DLTK's Bible Activities for Kids
Children's Christian Software Reviews

Special thanks to Sarah for sharing this with us!

I had a good "how ironic" chuckle about this post, before posting a response.  We just had a conversation about Christian video games and software in our house yesterday morning.  We were talking about how the Christian movement and influence has penetrated just about every aspect of life from movies, to television, to clothing, to jewelry, to car accessories, but that not a single company has come up with an ongoing line of Christian based video games and computer software.  We actually through some ideas up in the air, and I've even thought about doing some PowerPoint click and play games for my web site.  Of course, my knowledge of that sort of thing is limited, and I may even seek out some one with the ability to make simple games, I think I know how to do about five times of basic games with PowerPoint software, and most of them are for older kids, like a trivia type game similar to Jeopardy and that sort of thing.  Of course, the type of game that I know how to make in PowerPoint is nothing like the games we spoke of yesterday in our household, and I'm not going to put the details of them on here, because I just might make them and put them on my web site, or on a CD someday, who knows.

As for your question and the existing Christian based software market, the pickings are very slim, and most of the games sort of "fall short" of the expectations we have all come to have with the video game world.  The most difficult part about buying Christian software is finding it, some of these are sold thru Christian Book Distributors, but if you have a Christian book store by your house, you might be able to find some of them there as well. Other places to check online are Guiding Light Video, Amazon.com (only has some of these occasionally), Bereans and other Christian book stores online. Good luck with your search, I hope you find what you are looking for and I hope this helps!

The Christian based gaming software market is a relatively small one, but you can pretty much guarantee it will grow in popularity in the years to come, especially if parents stop buying the violent games and start demanding Christian based games from publishers. For now, what's out there is very limited, and it's not as great as it could be. Most Bible software is about half the price of regular software, so at least you can afford to buy enough to keep your child entertained, and know your child is not playing something violent.

Actual Reality - this is more of a learning tool than a video game.  It is geared towards teens, all though I think the tween crowd could benefit from this one also.  This one has music, and lots of it, with Christian "hip" artists that are primarily Christian Rock and Christian Hip Hop artists.  This is more of a witnessing/dealing with real world issues software than anything else. In fact, this has been named THE "street smart, discussion provoking" software.  There's music, animation, scripts geared towards a teenagers mind frame, and lots to see and do with this software.  The message for parents, is that God and the Christian lifestyle is portrayed in this disk as Christian rockers that their children look up to talk about the way that Christianity and God has had an impact on their lives. More importantly, this software covers what the Bible has to say about teens, and how to deal with problems that come up in the real world. Interactions with this game include the Police Station, a 57 Chevy, a Newspaper Box, and of course the video clips I mentioned earlier.  The CD has 17 "lesson" topics, 250 Bible verses, and over 8 hours of videos and music from people your teen probably already knows like T-bone, Third Day, Audio Adrenaline, World Wide Message Tribe, the Supertones, the Newsboys, the Church of Rhythm, and Rebecca St. James.  This one runs on Windows and Macintosh computers, and you need a soundcard to run this one.  The sounds are impressive, the videos are engaging, and it's an excellent witnessing tool for teens that they are sure to enjoy. It's hip, cool, and presents the point, and really, that's the objective of any Bible software, isn't it?

Amazing Bible Expedition  - this is a Bible software for children of reading age and older.  To me, this one is more of a reference/teaching toll than a game.  The game has some nice graphics, some simplistic games, and lots of sounds. It's a learning activity adventure more than a "video game" in my opinion. It reminds me of an "I can read the Bible software" more than a video game.  The game isn't as engaging as it could be, but it teaches Gods Word, which is rare in Christian based software for kids. It has lots of bright colors, will keep your kids entertained for a bit, and it can be used with computers running both Windows and Mac.  The downside to this one is its limited scope, unfortunately the games are really simplistic and this means that if your child is used to the sophisticated video games he/she will grow tired of this one. I recommend this game for children who are of reading age and older.

