Many years ago, I read a fascinating book called The Heart of Wisdom by Robin Sampson that challenged me to spend more time in the Scriptures with my children. While we reflect and talk about the Bible throughout the day, we have specific time in the morning to read and study the Scriptures. During our “Bible Time”, we’ve used many different children’s Bibles over the years. These are a few of the best children’s Bibles (in my opinion). And yes, we do own all of these, because each year at Christmas, one of the three gifts the girls get is a “spiritual growth” gift…and we’ve had a few Christmas’ now that my oldest daughter is 15!
These are our favorites for younger kids. I’ll have to make a new list with favorites for our older kids/teens/tweens!
Best Children’s Bibles for Babies and Toddlers
When the girls were little, they loved Read Aloud Bible Stories by Ella K. Lindvall. There are five volumes, and I found out about them in Mommy, Teach Me! by Barbara Curtis. I will admit, when we first got them, I actually wasn’t that excited. Then, I remembered I was viewing them from my own adult perspective.
Here is what Mrs. Curtis has to say about the books: “The familiar stories are told with complete and utter simplicity with the perfect amount of repetition and rhythm to catch the attention of even the most distractable little one. The pictures are so gracious in their simplicity, you get the feeling you are a child looking at the scenes yourself. And the most amazing thing–Jesus is never shown from the front, so the emphasis is completely focused on what Jesus said and did.”
Best Children’s Bibles for Preschoolers
Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd Jones
This is hands-down my absolute favorite Bible for kids. It isn’t just for preschoolers either. My older kids love it, too. Knowing how the Bible is woven together–always pointing to Jesus–is beneficial to kids and adults alike. I can’t count how many times I’ve given this Bible as a shower gift or birthday gift.
“The Jesus Storybook Bible tells the Story beneath all the stories in the Bible. At the center of the Story is a baby, the child upon whom everything will depend. Every story whispers his name. From Noah to Moses to the great King David—every story points to him. He is like the missing piece in a puzzle—the piece that makes all the other pieces fit together. From the Old Testament through the New Testament, as the Story unfolds, children will pick up the clues and piece together the puzzle. A Bible like no other, The Jesus Storybook Bible invites children to join in the greatest of all adventures, to discover for themselves that Jesus is at the center of God’s great story of salvation—and at the center of their Story too.”
Read and Learn Children’s Bible
This is the Bible I based my God’s Little Explorers curriculum around, and it is a favorite of mine for 2-6 year olds. I’ve found the language to be simple enough for a variety of ages, and the stories are accurate. They include many details, but it is still age-appropriate. Also, it’s perfect to use when your child begins to read.
Best Children’s Bibles for Early Elementary
The Action Bible – God’s Redemptive Story
Some may cringe at the idea of a comic book type Bible, but The Action Bible is definitely content rich and the graphics are wonderful. My girls love it, and I think boys would really love it, too. A friend’s older son wasn’t reading, but this Bible challenged him…and he actually started reading because of it!
{The Action Bible} “features a captivating, up-to-date artwork style—making it the perfect Bible for today’s visually focused culture. The Action Bible presents 215 fast-paced narratives in chronological order, making it easier to follow the Bible’s historical flow—and reinforcing the build-up to its thrilling climax.”
Extra Bible Resources for Kids
I want my children to learn from the earliest of ages that the world is a big place. I want them to experience different cultures and countries. I also want them to pray for people everywhere, so we use the book Window on the World.
Hero Tales has lots of stories of Christian heroes presented in short biographies that are interesting for kids (and adults). There are several volumes of this available, and we have enjoyed reading them together.
What about you? Do you have a favorite Bible or devotional resource for kids?
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