The Best Game for Memory Verses for Kids

Are you struggling to get your kids to memorize Bible verses effectively? Try the best no-prep Bible game for memory verses with your toddler or young kids to keep them excited and engaged in learning the Bible!

What inspired this Game for Memory Verses

From the time my oldest son was able to speak in sentences, my husband and I started introducing simple Bible verses to him. I thought since I worked with kids every day as a pediatric occupational therapist and served in our church’s youth programs for many years that I would have no problem teaching my VERY energetic son to memorize a few simple Bible verses. 

It went horribly. 

We had tried just about everything and he was still not receptive to memorizing even one verse of the Bible. I knew how important this was in our family. I also knew that he was more than capable, so I felt very defeated and didn’t know what to do. 

Then one day when I got home from work, my son ran up to me and said “I can say my memory verse!” I was skeptical, but with a little bit of assistance from his grandpa (and babysitter for the day) he said it. I was SHOCKED. 

Then he showed me the method behind the magic and that is what inspired me to create the best Bible game for memory verses for toddlers, preschoolers, elementary, and even young adults!

Make Memorizing Scripture Fun

If your kids are anything like mine, they run away from anything that doesn’t seem “fun” to them. Unfortunately, there are a lot of things throughout the day that aren’t very “fun” but have to be done anyway. Nobody wants to smell the breath of a 5-year old who didn’t brush their teeth, right?! Luckily, memorizing the Bible doesn’t have to be one of those things! 

This Bible memory verse game gives kids the ability to learn and retain Bible verses quickly without even realizing it because they are busy having fun. And while this game can be played individually, it can also be played in a small group which adds another layer of friendly competition as well.

Using a Multi-Sensory Approach

One thing I’ve learned from working as a pediatric occupational therapist is that most kids learn best using what is called a multisensory approach. This means that more than one of the senses (vision, hearing, touch, taste, smell, or movement) is engaged when learning a new topic or concept. 

Research shows that children (and adults) are able to retain more information when using a multisensory approach to learning a new skill (read more here). Taking this approach when memorizing Scripture is no different. By incorporating more than one sense, children are much more likely to memorize the Bible verses. They may even remember them throughout their whole life using this method. 

How my Game for Memory Verses Works

The first thing you’ll need to do is download and print our FREE Memory Verse Game template here. I like to print my game board and cards on cardstock and laminate them, but that is definitely not necessary! 

[I have included a sample Bible verse & blank card sheet for you to make as many different verses as you would like.]

Once you have your Bible verse written out on the cards, place the game board in the center of the room, house, yard, or whatever space you have delegated as your “game space.” Have your child (or group of children) go to another room while you hide the cards throughout the game space area. 

Call your child(ren) back to the game space and instruct them to locate all of the hidden cards and bring them back to the game board as quickly as possible. The back of the cards will coincide with the numbers or symbols on the game board. Your child will put the Bible verse in the correct order regardless of reading ability. 

Once all cards have been placed on the game board correctly, you may assist your child (depending on reading level) with reading the verse on the cards. Repeat this process as many times as you would like. Sit back and watch your child learn to recite Bible verses from memory in no time!

Game Variations

There are many ways you can modify this game to fit the needs of your child or youth class. Here are a few ideas:

Color coded cards

You have a young child who struggle matching the numbers or shapes on the cards to the game board. Try coloring the blocks on the game board and the back of the cards. This way they can match the colors instead of shapes or numbers.

Relay race

If you’re using this game with a group of children, make two copies of the game board and verse cards. Split the kids up into two teams. Then have them race to locate all of their team’s cards before the opposing team.

Take-away

This variation is better suited for older children who can read. Once all the cards have been placed on the game board, have the children read the entire verse out loud. Then, remove 1-2 cards from the board and ask them to read the verse again. Repeat this until all the cards have been removed and they are able to recite the verse completely from memory!

Try it out!

Teaching children the Word of God is one of the most important responsibilities we have as parents. With this game for memory verses, it can be a fun activities you do as a family, too. Watch your kids’ begin to hide His Word in their hearts through this simple game for kids of all ages! 

Let us know what you think in the comments below!

Get our Free Bible Verse Memory Game here

Need memory verse ideas? Get a list of 20 simple bible verses for kids to memorize here!

Read more about the author of Purpose Filled Family here

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