Sweet Easter

"Sweet Easter" is a short talk about Easter for children which may told at a school assembly, a church service or shared as a family devotion.
 Link :  Sweet Easter Talk

Also check out the Easter 'pass the parcel' game on the same page above
https://www.eliab.com/sweet-easter.html

Free games and quiz generators

Check out this teachers website where you can create free games, quizzes and diagrams for teaching.
http://ClassTools.net

Easter Pass the Parcel

• Easter Pass the Parcel

  A variation on the well known game.
  This is played in the same way as at children’s parties except you have a number of parcels circulating according to the size of your group (say one parcel per ten children).
  Get everyone into a large circle and give out the parcels with an even number of people between each. Then as the music is played, the parcels are passed around the room from one person to the next as quickly as possible.
  When the music stops the people holding the parcel can unwrap one layer of paper. Make sure each parcel is unwrapped to exactly the same point. This way the game will finish with the three or four people getting to the centre at the same time.
  For Easter – Between the layers place: a palm cross (talk about why we have a cross on the top on hot cross buns or why people wear crosses around their necks) , an Easter card( What would you write about Easter in a card to a friend ?), a large nail (Jesus didn’t deserve to die -crucifixion), an easter egg (tomb), a clean sheet of paper (nothing on it- Jesus forgave our sins) . The gift could be a a small box of chocolates (celebrate that Jesus is alive).
  Use the items to recap the Easter story.

QUIZZES

QUIZZES with children Why include Quizzes ? * for fun! * to actively involve the children * to build group/team spirit * to help the children discover something new * to review teaching, memory verses, etc. * to encourage kids to think about their response Ask yourself ! * were the rules clear and did  I stick to them ? * am I being fair to kids with hardly any Biblical background to draw on ? * is it always the same children who get the chance to respond ? * is there a point to doing this, or it it just filling in time ? * is there enough variety in the questions -are they all just factual      or do some demand a more thoughtful response (HOW,WHY,WHAT IF..) * is the team competition fun or is it getting out of hand ? Team Competitions (some of these can be scored individually,rather than on a team basis) 1. Noughts and Crosses Two teams compete against each other, each placing a “0” or an “X” on the grid whenever one of their team members answers a question correctly. Variations: (a) each section of the grid is labelled with a category or picture.

(b) Human Noughts & Crosses -place people on the spaces representing the “0”’s and “X”s teams 2.Sponge Ball Quiz Whenever a team member answers a question correctly, they throw a wet sponge-ball at the board. the number that is hit, becomes the score for that answer.

3.Pick-a Box You’ll need 10 boxes or envelopes,each containing a prize (eg sweet,sticker..),and a score-card(from +5  to  -4 ). When a correct answer is given, the child chooses a box, keeps the prize for him/herself and the score is added to his team’s score. 4.Throw-a-Dice Teams answer questions from a list,then throw the dice to obtain the score for each correct response. 5.True/False Two children, one from each team,stand facing each other in the centre. At one end is a chair labelled “TRUE” ; at eh other end, a chair labelled “FALSE”.  A statement is made, eg “Noah was an Egyptian slave.” The first child to sit on the correct “chair, scores a point for his team. Variation: label the chairs “OLD TESTAMENT” or “NEW TESTAMENT”. Mention an incident or character from the Bible and contestants have to decide which part of the Bible it would be found in. 7.Burst-a-Balloon Questions are placed inside inflated balloons.Scores are on the back of the question paper. The child has to burst the balloon, and then ask his team the question. 8. Crackerjack quiz Two teams. One person from each team comes out the front . Questions are asked and each time A gets a question right, a cardboard box is put on team B’s pile which the contestants have to hold in their arms. When a pile falls the other team wins. WHOLE GROUP COMPETITIONS 9. Jelly Bean Quiz The leader begins with a packet of jelly beans which he/she explains are to be distributed amongst the children at the end of the quiz. The only hitch is that whenever a question is answered incorrectly, one of the leaders gets to eat a jelly bean. Begin with a couple of difficult questions (so that children start to think they may never get to taste a jellybean), and make a great show of how delicious the lollies are ! 10. Knee-Jerk Quiz Retell a story, making deliberate errors as you go. Everytime the children pick up a mistake, they kick out their legs in a “knee-jerk” reaction. (careful not to kick anybody).. Continue once the correct answer has been given. 11. Beat-the clock Teh whole group tries to answer 20 questions (put of 30 possible) in 4 minutes. If they succeed, the leaders have to pay a forfeit. If they fail, the group has to pay a forfeit (like stand on one leg for 3 minutes). 12. Reaction Quiz A good quiz to encourage kids to think about their responses. When a statement is made, the children move across the room according to whether they agree, eg “Being good at sport is better than being good at schoolwork”, “Being a Christian is easy”, “The Bible is hard to read”.

