Hi, friend! The Fruits of the Spirit for kids can be an incredible teaching tool for Christian parents and so much more than a simple Bible lesson. Found in Galatians 5:22-23, these God-given qualities help shape Christian character, which is more important than behavior alone. And no, we aren’t going to talk about bananas and coconuts….
Teaching our children the Fruits of the Spirit is one of the greatest gifts we can give them because we’re not just teaching good manners. We’re helping shape hearts that seek to follow Christ. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control aren’t just qualities we hope our children develop someday. They are characteristics God desires to grow in all of us through His Spirit.
One of the beautiful things about the Fruits of the Spirit is that they aren’t meant to stay on the pages of our Bibles. They are meant to be lived out every day. As parents, we have the opportunity to help our children practice these biblical values through everyday conversations, family life, and the stories we read together.
Raising children in a Christian home is really about shaping hearts for Christ. That can feel like a big responsibility, but thankfully God hasn’t left us without direction. The Fruits of the Spirit give us a wonderful blueprint for building godly character one day at a time.
If you’re wondering how to teach the Fruits of the Spirit in a practical way, you’re in the right place, my friend. In this guide, we’ll explore what the Fruits of the Spirit are, why they matter, and simple ways to help children grow in biblical character through Scripture, everyday life, and meaningful Christian children’s books.
This is a very long-winded guide, I have to warn you, so I’ve prepared a handy table of contents just below so you can skip to the parts you’re most interested in. Ready? Let’s jump in!
*There are a few product recommendations in this post, and as an Amazon affiliate, I only recommend things I have used and loved!
Table of Contents for Fruits of the Spirit for Kids: A Guide to Teaching Godly Character
What Are the Fruits of the Spirit?
Why Is It Important to Teach the Fruits of the Spirit to Children?
Simple Ways to Teach the Fruits of the Spirit at Home
Model the Fruits of the Spirit in Your Own Life
Read Bible Stories That Teach Godly Character
Memorize Scripture
Great Scriptures for Families to Memorize
Family Prayer Time & Prayer Journals
Scripture Copywork
Practice the Fruits of the Spirit Through Acts of Service
Read Christian Children’s Book
Christian Values Books for Younger Children
Christian Values Books for Older Children
The Fruits of the Spirit Stories for Children
Patience the Penguin: A Fruits of the Spirit Story Series for Children
Love the Leopard: A Fruits of the Spirit Story Series for Children
Kindness the Koala: A Fruits of the Spirit Story Series for Children
Coming Soon: Self-Control the Shark
Create a Weekly Family Meeting
Bringing it All Together: Practice One Fruit of the Spirit Each Week
A 10 Week Family Scripture Challenge with the Fruits of the Spirit
Frequently Asked Questions About the Fruits of the Spirit for Kids
More Christian Resources for Families
What Are the Fruits of the Spirit?
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” – Galatians 5:22-23
In this passage, Paul lists nine characteristics that should become evident in the life of every Christian. The Fruits of the Spirit are:
- Love
- Joy
- Peace
- Patience
- Kindness
- Goodness
- Faithfulness
- Gentleness
- Self-Control
The Fruits of the Spirit are a beautiful picture of Christian character given by the apostle Paul in his letter to the churches of Galatia. Throughout Galatians 5, Paul contrasts a life lived according to our sinful desires with a life led by the Holy Spirit. His message to these early Christians was clear: when we follow Christ, our lives should begin to reflect His character.
That’s why Paul calls these qualities the fruit of the Spirit. The Fruits of the Spirit aren’t all qualities we naturally have in our own strength. As we follow Christ, seek His guidance, and faithfully practice His teachings, these characteristics become more evident in our lives. It’s a life-long process of putting aside self and taking up the cross.
As Christians who bear the name of Christ, our goal is to become more like Him each day. And because God commands parents to diligently teach His Word to their children (Deuteronomy 6:6-7), we have the privilege of helping our children grow in these same biblical qualities from an early age as they watch us live out our faith.
