Having Two-Year-Olds Open Up: Blessing of the Owies

We’ve discovered an amazing way for 2-year-olds to open up in our class at church. It’s called the Blessing of the Owies.

Perhaps, like me, you try to get a 2-year-old to talk — to no avail. If you try this, they’ll open up. This is what you’re looking for because, after all, what’s more personal to a child than an owie?

We start by showing an owie on our body — a scraped knee or cut on our hand. Then we tell what happened. We also talk about how amazing God is that he has created our bodies to heal.

Then we ask the little ones if they have an owie. All of them begin scanning their feet, legs, and arms for owies.

We take turns praying for the owies — blessing them. We touch the child near the owie, we ask God to touch the child and heal the owie, we thank God for making the child’s body so amazing to heal. We even comment on how owies are healing because of God.

A couple Sundays ago, 2-year-old Marlowe got up, came over, and kissed my owie on my arm. “All better now?” she asked. It was darling! I love how this simple practice is also teaching these little ones to see others’ hurts and show care and concern for them.

Making God personal to children — isn’t that something we long for? And, after all, what’s more personal to a child than an owie?

Looking for more nursery ideas? Check out these posts!