A Memory Verse Plan for Toddlers

In August I told you about how we have begun doing memory verses with our two-year-old son Joshua.  In a post titled Toilet Training and Memory Verses I relayed the story of how our church's VBS taught us that he wasn't too young to memorize verses.  At just two-years-two months-old our little Joshua had memorized a verse.

It was after that experience that we decided to do a memory verse for the month.  So far, he's memorized three verses and hasn't forgotten the prior verses each month.  Doing this takes repetition and a mild amount of creativity, but it doesn't take an extraordinarily great teacher to do it.  We try to have some sort of arm movements involved to get him excited about the verse if he's not into it at the start, but other than that it's simple repetition.  Also, we do a sort of fill in the blank approach so he doesn't have to memorize the whole thing right away.

That all being said, we need a plan for our verses.  We want a plan that covers a wide range of verses and a plan that gives him lifelong truths in twelve verses.  The plan below is for us but we encourage you to steal it.  This plan doesn't have to start in January, though it can.  As I write this it's September 30th, so if you're reading it tonight then start the first verse in October or whatever month you happen to be in.  The bottom line is that this is about hiding God's Word in your child's heart, so there's no bad time to start.

Month 1- "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth." Genesis 1:1

Month 2- "The LORD bless you and keep you." Numbers 6:24

Month 3- "Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid." Isaiah 12:2a

Month 4-"Love the LORD your God with all your heart." Deuteronomy 6:5a

Month 4- "Trust in the LORD with all your heart." Proverbs 3:5a

Month 5- "Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good.  His love endures forever." Psalm 136:1

Month 6- "Your Word is a lamp for my feet.  A light for my path." Psalm 119:105

Month 7- "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." John 1:1

Month 8- "Love your neighbor as yourself." Matthew 22:39b

Month 9- "I am the way and the truth and the life." John 14:6a

Month 10- Rejoice in the Lord always.  I will say it again: Rejoice!" Philippians 4:4

Month 11- "We love because He first loved us." 1 John 4:19

Month 12- "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved." Acts 16:31a

Most of these verses are in the NIV so feel free to use your translation of choice.  But no matter the translation, whether you are using the King James or The Message, just remember that you are loading your child with truth that they can use today and for the rest of their lives.  Don't doubt that your child can learn this even as a toddler. 

Remember the best day to start teaching your child to the Bible and hiding it in their hearts is... today!