Will we show love, patience, kindness, and self-control perfectly every day? Of course not! We all fall short, but that’s the beauty of God’s grace. As we continue spending time in His Word, seeking Him in prayer, and leaning on Jesus, God faithfully shapes us into the people He created us to be and our children get to watch that transformation unfold.
So, the first practical way to teach the Fruits of the Spirit for kids is to model them ourselves.
Why Is It Important to Teach the Fruits of the Spirit to Children?
I mentioned that teaching the Fruits of the Spirit to children is an incredible gift you can give them and that is because you are helping them build habits that will help them throughout their lifetime and future walks with God.
Proverbs 22:6 says, “Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it.” Habit training is you actively seeking to help your child build Godly habits that will serve them for a lifetime.
And God doesn’t leave us parents wondering where to start. Scripture gives us the answer: train up a child.
Notice that Scripture doesn’t just tell parents to hope their children make wise choices someday. It calls us to train them. Training implies consistency, repetition, encouragement, correction, and walking alongside our children as they grow.
And remember, those fruits come into play for us too while we are habit training. We need to remember to show love, patience, kindness…you get the idea. Teaching the Fruits of the Spirit for kids is a great way to train them up in the way they should go!
Habits become the framework for our actions.
Here’s an example: It’s like when you want to lose a few pounds (we’ve all been there…). At first, it’s so hard to make different healthier choices. You want to reach for that cookie or you’d rather rest than go workout because those are the habits you’ve built. It’s your normal right now.
But in order to see the change you want to see, you have to work hard for a while to build up those habits and after a while those healthy choices become second nature to you.
Just like that example, other habits become the basis of our character and they can make choosing the right things to do effortless or really hard. Once those good habits are built, those good choices start to feel natural to us.
The habits we build today become the character we have tomorrow.
That’s what you’re doing for your child(ren) by helping them build up good habits, or virtues. The Fruits of the Spirit are the perfect set of Christian virtues to begin working on in your home because they describe the Christian way of life.
Simple Ways to Teach the Fruits of the Spirit for kids at Home
Now, it’s time to get into the practical stuff. If you’ve been reading and you’re thinking, “Yeah, I get it. I want to help my children build Godly habits. But how??” This is the part where we discuss practical things you can do as the parent to help your child.
Model the Fruits of the Spirit for kids in Your Own Life
The best way to teach the Fruits of the Spirit for kids is to model them ourselves. Children learn by watching, especially in the early years, but it still happens in the teens. Ever had a moment when you lost your patience and snapped at your kid? (No? Just me then?) Then later you see them doing the same thing with a sibling? Humbling, isn’t it?
Imagine your home if everyone was intentionally striving to show more love, kindness, patience, goodness, faithfulness, peace, joy, gentleness, and self-control. No family does this perfectly, but imagine the difference it would make over the course of a year.
Now, let me caveat that for a minute. I know you are already trying. If you’re reading this, you’re someone who cares about Christian virtues.
But let me offer a small challenge. Imagine going through the rest of your day, actively seeking to show the Fruits of the Spirit. How differently might you react to certain situations when modeling the fruits is on your mind?
A situation when you’re already tired. A situation when your child is tired. Those real, everyday moments are when our character and habits can shine through.
Do we always react perfectly? No. We aren’t perfect people. But are we actively striving to show them in action to our children? That’s our choice and probably the most important thing we could do to help them build these Godly habits. The Fruits of the Spirit for kids need to be modeled for them to understand what they actually look like.
Read Bible Stories That Teach Godly Character
Be in God’s word with your children, daily, if you can. Read Bible stories to your children. God can say it better than we can, my friend. His word is there to guide us, strengthen us, and uplift us throughout our lives. And it is there as a guide for our children as well.
Have a daily time (consistently if your schedule allows) where you sit down and read Bible stories together. These moments may not seem like much at the time, and your child may not listen perfectly every time, but these are the words of life.
After you read, make sure to have a discussion about it. The characters in the Bible were real people and they sometimes made great choices. But a lot of the time, their choices were…not so great.
Discuss it with your children. Ask them what the right choice was. Ask them if the character was showing the Fruits of the Spirit? Children are way more insightful than many give them credit for.
Bible discussion questions don’t have to be complicated. You could ask things like:
- Which Fruit of the Spirit did you see in today’s story?
