I spend a lot of time reading Bibles designed for little kids. It’s partially because I have a 5-year-old at home, and partially because I write and design Bible lessons for preschoolers. I’ve read at least a dozen kids’ Bibles cover-to-cover, and they aren’t all created equally. I’m often asked if I can recommend a favorite Children’s Bible for preschoolers and kindergarten students, so I thought I’d put together a post of my current favorites.

Please note: None of the links in the post below are affiliate links. Most link to the publisher or official website for each book.

What do you look for in a children’s bible?

The first thing I look for in a children’s Bible, especially when reading to kids kindergarten-age and younger, is text that can easily be understood by younger kids. Is the theology broken down in a way kids will understand? Are the sentences simple enough that I’m not having to recap the story at the end of every paragraph?

It’s also important to me that the children’s Bible is written with age-appropriate takeaways from each story. While all of scripture is God-breathed, some of the stories and ideas are best suited for older children and adults. My 5-year-old is easily frightened and tends to fixate on the scarier parts of a Bible story, so we look for a kids’ Bible that doesn’t dive too deeply into the ‘scary’ moments of the Bible.

52 Weeks of Preschool Bible Lessons

Looking to make the Bible come alive for 3-6 year olds? These preschool Bible lessons and printable crafts are the perfect compliment to any children’s Bible.

see it on etsy

Jesus Calling Bible Storybook by sarah young

The Jesus Calling Storybook is hands-down my favorite kids’ Bible. The storytelling is excellent, it’s easy to read, and it summarizes stories in a way that is perfect for preschoolers. It does such a great job at keeping the stories age-appropriate. I was particularly impressed with how the story of Abraham and Isaac was written. It highlighted God’s mercy and the foreshadowing of the Lamb of God without completely terrifying my 5-year-old.

Most stories also end with a section that is very similar to the adult versions of ‘Jesus Calling’. These short passages are written in first-person from God and help to explain the main takeaways. My daughter loves them!

The Beginner’s Bible from Zondervan Kids

This Beginner’s Bible is a classic. I believe I even had a version of it in my childhood home in the 90’s. It’s been around forever, and for good reason! This is the very first Bible I ever read to my daughter. It does a great job of retelling most of the Bible in very simple terms. It doesn’t do any interpretation of the stories, or connect them to the larger story of Jesus, but it’s a great starting point for preschoolers. I highly recommend this one for kids in the 2, 3, and 4-year-old range. It’s a great starter Bible and the perfect way to introduce these stories for the first time.

The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones

The Jesus Storybook Bible is one of the most popular kids’ Bibles on the market, and with good reason. The book beautifully retells many classic Bible stories in a way that connects them to the overarching story of Jesus and redemption. It’s a beautiful book for both children and adults.

That being said, I don’t recommend it for kids under 6 or 7 years old. The stories are long, sometimes too long for a preschooler’s attention, and it draws connections and parallels that go above their heads. If you already have this version, I’d hang on to it until your kids are in grade school. (Spoiler: It’s my top choice for that age group!)

If you would like some more preschool-friendly materials by Sally Lloyd-Jones, she has a board book series of psalms written in kid-friendly language. The series is growing, but some of the titles include Near: Psalm 139, Found: Psalm 23, Strong: Psalm 1, and Happy: Psalm 92.

Sally Lloyd-Jones also has a board book called Loved: The Lord’s Prayer. But I should mention that this book refers to God as ‘Daddy’. And I know people have differing opinions on using that language when referring to God,

The Ology by Marty Machowski

Surprise! This final book is NOT a children’s Bible. Well, not really. I know that this is a list of the best Bibles for kids… so why am I including something else on this list?

As a parent and Sunday School teacher, The Ology is one of the best books I’ve ever read, and it’s deeply impacted how I explain the Bible to children. The book breaks down most Biblical theology into kid-friendly terms and does it in a way that’s so easy to understand.

If you’re a parent or teacher of preschoolers, I highly recommend reading this book as background knowledge. Preschoolers are full of so many questions about the Bible, and this is a great source to run to if you find yourself unable to explain trickier Biblical concepts. As your kids grow, this also becomes the perfect book to read aloud to your older kids.

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I’d love to know if you have any children’s Bibles you absolutely LOVE that you think I should add to this list. Please add them in the comments, or message me directly.

What does it mean to have courage? And how do we teach lessons about courage to our students in our classrooms or Sunday school?  Do we tell them to bravely face each problem without fear? Do we tell our Sunday school students that courage means fear is gone altogether? Does courage mean that we aren't scared of anything?

Teaching little people about courage can be a tough concept to tackle, especially when little fears can seem like such a big deal. Or when we just don't know what tomorrow, or next week, or next month will hold.  But that's the thing, courage isn't the absence of fears or things to be afraid of.  Courage is a choice to do the right thing even if we are afraid.  Say that one out loud.  Write it down somewhere that you can see every day.  (I put it on a post-it note beside my bed!) 

Bible Stories that Help to Teach Courage

There are so many great Bible stories to help show our students examples of real men and women who had to make the choice to do the right thing even if they were afraid.  Here are a few of my favorites…

• David and Goliath

• Esther

• Daniel in the Den of Lions

Where Does Courage Come From?

