My Tender Heart Devotions: Prayer and Fun for the Kids

Charlene Rack reviews a new book from Paraclete Press that combines faith and creativity, with 52 prayer activities for young families to enjoy together.

My Tender Heart Devotions

by Laura Sassi; illustrated by Sandra Eide
Paraclete Press

As a former teacher/creative homeschooling mom, and experienced planner/organizer of summer VBS events, I really understood, and very much appreciated, all of the creative juices that the author, Laura Sassi, must have poured forth for this book (along with all the prayer behind it)!

What's in this book?

There are 52 activities for young children, all connected to various verses from the Bible. For instance, one activity involves a tea party with honey on toast, while the children pretend to buzz like bees. It begins with a reading from a “Children’s Bible” version of a psalm: “How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth.” I’m certain that you could substitute any translation of the Bible for use with this book, depending upon your preference.

There are “Heart Moment” notations to introduce the corresponding activities which will bring about deeper understanding of the verses, helping these little ones “take the message to heart.”  

Bible verses and the “Heart Moments” continue in that vein throughout the entire book. All of these adventures into faith will require the planning, preparation, and oversight of adults. 

This is not a book to sit down and “read to” children, but to have fun with in a group setting as they dive into these opportunities for faith-based fun and child-sized encouragement. That being said, Sandra Eide’s illustrations are very sweet, adding much to the book, so be sure to share those with the children in your group. 

Use this book with kids in preschool and primary grades 

The activities are perfectly geared to a child’s simple understanding of God and their budding faith. However, I think that some of the skills required will be beyond the scope of the book’s intended age range, which is stated as “ages 0-6.” As I’ve already stated, parents will need to plan ahead to have all the supplies needed for each activity. Some of the “devotions” require the children to write a note, or make a greeting card, which will certainly be beyond the skill level of some in the suggested age range, so just something to keep in mind while planning the activities. Kids will be able to help in rounding up some of the supplies on hand at home, but Mom might have to run to the craft store for some items. 

I’m personally looking forward to planning some of this book’s activities for my own grandchildren this summer as we gather for our summer get-together. If Mimi doesn’t plan crafts and adventures to keep little ones busy, the grandkids would be very disappointed. This book will be a great place to start, since Laura did all the hard work! And it will continue to be a useful resource for me and my growing family! 

Is this a book you'd like to read? Share your thoughts with the Catholic Mom community! You'll find the comment box below the author's bio and list of recommended articles.

Copyright 2024 Charlene Rack
Images: Canva