Looking for the best short prayers for children? Look no further! I’ve compiled some of the best Catholic children’s prayers for toddlers and older kids as well. These simple prayers are easy to memorize and help build the foundation for your child’s faith life. Knowing these prayers will also help keep your children more engaged during Catholic Mass.
*But before we dive in, if you’re like me and always looking for Catholic gifts, I’ve compiled a whole list for you here! P.S. Every single shop mentioned includes a discount code. Happy shopping!*
Why is teaching children to pray so important?
Short, daily Catholic prayers teach your children that prayer not only brings them closer to God, but it also helps their little souls during times of need.
How many times have you been struggling with anger/sadness/fear/hopelessness, only to say a little prayer that suddenly makes you feel better?
Teaching a child to pray is an overlooked, but necessary, skill. It can oftentimes feel nerve wracking or plain embarrassing to pray out loud in front of your child, especially if you’re not used to doing it.
I converted to Catholicism, and while I love praying in my head, praying out loud still just feels so weird.
However, I’m bound and determined to normalize prayer for my children! After all, praying is how we build our relationship with God. A strong prayer life and strong faith life go hand-in-hand.
Prayer comforts our children, and equips them with coping skills for their big emotions! Learning prayers also helps encourage learning the liturgy.
This Child’s First Book of Prayers board book is a really handy resource to have in your house to help reinforce these beginner prayers. Katie Warner is an amazing Catholic author for kids.
Now let’s get started! Below are 9 beginner prayers every Catholic child should know.
Guardian Angel prayer
We say this bedtime prayer with our children every night.
Angel of God
my guardian dear
to whom God’s love
commits me here.
Ever this night, be at my side
to light and guard, to rule and guide.
Amen.
Our Father prayer
This prayer is straight from God himself and is said at every Mass!
Speaking of Mass, I personally really struggle bringing my children to Mass. With 6 kids under 7 years old, it can get a little, frustrating. If you’re like me, our Catholic Mass Bag Kit may be just what you’re looking for.
Our Father, Who art in heaven,
Hallowed be Thy Name.
Thy Kingdom come.
Thy Will be done,
on earth as it is in Heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
Amen.
(This little board book is a great way to reinforce this prayer with little ones!)
Glory Be prayer
This short and simple prayer is a foundational Catholic prayer. It is a doxology (a short hymn or praise to the Holy Trinity).
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning,
is now,
and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.
Meal Blessing prayer
This short prayer is said before each meal. Some families say it before and after.
Bless us, O Lord,
and these, Thy gifts, which we are about to receive,
from Thy bounty.
Through Christ, our Lord.
Amen.
Hail Mary prayer (Salve Regina)
Another foundational and important prayer for Catholics. It is said 50 times when praying the Rosary!
Hail Mary,
Full of Grace,
The Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou among women,
and blessed is the fruit
of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary,
Mother of God,
pray for us sinners now,
and at the hour of our death.
Amen.
Apostle’s Creed prayer
Said during every Mass, unless the Nicene Creed is said (they are both similar). They sum up the big beliefs of the Catholic Church in a nice, short prayer.
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and earth;
and in Jesus Christ, His only Son Our Lord,
Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended into Hell; on the third day He rose again from the dead;
He ascended into Heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God, the Father almighty; from there He shall come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and life everlasting.
Amen.
Saint Michael prayer
Some churches will say this before Mass ends. It is a prayer to one of our great archangels, St. Michael.
St. Michael the Archangel,
defend us in battle.
Be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the Devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray,
and do thou,
O Prince of the heavenly hosts,
by the power of God,
thrust into hell Satan,
and all the evil spirits,
who prowl about the world
seeking the ruin of souls.
Amen.
Fatima prayer
When praying the Rosary, this is said before every Glory Be. It is called the Fatima prayer because Mary taught it to the three children at Fatima!
O my Jesus, forgive us our sins,
save us from the fires of hell;
lead all souls to heaven especially those who are in most need of
Your mercy.
Amen.
Hail Holy Queen prayer
My husband’s favorite prayer. This is prayed at the end of each Rosary.
Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy,
our life, our sweetness and our hope.
To you do we cry,
poor banished children of Eve.
To you do we send up our sighs,
mourning and weeping in this valley of tears
Turn then, most gracious advocate,
your eyes of mercy toward us,
and after this exile
show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb,
Jesus.
O clement, O loving,
O sweet Virgin Mary.
There you have it! 9 great starter prayers for children.
If you want to take their Catholic learning a step further, begin bringing a Children’s missal to Mass with you. This is one of my all-time favorite.
Looking for free printable Catholic prayers?
I have a worksheet for all these Catholic prayers available for download! Just click the picture below or link above. (P.S. Don’t forget to subscribe to my email list so you don’t miss out on more goodies!)
P.S. Since you’re already doing an amazing job of teaching your children (I mean, you are reading this blog post after all. That tells me everything I need to know!), are you thinking about Catholic homeschooling and not sure which curriculum to choose? This is a question I get asked often. We absolutely LOVE Tan Academy. If you’ve ever heard of the publishing company Tan Books, it is their homeschool curriculum. They do a really amazing job of creating challenging coursework, and always relating it back to our Faith. I’ll write a blog post on this very soon.
Happy learning!
