1. Watch the video below
2. Leave me a comment about how this resource would help your ministry.
3. New week, I’ll draw a random winners to get both sets of cards (sorry US shipping address only)

About these Bible Books Flash Cards

Use these beautiful Books of the Bible flashcards in your Sunday School or Children’s Ministry to help children master the books in the Old and New Testament.

Each high quality card is postcard sized and durable enough to use every week. Parents too will love these for their family devotion time. Each card gives a detailed and Gospel-centered explanation of the Bible book and how it fits into the Good News.

The New Testament cards are a set of 28 cards that measure 4×6. The set includes 27 cards plus 1 cover card. Each book card has a key verse, the theme of the book, and a brief explanation of the book.

The Old Testament cards are a set of 40 cards that measure 4×6. The set includes 39 cards plus 1 cover card. Each book card has a key verse, the theme of the book, and a brief explanation of the book.

Don’t wait for the giveaway – you can purchase them now at the Sunday School Store and we’ll send you $50 gift card if you are the winner. That’s like winning 2x.

Free Printable Activities from Bible Games Central

Books of the Bible Games

These Books of the Bible Games are designed to help players become more familiar with the various books and sections of the Bible. These games are easy to prepare and many of them come with beautiful printables.

Thanksgiving Games

Thanksgiving is all about family, friends, and the many other good things we have been blessed with. If you are planning a Thanksgiving celebration at home or in church, the games below will certainly liven your gathering. These Thanksgiving games and activities will not only keep your guests entertained, they can also help everyone get to know each other a little better. Free printables are included to make your preparations that much easier.

Christmas Games

Here is our collection of delightfully fun Christmas games for kids and adults. In the mix are lively Christmas party games as well as more relaxed (read quieter) Christmas game ideas.
Whether you are planning a holiday party, Christmas family gathering, Sunday School lesson or church event, these Christmas games will add a healthy dose of festive cheer to the occasion. And preparations will be a breeze with the beautiful free printables provided. Have a Christmas filled with fun, joy and laughter with these games!

Printable Bible Trivia

• Bible: 2 Timothy 3:16-17
• Ages: 6 and above
• Group Size: 2 or more
• Supplies: Bible Trivia Question Cards, Bible Trivia Board, 1 unique token per player (you can use Legos, beads, coins, M&Ms, jellybeans or any small toy), 1 six-sided dice, Paper and pen to keep score

Hosting a virtual party on Zoom with family and friends but need new game Ideas? Here are 10 Zoom games for kids and families that everyone will enjoy playing. Don’t forget to choose games that fit with the ages of the players on your Zoom call. If you’ve watched this video and still want more ideas, check out my 20 Zoom Games video that I’ve linked below. Zooming with family doesn’t have to be boring. Spice up your virtual online call with a little fun and laughter. We love having fun as a family and want to share that fun with you. I am passionate about bringing families back together through the lost art of fun and games. I am often guilty of relying on technology to entertain my kids. But when I use simple supplies around my home to create fun games and activities I hear laughter and know I am making great memories.

Transcript

Oh I am so excited you guys are loving the very first zoom games video!

00:08Thank you guys so much for loving it and watching it and sharing it

00:08with your friends and your family.

00:12So I decided to film the second version of zoom games.

00:22Who’s excited? who’s excited with me?

00:25Okay I’m a little hyper because it’s my birthday.00:25If we’re meeting for the first time, hi my name is Shawn.

00:27Welcome! On this channel I am passionate

00:32about bringing families closer together through fun and games.

00:36And one way we can have fun during this time of lockdown and seriousness

00:38is through online zoom games.00:43So I’m here to bring you eight new games you’ve never thought of

00:48to play with your friends and family.

00:50So if that sounds good to you then keep watching.

00:52While you are here, I would love for you to consider subscribing

00:52to my channel if you two want to grow closer to your family and friends.

00:55alright let’s jump into today’s video.00:59Here we go.

01:01Game number one is called Emoji Lineup.

01:06This game is best played on your phone.

01:08So the leader will type in five random emojis,01:11like these right here, everybody will try to type in

01:13the same exact five emojis and whoever does this

01:18the fastest is the winner.01:20The second game is called Words within Words..

01:23The leader will type a word in and everybody has to try

01:26and find the most number of words within that word.

01:30Does that make sense?01:33Let me give you an example.

01:34Here’s the word and here are some word options

01:35that can be made from that word.01:36You could also play this game with a phrase like this one here

01:41but the trick is you only have one minute

01:44to type in as many words that you can find,

01:46Did you know that Zoom has a whiteboard feature ?

01:50You can play games that require all the players to contribute

01:52and write things on the whiteboard.01:57So tic-tac-toe is a fabulous option to play

02:00especially if you’re Zooming your grandma online

02:01you can do tic-tac-toe.02:03The next game is called Famous for Two Minutes.

02:05You only have two minutes to be famous.

02:08Have all of your Zoom players submit some questions

02:10and pick one person to be famous for two minutes.

02:15Then everybody gets to ask questions to that one player

02:15who’s famous for two minutes.02:18For example, when was the last time you ate Bugles?