Heads Down Game

Heads Down Game

Four children are chosen to come and stand out the front of the group. All the other children are asked to “put their heads down and hold their thumbs up”. The four children then quietly move amongst those on the floor or chairs and each one touches gently one thumb which is raised. They then return to the front. The leader then tells the children to open their eyes. “Those children who think they have had their thumbs touched put their hands up. They then get one guess at who they think was the person out the front who touched them. Wait till all four have guessed and then tell them if they were correct. If someone guesses correctly then they get to take the person out the front spot. Play as many rounds as time allows. It’s often better to stop while enjoyment is high and then you can always come back to it later.

Sticky pairs- warm up game

Sticky pairs- warm up game

You can use this very flexible game to introduce your teaching/Bible theme for the day.

Devise matching pairs of words related to your theme for the day and write them on individual sticky labels which can be stuck to children’s backs. For example, for a discussion on attitudes and behaviour you could choose the words good/bad; love/hate; generous/selfish etc. First show children the word, then stick them on their backs, then challenge them to find their opposite or matching pair by looking at the words on the other children’s backs, without talking. When the children are all paired off gather them and talk about each pair of words as it relates to your theme.

Hot Potato Game

You will need: One potato, mystery box, Bible questions on strips of paper.

How to play :

1. The children form a circle.

2. One child is “It.”

3. “It” says, ” Pass the potato”

4. The player who has the potato must pass it to his left.

5. “It” calls out, “Hot potato!”

6. Whoever is caught with the potato is “It.”

Bible Snakes and Ladders

• Bible Snakes and Ladders

  As part of your Sunday School program or children’s group get the children to learn some Bible memory verses.
  For example: John 3:16, Revelation 3:20, John 14:6, Psalm 23:1, John 1:1, Romans 3:23, Isaiah 53:6, Genesis 1:1
  (perhaps use a simplified translation for younger children)
  Use these texts for your Snakes and Ladders as follows:
  1. Have a Bible reference at the bottom of each ladder. If you land on that square you can only go up the ladder if you can quote the verse, otherwise stay where you are.
  2. Have a Bible text written out a the top of each snake.If  when landing on that square you can give the correct reference for the text, you do not go down the snake. If you cannot give the reference, you do go down the snake.
  The group could be divided into teams for this game and it could be played on an data projector or wall chart using counters or on the wall with makers which could stick on and be moved.

Favourite Night

Favourite Night ( An all-age activity for a family night or small group with children)

1. Ask the children (or families) to bring along their favourite item/toy/piece of clothing etc. for showing and talking about.

2. Have sheets of paper hung around the walls of the room/hall with different heading on each. eg. "Your Favourite Food, Colour, TV show, Takeaway Food, Holiday Destination, Sport, Hobby, Singer/Actor etc... (the children give answers including their names) Sheets could then be read out during the evening.

3. Devotions- Jesus "Favourite disciples" Peter & John ?

Talk about how showing favouritism can be unfair. Does God have favourites?

We all have different favourite likes and dislikes. God made us all different. Just because someone else doesn't like what we like doesn't make them wrong.

Talk about having favourite places to spend time.Time to think and reflect.

Ask the children to share their favourite story from the Bible and perhaps draw or act it out.

4. Play - Charades- guess your favourite TV show, singer, Bible character...

Celebrity Hats- Place names on hats for three contestants. They wear the hat and can't see who they are supposed to be. Contestants play 20 questions with the group. A correct answer means they get to ask another question until a contestant guesses what name is on their hat.

5. Ask the children ( or a family) to bring along their favourite food to share for supper.

Memory verse game

Here's a fun way to help children remember a Bible memory verse. Play "flashlight tag" (or torch tag if you're from Australia). Bring a flashlight and let someone be "it". It tries to shine the flashlight on someone's feet to tag them. If they are tagged, they can be set free by someone running to them and saying the memory verse.

