Memorizing scripture in the Bible is essential for all professing Christians, no matter what age. Playing Bible memory games with your children will help them not only memorize scriptures from the Bible, but also engage them in fun family time as well. It is a win-win! And the biggest reason to memorize scripture is found in Psalm 119:11, “I have stored up Your word in my heart that I might not sin against You.” Sin separates us from God. Memorizing scripture can aid in combating sin! Here are 7 Bible scripture memory games to play with your children. Many of these are geared towards Sunday School, but a few I have included can be done at home as well.
“The Truth" Psalm 94:18-19 When I thought, “My foot slips,” your steadfast love, O Lord, held me up. When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul.
Enjoy the 2013 smash hit "Steal My Show" by Toby Mac while you read about the games!
7. Word Search
This one is self-explanatory and is great for your own home or Sunday School. Make a word search that involves all of the words in the verse that you are having your kids memorize. Write the verse at the top of the paper for them. Have them look the verse up in their Bible and show it to you. This will help them to learn to navigate the Bible as well. After each child finishes the word search, give them a piece of gum or candy as a treat!
6. Top Secret
This game is fairly easy to prepare in advance for your kids, whether at home or Sunday School. Pick a verse you wish them to memorize. At the top of the paper write out the letters A-Z with the numbers 1-26 to match each letter. For example, A is 1, B is 2, C is 3 and so on. Then put dashes at the bottom of their paper to coincide with the letters of the verse. Now simply write the appropriate number below each blank. Now the kids can decode the “Top Secret” memory verse and try to figure it out before they finish. This is also a good time to convey the irony of the game. Proclaiming our faith should not be a secret. We can be bold and know that God is with us always!
5. Echo
This is a fun game to use in Sunday School. Divide your class into 2 groups at opposite sides of the room. Put a verse on the board and pick one side to say it and then the other side to echo afterwards. Be creative in this one! Use different vocal styles: whisper, normal, yelling, French accents and whatever else you can think of! Kids love these types of games. Anything that is interactive is always a good choice.
4. Gummy Bear Basketball
This can be done at home or in class. Have your kids memorize a Bible verse for the day. At the end of the day give them a chance to whisper the verse in your ear. If they get it right they receive 3 gummy bears. If they get it wrong, then they are out and receive no gummy bears. Here is where it gets fun. Once their turn is over have them sit down and proceed with the rest of your class or your own children. Once everyone has had a turn, then it is round 2. In round 2 have each kid that whispered the first verse correctly whisper the verse that they learned last week in class (or yesterday in your home/figure out what works best for your home). If they get this verse correct, offer them 4 gummy bears. They can choose to eat these 4 gummy bears or go double or nothing. If they choose double or nothing, have them stand behind the free-throw line you have made on the floor. If they can shoot a wad of paper into the trash can and make it, they receive 8 bears. If they miss they lose the 4 bears they had received. I loved this one when I was a kid!
3. Circle
This is a simple game where you have your class stand in a circle. Let the kids see the verse on the board for the first 2 or 3 rounds. Each kid then says one word of the verse in order. Once the kids have a feel for the verse, erase it and let them try from scratch. If a child says a wrong word or can’t remember, then they are out. Keep going until only one child is left standing
2. Books and Bases
This is a game designed to test your kids to see if they know which Testament the books of the Bible are in. Make 2 areas in your room or outside and mark them “Old Testament Base” and “New Testament Base.” Say the name of a book of the Bible and let the kids choose which base they want to go to. The kids who pick the wrong one are out and the kids who are correct keep playing. Go until there is only one left (you may have to stop at 2 or 3 if they all keep going to the same base with the correct answer).
1. Bible Verse Relay
This one can be hilarious to watch! Have the kids memorize the verse of the day. Near the end of the class split your class up into 2 teams and set up 2 boards (marker boards, chalk boards…ect). When you say “GO!”, one kid from each team will run up to the board and write the first word. They then run back and pass the marker/chalk to the next team mate who then runs to write the second word. The teams must work fast to finish the verse, including the book, chapter and verse that it came from. Whichever team finishes correctly first, wins.
Conclusion
Whatever you do to help your kids memorize scripture will be a blessing to them. I hope you have enjoyed this list of 7 of my favorite games to help your kids memorize the Bible. Do you have any games that you enjoy? Please let us know in the comments below! God bless you!
For more great ideas for kids and family, check out our "Games" category or link to this popular F&E article: 10 Great Games For A Family Reunion
Resources- ESV Holy Bible, Youtube,Photo Credit: jubileelewis via Compfight cc