The account of Young Jeremiah’s first call from God is spectacular, but contains some simple and relatable elements. Use these games as a way of looking at some key themes in the passage while catering to the kids who need gross motor activities and hands on learning to better engage.
Standing in a circle, have every child reach out both hands into the centre and grab another random wrist. The aim is to untangle the knot formed without letting go of each other by stepping over arms and spinning, etc. Link: Jeremiah’s job was to help God’s people see the mess they had made.
The account of Young Jesus in the temple is a well-loved account of youthful contribution, but when it comes to games and activities, a question and answer session may not grab the kids’ attention so much. Here are a few activities that may let them get the wiggles out a bit more effectively.
A ‘hide the thimble’ alternative. Using the hero’s post, print a small picture of the Jesus graphic and hide it in the room. Variants: play as rounds where Jesus is re-hidden, or you can print multiple copies and have each child find one. Link to Mary and Joseph searching the city.
Cut out the cards and separate one. Place all the remaining cards face down over random squares. Look at the picture in the remaining uncovered square; this is what we aim to find. Lift any card. Does it match the original picture? If it matches, place it face up on that square; if it doesn’t, place it face down. We now have a new image we are searching for: the one under the card you just lifted. Continue until all the cards are face up. Link: Samuel searching for the voice’s origin.
Recognising Voices
All Ages
Any size group
No Setup time
Noisy game
Can be seated
Have the child playing Samuel sit in a chair (blindfolded, if you feel it’s needed, or with eyes closed). Point to one other child and get them to call out “young Samuel?” Can the child identify the voice? Link: Recognising voices
That looks like a…
All Ages
Small group
Requires setup time
Noisy game
Can be seated
Take a large envelope and cut a small hole in the side. (A hole punch will do this neatly.) Slip a picture into the envelope and give it to the children. The children will probably try to move the picture about to see as much as possible. Link: recognising things by just one part
Follow the leader
Under 7’s
Any size group
No Setup time
Noisy game
Space needed
Use this classic game where the ‘leader’ chooses an action, direction, or sound and the group need to imitate that. Link: Samuel copied Eli’s instructions
Identify the sound
Under 7’s
Any size group
Requires setup time
Noisy game
Can be seated
If you have access to the internet within your space, then use this YouTube video to play guess the sound, the sound plays then the curtain lifts to reveal what made the sound. Others available too! Link: Eli identifying God’s voice
The story of the thankful leper lends itself well to group activities. These games play with ideas in the passage found in Luke 17.
Print the game by clicking on the image and downloading the file. Start with 10 people/counters and use a die/dice to move your crowd from Jesus to the priest and back again. Lose one or more every time you land on a space with writing! How many of your crowd of 10 can make it back to Jesus to say thank you? If you lose all your people, you are out of the game! Link: Only one made it back to say thank you.
Group Balance
All Ages
Any size group
Requires setup time
Noisy game
Space needed
Write some large numbers on a set of cards and shuffle them. Gather the children together and explain that the first number is the number of people in a group, and the second number is the number of hands or feet to be touching the floor. The group then gathers and works out how to balance with the number given. Smaller groups can just use the second number. Link: Leprosy affects the feeling in your limbs; so lepers may need to work together to do tasks.
Musical Chairs
All Ages
Any size group
No Setup time
Noisy game
Space needed
Set out one less chair than there are players. Dance around the chairs until the music stops and then race to sit down. Anyone without a chair is out of the game. Have the last player, the winner, thank the other players for taking part. Link: many were healed, but only one thanked.
What’s the time Master
Under 7’s
Any size group
No Setup time
Noisy game
Space needed
This is a nicer version of what’s the time Mr wolf, and so the rules may well already be familiar to the children. The Master (wolf) holds a treat, biscuits perhaps, and rather than shout out ‘dinner time’ and chase them, he shouts out ‘prayer time’ and they all have to kneel down.
Dominoes
All Ages
Any size group
Requires setup time
Quiet game
Can be seated
Make a giant set from foam or card and play as a group, it’s a good thing to leave out as an option for distracted children to go back to as well.
The story of the lost sheep and the faithful 99 is a church classic. These games play with ideas in the passage found in Luke 15.
Print the board game PDF by clicking on the picture. You will need counters and a dice to play. Travel along the pathway collecting sheep. The person with the most sheep at the end is the winner, but beware of the foxes and lions! Link: Counting the sheep.
Roped reuniting
All Ages
Any size group
Requires setup time
Noisy game
Space needed
This obstacle course meets arcade game involves players controlling an object through pulling ropes and tension. Attach two or more long strings or ropes to a doll. Lay out an obstacle course with a sheep to reunite with at one end. The players can not step inside the obstacle course area, but must hold the ropes from the sides, pulling them or keeping the string tense to guide the doll around the obstacles to reach the sheep. Link: The search for the sheep.
Where did it go?
Under 7’s
Any size group
No Setup time
Noisy game
Space needed
Hide a small ornament or picture of a sheep in the room and have the kids hunt for it. Link: The search for the sheep.
