Sunday School Games: 10 Active Indoor Games That Help Kids Grow Their Faith
These Sunday school games are active, fun and are played indoors. Plus they help kids grow their faith and work out the squirm!
Not going outside can make kids stir-crazy. Stuck inside, they dream of a warmer season when they can run and play with endless energy outdoors. And then they enter your Sunday school classroom, after a week of being cooped up at school and home, with a God-given, wiggly case of the fidgets and squirms. So tap into kids’ natural energy and exuberance with these active indoor Sunday school games specially designed to let kids move while teaching them more about their faith.
1. Sunday School Games: Angry Ping-Pong
Use this game to talk about the effects of anger.
Bible Connect: Ephesians 4:26-27
Supplies:
- a Bible
- ping-pong balls
- fine-tipped permanent markers
- slingshots
- a supply of cardboard building blocks
Play: Put kids in groups of 10, and give them a few minutes to build towers with their blocks. Then give each group four or five ping-pong balls. Have each person write at least one thing on each ball that makes him or her angry.
Say: Let’s play a game. Your team’s goal is to knock down any other team’s towers. Use the slingshots and the ping-pong balls to do this, but stand at least 15 feet from any tower you’re aiming at.
Show kids this distance. Then say: Think about the things you wrote on your ping-pong balls. What things has that anger “knocked over” in your life or in others’ lives?
Read aloud Ephesians 4:26-27.
Cool Down:
Ask:
- What does it mean to you that anger can be a foothold for the devil?
- What can you do to deal with your anger in a God-honoring way?
2. Sunday School Games: Elephant Stampede
2. Sunday School Games: Elephant StampedeUse this game to discuss the benefits of teamwork.
Bible Connect: 1 Corinthians 12:20-25
Supplies:
- a Bible
- 1 pool noodle that’s been cut in half.
Play: Choose two kids to be the Elephant, and give them each one of the noodle pieces.
Say: We’ll work as a team in this game. Our Elephant will chase everyone else and try to tag you with a noodle. If you’re tagged, you become part of the Elephant by holding hands with the person who just tagged you with a noodle. The person who tagged you will hand you the noodle piece, and you’ll work with the rest of the Elephant to tag others, handing off the noodle piece to the person you tag. The object is to be the last person tagged.
Check for understanding; then let kids play.
Cool Down:
Afterward, ask:
- Explain what you enjoyed more—trying to escape being tagged or being part of the Elephant.
- What did you do to work as a team in this game?
- What do you like or not like about working with a team?
Read aloud 1 Corinthians 12:20-25. Ask:
- What are the benefits of working as a team?
- What adjustments can you make to be a team player?
3. Sunday School Games: Cotton Nose
3. Sunday School Games: Cotton NoseUse this game to practice encouraging others.
Bible Connect: 1 Thessalonians 5:11
Supplies:
- a Bible
- masking tape
- petroleum jelly
- cotton balls
- a table
- paper plates
Play: Have kids get in groups of five to eight, and put a dab of petroleum jelly on the end of each person’s nose. For each group, set a plate of cotton balls on one end of the table, and set a second empty plate on the opposite end of the table for each group. Then use the masking tape to designate a start line. Have each group form a line behind it.
Read aloud 1 Thessalonians 5:11.
Say: Let’s use this game to practice encouraging others. This is a relay race, and your team’s goal is to get all the cotton balls on your plate to your team’s empty plate at the other end of the table. Only one person can go at a time, and you must use only your nose to pick up the cotton balls. Got it? Check for understanding.
Say: This is going to be tough, so cheer on your teammates as much as you can. Shout encouraging words, clap, and chant for your teammates.
Begin the race.
Cool Down:
Afterward, ask:
- When it was your turn to race, what encouraged you to do your best?
- What ways did you notice others encouraging their teammates?
- How can you apply this kind of encouragement to your life?
4. Sunday School Games: Balloon Bop
Use this game to talk about keeping God’s commandments
.
