With these 10 indoor, no-prop, no-prep, fun, faith-building games galore — kids will have a blast at your church and grow closer to God. Use these lively indoor games to keep the fun going and faith growing—without all the heavy lifting on your part. None of these 10 games requires any prep or supplies—all you need is a Bible—but they’re sure to be a hit with your kids!

Bible-Blast Game 1. Crazy Cross

Use this game to remind kids that God will never abandon them.

Form four teams, and have each team stand at a different wall. Have one child (the “Freedom Giver”) stand in the center of the room. Explain that when you say “Go,” you’ll begin counting to 15, and everyone will try to tag the opposite wall before you finish counting. (You may need to adjust the count based on the size of your room.)

If a child bumps or touches any other player when moving across the room, he or she must freeze and stay frozen until tagged by the Freedom Giver. He or she can yell to get the Freedom Giver’s attention, and freed players continue crossing.

Play several rounds, and have kids keep track of the number of rounds in which they’re able to cross within the time limit. If a child is still frozen at the end of a round, he or she can be unfrozen in the next round and can continue to the wall within the new round’s time limit.

Ask:

• What was challenging about this game?
• How did it feel to be frozen? freed?

Read aloud 2 Corinthians 4:8-9.

Ask:

• How was this game like real life?
• What are things you can do when you bump into hard things in life?

Say: There will always be trouble in life, but God is always with us. He is always there when we need him.

Bible-Blast Game 2. One Animal, Many Parts

Use this game to show kids the purpose of working together.

Form equal-size teams. Say: In this game, I’ll name an animal, and you’ll work with your group to form that animal, each person taking on different body parts. As soon as your group has completely formed the animal, you’ll all make that animal’s sound.

Begin play, and call out “duck” for the first round. Repeat several times, calling out a different animal each time. At the end of each round, observe the animals each group made, pointing out the animal’s body parts you can identify.

Ask:

• What were positive things about your team in this game?
• Which things your team struggled with?
• What do you think it takes to make a strong body?

Read aloud 1 Corinthians 12:14-20, and then invite kids to talk about roles they can play in Jesus’ family.

Say: We all work together as important parts of Jesus’ family.

Bible-Blast Game 3. Fish Frenzy

Use this game to help kids know that we need Jesus’ power to make us strong.

Explain that in this version of Tag, the person who is “It” is called the “Fisherman” and the other players are called the “Fish.” When the Fisherman tags a Fish, the Fish joins the Fisherman by standing behind the Fisherman and holding on to the Fisherman’s shoulders (or any Fish behind the Fisherman). The Fisherman tries to catch all the Fish in the room by the time you count to 60. Play several rounds, each time switching who is the Fisherman.

Ask:

• What was your reaction when I said the Fisherman’s goal was to catch all the Fish in the room?

Read Luke 5:1-5. Ask:

• When are times you can relate to Simon?

Read Luke 5:6-11.

Say: We can’t do things in our own power, but we can do amazing things with Jesus’ help. When we’re following Jesus, he does the amazing work and all we have to do is stay close to him.

Ask:

• What are some of your struggles as you follow Jesus?
• How does Jesus strengthen you as you follow him?

Bible-Blast Game 4. Shoe Store

Use this game to discuss sharing our faith.

Say: For this game, we’ll pretend we’re in a shoe store.

Have all the kids put one of their shoes in the center of the room and line up along one wall with their other shoe in hand. Choose a “Shoe Salesperson.” Mix up the shoes in middle.

Say: The Shoe Salesperson will choose a shoe from the pile, and if it’s your shoe’s match, run for the opposite wall with your shoe in hand.

Explain that the runner will try to tag the opposite wall before being tagged by the Shoe Salesperson. If the runner is tagged, the Shoe Salesperson will invite the tagged person to join the shoe store. He or she can choose whether or not to join. If the runner isn’t tagged or decides not to join the store, the runner returns to the original wall with his or her one shoe and the matching shoe goes back into the pile. Anyone who joins the store can help tag shoe owners. Keep the game moving quickly, and have kids play for about 10 minutes.

