3 Children’s Ministry Activities Designed for Elementary Kids

Looking for children’s ministry activities designed specifically for your elementary kids? Look no further than these three fresh ideas!

3 Children’s Ministry Activities Designed for Elementary Kids

1. 30-Second Stack

Use this game to show that building your life on Jesus’ words makes a difference.

You’ll need:

• Bibles
• paper or plastic cups
• paper
• a timer

Form pairs, and give each pair a sheet of paper and at least 12 cups.

Have one player in each pair hold the sheet of paper above the floor as the other player races to build a single tower of cups on the paper using an alternating pattern of upside down and right-side up.

Start the timer. After 30 seconds, ask:

• Describe what it was like to build your tower.

Say: Listen to a story Jesus told about another shaky foundation.

Read aloud Matthew 7:24-27.

Have pairs replay the game, but let them choose a sturdier surface on which they can build their towers.

Ask:

• Talk about the difference between the two rounds.
• How can building your life on Jesus’ words make a difference?

Sharon Carey
Washington, Illinois

2. Serve or Sit?

Use this experience to encourage kids to spend time with Jesus.

You’ll need:

• Bibles
• index cards
• pens

Give each child two index cards. Have kids each write or draw a food they think is gross on one card and a food they love on the other card. Collect the cards, shuffle them, and draw two randomly. Have kids vote on which one they like better. Work through the entire stack; then give each child two more index cards, and repeat with a new category, such as a good wardrobe choice and a bad one or the best pet and the worst pet. Continue for several rounds.

Ask:

• Explain whether you think serving or sitting is better.

Say: Let’s look at a time in the Bible when one person was serving and the other was sitting. Read aloud Luke 10:38-42.

Ask:

• What do you think of Jesus’ answer to Martha?
• What distracts you from paying attention to Jesus?

Christina Schofield
Rolla, Missouri

3. Invisible Battle

Use this Battleship-like game to prompt kids to think about spiritual battles.

You’ll need:

• a Bible
• bedsheet
• paper
• tape
• a marker

Beforehand, hang a bedsheet across the center of your room so one side can’t see the other. Create a grid pattern on one side of the bedsheet by taping pieces of paper on the floor to mark each spot (see diagram 1 below). Make a spot for each child; if you have 10 kids, for example, create a grid that’s 2×5. If you have an uneven number of kids, make enough spaces for the next-highest even number. Label the rows with letters and the columns with numbers. Create an identical grid pattern on the other side of the bedsheet.

Form two teams so half the kids are on each side of the bedsheet. Have kids each stand on any spot they choose. Half the spots will be empty.

Have teams take turns naming grid spots using the letter and number of a position where they think someone on the opposing team might be standing. If a child occupies that spot, he or she must sit. The first team to get all the kids on the other team sitting is the winner.

Afterward, ask:

• What strategies did you use in this game?
• What was it like not being able to see the other side?

Read aloud Ephesians 6:12-13. Invite kids to sit and silently talk to God about the struggles they’re facing. Then lead them to stand and thank God for his power and strength over his enemies. Finally, have them name ways out loud they can practically fight the enemy.

Emily Snider 
Roseville, Michigan

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