The Magi, also known as the wise men or even the kings have such a great back story. By calling them Magi we distinguish them as different from the other learned men and kings of scripture. A Magus (plural Magi) is literally a Persian priest, a priest whose knowledge came from magic and stargazing. They were holy men whose lives search for divinity. The great hope they hold is that even when you are looking in the wrong places God can reach you. These games focus more on the search and less on Herod and his part played in the narrative.
I see God in that – Lay the following objects on the floor, also print or write out the statements. The children then need to match the object to the statement. End by saying that sometimes God can be found in unusual places. Alternatively, while this is a bit of a gag game, getting the youngsters to make up their own reasons is a great way to stretch older children.
Bottle of water – He washes our sins away
Egg box – Jesus chose 12 disciples we don’t have to do things alone
Pushpins – Jesus was held on the cross
Hairbrush – God loves us so much he knows how many hairs are on our head
Sunglasses – When Moses saw God his face shone
Fan – The Holy spirit comes like the wind
Circle – God’s love is eternal, it will never end
Key – Becoming a Christian is like giving God the key to your heart
Feel free to add your own!
Bright hands – Dim the lights in the room. Have a leader stand in as high a position as possible and using a bright flash light shine a circle of light on the floor. Tell the children they must follow the light trying to keep one hand always lit. As the leader moves the light the children need to run to re-illuminate their hand!
Parachute Terrain – This is a really simple parachute game for the younger children. Have the youngsters gather round the edge of the parachute and think about the long journey. Use objects on the the flat parachute to illustrate. Then talk about the land he would have passed, flat land and hilly land. Have the children suggest what to use for hills, other balls, feet, or lifting the sides of the parachute. Continue from hills to mountains, from gentle breezes to story seas.
Find the light – take a glow-stick and hide it in a room, turn off bight lights and let the children find it. As a minute game it works well, but if you want a longer version then use two sets and give each child a glow stick and ask them to find it’s matching pair. The darker the spot it is hidden in the easier it is to find. Talk to the children about how sometimes it’s when things are dark that we see the light of God most clearly.
Obstacle course – A traditional game of setting up whatever you have available and getting the children to follow the course laid out. While it may take a bit of setting up this is a favorite with many groups.