Ask:

• Think about how we might try to tell others about Jesus. How was this game like or unlike your experience with that?

Read aloud Matthew 4:18-22.

Say: In these verses, everyone dropped what they were doing and joined Jesus. But that doesn’t mean that all people are ready to drop what they’re doing immediately to follow Jesus. (If time allows, you can talk about other examples from the Bible, such as Saul’s conversion in Acts 9.) Sometimes it takes time, and that’s okay. And Jesus gives us a choice.

Ask:

• What are ways you can lovingly tell others about Jesus and wait for Jesus to bring them to him?

Bible-Blast Game 5. Handy Dandy

Use this game to talk about staying connected to God.

Form teams of about five, and designate a start and finish line. Make this distance far enough so that kids will get impatient walking heel-to-toe style and it’ll take a lot of time.

Say: Let’s play a helping game. Your team’s goal is to get everyone to the finish line. There are two ways you can do that. If team members want to make their own way to the finish line, they’ll have to get there walking heel-toe-heel-toe. However, your team will have a helper called your “Handy Dandy”—and if your team members choose to hold your Handy Dandy’s right hand, they can walk quickly or even run together. The Handy Dandy will help only one person at a time and can run back and forth to get new players after he or she has helped one child to the finish line.

Have each team choose a Handy Dandy. Make sure kids know they can only walk quickly or run if they’re holding the Handy Dandy’s right hand. Then have teams start the game.

Afterward, ask:

• What did you think about the different ways to cross the room to reach the finish line?

Say: God is like the Handy Dandies in our game. His help is way better than trying to go it alone.

Read aloud Isaiah 41:10.

Say: God promises to help us, but staying connected to him is the best way to face any problem that comes our way.

Ask:

• What are ways you stay connected to God?

Bible-Blast Game 6. Lightning Lines

Use this game to promote flexibility to God’s leading.

Say: Today we’re going to learn about being flexible to go where God leads us.

Read aloud James 4:13-14.

Say: Let’s play a game to help us think about these verses. Have kids get in pairs and stand back to back. I’ll call out a direction about how to line up with your partner, and then I’ll count to three. As soon as you hear “three,” turn and follow my directions quick like lightning.

Call out, “Stand from left to right, shortest to tallest,” and then count to three. After kids have arranged themselves, have them form groups of three. Then call out, “stand oldest to youngest.” Continue having kids form larger groups with each round. Also, name new ways to line up each time such as by hair length, age by birthday, shirt colors in rainbow order, or sitting with shortest to longest hair.

Ask:

• How did being flexible to follow directions help in this activity?
• In the same way, how does being flexible help us follow God’s lead? • How do you feel about not knowing God’s plan ahead of time?

Say: Let’s look at what the next verse says about all this.

Read aloud James 4:15.

Ask:

• What are ways you can focus on being flexible to go where God leads you?

Bible-Blast Game 7. Round the Clock

Use this game to get kids thinking about time and using it wisely.

Say: Today we’re going to talk about time, so let’s start by playing a time game.

Have 12 kids stand in a large circle to form the numbers on a clock. Have them use their hands to show their numbers. Players “11” and “12” place one hand on head and hold up fingers: one for “11” and two for “12.” Disperse additional kids evenly behind the kids making the clock. If you have 12 kids or fewer, you can reduce the places on the clock where kids stand, such as at “12,” “3,” “6,” and “9.”

Say: When I call a time, if you’re standing on one of the numbers where the arms would be pointing, switch places with the other person who is also standing on one of the numbers called.

Call a time, and immediately after, name the two numbers that will be switching places. This will help kids who struggle to read a clock. For example: “12:30—switch places if you’re on 12 and 6.” When kids switch places, the person who had been second in line will move to the front. The kids who are switching go to the end of the line. Start slow, and pick up speed until kids are changing at a frantic pace.

Ask:

• What was this game like for you?
• Explain whether it’s like or unlike your life.

