Spring has arrived with the promise of warmth and the beauty of new growth. It is also the season of Easter, the Christian holiday to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. 

No matter how your family chooses to celebrate this holiest of days, you may want to be sure that the young ones in your life are given more than just “gifts”. Alongside gifts for kids, you may want to give them the tools to explore their faith with great joy and a sense of wonderment. Introducing a child to your family’s faith in this way makes it a warm and inviting journey.

The following list includes items that are perfect stand-alone gifts or to use as part of an Easter basket if you would prefer. Each item can also be used for other special occasions like a baptism or a birthday. These can also be given as shower gifts for new babies. Parents can read the books or tuck them away to be given at a later date when the baby is old enough to start exploring them on their own.

#1. My 1st Bible Memory Verse Cards

Meant for ages 3 and up these sturdy cards are compact and easy to carry around after being attached to the round, plastic ring. There are 27 of these cards in all, printed on both sides with a verse that is easy to remember and a colorful, cheerful illustration. The cards measure 4 inches by 4 inches and can be tucked into a travel bag and brought out at appointments, during long trips, or at any point when your little one is fidgeting and needs something to occupy the time.

#2. My God Loves Me Bible-Carry Along Book

Complete with bright and cheerful illustrations, this is a perfect first Bible for a young child. It features eighteen Bible stories, starting at the beginning with Adam and Eve, written in simple and easy-to-understand language. Each page includes bright, cheery illustrations by Gavin Scott in his unmistakable style. 

The front cover gives you a place to include the child’s name, the name of the person (or people) giving the book plus the date or occasion. 

As the child grows, curious little minds can easily explore the stories in more detail. Children can learn how to find special chapters and verses and enjoy the lovely pictures. 

#3. My Little Devos for Girls / My Little Devos for Boys

These bright books are filled with 365 daily devotions to help start the day on the right note or to end it with positive vibes for the following day. Each day starts with a verse from the Bible and then questions to get your child thinking. Pages end with a “Remember This” section or a “Timely Tip” section that helps to reinforce the message that was given plus an actionable goal to work on such as remembering to turn to parents for advice for big problems and reminders that focus on behaviors like patience and not gossiping. 

Topics cover many of the hard-won values including knowing that you cannot please everyone all of the time and learning to accept that fact rather than to fight against it all in simple, straightforward, and never judgmental language. 

Each book also includes a message for the parents in the front, to help give guidance and support in the best way to incorporate the book into their family’s faith and daily life. 

#4 30 Stories for Girls with God-Sized Dreams / 30 Stories for Boys with God-Sized Dreams

Finally, we have the books of inspiring men and women that took their dreams and made them a reality and changed the world around them in the process. Each book has 30 different people, from authors, athletes, scientists, and more. 

Each person’s story is condensed down to a few pages and accompanied by illustrations by Amber Roderick, Jon Huckeby, and Hannah Skelton. At the end of each story is a short prayer of thanks for the person and their accomplishments that also asks how the child can also follow that example. 

The book for girls has a sunny yellow cover and includes women like Florence Nightingale, Harriet Tubman, Harriet Beecher Stowe, and Rosa Parks. A pretty turquoise ribbon bookmark is bound in the spine of the book so that she never loses her place or so that she can mark her personal inspiration to come back to time and time again. 

The book for boys has a deep blue cover and includes inspiring men like Frederick Douglass, Johann Sebastian Bach, Louis Pasteur, and more. The attached bookmark is a deep orange color. 

Each of the items on this list is perfect for Easter as it is a time for renewal and rebirth. It can also be a good time to begin a new tradition and to reinforce a love of reading and of hearing the Word in a more child-friendly manner. This year, skip the tacky plastic gifts that add zero meaning to the holiday and give a lovely, heart-warming book instead.