My First Hands-On Bible

by Anonymous

My First Hands-On Bible is the preschooler version of the popular Hands-On Bible , which has sold over a half million copies. Jesus taught with hands-on lessons and illustrations; My First Hands-On Bible uses the same experience-based learning to communicate God’s Word in an active, understandable way. My First Hands-On Bible is a fun and simple yet meaningful way to engage preschool, pre-K, and K children (ages 3-6) with the Bible while helping them build a solid faith foundation. Each lesson focuses on a specific Bible point through a variety of activities in order to reinforce and help young children remember the stories and lessons. Using common household items, you can help your children have a “hands-on” learning experience while engaging them in 85 key stories from the Bible. My First Hands-On Bible doesn’t just retell the Bible stories; it also includes actual Scripture from the easy-to-understand and easy-to-read Holy Bible , New Living Translation. In addition to the stories and activities, there are fun illustrations, prayers, and a special Jesus Connection feature.

Genres: Childrens, Religion, Juvenile

416 pages, Hardcover

First published July 15, 2011

About the author

Books can be attributed to "Anonymous" for several reasons:

* They are officially published under that name
* They are traditional stories not attributed to a specific author
* They are religious texts not generally attributed to a specific author

Books whose authorship is merely uncertain should be attributed to Unknown.

See also: Anonymous

Reviews

[Megan Scholle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I appreciate that this has sections of actual Biblical text (NLT) and love the action breaks and questions at the end. Great for my 2 and 5 year olds. Because of the format, the stories' context was often lacking, but this also made for great discussions!

[Chrissy · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Thoughts: My daughter and I just loved her new Hands-On Bible. She thought it was a wonderful thing to listen to me reading her Bible and then she got to draw, discuss or do little projects that coincide with what she was learning. I thought this was such a net way to learn about The Bible.

When you read each page there are little things written in the margins of things you can do with your little one. For example: Page 91 "Jump as high as you can. A giant is even taller than that!" or Page 201 "Hug yourself tightly, 2nd imagine God holding you." And at the end of each verse there is a page of things to do. I like the lets talk section because it allows you to have your children talk about things and you also like "Tell about a time someone forgave you.'

I really enjoyed reading this with my daughter and doing the little projects with her. I believe she will and has learned a lot more from this Hands-On Bible then the childrens Bible I usually read to her. This one allows her to actually do more than just listen it helps her learn.



* I am a MamaBuzz reviewer and I have been provided a complimentary copy of My First Hands-On Bible for review. I am an honest reviewer. My reviews are my own opinion and are written only by me. *

[Leyna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am going through this book with my 1st grader and it is perfect for her

[Sarah Poling · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I first got it, I wasn't sure about it. It's a Bible storybook that is heavy, small with busy pictures and hands on the pages. So even as a read aloud with one child, it seemed busy. But as I started using it and reading it, I realized how amazing all the text really is.

Click here for sample pages so you can see what I am talking about!

Here are features that I love about this:

It is not a 'story' book that an author is paraphrasing the Bible. The Bible stories are shared from the New Living Translation. So it is a Bible. 85 stories in it. 39 OT, 46 NT
The verses are marked and references are clear for all the stories. Making this pre-school Bible one that most kids would see as a "Bible." with verses marked.
The illustrations are watercolor type style, friendly faces, and have details that would focus the children looking at them. It's beautiful.
The pages are durable, shiny, and heavy. 5 stars for PRACTICAL with kids. It's not going to rip easily, the pages won't slide and change your page easily, etc.
Table of Contents- sounds silly, but as a veteran kidmin person, being able to look in the front, see all the stories (WITH their actual scripture references) makes this book SO much more functional.
Size- I found it small for using with small groups, but it's the perfect size to toss in my bag and take with me for teaching- and the ideas after each story and in the margins while you read it, are so well done, developmentally appropriate, engaging that I miss it if I don't have it.
Jesus Connection- Every story ends with a connection to how Jesus is in the story, even if he's not mentioned.
Handprints- the busy hands on the pages- are actually motions, look for ___ in the pictures for you to have the children do as and think as the story is read. (Hence hands-on Bible.) THIS IS MY FAVORITE REASON I love this Bible, they are simple, yet SUPER effective ideas that fit the busy learning styles of children. So developmentally appropriate.
This bible would be great and the perfect size to have every child have their own copy while you read.
The Kangaroo and the lamb at the end of each story have two activities to make the story come alive or connect to a child's life. And as a reading teacher, this is where comprehension of a story occurs-- building connections and background knowledge. (another brilliant WIN for this kid's book.)
Thank you Tyndale for the opportunity to review this little kid Bible. I use it regularly in my teaching, and really am surprised how valuable a tool it has become for me. If I could improve it- I would like this illustrators versions of the story on cards, or a Big book, to share. I love how alive the images are to the reader.

