Memory verse games

[Abiel]

I think that it is really important for children to learn scripture by heart. Please post in here any idea you would like to share for learning verses in a fun way.

I like the balloon game. Blow up balloons- one for each word of the verse, hang them up on a string. Write the verse on them, chant out loud. Randomly pop balloons, repeating the verse each time, until none are left!

 

[Emmaleuk]

I think that it is really important for children to learn scripture by heart. Please post in here any idea you would like to share for learning verses in a fun way.

I like the balloon game. Blow up balloons- one for each word of the verse, hang them up on a string. Write the verse on them, chant out loud. Randomly pop balloons, repeating the verse each time, until none are left!

oooh I have never tried that! I think the kids in my class would all be too scared as some of them are very young! We learn verses through songs...I make up the most random songs ever...but its fun!

 

[MagicSteve]

We do the same style of thing we write the memory verse the remove words. Also getting the kids to put actions to the memory verse is cool as well.

 

[Abiel]

Give them the verse as a set of words that need rearranging. This can be a race.

 

[Emmaleuk]

I think I may try that on sunday

 

[MagicSteve]

That's a good one also

 

[yennie]

oOOO
i have some that i use ^^*

1. Word/Action game
Ask for a volunteer, and have him/her to pick a word from the Bible verse. Then assign an action to that word
so Let's say we do Romans 3:23
"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God"

child picks "all" - at word "all" we will clap and say word

then have another volunteer pick another word and assign action to that word
so keep previous action and add new one..

and keep doing til the children "get tired" ahahaha
it's pretty fun game...i think the children loved this game of all the ones I used

2. Guess Who?
Ask for two volunteers. Have one volunteer face a wall .. or anywhere that does not face the other children. Have the other child say the address of the Bible verse by himself in a different voice. Then entire class recite verse and the second voluntter will say the address of the Bible verse by himself. Then first child volunteer has to guess who said it in the "funny voice"

3. Ping Pong
Split the class into two different groups. Then first group will begin verse and stand up then sit then the second group will say the second word of the verse and stand and sit then first group will say the third word stand and sit .. and goes on til the verse ends..
so EX:
"For (group one stands+sits) God (group two stands+sits) so (group one stands+sits) loved (group two stands+sits) the ..." etc etc


hmm..that's all I have for now
if I can think of anymore..I'll share =)

 

[Wisteria]

Those are some cute ideas. I especially like the balloon and ping-pong ideas.

I usually just write the verse on the whiteboard and erase it word by word until the children have it memorized. The trick with doing that is throughout the rest of the class, keep asking the children to recite the verse so that they don't immediately forget it.

Another idea is to write the verse on construction paper and cut it into puzzle pieces. You then hide the pieces around the room and let the children find all the pieces and then put the puzzle together. Then you recite it as a class a few times.

 

[laterunner]

1#Each word of the verse in a balloon to be burst by feet & then rearanged in correct order.

2#A pile of the words for what ever number of teams you have & the teams have to go & collect the words one at a time till they have all the verse & reference.
2A#variation; colour code the words for the team & have them all in one pile. Leaders would need to make sure there wasn't to much rough & tumble.

3#Have the words attached to childrens backs or heads & the rest will have to tell them to get them into correct order.

4#Put the words on puzzle shapes for each team to complete.

5#Get the chidren copy out the verse & ref. in different coloured & shaped lettering. Perhaps for a more important one you really want them to get hold of.eg.--
''Jesus loves you''
''I will never leave you or forsake you''

 

[tinkerbell]

One thing that really helps is putting the verses to music. It can be a fun little tune, it doesn't have to be anything fancy. It helps it stick in your memory too.

Another idea is having the kids write the memory verse on 4x6 cards and have them decorate them (they can just decorate if they can't write yet.) They can post them all over the house and read them whenever they see them. This will help the verse stick in their head while they can proudly display their art work.

Make puzzles out of cardboard or buy blank puzzles that you can write on. Put the Bible verse on the puzzle and let the kids put them together.

If this is for a class at church, it would be good to have a review scession of all the verses (reviewing really helps this stuff to stick in memory) by saying a text and having them site the verse, and siteing verses and having them give you the text. Whoever has the most points at the end wins.

Those are a few suggestions anyway.

 

[bearc0025]

Booples is a Bible verse song animation DVD for kids. It has stories with songs and the verse is the chorus of the song so it's really memorable. Check out booples.com

 

[RachelMargery]

when i was a little girl i use to sing along with the donot man on tape and that was how i learnt most of my bible verses

 

[zeusne]

Here is one that I use quite often:

Memory Bee: have all the kids stand in a straight line as if in a spelling bee. Then go down the line and have the first child say the first word, the next the next word and so on. If they miss a word the sit down like they would if they misspelled a word in a spelling bee. The last one or two standing get a prize. And they usually remember the verse if we do it this way

Hope you have fun with this one!

