Church Busy Bag Ideas for Young Kids

When you take your family to church, do you dread keeping your kids quiet and entertained? It can be quite the battle to get young kids to sit still in Church and get something out of the service as a parent.

How do you prevent an all-out war and dragging your screaming toddler out into the foyer? One of the best ways you can do this is by bringing a properly-equipped church busy bag for your kids.

I hope to give you a few church busy bag ideas that will help you feel prepared for Sunday and help your child focus on Jesus.

What should I put in my Church Busy Bag?

There are a lot of things you can put into your church busy bag. However, try not to overload it. Too many things in one church quiet bag can lead to chaos.

I recommend going through the following list and then picking out 1-2 things to play with, 1-2 things to read, 1-2 things to draw or color, and snacks. (Of course, the amount of items you put in your church busy bag will change based on how many kids you have.)

1) Books that help them focus on Jesus

I love having one or two Jesus-centered books to take in our church busy bag. Whether my husband or I read to them quietly or they just look at the pictures, it is a win. It is important to me that the books we bring help them think about Jesus instead of just princesses or animals.

Here are a list of books that would be excellent to add to your church quiet bag:

• When I take the Sacrament, I Remember Jesus. This is one of our favorites! I often bring it out for my kids to read when the bread and water are being passed.
• I Can Be Like Jesus. This is another favorite of our’s for at home and church.
• First Bible Words. Perfect for ages 1-3! (Pictured above.)
• The Atonement of Jesus Christ is for Me. A sweet book about how children can use the gift of the Atonement Jesus gave them and all of us.
• Friend Magazine. Not a book, but a magazine for kids made by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. My girls love looking at the pictures and coloring the pages during church.

You might also like: How to Introduce Jesus to Your Toddler

2) Jesus coloring books

Being able to create something does wonders in helping little kids sit still! Busy hands equals quiet feet and voices! (For the most part.)

Here are some ideas for coloring books you could add to your church quiet bag:

• During the Sacrament it’s Good to Think of Jesus
• Water color reveal books (like this one)
• Scripture-themed coloring books. My parents gave some to our 3-year-old and she has enjoyed them! You can buy the books we have using this link or go to this link to print out individual pages for free! (There are coloring books for the Old Testament, New Testament, The Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price.)
• Bible Stories Christian Coloring Book for Kids

3) Something to color with

We love putting twistable crayons like these ones in our church bag for our kids. They don’t break as easily as normal crayons and you never have to worry about paper being pulled off and making a mess.

I also like bringing pens – whether black or colored. I found that sometimes my kids would just rather draw or color with a pen.

You can do colored pencils, they are just a pain when they need to be sharpened. (And who wants to take a pencil sharpener to church?)

Whatever type of coloring utensils you choose put in your children’s church bag, be sure that you store them in a ziploc bag and don’t bring too many. (I usually use this bag size for our crayons and pens.) I have found that even if I just bring 5 crayons and 1 pen, my girls are very content. They don’t need every single color, and I don’t want to be picking up dozens of crayons off the floor.

4) Blank paper

Blank paper can be a great tool, and it is very cheap! I have a friend with 6 children who cuts blank pieces of paper in half and brings a stack to church. It requires less paper, lets the kids color or draw what they please, and they are just the right size to fit perfectly on the hymnbooks if they need a hard surface to color on.

Another option is to bring a blank notebook that your child can color or draw in at church. Here is an example of some that would work well; they are spiral bound and would fit perfectly into your children’s church bag. They can also be reused each week!

5) Drawing tablets

My girls LOVE their drawing tablets! They will keep my kids entertained almost anytime, anywhere, including at church. These are a great choice if you don’t to deal with the hassle of paper and pens, or if you just want another option.

Here are some that come in different colors and have great reviews!

6) Jesus-related toys

It can be so helpful to have Jesus or scripture-themed toys at church!

My oldest daughter loved this Felt Nativity Set my parents gave her for Christmas. We took it with us to church almost every Sunday until sadly, we lost it. While it may be “Christmas-themed” we should be celebrating Jesus all year round, so these cute nativity toys are a great idea for your church busy bag!

7) Pictures of Jesus

Having a visual of Jesus in your children’s church bag can do wonders in helping your kids remember Him during church.

A simple pack of various pictures of Jesus (like this mini picture pack) is great option for kids who can’t read yet. For those who can read, picture cards with stories of Jesus attached are a good church busy bag idea.

8) A favorite toy

Often my girls have the idea to add one of their own everyday toys to the church busy bag. While I don’t like taking lots of toys in and out of the church bag every Sunday, it can be helpful for them to have one thing they regularly play with.

Here are some ideas of regular toys you could add to your children’s church busy bag:

• Small cars. Make sure they are not so small that they’ll get lost, and definitely not so big that they won’t fit in your church bag. And of course not noisy. 😉
• Stuffed animals. Sometimes my daughter will bring a stuffed animal, and I think it helps her feel comfortable and safe at church.
• Dolls.
• Small blanket. If your child has a special blanket that helps them be comfortable, this could be a great addition to your church experience.
• Not balls! I have learned form experience that balls just end up under the pews and all around the chapel. Not worth the chase!

9) Non-messy Snacks

Attempting to go to church without snacks would be a disaster for us. Snacks are a 100% must have in our church busy bag.

That being said, there are snacks that make for an easier, calmer church service and other snacks that make for a messier, more chaotic service. Make sure the snacks you bring are easy to clean, yummy, and finger-friendly.

Here are some ideas of snacks to bring:

• Fruit snacks
• Cheerios (helps if you put them in a snack holder – we love these snack holders!)
• Yogurt or applesauce pouches (I like to use these reusable snack pouches)
• Raisins
• Goldfish crackers
• Water in a sippy cup or water bottle

Snacks you should NOT bring for little kids:

• Grahm crackers
• Gogurt or yogurt cup
• Bananas
• Oranges
• Crumbly granola bars
• Anything with chocolate that will melt easily in their hands

10) Fidget Toys

Fidget toys can be a great addition to your children’s church bag to help keep them busy. From popper toys to stress balls, there are endless possibilities!

You can find lots of fidget toys ideas for your church busy bag here.

A Few Last Tips

You can go to Church with your kids and have a good time! What you bring will make a big difference in how the service goes for you and your child. I hope that having some good ideas for your church busy bag will help you with that.

Remember this!

• Don’t overpack your bag.
• Bring a variety of items.
• Bring things that will encourage the kids to think about Jesus.
• After church, put your bag in a spot where it will be out of reach from kids and ready to grab next week.
• Pray for help and ideas because God wants to help you have a happy Sunday!

Anything you church busy bag ideas you love? Feel free to add them in the comments below! I’d love to hear!

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