Catholic Prayers for Children

Why teach children Catholic prayers?

Memorizing Catholic prayers gives children a vocabulary for speaking with God. When children know these prayers by heart, they can turn to them in moments of joy, fear, gratitude, or sadness — no matter where they are.

The prayers on this page are the ones the Church has treasured for centuries. They cover adoration, petition, intercession, and thanksgiving, giving children a well-rounded way to approach God each day.

Essential Catholic prayers to learn

These are the core Catholic prayers every child should know: the Our Father (the prayer Jesus himself taught), the Hail Mary, the Glory Be, the Guardian Angel prayer, the Saint Michael prayer, and the Angelus.

Learn Catholic prayers through animation

Watching and hearing a prayer brings it to life for young children. Our free animated series are designed to help children not just memorize Catholic prayers but truly understand and love them.

• Hail Mary — animated episode for children ages 2+
• Prayer Time with Angels — learn core prayers with Theo and Felicity (ages 6+)
• Praying with the Saints — 12 episodes with St. Thérèse and Carlo Acutis (ages 6+)

Tips for praying with children

The best way to teach Catholic prayers for children is to pray them together out loud, every day. Start with one prayer at a time, pray at the same time each day, explain the meaning in simple words, and use our animations to reinforce the words visually.

More Catholic resources for children

Prayers are just one part of a rich Catholic education. Explore our free resources for families and classrooms.

• Lives of the Saints — short biographies for kids
• Feast Day Activities — celebrate the liturgical year at home
• Printable resources — prayer cards, activity sheets, and more
• All animations — free Catholic video series for families