02:22No really when was the last time you ate Bugles?02:24They’re pretty salty.

02:26Who are you wearing?02:28Editing Shawn here.

02:30I am wearing quarantine fashion brought to you by Barefoot Dreams,

02:35American Eagle, and Lululemon.02:40Did you know that you can play Guess Who online on Zoom?

02:45And I’m not talking about downloading some game, paying some price.

02:51No, I’m talking about old school Guess Who.02:54If all the players on your call have the Guess Who game02:54then this works perfectly for online.02:58The next Game is called Mind Meld.

03:05I know it sounds very brainy.03:06And maybe a little superhero sci-fi action.

03:12So two players will count down: three to one.03:14And then try to say the exact same words at the same time.03:19So I was gonna get my husband to help out with this demonstration

03:20but he’s with my toddler and they’re in the bathroom03:24and I have no clue what is happening.

03:27I’m going to split the screen

03:29and I will be playing two different people at the same time.03:31Let’s see how this goes.03:32All right good, three two one mayonnaise.

03:36The player who wins that round turns to the next player:

03:40three two one hot dog.03:41This is a great game to play with lots of people on your Zoom call.

03:45Farkle is another game that everybody can play online.

03:46All you need to make sure is that every player has six dice.

03:49Dice or die?03:54Die is one, dice is more than one.

03:56Make sure you have six dice and you’re all set to play Farkle.

03:58On how to play Farkle in the description box down below.

04:02Another game to play online is matching card game.

04:04Now we have this really cute little matching card game set right here.

04:09Everybody can play.04:10Only one person needs to have this game.

04:13I’m gonna insert some footage right now04:17of how to set up a second camera angle

04:19because you are gonna need to do that

04:20so that every player on your Zoom call can see the memory card setup.

04:25This is how you set it up using simple grocery items

04:27that you can find in your pantry and your cell phone.

04:32And then you play on your laptop.04:34Boggle! Again you’re gonna need the setup

04:37that I just showed you in the last game option.

04:40You guys know how to play Boggle right?

04:41I will leave a Boggle board down in the description box

04:43that you could buy off of Amazon.04:45We love Boggle at home.

04:46If you missed the very first Zoom games

.04:49I will link in a card right up here for you to watch.

04:51The last game is Scattergories.04:53You guys know ho to play this maybe? maybe?

04:55You come up with a category, say “fruits.”

04:56And everybody has to name a fruit until nobody can name any more fruits.

05:01And you can divide players up into teams

05:07or you can play one on one and keep a score

.05:12I will leave a Pinterest post in the description box down below

05:16of some Scattegory category options for you to play this game online.

05:21Let me know in the comment section down below

05:23what are your favorite zoom games to play?

05:27I am sure that this community will love some more ideas.

05:30Remember to stay safe at home.

05:32I will see you in my next video. thanks for watching. bye!

20 Online Video Share Games for Kids

Looking for fun games to play on zoom with kids and families? I have 20 easy virtual zoom games for you to play with kids of all ages. So for that next Zoom call with your family, suggest a new game to play. Don’t forget to plan a game that works for all ages attending your Zoom call. Zooming with family doesn’t have to be boring. Spice up your virtual online call with a little fun and laughter. We love having fun as a family and want to share that fun with you. I am passionate about bringing families back together through the lost art of fun and games. I am often guilty of relying on technology to entertain my kids. But when I use simple supplies around my home to create fun games and activities I hear laughter and know I am making great memories.

Video Transcript:

