Home Children's Ministry Leaders Articles for Children's Ministry Leaders Indoor Church Games: 14 Fun, Active Ways to Grow Kids’ Faith

Indoor Church Games: 14 Fun, Active Ways to Grow Kids’ Faith

Indoor Church Games (cont.)

4. Balloon Bop

Use indoor church games to talk about keeping God’s commandments.

Bible Connect: Exodus 20:1-17

Stuff: You’ll need a Bible, a beach towel, and 10 inflated balloons.

Say: Pretend each of these balloons represents one of the Ten Commandments. Let’s play a game to try to keep all 10 balloons in the air at once.

Play: Have kids each hold the edge of one end of the towel and stand apart so the towel is taut. Then have the kids shake the towel. Encourage them to continue to shake it as you add each balloon—each time naming one of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17). Continue for 30 seconds after you’ve added all the balloons, and replace any balloons that fall.

Cool Down: Ask:

  • What was it like to keep all the balloons in the air? Explain whether that’s like or unlike trying to keep all of God’s commandments.
  • Why do you think it’s helpful for your life when you keep God’s commands?

5. Reaching for Hearts

Use this game to teach kids how important it is to support each other. After all, Christians have the same goal: spreading the good news about Jesus.

Bible Connect: Mark 16:15Romans 1:16

Stuff: You’ll need candy bars and wall-safe tape.

Play: Before kids arrive, tape candy bars onto the wall high enough so kids can’t reach them without standing on chairs.

Tell kids the object of the game is to reach the candy bars without the help of furniture or other people.

Let kids try to grab the candy bars. Once they’ve given up, have them form groups of three and work together to reach the candy bars. Two kids can form a step by locking their hands together and lifting the third person high enough to reach a candy bar for all three.

Cool Down: Ask kids to compare their first attempt to reach the candy bars with their second.

Ask:

  • What ways do you tell your friends about your faith?
  • Why is it important to work together and support each other as Christians?
  • How can you support a friend this week?

6. Protect Me

This game teaches kids the importance of surrounding themselves with good influences for protection from temptation. (Solid indoor church games always have strong Scripture tie-ins!)

Bible Connect: 1 Corinthians 10:132 Corinthians 6:14

Play: Ask for two volunteers — one to be the Tempted and the other the Tempter — in a group of no more than eight kids. The object of the game is to protect the Tempted, who’ll stand in the center of the group’s tight circle. The Tempter tries to tag the child in the center by reaching through the circle. Kids in the circle can maneuver to keep the Tempter out, but they must stay locked arm-in-arm. When the Tempted gets tagged, new kids get to be the Tempted and the Tempter.

Ask:

  • How have you been tempted this past week?
  • How does having Christian friends’ support help you resist temptation?