Trying to make a Hexaflexagon?

I first discovered hexaflexagons when I was teaching mathematics. I later used the template for making a hexflexagon and used my own art work to put Bible memory verses or Sunday School teaching points on them. Because the hexaflexagons are so interesting to older primary (elementary) aged children I found that they were a great activity to be used in teaching or for a lesson review.

You may be wondering at this point "well what is a hexaflexagon"? They are not easy to explain but the websites below give you some helpful templates and photos so that you get the idea. Once you make one yourself you will see the potential here for using them with children or even creating an evangelistic tool for use with adults or in mission situations. May the 'flex' be with you!

http://www.enarsson.nu//Flexagon/

http://www.flexagon.net/

http://home.xnet.com/~aak/hexahexa.html

Balloon Prayers

First give each child a deflated balloon. Each time the leader pauses in the following prayer invite the children to blow gently into their balloons. Get them to hold them carefully but not tie them.

Now say this prayer ( or use your own), pausing at the end of each line.

" Thank you, God, that you are with us always.

Thank you for the Holy Spirit, who gives us power to live our lives for you.

Help us to follow you this week and to do the things you want us to do at home, at school, and with our friends."

Finally invite the children to call out "Thank you God!" and let their balloons go. You may like to give them another balloon to blow up and take home. Write on it in 'texta' pen, 'God is with me."( As a reminder of God's presence and power for them this week).

Chalk Games

How to play the traditional chalk games like hopscotch, 4 square, human snakes and ladders, goalies goal, and bulls eye. Many of these can be adapted to be used along with quiz questions on a topic to review a lesson.

Chalk Games for children

Squiggles-drawing game

To play Squiggles, you need some drawing paper for each child or adult and some crayons or pencils for each player. Give each player paper and pencil to draw four squiggles (random line drawings) of whatever sort they wish. Then get the children to swap their sheet of four drawings with one another. They now have to make the squiggles into one large or four separate pictures by adding to them. There are no winners in this game which is only for fun but after some time the children might like to share what they have drawn with each other.

Bible basketball

The group is divided into two equal teams. Children are identified by number rather than position, as in basketball. One child from each team comes to the "referee" (leader) who "tosses up" a short, one-word answer question. The first player to answer a question gets the "ball" for the team. The player is now asked a question by the leader. The player may choose to answer the question or pass the ball to another player who is named by number. If the player answers the question correctly, two points are scored. If not, the ball is turned over to the other team. If the player chooses to pass the ball, the player named must attempt the answer. If the answer is correct, the team scores. If it is incorrect, a "rebound" situation results in which any player on either team can call "Rebound!" The leader identifies the first child who called, and that child gives an answer. If incorrect, the ball passes to the opposing team.

After each score, the ball goes to the other team. Each new sequence of play is begun with a "jump" or "toss-up" question. The leader always questions the children in rank order. a passed "ball" can be used to break that order; however the leader always returns to the rank order for the next question.

Other refinements can be added like penalties and free throw situations.

Have a ball game

A warm-up game.

Each child is given a small table tennis ball ( other small objects could be used) which they write their name on. The children are given a short time to go off and hide their ball and then return when a whistle is blown to gather again. Everybody then goes off in search of as many balls as possible. Each ball found is returned to its owner. The person whose ball is found last is the winner.

Variation: Instead of names written on the balls other things like Bible characters, colors, sports teams, Books of the Bible... could be written and the person finding the ball then has to guess who wrote on it to return it correctly.

Jigsaw Hunt Game

To play this game you need two jigsaws about the same size but different in style and not too many pieces. Before the game starts, put together part of the jigsaws and then hide the other pieces in the meeting room/classroom/hall , but don't make them too ha dr to find.

The children are divided into two teams which must search for their missing pieces, which they then put in the correct position in their teams' jigsaw. Any pieces of their opponents' puzzle which are found should be left alone. The first team to complete their jigsaw is the winner. Players are not allowed to hold onto opponents' pieces and stop them from finishing.

Variation: Play the game using two bible memory verses which have been written out on two different colored sheets of thick cardboard.Then cut into jigsaw pieces. Hide some pieces as above. You may make it harder by leaving some letters or words incomplete which need to be filled in by looking the verse up in a bible when the team assembles the pieces.