15 Awesome Christian Songs for Kids

Singing with children is one of the best ways for them to be motivated to learn. Not only that, it is a good way to get exercise too. There are many Christian songs for kids that I learned as a child. We sang these Christian songs in school, on the playground, at home and at special events like Vacation Bible School or day camp. It has been my honor to be the music director for several VBS events and I both taught and learned songs with the children. Choosing just fifteen awesome Christian songs for kids was a challenge because there are so many good ones out there. See if you know any of the ones I chose and share your own favorites in the comments below. Teach them to your children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews.

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Featured Song:

You Reap What You Sow (Ron Hamilton) There are many children’s materials and children’s clubs available in churches today, but my favorite has to be the music club called “Patch the Pirate”. The Club is the brain child of Ron Hamilton, who when he was twenty-seven years old lost his eye to cancer. The doctor gave him a patch for the missing eye and soon kids began calling him “Patch the Pirate”. Since that time Ron Hamilton has been writing songs for Patch the Pirate clubs in churches and on radio. The radio ministry is said to be the third largest children’s religious programming outreach as recognized by National Religious Broadcasters. [1] One of my favorite songs is entitled “You Reap What You Sow”. This song, based upon the text from Galatians 6:7, was one that we used in a couple of our churches for Vacation Bible School. The VBS that I recall the most was when we did a theme of Australia and used the music from Patch the Pirate’s “Down Under” program. The day that I introduced this song was the day that the children learned all about sowing and reaping/planting and growing. We had lessons from our favorite deacon, who happened to be a science teacher too. We were in the heartland of Ohio where gardening and farming is plenty, so we even took a walk over to the parsonage (next door to the church) to see my garden and show and tell how those plants started with a seed (that’s my garden of that year in the upper right of this page). This helped the children to understand the concept of sowing and reaping and then to understand the idea behind the daily Bible memory verse … Galatians 6:7, of course. You can listen to the whole song at this link: Sowing and Reaping

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Songs with Actions:

Deep And Wide (Writer Unknown)

This song is sung with actions and each verse replaces one more word with “hmmm”, yet you still do the action, like this:

Deep (one hand above the other with arms stretched up and down)
and wide (arms stretched wide apart)
there’s a fountain (arms motion like a fountain)
flowing deep (same motion of arms stretched up and down)
and wide (same motion with arms stretched wide apart)

Next verse replace “deep” with “hmmm” continuing all motions, and so on. Sing along with this one on the video below:

Father Abraham (Writer Unknown)

This is another song that is done with actions. Actions are listed at the bottom of the lyrics.

Lyrics:

Father Abraham had many sons
Many sons had Father Abraham
I am one of them and so are you
So let’s all praise the Lord. Right arm!

Father Abraham had many sons
Many sons had Father Abraham
I am one of them and so are you
So let’s all praise the Lord. Right arm, left arm!

Father Abraham had many sons
Many sons had Father Abraham
I am one of them and so are you
So let’s all praise the Lord. Right arm, left arm, right foot!

Father Abraham had many sons
Many sons had Father Abraham
I am one of them and so are you
So let’s all praise the Lord. Right arm, left arm, right foot, left foot!

Father Abraham had many sons
Many sons had Father Abraham
I am one of them and so are you
So let’s all praise the Lord. Right arm, left arm, right foot, left foot, Chin up!

Father Abraham had many sons
Many sons had Father Abraham
I am one of them and so are you
So let’s all praise the Lord. Right arm, left arm, right foot, left foot, Chin up, turn around!

Father Abraham had many sons
Many sons had Father Abraham
I am one of them and so are you
So let’s all praise the Lord. Right arm, left arm, right foot, left foot, Chin up, turn around, sit down!

ACTIONS:
Right arm: Clench fist, bend and extend arm upward repeatedly throughout song
Left arm: Add left arm in same motion as right
Right foot: Add right foot stepping up and down
Left foot: Add left foot stepping up and down
Chin up: Add head nodding up and down
Turn around: Add turning in place while continuing other motions
Sit down:Sit down

I’m In The Lord’s Army (Writer Unknown)

This is a fun song and the kids just love doing the actions to this one. I list the actions after the lyrics here. You need some room between the kids for this one because when they “fly over the enemy” they will have their arms out stretched.

