In Mark 1:16-20 we read about Jesus calling his first disciples. Jesus calls his first disciples - Bible Story Idea To tell the Story you will need the different characters, a boat, a net and a fish in the Story Bag. Take them out as you need them. One day Jesus was walking along near… Continue reading Jesus calls the First Disciples
Tag: bible stories
Let’s make a clay boat!
Let's make a clay boat with air-hardening modelling clay. This craft is suitable for older children and gives them the opportunity to work with clay even if you have no access to a kiln. Air-hardening clay is easy to use and will dry out and keep it's shape. We used Das. It is great to… Continue reading Let’s make a clay boat!
Can you find the lost sheep? – craft & story
A lift the flap craft! Can you find the lost sheep? This craft is not only something to make but will help to retell the story of the Shepherd finding his lost sheep. (From Luke 15:1-7) Children are familiar with lift the flap books - something to find on the page that's hidden under a… Continue reading Can you find the lost sheep? – craft & story
Let’s meet Anna and Simeon!
Let's meet Anna and Simeon who saw Jesus in the Temple in Jerusalem. We read about them in Luke 2:22-38. This story isn't always told at Christmas time but it fits in between the visit of the Shepherds and the arrival of the Wise men. (When Herod starts to anxiously look for Jesus in Matthew… Continue reading Let’s meet Anna and Simeon!
Birth of Jesus Story Video
The Birth of Jesus story video for young children to enjoy. Jesus' birth is the heart of Christmas. This story video begins with the journey to Bethlehem and ends with the Shepherds visit. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlZkKgIhyns&t=21s Feel free to use and share. A lovely craft idea to do - make a Christmas collage using wrapping paper and… Continue reading Birth of Jesus Story Video
Pringle people to make
Some of the links in this post are affiliate links which means if you click on the link and purchase the item I will receive commission at no extra cost to you. Here's some instructions on how to make pringle people. They are easy to make and really useful when telling Bible stories. You can… Continue reading Pringle people to make
Treasure in a Field – Stories Jesus Told
This Story is from Matthew 13:44. It's all about finding treasure in a field. It's just one verse but one clear meaning too - being in God's kingdom is worth more than everything else. Treasure in a field story Idea You need some treasure in a box, a green blanket/cloth and a trowel or spade… Continue reading Treasure in a Field – Stories Jesus Told
Followers of Jesus – Tabitha (Dorcas)
In Acts 9:36-43 we meet Tabitha (her Aramaic Name) or Dorcas (her Greek name), a follower of Jesus who sews clothes for the women in the church. The simple craft is a printout of a T-shirt that the children can decorate with fabric pieces. Use any fabric that you have! When Tabitha dies the church… Continue reading Followers of Jesus – Tabitha (Dorcas)
Parable of The Builders – Stories Jesus Told
Some of the links in this post are affiliate links which means if you click on the link and purchase the item I will receive commission at no extra cost to you. This parable of the builders is from Luke 6:46-49. It's a great story to tell as you can dress up as a builder,… Continue reading Parable of The Builders – Stories Jesus Told
The Lost Sheep – Stories Jesus Told
Lost Sheep Bible Stories with two craft ideas for different age groups.
The Good Samaritan – Stories Jesus Told
The Good Samaritan is one of the stories that Jesus told and is from Luke 10. It teaches one simple truth about how we treat other people. Here is a simple storytelling idea for young children.. Characters for telling the good Samaritan story The Good Samaritan Story Idea To tell the story I had several… Continue reading The Good Samaritan – Stories Jesus Told
God Knows When I Feel Sad and When I Feel Happy
God knows when I feel sad and when I feel happy is a toddler friendly version of the Easter Story. We focus on how Jesus' friends felt and how they were sad because he had died and then happy at the conclusion of the story. This is a suitable way to tell the Easter story… Continue reading God Knows When I Feel Sad and When I Feel Happy
God Knows when I feel….excited!
God knows when I feel excited is all about Jesus' arrival in Jerusalem. Children are often excited so it's great to tell a story they will relate to. This story from Matthew 21 is about the excited crowd who welcomed Jesus into Jerusalem. Traditionally this event is called Palm Sunday. It begins the week of… Continue reading God Knows when I feel….excited!
God knows when I feel….thankful
God knows when I feel thankful is a story from Luke 17:11-19. God knows when I feel thankful story idea I used 10 wooden spoons to represent the ten men that asked Jesus to help them. On one side there is a sad face and on the other a happy face. Turn the spoons around… Continue reading God knows when I feel….thankful
God knows when I feel….scared
God knows when I feel scared. God really does know how we feel. This week's story is from Luke 8:22-25 when the disciples were scared. Even though Jesus was sleeping during the storm he is the Son of God, and he still knew how the disciples felt. God knows when I feel scared story idea… Continue reading God knows when I feel….scared
God knows when I feel….. busy!