Our students need to understand that this courage to do what is right doesn't come from themselves, it comes from God!  We can be brave and have courage because courage comes from Him.  We can choose to make the next right choice because our strength and courage is not our own. 

Are you looking to teach your elementary student more about what the Bible has to say about courage?  Bible-Based Character, Courage explores courage from a Bible-based perspective and is perfect for Christian Schools, Sunday Schools, and Children's Church. 

Grab this free courage journalling activity and try out a courage lesson right now.

Looking for a little more?

There’s a whole set of Bible Based Character Education lessons themed around COURAGE ready for your classroom or Sunday School.

grab all of the lessons

Devotions - spending time with the Lord for a focused period of time. Morning devotions with kids - spending time with the Lord for a focused period of time, and teaching kids the importance of following God. This is so important! But sometimes it’s hard to do because we lack ideas. If you’re anything like me, you like to establish routines in your classroom, and finding a devotion routine for school (or at home!) can be tricky.

Despite all the excuses that I come up with - my biggest one being “I don’t have time today”, I have discovered that devotions help to ground my day. When my students come in, they do morning work. Let’s be practical, we need those few minutes to talk to parents, organize backpacks, etc, etc. But right after that, we all sit together at the carpet for devotions. I find that doing devotions in the morning is a way to invite Jesus into the day. It sets the tone for the day: we are first focused on Christ, then our endeavors of the day. It reminds the students (and me!) about the importance of obeying and trusting God in everything we do.

Devotions are important for every age, so here are some suggestions for devotional books that can help you establish a routine in your classroom (or at home), no matter which age group you teach.

Pre-K and Kindergarten: Read and Share Bedtime Bible and Devotional, by Gwen Ellis

Although titled “Bedtime Bible”, it does not have to be read at bedtime. This book is full of short Bible stories written in kid-friendly language, with colorful illustrations. Each story is only about 50 words long, and at the end there is a discussion question. Since the stories are short, more than one story could be read and discussed.

Kindergarten and 1st Grade: Betty Luken’s Flannelgraph, by Betty Luken

Both the Kindergarten teacher and 1st Grade teachers at my school use flannelgraph when teaching Bible stories. Betty Luken’s book is written in the form of a narrative story, with flannel pieces to accompany it. The K and 1 teachers will do one story in the morning, then chat about the story and pray. Later in the day, during play centers, the students can use the flannelgraph pieces to retell the story. The kids love doing this!

2nd and 3rd Grade: The Jesus Storybook Bible, by Sally Llyod-Jones

In my room, we use the “Storybook Bible”, which has beautifully written stories that focus on God’s plan for the world and our need for a Saviour. We gather on the carpet to read one story a day. This way, all students are super familiar with the “Big Picture” of the Bible. After reading, we talk briefly about the story and then take time to pray.

2nd, 3rd or 4th Grade: The One Year Book of Devotions for Kids

If you’re looking for something that goes beyond Bible stories and delves into specific Bible passages, this is the book for you. Each day, there is a short Scripture to read, followed by a short narrative story about modern-day kids who have to practice the virtue or principle outlined in the Scripture passage. At the end, are discussion questions and suggestions for a Bible Memory Verses.

4th Grade: Jesus Calling - 365 Devotions for Kids, by Sarah Young adapted by Tama Fortner

This book is written as if Jesus is speaking to the children. Each page starts with a Bible verse. Then there’s a short passage, written from Jesus’  point of view, telling the students about how wonderful His plans are and how He wants them to live their lives. This book does require students to have a background knowledge of the Bible, so that’s why it’s better for older children who have some foundational knowledge.

These are only a handful of the resources that my teacher-friends and I have used for our morning devotions with our students. There are so many wonderful books and routines out there. What are some of your suggestions and tried-and-true routines?

- Rachel

I teach in a Christian School.  I believe in Bible-based education that not only teaches about the Bible, but also trains children up the ways of Jesus.  I thought I'd share a few of my favorite Bible resources verses, websites, and curriculums that I use regularly in my classroom

Blogs: Faith in the Classroom

Preparing for Easter in the Christian Classroom

Easter is one of the most important times in the faith community. Take a peek at how we prepare our hearts and minds for this important holiday with what we read and the lessons we take part in.

Christian Education Resources

Scripture Memory : I love Bible Memory because I think that hiding God's word in your heart is such an important and lifelong tool!  Starting from a young age, children can begin to memorize age-appropriate verses of the Bible that will carry through to the rest of their lives.  In K and 1 we use Bible Memory ABC's for Preschool and Kindergarten and in second to fourth-grade students move on to Bible Memory - 21 Essential Verses for First-Sixth Grades.  I also wrote a Bible Memory for teachers.  I firmly believe that we, as teachers, should be modeling what it looks like to live Christ-centred lives.  For me, that looks like actively memorizing the Bible in front of my students.  (Bible Memory for Teachers available here, completely free) 

Teaching Students to Pray - A Visual Guide

At the beginning of the year I always spent a portion of time teaching my students how to pray.   I want them to move beyond seeing God as an almighty-wish-granter.  I want them to have a back-and-forth relationship with their Creator.  The poster below is just part of how I do this. (Grab it for free.)

