Our job as parents is not only to teach our children the meaning of scriptures, but the show them how to study the Bible themselves. A good place to start is to teach them how to find verses. This post will give you some great tips on books of the Bible for kids and how to help them memorize the order, understand the way scripture is divided up, and fun ways to help them become familiar with their guidebook to life.

 “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart.  You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. (Deuteronomy 6:6-7)

Books of the Bible Songs for Kids

While chanting the books of the Bible may be effective, it is boring. These Books of the Bible songs for kids are sure to not only teach but entertain. This is just one more way to hide God’s word in their hearts! You will find yourself humming the tune the next time you are turning to a specific passage 🙂

Books of the Bible Song by KJV Songs.

66 Books in the Bible Song by West Ridge Kids

The Best Books of the Bible Song by Jumpstart 3

Teaching the Books of the Bible for Kids

There are many fun ways to learn the books of the Bible. Races to see who can find the Bible reference first (find John 10:1), turning to a book written by a specific author (turn to a book written by Moses) or by topic (find a verse about love).

Check out 123homeschool4me for great games using styrofoam cups, pool noodles, and discs.

For more fun ways to teach Biblical truths check out Fruit of the Spirit for Kids and Fun Bingo Games to Teach Biblical Truths.

Let’s go over briefly the way the Bible is laid out.  If your children understand this, it will help them find the scripture they are looking for, as well as study the Bible by subject.  The Old Testament contains 39 books and is broken up this way:

• The five books of Moses (also known as the Law)- history of creation, story of the flood, God chooses Abraham to be a father of many nations, the story of Moses, the record of the Children of Israel in the desert.

Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy

• History of Israel- the conquering of the promised land, the history of their judges and kings, their fall into idolatry, and eventually captivity by the Assyrians and the Babylonians. These books contain fascinating and sometimes disturbing stories. They hold some of our beloved children’s stories such as David and Goliath as well as my favorite Elijah and the prophets of Baal.

  Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 2 Kings, 1 Chronicle, 2 Chronicles

• Books of poetry and wisdom- these include the writings of King Solomon, David, and many others.  Job is also included in this section because of the figurative language and the style the book is written in.

Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, Job

• Major prophets- these are called major, not because they are more important that any of the other prophets, but because they served the Lord as a voice to the people for many years.  The books are long and heavy, but God’s love for His children is portrayed in a beautiful way.  We also see the righteousness of God as He punishes evil and disobedience.

Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel

• Minor prophets- these books are no less important than the major prophets, but they are much shorter.  Some of them speak of God’s judgement, many have prophecies of the coming Messiah as well as prophecies yet to be fulfilled.

Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obediah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi

• The final division of the Old Testament is the restoration of the Children of Israel back to their land after the captivity.  

Esther, Ezra, Nehemiah

The New Testament contains 27 books. They are divided up as follows:

• Gospels- the good news of Jesus Christ, the promised Messiah.  These contain his ministry on earth.

Matthew, Mark, Luke, John

• History- The story of the spread of Christianity in the first century.

Acts

• Paul’s epistles written to Christians, mostly churches, providing sound doctrine and instruction.

Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy,  Hebrews, 

• General epistles- these are written by a variety of followers of Christ to the growing first century church.  

1 Peter, 2 Peter, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, James, Philemon, Jude

• Prophecy- There is only one book in this category, but it is heavy and full of information (most of is cryptic!).  It is written by John, one of Jesus’s closest disciples.

Revelation

Best Bibles for Kids

Let’s talk briefly about what is the best Bible for kids. I’m going to leave the translation decision up to you. I find there are strong feelings about this. I suggest you get the translation that your church uses as it is difficult for young people to follow along when the wording is different.

A few things to consider when choosing a Bible for your kids:

• Large print is easier to follow along.
• Study Bibles such as this one from Thomas Nelson provide helpful explanations of scriptures as well as charts and graphs.
• If your child is a beginner reader, story books such as The Beginners Bible or The New Bible in Pictures for Little Eyes can encourage them to read stories before they are ready for heavy text.
• Spend the money on a case. The way my kids handle books when I’m not looking makes me cringe!
• The original is best. I may be unpopular for saying this but I do not care for all of the comic Bibles. Teaching your children the Bible when they are young and showing them how to understand the language as well as study it, eliminates any need for exaggerated graphics and limited text (with the exception of when they are just learning to read).

What Books of the Bible Should Kids Read?

Where to start with encouraging your kids to read the Bible?

In our family, we begin with Psalms and the gospels.  While the Psalms are filled with figurative language, they are fairly easy to understand and read.  They are uplifting and encouraging.  Check out “Why Praying the Psalms is a Blessing and How to Go About it” for your own personal study.

The gospels are also easy to understand and the stories are intriguing.  Plus, they summarize the important aspects of following Christ and salvation.  

Genesis and Acts also contain wonderful, fairly easy to understand stories that will give your children a foundation on which to build more complex concepts in scripture.

One Last Word on Books of the Bible for Kids

One last word on books of the Bible for kids. It is no secret that our kids are watching us and they learn far more from our actions than our instruction. Model Bible study for them, share what God is teaching you, and have family devotions.

Include your children in your own study or research scripture based on a theme together such as “Inspirational Bible Verses About God’s Love for Kids” and “Bible Verses about Brothers to Encourage Love and Peace in Your Family”.

Share in the comments below how your family studies scriptures, we can learn from each other!

And if you are looking for a great guide for studying through the Bible yourself, click on image below!

You might also be interested in this devotional post.

Fun Devotions for Youth: Learning God’s Word Hands On

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