This game teaches kids that it's important to surround themselves with good influences for protection from temptation. Bible Connect: 1 Corinthians 10:13; 2 Corinthians 6:14 Play:...
Mary J. Davis
Age Level: Elementary ages Materials: Six to eight facial tissue boxes Children will put their feet inside two tissue boxes, then race on a smooth surface. To play, have three or...
I n this redemptive version of the traditional Spin the Bottle game, the person who spun the bottle prays for whomever the bottle points to. After a person receives prayer, he or...
Pl ay this fun game to remind kids to be lights for Jesus. You'll need an open space that can be darkened (but not black) and flameless tea lights . Give all kids a tea light (which...
Try this fun camp game to teach children important rules and locations. Form teams of six. Give each team a photocopy of the 10 things to find listed below. On "go," have teams race...
Cynthia Crane and Sharon Stratmoen
When your class time is over and the sermon isn't, whaddaya do? Try a Plan in a Can! It's Sunday morning and you've just finished your entire lesson. You check the clock, and while...
Use this fun Easter game to help kids better understand the true meaning of the "Treasure" God has given each of us. For Easter we have an Easter treasure hunt. We have groups of...
10 active indoor games to help kids workout the squirm and grow in their faith. The cold winter months can make kids stircrazy. Stuck inside, they dream of a warmer season when they...
BEST FOR: GRADES 1-6 ACTIVITY LEVEL: HIGH This is guaranteed to be a splash with the kids! Form teams and have each team line up. Give each team a paper cup. Have team members each...
BEST FOR: GRADES 3-6 ACTIVITY LEVEL: MODERATE Beforehand, get two tongue depressors and two small plastic cups (plastic communion cups or Dixie paper cups work best). Glue one cup...
BEST FOR: K-6 ACTIVITY LEVEL: HIGH This is a great group builder. Place five to six soft playground balls in a burlap sack-the more balls the better. Tie the bag tightly. Have...
Form four teams and designate one child in each team as the "Seeker." Give each team a candy cane, and have each team use a nonverbal signal to communicate with their teammates,...
Get Ready! Kids will enjoy this challenging game to prepare them for the fun and joy of the holiday season. Get Set! You'll need green pool noodles or a large artificial wreath, a...
Form four teams. Have each team stand in a circle and pick one person to be Lazarus. Have Lazarus stand in the middle of the circle. On "go," have each team use one roll of toilet...
To play this game form two teams. Have teams form two lines facing each other in the center of the room. Designate one team as the shepherds and one team as the sheep. When the...
Here's a fun kid's ministry game you can use any time, but it's perfect for Group's Slime Time Halloween alternative (since it came from there!). Get ready to enclose kids in a...
Who's Who? Use this game as an icebreaker that'll get kids talking and laughing as they learn about various people from the Bible. Write the names of people from the Bible on 3x5...
Learning and remembering the names of every child who is active in your children's ministry can be a daunting task. This fun ice breaker is a great way to help everyone get to know...
Children's Ministry Magazine
Musical chairs is a great game to use when teaching children's ministry kids the importance of sharing with one another. So, start the music and watch as your students learn the...
Children's Ministry Magazine
Form groups of four. Give each group a bag of Hershey's Kisses. Say: Your group can eat as many Hershey's Kisses as you want -- as long as you don't use your hands to unwrap them....
Children's Ministry Magazine
Use these icebreaker games with kids to help them get to know each other. Who Am I? Have kids sit in a circle. Tell kids you're going to play "Who Am I?" where kids walk around the...
Children's Ministry Magazine
You'll need two large bowls filled with water, dishwashing liquid, and a straw for each person... Form two groups. Designate one group as Group 1 and the other group as Group 2....
Gordon West
If the Holy Spirit is unseen, how can we know when he is present in our lives? Mark a line on the floor at opposite ends of the room. Tell kids that they'll have a race to see who...
Children's Ministry Magazine
Here's a fun crowdbreaker to help children get to know each other at the beginning of a school year... Before class, fill one box with enough candy treats for each child. Then wrap...
