Memory Verse Games

Memory verse games are clever tools to drill the Word of God into your kids' heads dozens of times without getting boring. Here are some suggestions:

Bible Verse Burst -- Write your entire memory verse onto balloons and pin or tape them to the board. After teaching the entire verse using the IPEAR method, pop one of the balloons with a push pin and have the kids repeat the verse, including the missing word (you repeat it with them, but shush on the blank). Continue to pop one balloon at a time until they can recite the entire verse.

Puppet Version -- A funny variation that we've done is to have a puppet with a push pin in its chin sneak over the top of the balloon board and pop the balloons while the teacher isn't looking. The kids get all excited, pointing and tattling on the puppet, while the teacher claims innocence. The teacher then continues on with the verse, saying, "We can do it without that word..."

Echo Mountain -- Divide the entire group into three teams. We use teachers, boys, and girls. Our group starts by saying the first word or phrase of the memory verse, the girls echo, and then the boys. We continue several times, adding variety by whispering, shouting, squeaking, talking in a macho voice, etc.

Guess Who -- We select a volunteer who must go stand by a teacher with his back to the group and the memory verse visual. Whoever is teaching the verse quietly points to a word in the verse and instructs the group to read the verse inserting a *clap* for the appointed word. The volunteer then has to guess what the missing word was.

Quote the verse if you... ate breakfast this morning, took a bath last night, have brown eyes, like broccoli, made your bed today, have a sister, are wearing red, etc.

Memory Verse Thief -- I borrowed this idea from Dan Harris at Fishers of Kids . Have each word of your memory verse written out ahead of time on a piece of wood or cardboard. Set them all up in order and begin teaching the verse as usual, using the IPEAR method. Have a burglar/bandit (worker with black mask on eyes) sneak up behind you and "steal" one of the words while you are teaching. Return to the verse to repeat it, and "discover" that a word is missing. Blame the kids, and continue on. Allow your thief to creatively come from different angles and continue to steal your verse, one piece at a time, as you teach. Eventually go after him and let him outmaneuver you out the other side of the stage, etc.

Crazy Voices -- Put several different types of voices on index cards for the kids to draw: British accent, frog croak, mouse squeak, cheerleader yell, Southern accent, football player voice, underwater, etc.

Memory Verse Meltdown -- Have two kids that think that they know the memory verse stand back to back. Have one kid say the first word of the verse. The next kid the next word and back and forth until someone makes a mistake. The one who messed up has to sit down. If someone gets stuck the whole class counts out loud a three count and the person who messed up has to sit down. Then have the whole class say the memory verse and choose a new contender to go up against the "champion." Sometimes I play up this invitation for the next person like a ring announcer at a WWF wrestling match. Submitted by Rob

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One of our GNC kids' favorite memory verse games is Volume Control. Demonstrate by moving your hand up and down. Up means increase the volume while you are saying your verse; down means lower the volume. Let the children come up one at a time and be the volume controller. ~ Mary Ann Hammer

A favorite memory verse game in my club is something the kids call In the Corner. One child faces the corner (no peeking) and another chooses a word. The group then says the verse and leaves out the word chosen. They replace the word with a clap, stomp, whatever they choose. The child in the corner then tries to guess which word was left out. ~ Teri Brehio

Play Crazy Voices by writing down different ways to say a memory verse on cards. Have the kids choose a card then that ís how everyone says the verse~ Tim Heaton

Submit your ideas for Memory Verse Games!