Hello friends! In today’s video, I have 20 of the top zoom games for families.
00:12
So if you are looking to connect with your loved ones online,
00:15
then this is the video for you.
00:16
If we are meeting for the first time, hi my name is Shawn.
00:20
Welcome, on this channel I am passionate
00:22
about bringing families closer together through fun and games.
00:25
I know that times are difficult for all of us right now.
00:29
And this time doesn’t have to be boring.
00:31
But I’d also love for you to consider subscribing to this channel.
00:35
If you too want to grow closer to your friends and family,
00:36
especially during this difficult time.
00:39
Alright let’s jump in today’s video. Here we go.
00:42
One is called Zoomed In.
00:47
You are going to go ahead and pick some pictures
00:50
of some animals.
00:51
Save them to your computer.
00:53
You’re going to screen share through zoom.
00:56
Yes zoom will let you screen share.
00:58
Don’t show the full picture right away.
01:00
Go ahead and zoom in on the corner of the object of the picture
01:00
and see if the other players can guess what the picture is.
01:04
The longer it takes them to guess, the further you zoom the picture out
01:10
until somebody has guessed it correctly.
01:13
I did forget to tell you that these 20 ideas are great for families
01:17
because there are options for families with younger children,
01:18
options for families with grandparents.
01:21
These games are geared for a span of age groups
01:24
so you’ll need to pick the games that best suit the ages
01:25
of the players on your zoom call.
01:28
Alright game number two.
01:31
Game number two is Inside Scavenger Hunt.
01:34
This is one of the easier games to play.
01:35
So you will name an object that is commonly found in the house.
01:39
So say a box of cookies.
01:41
All the players will go and find a box of cookies.
01:44
And whoever returns back with their cookies first
01:47
is the winner of that round.
01:48
So then you can have like a whole list of 20 or 30 objects
01:49
that your friends and your family have to go and find.
01:53
And that is how you play an indoor scavenger hunt.
01:56
I will leave a link to a Pinterest post of mine
02:02
that gives you a short list of objects
02:04
that you can use for this game.
02:05
Game number three is Animals Charades.
02:07
Each player will take turns picking an animal inside their head.
02:10
And then act out that animal without making any noises.
02:15
And see which of the other players can guess the animal correctly .
02:19
So it’s regular normal charades played online.
02:23
Game number four is called What’s That Sound?
02:27
You can use sounds off of your computer, off of your phone,
02:29
off of stuff that you found around your house.
02:33
But make a funny sound where people cannot see the object.
02:36
And then the players will guess.
02:39
And whoever guesses the sound correctly wins the game.
02:40
Game number five is called Storyteller.
02:44
You’re going to mute all the players except for yourself.
02:48
Going to begin with a short sentence, the beginning of the story ,
02:48
and then you will unmute the other players.
02:52
And they will take turns adding a sentence to that story
02:57
until all the players have had a chance to say part of the story.
03:02
So you’re making a story together .
03:04
Game number six is called Silly Faces.
03:06
This one is great for younger children.
03:08
So go ahead and say, “alright we’re all going to make a silly face.”
03:09
And then you take a screenshot of everybody making that silly face.
03:13
Everybody make a silly face with your tongue sticking out.
03:19
Your finger to your nose.
03:20
Your eyes wide open.
03:22
Everybody show how far you can stick out your tongue.
03:23
Kissy face.
03:24
Who can lick their elbow?
03:26
Game number seven is the Singing Whisper Challenge.
03:28
I saw this on The Tonight Show.
03:32
I didn’t actually click on the video but it sounded like a great idea.
03:33
So to play the singing whisper challenge you will mute the person.
03:37
And that is starting off the game the” it” person you will mute them.
03:41
And they will pick a song and they have to sing that song
03:45
and dance to that song.
03:47
And everybody else has to get the song.
03:49
Game number eight is called Draw It
03:51
Each player takes a turn picking an animal and drawing it.
03:54
And whoever guesses before they finish the completed project,
03:58
the completed work of art, is the winner.
03:59
Game number nine is called I Spy.
04:01
Go ahead and designate one person as “it.”
04:04
That person will look through the backgrounds of all the other players
04:08
and say hey I Spy something red.
04:11
They could name a color or a circle.
04:14
They could name a shape.
04:16
All the other players have to guess and each time nobody guesses
04:18
the object then you add on a new clue or a new hint
04:22
to help the team to come up with what they have spied.
04:26
Game number 10 is Quarantine Would You Rather?
04:29
I played this on a live stream a couple weeks ago.
04:31
I will link that right up here in the cards for you to watch.
04:35
It has lots of questions on how to play Would You Rather?
04:38
So go check that out.
04:40
Go watch the video after this one.
04:43
Game number eleven is Two Truths and a Lie.
04:46
Each player will tell two true things about themselves and one lie.
04:49
You’ll take turns and all the other players
04:53
they have to guess which one is the lie.
04:55
Game number 12 it’s called Read My Lips.
04:58
One player text another player a phrase.
05:00
That player then says the phrase to the group without making a sound.
05:01
The other players have to guess that phrase.
05:06
Game number thirteen is great for preschoolers.
05:06
You can play Simon Says.
05:09
Everybody loves old school Simon Says.
05:12
Simon Says touch your head.
05:13
Simon says touch your nose. Touch your ears.
05:14
Simon did not say touch your ears.
05:15
You’re out.
05:17
That’s how you play Simon Says.
05:19
Game number fourteen is rock-paper-scissors.
05:21
Yeah you can play rock paper scissors online.
05:25
You knew that just gotta be visual rock paper scissors classic game.
05:29
Game number fifteen is the ABC game.
05:33
I’m going on a beach trip and I’m taking…
05:35
oh and the next player has to come up
05:38
with something else it starts with B .
05:39
So they say I’m going on a beach trip, I’m taking an apple and a beach blanket.
05:43
And then you go through the whole alphabet
05:47
until someone cannot come up with an object to name
05:49
with the letter in the alphabet and then they are out.
05:53
Game number 16 is a memory game.
05:55
You’re gonna need a cookie sheet for this
05:57
and your magnets off your refrigerator.
05:59
Go get those. Go get those right now.
06:01
Put your magnets, they will stick right on to that cookie sheet .
06:03
So give all the players 30 seconds to look at your magnets
06:06
and then take one away.
06:08
And players have to guess which magnet is missing.
06:10
What did it look like I wonder?
06:12
Can we remember what was actually on this cookie shape?
06:15
on this cookie sheet? cookie sheet.
06:18
Game number 17 is mad libs.
06:22
I’ll leave a link in the description box down below
06:25
of a free site, not my own, somebody else’s of some mad libs stories.
06:26
And just fill out a mad lip story together.
06:31
19 is a talent show but don’t do any prep.
06:35
I mean you could do a talent show and have everybody preform.
06:36
I think weren’t there some celebrities that recently did this?
06:39
Or you could do a talent show on the spot
06:42
which leads to some very interesting talents
06:47
when people have to come up with a talent on the spot.
06:49
I mean like one of my talents is I can bend my thumb
06:53
behind my finger.
06:54
Weird I know but that’s one of my talents.
06:57
What is one of your talents?
06:58
And game number twenty..
07:00
Can you believe it?
07:01
We’re at the end of this video.
07:02
I really hope I have lifted your spirits through this video
07:04
and given you guys some great ideas to have fun
07:05
with your friends and family even though you can’t see them in person.
07:08
This world is going to get better.
07:12
This virus will end .
07:13
It will not last forever.
07:15
We can save lives by staying home and playing
07:16
with our friends and our family online through an app such as zoom.
07:20
This isn’t sponsored. I don’t know they don’t even know I’m doing this video.
07:24
Alright game number 20 is Name That Emoji .
07:28
Why did I just sing it? That was weird. Feeling sassy.
07:30
in that emoji preload some emojis onto your computer
07:36
so that you can share them and everybody has to caption the emojis.
07:39
Put up some well-known emojis that everybody knows.
07:40
You know laughing crying face, tears pouring down, heart emoji.
07:42
And then give them some unusual ones like this one here or this one.
07:48
What what what are those?
07:52
I don’t know. Llet me know in the description box down below.
07:53
Thank you guys so much for watching this video
07:55
and I will see you in the next one.
07:58
If you have some more that I didn’t mention
08:00
I would love to hear about them
08:02
so leave those game ideas in the description box down below.

