Preteen Bible Game: Stressed Out! (Philippians 4:6)

Studies show that kids’ lives are filled with an increasing amount of stress. This game teaches children that God wants their life to be stress-free and can help them release stress in their lives before they reach the point of bursting.

Preteen Bible Game: Stressed Out! (Philippians 4:6)

Give each child a balloon to inflate and tie off. Have children each place the balloon under one of their feet.

Say: I’m going to call out things that can cause stress in your life. Maybe the thing I call out causes a little stress for you. If so, put a little pressure on your balloon. Or perhaps the thing I call out causes a lot of stress for you. If so, put a lot of pressure on your balloon. Don’t release the pressure between things that I call out.

Call out things that can cause stress in a child’s life, such as parents fighting, a test at school, a family move, being sick, a pet dying, too much to do, breaking a friend’s toy, and so on. Continue to call out stresses kids face until the list is exhausted or the balloons are broken.

Have kids turn to a partner and discuss these questions: Which thing made you put the most pressure on your balloon? How did you feel as you pressed on your balloon? How do you feel when you’re stressed in real life?

Read aloud Philippians 4:6.

Ask:

• How can God help us deal with the stress in our lives?

Say: Let’s do what God tells us to do when we’re anxious or stressed. Let’s pray for one another right now.

Have kids pray with the partners they discussed the questions with earlier.

Kandi Elliott
Lansing, Illinois