Activities
More Activity Suggestions
Option 1: Time to Praise
shaker, music
Gather supplies.
Have children sit in a circle. When the music plays, the children pass the shaker around the circle. When the music stops, the child holding the shaker says something God has done for her or something she is thankful for. Continue playing until most children have had a chance to praise God. Remind children that the Bible tells us to sing and tell of God’s great deeds at all times.
Option 2: Jailbreak Tag
plastic toy hoops (one per every four to six kids)
Gather supplies.
Set hoops on one side of the room to represent jail cells. Divide children into two teams—the “prisoners” and the “guards.” The prisoners stand in the hoop jails, and the guards stand in the middle of the room. When you shout “Jailbreak,” the prisoners try to run to the opposite side of the room without being tagged by a guard. If someone is tagged, he must return to jail and does not run again. If a child is not tagged, she lines up on the wall to run again. If the guards succeed in capturing all prisoners in three attempts, they win. If there is even one prisoner left after three attempts, the prisoners win. Play another round, but have teams switch roles. Remind children that God was with Paul and Silas when they were put in prison for their faith.
Option 1: Earthquake!
none
Line children up on one side of the room. Choose someone to be “It” and have him or her stand on the opposite end of the room and call out “Red Light,” “Green Light,” or “Earthquake!” If “Green Light” is called, the children must bear crawl forward. If “Red Light” is called, they must freeze. If “Earthquake!” is called, they must shake and fall to the ground. If a child does not follow the given command immediately, he or she must return to the starting line. The first child to reach the opposite side of the room wins. Remind children that God has the power to do anything—even send an earthquake!
Option 2: Don’t Steal the Joy!
masking tape, two plastic toy hoops, two shakers
Gather supplies. Use masking tape to divide the room in half. Place a hoop toward the back of each half and put a shaker inside the hoop.
Divide children into two teams, and assign each team one side of the room. On “Go” teams try to steal the opposing team’s shaker. Children are “safe” on their team’s side, but they can be tagged if they enter the opposing team’s side. If tagged, they must immediately return to their side. If a child has the shaker when tagged, he must first return it to the other team’s hoop. The first team to get the opposing team’s shaker into their hoop wins.