7 Ways to Help Your Kids Learn Scripture

Early on as a parent, I realized that my children would be listening and watching everything I did: the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Understanding my life would be lived out in front of them, I’ve looked for practical ways to model scriptural principles in everyday situations. The ups-and-downs of daily living offer countless opportunities to apply, practice, and live it out on a regular basis.

This especially served true one year when my husband’s job ended abruptly. We discussed what happened with our children and applied scriptures such as 1 Peter 4:13 and Romans 5:3 to the situation. We talked with them how the Bible encourages us to rejoice when experiencing this type of difficulty. Next we baked a cake, frosted and decorated it with the word “Rejoice,” and then celebrated with our children.

Image Credit: Thinkstock.com

Incorporate scripture in your prayers with your children like 1 Timothy 6:8: thanking God for the food and clothing He’s given us, and Psalm 127:2: being grateful for God giving rest to His loved ones.

Before meals, bedtime, or during a family prayer time, practice praying scripture. “Thank you Lord that you direct our steps” (Proverbs 16:9), or “Thank You that when we call, You hear and answer us” (Isaiah 58:9).

Image Credit: Unsplash.com

In this age of technology and electronic devices, don’t underestimate the value of tangible, hands-on written material as learning resources for your kids.

It’s easy to go online and find scripture without ever picking up a Bible. However, there is something comforting about having a Bible to hold, carry along, mark up, and explore on your own. Make sure each of your children have their own copy.

To help them in the process of learning how to use it, just for fun hold an old-fashion Bible drill where you call out a scripture (book, chapter, title) and the kids race to find it. The first one to locate it reads it out loud. For added enthusiasm consider offering incentives for participating.

For personal Bible discovery time, ask your children to find 10 scriptures on a topic such as love, faith, or joy to share the next week. Or ask them to read a certain book in the Bible or passage and either summarize it or outline the topics they find in it.

Image Credit: Unsplash.com

Growing up my mom and dad had a Daily Bread Promise Box, a little ceramic bread loaf holding an array of colorful scripture cards. Each day before meals my family enjoyed choosing a card to read out loud.

As a little girl, I loved playing with the little loaf and would spend hours reading the cards and organizing them in the loaf. 

During my teen years, my mom had copies of Our Daily Bread sitting around the house. These brief daily scripture and devotionals caught my attention enough that I often picked them up to read throughout the week.

Proverbs 7:2-3 urges us to keep God’s teaching as the “apple of our eyes” to “bind them on our fingers, write them on the table of our heart.”

Have your kids write out verses on index cards or type on computer to print out, so they can carry with them or post in their room and through out the house. Writing or typing verses out helps in retaining the words and in the overall learning process.

Music is an effective way to learn scripture as it has a way of replaying the melodies and words over and over again in our mind. Psalm 119:11 states “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.”

Find music that teaches scripture. Play CDs in the car while running errands, at home during the day, and on long road trips.

Our kids liked Wee Sing Bible Songs and Hide’ Em in Your Heart CDs by Steve Green. Other favorites are Kid’s Praise and Praise Baby.

At home while playing music, find ways for your kids to actively participate. When our daughters were toddlers, we bought musical instruments for them to play along with the songs. Our set included a triangle, tambourine, rhythm sticks, cymbals, clapper, and maracas. As they grew, we added a piano, guitars, bongos, and more.

Image Credit: Unsplash.com

Give your kids a verse and ask them to create a work of art that illustrates it. Offer crayons, paper, paint, canvases, molding clay, and more for their creations.

Consider asking your kids to demonstrate 2 Corinthians 5:17 by creating something new out of discarded items, as an illustration of how old things pass away and Christ makes us a new creation.

At our house I had trouble throwing anything away because one of our daughters would spot it in the trash and ask if she could have it. Soon she would be showing me how she had made it into something new.

Another artistic option, depending on your kids’ ages, is to have them choose a story from scripture to make into a play for a live action production at home or to film on video.

Give them a few guidelines such as using actual scripture in their dialogue, then let them write it, create scenery, put costumes together, direct, and present LIVE or film it. Plan a premiere night for your family to view their production together.

Image Credit: Unsplash.com

Have your kids watch the “National Bible Bee Gameshow” on TV to see kids who are committed to studying and memorizing the Bible.

“The American Bible Challenge” is another game show that focused on knowing scripture. Past episodes are available online.

Watch DVDs with storylines based on scripture and lived out through their characters such as Superbook,Veggie Tales, and Davey and Goliath.

For a scriptural movie on the life of Jesus, watch our family’s favorite version, “The Gospel According to Matthew.” The film is taken from the Bible’s book of Matthew and only uses actual scripture in the narration and dialogue.

Image Credit: Unsplash.com

When my husband was in seminary, our girls participated in the Awana program at our local church. They enjoyed attending the weekly classes, wearing the vests, earning awards, and learning scripture. Group participation helps to spur each other on in the memorization process.

Later while serving as a senior pastor, he used the Superbook program to create a summer long weekly program at our church, teaching scripture through team activities and rewards.

Another year, our daughters attended a local vacation Bible school where they earned silver dollars for memorizing scripture.

If your local church or community doesn’t offer a scripture memorization program, consider holding your own at home or your neighborhood. 

Image Credit: Thinkstock.com

----

Lynette Kittle is married with four daughters. She enjoys writing about faith, marriage, parenting, relationships, and life. Her writing has been published by Focus on the Family, Decision, Today’s Christian Woman, kirkcameron.com, Ungrind.org, and more. She has a M.A. in Communication from Regent University and serves as associate producer for Soul Check TV.