not the grammar. A stumbling prayer from a child is as beautiful as any eloquent one.
Stories That Teach the Faith
Prayer and story go hand in hand. Nonno Books creates Catholic children's stories that nurture faith, wonder, and love for God — one story at a time.
Explore Our StoriesThinking About Becoming Catholic?
You don't have to have it all figured out before you begin.