How to Help Children Become Familiar with the Scriptures

When you read the Scriptures to a child, not only is he becoming more familiar with biblical teachings, but you're also bonding.

Becoming familiar with or memorizing Scriptures helps children understand God's word. By studying Scriptures, children can learn to apply scriptural teachings in their daily lives. Just as they do to learn anything else, children need support and motivation from parents, teachers and youth mentors to become familiar with the Scriptures and understand how to apply scriptural lessons. Helping them to do so can provide them with both fun and inspiration.

Instructions

1. Create a Scripture wall. Designate your child's room or closet door as a space to post scriptural verses that correlate with your religion. When reading Scriptures together, note the parts that your child seems most moved by. Have her write those verses on a piece of paper or poster board and post them on the Scripture wall.

2. Establish a family Torah or Bible club. Choose a time each week to discuss as a family a specific chapter or series of verses. Ideally, choose an appropriate theme. For example, if your child is Christian and Christmas is approaching, New Testament verses relating to the birth of Jesus may be of heightened interest. If your child is Jewish and your family has had to endure a hardship recently, reading verses from Exodus, the Torah's second book, that pertain to overcoming obstacles may be appropriate. During Bible or Torah club sessions, ask your child open-ended questions about how he correlates the verses to his own life.

3. Allow your child to play online games that correlate with learning the Scriptures. Christian children can visit MyOnlineBibleGames to take advantage of free Bible-related games. If your little one enjoys playing computer games, she may enjoy the website's variety of activities, including "Bible Concentration," "Bible Battleship" and "Books of the Bible Hangman." Jewish children may find TorahTots entertaining. The website comprises jigsaw puzzles, word-find games, slide puzzles and arts-and-crafts games. Children of all ages can participate in games at both websites.

References

• Brandeis University South Area Solomon Schechter Day School: Creating a Community for Torah Learners
• Child-Bible-Lessons: Teach Scripture for Children and Child Bible Verses
• Grace Communion International: Washing Your Children in the Word
• MyOnlineBibleGames: Bible Games for Children
• TorahTots: Games for Jewish Children