One of our greatest blessings as mothers is the privilege to teach our children about God.

It’s a weighty blessing — one that we are constantly wondering and questioning if we are getting “right.”

So we teach them the Bible stories, reinforce the “reason for the season” each holiday, pray diligently for their little hearts, and take them to all the church programs. And, yet, we still wonder if we are doing enough.

Should we homeschool? Do I need to buy them that new devotional? Make them watch Veggies Tales over Dora?

And while these are all noble questions to consider, teaching our children about God doesn’t have to come from a curriculum. Every day we are given opportunities to reinforce the Gospel and to show our children how amazing our God is. It’s as simple as pointing out how God knows the number of strands of hair on your daughters head while you’re de-tangling her messy mane.

With that in mind, one of my favorite places to show my kids how awesome God is is outside. The possibilities are endless, but here are four of our favorite ways to learn about God through nature.

4 Simple Ways to Teach Your Kids About God Through Nature

Go outside on a clear night.

Take a blanket outside with you to lie down on and look up. Share how God created every single one of those stars. And how astronomers have no idea how many stars are in the sky — way too many to count and see — but God knows.

He determines the number of the stars; he gives to all of them their names. – Psalm 147:4

Some other ideas for discussing outer space:

• The creation story — how God separated day from night. (Genesis 1:14-18)
• The star the wise men followed. (Matthew 2:1-12)

Our favorite resources for gazing at the sky:

Star Finder!: A Step-by-Step Guide to the Night SkyTelescope, Travel Scope, 70mm Aperture 400mm AZ Mount Astronomical Refractor Telescope for Kids Beginners – Portable Travel Telescope with Carry Bag, Smartphone Adapter and Bluetooth Camera Remote50 Things To See With A Telescope – Kids: A Constellation Focused Approach

Go on an animal hunt

The next time you are outside or in the car have your children search for animals. Note the birds, bugs, animals big and small. Use this as a starting point to discuss how God created all of them and he let Adam name them. (Genesis 2:19)

Fun questions to ponder together:

• Why do you think God made flamingos? penguins? giraffes?
• If you were Adam what would you have named ______?
• What kind of animal do you wish God would have made?
• Did you know that know that out of everything God created people are his favorite?

My son is obsessed with bugs and anything that crawls, so it’s the perfect opportunity to discuss God’s creations and how he made each species unique.  It’s a perfect lead in to conversation about how God provides and takes care of all of His creatures, including people.

Our favorite ways to examine animals:

Insect Lore Deluxe Butterfly Garden with Live Cup of Caterpillars & Feeding Habitat KitBackyard Exploration Critter CaseMelissa & Doug Sunny Patch Shimmy Snake Magnifying Glass With Shatterproof Lens

Examine the plants and get your hands dirty

Turn a conversation about how God gave us plants for food into a fun way to get your children to try new fruits and vegetables. Or simply, observe the different plants in your area and discuss how:

• creative God is to have made fruit and vegetables in all different colors and flavors. (Creation story: Genesis 1:1-25)
• God cares for us and meets our needs. (Manna: Exodus 16)
• every plant will die, but the God’s Word is forever. (Isaiah 40:8)

As a family, we love to plant seeds in starter posts. We watch them grow and blossom, just as God grows us in His image.  With strong roots, like our new plants, we can blossom and grow into the people God created us to be.

Our favorite resources for planting

Miracle-Gro Kids My Very Own Flower Garden by Horizon Group USAINNOCHEER Kids Gardening Tools, 7 Piece Garden tool set for Kids with Watering Can, Gardening Gloves, Shovel, Rake, Trowel and Kids Smock, All in One Gardening ToteG & F Products JustForKids Kids Garden Tool Set Toy, Rake, Spade, Hoe and Leaf Rake, reduced size, 4-Piece

Observe the land.

Whether you live in the mountains, by the oceans, or in a tiny town surrounded by cornfields, the earth makes a wonderful example to teach our kids about praising God.

Thank you, God, for these flat lands with fertile soil that we may grow food to nourish our bodies.

O, Lord, how amazing are you that you created these beautiful mountains!

Thank you for the hill we slide down. It brings us such joy.

Let your kids have fun with this. We serve a God worthy of praise!

Fun resources to observe the land:

Kids Binoculars,10×25 (not 8×21) Outdoor Binoculars for Kids, Folding Spotting Telescope for Bird Watching, Camping and Hunting,Best Christmas Children Gifts for Boys and GirlsKidtastic Microscope Science Kit for Kids – Fun Learning Toys for Preschoolers – STEM Toy for 3 Year olds – with 12 Slides Animals & Nature, 8X Zoom, LED Light – for Ages 3, 4, 5, 6 and upBackpack Explorer: On the Nature Trail: What Will You Find?

What’s next?

These four ideas are simple and require little to no prep, but you can always expand on them, especially if you find your children are really interested. My little guy loves space, so we are getting a telescope to “explore” more of the heavens.

The important piece is not how elaborate your activity is. It’s teaching our kids to see everything through eyes of worship. 

You start small. You point out to your kids the awesomeness of God in nature and everywhere. And before long, both of your hearts will be changed by looking for ways to praise him.

Take it further and make exploring God’s Word fun for kids and simple for moms with the Bible Study Toolkit for kids.  Come see how easy it can be to build a firm foundation of faith and a love for the Lord in your child!

Learn more about the Bible Study Toolkit for Kids