[Adam Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

We've really enjoyed going through this with our 4-year-old (and 1-year-old). It's a great way of getting into the Bible with younger children - although there is one significant caveat.

First, the positives. Unlike most preschool Bibles, this uses actual (NLT) text of selected Bible stories, which is something I would like to see done more often! As you read through each story, there are handprints in the text to encourage interaction - sometimes a question, often an action or something physical (e.g. pretending to be a storm, making a surprised face, etc.) At the end, there is a "Jesus Connection", showing how the story shows us Jesus, and then a few questions, some longer activities to engage with the story during the day, and a short prayer. The whole thing is very well done and engaging.

The one note of caution is that the questions, prayers and "Jesus Connection" overall contain too much moralising and not enough good news. You do find the gospel throughout the book, but there is also a lot of "be like Jesus," or prayers that miss the real good news of the story. If you're a parent with a good grasp of the Bible, you can obviously make up for this shortcoming, but I would be more cautious about giving it out to unbelievers.

[David Moul · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 ish stars.

It feels weird rating a Bible anything but 5 stars, but let me explain. This is a Bible for kids that is selected stories set up in devotional form, not straight up a whole Bible.

Pros:
⭐ It's actually Scripture, not an author's retelling. NLT version.
⭐ It has fun activity ideas for parents to connect the story to kid's thinking.
⭐ There are lots of hints, questions, and training tools built in that are fairly well thought out. This makes it great for parents who are learning how to do family devotions.

Cons:
⚫ Although it's actually Scripture, the stories are edited down for length and often lose key details or are stripped down to where you have to add your own context.
⚫ There is little overarching attempt to connect the stories to each other and show how the gospel threads them all together.
⚫ Many stories are cut short before you get to the part that points us to Christ OR the application becomes moralistic or simplistic in nature rather than gospel-centric.

Overall, pretty good for giving an accurate, simple account of certain stories as isolated events to kids who are just starting to understand. Not so great for helping demonstrate the continuity and depth of the gospel across the entire counsel of Scripture.

[Patty · Rating 5 out of 5]

BEST Preschool Bible around!!! I read a story every night to my boy and he loves it!!!

[Jennifer Aiken · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent Bible for toddlers around 2+

[Renee · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Jesus said to them, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.’” ~Mark 10: 14 & 15~

The truths of God are so unsearchable that scholarly men have spent lifetimes plumbing their depths, yet so simple that even a child can receive them. In the verses above, Jesus reminds us that not only are we to embrace the faith of a child. We also have a responsibility to help children find their way to Jesus.

Many of us have done this by teaching Sunday School, Backyard Bible Clubs, and Vacation Bible School. I remember attending Child Evangelism Fellowship camp when I was seventeen (Can it really be thirty-three years ago?), to learn how to teach a Bible lesson and tell a missionary story.

Back then, the CEF leaders gave us on-the-job training by dropping us off in a neighborhood to approach kids and share the Wordless Book with them. Though this technique wouldn’t work in today’s world, it provided great experience. I can still recall the incredible thrill when a little girl listened to me share the Gospel and said that she wanted to pray to receive Christ!

Ever since those days, I’ve loved checking out the creative tools folks come up with to make the Bible clear to kids. So I jumped at the chance to review My First Hands-On Bible from Tyndale Kids. This little Bible has now become one of my favorites for sharing with kids in their preschool and early elementary years.

MFHOB is special because it’s the only preschool Bible with actual Bible text. This book also provides features that help emphasize the focus of each Bible passage. Here’s an example: A reading from Luke 15:11-24, the section about the prodigal son, is called A Son Runs Away. After the reading . . .

