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You are here: Home / Archives for Sunday School

Sunday School

5 Low-Prep Small Group Games Perfect for Sunday School

Alissa Ellett Leave a Comment

Get your creative juices flowing with these five low-prep ideas for small group games that are absolutely perfect for Sunday School.

group games

Fun group games that kids actually enjoy playing and aren’t crazy to prep for are hard to come by. We hope this list is helpful as you work to create the best Sunday School ever!

What group games are you playing your your kids during Sunday School? We’d love to hear in the comments section below!

A Cold Wind Blows

This game is a great precursor for any lesson having to do with the Holy Spirit, a wind or storm motif, and beyond.

Similar to musical chairs or “Have you ever”, in Sunday School have the group sit on chairs in a circle. Gather one fewer chairs than there are people, leaving one person standing in the middle of the circle.

The person in the middle begins a sentence with the words “A cold wind blows…” and then describes an attribute that refers to one or more players.

For example:

“A cold wind blows for anyone who is wearing red, has blonde hair, and plays basketball.”

Anyone sitting who fits in this category has to jump up and quickly find a new vacant chair. The person who was in the middle is also looking to sit in a vacant a chair, and whomever is left standing without a chair becomes the new person in the middle.

The game continues for as long as people are enjoying playing.

group games

Blind Draw

This is one of the group games that’s a great precursor to any Sunday School lesson that has to do with communication, language, scripture translation and beyond.

Have the children pair up. Each pair should sit back-to-back so they cannot see each other.

Give one member of the pair a picture, object or a scene. They must then describe this to their partner.

The other partner draws what they hear their partner describing to them.

Make it more challenging by not allowing them to use words that are too obvious. For example, the picture may be of a chicken but the person is not allowed to use the word “chicken, bird, hen.”

You can either give everyone the same picture or have a few different options.

Depending on the picture, you will need to allow 10-15 minutes. Once time is up, share the pictures – you will find there are some very funny interpretations!

group games

Secret Questions

This is a great used with any lesson having to do with getting to know God, the disciples getting to know Jesus, questions about the faith, and much more.

On the back of some Post-it Notes, i.e.: the sticky side, write some good get-to-know you questions. Make sure you write at least as many questions as there are people – you can double up with the questions if there’s a lot of people in your group.

Stick them all on a whiteboard or wall so people cannot see the question on the back. Each person then has to come up, pick a post it note and answer the question on the back.

Make the questions simple enough that the kids won’t struggle too much to think of an answer or be embarrassed to answer.

Once done, they select someone else in the group to choose and answer the next question.

group games

Human Knot

This is a great addition to a discussion about the Holy Spirit’s role as an “untangler” or what you all may be called to help untangle in your community. It’s also one of those group games about communication, patience, perseverance, etc.

Everyone stands in a close circle – puts both hands out – and randomly grabs hold of someone else’s hand, creating a massive knot!

Without letting go of hands, the group should try to untangle itself.

sunday school

Toothpaste Challenge

This game is a fantastic demonstration for a Sunday School lesson on the power of our words and actions and, therefore, why we need to use them wisely.

For this game, you need a few tubes of toothpaste. Depending on the size of your group, have each student work alone or create pairs or groups.

Ask the kids to take all the toothpaste out of the tube as quick as possible into a bowl.

Then ask them to put the toothpaste back inside the tube. Obviously, this is more difficult, and probably impossible to do.

There are lots of bible verses to apply to this, e.g. James 1:26, Proverbs 15:1 or 21:23, Ephesians 4:31-32.

Group Games FTW

Group games in Sunday school help to focus and engage the kids. Additionally, they create connection to the content you’re teaching. We hope this list is helpful to you!

And don’t forget to share your ideas with us in the comments below!

3 Intergenerational Easter Activities for the Young and Young at Heart

Alissa Ellett Leave a Comment

This Easter, bring together young and old with these intergenerational activities to celebrate the risen Christ.

intergenerational easter

Reflect together on God’s power to bring life from death, hope from hopelessness. Any of these activities can be adapted for the home or the church. Get creative and relish new life that is all around us as spring comes into being fully once again.

Share with all of us how you’re celebrating with your kids this Easter in the comments below!

intergenerational easter

3 Easy Intergenerational Easter Ideas

We hear from so many of our customers their desire to cultivate intergenerational connection in their faith families. This brings me joy because this approach to ministry is so spot on. Yet, having been in ministry for almost ten years, I know how difficult it can be to find activities that will serve a wide range of ages.

I hope these ideas make intergenerational connections easy this Easter in your community! Let’s jump right in. Learn how to facilitate spiritual growth, relationship building and theological discovery for you and yours with these simple ideas.

intergenerational easter

Color together. We’ve got some really fun Easter coloring options this year. Looking for something super easy and relaxing to do? Snag some of our coloring sheets or posters! Use them in the home, during Sunday School or in worship. Consider putting together some discussion questions or pull from an Easter resource. Kids, both in body and heart, will enjoy this time together.

intergenerational easter

Go on a hike. Hiking is a fabulous intergenerational activity. Get outside together and search for resurrection in the natural world. As winter lifts and spring arrives. the Earth bursts with new life. It may be fun to collect the dead foliage and use it to make an art project. In doing so you’re giving new life and beauty to that which has ceased living.

intergenerational easter

Plant flowers. Gather seeds, cuttings or potted plants from a nursery, especially those that attract bees. Choose a location and dig in the dirt together. Do this at the church, in your neighborhood, at the homes of the elderly. Gardening is a wonderful intergenerational activity to welcome spring and give life. Discuss the Spirit of God at work in giving life to all of creation as you welcome spring together.

