I love finding playful ways to help kids remember a Bible story after we’ve told it — and this simple game has been one of my favorites for years. All you need is a story, a bag of props, and a few silly decoys to keep kids on their toes!

This Bible storytelling game will help your kids remember the people, places, and events of any Bible story, and for this one you will need the following:

• A Bible story appropriate for ages 4–7 (told from a Bible, a story Bible, or a picture book)

• Small props, printed pictures, or paper cutouts — one for each character, place, and object in the story
• 3–6 “decoy” items that are clearly not in the story (a telephone, a hat, a cookie)
• A bag or basket to hold everything

How to play:

Read or tell your chosen Bible story first. Then gather your bag of story items and decoys and say: “We’re going to play ‘Is This in the Story?’ I’ll pull something out, and you tell me if it was in the story or not.”

Pull one item at a time from the bag so everyone can see it. For each item, ask two quick questions: “Was this in the story?” and then, “Who was this?” or “What happened with this?” These quick questions help kids practice naming characters and explaining the story in their own words.

Suggestions for Success:

1. For groups, give each small group its own sheet of drawings or paper objects so every child can point to an answer.
2. For one-on-one or family time, use this as a bedtime review of the story you just read together.
3. After the game, invite kids to act out a short scene using a few of the props.
4. Store each story’s props in a labeled bag or box so you can reuse them next time you teach it.