Planning church activities for kids doesn't have to be a chore. With a little imagination and planning, you can make time spent at church-related functions a success.
Options for Church Activities for Kids
When you are looking for activities that children will enjoy, you have many options. For instance, you could start a club or a youth group for younger members of the church community.
Start a Club
If you decide to start a club, you will want to have a specific focus for it. Young people may be interested in forming a choir to add a new element to church services, weddings, and other celebrations observed in church.
A drama club is another option that you may want to consider. The material you decide to work on with the children can be based on religious stories or new works with an appropriate theme. If starting a drama club is your goal, do make sure that you take the age and abilities of the young thespians into account . Give all participants the chance to contribute to the undertaking in some way, since not everyone will be performing in every production.
Games and Activities for Children
Church activities for kids should be fun, and enjoyable for all participants. Here are some examples:
- In the Mummy Game, the children are divided into teams. Each team chooses one person to be the "mummy," while the other team members are the embalmers. Give each team a roll of toilet paper, which they need to wrap around their "mummy" (hopefully without tearning it). The first team to use up the entire roll of toilet paper is the winner.
- Another option for a fun children's game is to get them to participate in a "Whistle Challenge." The participants must know how to whistle, and you can ask them to demonstrate their skills before the game starts. Ask each person participating to eat a few saltine crackers and then try to whistle. The winner is the first person who can successfully do so.
- Have the children test their knowledge of the Bible by setting up a game of "Jeopardy" with questions designed to go over a recent lesson. Divide the children into two teams, and give each team a sealed container with marbles or nails in it so that it makes a specific sound when shaken. Set up a board with answers in different categories and assign points to each one. The team members can shake their container to indicate they want to answer the question. Keep track of points given when the correct answer is provided, and subtract points for an incorrect one.
Get Active
Not all church activities for kids involve staying on the church grounds. The group of young people can become involved in various kinds of social activities under the supervision of adult members of the congregation and the youth minister or pastor. Going camping or canoeing are great ways to spend some time outdoors and for the participants to get to know each other better. Through shared experiences, they will learn important lessons about tolerance, acceptance, and behaving gracefully when things don't go exactly as planned.
Community Service
Church activities can include an element of community service as well. There are many organizations that are constantly in need of volunteers, and a church group can find many opportunities to help in the community. The activities you choose would depend on the age of the children involved. Teens can help out at the local food bank or soup kitchen. The Humane Society may need people to clean cages and walk dogs. Some young people may be interested in spending time with the residents of a nursing home to brighten their day.
There are many kinds of church activities for kids that younger members of the parish can participate in. Use your imagination to come up with ones that will lead to good times and fond memories.
