Bottle Cap Word Puzzles

Bottle caps of any kind can be used to create fun word puzzles that help children focus on important words in a Bible lesson.

Letters of the alphabet are written on bottle caps to form the game tokens. Children unscramble the letters to form words. Children can use a Bible to help find the answers.

Keep the letters and use the puzzles over and over.

Materials:

• Bottle caps
• Permanent marker (like a Sharpie pen)

Preparation:

• Collect and wash bottle caps (In New Zealand we have screw-on lids for milk jugs so that’s what I collected). Any size works as long as the children are able to read the letters easily.
• Use the permanent marker to write individual letters on each bottle cap.

Instructions:

1. Tell the children that you have chosen some important words from today’s Bible story. Explain that the letters are all mixed up.
2. Challenge the children to put the letters together to form words from the story.
3. Provide a Bible and tell them the Scripture reference. They may refer to the Bible for help. For example I used the story Jesus Heals Ten Lepers from Luke 17:11-19.  I made the puzzle rather challenging for older children. At first they tried to work the puzzle without a Bible, but it was not long before they began referring to the Scripture (which was exactly my intention). The words they came up with were Jesus, leprosy, healed, thanked and faith.
4. Sometimes various versions of the Bible can use word selections that are different than your puzzle, so be sure your version and the one the children are using are the same.

Adaptations:

• Add new words to this activity each week and use it to learn new vocabulary words.
• For younger children:
  • Use only one or two words to make it simpler
  • Use a different bottle cap or colour for each word for easy letter grouping
• Collect larger lids and glue on pictures instead of writing letters. Children could match pictures or put a series of pictures in order.
• Provide the supplies and let children make their own puzzles to take home. They can choose their own words from the lesson.