 

[TheGuide]

This one has proven to work for me. I write the address and scripture on the black board, go over it several times with the children, then I start lining them up to erase a word. Each time a word is erased, they recite the verse.

Energetically raised hands and quickly picking the next child to come get in line keeps them involved. Once the word is earsed the address and verse are recited, then hands go up again. When there are a few words left, I will have two children erase the board together and, of course, they get competition which adds to the fun. Then all the children recite the verse cold.

I may go into my lesson then break to have them recite the verse cold again at some point to see how many remember.

Another instructor I help out goes a step further by giving the children the verse they've learned on a piece of paper.

God bless you and thank you for the opportunity to share,

The Guide

 

[WonderfulGod]

Hi in our Sunday School when we get the children to remember the memory verse, we get them in a circle, they have to throw a bean bag to each other in circle while saying memory verse then we shout stop and the child left holding bean bag says verse on their own they then throw bean bag to anyone and it starts again but you can get them to do different things like standing on one leg.

 

[Wisteria]

That "memory bee" idea is good, zeusne. I might have to try that sometime.

One thing I've been doing lately at Sunday school that the kids really enjoy is, before class, I write the Bible verse on several different pieces of paper (a couple words per sheet) and hide the papers around the classroom. After we recite the Bible verse together a few times, I ask the kids to find all the pieces and work together to put it in the right order, then to say it together.

 

[biglittleheart]

I think that it is really important for children to learn scripture by heart. Please post in here any idea you would like to share for learning verses in a fun way.

I like the balloon game. Blow up balloons- one for each word of the verse, hang them up on a string. Write the verse on them, chant out loud. Randomly pop balloons, repeating the verse each time, until none are left!

Say the verse in different funny voices. Each kid makes a suggestion (country hick, british/american accent, granny, super fast, super slow, tv reporter, tiny voice, yell, soft whisper, cheerleader, cartoon characters, sign language, etc) then you all repeat it in that way. You wind up saying the verse over and over, but it is fun.

 

[kennyconley]

There are a lot of really great ideas for Bible memorization here. I can think of very little more important than teaching kids God's word.

However, I want to offer an idea. Something that has made a differnce in my ministry for a long time. It always bugged me teaching kids a memory verse every week. Many of the kids would come back every week having memorized their verse and claim their "Bible Bucks." However, these kids couldn't tell me a verse they learned the week before, and definitely not from the week before that. That caused me to ask, "What's the point?" Even more importantly, most of the kids memorized the verses but couldn't tell anyone what it meant or how it applied to their lives. Again, "what's the point?" Even if the game was fun and all the kids memorized it for a week, "what is the point?"

My personal opinion is to use one memory verse for an entire series... maybe for 4 to 5 weeks. Hit the same verse every week, teach the kids what it means... apply it to life situations. Using the verse that often, the kids are more likely to remember it weeks or months later.... maybe it will even stick with them for good. With this method, you may end up with your kids having 6-10 verses cemented in their minds and hearts for life as opposed to having been introduced to 52 separate verese that they neither remember or understand. It's the difference of depth vs. breath. Life change rarely results from breath... but much more likely when depth is the target. Just my opinion and has given me success.

Kenny Conley

 

[Wisteria]

That's a very good point, Kenny. I always discuss the meaning of the Bible verses with the children, since it's vital for them to understand what it truly means. But I still find it discouraging when they can't remember the verse from two weeks ago (or even from the previous week!). Thanks for sharing that idea. I'm glad to hear that it has worked for you.

 

[AlohaAquamarine]

There are a lot of really great ideas for Bible memorization here. I can think of very little more important than teaching kids God's word.

However, I want to offer an idea. Something that has made a differnce in my ministry for a long time. It always bugged me teaching kids a memory verse every week. Many of the kids would come back every week having memorized their verse and claim their "Bible Bucks." However, these kids couldn't tell me a verse they learned the week before, and definitely not from the week before that. That caused me to ask, "What's the point?" Even more importantly, most of the kids memorized the verses but couldn't tell anyone what it meant or how it applied to their lives. Again, "what's the point?" Even if the game was fun and all the kids memorized it for a week, "what is the point?"

My personal opinion is to use one memory verse for an entire series... maybe for 4 to 5 weeks. Hit the same verse every week, teach the kids what it means... apply it to life situations. Using the verse that often, the kids are more likely to remember it weeks or months later.... maybe it will even stick with them for good. With this method, you may end up with your kids having 6-10 verses cemented in their minds and hearts for life as opposed to having been introduced to 52 separate verese that they neither remember or understand. It's the difference of depth vs. breath. Life change rarely results from breath... but much more likely when depth is the target. Just my opinion and has given me success.

Kenny Conley

What a good idea. Thank you.