play Archives - Page 6 of 18 - Jesus Without Language

This is part of a single lesson pack, all ready to print and go.

Order

All Ages

Small group

Requires setup time

Quiet game

Can be seated

Print the game PDF page by clicking on the picture. We order things to help us understand the world and how to act. In this game, you are given 5 random images and told to order them. How you order them is entirely up to you and no answer is wrong, but you must give a reason why. Are they in value order? Age order? Does the order tell a story? Etc. Link to the blueprint conflict resolution part of this passage.

I can… we can…

All Ages

Any size group

No Setup time

Noisy game

Space needed

Repeat the following statement, changing the parameters, “I can reach this high/far, together we can reach this high/far.” “I can lift this much, together we can lift this much” etc. By working with others we achieve much more, praying with others we are joined by Jesus.

Cuck-oo, moo moo

All Ages

Any size group

No Setup time

Noisy game

Can be seated

One person shouts out the first half of an animal sound, and the next person needs to respond with the other half. e.g. person 1 says, “twit” and the next says “twoo”. Dependent on your setup, this can work over screens, directed across rooms, or going around a circle. Which sounds work alone, which need a partner?

Prayer chain Jesus

All Ages

Any size group

Requires setup time

Noisy game

Space needed

Sit the children in a circle and say we will be passing around the word ‘Jesus’ one letter at a time. Have the first person throw a letter J, you can do this with a ball or just by imitating the action, the receiver throws the letter E until you reach the last S and start again. Link to the idea that we find Jesus not alone but gathered, even if only 2 people were throwing the letters they would still find Jesus.

Who ate the cookie from the cookie jar

Under 7’s

Small group

No Setup time

Noisy game

Can be seated

If you have very small children, sing a round of this song. Talk about how it can be difficult to admit our mistakes and how others can accuse us. Link to Jesus talking about conflict

This is a passage many people would rather skim, we would rather not portray the angry Jesus who slings things like calling someone a devil. But this passage is so important to understanding not only Peter but the way the people of God could move from adoring crowds to chanting crucify. At the root of this passage, Peter gets it wrong on the back of declaring Jesus the Messiah, his great high and painful low clashing back to back.

This is part of a single lesson pack, all ready to print and go.

Nothing

All Ages

Small group

Requires setup time

Quiet game

Can be seated

Play this little board game, the rules are on the page, but the basis is that you need to lose everything to win. You’ll need a lot of counters or coins. The PDF is accessible by clicking on the picture.

Follow the leader

Under 7’s

Any size group

No Setup time

Noisy game

Space needed

This classic game ties in well to the story where Peter wanted Jesus to follow his dream, not Jesus’ mission.

When I’m king…

All Ages

Any size group

No Setup time

Quiet game

Can be seated

A variant on what I’ll take to grandma’s this is a game about memorising a list. Each player lists a decree they’ll make when he or she becomes ruler, the following person has to add their decree to the list after recalling all that has gone before.

Feel bags

All Ages

Small group

Requires setup time

Quiet game

Can be seated

These are precisely what they sound like. Grab some bags and hide things inside, have the kids feel the outside and guess the contents. What clues do the bags give us, why did we get some right and some wrong? Link to Peter’ community having dreams of a Messiah, why did they get right and wrong given the clues they had?

Jesus asks a seemingly simple question, and suddenly the slow meander to find food for Jesus’ friends becomes a pivotal moment. There are so many symbols and ideas packed into these few verses, identity, naming, foundations, kingdoms, keys… here are just a few games to get you started.

This is part of a single lesson pack, all ready to print and go.

Incomplete

Under 7’s

Small group

Requires setup time

Quiet game

Can be seated

Using the jigsaws PDF, give each child 12 pieces with only one complete picture. Have the build the one possible character. Talk about how God knows us completely and wants us to know him. The PDF is accessible by clicking on the picture.

