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      Lesson details

      Learning outcome

      I can understand how infant baptism welcomes a new child into the family of the church.

      Key learning points

      1. At an infant baptism, a child is welcomed into the church using water.
      2. There are important symbols such as water, the cross and a candle.
      3. During an infant baptism, parents and godparents make promises for the new child.

      Keywords

      • Infant baptism - a sacred ceremony where a baby is welcomed into the church family of God

      • Promise - an agreement to do or not do something

      • Godparent - an individual chosen by the parents to take a role in the child's Christian upbringing and development

      Common misconception

      Every Christian tradition has an infant baptism.

      Christians have different traditions for how to welcome a new baby.

      Teacher tip

      Show a Christian cross and or a baptismal candle for the children to be able to see and hold. You might want to invite a local vicar to come into school to show what happens at a baptism ceremony using a doll as the new child.

      Licence

      This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2026), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0
      except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions
      (Collection 2).

      Lesson video

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      Prior knowledge starter quiz

      4 Questions

      Q1.
      What is this type of building called?

      An image in a quiz
      a mosque
      Correct answer: a church
      a synagogue

      Q2.
      A Christian believes in ...

      Correct answer: God.
      Brahman.
      Buddha.

      Q3.
      Match these keywords to their correct definitions.

      Correct Answer:tradition,a way of doing something that has existed for a long time
      Correct Answer:celebration,a way of marking a happy day or event
      Correct Answer:ceremony,an event to celebrate a special occasion

      Q4.
      At an infant baptism, a __________ is baptised.

      Correct answer: baby
      Correct answer: child
      teenager
      adult
      Q1 The Anglo-Saxon Church of St Mary - Breamore, Mike Searle , 2008, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

      4 Questions

      Q1.
      What is the name of this feature of a church?

      An image in a quiz
      Correct answer: a font
      a cross
      a candle
      water

      Q2.
      What is the name of an individual chosen by parents to play a role in their baby's Christian upbringing?

      a guide parent
      Correct answer: a godparent
      a friend

      Q3.
      What sign does a priest make on a baby's head during a baptism?

      a circle
      a square
      Correct answer: a cross

      Q4.
      Match the keywords to their meanings.

      Correct Answer:godparent,an individual chosen by the parents for their child's baptism
      Correct Answer:cross,a special mark on the baby's head to show they belong to God
      Correct Answer:baptism,the event where a baby becomes part of God's family

      To help you plan your 1 religious education lesson on: Christian baptism of a baby, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...