These awesome videos are from our friends at children’s ministry deals. They sell a downloadable video of this video Bible trivia quiz.

Bible Quiz Videos – with Multiple Choice Answers

Students, children, or adults will love these scripture based trivia questions and answers. They are in a game show format and easy to use simply by pausing the video. This is a fun way to do Bible trivia with any church or Sunday School group. Use them in a fun quiz style game with children, teens, or adults.

Trivia Topics in this Video Quiz

Bible Trivia General

Questions about Creation

Animals Trivia

Bible Trivia 10 Commandments

Noah’s Ark Multiple Choice Questions

Quiz (Genesis) God Creates Man and Woman

Bible Trivia 12 Disciples

Bible Quiz on the Christmas Story

Water in the Bible

Food in the Bible

Questions and Answers about David and Goliath

How will you use this Biblical Trivia Game?

We’ve love to hear how this resource is helpful in your ministry. Did you use it at a student ministry rally or for an adult small group retreat at your church.

It’s a fun format and we hope you are able to check out the full length downloadable version too.

Are you searching for fun, new Bible games for kids to use in your Children’s Church?  Kids often learn best through play so it’s definitely a good idea to have plenty of game ideas handy.  This page contains 100 Bible Trivia Videos for Kids.  each video has several questions about a particular passage of Scripture.  You can play these videos as an intro before your service begins or as a review quiz after a lesson.  You can also order all 100 videos for only $97

“Simply put, children learn from the people they love. And love is the result of getting to know one another—it’s the result of relationship. Before our kids come to know Jesus, they just might need to know us first.”

David Rausch

It’s true—education research has shown that when kids have a relational connection to their teachers and peers, they listen and learn better. So let me ask you a question: Do you want for the kids in your children’s church to listen and learn better?

Here are 9 get-to-know-you activities you can use in Sunday School to help preschool-aged children build relationships with their teachers and peers. Last week I posted 9 get-to-know-you-games for elementary kids. But why should they have all of the relationship building fun?!? Here are 7 more Sunday School games for preschoolers:

**The guest post by David Rausch, the creator of Go Curriculum. Find more great preschool ministry tips on his blog.

7 Sunday School Game Ideas for Preschool & Toddlers

1. Toss Across

Have the preschool children sit in a circle. Toss a stuffed animal to one of the children, then ask them to share their name and a favorite thing (food, animal, TV show, etc.) When finished, that child can toss the stuffed animal across to another child. Repeat until everyone has shared. To add an element of imagination, replace the stuffed animal with an imaginary object like a feather, a full-grown elephant, or a piece of hot lava. Tell the children to react as if they are tossing and catching that object.

2. Name Chase

This is a good game for helping children learn names. It works just like Duck, Duck, Goose. Have the children sit in a circle. Choose one child to walk around the outside of the circle while lightly tapping each child on the head or shoulder. Instead of saying “Duck,” though, they have to say the name of the person they are tapping. When they say “Goose,” the child who was tapped must chase them around the circle before they take their spot. Have the child who is now “it” share their favorite game before resuming play.

3. My Memory Match

Give each child 2 notecards and tell them to draw a picture of themselves on each card. Tell them to make the pictures look as similar as possible. When finished, collect the cards, mix them up, and place them face down on the floor. Allow the children to take turns flipping over two cards at a time in search of a match. When a child finds two matching cards, have them guess who it is. When the artist has been identified, ask them “What makes you feel loved?”