Say: Let’s see what the Bible says about time.

Read aloud Psalm 39:4-5 and 7.

Say: Time can move quickly, like in our game. And the psalmist reminds us to cherish our time.

Ask:

• What are some ways we can make the most of our time?

Bible-Blast Game 8. Forward & Reverse

Use this game to help kids understand that every person matters in God’s family.

Have kids form teams of five and stand in lines, holding each other’s waists.

Say: When I say “Go,” your team will run randomly around the room, following my directions.

On “Go,” groups will begin running as a chain. Count aloud to 30; then say: Stop. Freeze if you’re at the end of your team’s line. Make sure those kids disconnect from their teams, and then say “Go” again, having the lines continue while the kids who were on the end stay frozen. Begin counting again, but choose a different number to count to this time. When you stop, again have the end person break free from the line and freeze. (Now there’ll be two teammates from each team who are frozen in random places.)

Continue this process until all of the kids have been frozen except for the leaders. Then reverse the process, having the line leader tag all teammates to rejoin the line again, but in the reverse order of how they broke free. For example, if they were first to break free, they’d be last to rejoin. They’ll try to do this as quickly as possible. Play several times, letting new kids be the leaders.

Ask:

• What was it like to be last in this game?
• What was it like to be first?
• Explain who you think was most important.

Read aloud Matthew 20:16.

Ask:

• What do you think about what Jesus said in this verse?
• What are ways we can choose to be last so others can be first?

Bible-Blast Game 9. Sizzling’ Spreaders

Use this game to talk about Acts 13 and the spread of the early church.

Say: After Jesus came back to life, his followers kept telling people about him. Not everyone liked that people were still talking about Jesus—and those people were pretty mean to Jesus’ followers. But that just helped Jesus’ message spread. You might say the message spread like wildfire because it spread so quickly! Let’s play a game where we try to spread a message like wildfire.

Form a standing circle. Start a slow four-count rhythm. For example: stomp left foot, stomp right foot, clap, snap. Encourage all the kids to sway left and right. Call the name of a player and say, “Come, follow me, and I’ll help you today!” while continuing the four-count rhythm. That player will respond, “I’ll follow you, ’cause Jesus is the way!” and join your four-count rhythm. Next, that player will call another player’s name, and the two of them will repeat the sayings as all three of you repeat the rhythm. Continue until all kids have joined the rhythm, going faster and faster.

Try the game several times, each time letting a new person designate the four-count rhythm and start the game. Encourage kids to make the rhythm spread quickly.

Ask:

• What was it like to try to spread the message quickly in our game?

Say: Let’s look at how the message of Jesus spread in the Bible.

Read aloud Acts 13:44-49.

Ask:

• What do you think makes a message spread like wildfire? • Explain whether you want to spread Jesus’ message like wildfire.

Bible-Blast Game 10. Snakes & Bridges

Use this game to encourage cooperation in relationships.

Form four teams, and have each team line up along different walls in the room.

Say: Let’s learn about handling obstacles that come our way. Explain that kids will lie on their stomachs and quickly slither to the opposite wall and back as many times as possible. However, whenever a player comes in contact with any other player moving from a different direction, the taller player must stop and make a body “bridge” under which the shorter player may slither. Once that snake passes, the bridge can collapse and again become a snake.

Stop play after 5 minutes. The goal is for kids to make it back and forth as many times as possible without having to become a bridge.

Ask:

• Which was easier, being a snake or bridge?
• What happened when three or more “snakes” collided?
• What are ways obstacles can become bridges?Read aloud 2 Timothy 2:23-24.

Ask:

• How is this verse like or unlike the game we just played?
• Why do you think some people are easier to get along with than others?
• What can help us when we have to deal with difficult people?

Say: Getting along with people isn’t always easy. But with God’s help, we can show love and kindness to everyone.

Michael Capps is a longtime Group contributor, self-proclaimed kid at heart, poet, author, and consultant who makes his home in the beautiful mountains of North Carolina.

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