Easter Blessings

We hope you have a beautiful and rich Easter this year. And we hope that these three easy ideas help you form memories together while reflecting on the mysteries of God. And don’t forget! Tell us what you’re planning to do this Easter with your kids.

3 Wondrous Ways to Celebrate All Saints’ Day with Kids

Alissa Ellett Leave a Comment

Celebrate All Saints’ Day with children and open them up to the significance of those who have gone before and to the value of their own life here and now.

all saints day with kids 1

Halloween or All Hallows’ Eve or All Saints’ Eve or The Day Before All Saints Day. See the connection?

Growing up, I never knew this connection. I was entirely unaware that this super fun, candy-crazed, neighborhood run amok related to the day at church when we remembered our ancestors of the faith. To be honest, I don’t know that I ever celebrated All Saints’ Day as I grew up in the church.

What a loss! Because it is seriously such a gift to faith families, and one often under-appreciated. Celebrate All Saints’ Day with kids and teach them just how lasting our connections in the family of faith are and how profound the gift of life is.

all saints day with kids 2

Quick Facts About All Saints’ Day

When I hear the word saints I think of high church, gold gilding, stained-glass windows. But, really, All Saints’ Day was celebrated long before cathedrals were erected. Let me shed a little bit of light on the origin and practice of this very cool holiday.

This day of remembrance…

  • …was first celebrated as early as the fourth century to ensure all martyrs were honored since martyrdom had increased during the persecution of the Late Roman Empire.
  • …became a formalized holy day for the diocese of Rome in the middle of the 8th century when Pope Gregory III moved it to November 1.
  • …Pope Gregory IV made it a holiday for the whole church, not only the diocese of Rome.
  • …now honors all those who have gone before us and reside in the realm of Heaven.
  • …is also known as Feast of All Saints and All Hallows Day. (A hallow was a saint or holy person.)
  • …falls the day after Halloween.

all saints day with kids 3

  • …overlaps with the Mexican holiday El Día de los Muertos, or The Day of the Dead, when people gather to remember family members and friends who have passed away and pray for their spiritual journey to Heaven.
  • …is followed in the Catholic Church by All Souls’ Day on November 2nd, which commemorates all the souls in Purgatory readying for entry into Heaven.
  • …is often celebrated by visiting the grave sites of loved ones who have died to leave flowers and blessings of gratitude.

Connecting in Both Life and Death

So, the days that close October and welcome November are rich with symbolism and honor both life and death. All Hallows’ Eve (or Halloween) begins the celebration on October 31st. Then, All Saints’ Day takes place November 1st. Lastly, All Souls’ Day happens November 2nd.

Remembering the dead is an important exercise of communal memory. Consequently, people of all faith traditions across the world honor and celebrate the dead with festivals. These rituals span history and culture.

So, how do we teach children the richness of life and the gift of those who have come before us? How might we use these days to highlight for them their spiritual ancestors and the importance of their life, too?

all saints day with kids 4

In current times, it’s common to feel disconnected and un-rooted. This is true for children, too. And the church provides powerful ways to connect, rooting us in community with one another.

These connections are celebrated on All Saints’ Day. We ask questions of our own lives as we remember those who have gone before us. What relationships formed me? Who did God use in my life? What moments and people showed me who God is? How will I be remembered? What will I be appreciated for? How can my life be used by God?

We are part of God’s endless creation; each of us a strand of yarn. God knits us together to create beauty, warmth, protection, and comfort in the world as we walk through life alongside one another. Not one of us is left out. Celebrating All Saints’ Day with kids teaches them that they, too, are a strand in God’s ongoing masterpiece.

all saints day with kids 5

Three Easy Ways to Celebrate

When celebrating All Saints’ Day with kids it’s helpful to set yourself objectives. Here, we’ve listed three activities that aim to teach children that…

  • …all people are saints
  • …we remember our spiritual ancestors
  • …others’ lives can teach us how to live for God
  • …their life matters

Faithful Depiction: Invite the children to draw a picture of a person who has passed away and from whom they learned a lot about life and/or their faith. Invite them to think of qualities in this person they would want to have in their own life. Tell them to draw those qualities and ask that they share with the class when all finished.

Candle Lighting: In worship or Sunday school, invite members to light a candle for each person they’d like to remember. Do this at one table up front or at stations around your space. For increased safety, use battery-operated tea lights. If you use these, use them for all people, not only the children. This will keep them feeling a part of the community. Invite those who are lighting to say something like, “We remember and thank you.”

My Story is God’s Story: Provide the children with booklets made out of construction paper. Invite them to write their life story, one event per page. Encourage them to illustrate their story and to look for ways God was with them and at work along the way. Discuss the ways God can change lives through their story.

all saints day with kids 6

We hope these activities are fun and powerful as you celebrate All Saints’ Day with kids in your church! How are you celebrating All Saints’ Day with kids? Don’t forget to share in the comments below!

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