Playing children's Bible games is a great way to teach a multitude of biblical facts and foster a love of the Bible. Kids' Bible games encourage kids to interact with one another and provide a fun way for kids to master a variety of facts concerning the Bible. Use classic group games for kids as inspiration to create no-prep Sunday school, youth group, or vacation Bible camp activities.
Road to Heaven Game
This is a fun game to play indoors or out, but if you do play it inside, you'll need quite a bit of space. The object of this game is to show that there is only one pathway to heaven, so an appropriate lesson would be to teach children that the road to God is through Jesus. Kids as young as preschool age can play this simple take on a relay race.
What You'll Need
- Large indoor or outdoor space
- Masking tape
- Ping pong balls (one per team)
- Drinking straws
How to Set Up
- Separate the group into equal teams.
- Create a lane or "straight road to heaven" for each team using masking tape to outline long rows on the floor about six inches wide and at least five feet long.
- Line each team up with each successive player standing behind the first at the start of their lane.
How to Play
- The first player on each team starts with a straw and a ping pong ball.
- On "Go" the first player on each team gets down on the ground and uses the straw to blow the ping pong ball toward their end line.
- If the ball "strays from the path" by crossing the masking tape lane lines, that player must go back to the end of his team line. The next player on that team starts with a straw and the ball at the starting line.
- The game continues until one team blows their ball across the finish line without "straying from the path."
- Discuss what factors got in the way of keeping the ball straight on the road. Compare this to how difficult it can be to stay on the "right" path laid out by the Bible and how having help from teammates made a difference.
The Moral of the Story
Use the elements of familiar Christian moral short stories for kids to create your own group story. Children from Kindergarten through fifth grade can participate in this fun Bible word game. It's best to play this story game after you've already reviewed stories from the Bible and their morals.
What You'll Need
- Blank paper
- Pens
- Bibles for reference
How to Set Up
- Split the group into equal teams. Two teams are ideal, but you can play tournament-style with more groups.
- Give each group a blank piece of paper and a pen.
- Assign each team a moral lesson that can be found in a familiar Bible story without letting the opposing team know what moral was assigned.
How to Play
- On "Go," each team chooses one player to start their story. This player must write down one line to start a story matches the moral lesson they were assigned.
- Player One then passes the paper and pen to the next person in the group. This person also writes one sentence in the story, then folds the paper so only their sentence is visible.
- Players pass the paper around the group until they have reached some sort of ending.
- When both teams are finished with their stories, each chooses one reader.
- The reader from Team One reads her team's story out loud to the opposing team.
- The opposing team has one minute to guess what the moral of the story is. They get one point for a correct guess. Bonus points are awarded if they can then name one Bible story with a matching moral in under one minute.
- The guessing team now reads their story and the opposing team has to guess what the moral is and name a Bible story that matches.
- You can end here and name the team with the most points the winners. You could also play several rounds using different moral lessons each time.
Bible Body Parts Game
When playing this game, kids will learn the many parts that made up Christ's body, and once they've pulled all the parts together, a greater lesson will be learned! Kids of all ages can play as long as they have a basic understanding of which body parts are connected in the human body.
What You'll Need
- A stack of sticky notes
- Pen
How to Set Up
- Write all the main body parts of the human body each on their own sticky note. Body parts include head, shoulders, arms, hands, legs, and feet. The older your kids, the more detailed body part names you can use.
How to Play
- Hand out one labeled sticky note to each child.
- Once everyone has an assigned body part, all kids can walk around the room to find someone with a body part that connects to theirs.
- When two kids find that their assigned body parts connect, they connect by holding hands, linking arms, or holding each other's shirt.
- This continues until the body parts are connected.
- Discuss the significance of this game by talking about Christ's body and how all body parts create a whole and work together. Apply this lesson to the importance of Christianity in the world.
Faith in You Basketball Game
Hebrews 11:6 says "And without faith, it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." Help kids understand what faith means and how difficult it can be to keep using a basketball game similar to "Horse" or "Pig." While younger kids could play, this game is best suited for upper elementary kids.
What You'll Need
- One basketball, any size
- One basketball hoop, any size (use an empty box or bin if you don't have one)
- Large room or basketball court
- Masking tape
- Markers
How to Set Up
- If you are making a hoop and/or court, place the basketball hoop or vessel at one end of the open space.
How to Play
- Without explaining the game, ask each child to make two or three small Xs out of masking tape on the floor or ground. They should write their initials on each X they make.
- Choose a random order for the kids to play in. Each person starts with the letters in the word "Faith."
- The first player must choose an X on the floor that does not have their initials to shoot from. If they make it, the next player must shoot from the same spot. If they don't make it, the next player chooses a new spot to shoot from.
- When a player misses a copycat shot (one where the player in front of them made it), they lose one letter off the end of "Faith."
- When a player is down to their last letter, the entire group must vote on one X for that player to try shooting from. If they make it, they remain in the game. If not, they are out. Since the idea is to keep everyone in the game for as long as possible, the group will want to pick the spot they have the most faith their friend can make it from. The player with one letter must have faith the group will choose well for them.
- The game ends when one player loses all their letters. Discuss how it felt to have faith in each other and in group decisions. Apply these ideas to the concept of having faith in God.
The Game of Distractions
It's easy for anyone, especially kids, to get distracted from their relationship with God. This game shows how distractions can get in the way and what it takes to stay focused. Kids of any age can play, but older kids will understand the whole concept better. This game needs to happen over a longer period to work so allow at least a half hour.
What You'll Need
- A bunch of different toys, games, snacks, and other things kids use every day
- One small stuffed animal for each player
- A long scarf for each player
How to Set Up
- Set up stations around the room such as drinks, snacks, Bible crafts, building blocks, board games, and active games such as hopscotch.
- Attach a small stuffed animal to each child using the long scarf. It should be placed on their back or somewhere near their waist.
How to Play
- Direct kids to try out each activity center in the room with friends or on their own. There are no rules regarding the stuffed animals except that each person needs to try to end up with their stuffed animal still attached at the end of the game. If a stuffed animal falls off, it cannot be put back on.
- Kids make their way around the room, doing each of the different stations.
- When time is up, gather and see how many kids still have their stuffed animal attached.
- Discuss what made it easy or difficult to carry that animal throughout the class. Expand to discuss how this resembles each person's relationship with God or their Bible and what they gained from the game.
Simple Group Bible Games for Kids
Use a Biblical theme to reinforce lessons on people and stories from the Bible with basic word and Bible trivia games. These games don't require materials other than a Bible and don't need any setup time.
- Bible Bee: Similar to a spelling bee, kids take turns naming books of the Bible, the 10 commandments, or spelling the names of characters from the Bible.
- Bible Scavenger Hunt: Give clues about people, places, items, or specific stories in the Bible. Kids have to work in small groups to scour their Bibles for the answers.
- I'm Going on a Pilgrimage: This easy group word game gets kids thinking about all the important items people use or discover in the Bible. The first person says "I'm going on a pilgrimage and I'm taking..." then adds something important from the Bible that starts with "A." Each successive player has to list all the items said before their turn then add something that starts with the next letter of the alphabet.
- Two Biblical Truths and a Lie: Assign each group member a character from the Bible. Each child has to find two facts about that character and make up a believable lie about them. Kids share their three statements with the group who has to guess which is the lie.
Gaming With a Higher Purpose
You can transform almost any classic kids game into a Bible game by incorporating religious categories and themes. Games help capture the attention of kids at any age and lead to discussions on more important topics.