Bible Adventures - This one is one of the neatest games that is simple in its interface and yet really keeps kids entertained. Your child has a job to do in each of the Bible stories presented including Noah and the Ark, David and Goliath, and Baby Moses. It's sort of like a come to life story book that interacts with your child.  The nice thing about this one is it has quotes taken from the Bible directly, that are not paraphrased like a lot of Bible software dose.  Playability is limited to the stories that are included in the game, and the game play is pretty much always the same as are the objectives and the game flow itself. However, young children (preschool age - early elementary aged children) will enjoy this one, and the feeling of accomplishment they get when they get to help out with the Bible stories they know and love.  This one doesn't do as much Bible teaching as some of them out there, but it's still a neat concept.  The publisher recommends the game for ages 4 and up, and I would guess to say that the targeted age range is probably more like 3-7 but that's just my opinion.

Bible Buffet - only available on the original Nintendo platform. If you still have a Nintendo system in your house, try and catch this game on E-bay because it's no longer sold in stores. Bible Buffet is a board game video game that sort of is a mixture between Candy Land and Trivia Pursuit. The "lands" (one of the reasons why I said it's like Candy Land) include Bread Land, Fruit Land, and Pizza Land. You have to gather food for a food bank to finish your map, which you can only do by answering Bible questions.  The graphics are what you would expect on Nintendo, you can't find it in stores, and it's really geared toward children old enough to read who are already familiar with the Bible. Adults will have just as much fun with this one, maybe even more fun!

Bible Crossword Studio - this is a crossword puzzle software program.  The number of crossword puzzles that are pre-made is very limited (50 or so), but you can make your own crossword puzzles, which makes this a great teaching and learning tool for kids of all ages. You can add color to your crossword puzzles, add clip art like graphics, and add sound if you want. You can complete the puzzles on screen, or print them out and complete them later. The print feature is really nice if you are a Sunday school teacher or a youth group leader to give you easy to make teaching tools you can customize to any lesson.  The great thing about this one is that even though it's recommended for ages 5 and up, the "and up" can include adults as well since you can customize the puzzles.  The software runs on both Windows and Macintosh operating systems. I would say that 5 years old is a little young for this one, since you obviously have to know how to read to complete the puzzles.

Big Genius Bible Trivia - this game is one that the adults will have as much fun as the children will. It's recommended for ages 10 and up, all though I think 9 and up is a better recommendation, it's definitely geared to appeal to the "tween", "teen", and "adult" gaming industry. It's a trivia game, but at the same time it has a "funk" (for lack of a better word) factor that you have to have a good sense of humor to enjoy.  They compare it to "You Don't Know Jack" and in a lot of ways it's a lot like that, only Christian based.  The questions are pretty basic, and there are only about 400 of them included in the game.  The game also has "game show" themed music, sound effects, buzzers, and more.  The object of the game is to be the first player to buzz in with the correct answer.  The questions are not so much hard, obscure questions that you wouldn't know the answers to; instead it's more about being the first to answer them, then the difficulty of the questions. If you look into getting this game, make sure that you get version 2.0 or higher (I have no idea how many versions they have made). But, anything version 2.0 or higher let's you add your questions, save them for later games, and so forth, which really increases the playability of the game. It only runs on Windows computers, and it can be played by 1-3 players. While playing the game, you can be any of twelve characters which each have their own personality and include people and pets. It's a funny game, and some of the questions are "off the wall", "quirky", and a little out there, from what you might expect from a trivia Bible based software, or maybe our expectations differ from reality.  There are also cheat codes that unlock "secret players" which is a definite must for the experienced PC gamer.

Bible Grand Slam Deluxe Edition - this is another trivia meets popular sporting game similar to Bible Touchdown, only this one involves the sport of baseball. You can play solo, or against any of the six computer baseball teams.  This one has over 1,000 questions, and lets you add your own questions.  The sound effects are nice, and it's a really neat baseball game. The best thing about this game is that they include the entire Bible in the game, so that you can look up any answers that you don't know, the price of a computerized Bible alone well exceeds the cost of this game. Because it's a trivia game, I recommend it for ages 7 and up, which I believe is also what the publisher recommends it for. However, you child needs to be a "reader" in order to enjoy this game, or at least have mom and dad around to help with the questions.  Now the bad news, it only works with Windows and is hard to find.

