“I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.”
Children are like sponges. Remember the ease with which you could memorize as a kid? Movie quotes, poems, jokes, song lyrics Bible verses just seemed to stick in your brain! It is amazing how easily I can recall them even as an adult! Now, as a mom myself, I appreciate the diligence it took on my mothers part to help me focus my super memorization power and I want to do the same for my kids. Here are a few of my favorite tools. We use these around the house, car, yard, etc. I am also including some resources we haven’t started using yet because my kids aren’t old enough. I will make note if I think its a resource that would be good for older kids. These are in no particular order.
Hide ’em in Your Heart – These are great albums (are they still called albums?). The songs are very kid friendly but not annoying. There is a range of music type – both fast and slow songs. Steve Green has a great voice which makes the album a much happier listening experience for parents. I hate kids albums with bad singers!
G.T. & The Halo Express – Definitely a blast from the past for me but these albums are still great! G.T is a guardian angel and he helps two kids handle problems using scripture. Each CD has a story and is themed (God’s Love, Salvation, Fear, Christmas…) and covers specific scriptures for that theme. The songs are a little more 80’s -90’s in sound but my kids still love them, I think it is because the themes resonate with their hearts. Lets face it many things have changed in our world but kids still struggle with being afraid of the dark. Our favorites are God’s Protection and Christmas. These are not available on iTunes or amazon.com (at least at this time)
Seeds Family Worship – This is a great modern memorization CD. Our favorite is the TRUST album but there are many options. If you are a parent that struggles with “kid music” this is a great option for you. I play these when the kids want to listen to worship albums or when my husband is in the car with us (he really dislikes kid singing type albums on long trips) and I think we will use these more and more as the kids get older. Right now my 6, 4 and 1 year old are very happy with the more child like CDs and I am happy to keep listening with them until they tire of them 🙂 I am so glad to have options as they get older though.
Integrity Music’s Scripture Memory Songs – My mom used to play these albums in our home throughout the day. They definitely have an 80’s-90’s vibe to them but I don’t mind. There are several options in case you are dealing with a specific issue and want verses to help with that topic. I have enjoyed the one on anxiety for those seasons when I am tempted to worry.
Jump Start 3 is a new resource for me. The music definitely has a modern pop sound to it so this would be great option for teens. I plan to use them when I am working out 🙂 You can order these CD/DVD combos and have the option to just listen or watch and learn the hand motions. This could be a great option for kinesthetic learners, summer camps, VBS or when you just want to get the wiggles out!
Thy Word Creations is a scripture memory tool that my mother in law used when my husband was a child. These are old school ya’ll! I don’t especially love the vocals, in fact, some of them grate on my nerves BUT these are the only albums I have found that have you memorizing a whole chapter of the Bible and they work! Despite the vocals my kids and I learned all of Psalm 91 after just a week of listening!! Each CD comes with a book that has coloring pages, lyrics, an additional song and the music so you can play the song instead of listening. (I think this would be a fantastic option and would eliminate the vocals issue. ) They have a kids version (which is what we have) and a teen/adult version. If you are serious about memorizing a lot of scripture in a short time this is a great option.
This ABC Memory Book is a classic (can’t you tell by the cover). It is a great option for younger children because they can learn their ABC’s and scripture at the same time! Similar to the primers of old, the scriptures listed aren’t all just warm and fuzzy so you may end up having a conversation about things like sin, consequences etc. I am fine with developing the habit of conversation early and we have had some sweet talks that I wouldn’t have started on my own through these scriptures.
There are lots of memory card options on Etsy but I think these are just super cute!
I created some scripture memory cards of my own and you can DOWNLOAD them FREE!
Other ideas for making scripture memory fun…
Scripture place mats – Using 11×14 construction paper and your child’s creativity! Write a different verse on each paper, decorate & laminate. Each meal, go around and practice the verse on your mat.
Erase a word – Write a verse on a dry erase board. Say it together. Erase one word. Say it again. Keep going until the whole verse is gone!
Gotcha Game! – Quote a verse incorrectly (leaving out or changing a word or saying the wrong reference) and have your kids say “gotcha” when they guess the mistake. Be sure and have them quote the scripture correctly afterwards.
Toss a verse – Toss (or roll) a ball to one child and have them say the first word of the verse and then pass the ball to someone else who then says the next word etc. If you have older kids who are able you can add an extra element by having them start over if the ball gets dropped.
Scripture Art – using sidewalk chalk write out a verse in your best decorative font.
Bookmark – Create a bookmark with a verse. You can get pre-cut paper or just cut some yourself. Use your bookmark in your current reading book.
Dominoes– I have seen this a few places but the idea is simple. Print a Bible verse and cut out each word (make sure the font is large enough to see but not too huge to fit on a domino) tape each word to a domino and then set them up in order so that as they tumble the verse is spelled out. You can say the verse as they fall down.
Mirror, mirror – Write a verse on your bathroom mirrors using a dry erase marker. You can take up the whole mirror or just along the border. Every time you brush your teeth, put on your makeup, or clean the bathroom you can practice the verse.
I hope you enjoy trying some of these resources and games. I would love to hear of any resources you love or games you play!