4. Funny Face

This one is on the list for elementary kids, but it works just as well for preschoolers. Have the kids sit in a circle and choose someone to start the game. That person must make a funny face in an attempt to make the other children smile. They may not make any sounds though. The person making faces receives one point for anyone they make smile. When they’re finished making their face, they must “wipe” it off with their hand and pass it to the next kid in the group who will then make a different funny face.

5. Balloon Bop

Toss an inflated balloon to the children while playing music. While the music is playing, the children must continually bop the balloon in the air, but when you stop the music, they must race to grab and hold the balloon. Have the child who is holding the balloon talk about their best friend, then continue with the game until everyone has had a turn.

6. Animal Charade

Tell the children to think of their favorite animal. Have them take turns silently acting like that animal while the other children guess what it is. When the animal has been guessed correctly, have the child share why they like that animal so much.

7. Who’s Shoes

Have each child take off one of their shoes and place them in a bag. Mix the shoes up, then spread them around the room. Tell the children to go find one shoe (not their own), then search for the owner. When they find the owner of the shoe, they must give them a hug and say one nice thing about them.

Share Your Favorite Preschool Games

We’d love to hear your ideas for game time in Sunday School. What fun ways have you found to help younger children connect and build friendships?

• Bible: Jonah 1-3
• Ages: 6 to 10
• Group Size: 1 or more
• Supplies: Paper cups, Scissors, Sticky Tape, String, Clothes Pegs or Erasers or Crushed Aluminum Foil, Big Gulp of Jonah Printable – Download Here

Preparation

Download and print the Big Gulp of Jonah Printable.
You will need 1 copy for each player.

Play: Jonah and the Whale

Cup-and-Ball Game

Cut out Jonah and the top and bottom pieces of the Whale.

Paste the top piece of the whale on a paper cup, then the bottom piece (see picture below).
Paste Jonah onto a clothes peg or eraser or small piece of crushed aluminum foil (or anything to give Jonah some weight).

Cut a piece of string about 18 inches long.
Paste one end of the string to the bottom of the paper cup; paste or tie the other end to Jonah.

How to Play

Hold the whale in your hand.
Try to swing Jonah into the mouth of the whale.

Kids Bible Lesson – Jonah and the Fish

Discuss
1. Which did you enjoy more? Making or playing with the Jonah and the Whale toy?
2. Was it easy to get Jonah into the mouth of the Whale?
3. Have you heard the Bible story about Jonah and the Whale before? Can you tell us the story?

Say
Today we will look at one of the most famous Bible passages – Jonah.

Read
An excerpt of Jonah 1-3 from a children’s Bible.

Discuss
4. Who is Jonah?
5. What did God want Jonah to do?
6. How did Jonah respond to God? Did he obey God immediately? What did Jonah do?
7. What happened when Jonah tried to run away from God?
8. What did God do when Jonah was thrown into the sea?
9. How long was Jonah in the belly of the fish?
10. What happened when Jonah was in the belly of the fish?
11. What happened after the fish vomited Jonah onto dry land?
12. Did Jonah eventually obey God?

Conclude
1. Jonah tried unsuccessfully to run away from God. We can never run away from God – God is everywhere!
2. Even when Jonah did not obey God the first time, God was patient and compassionate with Jonah. God gave Jonah a chance to repent and God forgave him.
3. When God tells us to do something, we must do it.

Easter Egg Plate Relay

Standing in a line, teams race to pass Easter eggs from one player to another using only paper plates. The first team to transfer all the eggs wins. This game can be used to introduce a lesson on Easter.  

• Bible:  Matthew 28:1-10, Mark 16:1-8, Luke 24:1-12, John 20:1-10
• Ages: 6 to 14
• Group Size: 10 or more

Supplies: Plastic Easter eggs (10-20 per team) (If you are not using this game for Easter, you can use table tennis balls or any small plastic balls of similar size), paper plates (2 per player), buckets or boxes (2 per team)

How to Play

The objective of this game is to transfer Easter eggs from one bucket to another. The eggs are passed from one teammate to another using paper plates.

Place buckets containing Easter eggs at one end of the room. There should be one bucket for each team. Make sure there are equal numbers of Easter eggs in each bucket. Space out the buckets so that each team has enough space to stretch out their arms without knocking into each other.

Divide the children into teams of 5 or more. Ideally each team has the same number of players.

Have the first player from each team stand next to the bucket of Easter Eggs. He/she should stand such that the bucket of Easter Eggs is on his right.

The next player stands roughly one arm-length away from the first player, facing the same direction as the first player, and so forth.

Place one empty bucket next to the last player of each team.

Give the first players of each team one paper plate to hold on his/her left hand.
Give the last players one paper plate to hold on the right hand.
Give all the other players two paper plates each, one for each hand.

On “go”, the first players pick up one Easter egg with his/her right hand, puts it on his/her plate, and transfers the egg to the plate on the second player’s right hand.
The second player transfers the egg to the plate on his left hand, then to the plate on the third player’s right hand, and so forth.
The last player puts the egg into the empty bucket with his left hand.

Only after the last player places the egg in the bucket can the first player start with the next egg.

