Small churches rock! If you’ve ever felt discouraged about being a small church, be uplifted by hearing that a recent Barna study shows people are more trusting of local, small churches. Vice President of Research Daniel Copeland observed, “Trust is local, and it’s small…Our ability to know something informs our trust.”

Here’s a fact: Some of the greatest emotional needs kids have are to feel seen, known, and loved. To have that sense of “I belong here” and “people would notice if I weren’t here.”

If you’re in a small church, that’s your greatest strength! When you have only a few kids, you can’t help but connect with them! Every child who comes into your church is seen, known, and loved.

Maybe you’ve thought that unless you grow in number, your efforts are of limited value—like teaching only a few kids isn’t really making a big impact. But consider this: Jesus loved small. Sure, he taught big crowds. But he really invested his time in a relationship with 12 followers. And even among them, he had three who he mentored even more closely.

When a boy brought Jesus a small offering of fish and bread, Jesus made it work. When Jesus saw a mustard seed, he said that’s what faith should be like. Jesus said that when one sheep goes missing, a good Shepherd notices—and cares a lot.

Jesus can do a lot with small. But we know a lot of Sunday school curriculum options make games with a small group of kids a challenge.

That’s why we curated three super-fun small church games from Two or More, the small church curriculum for kids. Two or More is full of fun games that work with as few as one or two kids!

Small Church Game #1: God Speaks

In this game based on 1 Samuel 3, kids discover how to tune out distractions and listen when God speaks.

You’ll Need:

• sheets of construction paper in 4 different colors (10 of each, plus 1-2 sheets per color per child)
• painter’s tape
• upbeat music (check out Group’s catchy tunes!)
• music player

Easy Prep:

• Ball up the sheets of paper.
• Use tape lines to split your room in half.

Throw Paper Wads and Listen for a Change in Directions

Say: In a true Bible story, a young boy named Samuel was confused at first when a voice kept waking him up., But Samuel finally discovered it was God’s voice!

Like it was for Samuel, it can be hard for us to know if we’re hearing God, even if we’re trying to listen for him. This game will show you what I mean.

• Split kids between the two sides of the room. Have only one child? No problem! Leaders play, too!
• Mix up all the colors of paper wads, and place an equal amount in a pile on the floor on each side.
• You’ll call out a color, and each side’s goal will be to get rid of the paper wads of that color from their side. Kids will quickly throw the paper wads to the other side—even the new paper wads that are thrown onto their side.
• After you’ve called out the first color and kids are throwing paper wads, play the music in the background for added noise.
• Allow a minute or so, and then say a different color in a normal voice.
• Continue to switch the color, altering how loud you say it. Sometimes kids may miss the change, and that’s OK.
• When time’s up, turn off the music to signal the end of the game.

Talk About It

Ask:

• What made it hard to hear me in the game?
• What are busy, noisy things in your life that might make it hard to hear what God is saying to you? Share an example of your own, such as staying busy with your job, housework, and paying bills.

SAY: There’s a lot going on in our lives, and that can keep us distracted when God speaks.

Sometimes God will get our attention through other people who have heard him—kind of like in our game when someone might have heard me say a new color and you didn’t. You might’ve seen them throwing the new color, so you switched, too.

God can get our attention in a lot of ways, but we can also choose to take a timeout each day from all the noise and listen for God. We can do that by looking for words from the Bible.

This small church children’s ministry game comes from Lesson 1 in Two or More’s Quarter 3 All Kids Together Leader Guide.

Small Church Game #2: Following Jesus

Based on the section of the Sermon on the Mount found in Matthew 7:24-29, this game teaches kids that following Jesus is the best way to live!

Follow the Leader

Say: Jesus gave a famous message called the Sermon on the Mount while standing on a hill. During that sermon, Jesus taught people a lot of important things—like how following Jesus is the best way to live. Let’s practice following in this game!

• Play a basic game of Follow the Leader, having kids follow you as you walk in different ways around the room.
• After a minute or so, choose a new Leader for you and everyone else to follow.
• Let the game keep going as long as you’d like, switching the Leader periodically.

Celebrate Small! With a small group, everyone can have a turn being the leader! Challenge kids to come up with exciting acrobatic or dance moves they can lead others in as they move around the room.

Talk About It

Ask:

• What did you like about following the Leader?
• What did you like about being the Leader?

Say: Sometimes we might think it’s more fun to be the Leader than to follow one. But in our lives, Jesus wants to be the leader. Following Jesus is the best way to live.

This small church children’s ministry game comes from Lesson 13 in Two or More’s Quarter 2 All Kids Together Leader Guide.

Small Church Game #3: God Is Strong

In this game based on Ephesians 6:10-18, kids discover that God is strong—and that our faith is stronger with God’s armor.

You’ll Need:

• 12 inflated balloons, plus a few extra*
• duct tape

* If you think you’ll have more than five kids, inflate more balloons so a few kids can go at the same time.

Try to Carry and Move a Dozen Balloons

Say: Today we’re talking about strength, and I have a fun way to test yours. You might think you’re strong enough to carry a dozen balloons, but we’ll see if you can do it!

• Have kids line up single file standing about 10 feet away from a wall.
• Get out 12 balloons.
• Have kids take turns trying to carry all 12 of the balloons at once while running to the wall and back without dropping any balloons.
• After all the kids have finished the first round, hold up a roll of tape and invite everyone to brainstorm how it could be used as “armor” to help carry the balloons. Ask kids how they could attach the tape to their bodies, with the sticky side facing out, to give them more strength or ability to carry all the balloons without dropping them. Then let them try ideas!
• If any balloons pop, replace them with your spares.
• If kids are still having some trouble with dropping balloons, encourage them to adjust their tape until they can carry all the balloons.

Celebrate Small! Waiting for a turn might be limiting for a larger group of kids—but you can do this super-fun and super memorable game with the kids in your smaller group!

Talk About It

Ask:

• What made carrying the balloons difficult in the first round?
• How did wearing tape armor make a difference?
• How can wearing God’s armor make a difference in your life?

SAY: Strength isn’t all about strong muscles or physical abilities; it’s about being strong against lies and temptation. That takes a different kind of strength inside us that God can help us with.

God is strong, and we’re strong in him. When we put on God’s armor, our faith is so much stronger than when we try things on our own!

This small church children’s ministry game comes from Lesson 11 in Two or More’s Quarter 4 All Kids Together Leader Guide. 

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Your friends at Group know small churches make a HUGE impact. Check out “7 Things Small Churches Naturally Do Well” to celebrate the special ways you can reach kids in your ministry.

If you’re searching for a curriculum that’s designed for smaller churches, Two or More is perfect for you! Every activity is written for small groups, easily responds to unpredictable attendance, and uses everyday supplies you have at church or home. Try Two or More today!