The Game of NIM

Here’s another favourite game which children love and is great to fill in five minutes in your program.

1. Choose two contestants. (or choose two teams -Boys vs. Girls, leader vs. child etc…)

2. On a white board, chalkboard or O.H.P draw the following pattern of crosses ( one less cross per line. You can start with less if you want a shorter game).
xxxxxxxx

xxxxxxx

xxxxxx

xxxxx

xxxx

xxx

xx

x

3. The contestants take it in turn to remove (cross out, or rub out) the crosses according to the following rule.

4. On your turn you are only allowed to rub out a whole line (horizontally) of crosses OR one cross .
5. Take turns. The winner is the one who makes their opponent rub out the last cross.

Encourage loud barracking! Have several rounds throughout your program. A variation is to ask a quiz/revision question before each turn.

Bible Picture Memory Game

You need two contestants who come out the front and stand back to back. Both are given an identical picture of a bible scene (like Jesus feeding the 5000 or Moses and the Israelites crossing the Red sea etc…). The contestants have one minute to look at the picture then the pictures are removed and they are asked in turn a number of questions regarding the details of the pictures. They score one point for each correct answer. The game is made more interesting for the onlookers if the picture can be displayed on a PowerPoint slide, overhead projector or simply held up for for all to see except the contestants. This is a good game to review a story which has been told.

Nine Toothpicks

A warm-up game for all ages

Each player is given five toothpicks. Then the leader offers six more to anyone who can make them into nine toothpicks. All eleven toothpicks must be used. This is quite a puzzle until someone discovers that by laying the toothpicks so as to make the word N I N E  he/she has used all eleven toothpicks.

Amoeba Game

Amoebas: Group members face outwards and all link arms. The task is for the whole team to complete an obstacle course without breaking the chain.

Tangles : This game is great with a large group and works well either right at the start of a program or right at the end. It works well both outside and inside in a larger space.

Choose between 2-5 people who stand outside a large circle of children (and or adults). Emphasize that no one is to let go of their hands and also that you are to move slowly and gently. Everyone joins hands except those standing outside circle. The leader then takes one side of the circle across to the other side and takes the children under the arms of the other side. The rest of the circle then proceeds to tangle up their arms by going under or over other arms until the leader calls everyone to “freeze”. The children on the outside now have 3-5 minutes (depending on group size) to untangle the circle back to how it started. It’s important to keep reminding people not to let go and to co-operate with the “untanglers”.

Variation: You could play this game as a competition beween two groups and time the “untangling”.

Make Your Own Sliding Puzzle

Try this neat little program for making and sending a sliding puzzle of your photo or drawing to a friend.

http://slidingpuzzle.net

Sliding Puzzle – Free online Sliding Puzzle player

Don’s Puzzle

Just left click on the pieces to move them.

Miss The Bell

This game is fun and easy to arrange. A bell is suspended in a hoop about 8 inches (16 cm) in diameter and a small ball is given to the players. They take turns tossing the ball through the hoop without causing the bell to ring. One point is scored each time the ball goes through and three points are scored if the bell does not ring.

7 Ways to involve children with the Bible

Practical suggestions in helping children read the Bible.

1. Use part of the Bible as a handbook: If possible, give each child one of teh Gospels. This becomes their handbook, in which they can- Colour in important verse or memory verses; colour boxes can be drawn around each story as it is covered in you Bible teaching; in particular stories, Jesus’ words can be underlined; circle the questions that  Jesus was asked in this story. This book then becomes “their own” which they can quickly find their way around.

2. Consider these: turning Bible passages into radio plays, dramatize and video Bible  passages, write raps or simple songs based on the Bible story-either to well known tunes or write new tunes; construct board games to review Bible passages.

3. Race to the Place- Before looking at the Bible passage fro the day, have all the children hold their Bible above their heads. When you’re ready call out the reference for teh story to see who can find it first.