Follow the leader
Under 7’s
Any size group
No Setup time
Noisy game
Space needed
In this classic game, you follow the leader around the room, imitating their actions. Link: following the good shepherd.
Sheep separation
All Ages
Big group
No Setup time
Noisy game
Space needed
(A JWL favourite sheep game) This is a noisy and silly game for a group. Choose 2 herdsmen, and assign them each a colour. Using chairs, or some sort of barriers, make sheep pens. Tell all the other children they must pretend to be sheep, on all fours. If someone comes and stands near them, they must turn away from the person. When all the children are on all fours, mark their backs with a coloured dot sticker. The herdsmen then need to herd the sheep into the right pen. Link: The shepherd taking the sheep home.
The story of Lydia, a woman who sold purple cloth and was the first European convert, is a small passage signifying great meaning and a huge step forward for the church. These games play with ideas in the passage, Lydia’s actions and character traits.
Grab a parachute. The aim is to get all the boats through the hole in the parachute, apart from the one Paul is on. For boats, use table tennis balls or tennis balls. Make sure one ball is a different colour or mark it with tape. Link: Paul sailed to get to Macedonia and Lydia.
Purple
All Ages
Big group
Requires setup time
No Setup time
Noisy game
Space needed
This is a simple hide and seek game using dot stickers or coloured tape. Hide a large number of dot stickers in your space and have the kids search for them. You can either have kids remove the stickers to stick to their t-shirts or count how many there are of each colour. At the end, tally up how many kids find and remember the purple counts double. Link: Lydia was a dealer in purple cloth, like many from her home town.
Back Rhythm
All Ages
Any size group
Requires setup time
Noisy game
Space needed
Sit in a circle and pass a rhythm around by tapping it on the back of the person in front of you. Link: God’s church grew by passing the word from person to person.
Baptism role play
Under 7’s
Small group
Requires setup time
Quiet game
Can be seated
Use dolls of teddies and blue shredded paper for water to act out how your church baptises. This is a great activity for the very young and a good conversation starter. Link: Lydia showed she was a new believer by being baptised.
Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 13 are a beautiful attempt at pinning down what God’s love is, and these games will help you explore the passage deeper with your youngsters.
Print the 2 pages of the card game included with this pack and follow the instructions on the printout pages. This simple card game is suitable for 1-3 players and is a great way of learning the different attributes that Paul assigns to love. (click on picture for file!) Link: The description of love.
Love is…
Under 7’s
Any size group
No Setup time
Noisy game
Can be seated
The leader calls out words. Those related to love (care, affection, like, etc), get no reaction, but when they say a word not associated with love (hurt, pain, mean etc), the kids make noise by pretending to crash cymbals or pounding on the table. Link: We know what love is, even though it’s sometimes difficult to describe.
Finding love
All Ages
Small group
Requires setup time
Noisy game
Space needed
Have a love hunt. Write the letters F,A,I,T,H,H,O,P,E,L,O,V and E on 13 hearts and hide them around your area. Have the youngsters find the hearts and make the three words. Link: The final verse: 1 Corinthians 13:13.
Mirror Muddle
All Ages
Any size group
Requires setup time
Noisy game
Can be seated
Use a small hand mirror to try to read something behind you( or look at a picture) and try to describe what you see to the rest of the group. The group could attempt to replicate the picture on their own piece of paper based on what the person looking at the original picture in the mirror says; see who can get the closest. Link: We might try to explain God, Jesus, Christianity to someone, but we’ll never do a perfect job because it isn’t clear in the mirror (verse 12).
The body of believers is a great lesson in including all, valuing all, accepting all, and working together to build a community that reflects God’s heart. These lessons all tie into the passage found in 1 Corinthians 12 in slightly different ways, allowing kids to move and experience the power of Paul’s words.
Get the youngsters to complete a task while hindered. Tie their leg to a partner’s then walk across the room. Tie their arms together then get them to open a packet, have them tie a shoe blindfolded. Write their name in flour using their nose. Link: When one part of our body is hindered, it has an effect on the rest.
Building a church
All Ages
Any size group
Requires setup time
Quiet game
Can be seated
Give the children a few wooden shapes used for building patterns. Ask them to make a person from just the shapes they have. Talk about how limiting it is to work with so few shapes. Now ask the children to put all their shapes together and repeat, discuss how much easier it was with more shapes. Link: The church grows with diversity.
Musical identification
Ages 7+
Small group
Requires setup time
Noisy game
Can be seated
Play a piece of music for the children. Get them to identify the instruments used. If you can source real instruments for props or use photo’s. Link: Talk about how the combination of instruments makes the piece sound good.
Clay men
All Ages
Small group
Requires setup time
Quiet game
Can be seated
Take some clay and shape it into a humanoid shape. Pass the man around, getting each child to break off a small piece. As each child takes a piece, get them to tell you what the man couldn’t do now that he’s missing the piece they took. Link: We suffer when one part is missing.