Bible Connect: Exodus 20:1-17
Supplies:
- a Bible
- beach towel
- 10 inflated balloons
Play:
Say: Pretend each of these balloons represents one of the Ten Commandments. Let’s play a game to try to keep all 10 balloons in the air at once.
Have kids each hold the edge of one end of the towel and stand apart so the towel is taut. Then have the kids shake the towel. Encourage them to continue to shake it as you add each balloon—each time naming one of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17). Continue for 30 seconds after you’ve added all the balloons, and replace any balloons that fall.
Cool Down:
Ask:
- What was it like to keep all the balloons in the air? Explain whether that’s like or unlike trying to keep all of God’s commandments.
- Why do you think it’s helpful for your life when you keep God’s commands?
5. Sunday School Games: Reaching for Hearts
Use this game to teach kids how important it is to support each other as Christians trying to spread the good news about Jesus.
Bible Connect: Mark 16:15; Romans 1:16
Supplies:
- candy bars
- wall safe tape
Play: Before kids arrive, tape candy bars onto the wall high enough so kids can’t reach them without standing on chairs.
Tell kids the object of the game is to reach the candy bars without the help of furniture or other people.
Let kids try to grab the candy bars. Once they’ve given up, have them form groups of three and work together to reach the candy bars. Two kids can form a step by locking their hands together and lifting the third person high enough to reach a candy bar for all three.
Cool Down:
Ask kids to compare their first attempt to reach the candy bars with their second.
Ask:
- What ways do you tell your friends about your faith?
- Why is it important to work together and support each other as Christians?
- How can you support a friend this week?
6. Sunday School Games: Protect Me
This game teaches kids that it’s important to surround themselves with good influences for protection from temptation.
Bible Connect: 1 Corinthians 10:13; 2 Corinthians 6:14
Play: Ask for two volunteers—one to be the Tempted and the other the Tempter—in a group of no more than eight kids. The object of the game is to protect the Tempted, who’ll stand in the center of the group’s tight circle. The Tempter tries to tag the child in the center by reaching through the circle. Kids in the circle can maneuver to keep the Tempter out, but they must stay locked arm-in-arm. When the Tempted gets tagged, new kids get to be the Tempted and the Tempter.
Cool Down:
Ask:
- How have you been tempted this past week?
- How does having Christian friends’ support help you resist temptation?
7. Sunday School Games: Snowball Fight
This game reminds kids of the power of God’s grace.
Bible Connect: Isaiah 1:18
Supplies:
- newspapers
- masking tape
- a timer
- disposable wipes
Play: Form two groups. Divide your classroom into two equal-sized areas with a masking tape line. Give each group an equal amount of newspaper. On your signal, let kids make newspaper “snow” balls and quickly throw them back and forth at the opposing team for two minutes. The object is to get more “snow” on the opponent’s side when time’s up.
At the end of the game, have kids collect the newspaper and place it in your church’s recycle bin. Have kids clean their hands with disposable wipes.
Cool Down:
Ask:
- What did your hands look like after the snowball fight?
- How is the newspaper like sin?
- How are the wipes like God’s grace?
8. Sunday School Games: Sock It to Me
Just as socks protect our feet, kids will discover that God protects us.
Bible Connect: Psalm 91:14-15
Play: Ask kids to sit in a tight circle and remove their shoes. Choose two kids to be “It.” They’ll sit on their knees in the center of the circle. The rest of the kids forming the circle must stay seated with their feet in the center of the circle. The object of the game is for the It kids to take off the circle kids’ socks before those kids can get the It kids’ socks off.
Cool Down:
Ask:
- What kinds of things are you exposed to in the world?
- How are socks like or unlike God’s love?
- How does God’s love protect you from inappropriate things?
9. Sunday School Games: Belly Laugh
This silly game reminds kids that God loves a joyful heart.
Bible Connect: Psalm 9:2; Psalm 28:7
Play: Have one child lie on his or her back. Then have another child lie with his or her head on the other child’s belly. Have the remaining kids lie down with their heads resting on another child’s belly.
