10 Faith Inspiring Gifts for Kids
Oh how I love things that build Faith, strengthen relationship with Yahweh, and inspire passion for God's Word. I have my own personal favorite authors, song writers, artists, and speakers. And I have favorites for teens from our years in youth ministry. But, until now, I had no idea about kid and family products. Now that we have our own little ones, I'm on a constant hunt for fantastic Faith inspiring items for kids.
I have pretty specific (some might say, "high") standards for content. I'm looking for solid theology, balanced doctrine, and characters who walk life humbly transformed by God's work of redemption. I can't tell you how much I dislike kids books that feature pat-answers, biased doctrinal / denominational agendas, and characters who do nothing but struggle with bad attitudes / sinful natures. Please, stop with the stories of kids who have to fix their bad behaviors in their own strength! Give me stories about kids who love Jesus, love others, and are ministering to the world around them!! Of course, there must be stories of failure and our need for grace and redemption but the material I keep seeing is about personal discipline not the transforming power of God. (Yes, I've been really tempted to start writing kids books.)
All that to say, I am so excited when I find books, music, and dvds that teach the Word of God, display the power of God's Grace in our lives, and inspire hearts to want to know Him more. Drum roll...
Here's my Top 10 Faith Inspiring gifts for kids (Also, This post contains affiliate links. No additional costs are added. Thanks for shopping on my links!)
1. The Jesus Storybook Bible (with CDs & DVD) by Sally Lloyd-Jones.
"Every story whispers His name The multiple award-winning Jesus Storybook Bible now comes alive with audio and animation! This beautifully crafted collector's edition invites children to discover---through vibrant illustrations, read-along CDs, and the entire book animated on DVD---that Jesus is at the center of God's great story of salvation ... and at the center of their story, too." - Amazon
The stories of the Bible are worth more than gold. They are full of Truth and Vision for Life. These are the stories I want our children to know by heart. These are the stories that will never get old. The Jesus Storybook Bible is a wonderful collection of Biblical adaptations for children and families. Our kids listen to these CDs as they fall asleep each night and they love reading the physical book too. They have memorized these stories of God's Word which wonderfully highlight the through-line of Jesus. Good for ages: 3+ (Or younger if you're okay with your little ones hearing about Jesus dying and other somewhat mature content.)
2. God's Names by Sally Michael
"A full-color guide for parents to teach their early elementary children about God’s character, as it is revealed in 24 names in the Bible. Each chapter ends with a personal application and activities." - Amazon
This is our "daddy & daughter" gift for this Christmas. This is the perfect book to bring parents and children together in discussion about Yahweh and how His character can be seen at work in our lives. Good for ages: 5+
3. Seeds Family Worship CDs by Seeds Family Worship
These worship CDs are full of songs taken straight from scripture. They are catchy tunes they whole family will enjoy. There are seven CDs in the Family Worship series and one CD for Youth. We love love love these CDs! I so love hearing our kids sing the Truth about God, life, and worship from scripture. Good for ages: All ages
4. What's In The Bible: Why Do We Call it Christmas? (DVD) by Phil Vischer
"Christmas is one of everyone’s favorite holidays. But have you ever wondered why we celebrate the birth of Jesus by chopping down trees and putting them in our houses? Or why we hang stockings by the fire? Or how Santa Claus became such a big part of Jesus’ birthday party? And why do we even call it “Christmas,” anyway? You’ve probably heard the Christmas story - but have you ever heard the story of Christmas?" - Amazon
After hearing Phil Vischer's heart and vision for the What's in the Bible series, I knew I wanted our kids to experience this project. This Christmas edition is full of historical and cultural information about the origins of Christmas traditions and celebrations. The content and presentation are excellent and I love having a resource that explains history with a view to help kids know Truth but still enjoy modern western Christmas celebrations. Good for ages: 3+
5. Buck Denver Asks: What's in the Bible? (DVD series) by Phil Vischer
What's in the Bible is a "13-DVD series from VeggieTales creator Phil Vischer. In his first new project since VeggieTales, Vischer has set out to teach kids (and parents!) the story of the Bible – God’s great rescue plan! We know the stories of Moses, Noah, David, and Jesus, but in this groundbreaking new series, we learn how they all fit together to tell one big, redemptive story. Vischer’s signature wit shines through with his all-new cast of characters, fast-paced flash animation, and catchy tunes. This is one journey through the Bible you won't want to miss!" - Amazon
Thanks to a special gift from our church, we have the first volume for our kids this Christmas. So excited to watch it all together and looking forward to the discussions that will come from it! Good for ages: 3+
6. Hinds' Feet on High Places: Delightfully Illustrated and Arranged for Children by Hannah Hurnard
"Hinds' Feet" is "an allegorical tale of Much-Afraid, an every-woman searching for guidance from God to lead her to a higher place." - Amazon
My wonderful Mum gave me the original version of "Hinds' Feet On High Places" when I was in high school. The story opened my heart and mind to the life-long discipleship plan God has for us. I had grown up in the church and saw many salvations but I didn't have a mature understanding of God's plan for an ongoing work of redemption and sanctification for His children. Hannah Hurnard's beautiful allegory gives vision, hope, and desire for following Jesus throughout life. This children's edition of the book is quite lengthy and does contain some mature concepts. Our five-year-old, who is an advanced reader and contemplative personality, LOVES this story. We also used this for Junior High Sunday School with great response. Good for ages: 5+ (but probably better for older kids.)