The key relay

Ages 7+

Any size group

Requires setup time

Noisy game

Space needed

This is best played with a bowl full of keys and just one padlock per team/child, but if you don’t have that then you can use envelopes of key alternatives inside. Place the bowl of keys or alternatives at one side of the room, have the child run and collect a key and bring it back to their lock – repeat, returning keys, until you open your lock.

Who am I?

All Ages

Any size group

No Setup time

Noisy game

Can be seated

This is a well-known game, sometimes called the post-it notes game. Write the name of someone the child will know and stick it to their forehead. The child then has to guess ‘who they are’ by asking questions that can only be answered with a ‘yes’ or ‘no.’

Supporting limbs

All Ages

Any size group

No Setup time

Noisy game

Space needed

Have the youngsters get into small groups of 3–4 people. The idea of the game is for the group to support each other so that not everyone has to stand on the floor. Nobody is allowed to sit on the floor. Roll 2 dice, one for the number of feet that can be touching the floor, the second for the number of hands that can be touching the floor. (Hints : just pick numbers if you don’t have dice, and try balancing on knees) Talk about how sometimes we need the support of those around us.

Name scramble

All Ages

Small group

No Setup time

Noisy game

Can be seated

In this game, you try to build a name by searching for letters. When the children arrive, write their names on small squares of paper, one letter at a time. Drop the letters into a large tub filled with rice or some other filling material like shredded paper. Have the kids dig out the letters until you build a name. Substitute the paper for fridge magnet letters or similar if you are sure of your kids in advance.

This story of the Canaanite woman is an encounter of healing, of acceptance, of determination and of an unlikely party receiving the abundance of God’s love. These games play on the idea that the Canaanite woman didn’t appear to belong in this narrative, as well as the words Jesus used in the passage about dogs and tables. There are a variety of games, suitable for different sized groups and spaces.

This is part of a single lesson pack, all ready to print and go.

Table roll

Under 7’s

Small group

Requires setup time

Noisy game

Space needed

You will need a big table for this one and some small balls, ball pit balls or table tennis balls would be ideal. Pour the balls over the table. Have the kids positioned under or around the table with baskets to catch them when they drop off the edges.

That doesn’t fit

Ages 7+

Big group

No Setup time

Noisy game

Can be seated

Split the group into teams of 5-7. Each team has to choose a theme and then pick items that will support that theme and one red herring. Teams take it in turns to present their items, one per person, to the whole group and the other teams have to work out the red herring and why.
Examples.
Group of 5 – red, yellow, pink, purple, orange – the odd one out is yellow because it doesn’t contain red.
Group of 7 – James, Peter, Paul, Matthew, Bartholomew, Thomas, Judas – the odd one out is Paul as he wasn’t one of the 12.

Whose zoo

All Ages

Any size group

No Setup time

Noisy game

Space needed

Select a child to be the zookeeper and send them out of the room, each child selects an animal to be and shares their animal noise and movement with the group. Have the children move around the room. Invite the zookeeper back in and say the animals have escaped, they will come back (to their seats) if the zookeeper calls out their animal names.

This is for

All Ages

Any size group

No Setup time

Quiet game

Can be seated

The aim of this game is to collect attributes. The first child/team to have 5 wins. The attributes can be anything – wearing a colour, having a sibling, going to a certain school, a size of shoe, being taller than your neighbour etc. Very few of these you can control, just like the woman didn’t choose her religion or birthplace.

Find Jesus

Under 7’s

Small group

Requires setup time

Noisy game

Space needed

A classic game of hide the thimble but with a small picture of Jesus. The woman searched for Jesus too.

This passage can feel a little abstract as it relies on symbolism, so the activities suggested here stick pretty solidly with exploring bread. For the older kids we can spread out to the ideas of symbolism and the confusion of the crowd. There are some printable ideas here as well to try to give you variety without moving away on a tangent.

This is part of a single lesson pack, all ready to print and go.