4. Extend the passage - Following a story, children are encouraged to think further. For Example – to pretend they were a guard at Jesus’ tomb, and to write a letter to your mum a week after the resurrection. Make up some interview questions for a TV or newspaper reporter to asl one of  the disciples after the stilling of the storm.

5. Where can you find the answers? Hold a discussion to find out how much the children know about certain topics. For example – God, sin, Satan, heaven …Children make up statements like, “In heaven there are pearly gates”, “the streets are paved with gold.” Pose the question, “Where can you find out if this is true?” Look up the references.

6. Develop word a word puzzle based on the story – the children use their Bibles to find the answers to your questions. Letters from these answers reveal a key word. Use www.puzzlemaker.com to construct puzzles based on the Bible passage.

7. Drama and Narrated Mime: Give a small group a passage to take away and devise a drama to present to the rest of the group. The group may choose to elect a narrator, who reads the story with characters miming their parts.

Blindfold TIC-TAC-TOE

Blindfold TIC-TAC-TOE (O’s & X’s)

Here’s a game which was a hit with my children when I was teaching. All you need is a whiteboard, markers, and two blindfolds (or close eyes or turn to back wall).

How To Play

A tic-tac-toe grid is drawn on a board and the squares are numbered 1 to 9. (I usually get a child to do this.) Two contestants are blindfolded – One is a ‘O’ and the other is a ‘X’. They have to play the game by calling out the number of the square where they want their “O’ or “X” to go. (You can let the contestants look at the grid with the numbers for five seconds or not look at all before they are blindfolded). The leader fills in the blank grid as the game progresses. Three ‘O’’s or “X”s in a row wins.

Make a time limit of 5 seconds for each turn or the game will drag on too long. This game works well if you have several rounds throughout a program.
Variation: A normal game (not blindfolded) where by the children are split in half as two teams and whoever can answer a ‘revision’ question correctly gets to choose for their team. Lots of questions could be needed to complete the game. Why not get each team to write out some questions for a question box to draw from?

Beatitudes for Children’s Workers

Blessed are they who love children with all their heart, for they shall be rewarded with big smiles.

Blessed are they who have planned and prepared, for the children will be interested and pay attention.

Blessed are they who arrive early, for they shall be able to welcome the children at the door with a loving smile.

Blessed are those who get to know their children, their children’s parents, and their children’s home situation; for they shall be able to minister more effectively.

Blessed are those who respect each child’s personality and seek to meet that child on his/her own level of understanding, for young lives shall reap the benefits from these efforts in years to come.

Blessed are they who bear witness to children week after week, for they shall see boys and girls grow in knowledge and love of God.

Blessed are they who spend time alone with God each day, for they shall grow spiritually and the Lord will use them as His instruments.

Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for the Lord will honour your commitment and give you pleasure and satisfaction in your ministry to children.

Author unknown

Jigsaw Hunt Game

To play this game you need two jigsaws about the same size but different in style and not too many pieces. Before the game starts, put together part of the jigsaws and then hide the other pieces in the meeting room/classroom/hall , but don’t make them too ha dr  to find.

The children are divided into two teams which must search for their missing pieces, which they then put in the correct position in their teams’ jigsaw. Any pieces of their opponents’ puzzle which are found should be left alone. The first team to complete their jigsaw is the winner. Players are not allowed to hold onto opponents’ pieces and stop them from finishing.

Variation: Play the game using two bible memory verses which have been written out on two different colored sheets of thick cardboard.Then cut into jigsaw pieces. Hide some pieces as above. You may make it harder by leaving some letters or words incomplete which need to be filled in by looking the verse up in a bible when the team assembles the pieces.

Memory verse game

Here’s a fun way to help children remember a Bible memory verse. Play “flashlight tag” (or torch tag if you’re from Australia).  Bring a flashlight and let someone be “it”. It tries to shine the flashlight on someone’s feet to tag them. If they are tagged, they can be set free by someone running to them and saying the memory verse.