Bible Land - Bible Land is one of those software programs which really points out that simpler is sometimes better. Unfortunately, it's not in stores anymore, but if you are lucky, you can pick it up on the Internet some place, I would check E-bay first, since it's out of print. Bible Land is based on the people in the Bible and a place called Bible Land (big coincidence huh?) There are simple games, simple videos, a Bible Land Dictionary, a search feature, and it's basically all contained into a Bible Character Database. It's a simple teaching tool, with a simple interface, and its very computer graphic/clipart styling with no sophisticated graphics, flashy lights and sounds, or similar things. It accomplishes its objective well, which is to teach about the characters in the Bible and not so much the stories themselves. It runs on Windows systems only, and as I said, since it's out of print, you will probably have a difficult time getting your hands on it. For Sunday school classrooms, it's nice, because Bible stories often teach the story or the "point" more than they teach about the people in the Bible.  The Bible characters covered are: Aaron, Abednego, Abel, Abigail, Abner, Abraham, Absalom, Adam, Ahab, Apostle John, Apostle Matthew, Apostle Peter, Apostle Phillip, Apostle Thomas, Aquila/Priscilla, Asa, Barnabas, Baruch, Bathsheba, Boaz, Caiaphas, Cain, Caleb, Cornelius, Daniel, David, Deborah, Eli, Elijah, Elisha, Elizabeth, Esau, Esther, Eve, Ezekial, Ezra, Herod Family, Gideon, Goliath, Hagar, Haman, Hannah, Hezekiah, Isaiah, Ishmael, Jacob, Jehu, Jephthath, Jeremiah, Jethro, Jezebel, Job, John Mark, Jonah, Jonathon, Joseph, Joshua, Josiah, Judas, Laban, Lazarus, Leah, Lot, Luke, Mary, Mary/Martha, Mary Magdalene, Melchizedek, Meshach, Miriam, Mordecai, Moses, Naaman, Nathan, Nebuchadnezzar, Nehemiah, Nicodemus, Noah, Paul, Pilate, Rachel, Rahab, Rebekah, Ruth, Saul, Salome, Samson, Samuel, Sarah, Shadrach, Silas, Solomon, Stephen, Timothy, Zacchaeus, Zechariah, and Zaerrubbabel.

Bible Touchdown - okay, a small confession here, I love video games. And if I had to purchase one Christian based game for my own personal use (of course I'm not a kid) I would purchase this one. It's a trivia type game with a really neat twist...FOOTBALL! This is THE video game to get fathers and sons to play video games together in my opinion, all though every one will love this one. Hard to find in stores, but it can be played by one player against the computer or you can play against another person. It's a relatively small program in size (around 20 megabytes) and that's solely due to the fact that it has really simple graphics and amazing sounds.  There are 1,000 questions built into the game that quiz your Bible knowledge.  The great thing about the game is that you can add your own questions, so you can include the content your child is learning in AWANA's, or Sunday school into the video game to further their learning at home. Because it's a trivia game, I recommend it for ages 7 and up, which I believe is also what the publisher recommends it for. However, you child needs to be a "reader" in order to enjoy this game, or at least have mom and dad around to help with the questions.  Now the bad news, it only works with Windows and is hard to find.

Captain Bible in Dome of Darkness - in my opinion this is THE software program that kids will most get a kick out of. You become a "super hero" so to speak by joining the Bible Corps and get to help Captain Bible destroy the evil city of the Dome of Darkness.  This program is an older one, and it runs on Windows or DOS (I said it was older, didn't I?), it's difficult to find, all though I have seen it at online retailers.  The great thing about it is that it's not a resource hog. Unfortunately, it only has seven levels, and if your child is a video game guru, he/she may grow tired of it and/or beat the game relatively quickly.  The good news is that they do have three different play levels, and that gives it enough playability that your child hopefully won't get sick of it the first day.  The publisher recommends the software for children ages 7 and up, but I think that even 5-6 year olds with mom and dad's help would enjoy this game.

Catechumen - for the advanced video game children, this is THE game to buy.  This one has the flashy graphics, sounds, and action that children have come to expect from a video game, all with a Christian spin. It does have violence in it, but its mild compared to secular games. I would recommend this game for the "tween" and teen crowd.  The word Catechumen is the ancient Rome word for "The Word". Your mentor has been captured by a Roman soldier who is possessed by demons. You have to go through the catacombs of Rome to save them.  There's a little angel like character that follows you and gives you encouragement from the Bible and weapons which increase in power as you play the game. Whenever you collect health and strengthen your weapon, you get pop up screens that have Bible verses on them. It's a game about good vs. evil and it teaches the lesson that nothing can overcome the Holy Spirit.  There are eight weapons to choose from, and 18 levels of play, which means that playability is great on this game.  This is a complicated game and isn't really for young children.  The graphics are amazing, it takes a good amount of memory to run this game, and you need a mouse, a keyboard, and good soundcard to play this one.  The older kids will love it, and even the parents will enjoy the challenge of this one. You need to be a "reader" to be able to play this game. I would recommend this game for kids 8 and up, and the tween crowd will enjoy it the most.

