This is the easiest way to engage kids in scripture reading in my opinion. You'll need something soft like a beanbag or small stuffed animal. A wadded up piece of paper could even be used in a pinch. You may need to lay out some ground rules like :
- do not aim above the shoulders
- no overhand tosses
- no repeats
After you make your reading assignment and everyone has found it, simply toss the critter to the first person. After reading his or her verse, the student tosses the toy to the person of their choosing. That person reads, tosses, and the game continues until the passage is finished. I write the verse numbers or passages on the board so that we avoid that "Which verse did she say? What do I read?" delay. You'll find that many students will turn to the next passage in anticipation of the reading. You may even require everyone to find the passage before making the next toss, but that will take up time.
This simple method really makes reading a lengthy passage much more exciting for the students. Everyone is engaged, they don't know who will be picked next to read, they laugh when someone drops the critter or plucks it out of the air, no one tunes out when their part is done because they want to see what happens when Delilah goes flying again, and everyone gets a turn. You're still covering the same material, but you've made it engaging and fun for the students.
EXAMPLE: In our class, the students voted on names for our silicone caterpillar, Delilah. She promptly fell apart, and so our second caterpillar was named Samson. My Seminary students love, love, love this game and often ask for Samson when we read. This is one of our class's favorite activities. I use it every few days; it never seems to get old. I have even used it with laid back groups of adults. It's always fun.