Have a ball game

A warm-up game.

Each child is given a small table tennis ball  ( other small objects could be used) which they write their name on. The children are given a short time to go off and hide their ball and then  return when a whistle is blown to gather again. Everybody then goes off in search of as many balls as possible. Each ball found is returned to its owner. The person whose ball is found last is the winner.

Variation: Instead of names written on the balls other things like Bible characters, colors, sports teams, Books of the Bible… could be written and the person finding the ball then has to guess who wrote on it to return it correctly.

Bible basketball

The group is divided into two equal teams. Children are identified by number rather than position, as in basketball. One child from each team comes to the “referee” (leader) who “tosses up” a short, one-word answer question. The first player to answer a question gets the “ball” for the team. The player is now asked a question by the leader. The player may choose to answer the question or pass the ball to another player who is named by number. If the player answers the question correctly, two points are scored. If not, the ball is turned over  to the other team. If the player chooses to pass the ball, the player named must attempt the answer. If the answer is correct, the team scores. If it is incorrect, a “rebound” situation results in which any player on either team can call “Rebound!” The leader identifies the first child who called, and that child gives an answer. If incorrect, the ball passes to the opposing team.

After each score, the ball goes to the other team. Each new sequence of play is begun with a “jump” or “toss-up” question. The leader always questions the children in rank order. a passed “ball” can be used to break that order; however the leader always returns to the rank order for the next question.

Other refinements can be added like penalties and free throw situations.

Squiggles-drawing game

To play Squiggles, you need some drawing paper for each child or adult and some crayons or pencils for each player. Give each player paper and pencil to draw four squiggles (random line drawings) of whatever sort they wish. Then get the children to swap their sheet of four drawings with one another. They now have to make the squiggles into one large or four separate pictures by adding to them. There are no winners in this game which is only for fun but after some time the children might like to share what they have drawn with each other.

Olympic Games Holiday Club Resources

Our church is gearing up for our annual children’s holiday club (vacation bible school) in our July school holidays. This year we are following an Olympic Games theme and bible passages from Luke’s gospel. If you are looking for material to use for your Sunday School  or children’s club could I recommend two excellent resources which we are going to draw from which include bible teaching resources, games, drama scripts, songs and puppet ideas.

“Champions Challenge” produced by Scripture Union

“On Track” For God’s Prize- produced by Logosdor

Chalk Games

How to play the traditional chalk games like hopscotch, 4 square, human snakes and ladders, goalies goal, and bulls eye. Many of these can be adapted to be used along with quiz questions on a topic to review a lesson.

Chalk Games for children

Favourite Night

Favourite Night ( An all-age activity for a family night or small group with children)

1. Ask the children (or families) to bring along their favourite item/toy/piece of clothing etc. for showing and talking about.

2. Have sheets of paper hung around the walls of the room/hall with different heading on each. eg. “Your Favourite Food, Colour, TV show, Takeaway Food, Holiday Destination, Sport, Hobby, Singer/Actor etc… (the children give answers including their names) Sheets could then be read out during the evening.

3. Devotions- Jesus “Favourite disciples” Peter & John ?

Talk about how showing favouritism can be unfair. Does God have favourites?

We all have different favourite likes and dislikes. God made us all different. Just because someone else doesn’t like what we like doesn’t make them wrong.

Talk about having favourite places to spend time.Time to think and reflect.

Ask the children to share their favourite story from the Bible and perhaps draw or act it out.

4. Play – Charades- guess your favourite TV show, singer, Bible character…

Celebrity Hats- Place names on hats for three contestants. They wear the hat and can’t see who they are supposed to be. Contestants play 20 questions with the group. A correct answer means they get to ask another question until a contestant guesses what name is on their hat.

5. Ask the children ( or a family) to bring along their favourite food to share for supper.

Trying to make a Hexaflexagon?

