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A group of preteens are sitting on the ground with a ton of craft supplies.
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Crafts Gone Wild: A Must-Play Game for Your Ministry

For the past two years at KidMin, I’ve had a blast watching everyone play Craft Wars. It’s our annual wild and crazy game show where time is short, but creativity runs high. For those who have never experienced Craft Wars, the basic rules are simple: Come up with a creative craft that you could use in your ministry with the limited or wacky supplies provided. Crafts have to have a Biblical tie-in and must be completed in a certain time frame.

Although we don’t declare winners, everyone has a blast letting their inner artist shine. The best part is at the end of the night, everyone shares their creations and leaves with 10 or 20 great ideas that they can take home and do with their kids.

For this year’s Craft War: KidMin Vs. Wild Crafts, we turned up the intensity by playing three rounds (which means teams come up with three different crafts), adding challenges for teams to beat before they got their supplies, and we tossed in some mid-game rule changes.

At the end of the night, we were amazed at the ideas that grew from some fun competition. A few friends asked for the rules and said they wanted to play Craft Wars with their ministry team and their kids. So, we thought we’d share the rules for Craft Wars with you today.

(All the new challenges and rule changes were created by Ali Thompson, the managing editor at Group.)

Crafts Gone Wild: A Must-Play Game for Your Ministry

Supplies

  • 5 different crafts supplies for each team playing per round (items can be as varied as glue stick and crayons to plastic coins and googly eyes)
  • 50 craft sticks per team
  • pompoms
  • foam cups
  • tape
  • water misters full of water
  • 1 blindfold per team
  • Bibles
  • a volunteer to act as host

Setup

Place the random craft supplies around the room and set up a table for each team. Leave each team a Bible on their table for reference.

Rules

Declare at the beginning how long each round will last. (For example, three 15 minute-games will last you about an hour after all is said and done.) Split into even teams. The goal for each of the three rounds is for each team to create a craft with a Bible theme. Teams must choose a verse to accompany the craft and theme.

Each round starts with a physical challenge that teams must all complete to determine the order in which teams pick their five supplies (not everyone gets everything). The first team to finish gets to pick their five craft items first. (Note that if a team picks an item, they get all of that item. For example: If a team picks glue sticks, they’re the only team that gets the use of glue sticks for the round.)

Physical challenges to start each round

1st Challenge – Lumber Pile: each team will stack 50craft sticks in a single, freestanding column. When each team finishes and has their craft stick tower approved, that team may go get its supplies (up to 5 items).

2nd Challenge – Cotton Candy Catch: one person catches 25 pompom balls in a cup as the rest of the team throws. When each team finishes and gets approval, that team may go get its supplies (up to 5 items).

3rd Challenge – Dixie Demolition: build a pyramid of15 foam cups, then shoot rubber bands from ten feet away until the team knocks ALL the cups over. When each team succeeds and all of its cups are knocked over, that team may go get its supplies (up to 5 items).

Rule Changes

Throughout each round, have a volunteer gather everyone’s attention every few minutes and toss in some of these rule changes. Nothing makes a game more interesting than keeping everyone on their toes!

Round 1:

  • Sticky No More: can’t use glue anymore
  • Supply Thief: each team must get rid of one of its supplies – not the team’s choice (a volunteer takes one)
  • Southpaw Switcheroo: must only use your non-dominant hand
  • Outside the Box: must use one item in a way other than the way it is normally used (example: using a glue stick as a miniature tower in the craft)

Round 2:

  • Deforestation: can’t use anything made of trees anymore
  • Blind Leading the Blind: one person in each group must be blindfolded (and still participate)
  • Supply Swap: teams must trade one of their  supplies to another group
  • Pompom Power: must incorporate at least one pompom ball into the craft

Round 3:

  • Yellow Light: if anyone in a group is wearing any yellow, the entire group has to take a one minute break
  • Undo Button: must remove an item you’ve already included
  • Sticky Hands: everyone must wrap tape around their hands – sticky side out
  • Rainstorm: each team must squirt its craft with a water mister

Ending

At the end of each round, people show their team’s crafts to other people on different teams and explain the point, then switch and find new partner and exchange explanations about their crafts again. If time allows, repeat again. This may go on up to three rounds, with everyone using a new craft each time.

Looking for more craft ideas? Check out these posts!

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