3 Preteen Bible Activities for Your Children’s Ministry

Looking for Bible activities for your preteen classroom? Try these three simple ideas to help bring scripture points to life. 

3 Preteen Bible Activities for Your Children’s Ministry

Paper Shuffle

Use this game to discuss challenges.

You’ll need:

• a Bible and
• paper in two colors (two sheets per preteen).

Give each preteen two pieces of paper in one color. (Half the group gets one color, and the other half gets the other color.) Have kids line up along one wall, standing on their two sheets of paper. They’ll “shuffle-race” to the opposite wall without letting their feet leave the paper. After kids race a couple of times, randomly begin to call out “Switch!” having kids switch to the other color in the middle of the race before continuing.

Ask:

• What was challenging?
• What strategies helped you improve?
• Think of a challenge in your life. How are your challenges like those in our game?

Read aloud Romans 5:3-5.

Ask:

• How have challenges helped you become stronger?
• How can knowing these verses impact how you react to challenges?

Michael Capps
East Flat Rock, North Carolina

Reflecting Love

Use this devotion to discuss God’s reflected love.

You’ll need:

• Bibles,
• card stock (one piece per preteen),
• aluminum foil, and
• glue.

Have preteens tear pieces of foil (the more varied the better) and glue them to their card stock, shiniest-side out. Then have them use light from a window or bright bulb to reflect shapes onto the wall and floor. They can change the reflections by moving and bending the card stock.

Invite preteens to discuss the shapes they see and the various factors that make the reflections different, such as the position of the card stock, the brightness of the light, and the way the card stock is moved or bent.

Say: When we spend time with God, his love reflects off us like this. Read aloud Exodus 34:28-35.

Ask:

• Explain whether you think God’s love reflects off you as Moses experienced.
• When have you seen God’s love reflect off different people?

What’s the Purpose?

Use this experience to talk about money and purpose.

You’ll need:

• a Bible,
• phone,
• phone case, and
• pennies.

Ask:

• Explain whether you think money is the “root of all evil” like the saying goes.
• When has money helped you?
• When has it hurt you?

Read aloud Numbers 22:1-6.

Ask:

• What did Balak do when he was threatened?
• What measures have you taken when you felt threatened?

Read Numbers 22:7-8, 12-13. Say: Balak was going to pay Balaam to curse his enemies. He thought he could tempt Balaam with lots of money.

Have preteens describe times money tempted them and drop pennies into the case.

Read Numbers 22:14-17. Say: Balak thought he could use money to save himself.

Have preteens tell about times they thought money could “save” them and drop in pennies.

Read Numbers 22:18. Ask:

• What do you think of Balaam’s reaction?

Attempt to put the phone in the case. Say: This case has a purpose, but money’s in the way.

Ask:

• How could money get in the way of your purpose?

Pour out the pennies. Now the money and the case work for their correct purposes.

Ask:

• How can you follow Balaam’s example and stay focused on your purpose, even when you’re tempted by other things?

Shawn Vander Lugt
Johnstown, Colorado

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