Picking a Bible for our kids can feel overwhelming at times.
Numerous kids’ Bibles line the shelves, but not all of them are great options. Some Bibles are better picks than others.
I’ve read a few kids’ Bibles that never mention sin and others shy away from talking about God’s judgement. This is a huge problem!
If we aren’t given a full picture of God’s character and if our Bibles don’t talk about sin and we are never confronted with our sin, we will never recognize our need for a Savior!
Over and over again, the Bible tells the true story of a holy God who did everything to rescue us from ourselves, to save us from our sin that we might have a relationship with Him and live our lives for His glory.
So it’s important to evaluate the Bible you choose for your family.
Today I’m sharing some of our favorite Bible options for kids and families.
Bibles for Family Bible Time (Mixed Ages)
For our family Bible time, we pull from all of the Bibles below for different seasons, stories, and purposes. However, overall, we mostly use a full-text translation of the Bible.
When we’re following the surprisingly simple worship plan for families, we typically use our personal Bibles. My ESV study Bible is always near me at the table, so I tend to grab that one.
At other times, our go-to choice is The Child’s Story Bible by Catherine Vos (ours is an updated version of the 1935 original).
This classic story Bible includes 200 retellings of Bible stories in language kids can understand but that also stays true to Scripture. This is a Bible that has been used, loved, and recommended for over 80 years!
Find out MORE about The Child’s Story Bible HERE.
Story Bibles for Little Ones
We have quite a collection of Bible storybooks for little ones, but these are our favorites ::
The Tiny Tots Bible – For ages: 0-3
This is one of the first story Bibles I read with my kids. The simple language engages the understanding of my preschoolers, while the bold, bright colors capture the attention of even our babies. Only 14 main Bible stories are included in this story Bible, but it is a favorite of ours.
Read-Aloud Bible Stories – For ages: 1-6.
All of my kids have loved reading these volumes over and over again. The pictures are a little different and keep the kids’ attention, and all of the stories emphasize God as the hero.
The Big Picture Story Bible – For ages: 2-7
My preschoolers have loved this Bible, and the bonus is the audio CDs, so the kids can listen to the story as they read. We love that it emphasizes the Bible as one big story with Jesus at the center, and the stories are told simply enough for preschoolers to understand and remember.
Bibles for Bigger Kids & Independent Readers
We continue to revisit our favorite Bible storybooks even as the kids grow (and especially because we have multiple ages in our family), but we transition the kids into a full-text Bible of their own around 6 years old. Sometime between six and eight years old also tends to be the time we begin helping the kids develop their own quiet time, so having their own Bible isn’t only important but exciting too.
The Jesus Storybook Bible — For ages 5+
A lot of people recommend this story Bible for younger children, but my kids never appreciated it until they were a little bit older. Personally, I found the JSB to be incredibly impactful reading it as an adult. I recommend the JSB for kids over 6 years old, but I especially recommend it for adults! If you do read this one with younger kids, we have found the DVD set incredibly helpful for bigs AND littles (you can also watch it free as part of your Jelly Telly subscription!!)
NIrV Adventure Bible for Early Readers — For ages 6+
Both this Bible and the NIV Adventure Bible (for ages 8-14) are word for word Scripture Bibles (not a storybook or summation of the Biblical text). My kids have found the book introductions and call outs throughout the text helpful in understanding and applying what the Scripture passages are saying, and the full color images grab the kids attention without being “babyish.” Extra “helps” in the book that our kids have benefitted from include pages on “How to Pray,” “Getting to Know Jesus,” and more.
*We bought this Bible for my daughter at 6 years old, and this Bible was the perfect fit for her. We opted for the softcover, though due to regular use and carrying to and from church, we should’ve purchased the hardcover edition.
HCSB Kid’s Study Bible — For ages 6+
This is another word for word Scripture Bible (not a story book) in the Holman Christian Standard translation, and it’s another favorite in our home.
My kids are always drawn to the full color illustration, maps, and study helps, and topics covered include “How to Have a Quiet Time,” “How the Bible can Help You,” “The Names of Jesus,” and more. While this Bible seems to have more full page study “helps,” than the Adventure Bible mentioned above, the HCSB Study Bible for Kids does not include call outs throughout the text.
We have lots of other Bibles for kids lining our shelves, but the choices listed here are our favorites. What favorites would you add to the list?
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