The reference box
What makes The Bible Crate different
The Bible Crate, from the Christian children’s publisher Good & True Media, takes kids in kindergarten through fifth grade from Creation to the early church in 12 boxes. Crate 1 opens with Adam and Eve, plus seeds for planting a garden of Eden.
- Each box
- Four Bible stories, one for each week, with an audio drama for every story, an activity book, craft supplies, character cards, and location stickers for an adventure passport.
- Ages
- Kindergarten through fifth grade, with separate questions for younger and older kids.
- Siblings
- Packs sized for one, two, or three children.
Compare the boxes
| Box | Best fit | Cost and commitment | Delivery |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Bible Crate Reference box |
Grades K–5, the Bible story in order over one year | A 12-box program, with packs for one, two, or three children. | One box a month, four weekly lessons in each. |
| Rooted Kids Seedlings | Ages 6 to 9, one Bible story a month | $35 a month. Cancel anytime. | Ships on the 25th, US only. |
| Messages from Christ | Ages 3 to 7 or 8 to 12, a letter and lesson each month | $34 a box, 10% less on the monthly plan, plus shipping. Skip or cancel anytime. | Ships around the 1st, US only. |
| Rooted Kids Sprouts | Ages 3 to 5, a first Bible story box | $35 a month. Cancel anytime. | Ships on the 25th, US only. |
The alternatives
Closest match, ages 6 to 9
Rooted Kids Seedlings vs The Bible Crate
Best for: Early elementary kids who looked forward to a Bible story arriving in the mail.
Rooted Kids’ Seedlings box, sold on Cratejoy by HelloBible, sends one Bible story a month, told through a storybook with Ellie the Oak as the guide. Keepsake crafts and activities come with it, along with a parent guide for exploring the story, talking it over, and praying together.
What feels familiar
Its past boxes ran from Noah and Abraham through Moses, David, and Esther to the birth of Jesus and his miracles, so kids still meet the big stories of both Testaments one after another. The supplies can be shared between two children, so siblings can work from one box, much like The Bible Crate’s two- and three-child packs.
What changes
One story a month instead of four, so plan on a single craft night rather than a lesson every week. Its listing mentions no audio dramas, and it’s written for ages 6 to 9, so a fifth grader may find it young.
Older kids, ages 8 to 12
Messages from Christ vs The Bible Crate
Best for: Third, fourth, and fifth graders, and families who like a letter written straight to the child.
Messages from Christ, started by homeschooling mom Madison Resare, builds each month around one Bible story, parable, or theme. Each box holds a wax-sealed Scripture letter written to your child, an activity booklet with discussion prompts, a craft, a sensory kit, and a small toy or keepsake.
What feels familiar
Like The Bible Crate’s two question tracks, it splits by age: Little Disciples for ages 3 to 7 and Faith Builders for ages 8 to 12. Over a year, the stories come from both the Old and New Testaments, with seasonal boxes at Easter and Christmas.
What changes
Some months center on a parable or a theme such as faith instead of a single story, and the site doesn’t lay out a year-long order through the Bible. Shipping is added at checkout, and it ships only within the US.
A preschool sibling, ages 3 to 5
Rooted Kids Sprouts vs The Bible Crate
Best for: The little brother or sister who isn’t in kindergarten yet and wants a box too.
Sprouts is the preschool side of Rooted Kids, with Ollie the Acorn as the guide: a Bible storybook, keepsake crafts, and activities each month, plus a parent guide and instructions pitched at ages 3 to 5.
What feels familiar
A monthly Bible story with something to make, and supplies that two children can share.
What changes
Ages 3 to 5 sits below The Bible Crate’s kindergarten start, so school-age siblings will need Seedlings. Ordering both covers a preschooler and an older brother or sister from the same seller.
The honest part
What none of these quite replaces
The Bible Crate is built as one long journey: 48 stories in order from Creation to the early church, an audio drama for each, and a passport that fills with stickers as kids move through the Bible. None of these three boxes promises that. Seedlings comes closest in feel for ages 6 to 9, and Messages from Christ picks up the older end of elementary school.
How we chose these boxes
We started from The Bible Crate’s format (Bible stories for kids in kindergarten through fifth grade, with crafts and activities built around them) and looked for monthly boxes that keep that rhythm. We went through Cratejoy’s Christian and kids’ craft listings, kept the two monthly kids’ Bible boxes that fit, and added one company that sells on its own site. The photo at the top is Good & True Media’s own photo of the first Bible Crate box.
Questions before switching
Which box works for a fourth or fifth grader?
The Faith Builders box from Messages from Christ, written for ages 8 to 12. Rooted Kids Seedlings is written for ages 6 to 9, so a 10- or 11-year-old may find it young.
Do any of these boxes include audio dramas?
Not that we found. None of the three lists audio dramas. Each one is built around a printed story or letter, crafts, and activities.
Is there a Catholic option?
Catholic Family Crate is a monthly box for Catholic families, with activities designed for ages 3 to 12. It follows the Church calendar instead of Bible stories: each crate covers two feast days with art prints, short saint bios, and activities, plus a prayer to learn and a virtue to talk over at the table. It’s listed at $39.99 a month.
Can I send one as a gift?
Yes. Both Rooted Kids boxes have a Give as a Gift option on Cratejoy, and Messages from Christ has a gift option at checkout that includes a personal note.