Choose one person to start the game by shouting, “Ha!” The next person will shout, “Ha, ha!” and each child continues to add a “ha” as they work around the group. Sooner or later the group will burst into laughter, with heads bouncing off bellies with joy.
Cool Down: Let kids take turns telling a funny story or joke. Tell kids that God wants us to experience joy every day through fun and laughter.
10. Sunday School Games: Pressure
Getting “pushed around” by others in this game lets kids think critically about peer pressure.
Bible Connect: 1 Corinthians 10:13; Ephesians 6:11
Play: Form groups of eight. Have seven kids form a close circle with their arms on each other’s shoulders. One child stands in the middle, crosses his or her arms, and tries to keep his or her feet firmly in place on the ground while the circle presses in. Kids in the circle work together to force the child to give up his or her ground. Give every child a chance to be in the middle.
Cool Down: Have kids discuss how they experience peer pressure at school. Kids can brainstorm how they can work together to tackle negative peer pressure. Talk about the importance of relying on God when the pressure is on.
4 Bonus Sunday School Games!
11. Sunday School Game: Unlocked
Use this game to encourage kids to be patient and listen for God’s instruction.
Bible Connect: Isaiah 30:18
Supplies:
- 2 combination locks
- 2 colored dot stickers with matching paper
- candy
- a kitchen timer
Play: Before kids arrive, place one sticker on the back of each lock. Hide the locks in the room. Print the corresponding combination numbers out of sequence on the lock’s matching paper, but keep both correct combinations with you.
Form two teams and give each team the scrambled combination numbers. Tell teams they’ll race each other to find their corresponding lock and figure out the correct combination. The first team to return with an open lock will get a reward. But first, teams must choose one of two strategies they’ll use to win:
- On “go,” a team will race to find its lock. Once they find the lock, they have to work together to decipher the correct combination using the scrambled numbers on the paper.
- Or, on “go,” a team will delay their search for 30 seconds (giving the other team a head start), but you’ll give them the correct combination to their lock. That way, all they have to do is find the lock and open it.
Once teams have chosen their strategy, give the signal. No matter which team returns with an open lock first, reward everyone for their efforts with the candy.
Cool Down:
Ask:
- How did your team’s strategy work?
- Why did you choose that strategy?
- How is this game like or unlike being patient and listening for God’s instruction?
12. Sunday School Game: Focus
A new twist on this favorite game shows kids that God’s blessings are everywhere—all they need to do is look.
Bible Connect: Matthew 7:7; Romans 2:7
Supplies:
- paper
- pens
- a tray of theme-related items such as office supplies, candy items, or craft supplies
- an assistant
Play: Give each child a piece of paper and a pen. Tell kids your assistant will walk around the room with a tray of items. Kids’ task is to write down what they see (be precise with your wording here). Have your assistant walk around the room with the tray, allowing ample time for kids to write down the majority of items on the tray.
Once kids have viewed the tray, have your assistant leave the room. Then tell kids they can use their notes or memories to answer questions. Ask questions related to the assistant such as: What color were his shoes? Was she wearing earrings? Was he wearing a watch?
Then call your assistant back into the room to reveal the answers. Kids will realize their focus on the tray contents was so narrow that they missed the obvious.
Cool Down: Ask kids to discuss things they focus on, such as fear, jealousy, or grades. Challenge kids to name things they may miss out on when they focus on one thing or only on the negative. Remind kids that when we focus on God first, we’re able to see all he’s blessed us with each day.
13. Sunday School Game: A Hill of Beans
Use this game to teach kids how lies destroy trust.
