Valentine’s Day Memory Verse Games for Kids: Are you looking for a fun way to help your kids memorize a Bible verse about love? Or maybe Valentine’s Day is coming up, and you want a special heart-themed activity to help them celebrate?
Either way, I’ve got you covered! Here are six simple, hands-on games that will make memorizing Bible verses exciting and engaging for your kids. Best of all, you only need a few basic supplies: colored paper, scissors, a marker or pen, and tape!
1. Valentine’s Day Memory Verse Games: Heart Puzzles Bible Memory Activity
This fun puzzle activity can be a craft, a time-filler, or an active game (see idea #2.) Use it in the way that best suits your class!
Prep:
- Fold an 8.5″ x 11″ sheet of cardstock in half and cut out a heart shape.
- Write a Bible verse about love on the heart.
- Cut the heart into 5–8 puzzle pieces.
- If you have multiple kids, make multiple heart puzzles. Put each finished puzzle in it’s own ziplock bag.
How to Play:
- Have your kids put the puzzles together.
This hands-on game is great for a quiet messy-table activity. I also love to use it for a “drop off” activity before class starts or as an “end-of-class” time filler.
If you have more time and your kids are good at writing and cutting, make this Bible memory activity a craft. Print out heart puzzles. Have your kids write the verse on their own heart, then cut the puzzle apart.
Want to make this super easy? Try these printable heart templates!
Want to use these puzzles in a more active way? Try the next game!
2. Hidden Hearts Bible Memory Game
This is a great game for kids who like to be active. I recommend this game for 1st through 6th grades. If you have pre-readers, they may need help putting the hearts together. They will still enjoy searching for the pieces, though!
Prep:
- Make the heart puzzles from Game 1.
How to Play:
Hide the puzzles pieces around the room before your kids arrive.
When you say “Go”, have your kids search for the heart pieces and work together to put the verse in the correct order.
Do you have a large class? Do your kids love a competition? Write two or more copies of the verse on different colored paper. Split the kids into two or more teams. Assign one verse color to each team. The first team to find and assemble their verse correctly wins!
3. Valentine’s Day Memory Verse Games: Disappearing Hearts Bible Verse Game
This is a great game to play to help your kids who can read well memorize a Bible verse. It’s excellent for 1st through 6th grade!
Prep:
- Cut out smaller heart shapes (3-6 hearts per page, depending on the size of your classroom and the number of kids). (Need a template? Click Here!)
- Write or print one word of a Bible verse on each heart.
- Tape the hearts onto a dry-erase board or clip them to a string.
How to Play:
Have your kids say the verse aloud a few times while reading from the hearts.
Then, invite one or two students to remove one or two hearts. Have your kids say the verse again, filling in the missing words from memory.
Continue until all the hearts are removed and your kids can say the verse completely from memory!
Bonus Game: Once all the hearts are removed, have your kids put them back in the correct order.
4. Surprise Hearts Cooperative Classroom Game
This is a sweet cooperative game that works well with kids who can read. It’s great for 1st grade through 4rth grade. Your kids will love the surprise of discovering hearts under their chairs!
Prep:
- Cut out smaller heart shapes (3-6 hearts per page). (Need a template? Click here!)
- Write or print one word of a Bible verse on each heart.
- Before class, tape the heart cutouts under students’ chairs.
How to Play:
Say the verse a few times with your students.
Then, surprise them by asking them to check underneath their seats.
Whoever finds a heart brings it to the front and tapes it to the board in the correct order.
5. Ordered Hearts Bible Memory Verse Game
This is a super fun cooperative Valentine’s Day Memory Verse Game for older kids who can read well, know their left from their right, and can call out and follow directions. It’s great for 2nd through 6th graders.
Prep:
- Print or cut out heart shapes (3 hearts per page). (Need a template? Click here!)
- Cut out the heart shapes.
- Write one word or a couple of words of a Bible verse on each heart.
How to Play:
Call up volunteers. The number of volunteers should match your number of verse hearts. (Example: If you have 7 hearts, pick 7 volunteers.) Have the volunteers stand at the front, with their backs facing their classmates.
Tape one heart to each volunteer’s back. The verse should NOT be in order.
When you say “Go!”, the classmates sitting down must call out instructions to help the volunteers switch places until the verse is in the correct order.
If you have enough students, you could split your students into teams. Each team must get their own set of volunteers into order. First team in order wins.
6. Matching Hearts Cooperative Game
Here’s a fun Valentine’s Day Memory Verse Games idea from Rochelle! This cooperative game is great for younger kids and can even be used with pre-readers. It’s excellent for preschool through 4rth grade.
Prep:
- Cut out multiple heart shapes, one from each piece of cardstock.
- Write a DIFFERENT Bible verse on each heart, or draw/glue DIFFERENT Bible pictures onto them. Each heart should be unique!
- Cut each heart in half with a zigzag line (varying the cut patterns).
How to Play:
- Give each student one half of a heart.
- They must find the classmate with the matching half!
- Once matched, they can bring their completed heart to the teacher and get another heart half to match.
Alternate Version: Tape half of the hearts to a wall, table, or hide them around the room. Give the remaining hearts to the students. Students must find their missing half!
This game is especially great for younger children and pre-readers if you use pictures instead of words.
These six simple games make Bible memorization interactive, fun, and meaningful! Whether you use them for a Valentine’s Day activity or just as part of your Bible lessons, your kids will love learning Bible verses through play.
Which game will you try first? Let me know in the comments!