- Was that a loving choice?
- What could they have done differently?
- How can we practice that this week?
Depending on the age of your children, what you choose to read from is your choice. You might choose to read from a storybook for young children, straight from the Word for older children, or a family devotional book that gets everyone talking.
Any of these are good options, but remember that God says it best so make sure the goal as your children grow is to be reading straight from His Word. Eventually they’ll need meat, not just milk. (Heb. 5:12-14)
Memorize Scripture
Memorizing scripture can seem too easy or not that important. I get it. But remember what Proverbs 7:1-3 says:
“My son, keep my words and treasure my commandments within you. Keep my commandments and live, and my teaching as the apple of your eye. Bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart.” – Proverbs 7:1-3
Scripture says to write these words on our hearts. One of the best ways to do that is to memorize so we know them by heart and this goes for our children as well.
But we have a responsibility to teach our kids to memorize God’s word. It’s our job as parents and guardians. When God’s Words are memorized or “treasured in our hearts” (Psalm 119:11), they will easily come to mind when we need them. Memorizing scripture is another tool, or gift, you can give your children.
And remember that they want to model you, so actively begin memorizing scripture with your kids. Make it a weekly family goal and pick a theme verse for the week. Have a time set aside each week where everyone recites (with emotion – no robot reciting allowed) what scripture they have memorized. Give praise from the youngest family member to the oldest to celebrate the accomplishments!
There are different strategies to scripture memorization. Some like to take a book and memorize the entire thing. And that’s amazing! To be able to recite an entire letter of Paul would be such a fantastic thing.
But that can seem overwhelming to many. So, here’s a list of “stand out” scriptures to begin with. You pick what habits you’d like your family to begin working on first based one which scriptures you choose to memorize.
Great Scriptures for Families to Memorize
God’s Love
Trusting God
Kindness & Love for Others
The Fruits of the Spirit
Obedience
Serving Others
Prayer
Faith
Courage
Thankfulness
To bring the full picture of habit training together, make the theme of each week that fruit in your home. For example, while you’re working on memorizing a scripture about love, you can also be actively on the lookout for opportunities to build up the habit of love within your family.
Write the theme scripture of the week somewhere everyone can see it. Point to it or mention it often. When you notice a child not showing love to their sibling, maybe it’s time to pause and talk about what Godly love looks like in 1 Corinthians 13.
Now you’re doing more than just memorizing. You’re habit building, my friend.
And remember to not focus on too many habits at once. It’s too much to stay consistent with, even for us. Keep it simple, one habit or virtue at a time.
Family Prayer Time & Prayer Journals
As we help our children build Godly habits, we must remember that real heart change comes from God. That’s why family prayer is such an important part of teaching the Fruits of the Spirit for kids.
Families praying together is a beautiful thing. Maybe you are already doing fantastic at this and that’s awesome! But don’t underestimate the power of prayer. James 5:16 encourages us to:
“Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.” – James 5:16
There is something special about families regularly bringing their joys, struggles, and requests before God together. Those moments teach our children that prayer isn’t just something we do at church; it’s part of everyday Christian living.
During prayer time, pray for family members who are hurting. Pray for friends, neighbors, and even enemies. Thank God for His blessings. Ask Him to help each member of your family grow in the Fruit of the Spirit you’re currently practicing. Then invite your children to share their own prayer requests and pray for them together.
Prayer doesn’t have to happen only during a family devotion time. Some of the sweetest moments happen naturally throughout the day like before meals, at bedtime, during morning Bible time, or in the middle of a difficult moment when someone simply needs encouragement.
Another wonderful option for older children is keeping a simple prayer journal like this one. Encourage them to write down prayer requests, record verses that encourage them, and celebrate answered prayers. Looking back over those pages reminds us of God’s faithfulness, helps cultivate hearts filled with gratitude, and a thankful heart towards God for those answered prayers.
Moms and dads can prayer journal too; here’s an option the whole family can use! Children who grow up watching their parents depend on God in prayer often learn to do the same. What a beautiful legacy to leave them!
