It seems as if traditional review methods such as flash cards, board games, word searches, and cross word puzzles do not engage kids as they once did nor do they promote retention of Bible facts. If you grew up in church, you probably well remember these classic methods of learning and review. Many of today’s Bible curricula still incorporate these methods.
I’m not recommending that classic review methods be done away with but I am proposing that teachers consider revitalizing these classic review strategies. Today’s kids are visual, hands-on, and social. Consider utilizing the internet in your classroom and incorporating the suggested web sites below to revamp traditional strategies. This will make review time an interactive and engaging game time for your students.
Traditional Method | Revitalized Method | Web Address |
Paper Crossword Puzzle | Online Crossword Puzzle | http://www.proprofs.com/games/ |
Paper Flash Cards | Online Quizlet Flash Cards | http://www.quizlet.com |
Paper Word Search | Online Word Search | http://www.proprofs.com/games/ |
Board Game | Online Jeopardy Game | https://jeopardylabs.com/ |
What Makes These Web Sites Suitable for Children’s Ministry? These sites:
- are editable and customizable so Bible teachers can create their own content or take an existing paper method and convert to an online game
- are easy to use for the teacher and the student
- are free (requires teacher login)
- are scored and timed for those competitive kids in your class
- can be downloaded and used without an internet connection (Jeopardy game)
- have the capability of printing a student achievement certificate (www.proprofs.com/games)
- have a free Ipad/Iphone app (Quizlet)
- speak the text for struggling readers (Quizlet)
- have games already created by other people
Experience a sample Bible Jeopardy game I created called “All About the Bible” by clicking here. It is suitable for upper elementary children.
Select one or two teams. Keep score at the bottom of the page by clicking the “+” or “-” keys.
By allowing kids to stretch their mental muscles and have fun while doing it, you may have fewer “deer in the headlight” looks in the future.