Props for Bible Storytelling for young children can be more than just pictures. In fact they probably should be. It’s much more effective to have items that come out of a story bag. Toddlers will be more engaged in Bible story time if there are actual objects for them to see and sometimes touch. But where to begin? Here’s some suggestions that won’t break the bank. Lots of these ideas you will already have either at home or in your group. There are some ideas of props to make but they won’t break the bank either.
Props for Toddler Group Bible Stories
Everyday items and Fabric
- Cloths – of various colours to represent sand, land and water. These are super useful. You can use sheets or buy cheap fabric. Go large!
- Purple cloth for telling the Bible Story about Lydia. It’s really good to be able to show the toddlers something that Lydia would have made. They will still be learning about colour so show them what purple looks like.
- Bottle of oil for this Toddler Group Bible Story about Elisha
- Duster, dustpan and brush, trowel for Bible stories about the Treasure in a field and the Lost Coin
Toys You can use as props
- Toy boats or a cardboard box boat. There are a lot of Bible stories that have boats, so it’s very useful to have this prop on hand. Below is a sturdy cardboard box that I use as a boat in several different Bible stories including Jesus stops the storm.
- A crown from a dressing up set
- Play food and utensils
- A children’s builders kit as in the picture below. You can use this for several Bible stories that you can tell in Toddler Group. Nehemiah building the wall and The Wise and Foolish Builders for example. Here’s a link to purchase a set that you could also use as a toy in your group.
- Toy animals for Bible stories about Creation and Noah. We have a lovely Toddler Group Bible Story series all about animals, there are seven individual Toddler friendly Bible stories with craft ideas – take a look at this post. Make sure you have a toy sheep as they appear a lot!
Recycled props to make
- A cardboard box chariot like the one in this post. It’s easy to make and toddlers won’t know what a chariot is unless you show them
- A clothes horse tent or a child’s play tent for Bible story about Abraham and Sarah or to use as a base for making a very large fish to swallow Jonah
- A small home made Bible time house is really useful to show the toddlers when telling a Bible story about Jesus visiting someones home. Lots of Bible stories feature homes and are great to tell to toddlers. Have a look at this Toddler Group Bible story series that we have used multiple times. Use a cardboard box to make the house.
- Paper plate emojis are very helpful when talking about how we feel. Make your own or print emojis, glue to a paper plate and add a lollipop stick so it becomes an emoji puppet.
Seasonal props that bring the Toddler Group stories to life
- Seasonal props for Christmas and Easter are very helpful to have. You can make your own Christmas Nativity scene and a tomb for the Easter Story. The tomb in the picture is made from a cardboard box and covered in a green blanket.
Props to represent Bible Characters
It’s great to start a Toddler Group Bible story with saying hello to the main characters as they come out of the story bag. Everyone can join in and it’s a good beginning.
You can make Bible Character props in a few ways and these three are the ones I use over and over again.
Knitted Bible Character props that Toddlers love
There is something very special about hand made characters and I love using these knitted dolls. Follow this link to a post all about the pattern. If you can get someone to make a few key characters you will have some wonderful props that will last for a long time. (Note – these aren’t toys and so they aren’t handed round the group – it’s great to look but that’s all)
Pringle people that are versatile and very fun to make
I do love my pringle people. They are easy to make and can be anyone you need in a Toddler Group Bible Story. They also stand up on their own which can be very useful. Full instructions are in this post.
Home made stick puppet characters
Sometimes we need a less bulky Character prop and that’s where lollipop sticks and pictures come in handy.
We often use the free printable characters from Free Bible Images and print them on to card, cut them out and add a thick lollipop stick to the back. It’s a super easy way of making a simple puppet and works really well in a Toddler Group story time. We used this idea for Old Testament Kings in our story series Who is the forever King?
We’ve used this idea for the Story of Joseph – have a look at what we did in this post that also has a free prinatable
FAQ’s all about Toddler group Bible story props
Do I need a separate prop for every item mentioned in the story? No, don’t be tempted to have too many props. You will have so many things to hold and take out of the story bag that you will lose track of the story. Focus on what you really need.
Do the props need to be in proportion? No, you can have props that really differ in proportion – the boat can be too small, the builders tools far too large for the puppet of Nehemiah. It won’t matter.
Can I use the same few Knitted Bible characters for different people? Yes, it’s fine to have a few characters and use them for different people.
Do I have to always use props to tell a Toddler Group Bible story? Yes and No. If you choose not to use props you need to add some actions or you find it difficult to keep the attention of the toddlers and their adults.
Toddler Group Bible Story Props take aways
Less is more – don’t overload your story with props. You still need to know the story and tell it well. Props should help you, not get in the way.
Make your own – don’t feel that you need to go shopping. You should have lots of items you can use already. Have a look in your toddler group toys. Ask for donations of fabric. See if someone can knit you some characters.
Enjoy using props to bring your Bible Story to life!
What are your go to props for toddler Bible stories? Let me know in the comments.