Children's Ministry Magazine
This Bible game is best played outside, but it can be done inside against a wall... To play this Bible class game you'll need a large tree and some colored chalk. Play in teams or...
Children's Ministry Magazine
Place five water balloons on a towel in the center of each team's circle. One person in each team must scoot to the center of the circle, pick up the water balloon with his or her...
Children's Ministry Magazine
Kids will have a ball playing this fun game that demonstrates how important it is to help our friends. Tie a rope to two chairs and stretch it across your room. Form two teams and...
Children's Ministry Magazine
Form groups of four. For each group of four, create a different animal family with these four family members: Dad Chicken, Mom Chicken, Sister Chicken, and Baby Chicken (use a...
Children's Ministry Magazine
FREE GAME FOR GRADES 2 - 6 Tie a handkerchief in the middle of a Tug-of-War rope. Form evenly matched teams for pulling. Mark off two lines about 3 feet apart in the middle of your...
Children's Ministry Magazine
Have kids stand in a circle with their arms stretched out in front of them. With all of the hands in the middle, have kids move toward the center of the circle and grab two other...
Children's Ministry Magazine
Play this Thanksgiving game with your family to help them focus on all they're thankful for. You can even do one per day as you count down the days during the week before...
Children's Ministry Magazine
Use this game to illustrate how Jesus wants us to take care of each other. Form teams of four. Choose one person from each team to be the hurt man who was robbed and beaten on his...
Children's Ministry Magazine
Cultivate Fun! Stuff: Yarn, scissors, a stopwatch, and purple balloons. Kids will love playing this game that simulates the common practice of crushing grapes to make juice at...
Children's Ministry Magazine
At one end of the room, fill a large tub with cold water, cranberries, and a few apples. At the other end of the room, form teams of four or five. Give each child a plastic spoon...
Children's Ministry Magazine
The beginning of a new school year can be exciting and a little scary for kids, especially if they don't know the other children in their class. Send "new kid" jitters packing with...
Children's Ministry Magazine
Begin your event with a potluck barbecue. Have someone run in with a torch to light the grill! After eating, let the games begin. Then, with great pomp and circumstance, give...
Children's Ministry Magazine
A fun and active way to teach your children's ministry kids about the Fruit of the Spirit . Best For: Grades K-3 Activity Level: High Write the nine fruits of the spirit on separate...
Children's Ministry Magazine
Form a circle. Number the four corners of your room. Tell children that this moving cheer will help them pray. Stand in the center of the circle. Ask the children to think about...
Jolene L. Roehlkpartain
The next time children start wiggling, roaming, wandering, whispering, and dallying during your lesson, don't groan. The fun is about to begin! Just announce one of these fun games...
Children's Ministry Magazine
A fun and creative way to keep Mom close to your heart on Mother's Day. Form pairs. Give each pair a paper cup full of M and M's candy and O-shaped cereal (such as Cheerios)....
Children's Ministry Magazine
Form two teams and designate a goal line. Give each team a photocopy of the following instructions. Tell teams they're to race to complete the seven steps. A different person in...
Group Books
This game gets a group together. Lay one red, one yellow and one green blanket side by side on the ground, with the yellow blanket in the middle. If you don't have blankets these...
Children's Ministry Magazine
Form teams of four. Have each team line up, then give the first person in each line a roll of crepe paper. On "go," each person with the crepe paper threads the paper around his...
Reader Submitted
Hide hollow chocolate eggs instead of plastic or real eggs. Make sure there are enough eggs for each child to have one, and limit the hunt to one egg each. Gather the children and...
This silly game reminds kids that God loves a joyful heart. Bible Connect: Psalm 9:2 ; Psalm 28:7 Play: Have one child lie on his or her back. Then have another child lie with his...
10 active indoor games to help kids workout the squirm and grow in their faith. The cold winter months can make kids stircrazy. Stuck inside, they dream of a warmer season when they...
An engaging Bible activity that will teach children the importance of friendship. Topic: Friendship Scripture: Luke 10:25-37 Game Overview: Kids will build multistoried buildings...
