kidmin games

Fun, Games, Kids Ministry, kids101, Small Groups

June 16, 2015

Game of the Week: Giant Game Floor Mat

For sometime now I have effectively used Lifeway’s Giant Game Floor Mat to help kids in my Bible Study classes learn and review Bible content and Bible skills. The mat is versatile (even has grommets that allow it to be hung on the wall), durable, and the kids love how interactive it is.

It’s really very simple. Determine the game you want to play, create the 8 ½ x 11-inch inserts and there you go… an awesome interactive game. Here are three of my favorites:

This simple Bible Skill game is designed for younger kids who have just started using their Bibles. I use this game a lot as an “early arrival” activity and start when the first kid enters the room. It’s also a lot of fun to allow the kids to be the “game markers.” Simply roll a numbered cube and follow the directional signs on the mat. It’s especially fun when 2-3 kids land on the same space!

Teaching kids to understand how books of the Bible are in Testaments and Divisions can really encourage their Bible skills. In this game, kids take turns tossing a beanbag, “koush-ball,” or a “sock rocket” to the mat and naming a book of the Bible that is in the division that’s identified. Simplify the game by allowing kids to use the table of contents in their Bibles or a Books of the Bible poster. Offer more challenge by asking a second player to name the book before or the book after the book first named.

Get specific! In this game, specific skills and verses are being reviewed. Check out this week’s session that you’re teaching and create a game that is specific to what you’re teaching.

Sock Rockets are great tossing tools. Take an adult tube sock, insert a tennis ball, and secure the ball to the toe of the sock with a think rubber band. Use the open end of the “rocket” to spin and toss.

Sometimes variety really is the “spice of life” and that’s true when playing games. Think about different ways to make the “same ole thing” a little bit different. You’ll be surprised at how changing it up a little will give a game new life.

I’ve got a couple Giant Game Floor Mats that I’d like to give away. Tweet this post with #giantgamefloormat and I’ll randomly choose two folks to send one of these great teaching tools.

Since 2003 Bill Emeott has served as a Kids Ministry Specialist for Lifeway. His passions include childhood ministry leadership training and development, leading children’s Bible Study, and being an Uncle! Bill has been teaching children at First Baptist Nashville for ten years.

Bible Study, CentriKid, Fun, Games, Kids Ministry

February 10, 2015

Easy Games for Your Kids Ministry

By Kids Ministry 101

by Collin Spindle

As a CentriKid director, I’ve learned to be prepared for lag time with kids. Whether a lesson takes less time than expected or a storm ruins plans for outside play, it’s important to have a back-up plan. Here are a few of my favorite games to use when these situations come up:

Indoor Game
Tribble King Hunt
Set Up: Hide at least 100 balls of paper around the room. Hide one balloon especially well.
Play: Tell the kids this room has been taken over by King Tribble and his army. We need to collect all the Tribbles and find the Tribble King. Split the kids into 3 – 4 teams and let them put the “Tribbles” in their team bucket getting one point for every “Tribble”. 10 points are awarded to the group that finds King Tribble the balloon.

No Equipment Game
Crazy Counting
Set Up: Get in a circle
Play: Someone starts and can say 1 or 1, 2…the next player picks up where the previous left off and can count the next number or the next two numbers. Each player can only count up to two numbers. When a player has to count to 10 they are out. This game takes critical thinking and some strategy. It is great as a lead in game.

Tag game
Mosquito Tag
Set Up: 3 or 4 pool half sized pool noodles
Play: The designated players will put the pool noodles on their heads as mosquitoes tagging other players with the noodle. This game works like freeze tag and if someone gets tagged they must stop and itch their body. Two players can untag someone by linking hands around them saying “BUG SPRAY”

Always remember to connect the games back to the lesson you are teaching. For example, if you are teaching on Abraham you may use Tribble King Hunt to talk about how God promised Abraham how he would spread his descendants and they would be as numerous as the stars. It might have taken some time to find 100 tribbles but imagine how long it would take to count all of Abraham’s descendants.

Fun, Games, Kids Ministry

December 19, 2014

Game of the Week: Spill ‘n’ Spell

By Bill Emeott

My 1st & 2nd grade nephews love to spell everything. Often times, instead of saying a word, they’ll spell it out-loud. (I think to show off their new abilities.) So, why not spell books of the Bible? This game is particularly fun for new readers and it helps them to become familiar with books of the Bible.

GATHER:

Several magnetic alphabet sets. (I use six sets total)
Plastic canister for shaking and storage
A clean tin baking sheet
Optional: sand timer

PLAY:

Allow kids (or teams of kids) to shake the canister of magnetic letters and then pour the letters out onto a flat surface. Turn the sand timer over and start the game by spelling out as many books of the Bible as possible. “Time’s up” when the sand timer has dropped all sand from one side of the hourglass. Teams will get one point for each letter used to spell a book of the Bible.

Allow the next player (or team) to play. Add team two’s points to determine which team used the most letters.

Since 2003 Bill Emeott has served as a Kids Ministry Specialist for Lifeway. His passions include childhood ministry leadership training and development, leading children’s Bible Study, and being an Uncle! Bill has been teaching children at First Baptist Nashville for ten years.

Fun, Games, Kids Ministry

December 4, 2014

Game of the Week: Testament Wheels

By Bill Emeott

I remember playing this Bible skills game as a child and I’ve been amazed at how the kids in my class have loved playing this, too!

2 Round Aluminum Pizza Pans
66 Clothes Pins
A Fine Point Permanent Marker

On the “back side” of one of the pizza pans print OLD TESTAMENT. On the other pan, print NEW TESTAMENT.
On the front side of each pan divide the pan into five equal parts.
Print a division of each testament in one of the divided wedges. Old Testament = LAW; HISTORY; POETRY AND WISDOM; MAJOR PROPHETS; MINOR PROPHETS. New Testament = GOSPELS; HISTORY; PAUL’S LETTERS; GENERAL LETTERS; PROPHECY
On individual clothespins, print (on both sides) each book of the Bible
Place prepared clothespins in a container.

Spill the prepared clothespins from their container.
With the pizza pans turned to the “testament” sides quickly attach Old Testament books to the Old Testament pan and New Testament pins to the New Testament pan.
Turn the pans over.
Now quickly move pins to the correct “division wedge.”
Finally, arrange the pins in Bible book order.

FOR ADDITIONAL CHALLENGE:

With older kids, use a timer to keep up with individual’s (or team’s) time. Challenge kids to “decrease” their time or to “increase” their ranking on the chart.

Game of the Week: Giant Game Floor Mat

Easy Games for Your Kids Ministry

Game of the Week: Spill ‘n’ Spell

Game of the Week: Testament Wheels

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