The Book of Psalms - Bible Lessons for Kids
Teaching the Psalms to kids is a powerful way to help them learn how to talk to God in every season of life. The book of Psalms is filled with songs of praise, prayers for help, thanksgiving, wisdom, and honest emotions, showing children that they can bring every emotion to the Lord. Explore hands-on crafts and practical teaching ideas that make biblical poetry meaningful and memorable. Whether you’re a parent, homeschooler, Sunday school teacher, or work at a faith-based school, these Psalm lessons will help kids grow in their understanding of God’s Word.
WHAT ARE THE PSALMS?
The Psalms are a collection of 150 songs and poems in the Bible. The book of Psalms is the longest book in the Bible, and can be found by opening to the middle of the Bible. About half of the psalms were written by David, and the rest were written by others like Moses, Solomon and Asaph (a worship leader). Psalms were a great way to express emotions and could serve as prayers to let God know how we are feeling.
Crossroad Kids Club has a great video about the Psalms that could serve as a great introduction for kids before you dive into the Psalms.
Psalms Bible Lessons for Kids
Are you looking for a simple way to teach your kids about Psalms? These print-and-go lessons are perfect for ages 3 to 8. You’ll find scripted lessons, printable crafts, discussion questions, and more
WHAT ARE THE TYPES OF PSALMS?
There are many different ways to categorize psalms. So, depending on your sources, you might hear different variations of psalm categories. In general, psalms are grouped by the emotions they depict. Psalms can help us pray and worship God in different seasons of life, when we are experiencing a range of emotions.
Psalms of Praise: These are happy psalms, praising God for His greatness.
Psalms of Lament: These are sad psalms that talk about hard things people go through and ask God to help.
Psalms of Thanksgiving: These psalms express gratitude to God for all the good things He has given.
Wisdom Psalms: These are psalms that teach us how to live a life pleasing to God. They emphasize making good, wise choices rather than giving in to temptation.
Royal Psalms: Psalms about God as King or speak about Israel’s earthly kings. Many ultimately point forward to Jesus as the true eternal King.
Psalms of Ascent: A group of 15 psalms (Psalms 120–134) that were sung by pilgrims travelling up to Jerusalem to worship, likely during major feasts such as Passover, Pentecost, or the Feast of Tabernacles.
PSALM 23
Psalm 23, written by King David, is a psalm of praise. It reminds us that we can trust God to care for us and provide for us, just like a shepherd cares for his sheep.
To help kids delve into Psalm 23, have them create a mini book using words from the Psalm and add simple illustrations to each page. As they create the book, kids will think about how God cares for them, as a shepherd cares for sheep. The mini book template can be found in Psalm 23 for Older Kids.
A simple sheep craft will help younger kids remember that God lovingly cares for them every day, as a shepherd cares for his sheep. Using the printable sheep template pieces from Psalm 23 for Little Learners, kids will cut them out and glue them together to assemble their sheep. You could play worship music while kids work to help them learn the words to the psalm, such as Psalm 23 by God on the Move or Psalm 23 by Phil Wickham.
PSALM 105
Psalm 105 is a psalm of praise and thanksgiving. The unknown author writes this beautiful psalm about God’s faithfulness, and it serves as a timeline of events in Israel's history in which God repeatedly showed His faithfulness.
To help kids connect with this psalm, take time to create a timeline of faithfulness for their own lives. The timeline will show moments where kids have seen God at work in their lives. These don’t necessarily have to be big things. They could be small things, like God helping them to feel brave or giving them peace. You can find a timeline template in Psalm 105 for Older Kids.
Younger Kids will create a thank-you collage to help them remember the wonderful things God has done. Kids will cut out pictures from kid-friendly magazines or from the picture templates in Psalm 105 for Little Learners, then glue them onto their paper.
PSALM 121
Psalm 121, written by an unknown author, is a Psalm of Ascent. This is one of fifteen psalms that fit into this category. These psalms were sung by people as they travelled to Jerusalem to worship God. It is a psalm that celebrates God's greatness and reminds us that He watches over and protects His people.
Psalm 121:2 says, “My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” This verse is a beautiful reminder that God is always with us, watching over us. As a visual reminder of this promise, kids will enjoy creating a door hanger featuring this verse. It will remind them that, no matter where they are or what they face, they can always turn to God for help. Use the door hanger template in Psalm 121 for Older Kids, and have kids decorate it and add symbols to remind them of times they need God’s help.
Younger Kids will also make a hanging craft. In the crafts from Psalm 121 for Little Learners, kids will create a hanging ornament they can put on their door, hang from a hook, or wherever they like. The phrase “God is with me day and night” appears on the two-sided craft, with a sun on one side and a moon on the other.
Two songs that connect well to this psalm are Ellie Holcomb’s “Psalm 121” and Brian Doerksen’s “I Lift My Eyes Up”.
PSALM 150
Psalm 150, written by an unknown author, is a psalm of praise. It reminds us that God is worthy of praise!
This psalm calls everything God made to praise Him. The earth craft, found in Psalm 150 for Older Kids, represents all of creation joining in worship. It can remind them that praising God is something we can do with our voices, our actions, and our whole lives, just like all of creation does in Psalm 150.
Younger Kids will create joyful noise-makers and use them to praise the Lord. Follow the instructions provided in Psalm 150 for Little Learners to learn how to make these noisemakers. Then play praise music like "Everything That Has Breath" by Hillsong Worship.
PSALM 100
While the lessons for Psalm 100 are themed around the Thanksgiving holiday, it is always appropriate to express thanks to God. In Psalm 100 for Older Kids, there is a “Basket of Blessing” craft where kids will create a printable basket of fruit and write down things they are thankful for. This activity can prompt a great discussion about blessings and why it’s important to count our blessings.
Younger kids will create a thankful chain to remember their blessings. Kids will use the “Thank you, God, for…” chain templates from Psalm 100 for Little Learners to draw or write about something they are thankful for. Then they can loop their chain strips together to create a chain link of thanksgiving.
WRITE A PSALM
Each of the above lessons includes a “Write a Psalm” activity. Older kids will use the provided sentence starters to fill in their thoughts about God. Younger kids will use an age-appropriate page to write or draw their thoughts about God. For both age groups, this could be a meaningful time to reflect on God’s character and reflect on their own emotions. This writing activity allows children to pray and worship God while also using their creativity. Be sure to check out each of the lessons, linked above, for the “Write a Psalm” worksheets.
Psalms are a great way to show kids that God wants to hear about all our emotions. He wants to know when we are sad, afraid, happy, nervous, angry and joyful. Psalms are a beautiful reminder that God is always with us and we can worship God in every season and circumstance.