If the Easter egg drops at any time, it must be returned to the starting bucket.

The first team to finish transferring all the eggs wins.

Bible Connection – Easter

After playing this game, use this section to guide you in your Easter lesson.

Discuss
1. Did you enjoy the game?
2. Did your team drop any of the eggs? Was it easy to keep the eggs on the plates?
3. Do you know what Easter is all about?

Say
Although Easter eggs are not mentioned in the Bible, they are used by Christians around the world to symbolize the empty tomb of Jesus. Every year on Easter Sunday, we remember and celebrate the resurrection of Jesus.

Read
Luke 24:1-12

Discuss
4. What did the women expect to see inside the tomb?
5. Why was Jesus not inside the tomb?

Say
The women went to the tomb to anoint the body of Jesus with the spices they had prepared. But the body of Jesus was not in the tomb. The angel explained to them that Jesus had risen from the dead. Jesus is alive!
Jesus is the Son of God. He came to earth to die on the cross to take the punishment for our sins. And on the third day, Jesus became alive again.
Because Jesus died on the cross, our sins can be forgiven. We can be with God and have a relationship with him. We can become his children and will one day be with him in heaven.

Good Shepherd Game & Lesson PDFDownload

Be prepared for noise and chaos, with half of the group shouting and the other half trying to listen out for the correct voice to follow! A great way to introduce the topic of discipleship and following the Good Shepherd.  

• Bible:  John 10:2-5,11-15; 14:15-17,26
• Ages: 6 and above
• Group Size: 6 or more
• Supplies: Blindfolds (1 blindfold for every 2 players)

“Sheep Hear My Voice” Game Directions

Pair everyone up.
Blindfold one person from each pair and have him/her stand in the middle of the room.
These are the sheep.

Scatter up the others and have them stand at the edge of the room. These are the shepherds.

Ask all the sheep to turn 3 rounds on the spot.

On “Go”, the shepherds will call out to their respective sheep, to give them instructions to walk towards them. (No running allowed.)

The first pair of sheep and shepherd to reunite wins.

Switch roles and repeat.

Bible Message – Following Jesus’ Voice

After playing this game, use this section to guide you in your lesson on following Jesus.

Discuss
1. Did you enjoy this game?
2. Was it easy to identify which voice to follow? How did you know?
3. Do you know a Bible passage that talks about following the correct voice?

John 10:2-5 (NIRV)

² The one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. ³ The gatekeeper opens the gate for him. The sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. ⁴ When he has brought out all his own sheep, he goes on ahead of them. His sheep follow him because they know his voice. ⁵ But they will never follow a stranger. In fact, they will run away from him. They don’t recognize a stranger’s voice.”

Discuss
4. Whose voice will the sheep follow?
5. Do the sheep know who their shepherd is?
6. Does the shepherd know which are his sheep?

Say
This passage tells us that the shepherd knows his sheep by name. And the sheep recognizes and follows the voice of its shepherd. Let’s read more about the shepherd and the sheep.

John 10:11-13 (NIRV)

¹¹ “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives his life for the sheep. ¹² The hired man is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when the hired man sees the wolf coming, he leaves the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. ¹³ The man runs away because he is a hired man. He does not care about the sheep.

Discuss
7. Who does this passage compare the good shepherd with?
8. What will a good shepherd do for his sheep? Why?

John 10:14-15 (NIRV)

¹⁴ “I am the good shepherd. I know my sheep, and my sheep know me. ¹⁵ They know me just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I give my life for the sheep.

Discuss
9. In this passage, who does the good shepherd refer to?
10. Who are the sheep?

Say
In this passage, the good shepherd refers to Jesus and the sheep are his followers.
The Bible tells us that Jesus is the good shepherd who died on the cross for our sins.
If you believe in Jesus, you are a follower of Jesus. Jesus is your shepherd and you are one of Jesus’ sheep.

Discuss
11. Is Jesus your shepherd? Are you one of his sheep?
12. What does this verse tell us?

Conclude
If we are followers of Jesus and one of his sheep, then we must obey his commands.
John 14:15-17,26 tells us that the Holy Spirit who lives inside us will help us follow Jesus.
It is important that you learn to follow Jesus closely. You can do this by reading the Bible and talking to him regularly.

John 14:15-17 (NIRV)

¹⁵ “If you love me, obey my commands. ¹⁶ I will ask the Father. And he will give you another friend to help you and to be with you forever. ¹⁷ That friend is the Spirit of truth. The world can’t accept him. That’s because the world does not see him or know him. But you know him. He lives with you, and he will be in you.

John 14:26 (NIRV)

²⁶ But the Father will send the Friend in my name to help you. The Friend is the Holy Spirit. He will teach you all things. He will remind you of everything I have said to you.

New International Reader’s Version (NIRV)Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998, 2014 by Biblica, Inc.®. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Preparation : For up to 32 players: download and print 2 copies of the Animal Cards; cut each copy into 16.

Animals matching game PDFDownload

If you are playing with fewer than 32 players, you will need to remove some of the Animal Cards.
(Ensure that all cards used are matching pairs.) If you have more than 32 players, you will need to print and cut up more copies of the same Animal Cards.

