10 Creative Ways to Help Your Children Memorize Scripture

There’s a lot I could say about the impact of Scripture memorization on the life of a believer—much of which you’re probably already familiar with. But when we think about how Scripture memorization can impact our children, it hits our hearts in a new and profound way. 

 

Scripture memorization helps your children look more and more like Christ. Since the Word is living and active (Hebrews 4:12), as they store up God’s Word in their hearts and minds, God’s Spirit will work in their lives to form their character—a character which will reflect the love and goodness of their Creator. The more your children learn about God through His Word, the more they’ll desire to live worthy of the gospel. Therefore, it’s never too early (or late!) to bring God’s Word close to your children’s hearts. 

But you may struggle to make Scripture memorization engaging for your children—since, after all, children learn best when they’re excited about the subject. Below, you’ll find ten creative (and fun) ways to make Scripture memorization exciting for your children! I pray that these methods will fill your children’s hearts with laughter, joy, and the goodness of God. 

10 creative ways to help your children memorize Scripture: 

1. Create hand motions 

Adding hand motions is a simple way to help your children memorize Scripture. Most importantly, they don’t have to be elaborate or even graceful. Let your child take part in the creative process—letting them pick motions that resonate best with them. 

2. Sing it

There’s plenty of research out there about the benefits of music and memory. But what you need to know is that singing God’s Word stores the truths of the gospel not only in the mind, but in the heart as well. So put verses to a familiar tune or play a song by someone who has already done the work for you (like Seeds Kids Worship). You can sing it in the car or during their play time! 

3. Echo-game

As your children begin the process of memorization, repetition will be their best friend. Have your children echo you as you say each word of the verse out loud. To make it interesting, use a silly voice every now and then (say it loud, quiet, tired, high-pitched, etc.).   

4. Verse shuffle 

As your children become familiar with the verse, you can start challenging their mind. One way to do this is by writing each word of the verse (including the verse reference) on separate index cards. Shuffle the cards and then have your children put them in the correct order. 

5. Fill in the blank 

If your children are older, write out the verse on a piece of paper (or white board). Then remove a couple of keywords from the verse, challenging your children to fill in the missing words. 

6. Ball toss

Make Scripture memorization fun for your children by getting them up and moving. Toss a ball and have the catcher say the first word of the verse. They will then throw it to someone else, who will say the second word of the verse. This pattern will continue until you complete the whole verse. If someone misses a word or drops the ball, go back to the beginning of the verse. 

7. Bible verse race 

An important part of Scripture memorization is knowing how to find the verse in the Bible. Therefore, time your children to see how fast they can find the verse in the Bible or have them race each other to see who can find it first. 

8. Guess the word 

Write the verse out on a poster (or piece of paper), blindfolding one of your children. Then point to a word in the verse and have your other child read the verse out loud, inserting a clap when they get to the word you pointed to. Have your blindfolded child try to guess the missing word.  

9. Illustrate it 

Let your children’s creativity run wild by letting them illustrate what the verse means to them. Take some time at the end for them to explain their illustration to you. 

10. Popsicle sticks

As your children learn more and more verses, write each verse reference on a separate popsicle stick. Keep the popsicle sticks in a jar on your kitchen counter or in your car’s cup holder. During meal time or on the way to school, you can choose a random popsicle stick and see if your children can remember the verse.