Whole Hand Prayer - three free posters and a blank journaling page -grab these free prayer printable worksheets in my free resource library.

Teaching children to pray can be a daunting task.  We want each child to know that they can have open and honest communication with their heavenly Father, without thinking of him a a 'genie' who grants their every wish.  Check out this Prayer Journal unit for a step-by-step  guides on prayer based on the Lord's Prayer in Matthew 6, and grab the free poster set by clicking the link above. 

Bible Story Units - Great for School & Sunday School

We use these units in Sunday School and in our lower grades (Pre-K and Kindergarten).  They teach Bible-based vocabulary, storytelling elements, and are just a lot of fun! 

• Jonah and the Whale

• Noah's Ark

• The Easter Story

• The Creation Story

If your students are older, check out my Dig Deeper series that asks students to dig into God's Word to discover Biblical Truths and promises.  These resources meet both Common-Core and Canadian standards, and allow students the opportunity to discover their creator on a deeper level. 

Promises from God Learn the fundamental promises God has made to us throughout scripture.  Students will discover that their foundation can be built on the unbreakable promises of their Creator.

What Does the Bible Say About...

Teach students to turn to God's word in every situation as they explore Bible through individual written projects.

My Identity in Jesus...

A project to help students explore their God-given identities!  Students will create "I am" statements based on Bible truths using writing, matching games, and art projects. 

Trying to fit in daily time to read the Bible can be tricky in grade three, but I feel that it’s important… especially at a Christian school. My grade three literacy program is part Daily 5, part Literacy Place, part Reading Power, and part 6-Traits. I haven’t ever found one program that completely fits the needs of my students, so I have always borrowed from the best parts of the most quality reading and writing programs on the market. Each day, my students sit for 20-25 minutes of independent, sustained Read to Self time.

In our room, this is treasured time.

My students need the time both to practice their reading, and to have a small amount of time that is calm and quiet. They treasure this time as much as I do, and heaven help us if this block has to be moved for some reason! Most of the time, students can choose to read any book (or magazine, or comic) that they would like as long as it is usually at their level.

read to self time with bibles

However, on Wednesdays, we spend the entire Read to Self block in our Bibles.We are so lucky to have a class set of Bibles that are assigned to each student.We have New International Reader's Version Bibles that are just about perfect for a third-grade reading level.

I think that it is so important to cultivate a classroom culture that places an emphasis on the Word as being important.  Building strong spiritual disciplines starts early, and the Christian classroom is a great place for this.  How can I teach and tell my students that reading their Bibles is important if we are not spending time to do that during class time? How can I talk about how important it is for them to fall in love with God’s Word if I am not setting that example myself?

How to help students navigate their Bibles while they read

Before our time in the Word begins, I stand at the board and help students to navigate their Bibles.They will yell out topics and stories that they want to read about, and I will (to the best of my ability) point them to the Book/Chapter in the Bible that they will head to.

Sure, there are parts of the Bible that they won’t yet be able to understand, and some of it is above their reading level, but that doesn’t mean that they are too young to start the habit of reading from a Bible for enjoyment. 

Spoiler Alert: The boys like the stories about battles, fierce animals, and God showing his POWER!I cannot tell you how full my heart feels during this block. It’s amazing to look around the room and see a class full of students enraptured by the Bible. I love it when students skip up to share something new that they have discovered, or just cannot wait to tell a friend about what they have read.

Even though we only have scheduled “Wednesdays in the Word” so many of my students have begun pulling out their Bibles for Read to Self much more than one day a week. It’s such a joy to watch the Spirit move in our classroom through the hearts and minds of these little ones.

Of all of the holidays, Easter is one of the 'big ones' in my classroom.  Teaching at a Christian school allows me to stray further from the theme of bunnies, eggs, and chicks (however cute they may be) and focus my kids on the story of new life through Jesus' sacrifice. The Bible lessons that we teach at Easter are, hands-down, the ones that I wait for all year.

I work in a Christian school and I love it. I love being able to talk about my faith all day and play my favorite worship songs as my students work.  I have had so many incredible conversations with students about their big questions, and worries, and it's great to be able to point them back to the Bible in all things.

This year, to tie our Bible lessons into our Language Arts, we are going 'in depth' into the symbols seen in the Easter Story in the New Testament.

Following this complete plan, we have been learning about Jesus by actually reading our Bibles, and spending time in Bible study! All of the reading is from the New Living Translation of the Bible, and it's the perfect level for my third-grade students.  I love that they can 'dive into' The Word on their own!

Then, we craft!  In my third grade classroom, Art is a tie-in to almost every subject, and my students love getting crafty.   Check out our Symbols of the Easter Story mobiles

The whole Easter unit is available HERE  from my Teachers Pay Teachers store .

I've also created a special free version of the craft for my lovely blog readers.  You can find that HERE.

Let me know, how do you prepare for Easter in your classroom?  Any tips or great resources to share?  Sound off in the comments below!

- Rachel