IN THE BEGINNING… we used any kind of figures we could find to retell Bible stories. Can you spot Franklin the turtle, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Luna Girl?
But there was just something odd about using Bunga from the Lion Guard to represent Jesus! That’s why we started using peg people! I wanted to give the boys a consistent and engaging way to learn about God’s word through PLAY.
I also wanted them to know that there is a difference in the stories we make up using our imagination and Bible stories. Each time, before I tell a story using peg people, I remind the boys that, “This is a story from God’s TRUE word, the Bible” just to reinforce that this ‘story’ is actually more than a story, it’s truth.
The beauty of these Bible Story Peg People is that you, as the parent, have the opportunity to use them in whatever way your children connect with most! After our basket of peg people has been out for a few months in the same location, I move it to a different room in the house to encourage the children to play with them in different areas and using different props. Sometimes, I suggest stories that I would love to hear them tell or at other times, they have an idea of what story they want to tell and items they will use!
Some of our favorite props include:
A recycled oatmeal container to use as a pit and jail for Joseph! When I share stories at chapel, I use these larger wooden people, so the children can see them better from a distance! Coco got a little fancy and covered the oatmeal container with black felt and put jail bars on one side, but a plain container works just fine! The boys LOVE this.
We followed directions on Pinterest and made a big fish to use with our peg people when retelling the story of Jonah.
Rocks, white pom-poms (or cotton balls), and Lincoln logs (or pipe cleaners) make the perfect props for The Good Shepherd and any story involving sheep.
Before we started making our own Peg People, I ordered these Godly Play figures.
Magna tiles and blocks are perfect props for Nehemiah, the Walls of Jericho, Queen Esther’s palace, and Pharaoh’s Palace during the plagues in Egypt.
Band-aids for the Good Samaritan and the 10 Lepers are essential!
Animals such as a lion to retell stories like Benaiah or Daniel.
And, sand to use for stories that take place in the desert for example with Abraham.
Is there significance to the paint colors?
Some…we typically use the purple peg person to represent Jesus since purple means royalty and He is our King! We also use the white peg person when there is an angel in the story. Besides that, we chose paint colors we liked and thought went well together.
Why do you use felt?
We have found felt to be an easy and inexpensive way to illustrate the setting of the story! I keep our felt in a specific box and as the boys are gathering materials for playtime with the peg people, they often go and grab a piece of blue felt to represent water, green felt for a grassy field, yellow felt for stories that take place in a palace or brown for a road or path.
When do you use the Peg People?
We use them in many different ways and at various times of the day!
- When beginning a new WOW Word, I use the peg people to introduce a new Bible story to the boys. As soon as I am finished, they usually always ask if they can retell it to me, using the peg people!
- As mentioned before, I keep our Bible Story Peg People in a basket that the boys can use at any time to play as they re-enact stories from the Bible.
- I have also used our coffee table as a stage and invited the boys to each pick a different story to share for bedtime stories on special nights.
- Occasionally, we go to the park with our quilt, peg people, and snacks! The purpose of this outing is to share Bible stories and snacks together and invite other people we meet to join us on our quilt. This is always a rich and wonderful experience for the boys (and myself). A park (without playground equipment such as Ellington Ag. Center) that is mainly an open grassy area has worked best for us. It’s hard to compete with swings and a slide!
Visual Learner?
Click here to watch a short video of me sharing the story of The Good Shepherd using peg people.
How does your family use Bible Story Peg People? I can’t wait to hear your ideas!
Mr. Marc was our next door neighbor and often played songs on his guitar as the boys ran around in the backyard. As part of the Speer Family, he grew up singing gospel music and continues using his gifts to record hymns for CB&J today! These hymns are a timeless way to remind children about the character of Jesus, and we are grateful to be able to share these with you.