How to Play

• Ensure there is an even number or players. If there is an odd number of players, have the game leader join in.
• Tell everyone that you will be giving each person one animal card. When they receive the cards, they must not show anyone their cards (they can hold the cards in their hands or hide them in their pockets). And they must not speak.
• Give one animal card to each player. Ensure that all cards used are matching pairs.
• On “go”, everyone must mimic their assigned animal, and move around the room to look for their counterparts.
• No speaking allowed. They can only imitate the animals’ actions and sounds.
• The first pair to match up and report to the game leader wins a prize.
• The game ends when all players successfully pair up with their counterparts.
• You can play more than one round.

Bible Connection – Noah’s Ark

After playing this game, use this section to guide you in your lesson on Noah’s Ark.
Alternatively, see the next section for a lesson guide on Creation.

Discuss
1. Did you enjoy this activity? Why or why not?
2. Was it easy for you to find your counterpart?
3. Do you like animals? What are some of your favorite animals?
4. Do you know any Bible passages about pairs of animals?

Read: Genesis 6:5-9:17
(This passage is rather long. Instead of reading directly from the Bible, you may want to tell the story of Noah’s Ark with the aid of a YouTube video, PowerPoint slides, puppets or even a children’s Bible.)

Discuss

• Why did God ask Noah to build an ark?
• Why did God decide to send a flood? (Genesis 6:5-8)
• Why did Noah find favour in God’s eyes? (Genesis 6:8-9)

Say
In this story, we learned that God sent judgement on the earth because the people on the earth were evil. But God saved Noah and his family because Noah was righteous.
Even though God promised (Genesis 8:21) that he will never send a flood like this ever again, this Bible story is still relevant to us today.

Discuss

• Does God notice when we sin? How does God feel when we sin?
• Does God notice when we obey him? How does that make God feel?

Conclude: Our actions matter to God, and he notices. Our sins make God sad. It is important that we always honor and obey him in our hearts and in everything that we do.

Bible Connection – Creation

After playing this game, use this section to guide you in your lesson on Creation.
Alternatively, see the next section for a lesson guide on Noah’s Ark

• Did you enjoy this activity? Why or why not?
• Was it easy for you to find your counterpart?
• Do you like animals? What are some of your favorite animals?
• Do you know any Bible passages about animals?

Read The Creation Story from Genesis 1:1-2:3

(This passage is rather long. Instead of reading directly from the Bible, you may want to tell the story of creation with the aid of a YouTube video, PowerPoint slides, puppets or even a children’s Bible.)

Discuss

• What are some things that strike you in this Creation story?
• What are some things that we learn about God?
• God is the Creator of all things. How should we treat God?

Read – Genesis 1:26

Discuss

• What are some things that we learn about people?
• How do you think God wants us to behave in relation to one another and to all of God’s creations?

Conclude: God is the Creator of all things: he deserves our honor, respect and worship.
God made people in his own image: we must treat one another with the dignity and respect everyone deserves.

I hope you don’t mind, but I’m going to hop up on my soap box for a few minutes. Let’s talk about Bibles and technology. Don’t get me wrong, I’m currently sitting here with my iPhone (with the Bible app open) serving as a hotspot for my macbook so I can write this article. And, once this article is published, I’ll use my iPhone to share it across social media. I enjoy technology as much (or more) than the next gal. I love the speed with which we’re able to find information and am thankful for the freedom of communication we now have around the world. I also love the fact that I can read my Bible anywhere….planes, cars (not while driving), coffee shops, grocery store lines, school pick-up lines and everywhere else, thanks to the device in my back pocket.

But, I have a fear that despite the increased availability to God’s Word that as a people we’re becoming more and more Bible illiterate. The search features of our Bibles do all the work for us and we no longer need to know where a verse is found, or for that matter whether Hebrews is in the Old or New Testament.

Psalm 119:11 says “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.” 

So, while I’m thankful for the ease of Biblical access and while I’m thankful that this means that more of my kids have ‘Bibles’ with them in Children’s Church, I’m still a fan of paper Bibles. I still see the value of children learning to find Bible verses in a Bible. And, as a personal note, I find that when I read from paper (instead of the phone) that I tend to be able to recall the words much more easily as I find myself seeing the verse on the page (left or right, top or bottom, underlined or not, etc.) and this is even more true when I read regularly from the same Bible.

So, if learning the books of the Bible is important, how do we go about teaching the books of the Bible to the children in our ministry? We’ve all heard the statistics about learning. We know that students learn more when they say something than when they simply read or hear it and that students learn even more of what they do.

To help with the idea of doing while learning, here are 8 kid-tested and teacher-approved games to help your students learn the books of the Bible.

#1 — TOP THREE

1. Write the books of the Bible on a stack of index cards (or small pieces of paper) – one book per card. You can use our printable Bible book flash cards.
2. Shuffle the deck of Bible book cards & place it in the middle of the circle face down.
3. Each child should take one card and hold it face down.
4. On the count of 3, everyone should turn over their card. Whoever’s book is closest to the end of the Bible gets a point.
5. Keep playing until one player has 3 points and declare them the winner.
6. Then, work together to quote all of the books of the Bible in order.

