Resources are powerful tools to encourage our children to grow deeper in their faith and mature in their character. I have found this to be true with my own children, and I hope that you find this to be true as well! Here is a list of resources that I hope you will find helpful. I pray that these will be great tools to bring God’s Word and truths into your home as you create an environment of knowing, loving, and following the Lord with your children.
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The following reviews are based solely on my opinion from having read through the content and gathered feedback from other like-minded moms. Some of the age ranges were taken from the author’s description, while others are my own opinions based on the vocabulary level, amount of words used in the text, and observations from having using them with children. Be sure to check back for more great resources to come!
Picture Bibles
Baby’s First Bible (The First Bible Collection®)
Standard Publishing
Best for ages 0-2
I used this adorable Bible with my children once they were old enough to sit up on my lap through the age of two. There are simple truths from Bible stories, verses, and cute actions to do with your baby on each page. We would chant the words and tap or clap as we read. The Bible is a board book and has a handle for baby to carry it around. It’s a great way to introduce some simple Bible stories and truths to the very little ones!
The Beginner’s Bible: Timeless Children’s Stories
Zonderkidz Publishers
Best for ages 2-6
This is one of the bestselling preschool Bibles. I have used this Bible with the preschoolers at church and in our neighborhood ministry, and it definitely holds kids’ attention and has beautiful illustrations. The length of sentences is a little shorter than the Read and Share Bible reviewed below, and there are more pictures for each story, making it a little more suitable for very young toddlers. This Bible has over 90 stories and a scripture reference with each story. This Bible also comes on a DVD. While I have not seen an entire video myself, I looked them up, and the characters are not as animated as the Read and Share Bible DVD’s that I love and talk about below.
Read and Share Bible: Over 200 Best Loved Bible Stories (Read and Share (Tommy Nelson))
Tommy Nelson Publishers
Best for ages 3-6
This is the children’s Bible I chose to use with my kids in the toddler and preschool years, and my seven year old still loves to read the stories! This Bible has over 200 age-appropriate stories so its the most comprehensive preschool one I have found, and the text is adapted from the International Children’s Bible. The story line is very simple and short, but the amount of words in each sentence and on each page is a little longer than the Beginner’s Bible noted above. The illustrations are cute and keep the child’s attention. The beginning of each story contains a scripture reference, and at the end of the story there is a question to get your child thinking more about the story. My kids have most of the Read and Share DVD’s, too, which narrate the Bible word for word (sold separately). I would often catch my son quoting the stories having watched them so much, and his Sunday school teacher was amazed at how much of the Bible he knew at the age of two!
Devotionals
The Beginner’s Bible Book of Devotions—My Time with God
By: Kelly Pulley
Zonderkidz Publishers
Best for ages 3-5
I bought this devotional for my son when he was three. Each devotional includes a brief story such as being scared of the dark, a Bible story related to the topic, a question/extension activity, and a Bible verse connected to the truth. Although there were only 31 stories, my son was very happy to keep going through the book over and over again all year, and I believe those truths began to stick in his little brain! 🙂
The One Year Devotions for Preschoolers (Little Blessings)
By: Crystal Bowman
Tindale Kids Publishers
Best for ages 3-6
I bought this devotional for my son when he had just turned four, and I was excited that there was a devotional for each day of the year. Every devotional contains a simple story about a truth from God’s word, a Bible verse directly related to the truth, and an adorable rhyming prayer. There are four main characters that are used throughout the stories, and my kids can’t wait to see what they will do next. The stories only takes a couple minutes to read, so if you get behind, its very easy to catch up. My kids can’t wait for devotional time with this book!
Gotta Have God: Fun Devotions for Boys: Ages 2-5
By: Lynn Marie-Ittner Klammer
Legacy Press
Best for ages 4-6
This devotional includes a range of topics and has kept the interest of my five year old son very well. Each devotional contains a story with no visuals, which would be hard for most children under four to follow. The stories are fun, relatable, and teach your children topics such as trusting God, knowing God’s world, getting along, and being safe. Specific character traits are taught as well. There are questions at the end of each story, which help you know if your child understood the message, and a short prayer and simple, hands-on activity are also included. There are other books in the series for different ages, and I would definitely recommend looking into them.
Bedtime Devotions with Jesus: My Daily Devotional for Kids
By: Thomas Nelson and 52 Contributors from Top Southern Baptist Churches
Harper Collins Christian Publishing
Best for ages 4-8
This is a sweet, simple family devotional to do with young children before bed, or really whenever you choose. There are devotions for 6 days a week all year long, and each devotion has a truth from God’s Word, a correlating Bible verse, a simple prayer, and a thought to remember. There are cute illustrations throughout, although they are not necessarily related to the content being discussed. The language is also a little higher level than some of the other preschool devotions, but the devotions are still short, and the themes are simple. Each week is written from a different contributor from a Baptist church, adding to the diversity and uniqueness of this devotional.