Have Your Kids Do Scripture Copywork
Scripture copywork is one more simple way to help God’s Word become part of your child’s daily life. In addition to reading the Bible, discussing it, memorizing Scripture, and praying together, writing Scripture by hand encourages children to slow down and think carefully about the words they’re reading. Including scripture copywork in teaching the Fruits of the Spirit for kids is a fantastic way to help your kids truly write scripture on their hearts.
Writing helps us slow down, pay attention, and remember what we’ve read. God has given us the wonderful gifts of reading and writing, and we can use both to hide His Word in our hearts.
Scripture copywork doesn’t have to be complicated. Grab a notebook, open your Bible, and simply begin. You can have your kids copy a book of the Bible for 10 minutes each day, working through that book over time, or you can also simply have them write one Bible verse a day of your (or their) choosing. This would be a great time to reinforce the Fruits of the Spirit with Bible verses that talk about them.
If you’d rather not create your own lessons, there are wonderful resources available.
There are scripture copywork workbooks you can use to make it super easy to get started like this one for younger children.
If you want to get a little more structured for older kids, you could even get a scripture copywork curriculum like this one from Jeannie Fulbright Press. It’s a beautiful language arts curriculum designed to have your child experience Living Verse Language Arts in Scripture to get a more immersive scripture experience.
If you do a 10 week Fruits of the Spirit challenge (more on that below), adding daily scripture copywork will help reinforce it. For example, while your family is focusing on kindness, have everyone copy Ephesians 4:32 throughout the week. During your week on patience, write Ephesians 4:2. By the end of nine weeks, your family will have not only discussed each Fruit of the Spirit, worked on memorizing verses, but also written God’s Word with their own hands.
Practice the Fruits of the Spirit Through Acts of Service
While you’re helping your children develop the Fruits of the Spirit, look for opportunities to put those biblical truths into action. Children learn best when they don’t just hear God’s Word, but they have the opportunity to live it out.
Help build up those Godly habits by encouraging random acts of kindness, love, goodness, etc. James 1:22 says to “prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers.”
Your children are way more likely to remember something they experienced than something they simply heard. Living out the Fruits of the Spirit leaves a lasting impression.
We can all think of a time and remember when someone showed kindness to us. Maybe a friend brought a meal after you had a baby, you moved to a new place and a family from church invited you over for dinner, or a neighbor unexpectedly stopped by with a bag full of their garden veggies to give.
These are all situations I remember when people showed kindness to my family, and the list could go on and on! Those are the kinds of moments that stay with us for years because they reflect the love of Christ in practical ways. We have the ability to truly be a blessing to those around us.
So encourage your kids to get involved by jumping in with their ideas for random acts of kindness. Some easy ones are to write a thank you letter to the mail lady, bake cookies for a neighbor, or pick up trash in your neighborhood.
Connect these with the Fruit of the Spirit you’re currently working on in your home! Here is an example for each Fruit to help you with inspiration:
Love: Write encouraging notes to grandparents.
Kindness: Bake cookies for a neighbor.
Goodness: Help clean up a local park.
Gentleness: Visit an elderly church member.
Faithfulness: Commit to praying for a missionary every day that week.
Joy: Make cheerful cards for a nursing home.
Peace: Encourage siblings to help resolve a disagreement.
Patience: Serve someone without complaining while you wait.
Self-control: Give up a preferred activity to help someone else.
The goal isn’t simply to teach your children what the Fruits of the Spirit are. It’s to give them opportunities to practice becoming the kind of people God is shaping them to be.
Read Christian Children’s Books
Stories have a unique way of helping children understand biblical truths. After spending time in God’s Word together, reading Christian children’s books and other character-building stories can help reinforce the Fruits of the Spirit for kids in memorable ways.
After you read, see if your kid noticed any character or fruit formation. Was there a time in the story that the character showed the fruit of love, patience, kindness, or self-control?
Discuss it. Ask your child if he or she noticed moments where a character demonstrated, or struggled to demonstrate, a Fruit of the Spirit. What would you have done differently?
Fairytales and fables are great for this. Anything that has a moral or a value behind it is great. Children are often far more insightful than we expect. So, resist the temptation to do the heavy lifting for them. Instead of immediately explaining the lesson, ask thoughtful questions and let them wrestle with the story first.
