Whatsoever Christmas for Kids

Last week, Helene encouraged us all to think about getting our loved ones the kinds of gifts that will help them to live in the spirit of Philippians 4:8 -- gifts that will inspire them to think on true, honorable, and pure things.  That sounds like an awfully tall order for children, doesn't it?  I don't know about your kids, but when mine go to sleep on Christmas Eve, it is not visions of Bibles dancing in their heads.  However, there are many gifts for kids that are both fun and spiritually uplifting, and we'd like to share some of those with you today.

Pryor Convictions Media: This small family owned publishing company has many items that would be perfect for the small person in your life.  If you order by this Friday, they are all on sale! Here are some examples:

• Heroes of the Bible CDs: We reviewed these excellent Bible story CDs last year here on Maidservants of Christ.  They are nothing more than Bible stories told in kid friendly yet Biblically appropriate language.  For such a simple idea, these discs have provided literally hours of entertainment for my children.  My son's favorite story is about Micaiah the Bold Prophet.  How many kids have even heard of Micaiah?
• Stories from Genesis -- A Genesis reader : This book has the same idea as the Heroes CD.  It is a book of stories from Genesis written in simple language with simple pictures that your budding reader can practice with.  My son was drawn to this book as soon as he saw it, and we read a page a night together.  We are going to practice reading anyway; why not do it with Bible stories?
• Animal Tales : This is a short book with charming stories about animals learning Biblical lessons.  Each short story is followed by a verse to help youngsters connect Bible lessons to the memorable stories.  My daughter, a young independent reader, snatched this book up at once!

Veggietales: We allow limited amounts of TV in our home, but we closely monitor the kinds of things the children watch.  One of their favorites, especially in the preschool age, was Veggietales.  The great thing is that grown ups can enjoy them too!  I learned a lot from the Snoodles Tale , and I laugh at Lord of the Beans EVERY time ("You're an Elvish impersonator!")  If you want safe TV for your kids, buy some Larry and Bob.  You won't be sorry.

God's Mighty Acts in Salvation: This is a devotional book suitable for older kids that goes through the book of Galatians, with both theology and application included each day.  We reviewed this book early last  year, and Helene found it a great devotion to do with her girls.

Bible Animal Stories for Bedtime : Last year Helene also reviewed this story book for younger kids.  As you can tell by the title, all of the Bible stories are ones that have animals, including some more obscure stories.  Even better, each story comes with a short simple prayer that gets to the heart of the story in words children can understand.

How Do You Know the Bible is from...GOD?:  Kyle Butt's book is intended for an audience of 9 years old to about 14 years old, and it gives children solid evidence that the Bible is in fact God's word.   Although the material he covers is quite difficult (how many of us could identify who the Masoretes were and why they were important?), it is presented in a simple and engaging way.  It would be appropriate for a homeschool unit, a 13 week Bible class (it comes with questions and activities) or as a read-aloud/read-independently book for a family.

My First Study Bible: Exploring God's Word on My Own:  This child's Bible story book is intended for kids 6-10, told in the first person, bright and colorful and detailed.  It covers every book in the Bible, offering summaries of each minor prophet as well as all the epistles.  It does cover the more grown-up bits discreetly.  Samson is described as "liking to be with Delilah" and Hosea simple declares that "our marriage broke up several times" instead of going into the details of how his wife was a prostitute. Helene's 6 year old goes and finds this book on a daily basis and brings it to her to read.  We'd recommend it for any child in this age range!

We hope this short guide has been helpful to you for shopping for the children in your life.  Whether it is your child, grandchild, or just a family friend, children need gifts that help them to think on righteous things just as much as adults do, sometimes more.  If you have any other ideas for great spiritually uplifting gifts for kids, please let us know in the comments!

Some of the products we are recommending we've reviewed before, some of them we got a copy of from the publisher, some we just bought for people in our lives. None of the links are affiliate links, however. We won't be making any money off this project. We're just hoping to help you find the perfect gift.