13. A Hill of Beans
Use kids church games to teach kids how lies destroy trust.
Bible Connect: Proverbs 12:22; Ephesians 4:25
Stuff: You’ll need pint-size Mason jars with lids, food-service gloves, and plastic tablecloths. You’ll also need one pound of each of the following dried beans for each group of five: black beans, lentils, green split peas, pinto beans, small white beans, red lentils, yellow split peas, and small red beans.
Play: Form groups of five and give each group a pound of each bean type. Place the tablecloths on the floor for each team’s workspace. Have kids wear food-service gloves and on your signal, work together to build the largest hill of beans in five minutes. When time’s up, kids can gather the beans and fill the jars. Attach this recipe to the jar for kids to donate to a local food shelter.
Cool Down: Kids can discuss how building a hill of beans is like or unlike telling a lot of lies. Talk about what happens when lies pile up and how lying has negative consequences. Talk about how lies break trust, and ask God to help kids be honest and trustworthy.
14. Apples and Oranges
This crazy game will help kids discover everyone is important in God’s family.
Bible Connect: 1 Corinthians 12:12-27
Stuff: You’ll need an apple and an orange.
Play: Form a circle. One child will pass an apple to the right around the circle. Another child will pass an orange to the left around the circle. The key to this game is that kids can’t pass the fruit with their hands. Kids can use their feet, elbows, or knees to pass the fruit. If someone drops the fruit or it touches the ground, the child must close his eyes to continue playing. Play continues until only one person with his or her eyes open remains.
Cool Down: Ask kids to talk about what was easy or difficult about the game. Ask kids what it was like to play with their eyes closed and how that affected the game. Help kids make the connection between this game and God’s family. Celebrate everyone’s contributions and emphasize everyone’s special role in God’s family.
What other indoor church games are a hit with your children? How do you tame the wiggles while boosting faith growth? Let us know in the comments below!
This article about indoor church games and Sunday school games originally appeared here.