#2 — ROLL THE DICE

1. Have children sit in a circle and provide a dice (large dice make this game more fun)
2. Take turns rolling the dice.
3. As children roll the dice, they should name as many books of the Bible as the number that shows up on the dice.

Extra Challenges (especially for ages 8+):

• try not to name books that other people have named
• try to name the books in order…. example: Matthew, Mark, Luke & John
• the previous player can challenge you to name only Old Testament or only New Testament books
• challenge the group to name books in order all working together with each player adding on the next set of books

#3 — OLD OR NEW

1. Have all of the kids stand up in a line in the middle of the room. 
2. Explain that you’re going to call out a book of the Bible and if the book you call out is in the Old Testament they should take a step to their left and if it’s in the New Testament they should take a step to their right. 
3. If you have older kids in the group, challenge them with names that aren’t books of the Bible and have them sit down on those names.

Here’s a video example of this game outside using sidewalk chalk.

#4 — BIBLE BOOK TOSS

1. Everyone in the group should stand in a circle.
2. Give one person a bean bag or beach ball. They will name a book of the Bible and then either say… “next”… “old”… or “new” and toss the bean bag to someone else in the group.
3. When that child catches the bean bag, they need to name a book of the Bible that fits in the category that the previous person said… either the next book, an Old Testament or a New Testament book, then toss the bean bag to someone else in the group while saying either “next”, “old” or “new.”
   
4. Play as long as there is interest with your group.

#5 — GET IN ORDER

1. Write books of the Bible (as many as you have kids) on cards or pieces of paper.
2. The group leader should give one Bible book card to each kid in the group.
3. Kids should race to ‘get in order’ by standing in order of the Bible book cards that you’re holding.
4. Once kids are in line, say the books of the Bible in order – naming the books that should be between the cards that the kids are holding (if you didn’t choose books in order).
5. Collect the cards and play again…. reshuffle and/or add in new books of the Bible.
6. If you want to make it a competition, divide into 2 teams and hand out the cards and race to see which team can get in order first.

#6 — BIBLE BOOK BINGO

1. Give each kid a piece of paper and encourage them to write 16 books of the Bible on the page in 4 rows of 4. You can use our printable Bible Books Bingo.
2. Call out one book of the Bible at a time and have anyone who has that book on their page cross off the book.
3. Continue until someone has 4 in a row.
4. To make it faster, you may want to start with all having the same 16 books.
5. You made need to prompt non-readers by telling them the first letter in the book or write out the book so they can match letters. Example… Acts – starts with an A.
6. If kids are enjoying the game, have them make a new page and trade with a friend this time, so that they all end up with different books.

#7 — BIBLE BOOK BUILD

1. Buy a set of  ‘Jenga blocks’ (or a similar set of blocks) and write the name of a book of the Bible on the side of each of the blocks.
2. Spread the blocks out in middle of the playing area.   
3. Divide the group into 3 teams. 
   (1) Genesis to Proverbs,
   (2) Ecclesiastes to Malachi and
   (3) New Testament. 
4. At the “GO” signal, teams will send one player at a time to the pile of blocks to collect one of the blocks they need for their section of the Bible.
5. As players return with blocks, the rest of the team should be working to put the blocks in order.
6. If a player collects a block they don’t need for their section of the Bible, they forfeit their next turn and return the block instead of getting a new one.
7. Once they have collected all of their blocks, they should start building a tower with the books in order.
8. The first team to get their tower built with all of the blocks in order is the winner.

#8 — I’M THINKING OF A BOOK

1. Give each child a Bible
2. Call out a letter of the alphabet and have kids race to find a book beginning with that letter in their Bibles. 
3. Have kids show the books that they have found.
4. After several rounds of calling out letters (or with kids who are more familiar with the Bible) challenge them by calling out something from the book (example– Moses leads the people out of Egypt) and have kids race to find the correct book in their Bible.
   

If you want to integrate technology, we have a PowerPoint of the books of the Bible.

More Ideas from Bible Games Central

• Books of the Bible Memory Game
• Printable Bible Bingo

• Posterboard
• Index cards
• Ruler
• Markers
• Crayons
• Pencils
• Scissors
• Bible
• Dice or spinner
• Playing pieces

How to Make a Bible Board Game
Before the kids begin designing their game board, they should work together picking a name. What will the game be about, the New Testament, the Old Testament or the entire Bible? After they choose a name, they should create playing cards using the index cards. These could give special instructions like, “Go back to the beginning” or “Move your piece to the Prayer Room.”
For the actual board game layout, kids can use the ruler to create the design that the players pieces will move along. I suggest they use pencil first, then when they get everything just right, use a marker or pen.
Encourage them to color in the board but any text should be legible. If you don’t want them to use dice, have them create a spinner to use. After they test the game, have the groups present their bible board games.
This fun activity doesn’t have to be done in a day; as a matter of fact, this project works better as a long term project, like over a few weeks or month.
When all the board games are complete, have kids share and play the games with other groups in your kids’ church.
Read more from Mimi by following her blog at Tools for Kids Church.