I first discovered hexaflexagons when I was teaching  mathematics. I later used the template for making a hexflexagon and used  my own art work to put Bible memory verses or Sunday School teaching points on them. Because the hexaflexagons are so interesting to older primary (elementary)  aged children I found that they were a great activity to be used in teaching or for a lesson review.

You may be wondering at this point “well what is a hexaflexagon”? They are not easy to explain but the websites below give you some helpful templates and photos so that you get the idea. Once you make one yourself you will see the potential here for using them with children or even creating an evangelistic tool for use with adults or in mission situations.  May the ‘flex’ be with you!

http://www.enarsson.nu//Flexagon/ 

http://www.flexagon.net/ 

http://home.xnet.com/~aak/hexahexa.html

Easter Pass the Parcel

A variation on the well known game.

This is played in the same way as at children’s parties except you have a number of parcels circulating according to the size of your group (say one parcel per ten children).

Get everyone into a large circle and give out the parcels with an even number of people between each. Then as the music is played, the parcels are passed around the room from one person to the next as quickly as possible.
When the music stops the people holding the parcel can unwrap one layer of paper. Make sure each parcel is unwrapped to exactly the same point. This way the game will finish with the three or four people getting to the centre at the same time.

For Easter – Between the layers place: a palm cross (talk about why we have a cross on the top on hot cross buns or why people wear crosses around their necks) , an Easter card( What would you write about Easter in a card to a friend ?), a large nail (Jesus didn’t deserve to die -crucifixion), an easter egg (tomb), a clean sheet of paper (nothing on it- Jesus forgave our sins) . The gift could be a a small box of chocolates (celebrate that Jesus is alive).

Use the items to recap the Easter story.

Find that tune game

A game suitable for children aged 7-11. It also works well at a family games night.

One volunteer is blindfolded, and a second volunteer carries a radio tuned to a favourite station. The remaining group members are spectators for that round of the game and should remain quiet. Be sure the room is clear of barriers and obstacles. To begin, place the blindfolded person and the radio person on opposite sides of the room. The objective is to time how long it takes the blindfolded person to touch the person with the radio. The catch is that the person with the radio can walk around ( not run). When one pair has finished, record its time and continue with another pair. There will be two winners: the blindfolded person with the shortest time, and the radio person with the shortest time.

Bible Scrabble

You’ll  need some pieces of paper or cardboard about 4×6 inches.

Have children write the letters of the alphabet on sheets of paper -one letter per sheet. Include two sheets for the letters A,H,N,S,T, and three sheets for the letters E  and O.

Next hand out the papers as evenly as possible among the children until the letters are distributed. If there are more students than letters then form small groups to share letters.

When everyone is ready, play ‘Bible Scrabble’. As you name characters, have the children hold their letters up and arrange themselves to spell that name.

Use familiar names such as-

God, Jesus, Adam, Paul, Peter, Felix. Mary, Joseph…

Variation: Stick “Post-it” notes (with letter written on) onto the sole of children’s shoes and get each group to arrange their feet in the correct order to spell the words.

Fabulous feet night!

Warm Up-

*Ask each child to bring an old pair of socks along for games

OR bring a sock with an interesting object inside for show and tell.

OR bring a sock full of small items.

* Using cut our paper feet or chalk drawn feet, make foot trails leading in and around the hall etc… Try making a maze with the feet for the children to work through.

* Have a supervised foot rally around the neighbourhood.

* Talk about caring for our feet/foot problems etc…

* Have a mini Olympic/round robin type activities using socks or shoes.

* Have children try and write their names or draw a picture holding a pen between their toes.

* Have various objects in a large bag, kids try to feel the objects with their feet and identify them.

* Ask each person to trace around their foot, write their name and age on it and then stick to a wall in a prominent place where they can be seen by others.