Bread dominoes

All Ages

Small group

Requires setup time

Quiet game

Can be seated

Print this sheet of dominoes and play a round. It’s a small set, so double up if you have extra kids. Grab the printout by clicking on the picture. The PDF is accessible by clicking on the picture.

Crumbs

All Ages

Any size group

Requires setup time

Noisy game

Space needed

Jesus’ teaching was full of really obvious hints about his future, but the disciples didn’t see it. Set up a treasure to find crumbs (words) that make up the phrase – I am the bread of life (6 words)

I give, you ask

All Ages

Small group

No Setup time

Noisy game

Can be seated

This is an association word game that you take turns playing. The first person says “I give you…” followed by an object, the next one replies “I ask for…” followed by a slightly different object. The objects must be linked but not the same, you also can’t repeat an object. Play in pairs or a large circle.
Example : I give you bread, I ask for butter, I give you jam, I ask for fruit, I give you salad, I ask for meat…

Bread buddies

All Ages

Any size group

Requires setup time

Quiet game

Can be seated

Bread is remarkable and can be used to sculpt shapes out of, cut with cookie cutters and stuck together. Use a few slices of bread to make a bread character.

Whispers

Under 7’s

Any size group

No Setup time

Quiet game

Can be seated

(A classic game sometimes known as Chinese whispers) The crowd in the story went off on a tangent by discussing and arguing among themselves rather than listening to what Jesus was really saying. This classic game of passing along whispered messages from one person to another illustrated that perfectly. Sit in a circle near enough the other players so you can lean in a whisper the chosen message and the rest of the group won’t hear.

This is a story of love and deception. Jacob works for 7 years with nobody tipping him off to the plan or requirement that the oldest daughter must marry first. These games tie into that number 7 and the idea of deception. Choose the game best suited to your age range and space.

This is part of a single lesson pack, all ready to print and go.

Find Rachel

Any Age

Small group

Requires setup time

Quiet game

Can be seated

This simple pairs game can be printed by clicking on the image. It contains 8 pairs to find. Separate the cards, mix, then place face down. Turn 2 cards to try to match the pairs. If they match leave face up, otherwise reset.

I can do 7

Under 7’s

Any size group

No Setup time

Noisy game

Space needed

Everybody standups and have your kids name actions they can do seven times. Seven star-jumps, seven hops, seven claps, the list is endless.

Under the cup

Ages 7+

Any size group

Requires setup time

Noisy game

Can be seated

This classic guessing game where a small object is placed under one of three cups before them being shifted about on a table is well-known for its tricksters. However, it’s also a good illustration of how easily one can lose which one is which.

Question treasure hunt

Ages 7+

Any size group

Requires setup time

Noisy game

Space needed

Hide sequential clues written as questions. Search to find the next question, the answer to that question tells them where to find the next question, and so on. End with some form of treasure.
Link: Jacob repeating his 7 years of work to finally marry Rachel.

Blind mans buff

All Ages

Any size group

No Setup time

Noisy game

Space needed

This classic game of trying to find people while blindfolded ties into the lesson nicely – how was Jacob tricked with a blindfold. What other clues could Jacob have noticed? How did we identify people?

Disguises

Under 7’s

Small group

Requires setup time

Noisy game

Space needed

If you have very young children, this story is a great chance to let them play dress-up. Who will they become?

This story of Jacob’s ladder dream has so many facets that could be spun off into games. The ladder, the stone, the voice of God. There is a selection here to suit various group sizes and space layouts.

This is part of a single lesson pack, all ready to print and go.

Soft as a Stone

All Ages

Small group

Requires setup time

Quiet game

Can be seated

Gather a selection of different materials. Have the children choose what is the best use for each material. e.g. thin cotton may be good as a bedsheet, but would it be good as a trampoline? Wood may be good for a door, but what about a slide? End with a stone. Would any of the kids like the stone as their pillow?