Charlie Church Mouse Bible Adventures - I couldn't possibly leave Charlie Church Mouse out of this series of reviews.  Charlie Church Mouse is the "Reader Rabbit" of the Bible software world. If you have a toddler or preschooler, you will want to look for the original Charlie Church Mouse Bible Adventures software which is recommended for ages 2-6. Unlike most "my first Bible" software programs, Charlie Church Mouse has enough activities to actually entertain and teach your child.  The version recommended for ages 2-6 includes six Bible stories: The story of Creation, the story of Fishes and Loaves (Jesus feeds the 500), the story of Jonah (Jonah and the whale), the story of Noah's Ark, the story of the Parable of the Lost Coin (the hidden treasure), and the story of the Three Wisemen (the Christmas story). In addition to six Bible stories, I mentioned it was similar to the "Reader Rabbit" series only with a Christian spin. I say this because of all of the concepts that this software teaches your child. Your child learns from coloring pages, games, mazes, and puzzles. In addition to teaching your child Bible stories, the software also teaches colors, shapes, numbers, letters, basic matching skills, counting, beginning reasoning skills, and all of the other principal preschool and early learning skills.  This is a MUST BUY in my honest opinion.  The graphics are well done, and use the same "3 D" pop up look that "Reader Rabbit" type software uses. Additionally, you can't help but love Charlie Church Mouse; he's just so darn cute.  Playability wise, this one has a lot of activities, and it has a great feature that allows you to choose from two different levels of difficulty, which means that your child will play it a lot longer.  Now, onto the not so good news, it only runs on computers with the Windows operating system and is not available for Macs. It can be difficult to find, but is worth the search.

Charlie Church Mouse Early Elementary - This one is very similar to the concept that I mentioned about the original Charlie Church Mouse Bible software, however this one is geared toward elementary aged children. From the time your child starts kindergarten until they are in second or third grade (they say age 8, I say if your child still enjoys it, let him/her keep playing it) they will enjoy this game, learn Bible stories, as well as learn important academic skills.  The coloring pages, games, and puzzles on this one teach children addition, subtraction, telling time, music, spelling, rhyming, synonyms, antonyms, art, advanced reasoning skills, and other similar skills that your child needs to know. Of course, like my review of the last one, you still get Charlie Church Mouse and all of the fun he brings to the game.  This one has three different levels of difficulty that allows for even greater playability than the original Charlie Church Mouse software. If your child already owns and loves the original Charlie Church Mouse software, get this one, as it has different Bible stories which include the story of the walls of Jericho, the story of Ruth, the story of David and Goliath, the story of Daniel, the story of the Pearl of Great Price, and the story of Paul's Journey to Rome. Again, this one is hard to find, but worth the search, and it only runs on Windows computers.

Christian Kids Print Studio - this is print studio, Christian based software for kids. It's along the same lines as the popular character print studio's, but there is a lot less "flashiness" (sounds, lights, colors, graphics) then the print studio's that your child is probably used to. It prints the type of things you would expect from a print studio including greeting cards, party invitations, and other basic printables.  The stationary that can be printed is a nice touch, and you can save your projects to work on them later or printed later.  There are a lot of places where this software falls short, but it shows a significant effort.  There are only 50 Bible verses pre-stored into the software, which can be inserted into projects. Out of the entire Bible, 50 verses are sort of "slim pickings", but at least it's an effort.  The number of graphics and the scope of graphics are also very limited.  The fonts are also more limited than you would expect with traditional print studios.  The great thing about it is everything on the software is Christian based, however if you have one of those 10,000 graphics clip art CD's, you won't be impressed by this. Even though the number of graphics is limited, you can put them together in all sorts of combinations and produce pretty nice results.  The interface is simple which means even moms and dads who know very little about computers will be able to work with this one.  The publisher of this software recommends it for children ages 5 and older, but I am going to go out on a limb here and say that even a supervised preschooler with some help from mom and dad with the printer will enjoy this one. It only runs on Windows operating systems, and it can be difficult to find.