God knows when I feel busy! This term we are telling Bible Stories that remind us that God knows how we feel. We start with Martha feeling busy. The story is from Luke 10: 38-42. Each week there will be a different emoji paper plate face that represents how the character in the story is… Continue reading God knows when I feel….. busy!
The Boy with 2 Fish and 5 Loaves – A Bible Number Story
This Bible Story had lots of numbers! 2 fish, 5 loaves, 12 baskets of leftovers and 5,000 people! But we are using it to count to five. The Story is from John 6. It is, of course, 'The feeding of the 5,000'. The Bible Truth for Toddlers is 'Jesus is amazing!'. There is also something… Continue reading The Boy with 2 Fish and 5 Loaves – A Bible Number Story
The Man with Four Friends – A Bible Number Story
The Man with Four Friends is our next Bible number story in the series. We are up to the number four! For the other numbers we have told stories about have a look at these links - Number One, Number Two, Number Three This week the Bible Story is from Mark 2:1-22. The Bible Truth… Continue reading The Man with Four Friends – A Bible Number Story
Jesus and Three Disciples – A Bible Number Story
Jesus and three disciples is our next Bible number story. We are up to the number 3. This Story is from Matthew 17:1-13. (We have already thought about Jonah and One Big Fish and Noah and Two of Every Animal.) This week's Bible Truth for Toddler's is, 'We can listen to Jesus.' To tell the… Continue reading Jesus and Three Disciples – A Bible Number Story
Noah and two of every animal – A Bible Number Story
Noah and two of every animal is our second bible number story. Last week we thought about the Number One and Jonah and the One Big Fish. This story is all about counting to two! The Bible Truth for toddlers is, 'Those who trust in God are rescued'. You can read the story from Genesis… Continue reading Noah and two of every animal – A Bible Number Story
Jonah and the One Great Big Fish – A Bible Number Story
Jonah and the One Great Big Fish - A Bible Number Story. We are thinking about counting in toddler group. So we have some Bible Stories with numbers. First up is Jonah. The Bible truth for toddlers in this story is 'God always knows where we are'. The story is from the book of Jonah.… Continue reading Jonah and the One Great Big Fish – A Bible Number Story
Stortelling tip #27
storytelling tip#27 is ... Tell it like you mean it Tell your Bible Story with conviction. These are the best stories and we have the privilege of sharing them. Tell them in such a way that your listeners know that the Bible is important to you. Tell them in such a way that your listeners… Continue reading Stortelling tip #27
Storytelling tip #26
Some details add to your story Young children are focused on their world. They know about feeling hungry, tired, happy, sad. They know about home. They know what daytime and nightime are. The weather is part of their everyday. Use these familiar things when you tell the Bible Story. If it happened at night mention… Continue reading Storytelling tip #26
Storytelling tip #25
Be clear When telling the Bible Story use words that everyone understands. Don't clutter your story with terminology that you won't have time to explain. Tell everyone that Zacchaeus was short but leave out his job. You don't have time to explain to toddlers what tax is.
Storytelling tip #24
Use your voice You can talk quietly, you can whisper, you can talk LOUDLY. (Don't shout). Vary your volume. It will make the story sound more interesting. Don't talk too quickly - we sometimes speed up when we are nervous. Try to use a friendly, calm tone. If you aren't sure how you sound, record… Continue reading Storytelling tip #24
Stoytelling tip #23
Keep your adult listeners busy When telling a Bible Story to toddlers it helps to keep their adults involved. Encourage everyone to join in with a variety of actions to do, phrases to repeat, sounds to make.
Storytelling tip #22
Repetition is good.. repetition is good.. A phrase that repeats during the story is great for helping everyone to join in. It could be 'can you see him?' for a story about the lost sheep or, 'where is it?' for the lost coin. Have a look at this retelling of The Good Samaritan and spot… Continue reading Storytelling tip #22
Storytelling tip #21
Add some sound What sound does a .... make? This is a great question to ask during a Bible Story. It gets the toddlers thinking and they can all join in and make the noise. If it's a story about sheep everyone can say baa. If it's a pig in the story, it's an oink.… Continue reading Storytelling tip #21
Storytelling tip #20
Give your listeners something to do Think - 'are there any actions we could do during this story?' Actions are a good way of getting everyone involved (especially the adults). Looking, walking, running, sleeping, hidingclimbing - all these things can have actions. You don't need too many. But add a few actions if they naturally… Continue reading Storytelling tip #20
Storytelling tip #19
Keep it short Do your best to keep the story short. Toddlers aren't going to listen to a long story. Practice your story - time yourself. Aim for your story to feel short to the listeners. It shouldn't drag or go on and on...
