There are so many great ways to help kids memorize scripture. Here are a few of our favorites activities for scripture memory in your family, church, or Sunday School.
5 Ways to Teach Children Bible Verses
Like everything it helps to have a plan. Here are some of my favorite ways to help kids memorize their Bible verses. In general, Scripture work should be fun, easy, age-appropriate and effective. Here is what I recommend:
1. Adopt One Verse a Week
That was my idea when putting together our popular 52 Bible Verses for Kids. It’s a simple printable that you can display on your refrigerator or beside the family calendar. If you print it on card stock then you can cut out the verses and have easy made flash cards. Here’s the easy print PDF version.
2. Let Kids Test Their Parent’s Memory
This is always a fun twist and keeps the kids motivated. It works best in the care when mom or dad is captive and can’t sneak a peak at the answer! Keep the stack of memory verse cards in your car and the children can take turns quizzing their parents during short commutes. The one catch is the child has to read out the full verse answer if parents get it wrong. This makes for excellent repetitions without feeling like a chore. Plus there is good education science in having kids evaluate and concentrate for missing words while the parents recite the scripture.
3. Use Spaced Repetition & Recall Methods
The basic ideas is to repeat the verse, then try to recall from memory, then wait longer periods of time between attempting the next recall. This method is every students friend. It allows you to add new items to memory while saving time by reviewing items you’ve already mastered less frequently.
The classic expression came from from a researcher named Paul Pimsleur who suggested intervals of 5 seconds, 25 seconds, 2 minutes, 10 minutes, 1 hour, 5 hours, 1 day, 5 days, 25 days, 4 months, and 2 years.
4. Play Bible Memory Games
This is one reason kids loved coming to my children’s church. We made a point to do our Bible memory games every week to introduce and reinforce our memory verses. Here’s a PDF if you want to download all 19 game options.
5. Keep Verses Simple (or Take a Piece at a Time)
Bible verses come in all shapes and sizes. I recommend starting with the short and easy Bible verses. The verse divisions in our English Bibles are not part of the original so don’t worry too much about getting all the context words if they don’t drive home the core meaning of a verse. For example Colossians 3:16 can be broken up into parts – and learned over several days.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
Here’s how I’d divide this one adding a piece each day… or adding parts each annual cycle as the kids get older. All of it is important, but it’s more important for children to be successful and make progress. Make it easy & fun.
- Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly,
- teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom,
- singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,
- with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
Bonus: Scripture Memorization Lists
10 Easy Bible Verses for Kids – Most Christian parents and Sunday School teachers say that Bible memorization is important for children. It helps kids hide God’s Word in their heart and builds a framework for interpreting life.
Bible Verses from Devotional Christian – Powerful collections of verses on topics like love, forgiveness, self-control, freedom, faith, and strength.
How do you teach kids Bible verses?
I’d love to hear from you, what have you found helpful in working on scripture memory with children. Leave a comment below to share your ideas and encourage other readers.
I need help to teach my Sunday school class. Ages 3 to 14
Hi Omoleye
We bless for the good work He is using you to serve His people. My advise to you is that the age range is too wide. May God help you and you get joined up with other facilitators or you meet these kids on different occasions if they are to benefit.
Break them between 3 to 4. 4-5, 6-8, 9-11 and 12-14. 3-4 do a bible story with an activity within 10 mins 6-8 bible story life application and an activity, 9-11 bible reading, challenge them to recite and apply scriptures, allow question time. 12-14 help them to know how scriptures relate to their everyday life and allow question time.
I teach using music and motions. The motions are whatever comes to mind. Children can come up with some good motions on their own or look into American Sign Language for some good motions. The music is mostly what I made up, usually up and down the scale with some added note jumps for interest. Think old time nursery rhyme songs. Sometimes a verse will fit into a well known tune and you don’t have to think up new music at all.