Honesty Character Training

Teaching preschoolers about honesty helps them build trust and develop strong character. On this page, you'll find a collection of engaging books, activities, Bible stories, and verses designed to help young children understand the importance of being truthful in everyday life. 

Throw a Party for Jesus! 🎈

Enjoy celebrating Jesus' birthday with the Happy Birthday Jesus Workbook! This resource provides fun activities and meaningful discussions that help children ages 3-12 grasp the significance of His birth. This workbook streamlines your planning process to allow everyone an oportunity to enjoy the time.

Fun Holiday Learning

Ruthie and the (Not So) Teeny Tiny Lie

Ruthie and the (Not So) Teeny Tiny Lie by Laura Rankin tells the story of Ruthie, a little fox who finds a tiny toy camera at school and tells a lie to keep it. As her guilt grows, Ruthie learns the importance of honesty and the relief that comes with telling the truth. 

Franklin Fibs

Franklin Fibs by Paulette Bourgeois follows Franklin the turtle as he tells a fib to impress his friends, claiming he can eat seventy-six flies in the blink of an eye. When it's time to prove it, Franklin realizes that lying only makes things harder and learns the importance of honesty. 

Honesty is My Superpower

Honesty is My Superpower by Alicia Ortego teaches children the value of being truthful. Tommy lies to his brother and discovers the consequences of dishonesty.  In this book kids learn how honesty makes them feel good, builds trust, and builds relationships.

Lying up a Storm

Lying up a Storm by Julia Cook is a helpful and relatable story that teaches children the consequences of lying. The main character, Levi, learns that each lie he tells creates a "storm" in his body that grows bigger and harder to control. Through his journey, Levi realizes the importance of honesty and how telling the truth can clear up the storm. 

The Boy Who Cried Wolf

The Boy Who Cried Wolf by Teresa Mlawer is a classic retelling of the well-known fable that teaches the consequences of lying. In the story, a young shepherd boy repeatedly tricks villagers by falsely claiming a wolf is attacking his sheep. When a real wolf appears and no one believes him. This story serves as a powerful lesson on the importance of honesty and the potential harm caused by dishonesty.

The Empty Pot

The Empty Pot by Demi is a story about a young boy named Ping, who lives in ancient China. The emperor, looking for a successor, gives each child a seed and asks them to grow it into the most beautiful plant. Despite Ping’s best efforts, his seed doesn’t grow, and he is left with an empty pot. However, when he honestly presents the empty pot to the emperor, he is chosen as the new ruler for his honesty and integrity. 

The Berenstain Bears and the Truth

The Berenstain Bears and the Truth by Stan and Jan Berenstain tells the story of Brother and Sister Bear, who accidentally break Mama's favorite lamp while playing a forbidden game indoors. Instead of telling the truth, they try to cover it up with a fib. However, they soon learn the consequences of dishonesty and the importance of owning up to their mistakes. 

Let's Be Honest

Let's Be Honest by P.K. Hallinan is a picture book that teaches children the importance of honesty. Through simple, relatable scenarios, the story shows how telling the truth helps build trust and strengthens relationships with others.

Holiday Fun for Kids 🎲

Get your FREE Roll-a-Picture Thanksgiving & Christmas Packet today! Keep little hands busy and spark creativity with these fun, easy games that build fine motor skills and promote learning. Roll a turkey, snowman, Christmas tree and more, and enjoy playful moments during family gatherings, cozy game nights, or classroom activities!

Get Your Free Packet Today

Teaching True vs. Not True

Ask, "Do you know the difference between something that's true and something that's not true? Let's see if you do. I'll say something and you say, 'True' or 'Not true.'" Start with simple physical facts and move toward things relating to behavior, for example:

• The sky is green. (Kids say, "Not true.")
• (Point at foot) This is my foot. (Kids say, "True.")
• Ants are bigger than elephants.
• We see with our eyes.
• We hear with our nose.
• Milk comes from chickens.
• Take a cookie out of a jar and eat it. Then say, "I didn't eat the cookie."
• Drop a toy on the couch. Then say, "Yes, I left my toy on the couch."

Then say, "You really can tell the difference between true and not true, can't you? Do you know what it's called when someone says something that's not true? It's called a lie."

Now: "I'll say some more things and you say, 'Truth' if it's true and 'Lie' if it's not true."

• Pick up a dollar on the floor. Then say, "I didn't find a dollar."
• Give a bit of food to someone else. Then say, "No, I didn't eat all my food. I gave some of it to ______."
  (Use more illustrations appropriate to your child or children.)

Then ask, "Why is telling the truth better than telling a lie?" (So that everyone knows what really happened; so the wrong person won't get blamed; so we can learn to do better, etc.)

Reprinted with Permission from Value Parenting

Honesty Role-Playing

Set up simple scenarios where children can practice telling the truth, such as admitting when they’ve accidentally broken something or fessing up to not completing a task. Discuss the importance of honesty afterward.

Truth or Fib? Game

Create cards with statements—some true and some false. Have the child guess if the statement is true or a fib. This can help children learn the difference between truth and lying.