Bible Connect: Proverbs 12:22; Ephesians 4:25
Supplies:
- pint-size Mason jars with lids
- food-service gloves
- plastic tablecloths
- 1 pound of each of the following dried beans for each group of five: black beans, lentils, green split peas, pinto beans, small white beans, red lentils, yellow split peas, and small red beans
Play: Form groups of five and give each group a pound of each bean type. Place the tablecloths on the floor for each team’s workspace. Have kids wear food-service gloves and on your signal, work together to build the largest hill of beans in five minutes. When time’s up, kids can gather the beans and fill the Mason jars. Attach this recipe to the jar for kids to donate to a local food shelter.
Cool Down: Kids can discuss how building a hill of beans is like or unlike telling a lot of lies. Talk about what happens when lies pile up and how lying has negative consequences. Talk about how lies break trust, and ask God to help kids be honest and trustworthy.
14. Sunday School Game: Apples and Oranges
This crazy game will help kids discover everyone is important in God’s family.
Bible Connect: 1 Corinthians 12:12-27
Supplies:
- an apple
- an orange
Play: Form a circle. One child will pass an apple to the right around the circle. Another child will pass an orange to the left around the circle. The key to this game is that kids can’t pass the fruit with their hands. Kids can use their feet, elbows, or knees to pass the fruit. If someone drops the fruit or it touches the ground, the child must close his eyes to continue playing. Play continues until only one person with his or her eyes open remains.
Cool Down: Ask kids to talk about what was easy or difficult about the game. Ask kids what it was like to play with their eyes closed and how that affected the game. Help kids make the connection between this game and God’s family. Celebrate everyone’s contributions and emphasize everyone’s special role in God’s family.
Looking for more games? Check out these ideas!
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Awesome ideas we will use these
That’s awesome! Hope you enjoy!
Thank you childrenministry for posting this kind of games.. God bless to your ministry..
You’re welcome, Joshua! Thank you for working with children in the church!
Thanks for your marvelous posting! I actually enjoyed reading it,
you might be a great author. I will make sure to bookmark your blog
and will come back from now on. I want to encourage
continue your great work, have a nice holiday weekend!
I have loved the game ideas
Thanks for commenting. We’re glad you liked them.
Love the purpose each game has
Difficulty with the first game is the kids are taller than me! 🙂
Haha! #shortpeopleproblems I can relate! ~ Rochelle
Some of these games sound pretty aggressive- “trying to push a child off his feet? And then there’s the one with MY child’s head on another child’s abdomen? I don’t think this is going to go over well. ESPECIALLY with some parents and the shy children.
with safeguarding as it is we can’t even wash each other’s feet without checking the risks!
Love Quotes helps you rejoice, express and share love, as well
as consolation a broken heart.
Thank you so much for your tips and idea keep updating us on mail too if possible
You’re welcome, Shyam.
Unfortunately we did not find these games much use to our class. We have 2 classes one aged 3 to 5 year olds and the other 6 and upwards, mixed boys and girls. We found some of the games too harsh for the younger group and the older group seemed to enjoy knocking the other children hard which resulted in quite a few tears so had to stop the class.
Chris, we are so sorry about your experience. Thanks for letting us know.
Thanks a lot as i was in the middle of sum crucial days….i really got a superb game which will really benefit the kids community…plz help us with more…as whatever we have it gets monotonous after a year pass by
I loved your games, I have not tried any of them with my Sunday school kids as yet. But just reading them made me feel that i could do so much more with the kids and make their learning experience something that they will look forward to.
That’s so awesome to hear, Edgar! Bless you!
God bless you! Definitely, I will use these games for Teens Church.
Thank you, Wendy! God bless you and your ministry!
Praise The Lord
First of all thanks for sharing ur ideas to us. We will adopt in our sunday class for our Kids.
if you have any other ideas pls share with us.
God Bless ur Team and yourself.
So glad this is helpful! Blessings!
God bless you
Thanks for this Ideas. God bless your intellect
Thank you for this excellent ideas, it’s very useful and I love this games
One change for the first game; you might choose to use masking tape rather than packing tape for the sake of protecting paint on walls . . . your building maintenance people will thank you for that.
how about you guys include more and better games
Have you searched our site for games? We have 100s! Let us know what’s missing and we’ll try to serve you better!
