5 Ways of Memorizing Scripture with your Kids

Have you ever had a moment when the perfect verse popped into your head, just when you needed it most? Maybe it was a word of encouragement or a bit of wisdom from the Scripture. Either way, that verse probably came to your mind because you memorized it at some point in your life, maybe even as a child. Memorizing Scripture is a wonderful practice to begin with kids when they are very young, but sometimes it’s tough to know where to begin. Since all kids learn different ways, I decided to go with suggestions tied to different learning styles. Here are five fun and easy ways to memorize Scripture with your kids.

VISUAL

This type of kid loves pictures and images, so plug into their illustrative tendencies when you’re memorizing Scripture. After selecting a monthly family memory verse, have your child draw a picture to coordinate with the Scripture. It could be a super intricate heart (older kids) for John 3:16 or a simple sheep for John 10:11. You can even find Scripture texts turned into coloring pages at places like:

• Coloring Pages by Mr. Adron
• Flame: Creative Children’s Ministry
• Doodle Art Alley
• Look to Him and Be Radiant
• What’s in the Bible Coloring Book

AUDITORY

There are so many high quality Scripture based songs and CD’s on the market right now. Groups such as The Rizers, JumpStart3, and Seeds Family Worship compose songs that are almost strictly Scripture and have a catchy beat.   Play these songs in the car or in the house, and sing them yourself as you go throughout the day.

VERBAL

If you’ve got an especially verbal kid, make reciting Scripture a regular family practice.   For our family (kids are ages 3 & 4), we found the most effective way to hide God’s Word in our hearts is to make it the last thing we do when we leave the dinner table. If the kids are done with their dinner and want to be excused, they first recite the month’s memory verse. We make up motions as a family to help with recall and I’m constantly surprised not only at the length of the verse these kids can memorize but how many verses they can continue to recite as the month’s go by.

PHYSICAL

Some kids learn best while moving their bodies.   Why not make up a game surrounding the family’s monthly memory verse? It can be as simple as writing one word per note card, placing them across the room and having kids run to get them and assemble them in the correct order. Or you could get really crazy and design a scavenger hunt or clue based hunt around a particular memory verse. You could do jumping jacks every morning…okay, that’s too much. But you get the idea! We played a wet and wild game at our church called Scripture or Squirted, that would be sure to leave an impression!

LOGICAL

For the logic based kid, crosswords and fill in the blank puzzles are always fun for memorizing Scripture. You can even make your own puzzle based on your family’s monthly memory verse at Discovery Kids or A to Z Teacher Stuff. If your kids are older, you could also dive into a Bible concordance and link the month’s memory verse to similar themed verses (for example, what other verses talk about sheep or courage?).   You can also check out online game sites such as Impress Kids for logical related activities that all kids are sure to love!

Whatever method you choose, remember, the important thing is to get started. Start small with one verse a month (or one verse a quarter) and stick with it till everyone in the family really has it in their heart.   We know that the Word of God is alive and powerful (Hebrews 4:12) and instilling a love of Scripture is an amazing gift that you can begin to give your children today.

Lindsey Baker-Whitney is a blogger at Growing Kids Ministry, kidmin director, freelance writer, home daycare provider and wife and mom of two. In her free time, she loves to read, sew, visit the library, and take walks in the neighborhood. You can find her on Twitter, Facebook or Pinterest.  

More Resources:

• Crafts and Crowns: Memorizing Psalm 145 as a Family
• 30 Easy Bible Verses for Kids
• Impress Kids Bible Memory Plan (PDF)
• Memory Verse Games from KidTrek
• Free Memory Verse Printables (Handwriting Practice)
• Why my Kids Learn Bible Memory Verse Songs (by Oh Amanda)
• 28 Days of Thanksgiving Free Bible Verse Printable

How have you started memorizing Scripture with your children? What verses did you learn first?