The Jesus Connection reminds kids that “we can come to Jesus by asking Him to forgive us when we’ve done something wrong.” Cuddles the lamb says, “Pretend you’re the lost son. When I clap my hands and say, ‘Come home,’ run to me for a big hug.”
The All Gone activity is to have your child draw on a paper towel with a washable marker, then run the paper towel under water. Show your child that the drawing is all gone and relate that to how God forgives us and makes the bad things we do disappear.
A Let’s Talk question states: “Talk about a time you disobeyed. God loves you even when you do wrong things.”
And this is part of the prayer Pockets the kangaroo shares, “Dear God, thank you that you love us like the father loved his son.”

This Bible makes a great gift, ministry tool, or teaching tool. Thanks to Tyndale Kids for providing a free copy for me to review. I’ll be using it with my little niece and nephew and any other kids who come my way!

You can check out some pics of my church's 2011 VBS at this link to my blog.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

We’ve all seen the Bibles geared for little ones, they are fun and barely scratch the surface of Bible truths – what about a Bible that has real Bible text to teach your pre-schoolers about God’s love? Would that excite you? I know it did me, real Bible text for preschoolers? Tyndale has done it, this little Bible is called the My First Hands-On Bible . Using the New Living Translation so that readers of all ages will have a great understanding of Bible concepts. This Bible will be a great beginner introduction to little ones who need knowledge of God just as much as we all do. The entire text of the NLT is not given, it is an abridged version, but still remains true to the inspired Word of God.

Take a trip with Pockets and Cuddles as they guide you and your child in learning more about the Bible. Pockets, the kangaroo will have a short prayer that you and your child can say together. Cuddles, the Lamb will have an activity that can even involve the whole family – such as playing hide and seek and discussing how Jonah tried to hide from God. Each activity throughout has some sort of relativity to the actual Bible story.

There are also colored hand prints scattered among the story. As you read and see a hand print stop reading and do that activity, it may be something like taking giant steps and moving a suitcase in the story of Ruth and Naomi or hugging yourself while imagining that God is the One holding you. The activities help in learning the story as well as retaining, and for busy bodies the action may help them focus better as well.

The other areas in each story are the “Time to Pray” and “Let’s Talk”, “Activities” and “Jesus Connection”. The prayer is there to make the study personal and applicable to the child, while the “let’s talk” gives a time for discussion and to see what your child has learned. The activities (two per story) are engaging and can be easily accomplished through out the day – it is suggested you read ahead so you’ll be ready when an opportunity comes up. The thing I really like is the “Jesus connection” that aids in showing the child how Jesus is present and active through Scripture even when He isn’t mentioned by name.

There are 85 Bible stories from Creation, Jacob Tricks Esau, Gideon’s Sign from God, Jesus is Baptized, Jesus Rides a Donkey to Jesus will come Back. Again all these stories are from the text of the NLT and while paraphrased remain true to the text of the Holy Bible but allows for young children to really get engaged and learn about the faith of their parents. This is a beautiful hard-covered Bible and one that I can see being treasured for years to come.

**I was provided a copy of this Bible from Tyndale Media Center in exchange for my honest opinion, no other compensation was given.

You can see other reviews at http://homeschoolblogger.com/ohiosarah

[Karen Collier · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I first saw this Bible, I was drawn to the adorably pink cover. [Note: it also comes in blue imitation leather as well as standard paperback and hardback editions for the less pink-enthusiastic among us.] I presented it to my four-year-old daughter, who was thrilled to have her own Bible, and even more excited that it was pink. With the imitation leather cover it looks like a “real” Bible, versus a storybook, which makes her feel all grown up.

We’ve been reading this Bible together for a while now, and my daughter recognizes the pictures of Pockets the kangaroo (who appears in the margins with her hands folded in prayer), and tells me that it’s time to pray. Too cute. The prayers are well-written, short and sweet with easy vocabulary and sentence structure. Best of all, they relate the story we just read back to the child’s life. I read a short phrase at a time and my daughter repeats it after me. I think this may be our favorite part of our Bible reading time.

