Here are some great ideas to help you with family devotions!
Any age is a great age for teaching them about the love of God and what Jesus has done for us–seriously, it’s never too early to begin reading the Bible to our kids :)
First up, our favorite Bible storybooks for kids! I’ve broken it down into baby/toddler, preschool/early elementary and “older kids” age categories.
We’re very particular about Bible storybooks. Some of them just aren’t that great. These Bible storybooks in this list are:
- As close to the original wording of the Scriptures as possible, if applicable
- Engaging and keep your kids’ attention
- Nurturing for your child’s faith because they are biblically sound in the way the message of Christ is delivered
Remember that these are Bible storybooks, not word for word Bibles (except the very last suggestion).
We’ve chosen for our own children Bible storybooks that we believe do reflect and represent the actual Scriptures well and so these are the same ones that I’m recommending to you!
Bible Storybooks
Baby/Toddler Bible Storybooks
The Rhyme Bible Storybook – Just like it says, this is a rhyming story Bible. The illustrations are nice and engaging and the verse form can easily stick in young children’s minds. Ages 18 months and up!
**If you prefer not to shop Amazon, you can get The Rhyme Bible Storybook at Christian Book Distributors HERE.
Little Golden Bible – This is a board book with sweet illustrations and is perfect for babies!
**If you prefer not to shop Amazon, you can get The Little Golden Bible Storybook at Christian Book Distributors HERE.
Look and Find Bible Storybook – I would probably use this one for church or keeping kids busy on the go. It’s a search and find with flaps to lift and things that you can circle with a dry-erase marker or crayon. There are actually a variety of different “look and find” Bible stories in this collection. I’d recommend it for ages 2-4.
**If you prefer not to shop Amazon, you can get The Look and Find Bible Storybook at Christian Book Distributors HERE.
Lift the Flap Bible – This sweet Bible story is written by Sally Lloyd Jones (the same author of the Jesus Storybook Bible) and is great for interactive readers who love flaps! Both Old and New Testament stories are included. Good for ages 1-2.
**If you prefer not to shop Amazon, you can get The Lift the Flap Bible at Christian Book Distributors HERE.
Preschool/Early Elementary Bible Storybooks
The Beginner’s Bible – Though the cartoon illustrations aren’t my favorite, this one has simple wording that is good for beginning readers and I like how The Beginner’s Bible sticks to the actual Biblical account and uses words from Scripture. There is a mix of well-known and not-so-common Bible stories. I’ve used this one for ages 4-7, after that my kids have been able to move on to something more detailed.
**If you prefer not to shop Amazon, you can get The Beginner’s Bible at Christian Book Distributors HERE.
Usborne Book of Bible Stories with CD – I love that there is a CD to go along with this collection of stories. Both my 4 and 6 year old like to listen to it during quiet time (or when I need quiet time!)
Jesus Storybook Bible from Sally Lloyd Jones – the illustrations are unique but my children love this engaging Bible storybook. It covers all of Scripture and has a lot of Biblical accounts that aren’t as familier, which I love. Every story points back to the Rescuer, Jesus, and I love how that helps children understand that all of Scripture points to Christ.
Recommended for 4-7 specifically but my 9 year old reads it on her own! It’s one we’ll always keep around.
**If you prefer not to shop Amazon, you can also find the Jesus Storybook Bible at Christian Book Distributors, along with many companion items, by clicking HERE.
The Story Bible from Concordia Publishing – I’ve talked a LOT about this one at the blog, and it’s because it’s our absolute favorite. The text is based heavily off the ESV and yet is worded in such a way that even the very young can understand. At the end of every story, there are questions for discussion and a review of what was just read.
The illustrations are beautiful, in my opinion better than any other Bible storybook out there. Hardcover and nicely bound, I’d recommend it for ages 4 and up. My 11 year old will still read The Story Bible. It works well to bridge the gap between storybook Bibles for the very young and a full-text Bible.
A Child’s Garden of Bible Stories – this is an older book with simple text and descriptive illustrations going through about 60 accounts from the Bible. The copy we have is my mom’s from 1948! Good for ages 2 and up! You can still find it on Amazon.
If you prefer not to shop Amazon, you can find A Children’s Garden of Bible Stories at Christian Book Distributors HERE.
Read Aloud Bible Stories – These are collections of Biblical stories, and there are several volumes. (Find all of them HERE).
