6 Ways to Make Scripture Memory Fun

Scripture memory can be a daunting goal to accomplish, even as adults, but the importance of hiding God’s Word in our hearts is undeniably valuable. Check out some of the ideas below for making memorizing Scripture fun (and therefore easier) for you and your kids. We’ve used several in our ministry context, and they are easy to apply at home or in your ministry too!

1) Make it a game! There are SO MANY ways to make memorizing scripture a game, and the more fun your kids are having, the more they’ll want to memorize! Check out some of our favorite scripture memory games here.

2) Sing it Out! – Make up your own song, chant, cheer, or rap using the words in the verse. You could also check out several resources that are readily available for you and your family. JumpStart3 and Seeds Family Worship both provide relevant worship music whose lyrics help kids memorize scripture, and you can order their CDs or listen to them on Spotify/iTunes.

3) Get moving! Add motions to your memory verse as a way to kinetically remember the verse. Or invite families to create a pathway in your home with a different phrase in each room. Maybe have the first phrase on your child’s bedroom door, the second phrase in their bathroom, the third phrase coming down the stairs, the next in the kitchen, etc. so they see it as they get ready each day. Or make a path around the bottom floor of your house to get kids moving and memorizing at the same time! You could even make it a relay and have different kids stand at different phrases.

4) Get creative! – Write down the memory verse on a poster, but make each phrase a different color. Focus on memorizing one color at a time. Make a booklet (paper folded in half and stapled) of your verse by writing a phrase on each page and drawing a picture that helps you remember what the phrase is. Write the memory verse on your bathroom mirror (in an expo marker). Write the first letter of each word in the verse on the back of your child’s hand. Your kids will love being able to draw/write on themselves, and it will be a constant reminder of their Bible verse. It’s also a great way to start conversations with others because people will ask about the “random letters” written on their hands.

5) Get digital! – There are a bunch of apps that help you memorize scripture. Two that I have experimented with include Verses and Scripture Typer Bible Memory. The Verses app is clean, easy to use, and fun, but you have to pay for versions other than the KJV. Scripture Typer is not as user-friendly or updated, but it is free.  You could even record your child saying the verse each day/week and send it to someone who will think it’s the cutest thing in the world, like Grandma, an uncle, or even (and especially) a volunteer who serves with your child each week.

6) Most importantly, talk about what the verse means and apply it to your lives. Things that are applicable to us are more memorable, so be sure to talk about how to apply the Scripture. Studies have also shown that choosing a longer passage is easier to memorize than trying to memorize several short verses. We learn by association, so when we tackle a larger segment of Scripture, one section at a time, we support retention in a child’s long-term memory.