For the most part, the hands-on activities included within the story (and marked in the text with a colorful handprint) are pretty simple, fun, and easy to incorporate. We’ll do some and skip others (or save them until the end of the story) depending on my daughter’s level of engagement at the time and what’s involved. Examples include pretending to be animals, rocking like you’re on a boat, identifying/counting things in the illustration, making sound-effects, acting out parts of the story, etc. They’ve been great for keeping my daughter actively involved.

This is the first Bible I’ve owned in the New Living Translation. This version does seem easier to read and understand than many other translations, as advertised in the product description. And I love the fact that this is a children’s Bible that goes verse-by-verse using big sections of a standard translation of the Bible to tell the individual stories. That said, it’s not uncommon for us to come across words and phrases in the text that are unfamiliar to my four-year-old, and I find myself pausing to explain or rephrase. I would’ve loved to see simple definitions of some of these words included in the margins alongside the hands-on activities. Not a deal-breaker in my opinion, but maybe something to consider in a future edition?

I look forward to continuing to read this Bible with my daughter on a regular basis. And I’m thinking of getting a blue copy of the Hands-On Bible (meant for older kids, ages 6-12) for her big brother. If you’re in the market for a children’s Bible, My First Hands-On Bible could make a great choice.

Thank you to Tyndale House for providing a complimentary copy of this Bible for review purposes.

This review first appeared on my blog at http://karencollier.com/.

[Daniel Butcher · Rating 4 out of 5]

My First Hands-On Bible is a preschool targeted Bible story compilation using the New Living Translation. The Bible translation is abridged but is not revised for children, so the editors recommend stopping and discussing complicated words when necessary. Each story is about 3-5 pages long and is accompanied by illustrations that children can understand. Additionally each story includes cues and activity suggestions that help engage children in the story with actions to perform, like saying a work or pretend playing an action. Additionally, each story is followed by a short prayer, questions suitable for preschool and short activities. The text does not include all of the Bible, but selected stories from both the Old and New Testament.

Overall, this Bible is very appropriate for preschoolers. The NLT translation does not speak down to them, but provides them a piece of text that their parents could easily be reading in their own Bibles. I used this Bible with my church’s preschool classroom and found that children stayed engaged as I read the story thanks to the brief activities interjected into the text. Additionally afterwards they stayed on task, and had fun, as we did things seven times in celebration of Naaman’s cleansing. And each child remembered, thanks to that activity, that Naaman washed in the Jordan seven times as they were released their parents. I’m very impressed with the post lesson activities and am seriously considering using this Bible with preschooler’s long term. My only complaint, which another children’s worker had to point to me, is the illustrations. The illustrations of people are exclusively Caucasian, and I wish they showed the greater diversity of God’s people. But despite this complaint I would easily consider adopting this text in my ministry.

Review Copy Provided by Tyndale House Publishers

[Brindi Michele · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another reviewer said:

"I am reading this to my children; they are four and six. We are loving it. The activities are creative and fun, and the questions are thought-provoking and age appropriate. There are short prayers at the end of each story to demonstrate application and the fact that you can pray about anything. This is a great way to incorporate your daily Bible story into your daily life. There are short activities to do during the story, like acting something out, or feeling different textures, etc. Then at the end of each story, along with the prayer and questions is an activity to do during the week. Suggestions include games, crafts, bath activities, collecting or watching for things throughout the week and many more. I think this is a terrific Bible that makes the stories even more fun and easy to understand. I am sure to use some of the ideas for my Sunday School class as well!"

I completely agree! I'm super jealous this book didn't exist when I was little. Kids enjoy the interaction as they read the verses, giving them a hands-on-experience approach. I can't imagine kids not having fun while learning about God's word. As a children's librarian I would love to use this in story time...too bad libraries frown upon incorporating religion.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am reading this to my children; they are four and six. We are loving it. The activities are creative and fun, and the questions are thought-provoking and age appropriate. There are short prayers at the end of each story to demonstrate application and the fact that you can pray about anything. This is a great way to incorporate your daily Bible story into your daily life. There are short activities to do during the story, like acting something out, or feeling different textures, etc. Then at the end of each story, along with the prayer and questions is an activity to do during the week. Suggestions include games, crafts, bath activities, collecting or watching for things throughout the week and many more. I think this is a terrific Bible that makes the stories even more fun and easy to understand. I am sure to use some of the ideas for my Sunday School class as well!