Link: Jacob using a stone as a pillow

Angels Climbing

All Ages

Any size group

Requires setup time

Noisy game

Space needed

Using tape or chalk, draw a ladder stretching across your room. Have the kids do relay races, climbing up and down the ladder using both their hands and feet, tagging their team member when they reach the end.

Link: The angels climbing and descending the ladder.

Who am I

Ages 7+

Any size group

No Setup time

Noisy game

Can be seated

This classic game involves sticking names to foreheads and the person identifying themselves by asking yes/no questions.

Link: God identified himself to Jacob so that Jacob would understand who he was. Why do you think God did that?

The Cairn

Under 7’s

Any size group

Requires setup time

Noisy game

Space needed

Cairns, altars, piles of stones as markers, all tie into Jacob’s response to this encounter. Grab a load of cushions and pillows to act as stones, or use building bricks. How tall a column can the children build.

Link: The stone marked as holy. Discuss what this tower could represent in your circumstances.

Angel Throw

All Ages

Small group

Requires setup time

Noisy game

Space needed

Draw or place a ladder on the floor and have the children throw a beanbag into each section. Score 3 points for each section with an angel inside + 1 point for every extra angel in that section.

Link: The ladder full of angels.

Jacob and Esau may not be the best picture of brotherly love, but rash decisions, silly tricks and family promises make this story utterly believable. These games will work for one child or many. Use the key to identify the best game for your group.

This is part of a single lesson pack, all ready to print and go.

Under the stew

All Ages

Small group

Requires setup time

Quiet game

Can be seated

Stick some pictures to the inside base of some bowls. Using dry goods like beans, corn, or flour to cover the picture. Have the child move the ‘stew’ around to guess what picture it hides.

Divide and share

All Ages

Any size group

No Setup time

Quiet game

Space needed

Give each child a piece of paper. Ask them to fold it in half as many times as they can. 8 is the limit. Talk about how small we managed to make the piece of paper by keeping it together. Now get them to open their piece of paper up and tear it in half, placing one half in the middle of the circle. Repeat this until you have just a tiny piece of paper. How many times did they tear their paper when they give it away?

Gifts

Under 7’s

Small group

Requires setup time

Quiet game

Can be seated

Wrap 3 small gifts, one much better than the others. Have the children choose 1 to unwrap. How do they feel about their choice? Unwrap the other two. How do they feel now?

Stew relay

All Ages

Any size group

Requires setup time

Noisy game

Space needed

This silly relay race ties into the idea of Jacob rushing to get food ready to taunt Esau with (completely apocryphal). Set out ingredients on one side of the room, these can be photographs/images or empty boxes and containers. Give each team a recipe and a large saucepan. Have them run one at a time to get the ingredients. They need to recreate the recipe, so you can include multiples of one item and ‘red herring’ items that nobody will need.

Unequal compensation

All Ages

Any size group

No Setup time

Noisy game

Space needed

Split the group into sets. Explain to each set that they will have to complete a challenge to get a reward. Set each group the same challenge but offer then different rewards – i.e. one group gets a single sweet and one group gets 3 each. Have the challenge be something small, like a relay race round the room. Once everyone has completed the challenge, have a rewards’ session, so each group sees what the other group got. Talk about how they all got exactly what they had agreed to, but still, it wasn’t fair.

Order

I can… we can…

Cuck-oo, moo moo

Prayer chain Jesus

Who ate the cookie from the cookie jar

Nothing

Follow the leader

When I’m king…

Feel bags

Incomplete

The key relay

Who am I?

Supporting limbs

Name scramble

Table roll

That doesn’t fit

Whose zoo

This is for

Find Jesus

Bread dominoes

Crumbs

I give, you ask

Bread buddies

Whispers

Find Rachel

I can do 7

Under the cup

Question treasure hunt

Blind mans buff

Disguises

Soft as a Stone

Angels Climbing

Who am I

The Cairn

Angel Throw

Under the stew

Divide and share

Gifts

Stew relay

Unequal compensation

Advertisment