This extra reading and reflection time with your child is so special. Even if your kids are older, a read aloud story time is a fantastic time to slow down and connect. In our fast paced world, a family read aloud will stand out. Long after the stories are done, your children will remember the time spent together just as much as the book itself.
I’m sure I could go on an on, as I’m one of those crazy book ladies, (seriously, we’ve lost count of how many books we own at home) but if you’re wondering where to begin, here are a few of our family’s favorite books that encourage virtue, courage, and Christian character:
Christian Values Books for Younger Children
Aesop’s Fables
The Fruits of the Spirit Stories
The Children’s Book of Virtues
The Children’s Book of Heroes
Christian Values Books for Older Children
The Lamplighter
The Chronicles of Narnia
The Wingfeather Saga
The Green Ember Series
These are just a few to get you started, but by no means is this an exhaustive list. With these, you’ll encounter rich literary themes of courage, sacrifice, forgiveness, loyalty, love, patience, and more. Written in a living way, these types of books invite your kids into experiencing morals and the Fruits of the Spirit for kids rather than just hearing about them.
There are countless wonderful books that encourage Christian character, courage, compassion, and faith. The literature above is just a starting point. If you’re looking for even more recommendations, Ambleside Online offers excellent living book lists for every age and BookFinder.com is a helpful resource for locating affordable used copies.
The Fruits of the Spirit Stories for Children
As I searched for books to help teach the Fruits of the Spirit to my own children, I realized the kind of stories I was looking for didn’t exist. So, with a lot of prayer, God’s guidance, and the help of a talented young illustrator, I decided to create them myself and The Fruits of the Spirit Stories were born.
The Fruits of the Spirit Stories were written to give young children simple, engaging stories that introduce one Fruit of the Spirit at a time. A growing resource, each book focuses on a single biblical character trait while encouraging meaningful conversations between parents and children.
Written in the living story format, children will see the fruit developing in each character and how it grows in their lives. Rather than just being told what to do, each character has to decide to make choices and practice the Fruit of the Spirit for themselves.
I knew that stories have a unique way of helping children remember truth. Long after a lecture is forgotten, children often remember the characters and the lessons they learned through a story. I wanted a way to introduce the Fruits of the Spirit to my children in a way that my own children could see, understand, and remember. Jesus taught in parables, after all.
Today, I’m thankful these stories can encourage families beyond my own, helping parents teach biblical character one story, one conversation, and one Fruit of the Spirit at a time. Featuring gentle, rhyming poetry and beautiful hand-drawn watercolor illustrations, these stories bring the timeless truths of Galatians 5:22-23 to life in a way young children can understand and enjoy.
The Fruits of the Spirit Stories are a resource you can use in your home in teaching the Fruits of the Spirit for kids.
Patience the Penguin: A Fruits of the Spirit Story for Children
A Christian children’s story to nurture patience and character, Patience the Penguin doesn’t like to share or wait her turn! Through her story, children can discover the joy of practicing patience as one of God’s Fruits of the Spirit. Just like Patience the Penguin, children will learn how to use it in their daily lives. Waiting isn’t always easy, but patience is a vital part of growing into the person God created us to be.
Love the Leopard: A Fruits of the Spirit Story for Children
A Christian children’s story to nurture love and character, Love the Leopard has a lot to learn about caring for others. At first, he thinks mostly about himself, but through a memorable life lesson, he learns the beauty of showing love, one of God’s Fruits of the Spirit. Just like Love the Leopard, children will begin to understand that love is shown through kindness, sharing, forgiveness, and caring actions. Loving others well is an important part of becoming who God created us to be.
Kindness the Koala: A Fruits of the Spirit Story for Children
A Christian children’s story to nurture kindness and character, Kindness the Koala enjoys doing her own thing on her own time. But when someone around her suddenly needs help, she must decide whether to stay comfortable or step forward with a caring heart. Through Kindness’s story, children can discover the joy of practicing kindness, one of God’s Fruits of the Spirit and learn that even small acts of kindness can make a big difference in someone’s life.