Thanks very much for all your help
How you explain the games are really helpful
I don’t know those games but your explanation will help me more
May God bless you
Am really blessed
Am always happy with your ideas, games, and i do use for my sunday school kids. God bless you together with your Team.
Phylis khayanje
Thank you, Phylis! God bless you and your ministry!
Thank you for these ideas. I am a pastor in a project area and I appreciate the ideas that you post for my dealing with the kids on Wednesday evenings. Secondly, I am sorry that there are some negative comments on your post as people have become so PC and less trusting in God to prevail in the scenarios of teaching. Success requires risk sometimes and God ALWAYS prevails.
Thank you so much for your kind encouragement! And we’re thrilled to be able to serve you and your ministry!
May God bless you! Thank you for all the games ideas, I loved it! I will use some of them tomorrow in class. 🙏🏽😇
That’s great, Catiana! God bless!
I was able to introduce 2 of these games yesterday in my class and the kids enjoyed it. & with all the detail you put into was very helpful to explain to the kids. & give them a understand to each. will be using more in the near future.
thanks
That’s awesome, Crystal! We love serving you!
Wow……can’t wait to try out the games. Sounds last like fun already. Thanks and God bless your efforts.
We’re happy to know they are a blessing. Thanks Sandee!
Am super excited ,to see this resources for children ministry ,Hopefully I shall take of some ideas and apply them in my children ministry program.
Thanks a lot for the indoor games God bless you!!!
You are welcome, Walugembe! We hope these games bless your ministry!
Tried the cottonball one this past Sunday with a group of kids, Preschool to 5th grade. I split them into 2 teams with an equal number of each age in each group, and had the teams compete. Fantastic! Kids loved it and it was appropriate for ALL ages. We were having such fun that we have no idea who won.
That’s so wonderful! Thank you for sharing, Audrey!
Absolutely love these ideas and the new twists to some of the more well known activities.
Thank you, Viliame!
I’ve just started children’s church about 6 months ago and I need all the ideas and help i can get. I like what I’ve seen on your site and anxious to try some…..Our church is small and can’t afford to spend a lot…..thank you for being here…Sherry
You’re welcome, Sherry! Thank you for all you do!
All the games are great choices seem to be lots of fun, I can’t wait to be apart of it.
God Bless you!!!
You’re going to have so much fun, Dorothy! Thank you for serving in Children’s Ministry!
Could I get the recipe that goes with the hill of beans game, please? I don’t see where to download it. Thank you!
Hi Charlotte! Here’s the link to the bean recipe!
This is very helpful. Thank you so much. God bless you.
You’re welcome, Rebecca!
Your tips are helpful for who looks for the meaningful game for children to develop their faiths.Thank you so much for your experiences and sharing.
You’re welcome, Zame!
All your tips are really helpful and great. thank you so much for your sharing. Hope to hear more posts from your site.
You’re welcome, Zamrie!
Thank you so much for all the efforts you made to develop this and sharing with us. It is so helpful. May God bless you.
You’re welcome!
Hey, thank you so much for this content. It is of great blessing for me and the Kids. I pray God continue to use you greatly for His purpose.
Thanks, Loic! We are glad the ideas are helpful!
Wonderful suggestions for games. We will definitely be using them, one this morning for sure.
Thanks alot for the posts,they are amazing games I think it help children develope Christ likeness nature,may the almighty God increase more and more in you and the ministry
Thanks Allan for the kind regards. We hope you continue to find bountiful resources from us.
Hello Christine
We have started with children church a year ago, at our Church in Mbombela, Mpumalanga – South Africa. What an absolute privilege to teach children about The Free Gift from God, Jesus Christ His Son.
Thank you so much for sharing the wonderful game activities. You are a blessing to the Kingdom, and I’m grateful for Christ in you, who ministers to us, and the children, through the ministry HE raised you up in.
Linda
Thats nice 1 God bless u