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Looking for a Bible for your kids?
The options for picking out a children’s Bible can be a little overwhelming, so we’re sharing how to choose a Bible for your kids and our favorite kids’ Bibles.
These recommendations will help you choose a Bible that’s a great fit for your child’s age and interests, so you can order a new Bible for your kids today!
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 (Bibles for young kids)
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!!)
The International Children’s Bible — For ages 6+
This is a great Bible option for kids, even elementary-aged and middle-grade kids. The text is written for kids, which helps make it understandable, digestible, and applicable for kids.
The ICB might not be the best Bible option for Scripture memory or the Bible they take with them to college, but it makes a GREAT transition Bible through the elementary years.
The ICB is actually the Bible I recommend for kids going through our You Already Are devotional journal for kids.
There are lots of options for covers (and budgets!), too. Check out some great options here.
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 one of my daughters 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.
*I also want to note that the reading level of this Bible would have been too much (at 6 years old) for two of my kids. For those two, we choose one of the ICB Bibles listed above.
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.
Like the Adventure Bible above, the reading level of this Bible would have been too much (at 6 years old) for two of my kids. For those two, we choose one of the ICB Bibles listed above.
How to Pick a Bible for your Kids to Read Independently
Reading Level
Two of my kids were early readers, and two began reading independently a little later. Consider your child’s reading level when choosing a Bible for your kids to read independently. If the reading part is a challenge, it is more likely they will resist reading the Bible. We want to help make their Bible time as accessible and inviting as possible.
Interest
We’re all more likely to read something in which we are interested.
For some kids, an attractive cover or beautiful illustrations will help draw them in. For some kids, manageable text (larger print, smaller paragraphs, etc) take away some of the overwhelm when looking at a full page of words. Other times, an interesting approach is a great segue into full-text Bibles.
One of my boys absolutely loved The Adventure Bible. He had previously resisted getting into a regular Bible-reading habit, but when we gave him his Adventure Bible, I often found him curled up in bed reading more. What a joy it was to see him wanting to read his Bible and sneaking more and more time reading!
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?
I love it that you pick bibles that put heavy emphasis on Jesus and His work on the cross and that helps kids to understand the the whole bible equals Jesus and how He loves them and saves them and helps them with their lives. The only bible that I am concerned about is any one that has the NIV translation. In adult bible the NIV bibles leave out entire scriptures and change the meaning. They take away our need for Jesus and His work on the cross. I think I will get the ICB bible for my granddaughters. The Adventure bible sounds great but I am assuming it is the NIV translation. Thank you for this excellent article. It is very helpful. I just found your blog and I am loving it.
I’m also not a reader of NIV because I prefer word for word translations. However, Proper research on canon of scripture and English translations will reveal to you that many modern translations that you either have been told or assumed have “left out scripture” haven’t left out scripture but with access to more original manuscripts we find that there are a few verses included in KJV that are not found in the original manuscripts that we have access to now. This isn’t to down the KJV. It truly is a great word for translations especially when you consider that is was written with the resources of the 1600s and and has sustained as acceptable through all this time. I just write this so that the nooks and bolts of Bible translations wouldn’t be a stumbling stone for yourself or those who read your comment. I prefer the ESV. However it many time is difficult for children to understand Word for Word translations with the original literature being at a literary level high than most children and some adults.
Hello, I am interested in the children Bible from 0-6 years of age.
My son (6) is going off to church camp this summer for the first time and will need a word-for-word bible complete with chapters and verses, etc, to use for scripture time. He is a very good reader, above his grade level, but just isn’t too familiar with the layout of a real bible (we’ve always used storybook versions). Which translation would be a good fit for a young beginner who is familiar with the stories, but not with the real bible language? And it also needs to be easy to find the book, chapter, verse, etc? Please help!
Hi, I’m looking for a replacement bible for my seventeen year old son who lives in Germany with his mom. He has been reading The Adventure Bible For Young readers NIV and I feel he needs a more adult bible. Can you recommend one?
ESV Student Study Bible
My granddaughter has never sat down to read the regular Bible. She. Is in the 5th grade this coming year. We are using Abeka for homeschooling. I do not think she will understand the scripture in the regular Bible. What would you recommend for her.
We have The Jesus Storybook Bible and love it. We are currently going through The Complete Illustrated Children’s Bible right now and love it as well. I think it’s definitely not for kids that are too young as it has a lot of stories of killing in it, which are hard for even my 9 year old to understand, but it’s been a good introduction to the harder parts of the Bible and starts good conversations about it now that he’s at an age where he can start to understand it more.
I would be Interested in a Bible for a child, girl, age 9, who has the general knowledge of the creation but nothing
factual. A true starter Bible.
I love you jesus, you have done a good things in my life.
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