7. Fisher Price Nativity
"Joseph, Mary and the baby Jesus share the stable with their animal friends in this Little People re-telling of the Christmas Story. Place the angel atop the stable to activate the light-up star and hear the holiday favorite "Away in a Manger" play. The perfect size for little hands, the Little People nativity set is the perfect introduction to the story of the birth of Christ for young children." - Amazon
What kid doesn't want to get their hands on the Christmas nativity set?! Those little characters and animals are like magnets for little hands! We went through three decorative nativities in three years before we wised up and got this great toy version. Wish we'd had it sooner! Our kids love playing out the story of Jesus' birth and I don't have to worry about chipped ceramics. We have an older version of this that does not have lights and sounds. I would probably pull the batteries out to save my sanity! Good for ages: See product description for choking hazard info and age recommendations.
8. Christmas Ornaments
A few years ago we started adding a new ornament for each kid to our tree. One day these ornaments will be the start of their own family collection. I had specific words from God about our kids before they were born and so I focused on getting ornaments that reflected those themes. When our daughter was three she said, "I want a heart ornament to celebrate that God lives in my heart." It make me realize that having the kids pick out their own ornament each year would give us a chance to talk about what God has been doing in their life that year. Now we do an annual ornament hunt through out December to look for something that would represent what God has been doing that year.
9. I Can Read! Bible Stories
The "I Can Read!" books are written especially for the reading levels of early elementary school. Wonderfully, Zonderkids has published a Bible-based series of "I Can Read!" books for pre-readers, early readers, and readers. Our school-aged child is loving being able to personally read her favorite stories from the Bible. Love finding ways to intersect Faith with every day activities like kids learning to read! Good for ages: Pre-readers+
10. Rogue Saints Movie
"The greatest church diamond heist, romance, comedy, drama, adventure you've ever seen. When childhood friends Nick and Dylan run out of money, they remember the story of a huge diamond buried under a church and plot to dig it up without getting thrown in jail. To disguise their efforts, they volunteer for work at the church, but something about the church and its people begin to affect them. The roller coaster of drama, comedy, adventure and romance that ensues leads them to the discovery of a whole different kind of treasure. Rogue Saints is the directorial debut of Adam Lubanski (Interactive Graphic Designer for the Amazing Spiderman, Charlie s Angles, and more) and is a Christian film unlike anything you've seen before. Your whole family is sure to enjoy it." - Amazon
My husband and I were on the production team for this great family movie so, of course, I am going to include it in my Top 10 list! Here's my personal review:Rogue Saints is a celebration of the quirks and beauty of Christians and Christian churches. The movie displays the power of the love of God's family. This is a fun and funny family movie that is enjoyed by all ages. There is a great balance of drama and humor. Every time we watch it, I laugh and cry. In an era when there seem to be so few family appropriate Christian movies that are truly enjoyable for the whole family, Rogue Saints is a gem. If you want a fun movie with a deep heart, you'll love Rogue Saints.