Coming Soon: Self-Control the Shark!
A Christian children’s story to nurture self-control and character, Self Control the Shark struggles with knowing when to stop and think before he acts. But when his quick choices begin causing unexpected problems, he discovers that slowing down and making wise decisions takes courage. Self Control’s story will help children discover the joy of practicing self-control, one of God’s Fruits of the Spirit, and learn that with God’s help, they can choose what is right even when it’s hard.
Find out more about the series in real time at PromisePublishing.org. Self-Control the Shark is Currently in production. You can join my email list to be the first to know when it’s released!
Collect the Fruits of the Spirit Stories
Whether you’re focusing on one Fruit of the Spirit each month in your home, reading together during family devotions, or following the 10 Week Scripture Challenge below, each book is designed to fit naturally into your family’s discipleship rhythm. Collect The Fruits of the Spirit Stories for your home library so your children can read them again and again.
Create a Weekly Family Meeting
If you really want to be intentional about building Godly habits in your home, set aside a time each week where you’ll gather the family together for a meeting. Setting aside time for this is one of those little intentionality things that seem small, but really help with actually getting things done. It doesn’t have to be fancy or take an hour (but if you make a batch of cookies, I’m sure they’ll be a hit!). The goal isn’t perfection, it’s consistency.
This is the part where we start putting everything together. So pick a time that naturally fits your family’s rhythm. Maybe it’s Sunday evening before the week begins, around the dinner table one night, or even over pancakes on Saturday morning. And keep the structure simple so everyone knows what to expect.
A Simple Weekly Family Meeting for Christian Families
Begin with prayer.
Take prayer requests from everyone in the family and spend time praying together. As you pray, ask God to help each of you grow in the Fruit of the Spirit you’re focusing on that week.
Celebrate growth.
Take turns sharing moments when you noticed someone in the family showing that week’s fruit well. Celebrate acts of kindness, patience, gentleness, or self-control. Children thrive on encouragement and adults need it too! Really encourage everyone to raise each other up here (notice how we’re not focusing on the mistakes, because those will be there too….)
Practice Scripture memory.
Recite your memory verse together. If someone forgets part of it, encourage them and help them along. The goal is hiding God’s Word in your hearts, not perfect performance.
Read God’s Word together.
Read a Bible story that demonstrates the week’s Fruit of the Spirit. You might read directly from Scripture, use a children’s Bible, a family devotional, or one of our Fruits of the Spirit Stories to help bring the lesson to life for younger children.
Talk about the week.
Ask questions like:
- When was it hard to show kindness this week?
- When did someone show patience that encouraged you?
- What can we work on together this coming week?
These conversations often become some of the most meaningful moments of family discipleship.
Choose a family challenge.
End the family meeting by planning one simple activity that gives everyone an opportunity to practice that week’s fruit. Ask your kids for their ideas here so they can be involved.
If you’re learning about kindness, bake cookies for a neighbor. If you’re focusing on love, write encouraging notes to grandparents. If you’re practicing goodness, serve together with the church. If you’re working on self-control, make it a goal to speak kindly to one another all week long.
Small, intentional moments like these help move biblical truth from something we simply know into something we faithfully live.
Remember, you’re not trying to raise perfect children. You’re faithfully pointing your family toward Christ, one Fruit of the Spirit, one conversation, and one week at a time.
Bringing it All Together: Practice One Fruit of the Spirit Each Week
An important part of using the Fruits of the Spirit for kids in habit training is focusing on one habit at a time. It can be overwhelming to try to build several new habits all at once, especially for young children. Think about New Year’s resolutions. When we make five or six big goals at once, how many of them actually stick? It’s hard enough to build one new habit! (THIS is the year I’m finally going to read through the entire Bible… sound familiar?)
Children aren’t much different. Repetition and consistency are what help habits take root. Choose one Fruit of the Spirit to focus on for the week. Read Bible stories that illustrate it. Memorize a verse together. Model showing the fruit for them. Pray specifically about that fruit. Read children’s stories and look out for characters showing the fruit.