Lyrics:

I may never march in the infantry
Ride in the cavalry
Shoot the artillery
I may never fly o’er the enem
y But I’m in the Lord’s army (Yes, sir!)

I’m in the Lord’s army (Yes, sir!)
I’m in the Lord’s army (Yes, sir!)

I may never march in the infantry
Ride in the cavalry
Shoot the artillery
I may never fly o’er the enemy
But I’m in the Lord’s army (Yes, sir!)

ACTIONS:
March in the infantry: march in place
Ride in the cavalry: hands like holding a horses reins and move up and down as if riding a horse
Shoot in the artillery: move hands with straight arms to slap each other while pushing right hand forward
Fly over the enemy: arms straight out and imitate a plane flying
Yes, sir!: salute

Only A Boy Named David (Arthur Arnott)

I must say of all the songs I ever led for Bible school, this is the one that the kids loved the best! They can imagine a little boy using a sling shot to kill a giant. Actions for the words follow the lyrics. Leave lots of room for the kids to swing their sling shot (imaginary, of course)

Lyrics:

Only a boy named David
Only a little sling
Only a boy named David
But he could pray and sing
Only a boy named David
Only a rippling brook
Only a boy named David
But five little stones he took.

And one little stone went in the sling
And the sling went round and round
And one little stone went in the sling
And the sling went round and round
And round and round And round and round
And round and round and round
And one little stone went up in the air
And the giant came tumbling down.

ACTIONS:
On the chorus: And one little stone went in the sling : pretend to put stone in sling
And the sling went round and round: twirl sling overhead round and round (continuing)
And one little stone went up in the air: motion like releasing stone from sling
And the giant came tumbling down: everyone falls to the ground

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Counting, Spelling & Echo Songs

A-B-C-D-E-F-G Jesus Died for You and Me (Unknown)

Lyrics:

A-B-C-D-E-F-G,
Jesus died for you and me
H-I-J-K-L-M-N,Jesus died for sinful men, AMEN!
O-P-Q-R-S-T-U,
I believe God’s word is true,
V-W,
God has promised you
X-Y-Z,
A home eternally.

The B-I-B-L-E (Unknown)

Lyrics:

The B-I-B-L-E
Yes, that’s the book for me
I stand alone on the Word of God
The B-I-B-L-E

The B-L-O-O-D
That Jesus shed for me;
Christ paid the price,
our sacrifice
The B-L-O-O-D!

I’m S-A-V-E-D,
By G-R-A-C-E;
I’m saved by grace,
the Scripture says
The B-I-B-L-E!

O-B-E-D-I-E-N-C-E (Unknown)

Although this song is effective without any actions at all, it is fun to teach the children to sign the letters to O-B-E-D-I-E-N-C-E with their hands. Go to this link for a good chart on what the American Sign Language finger spelled alphabet looks like: ASL Alphabet

Lyrics:

Obedience is the very best way,
to show that you believe.
Doing exactly what the Lord commands,
doing it happily.
Action is the key – do it immediately,
joy you will receive.Obedience is the very best way to show that you believe.

Chorus: O-B-E-D-I-E-N-C-E
Obedience is the very best way to show that you believe.
We want to live pure we want to live clean.
We want to do our best.
Sweetly submitting to authority,
leaving to God the rest.

Walking in the light,
keep our attitudes right.
On the narrow way.
For if you believe the Word you receive,
You always will obey. (repeat Chorus)

Oh, You Can’t Go to Heaven (Unknown)

Sort of a silly song. Try this one by splitting the group into two team. Do the song the first time with Team A singing the lead and Team B doing the echos (echo is in the parenthesis). The switch it up, this time Team B singing the lead and Team A doing the echos. Nothing like a little friendly competition, consider an extra 5 minutes of play time for the group that out sings the other!

Lyrics:

Oh, you can’t get to heaven (Oh, you can’t get to heaven)
On roller skates (On roller skates)
‘Cause you’d roll right by (‘Cause you’d roll right by)
Those pearly gates (Those pearly gates)

Oh you can’t get to heaven
On roller skates
‘Cause you’d roll right by
Those pearly gates
I ain’t gonna grieve my Lord no more.