Published by Moody Publishing, these are great for ages 2-5!
Bible Storybooks for Older Children
Although we feel our older kids (9 and 11) benefit from just reading straight Scripture, I still believe there is value in breaking up different biblical accounts into “bite-size pieces” for devotional purposes. So here are a couple of suggestions for your older ones!
365 Bedtime Bible Stories – This is an older book, and simply contains stories from the Bible that are easily understood with no added “fluff”. They are broken down into one-page readings. With very few illustrations, this one would be good for kids who are fluent readers or who enjoy listening to read-alouds. I’d recommend ages 5 and up.
If you prefer not to shop Amazon, you can find 365 Read Aloud Bedtime Bible Stories at Christian Book Distributors HERE.
Egermeier’s Bible Storybook – Our oldest child received this as a gift, and to be honest I didn’t touch it for years. It looked like it might not be interesting, but I was so wrong! The illustrations are “classic” but engaging and I appreciate that the author sticks closely to the original Scriptures.
We have the older version and the new copies are the same stories but put into more of a devotional form, rather than the prose of the original. If you want an original copy, you can find them used on Amazon.
Otherwise, do look into the newer version at Christian Book Distributors as it is still a wonderful choice!
Recommended for ages 6 and up as a read-aloud and for older children who want to read on their own.
NKJV Adventure Bible – This isn’t a storybook, but this Bible does contain a lot of amazing extras! It is a full-color, engaging Bible and my son (12) and daughter (9) have both had this Bible (my son just “graduated” to a regular ESV version).
There are maps, a concordance, book introductions for deeper understanding and lots of interesting facts that help your kids really apply God’s Word to their lives.
I recommend for ages 7 and up!
**You can find it on Christian Book Distributors HERE (it also comes in blue and pink softcover) if you prefer not to shop Amazon.
The Action Bible Study Bible (ESV) – This is not to be confused with the comic-book-style version of The Action Bible. While the study Bible incorporates many of the comic book type illustrations, it is the unabridged text in the ESV translation.
There are some amazing study tools in this Bible, that really allows for deep study of the text!
If your child doesn’t love to read, this would be a very engaging way to get them into God’s Word!
Recommended for ages 9 and up!
**If you prefer not to shop Amazon, you can find the ESV Study Bible at Christian Book Distributors HERE.
When They Don’t Need as Many Pictures…
Following Jesus Bible – Definitely an actual Bible here, in the ESV translation. Great for ages 8 and up!
Devotionals for Kids
Some of our favorite devotionals for your family (we usually start using devotionals at about age 3) are the following:
- Hide and Seek Devotional by Stephen Elkins and Kirk Cameron (Ages 3-8)
- My Big Book of 5 Minute Devotions (Ages 4-8)
- The One Year Devotions for Preschoolers by Crystal Bowman (Ages 3-6)
- God’s Wisdom for Little Girls by Elizabeth George (3-6)
- A Little Boy after God’s Own Heart by Jim George (3-6)
- Little Visits with God by Allan Jahsmann (Ages 6-10)
- A Boy After God’s Own Heart by Jim George (7-10)
- A Boy After God’s Own Heart: Action Devotional by Jim George (Tween)
- A Girl After God’s Own Heart by Elizabeth George (Tween)
- God’s Amazing Creatures and Me (Ages 6-12)
- The Family Bible Devotional by Sarah Wells (5 and up)
- Indescribable: 100 Devotions about God and Science by Louie Giglio (This one is really excellent, and I honestly wasn’t sure I wanted to try it at first because of the way some people try to balance science and the Bible! Best for ages 5-14)
One Year of Dinner Table Devotions and Discussion Starters: 365 Opportunities to Grow Closer to God as a Family by Nancy Guthrie (Ages 6 and up, my six year old loves to chime in on these!)
Bonus Devotional Suggestions
Comfort and Joy: An Advent Study for Families and God Makes Me Grateful: Lessons on Thanksgiving for Families are seasonal Bible devotionals with fun and engaging activities that are great for families with multiple ages of kids!
Click here to find them in our shop!
Scripture Music Favorites
Please click HERE to read about the best Scripture music for kids that is sure to be loved by your children (and it won’t be annoying to you, I promise!) :)
How to Make Prayer Card Box for Praying with Your Kids
Click HERE to learn how!