Daniel in the Lions' Den - this is one software program that the youngest of children, I would say 2 and 3 year olds will love and want to play over and over and over again. What this means for mom and dad, is that the annoyance factor will be that of your least favorite ________fill in the blank_______ (when I was little it was Sesame Street) that your child wants to watch over and over and over again.  There's nothing "out of the ordinary" about this software. It's basically a read aloud story book that they have added fun graphics, sounds, music and more to.  There is some interaction with your child, but don't expect anything to be real "video game like" about this software. It's more like your child's favorite Bible story that someone took a technical magic wand to and has made it a whole lot of fun.  The publisher of the software recommends it for children ages 3-7, but I think that's a bit of a stretch. While your child is in the "again, again, again" stage, he/she will love it, but as your child grows older, he/she will tire of it, because there is not a whole lot to do with it.  The good news for parents is that it's simple, it's like reading your child a bedtime story, and even parents who have limited computer knowledge will have no problem installing this program on their computer. More good news for parents this one is compatible with Macintosh and Windows computers and it's really inexpensive.  Now, the bad news, it's difficult to find. Additionally, the scope is limited to a single story, the story of Daniel in the Lions' Den, and as such your child may get bored with this one rather quickly.

GodSpeed 3D - GodSpeed 3D is along the lines of a racing/roller coaster game.  The game itself consists of tracks, and you have to stay on track by answering true or false questions from the Bible (this particular game uses the KJV Bible). If you get the answer correct, you keep going on the track you are on. If you answer the question incorrectly, you run off the edge of the track. You have to get around the road hazards which are things like greed and confusion, using the fruits of the Spirit, including faith, hope, and love. You don't have to be a reader to play the game, as the questions are spoken aloud.  The game is set up so that you learn as you go. If you have a microphone, you can create your own spoken lessons, which makes this game adaptable for a variety of ages and skill levels.  The topics covered include John 3:16, The Lord's Prayer, the Ten Commandments, the Beatitudes, the four Gospel books, the Twelve Tribes of Israel, the Books of the New Testament, the Books of the Old Testament, Creation Week, and many others. If you have a joystick with your computer, or a game pad with a joystick feature, this game is even more fun. Windows Compatible only, not Mac supported.  The publisher recommends this game for ages 6-adult, but children with knowledge of the Bible will be able to play this at any age, as there is no reading involved.

Heaven Quest - Heaven Quest to me is a Trivial Pursuit type game. You answer questions and try to make it from outside of the gates of Eden all the way to Jesus' tomb and the Resurrection.  There are 1,000 questions and they vary in difficulty from very easy to very hard.  The great thing about this game is that kids and adults can play together, because you can set the question difficulty for each individual player, so that everyone can enjoy a fair game.  The other neat thing about this one is that you can customize which version of the Bible the game will pose questions from including the NIV, KJV, and NAB Bibles.  The questions pose topics including resisting temptation, praying, and basic Bubble knowledge.  This one only works on computers running Windows, and while the publisher recommends this game for ages 4 and up, I would say that this is more of a 5-6 or even 7 and up kind of game, because you do have to know how to answer the questions, know a little bit of reading, etc. Of course, this is one of those games that is a whole lot more fun when you play with the entire family.

Jesus Wants All Of Me - I like to think of this as a "my first Bible software center". It's recommended for younger children (3-7) and includes sounds, graphics, coloring pages, simple games, and similar activities.  This sort of reminds me of those my first software games that have very basic activities, read everything aloud to your child, and "suck" your child into the video game world. Kids will love this one, especially preschoolers. Even though they recommend the game for ages 3-7, I think that 5-6 year olds will start to tire of this one, especially after they have used it a few times. If you have toddlers and preschoolers, they are going to love it, and with help from mom or dad, I think even a two or two and a half year old will enjoy this one. If you have ever read the book, or own the book Jesus Wants All of Me, it's based on the same concept. It runs on Windows and Macintosh computers, more good news for mom and dad! Unfortunately, like most of the programs I have already mentioned, it can be difficult to find.

