Earth Day Game for Elementary Kids: Trashy Test
In this Earth Day game, kids experience being polluters and cleaners as they explore what it means to care for the earth.
Scripture: Jeremiah 2:6-7
You’ll need:
- Bible
- newspapers (or other scrap paper headed for the recycle bin)
- trash bags
Earth Day Game
Say: As people, we tend to make a mess of God’s beautiful world. Let’s see what the Bible says about how God felt when people long ago didn’t respect him or his creation.
Read aloud Jeremiah 2:6-7.
Say: God’s people were in trouble. They weren’t faithful to God, and they didn’t take good care of the land God had given them.
Let’s play a game to help us understand why it’s important for us to work together to take care of God’s beautiful creation.
For this Earth Day game, help kids count off by threes. Invite the Ones (Group 1) and Twos (Group 2) to form a big circle. Give each child in the circle a piece of newspaper. Have the Threes (Group 3) get on their hands and knees in the middle of the circle.
Say: On “Go!” Ones and Twos will tear their newspapers into little pieces and throw the pieces into the circle as quickly as possible. Threes will try to keep the circle clean by picking up all the paper and putting it in the bags.
Call time after one minute and see if Threes kept the circle clean.
Afterward, have everyone gather the paper shreds and let another group try to keep the circle clean.
Debrief the Game
At the end of the game, discuss the following.
Ask:
- What was easy or difficult about throwing all that garbage into the circle? about keeping the circle clean?
- How might our faith in God guide our choices about keeping the earth clean?
- What ways do you help care for God’s earth? What else can you do to help care for the earth?
Finish your time with a prayer, thanking God for his beautiful creation and asking him to help us remember to take care of it.
This Earth Day game comes from The Giant Book of Games for Children’s Ministry. In this book, you’ll find more than 200 fun and experiential games that deepen kids’ understanding of a Bible point. Looking for even more game ideas? Check out these posts!
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