Use this game with a lesson on Daniel, or any time you want to emphasize the rewards of trusting God. Have the children stand in a circle. Choose one child to be Daniel and stand in...
Children's Ministry Magazine
A death-defying activity that will challenge kids to find balance in their lives--and their spiritual walk. Object of the Game: Walk the "tightrope" while tossing and catching...
This game will demonstrate to kids that how they look has little to do with who they really are. Supply List paper plates, one per child; markers, crayons, pens; craft sticks, one...
Use this Bible activity to help your Sunday school students learn how to handle conflict. Topic: Conflict Scripture: Titus 3:1 Game Overview: Kids will bounce a ball off their...
You can use this game to teach kids about resourcefulness or making the most of a situation. You can also talk about how God can do a lot with the little we have. Game Overview:...
We can give God our worries. "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you" ( 1 Peter 5:7 ). Sometimes kids have grown-up-sized problems: where to get their next meal,...
Children's Ministry Magazine
Don't fight it...A Bible activity that will show children Jesus' perspective on fighting. Jesus once prayed to his father that his followers would all be one. That meant Jesus...
Check out these 12 games that teach, challenge, inspire, and lead kids into deeper faith. Together Again Form groups of four, and have kids take off their shoes. Have groups each...
A fun game designed to spread a little Christmas cheer to kids who are not yet ready to read. For this fun Christmas bingo game, create nine 1-inch squares on a single page and...
This fun variation of the game "tag" is a great way to energize your children's ministry kids and help them learn the importance of good sportsmanship. Form two equal teams for this...
A fun and active game that is designed to help kids release energy and get to know their brothers and sisters in Christ even better. Give children five clothespins each. Then have...
Mary J. Davis
Use these "everyone-wins" games and activities at any event you plan this fall. As children play together, they'll discover new things about one another -- and they'll have a blast!...
Michael Capps
Fun games that will help get kids' attention as you prepare to start the lesson. STICK SHIFT Form two teams. Give a bag of stick bubble gum to a team leader on each team. On "go,"...
Delia Halverson
PLANTING PARTY Serve raw vegetables with dip and peanut butter as refreshments, and give each child a small flower to take home. Ask each child to bring a parent to the party. This...
BEST FOR: GRADES K-6 ACTIVITY LEVEL: MODERATE Form a circle with kids holding their hands behind their backs. Choose someone to be "It." Have It stand in the center of the circle....
BEST FOR: GRADES 3-6 ACTIVITY LEVEL: HIGH You'll need a large gymnasium or outdoor area for this game. Form teams of no more than eight. For each team, place a masking-tape line the...
BEST FOR: GRADES 3-6 ACTIVITY LEVEL: HIGH Form pairs. Have partners remove their shoes. Have partners trade shoes, then stand against a wall. On "go," have children each put on...
BEST FOR: GRADES K-6 ACTIVITY LEVEL: MODERATE Here's a great game for a hot day. It'll cool off your kids and get a lot of laughs. You'll need a radio, a large container of water, a...
BEST FOR: GRADES 3-6 ACTIVITY LEVEL: HIGH Form two teams. Have teams line up across from each other. Give the person in the front of each line a white paper wad. Give the person in...
This game will build children's self-esteem. You'll need one Hula Hoop and two large jars. For each child, you'll need a Ping-Pong ball with his or her name written on it with a...
NON-MUSICAL CHAIRS ACTIVITY LEVEL : HIGH This game is designed to encourage kids to put others ahead of themselves. You'll need one die per six children and one chair for each...
Get your kids to "go for the gold" with this event. ACTIVITY LEVEL : HIGH Set up these nine stations: 1. Race to Jerusalem -kids race barefoot around a course on a stick horse with...
Glue a picture that'll appeal to children to a sheet of paper. Print a Bible verse on the back of the paper. Then cut the picture into large, puzzle-piece shapes. Place the puzzle...
BEST FOR: GRADES K-2 ACTIVITY LEVEL: MODERATE Have children form a circle. Sing one verse of " The Farmer in the Dell ." Then tell kids they're going to sing a song using that tune....