Joshua - this is another adventure game.  This one has a huge playability factor that will keep your child, or yourself entertained for hours.  This one has 100 levels, 20 bonus levels, and over 250 Bible questions. You can play one or two players and there are "cheat codes" that allow you to select specific levels, as every big video gamer will tell you cheat codes are a must.  This is your typical adventure game with a Christian twist. You have to lead Gods people to the Promised Land, defeat enemies of God along the way, and you collect silver, gold, power ups, weapons, and all sorts of other little things along the way.  This one reminds me of a Zelda type game.  The game is recommended for ages 8 and up, all though I think ages 7 and up is a better age guideline for this one.  The great thing about this one is that you can get it for your computer that runs the Windows operating system, the original Nintendo system, and even for Game Boy, which means if you have a slightly older child and a long car trip ahead, you should definitely check this one out.  The only downside to this game is that there is only one central theme, but I guess, that's how video games are in a lot of ways.

Noah and the Ark - This is another "my first Bible software center". It's recommended for younger children (3-8), and includes sounds, graphics, and lots of chances for your child to interact with the story. Unlike similar programs (Jesus Wants All Of Me for instance), this one lets your child interact by letting them complete activities which keep the story of Noah and the Ark running.  The activities change each time you go thru the story, and there's no telling how many different combinations there are, and I am not about to count them, lol.  The great news about this one is that because the game changes depending on what your child decides to click on or do, this one has a strong playability factor compared to similar games.  The rest of the good news is that it is not a computer resource hog, is a relatively small program, and it runs on Windows and Macintosh.  Now, the not so good news, it's difficult to find, and the scope is limited to a single story.

Ominous Horizons: A Paladin's Calling - a good vs. evil game for children. In my opinion this is a Zelda/Mario Brothers combination game for Christian gamers. Your characters armor is the armor of God. Your characters weapon is the Sword of the Spirit. It's an action based game, but you don't fight people (as has become the norm in today's video games), instead you are defeating "evil" which includes dragon demons and other similar opponents. It's a fighting game with a Christian theme with multiple levels.  This game has a greater playability factor than most Christian based games, and that's because it has so many levels.  The downside is that some Christian homes just don't want a fighting game of any type in their household and you have to have a computer that uses Windows as it's not compatible with Mac. I would recommend this game for children ages 7 and up, if they can learn the controls, which let's face it is harder on a keyboard then it is on a video game controller.  This one is mildly "violent" compared to most Christian software, and even "tweens" and teens will enjoy this one.

Play and Learn Children's Bible - If you only buy one preschool/early elementary aged software program, make it this one. It includes 50 Bible stories, and each story has multiple see and play along pages. Your child starts by choosing a story, and then they can either have the story read aloud or read it themselves. Each of the story pages has little animations that kids can click on to interact with the story.  The end of the story has a question that it asks the children, sort of a "were you paying attention"/comprehension sort of thing. It's a click and play easy to play, easy to follow program that won't leave your child bored.  The 50 stories cover popular Bible stories, and are on average between 3-5 pages in length each. The words used in the stories are written on a kid level, which means that preschoolers will understand the stories when they are read aloud, and beginning readers will be able to read the stories themselves. If you are familiar with the Christian children's book author Gilbert Beers, you will recognize the styling of the stories, and know that the content is high quality. In addition to the stories, there are 16 Bible sing a long songs, 25 Bible picture puzzles, 25 paint program style coloring activities, Music Box Bible sing a longs, mazes you can play on your computer, counting activities, and alphabet activities.  The graphics are well done, kid friendly, the sounds are well done and are also kid friendly.  This is one of the "high quality" Bible based programs you will find for the younger kids. I would recommend this software for toddlers, preschoolers, and beginning readers, up to the age of about 7 or 8.  It's a must for preschoolers in my opinion.  The stories included on Play and Learn Children's Bible from the Old Testament are: Creation, God Makes Adam and Eve, the Garden of Eden, Noah Builds a Big Boat, God Sends a Big Flood, Isaac is Born, Esau and Jacob are Born, God Helps Joseph, Joseph's Secret Identity, Baby Moses, a Bush Keeps Burning, Walking through the Red Sea, Moses Leads His People, God Gives Good Rules The Ten Commandments, God Promises a Home, the Walls of Jericho, God talks to Samuel, David Fights a Giant, Special Gift for King Solomon, Queen Esther, Daniel and the Lion's Den, and Jonah and a Big Fish.  New Testament stories included in this software are An Angel Brings Good News, Baby Jesus is Born, Shepherds Visit Jesus, Wise Men Visit Jesus, the Boy Jesus, Jesus Teachers some Teachers, John Baptizes Jesus, Jesus Goes Fishing, Jesus Chooses 12 Disciples, Jesus Preaches a Sermon, Mary and Martha, the Lost Sheep, Prodigal Son, Jesus Loves Children, Zacchaeus, a Woman's Big-Little Gift, Down Through the Roof, Jesus Stops a Storm, Lunch for 5,000, Jesus Walks on Water, Lazarus is Alive, Last Supper, Jesus Dies on the Cross, Some Women Visit Jesus' Tomb, Jesus Goes Back to Heaven, Saul Becomes Jesus' Friend, Singing in Jail, and a Boy Named Timothy. As someone who has taught 2-4 year olds in a Sunday school setting, I can tell you that the maker's of this software understand how children learn, and they accomplished their goal with leaps and bounds.  The number of stories, and the stories that it covers far exceeds the number of stories and the depth covered by any other Bible software for this age group. If you only buy one software program that I mentioned out of all the ones I mentioned for your preschooler or young child, buy this one. Best of all, it runs on both Macintosh and Windows computers.  Now, the not so good news, it's difficult to find, and all of the activities are computer based. It would have been nice if you could print out the coloring pages, to use them say in a classroom setting, but if you have a computer in your Sunday school classroom, this would be an excellent teaching tool.

