A new year, a new Bible for our precious bedtime routine. And this one is a bit different than the rest, using fun animal characters and nine different learning styles, so that every child can learn about God in the way that suites them best!
It’s late December, Christmas is over, and I don’t know about you, but at the same time as I’m looking around my house thinking there’s so much to do to clean up, I’m also breathing a sigh of relief. As much as I LOVE Christmas and everything about it, I’m also always a bit ready to get back to normal life when it’s over. The Christmas season in my house includes a lot of hosting family, and a lot of trying to fit in all kinds of fun, Christmassy activities with the kids while still working full time. So while it’s all fun, it’s also very tiring. And it means a lot of change to our routine. And a lot of late bedtimes. I for one am ready to get back to our bedtime routine and fit in more sleep for myself and my girls! Part of that routine includes Bible stories, which sometimes get discarded due to it being way past bedtime during this season. I don’t know about you, but I love story time with my kids. That time of day where I’ve just finished getting my wild and crazy kiddos into jammies and have gotten teeth brushed, and they finally settle down and snuggle with me for their Bible story. It’s a moment of the day that I know won’t last very many more years, and I want to savor it and not take it for granted. I also want it to be meaningful for them though. Not just a routine, but a time of day where they actually learn about the God I’m trying to teach them to serve. Enter the Seek and Explore Bible by Zondervan. A new year, a new Bible for our precious bedtime routine. And this one is a bit different than the rest, using fun animal characters and nine different learning styles, so that every child can learn about God in the way that suites them best!
A Different Approach to Bible Stories
With the Seek and Explore Bible, Zondervan provides parents with a new approach to Bible story time. Of course the book has the full text of the NIrV Bible, full color, and kid-friendly maps. What good kid’s Bible doesn’t? But it’s also written at a 3rd grade reading level to help developing readers, and includes nine different animal characters that engage with kids in nine different learning styles! I love this aspect because my kids learn very differently, and this book allows both of them to learn about God using the same book, but it a way that suites them best individually. At the end of a passage of scripture, one or more of the animals (each representing a different learning style) provides an activity to engage kids in what they’ve read. For example, in the same passage in Matthew, you can relate to the scripture through a star-gazing activity for the child who loves being outside, or through a drawing activity for the child who loves crafts and hands-on activities. The different animal characters pop up constantly in this Bible, always shedding light on what they learned from the passage, and providing ideas for engaging kids in the scripture. The premise is that the nine animals are on a journey, where they go on treasure hunts and use the Bible as their guidebook. Each animal focuses on a different learning style, like visual learners, those who learn through talking with others, those who learn through emotional engagement or through movement or through nature to name a few. This book gives children the opportunity to go on the “treasure hunts” that interest them the most, at this time in their life. Later, they can choose others if they prefer. It’s brilliant if you ask me. And it’s just what we need to get back to our routine after Christmas, but also change things up a bit in the New Year!
A Resolution with Eternal Importance
Christmas is over. As we put away all the new toys and take down the decorations and begin to get back to our routines, let’s make a resolution for the new year to teach our kids about the God we love. To make learning about Jesus fun for them, but also to make it meaningful for them. Let’s not just read a Bible story, let’s engage our kids in learning the way they learn best. It’s a resolution with eternal importance, but it’s one that is made much easier thanks to Zondervan’s Seek and Explore Bible. It’s got all you need to make learning about Jesus fun, and personalized. And in our house, as we get back to our routines, we’re also going to make a resolution to engage our kids in God’s word, in a way that suites their individual personalities best. Join me. I think you’ll be glad you did.
Julie McConnell
Julie is a life-long Hoosier, wife, and mother of two. When she is not working in her pharmacy, she spends her time with her husband and daughters in Indianapolis. She is a member of Geist Christian Church and enjoys playing outside with her girls, finding fun things to do in Indy, watching football, and reading bedtime stories.