Play - Crab race kicking balloon with feet

Stepping stone tiggy/relay

Jump the furthest distance

Shoe scramble, various games using feet, shoe kick for distance, balloon stomp

Pass objects using feet only along the row or around a circle of players

Pea in a bucket (players pick up dried peas between their toes)

Throw Gumboot/sock /shoe the furtherest distance

Foot spelling ( a different alphabet letter stuck on each persons shoe/sole)

Chair soccer/crab soccer

Devotions-

How most people travelled by foot in Jesus’ time from city to city.

Disciples shaking dust of their sandles and leaving town if not welcomed.

Last supper & washing of feet (serving others) Luke 7v 36, John 13:1-16

Hand out a Bible verse printed on a foot shaped piece of paper.

Jesus asks us to follow him, to follow in his footsteps.

Read the poem “Footprints.”

Further Activities-

Make a plaster imprint cast of each persons foot

Make old shoes into pot plant holders or socks into puppets.

Make a banner/poster/wall hanging with everyone’s foot imprint on it and their name (outline of foot or footprint in water based paint).

Stamp out rhythms of songs with your feet, players try to guess the tune.

Picture Relay

Drawing relays for children competing in teams. Choose your topic around the teaching theme of the day. Picture relays like this are great for revising a Bible story.

Two to four teams line up about 10-15 metres from a wall or noticeboard where large pieces of paper have been posted. (One for each team). Place crayons, texta colours, or chalk in front of the sheets of paper on the floor or small table. The same topic is given to all the groups and a command to go is given. The first team member runs to their piece of paper and begins to draw. After a few seconds the leader blows a whistle or calls out “change” and the first runner returns as in a relay and the second runner runs to continue their team’s drawing. After a few seconds the command to change is called and continues with this pattern until all the team have had a couple of turns of adding to the drawing. At the final whistle each team is asked to describe what they have been drawing. Some discussion might take place and a winner may be announced or simply affirm each effort for it’s creativity.

Possible topics could be: Jesus birth, The Easter story, Jesus washes the disciples feet, Palm Sunday,Moses and theTen Commandments, Noah building the Ark, God’s love in action, God is faithful to Joseph,…

Bubble blow game

Let the children blow  soap bubbles  to see whose bubble can travel the farthest. Or see whose bubble will keep from bursting for the longest length of time. Or see who can have the most bubbles in the air at the same time.

Variation : Extend  a line between two chairs and select two teams. In a given amount of time each team tries to see how many bubbles can be blown over the line to the opposite side.  The teams try to cross the room to the opposite side. They may move forward only while they have a bubble floating in the air.

Sticky pairs- warm up game

You can use this very flexible game to introduce your teaching/Bible theme for the day.

Devise matching pairs of words related to your theme for the day and write them on individual sticky labels which can be stuck to children’s backs. For example, for a discussion on attitudes and behaviour you could choose the words good/bad; love/hate; generous/selfish etc. First show children the word, then stick them on their backs, then challenge them to find their opposite or matching pair by looking at the words on the other children’s backs, without talking. When the children are all paired off gather them and talk about each pair of words as it relates to your theme.

Bible object search

Hide some everyday objects round the room with a Bible reference taped on them. Tell children the number of different objects they are looking for. Children are to find the object and write it down on a sheet of paper with the reference. When all objects have been found sit down and work out the Bible story by looking up the reference.

For example : Bread roll – Mark 8:5-9,  Feeding the 5000.

Toy Lion – Daniel 6:10-23, Daniel

Lambskin – Exodus 12:3-14, The Exodus

Nails – John 19:18 , the Crucifixion of Jesus

Ice breaker game

Name Acrostics ( suitable for older chidren or family groups)

Give pencils and cards to each person as they enter and tell them to print their first name in capitals vertically at the extreme left of their card. The people mix in the crowd trying to find people whose first names begin with the letters on their card. For example, Linda’s card might be completed with these names:

L uke

I an

N arelle

D inah

A lex

No person’s name may be used more than once, unless two or more people bear the same name. The completed acrostic based on the longest name wins the prize.