Say Your Prayers with Lil Angela - this is a must have software if you are trying to teach your child(ren) how to pray.  They recommend it for ages 3-7, all though I would say that ages 2-8 is a more appropriate range. Lil Angela is a cute little toon angel who teaches your children how to play. The voice of Lil Angela is extremely well done, a warm friendly voice that your child can click on. Lil Angela sits on a cloud, surrounded by 7 smaller clouds, one for each of the seven categories of prayers that your child can learn from this CD.  The seven categories of prayer taught by this CD are: Prayers of Thanks, Morning Prayers, Bedtime Prayers, Mealtime Prayers, Prayers of Need, Prayers of Praise, and Prayers for Special Needs.  There are 21 prayers that the CD teaches in total.  The good news about this CD is that the voice is a warm, friendly, heart warming, touching, soothing voice your child will love to listen to.  The music is also very well done, and very soothing. There's not much for your child to really "do" with this one, there are interactive screens, but it's pretty much a click along storybook type set up. This one will work on Macintosh and Windows computers.  The graphics are really kept to a minimum in this one, but keep in mind that the software is entirely drawn by hand, no sophisticated computer graphics with this one. It's a neat little program, if you want your child to learn some basic prayers. It can be difficult to find however.

Scripture Solitaire - this one is recommended for ages 7 to adult. However, I may as well warn you that the adult's are going to enjoy this one more than the kids.  The cards have phrases on them instead of the traditional numbers that you are used to; as you put the phrases together you form a complete Bible verse.  There are "hints" just like in regular solitaire games, and there are a large number of game combinations, and so forth that make this a great game for beginning Bible verse learners thru seasoned Bible verse pros.  There are themes that you can choose that allow you to "beautify" your game.  These themes include: More Precious than Silver, As Iron Sharpens Iron, Garden of Gethsemane, Sheep of His Pasture, Ancient of Days, and Green Felt.  There are also seven different solitaire games that you can play with this one including Klondike, Freecell, His Yoke is Easy, Noah's Ark, New Jerusalem, God's Favor, and Checkerboard.  The verses are taken from the KJV Bible, and you can also add your own verses or use quotes that are not Bible verses at all.  The ability to use any sentence, quote, phrase, or Bible verse with this game makes the possibilities for game play nearly endless. It only runs on a Windows operating system, and can be difficult to find in stores. Younger children can use easier Bible verses, and what a great way this would be to teach sentence structure and forming sentences as well.

There are some other Christian based games as well, but I do not know much about them, and therefore, cannot provide details about them as I did with the games above. Here are the titles of those games:

A Redemption Adventure: Victory at Hebron (I know this one is for older kids, and has something to do with a spin off of the Christian based board/card game)

Discovery's Life of Christ

Super 3D Noah's Ark

Fall of Jericho

Spiritual Warfare

Exodus: Journey to a Promised Land