Then watch for opportunities to practice it throughout your everyday routine. If your kid does a great job showing that fruit, praise them! This is where everything comes together. Modeling, Bible reading, Scripture memory, prayer, and everyday conversations all work together to help build one godly habit at a time. Here are some examples:
If you’re working on kindness, look for chances to encourage a sibling, help a neighbor, or speak kind words around the dinner table. If you’re focusing on patience, talk about waiting without complaining while standing in line at the grocery store or taking turns during a family game. If you’re focusing on self-control, talk about taking a deep breath before reacting in frustration, waiting patiently for dessert until after dinner, or choosing kind words when emotions are running high.
Those ordinary moments become opportunities for discipleship. At the end of the week, celebrate the progress you saw. Don’t worry about perfection. Remember, you’re helping your child build a lifelong habit, one faithful step at a time.
Don’t feel like you have to work on everything at once. God often shapes our hearts one faithful step at a time, and we can extend that same patience to our children. Choose one Fruit of the Spirit, remain consistent, and pray that God will use those small, everyday moments to grow lasting Christian character.
A 10 Week Family Scripture Challenge with the Fruits of the Spirit
Here’s a ready to go 10 week scripture challenge with the Fruits of the Spirit I put together so you can focus on one fruit each week. Make Teaching the Fruits of the Spirit to kids super easy by picking one at a time to work on in your home.
Week 1: Love
Week 2: Patience
Week 3: Kindness
Week 4: Self-Control
Week 5: Joy
Week 6: Peace
Week 7: Goodness
Week 8: Gentleness
Week 9: Faithfulness
Week 10: The Fruits of the Spirit
Frequently Asked Questions About the Fruits of the Spirit for Kids
The Fruits of the Spirit are the nine Christian virtues found in Galatians 5:22-23 that the apostle Paul instructs Christians to develop: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
The main passage is Galatians 5:22-23, where the apostle Paul lists the Fruits of the Spirit as the qualities that should grow in the lives of those who follow Christ. Reading the surrounding chapter also provides important context by contrasting a life led by the Spirit with one led by sinful desires. Plus, there are additional Bible verses that speak to each fruit individually. See the 10 week family scripture challenge above for more of these.
The best way to teach the Fruits of the Spirit is to model them consistently while creating opportunities for your child to practice them. Reading Bible stories and focused virtue books, memorizing Scripture, praying together, discussing everyday situations, and focusing on one fruit at a time can help children build lasting Christian character.
Our brains were made in such a way that stories help us learn and help children understand Biblical truths in memorable ways. As children watch characters make choices, experience consequences, and grow, they begin to recognize those same opportunities in their own lives, making Christian character easier to understand and apply.
The Fruits of the Spirit Stories are designed primarily for children ages 1-6, but many families enjoy reading them together with older siblings as part of family read aloud time. The discussion opportunities make them a helpful resource for the whole family.
Absolutely! The books work well as part of homeschool morning time, Bible lessons, family devotions, character studies, or weekly habit training. They also pair naturally with Scripture memory, copywork, and family discussions about the Fruit of the Spirit you’re focusing on.
It’s never too early (or too late) to begin building Godly habits. Young children often learn through modeling and repetition, while older children benefit from deeper conversations, Scripture study, and opportunities to apply Biblical principles in everyday life. The goal isn’t perfection but faithfully growing together as a family.
Teaching the Fruits of the Spirit helps children develop Biblical character that will guide them throughout their lives. As they learn to practice qualities like love, patience, kindness, and self-control, they’re not just learning good behavior, they’re learning what it means to follow Christ in their everyday relationships and decisions.
More Christian Resources for Families
And that’s all for today, friend! I truly hope this post has given you some ideas and inspiration to begin teaching the Fruits of the Spirit in your home or Bible classroom. If it was helpful or you have additional questions or ideas to share, please leave me a comment! I’m going to include a few links to other Christian posts you might like to read from The Nella Life:
7 Day Scripture Writing Challenge
Scripture Wall Art Print Pack
My Grace is Sufficient, Part 1 (A 10 Minute Bible Study for Women)
My Grace is Sufficient, Part 2 (A 10 Minute Bible Study for Women)
