By: Suzanne Burnett
Think back to “little you.” What is the first Bible story you remember hearing as a child? Maybe it’s Noah and his ark full of animals, or little David who defeated a giant named Goliath. Perhaps it’s brave Queen Esther when she saved her people, or the night angels filled the sky and told some lowly shepherds about a baby named Jesus who was laid in a nearby manger.
The first Bible story I remember from childhood? Jesus feeding the 5,000. But maybe not for the reasons you’d think. Yes, this story is an amazing miracle where Jesus used a little boy’s lunch of two fish and five loaves to feed a multitude. But the reason I remember this story so vividly has to do with fish sticks. Two fish sticks and five round crackers to be exact.
I remember my teacher, Mrs. Higgs, spreading a red gingham picnic blanket on the floor and inviting us to join her for a snack. As she pulled fish sticks and crackers out of her basket, she told us the miraculous story of how Jesus and His disciples kept passing out fish and bread to the people and they ate until their bellies were full. She even let us have extra fish sticks! That day I left with a full tummy and a heart full of awe at the power of Jesus.
It was 30(ish) years ago when I heard that story, and it has always stuck with me. I have my own little kindergarten Sunday School class now, and I want to use every moment I can to engage them with the Bible in creative, fun, and tactile ways. One way this can be done is through creative storytelling. This is a simple way to capture preschoolers’ attention and then let the Holy Spirit transform their hearts through the truth of God’s Word. Here are a few Bible storytelling tips for preschoolers:
- Use the Bible. It is vital that preschoolers begin to understand that all the stories in the Bible are true. Each time you tell a Bible story, have the Bible open in your lap so preschoolers begin to make this connection. It might be helpful to place a copy of the Bible-story script inside the Bible as you tell the story. Being the story by saying, “Today I’m going to tell you a story from the Bible” or end it by saying, “You just heard a story from the Bible.”
- Keep it short. A preschooler’s attention span is about one minute per year of age. So, if you have a room full of five-year-olds, you have about five minutes before they start chasing squirrels!
- Use active listening. Give preschoolers a specific word to listen for and an action to go along with that word. For example, “Every time you hear the word ‘love,’ give yourself a hug.” Or invite preschoolers to listen for a specific Bible character’s name– “Whenever you hear ‘Baby Jesus,’ pretend to rock a baby.”
- Incorporate Props. Visuals are a great way to engage a preschooler’s interest. Look closely at the Bible story and identify items like animals, food, or money—anything that would allow you to hold up a prop as you tell the Bible story. To make preschoolers even more curious, place these items in a decorative bag or a special mystery box and pull them out one at a time.
- Encourage dress-up. Invite an adult to dress up in Bible-times clothing to act out or tell the Bible story from the Bible character’s perspective. Provide Bible-times costumes and let preschoolers dress up and play out the story. You can use simple items like kids’ bath robes, fabric, and ribbon to make costumes.
- Display pictures or other visuals. Lifeway provides beautiful Bible story pictures that capture the essence of the Bible stories. If you are introducing a new word like “water well,” provide preschoolers with a picture of what that item looks like. One time I passingly mentioned Jesus meeting the woman beside the well, and the kids were very worried about the “whale” and if he was safe—they had no concept of what a “well” was.
- Change up the storytelling area. Consider changing the location of where you teach the Bible story. Move story time outside if you are teaching about creation or display some plants and stuffed animals in the story-time area. Gather your class under a table and dim the lights as you talk about Jonah sitting inside the belly of a fish.
Just like my memory of fish sticks and crackers helped the story of Jesus feeding the 5,000 come alive, we have the opportunity to create lasting impressions for the preschoolers in our care. These littles may not remember every detail, but they will remember how they felt—engaged, loved, and amazed by the truth of God’s Word.
By using creative storytelling methods, we’re not just teaching Bible stories; we’re planting seeds of faith the Holy Spirit can grow for years to come. So spread out the picnic blanket, pull out the mystery box, and let the truth of Scripture fill their hearts—just like it did for little me. Teaching the Bible to preschoolers is so much fun!
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