I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Many thanks to the Tyndale Blog Network!

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Explore the wonders of Creation and Jesus' life with your preschooler in a new and exciting way.

The fact that there is true scripture in this "kid's" Bible is one of my favorite aspects of this book. The Word of God is important and our children should be included in that. The verses are abridged, but not revised. Not all of the Bible is portrayed, however there are many key stories from both the Old and New Testament.

My First Hands-On Bible is a wonderful first Bible for preschool aged children. My son is 3 years old and really enjoys the stories and activities. The stories are short enough that he doesn't loose interest before we are done and the activities throughout help to keep him engaged. Throughout the day and for days afterwards, he is still repeating the lessons he has learned. I really feel that the activities helped to make it stick for him. I recommend this Bible. It is a great way to introduce children to reading The Word daily and learning about God's love.

I received a free copy of My First Hands-On Bible from Tyndale Publishing in exchange for my honest review.

[Shelly Hendricks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so impressed with this preschooler's bible! My favorite thing about it is that it uses actual Scripture, not just a retelling of stories. But that's certainly not all there is to be excited about when it comes to this bible!
The pages of this softcover book are durable, not the wafer-thin ones you find in other bibles. The whole thing is in full-color with adorable illustrations to capture your little one's attention! Pocket and Cuddles, the lamb and kangaroo, greet your children in each story. You can even buy little stuffed renditions of them for your child to cuddle while you read!
The activities that are suggested in this bible are geared toward preschoolers. They are fun, simple, and don't require a bunch of extra materials. They really do help to bring the stories to life for your child!
This bible will be one that will be a treasured keepsake, because the memories of reading it over and over along with you will be so closely tied to warm feelings of faith and love.

[Molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love this! It's key stories from the Bible, Genesis to Revelation, each story told in two-three pages with illustrations. Throughout the story, there are spots to pause and interact, and at the end there's a rhyming prayer (love those!) and discussion guide. There are also simple activities for every story and a "Jesus connection," which points to Jesus as the heart of Scriptures, even in the stories where He isn't mentioned by name. Interesting addition there.

This is every parent's perfect tool for introducing the Bible to their kids. It helps parents make the stories interactive, interesting, and focused. Really helpful for busy parents, especially on those days when you're too tired to be creative and think up your own Bible story activities. Wish I had one of these when I was a 6-year old!

[Crystal Carney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love this Bible! The stories are just the right length to keep my 4 & 5 year old interested and they have questions and activities to do during/after the story, a "Jesus connection" and a short prayer.

We have another Bible and lots of Bible story books, but my girls love this Bible and it is now a part of our bedtime routine! They are practically begging to go to bed so we can read.

This is the perfect Bible for little ones, if you are looking for a Bible for your child(ren)...look no further! I suggest all parents/grandparents etc check this Bible out. It would also be perfect for a church nursery/preschool class.

*Disclaimer*
I received this book free from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion. I am not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are 100% my own.

[Coranne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a big fan of this book. At night my son and I read stories together before I put him to bed. We are just about to finish up our current book and I am really looking forward to reading this one with him.

I really enjoy how the book is laid out. Each bible story is 2 to 3 pages long, with bright and colorful illustrations. Each story is followed by a discussion question, and idea of an activity to do with your child, and another activity of how to act out the meaning behind the story.

This would be a great bible for any preschool age child- it is a lovely book for a gift, or for a child to read with his/ her family.

[Laverne Ombadykow · Rating 5 out of 5]

This Bible is so precious for use with pre-school children. The stories are selected from the Old and New Testament and are from the New Living Translation of the Bible. The Bible itself is hard cover, contains things to discuss, things to do (with little hand prints to show that it's hands-on), object lessons and prayer time. What a great way to introduce the Bible to children and to make the Bible come alive. It's fun and interactive and the children are going to look forward to their time spent with their parents reading the word.


Tyndale House Publishers has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book.

[Davina Sinclair · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bought for my 4 year old but didnt really hold his attention. He preferred the message for kids.