discovering joy in the journey

Joy to the Heart

Looking for some different ways to help your kids hide God’s Word in their hearts?
Here are 15 ways to enjoyably practice and/or review Scripture memory – useful for Sunday School , Bible Clubs, or at home!

1. Mix It, Fix It

This has been our longstanding method for introducing one verse at a time.  We divide up the words to the verse among our kids and have them work together to place the words in order in a pocket chart.  In a larger group setting, teams could compete to put the verse correctly in their pocket charts or in order on the floor.

2. Verse Stacks

Have your child stack the cups with the words of the verse in order.  Start by writing the reference on the bottom of the first cup and writing the first word on the rim.  If you use two different colors of marker, you could use one stack of cups to review two separate verses!  You could also use this idea to stack the books of the Old and New Testaments.

3. Clothespins and Hangers

Write one or two words on each clothespin.  Have your child attach the clothespins onto the hanger, forming the verse in the correct order.  (You could also attach the clothespins to a ruler, hanging piece of yarn, etc.)

4. Sticky ‘Word’ Notes

Write one or two words from a verse on each sticky Post It Note.  Encourage your child to place the sticky note words in order to form the verse.

5. Building Block Verses

Attach one word to each large block.  Blocks may be plastic, wooden, cardboard. etc.  Kids like to work together to either stack the blocks to form the verse or lay the blocks flat in a line to form the verse.

6. Colorful Craft Sticks

Write one or two words form the verse on each craft stick.  Your child can lay out the craft sticks in order to form the verse left to right or top to bottom.

7. Scripture Noodle Necklaces

Ahead of time, use a few drops of rubbing alcohol and food coloring to dye noodles in a ziplock bag and cut tag board rectangles for the kids to write one main word from the verse.

Tape one end of a 36 inch long piece of crochet thread onto the floor or table.  Children string half of their desired noodles onto the string, attach the key word from the verse, and then string the other half of their noodles. Once they say the full verse, tie their necklace for them to wear.  (Alternatively, children could string the first few words of a verse to help them remember or do the entire verse, if it is not too long.)
 

8. Hula Hoop Hoppin’

Have 3-5 kids stand around the edge of a Hula Hoop. Each child takes a turn jumping in the middle of the hoop and saying a word from the verse. (Kids need to go in order around the Hula Hoop saying the next word needed.) When the verse is complete, they sit down.  This would be fun with 2-3 small groups competing!

9. Swat the Next Word

Spread words from the verse out onto the floor.  Your child can use a flyswatter to ‘swat ‘ the next word needed for the verse.  (Make sure to tape the words down if you don’t want the words flying around with each swat. =) )

10. Bible Verse Musical Chairs

Organize chairs so that there is one for each child.  Attach clipart of a Bible to a few of the chairs.  Play this similar to regular musical chairs, but when the music stops, no one is out. Those sitting in chairs with a Bible on it need to stand and say a memory verse.
Variation (found at Danielle’s Place) – Write one or two words from a verse on each sticky Post It Note.  Place the sticky notes randomly on the chairs. Review the memory verse each time the music stops.  Children look to see if they have the next needed word of the verse on their chair.  If so, they stick it on a board in the front of the room.  Continue until the entire verse is complete.

11. Bean Bag Toss and Say

Tape the words of a Scripture verse to the floor.  Encourage your child to toss the bean bag onto the next word needed in the verse.
Variation – Each child says one word and then tosses the bean bag to another child for him/her to say the next word needed to complete the verse.

12. Hopscotch

Head outside for some fresh air and form a hopscotch board on the sidewalk.  Tape down or write a word from a Bible verse into each square.  Have your child toss a rock onto the hopscotch board.  Children alternate one footed and two footed hops, saying the verse as they travel down the hopscotch board.  On their return path, they attempt to say the verse again, without the word prompts facing them, making sure to pick up the rock on their way back to the starting line.

13. Roll It Through (croquet)

My kids came up with this one!  You can practice two verses for every game!  Set up the croquet wire wickets- attaching a word from one verse to the top of each wicket on one side and a word from a different verse on the other side. (Use a different color for each verse.)   Kids practice saying the first verse as they roll their ball through in the order of the wickets and then practice the second verse on their return.  Every time they roll their ball through a wicket, they say the entire verse up to that point.  At the end, they say the verse in its entirety.

14. ‘Can’ You Match It?

Write a Bible verse on sentence strips and place it on the floor or in a pocket chart, leaving a row between each sentence strip.  Use tape to mark a start line on the floor and place a bean bag there.  On the other side of the room, place a can and words from the verse scattered randomly around the can. Have children take turns attempting to toss the bean bag into the can.  Once they successfully toss the bean bag into the can, they get to choose a word and take it back to their group, placing it under the sentence strip and matching word to word.

15. Bounce a Ball

Let your child practice saying their verse as they bounce a ball.  Each time the ball touches the ground, they say another word from the verse.  How fast can they bounce the ball and say the verse without mistakes?
Variation – Bounce and pass a ball with a friend, alternating who says the next needed word in the verse.

You can easily type up or write out the words needed for Bible verses in the version that you prefer.  Over at Hubbard’s Cupboard, we have quite a few verses (some in NIV,1984 and others in ESV) prepared as ‘Bible Verse Strips’ to print and cut apart for quick and easy use with some of the above review activities.  On that same page, we also have Bible Charts that can be printed out to hang on the refrigerator, placed in a binder, or reduced and printed onto smaller cards to form Scripture memory flipbooks.

Our family has also been known to sing our verses, make up motions to accompany some verses, and have sometimes even drawn pictures to complement them.  Of course, simply listening to the Word and repeating it back works too!

The goal: Hiding God’s Word in our hearts and minds! 

What are some ways you and your children like to practice and review Scripture memory?