Memorizing Bible verses is an incredibly important skill for anyone to learn, especially children. In fact, we shared some of the reasons for why children should memorize simple Bible verses for kids just last week, in this article—the biggest of which being that kids can access the truth of God’s Word throughout their whole lives, whenever they need it, through simple Bible verse memorization.
While it can be hard to learn to recite Scripture by heart, thankfully, when kids learn simple Bible verses early, they’re at the time of their lives when they can more easily memorize them and have God’s truth in their heart for the rest of their life. Here are four methods you can use with children to help them memorize simple Bible verses for kids.
Make Simple Bible Verses for Kids into Cards
The first idea is to help turn simple Bible verses for kids into cards that work as a visual aid in memorization. Hands-on learners will memorize more easily if they write the verse down themselves and put it in a visible place. Verse cards can also be helpful for visual learners or for artsy kids who enjoy creating something with their hands.
When doing this craft with children, you can either write the verse simply as a flash card or with special lettering art, or draw pictures next to the verse to remind kids of what the verse means. For example, the verse John 3:16 could include a drawing of hearts, people, and the earth on the card to remind kids that God loves the people of the world. This is a chance for you and the kids to get creative. After the Bible verse card is made, encourage kids to put their work of art somewhere they’ll see it every day, like their bedroom, bathroom, or schoolbag. Then, challenge them to say the simple Bible verses out loud whenever they see it to help them remember it.
Turn Simple Bible Verses for Kids Into Songs
Another way you can help kids learn Scripture is to turn simple Bible verses for kids into songs. Many kids are incredibly talented at learning songs the first time they hear them, or can sing their favorite musical soundtrack without missing a single lyric. Why not apply that to memorizing simple Bible verses? It’s a fun way to help kids remember Scripture without trying too hard. CEF’s U-Nite TV offers plenty of free online music videos of simple Bible verses for kids, perfect for easy memorization that can be used at home or in a Sunday school classroom. Some of the music videos include verses like Ephesians 4:32 or James 1:5.
Make Bible Verse Memorization Goals
While it isn’t a memorization method, exactly, setting achievable Bible memorization goals is a great way to motivate kids to memorize Scripture and reward them for their hard work. It may take a while for kids to see the spiritual rewards that memorizing simple Bible verses can bring, but they can at least have a short-term reward to look forward to in the meantime by setting achievable goals. To help motivate kids even further, consider helping them visualize their goals with a simple chart containing the kids’ names and the verses they want to memorize. There are lots of creative ideas for making charts on Pinterest or other places online. Charts help with a sense of accomplishment along the way to achieving the larger goal, while you can offer a prize for each step of the way. Challenging children to memorize at least 5-10 simple Bible verses for kids is usually a great place to start for a chart and a prize.
Play Simple Bible Verses for Kids Memory Games
Last but not least, help bring the fun to Scripture memorization by turning simple Bible verses for kids into memory games. Games are a great way for kids to feel excited to learn and flex their Bible memorization muscles. To get you started, here are a couple game ideas.
Choose a Letter
For this game, you’ll need a simple Bible verse for kids visualized on a flashcard or on a whiteboard where every child can see it. To start, read the verse together, then let one kid choose a letter found in the verse, while a second kid chooses an action. Read the verse together again, but this time do the chosen action whenever you read a word that starts with the chosen letter. For example, if the first kid chose the letter “a” and the second chose the action “hop”, the whole group would hop every time they read a word that starts with the letter “a”.
Follow the Leader
Another game you can play is a version of “Follow the Leader”, only this time you’re learning simple Bible verses for kids together. For this game, create a routine or choreographed hand motions to go along with the verse you want children to learn. Then, have the kids repeat the verse aloud with you as they follow the motions and movement that the “leader” demonstrates. This leader could be a teacher or another child in the class.
We hope you have fun helping kids memorize Scripture and maybe learn some for yourself along the way!