Storytelling tip #18
Be prepared for Christmas! Invite your pastor or a staff member from your church to come to toddler group to tell the Christmas Story. It's an opportunity for them to meet people at the group. And it gives you time to think about the special craft and festive food that you will probably be busy… Continue reading Storytelling tip #18
Storytelling tip #17
Share the load If you can, share the telling of Bible stories with others. We can learn from each other. Be supportive of one another and offer encouragement. It's sometimes really helpful to have an extra pair of hands to hold a storytelling prop; ask for help from others in the team.
Storytelling tip #13
Plan your stories for the year Plan ahead. Look at term dates (use your local school dates) and work out your timetable. Note down any special dates you want to celebrate - Harvest, Christmas, Easter, summer party. Plan your stories for the year ahead. Start with a theme for each half term. Some ideas -… Continue reading Storytelling tip #13
Storytelling tip #11
Knit some storytelling characters Knitted toys are some of the best storytelling props you can have. If you can't knit find someone who can. Acrylic yarn is inexpensive and comes in lots of colours. You don't need loads of knitted toys - just a few men and woman with different hair (some grey for older… Continue reading Storytelling tip #11
Storytelling tip #10
Start a file of your storytelling ideas Keeping a collection of ideas is great - if you have a few weeks and you don't know what to do you have ideas to fall back on. Think of themes - homes Jesus visited, stories people told, things God made. Under these headings add specific stories, prop… Continue reading Storytelling tip #10
Storytelling tip #9
Sort out storage for your storytelling items If you can, store your storytelling props in a box. Take a photo of each item and stick it to the outside of the box. You will be able to see at a glance what you have. This should save you time! No more hunting high and low… Continue reading Storytelling tip #9
Storytelling tip #8
Collect items that you can use in storytelling. Taking items from a story bag is great for keeping attention. Props help understanding. Build a collection of items you can use. Blue cloth for sea or sky, toy tools (lots of stories about building), toy animals (creation), a tent to transform into a big fish, a… Continue reading Storytelling tip #8
Storytelling tip #7
Buy or make a story bag that you will love using Taking items out of a storybag during a story builds interest. Use a bag that's large enough and attractive for the children and easy for you to use. No plastic bags!
Storytelling tip #4
Know how you are going to finish your story Every story needs to reach a satisfying conclusion. It needs to end in way that is clear. Any problems in the story need to be solved. Zaccheus met Jesus! Jonah went to the town of Ninevah. The Wise men found Jesus. Think through how your story… Continue reading Storytelling tip #4
Elisha and the Widow’s Oil craft ideas
Elisha and the widow's oil is a story from 2 Kings 4:1-7 where we read about Elisha helping a widow who needed to pay her debts. He told her to borrow as many empty jars of oil as she could from neighbours and then go inside her home and close the door. What happened next… Continue reading Elisha and the Widow’s Oil craft ideas
Houses Jesus visited – the home he never visited! (video)
Jesus heals the Centurions Servant video. This is the last short story in the Homes Jesus Visited series. The house that Jesus never visited! The story is from Luke 7:1-10. The pictures used in the video are from Free Bible Images Here are the links to the other stories in the series It's a lovely… Continue reading Houses Jesus visited – the home he never visited! (video)
Homes Jesus visited – The Crowded House (video)
Homes Jesus visited - the crowded house is a short video story for young children to enjoy. It is a retelling of a Bible story from Mark 2:1-22 Take a look at the other videos in the series by vising let their light shine's You Tube channel where you will find stories for young children… Continue reading Homes Jesus visited – The Crowded House (video)
Jesus stops the Storm
'Jesus stops the Storm' was another of our weather themed stories at toddler group. It's from Luke 8. It's a great story to tell - lots of drama with the wind blowing and waves crashing, frightened disciples, dark skies and Jesus sleeping! Craft Idea This craft is in two parts; the lake made from a… Continue reading Jesus stops the Storm
Let’s Share Bible Stories with Toddlers
“Hello friends, hello friends. How are you, how are you? It’s time for a story, time for a story. Come and listen, come and listen.” We sing this song to the tune of ‘Frere Jacques’ every week at toddler group. We gather round the story chair in a semi - circle; some sit on the… Continue reading Let’s Share Bible Stories with Toddlers
Jesus goes back to heaven
The content narrates the ascension of Jesus after Easter, emphasizing that He lives forever and will return. It explains Jesus' instructions for His followers to spread the Good News and includes details about visual aids used in storytelling. The narrative concludes with a promise of His eventual return as King.