How to Get Your Child Excited about Reading the Bible | FREE Kid Friendly Bible Study Tools
Children Reading the Bible
Reading the Bible is important for growing our kid's faith. You may ask yourself, "How do I get my child excited about reading the Bible?" Even if your personal devotional habits are not consistent these tips can help get your child excited about reading the Bible.
Some of the common reasons parents give for the difficulty in getting their children excited about Bible reading are:
Whatever the reason, here are some tips on getting your child excited about reading the Bible. Let's start by addressing some of the reasons we mentioned above.
1. The Child May think the Bible is Boring
Explaining the bible to a child can be challenging. Your kids may open up the Bible and just see a bunch of black and white words. It's up to us parents to turn these black and white words into a collection of fun, action packed stories that all point to Jesus. It may also help to have children's bible storybooks that have colorful illustrations throughout to help the child put a picture to the story.
As my girls started learning to read the Bible, they had several Bibles they like to read, but there are two they choose to read from more often. The first is The Adventure Bible (Age 6-10). This is usually their first pick, not only because it is so inviting, but even after they read a Bible verse or story they can read additional information or do an included activity afterward.
This kids Bible has a lot of fun extras.
One Big Story Bible (Age 8-12) is the other Bible that they love to use. This beautiful and simple Bible has full bible text with excerpts and illustrations for kids. It also has a lot of fun extras like the Christ Connection, Big Questions, 100 Top Memory Introductions for every book of the Bible. Their favorite part is that they can download an app that allows them to see scenes from the Bible literally pop off the page in an augmented-reality format and listen to a narration.
2. The Child May Think the Bible is Difficult to Understand
I will admit, there are times when I don't have clear understanding on a specific topic or verse in the Bible. When this happens I will usually look for additional commentary or Bible resources to help me to get a better understanding.
It's completely normal for a child to have difficulty understanding certain stories, concepts or books of the Bible. For example, you may ask, "how do I teach my child the book of Leviticus?" I suggest trying to explain that the book of Leviticus is mostly about God's laws for his people, the Israelites, and that these laws were designed to protect them. Ask your children why rules and laws are in place. Talk about rules they must follow at home or school. You can also show the children pictures of elements of Leviticus, such as the tabernacle or priestly clothing. Keep the Bible activities age appropriate.
Another suggestion is to use kid friendly Bible study resources. We created free Bible study activities for kids that will help you break down difficult Bible topics, remember Bible verses, learn the books of the Bible and more. Check out these FREE resources here.
These fun kids Bible study resources are great for either introducing a Bible story or giving deeper understanding of a Bible story your child is familiar with.
The Bible Made Easy - for Kids (Designed for Age 8-12) takes readers both young and old on a fun-filled, informative journey to understand the Bible and apply it to their lives. This great kid's Bible resource is clear and simple, jam-packed with drawings and charts, and has questions that prompt thoughtful reflection and discussions. Biblical topics are explained in kid-friendly, age-appropriate terms.
Buck Denver Asks - What's in The Bible - This fun DVD Series is both entertaining and educational as it takes children through the WHOLE Bible. Perfect viewing for the entire family to laugh and learn together. The entire 3 part series includes full 15-volume series that covers popular stories from the Old and New Testaments. Buck Denver Asks...What's in the bible? Volumes 1 - 5, Buck Denver Asks...What's in the Bible? Volumes 6-9 plus Sing through the Bible, and Buck Denver Asks...What's in the Bible? Volumes 10-13 plus Why D We Call it Christmas.
Stories of the Bible : Made Amazingly Simple Helps your child to discover their favorite stories of the bible in a fun enjoyable way. This kid's Bible storybook has easy-to-understand key lessons for each story. There are 78 of the most well-known Bible stories from both the Old and New Testaments. The thick quality pages are great for little hands, and the beautiful custom illustrations make the Bible more understandable.
3. The Child May have Difficulty Being Consistent
The best way to help your child to have a consistent devotional time habit is to set the example. Set aside a time each day to read and study the Bible. Read the Bible along with them if that helps. You don't have to start off each time immediately reading from the Bible. I like to mix it up each day. Here are some examples of how I might start my daily devotion time:
Read a page from a kid's Bible devotional. One devotional that I really enjoy reading with the girls is the Bible Belles devotional and story book set. After we read the passage we will go to the Bible verses that are referenced in the devotional.
Play a game. Biblegamescentral.com is my go-to place for FREE kids Bible games. I like to find a game that is related to the topic I chose to study that morning. After the game, we will go to the Bible and then have discussion.
Do a Bible activity. The girls may draw, color a Bible story coloring sheet, make a craft, or do an activity book. Check out our Fun Through the Bible blog to see some examples of activities we've done in the past.
Sing a Bible song. We normally sing Bible songs in addition to any activity we do.
Recite a Bible memory verse. We might start off by saying the Bible verse of the week and having further discussion about that particular verse.
Read a Bible story book. Sometimes the girls want to read a story to the family from one of their Bible story books.
Helpful resources that make Bible Study Fun!
Your child's faith is strengthened and nurtured when they develop a consistent devotional routine. Like starting any habit, it takes time, but the more practice, the easier it will get.
Bible Belle's Christian Children's Book Set (Designed for Age 4 - 10) is full of good morals for young girls. Bible Belle's has colorful pictures and easy-to-read text that lets your child meet five extraordinary women of the Bible who show strength and bravery. The Storybook set includes the following stories of the women of the Bible: Hannah The Belle of Prayer; Esther The Belle of Patience; Abigail The Belle of Bravery; Ruth The Belle of Loyalty; and Deborah The Belle of Leadership.
77 Science Activities for Illustrating Bible Lessons. (Designed for Ages 5 & Up) This hands-on book gives pastors, teachers, speakers, and homeschoolers 77 exciting science activities that reveal the order and grandeur of creation and encourage an appreciation of all God has made. These easy experiments illustrate the laws of nature, teach Bible principles, and affirm God's power as Creator. With catchy or unexpected results, the demonstrations make Bible truth unforgettable. The clearly explained experiments use common household objects, require little setup, and are illustrated with pictures and diagrams.
I Am Rooted Devotional and Gratitude Journal for Kids (Ages 9-12) Is a 12-week devotional journal for kids to help your son or daughter develop a solid devotional life and a heart of thankfulness. This fun interactive daily devotion makes lessons simple and retainable. It's full of Fun Doodle and Journal Prompts; Daily Mood Trackers; Daily Thankfulness Prompts; Daily Prayer Prompts and Scripture Writing Challenges. What a wonderful Platform for Creating a dialogue with questions to ask parents.
4. The Child May Not Like to Read
Your child may not like to read (or may not know how). Here are some ways to get your child excited about the Bible if they don't like to read:
Read the Bible to them. Read to them in an exciting way, changing your voice for the different characters.
Act out the Bible story. Choose a Bible account, read it to them and encourage them to act it out. This can be a lot of fun.
Listen to an audio Bible. We love to listen to the dramatized version of the Bible. It has music and sound effects that help the child visualize the story. There are several apps you can download.
Whether it's kid-friendly Bibles, audio Bibles, Bible study resources, or activities, there are many ways to keep your child engaged in reading God's Word.
Don't forget to check out our FREE Bible Study Resources and activities. Also be sure to check out our blog series on Making Bible Study Fun, where we share our fun tips for teaching our children about God.
What are your favorite Bible stories? Please share them in the comments below!
For more fun ideas visit the Bible Time Fun Facebook page
Check out our Bible Time Subscription Boxes. The kid's Bible Subscription boxes are another great way to get your child excited about the Bible. Subscribe today!
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