The Greatest Commandment teaches children a simple but powerful truth: love God and love others. On this page, you’ll find engaging preschool-friendly ideas—including songs, hands-on activities, crafts, and simple memory verses—to help little ones understand what it means to show love in their everyday lives.
Scripture: Matthew 22:35-40, I Corinthians 13:4-8, Exodus 20
When asked in Mathew 22:35-40 what the greatest commandment was, Jesus responded with two:
1. Love God - Found in Commandments 1-4 from Exodus 20:1-8
The Bible says that we love God by obedience or "keeping his commands" (John 14:15, 23; 1 John 5:3; 2 John 1:6; Psalm 40:8).
2. Love Others - Found in Commandments 5-10 from Exodus 20:9-17 and explained in I Corinthians 13:4-8
Shorten the verses as appropriate for the child's developmental level.
1 Corinthians 16:14 (NIV)
Do everything in love.
1 John 4:11 (NIV)
Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
Luke 10:27 (NIV)
He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
John 3:16 (NIV)
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
John 13:34 (NIV)
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”
I Corinthians 13:4-8a (NIV)
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.
Romans 5:8 (NIV)
God demonstrates his love for us in this; while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
I John 4:19 (NIV)
We love because he first loved us.
I Chronicles 16:34 (NIV)
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.
Colossians 3:14 (NIV)
And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
1 Peter 4:8 (NIV)
Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.
Proverbs 17:17a (NIV)
A friend loves at all times.
John 15:12 (NIV)
My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.
1 John 4:7 (NIV)
Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God.
Romans 12:10 (NIV)
Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.
Zephaniah 3:17 (NIV)
The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.
Psalm 103:8 (NIV)
The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.
Teach both letter recognition and proper letter formation with the ABC Letter Posters. This developmentally appropriate, multi-sensory resource aligns perfectly with the ABCJesusLovesMe Preschool Curriculum. Each poster includes clear visual and phonics cues to make early literacy learning engaging and effective.
Written by Lisa Tawn Bergren, God Gave Us Love follows Little Cub as she questions why we must love others, even the seemingly unlovable.
Have You Filled a Bucket Today by Carol McCloud teaches children the importance of kindness and empathy. The story introduces the concept of "bucket filling," where each person carries an invisible bucket that gets filled with positive actions and words. When we are kind to others, we fill their bucket, and when we are unkind, we dip from their bucket. This simple, yet powerful message encourages children to be kind, respectful, and considerate toward others, helping them understand the impact their actions have on those around them. This book needs to be read in every home and classroom.
No Matter What by Debi Gliori is a heartwarming story about the unconditional love between a parent and child. The book features a little fox named Small, who is feeling uncertain and worried about whether they will still be loved if they misbehave or make mistakes. Their parent, Large, reassures them with comforting words, expressing that no matter what happens, their love will always remain.
A precious book by Lisa Mantchev, Strictly No Elephants explains what a little boy is willing to do to show the love he has for his pet elephant.
Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney tells the heartwarming story of Little Nutbrown Hare and Big Nutbrown Hare as they express their love for each other in increasingly expansive ways. The two hares compare their love to various natural elements, such as the height of the trees and the depth of the river, until Little Nutbrown Hare asks, "Guess how much I love you?" This book still gets me deeply.
See the love displayed in colors in the fun book, Love from the Crayons by Drew Daywait.
Are you ready to embark on an incredible journey of faith and discovery with your child or students? Look no further! Our Old and New Testament Curriculum Bundle is the perfect companion for home, preschool, or church Sunday School or mid-week meeting Bible learning. It's time to immerse your little ones in the enriching world of biblical stories and truth.
Sheet available in the Bible Activity Workbook
Color with broken crayons.
All Printables Free for Immediate Family Use or with a Current License Only
Paint the child's hand to make a handprint on construction paper. Add the phrase "Jesus Loves Me" at the bottom. This is a reminder of how Jesus loves them personally.
Kiss Cookies are peanut butter cookies with candy kisses on top. Allow the child to unwrap the kisses - a great fine motor activity - and put them on after baking the cookies. Give to someone else to share love.
Cut out paper or foam hearts and place them on the floor. As children hop from heart to heart, say, “Love God!” and “Love others!”
Trace the child’s hands and cut them out, or paint and stamp on a piece of paper. Talk about ways we can use our hands to love others.
Let children decorate a large paper heart with broken crayons or heart stickers. Write: “Love One Another – John 13:34.”
Fill a basket with simple task cards (hug someone, share a toy, say thank you). Let children pick one and act it out.
Mix heart cutouts in different colors and sizes. Sort by color or size while talking about how God loves everyone and wants to love others as well. Discuss how to love others based upon I Corinthians 13:4-8.
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