So yesterday I'm in line at Target picking up supplies for Sunday and this mom behind me goes "Oh you must be a teacher - look at all that craft stuff!"
I'm like no I do kids ministry and she gives me this look. "That must be so fun planning all those creative activities every week!"
Fun. Right.
I wanted to tell her that most weeks I'm googling "easy kids activities" at 11 PM Saturday night because I forgot to plan anything until my husband asks what I'm teaching tomorrow.
Don't get me wrong - I love what I do. But this idea that kids ministry people are just naturally overflowing with creative activity ideas is complete myth. Most of us are just trying to survive Sunday morning with something that keeps kids engaged for more than thirty seconds.
Started collecting activities that actually work with minimal prep and supplies you can grab without special ordering or spending your entire budget. Because who has time for Pinterest-perfect activities that require seventeen steps and supplies from three different stores?
Musical Chairs But Make It Biblical
Okay so regular musical chairs is fine but kids get eliminated and then they're bored and causing problems while everyone else plays.
Started doing it where when music stops instead of sitting in chairs kids have to find someone else and share something they're thankful for. Or name a Bible character. Or say their favorite Bible story.
No elimination. Everyone keeps playing. Built-in discussion starter. Uses music you already have.
Last week did this with David and Goliath story. When music stopped they had to find partner and share one thing that takes courage. Worked great and led right into lesson.
Only supplies needed are chairs and whatever device plays music. Done.
Human Rock Paper Scissors Tournament
Kids love rock paper scissors but it gets chaotic with big groups.
Made it into movement activity where they use whole bodies. Rock is crouch down. Paper is spread arms wide. Scissors is jumping jacks.
Call out "1-2-3 go!" and everyone picks one. Then they find someone who did different motion and play best two out of three.
Winners move to one side. Others move to other side. Keep playing until you have final champion.
Gets energy out. Easy to tie into lessons about choices or competition or being good sports. Zero supplies needed.
Did this before lesson about choosing to follow God. Talked about how we make choices every day and sometimes we win sometimes we lose but God loves us regardless.
Bible Story Charades Relay
Split kids into teams. Each team gets stack of Bible story cards or just write stories on paper.
One person from team acts out story without words. Rest of team guesses. When they get it right next person goes.
First team through all their cards wins but honestly kids usually want to keep playing even after someone wins.
Stories can be as simple or complex as your group needs. Noah's ark. Jesus walking on water. David and Goliath. Whatever you're teaching or reviewing.
Great for mixed age groups because older kids can act out harder stories and younger kids can do simpler ones. All you need is paper and pencil to write down stories.
Four Corners Decision Game
Put different answers in four corners of room. Ask question. Kids run to corner that matches their answer.
"What's your favorite season?" Spring summer fall winter corners.
"How do you like to pray?" Out loud silently with others alone corners.
"What's hardest part about being good friend?" Sharing listening forgiving being honest corners.
Great way to get kids moving and thinking and talking. Easy to tie into whatever lesson you're doing.
No supplies needed except maybe four pieces of paper to mark corners if you want. Can make up questions on the spot.
Did this last week with lesson about trusting God. Had corners for different things that worry kids. Led to great discussion about how God helps with all our worries.
Build the Bible Story
Give each team random supplies - paper plates plastic cups toilet paper tubes whatever you have lying around.
Their job is to build something that represents the Bible story you just told. Give them five minutes. Then each team explains their creation.
Amazing what kids come up with when you give them random junk and let their imaginations go.
Had one team build Noah's ark out of paper plates and cups. Another team made tower of Babel with toilet paper tubes. Doesn't matter if it looks like anything recognizable - they have to explain it and that's where learning happens.
Perfect way to use up random craft supplies you bought for something else and never used. Kids love building. Gets them thinking about story in different way.
Bible Verse Scramble Race
Write Bible verse on several pieces of paper with one word per paper. Make multiple sets so teams can race.
Mix up words. Teams race to put verse in correct order.
Can use verse you're memorizing or verse that goes with lesson or just favorite verses kids know.
For little kids use shorter verses and maybe include pictures. For older kids use longer verses or multiple verses.
Winners get to read verse out loud to everyone else. Good way to practice memorization without feeling like homework.
Only need paper and markers or just print words on computer. Can reuse same verses multiple times with different groups.
Bible Story Freeze Dance
Play music. Kids dance. When music stops call out character or object from Bible story. Kids freeze in pose representing that thing.
"Freeze like Noah building ark!" "Freeze like Jonah in whale!" "Freeze like Mary holding baby Jesus!"
Gets energy out. Reinforces story elements. Easy to see who's paying attention and who needs help understanding story.
Can use any music you have. Christian music works but honestly kids don't care what kind of music as long as they can dance to it.
Great filler activity when you have extra time or need to burn energy before sitting down for lesson.
What Makes Activities Actually Work
Keep instructions simple. If you need more than two sentences to explain it it's too complicated.
Have backup plan ready. Some activities flop with certain groups. That's fine. Move on to something else.
Don't stress about perfect execution. Kids care more about having fun than following rules exactly.
Pick activities that match your space and group size. What works with eight kids might be disaster with twenty kids.
Use supplies you already have or can easily get. Don't make yourself crazy trying to find perfect materials.
Connect activity to lesson but don't force it. Sometimes connection is obvious. Sometimes you just need something to do.
What Doesn't Work
Activities that take longer to set up than they do to play. Not worth it.
Anything that requires supplies you have to special order or spend fortune on. Keep it simple.
Games where most kids get eliminated early. Bored kids cause problems.
Activities that are too similar to what you did last week. Kids remember and they'll complain.
Anything that makes huge mess you don't have time to clean up. Be realistic about your situation.
My Go-To Supply List
Paper and markers - can make almost any game with these
Music player - phone works fine
Chairs - already in most rooms
Random craft supplies - save everything you never know when you'll need it
Printed Bible verses - keep collection ready to go
Masking tape - marks boundaries defines spaces separates teams
That's honestly about it. Most good group activities don't need special supplies just creativity and willingness to try stuff.
When Activities Go Wrong
They will. Accept it now.
Kids don't understand instructions. Game ends too quickly. Someone gets upset about losing. Activity is too hard or too easy for group you have.
That's normal. Don't panic. Adapt on the fly or move on to something else.
Had activity completely flop last month. Kids were confused. I was frustrated. Just stopped and said "This isn't working let's try something else." Kids were fine with it.
Your attitude about things going wrong matters more than things actually going wrong.
The Real Point
Activities aren't just time fillers. They're ways to help kids connect with each other and with lesson and burn energy so they can focus better.
Don't feel like you have to be Pinterest perfect. Kids want to have fun and feel included more than they want perfectly executed activities.
Simple stuff that gets them moving and talking and thinking often works better than elaborate things you spent hours planning.
Most importantly pick things you feel comfortable leading. If you're stressed about activity kids will feel that energy.
What I Actually Do
Keep list of activities that work with my space and my kids. Add new ones when I find them. Cross out ones that don't work.
Prep supplies ahead of time when possible. Keep basic stuff in container ready to go.
Always have backup activity in mind in case first one doesn't work or ends too quickly.
Ask other kids ministry people what works for them. Steal ideas shamelessly. No need to reinvent everything.
Remember that good enough is actually good enough. Kids will have fun with simple activities if you make it fun for them.
