Jesus Without Language

Kid's Ministry & Sunday School Resources

The thankful leper (Luke 17) | Games

Games to play for the 10th leper or thankful leper.

The story of the thankful leper lends itself well to group activities. These games play with ideas in the passage found in Luke 17.

How Many “Thank You”s?

All Ages

Small group

Requires setup time

Quiet game

Can be seated

Print the game by clicking on the image and downloading the file. Start with 10 people/counters and use a die/dice to move your crowd from Jesus to the priest and back again. Lose one or more every time you land on a space with writing! How many of your crowd of 10 can make it back to Jesus to say thank you? If you lose all your people, you are out of the game!
Link: Only one made it back to say thank you.

Printable game for the 10th leper or thankful leper.

Group Balance

All Ages

Any size group

Requires setup time

Noisy game

Space needed

Write some large numbers on a set of cards and shuffle them. Gather the children together and explain that the first number is the number of people in a group, and the second number is the number of hands or feet to be touching the floor. The group then gathers and works out how to balance with the number given. Smaller groups can just use the second number.
Link: Leprosy affects the feeling in your limbs; so lepers may need to work together to do tasks.

Musical Chairs

All Ages

Any size group

No Setup time

Noisy game

Space needed

Set out one less chair than there are players. Dance around the chairs until the music stops and then race to sit down. Anyone without a chair is out of the game. Have the last player, the winner, thank the other players for taking part.
Link: many were healed, but only one thanked.

What’s the time Master

Under 7’s

Any size group

No Setup time

Noisy game

Space needed

This is a nicer version of what’s the time Mr wolf, and so the rules may well already be familiar to the children. The Master (wolf) holds a treat, biscuits perhaps, and rather than shout out ‘dinner time’ and chase them, he shouts out ‘prayer time’ and they all have to kneel down.

Dominoes

All Ages

Any size group

Requires setup time

Quiet game

Can be seated

Make a giant set from foam or card and play as a group, it’s a good thing to leave out as an option for distracted children to go back to as well.

The 99 Sheep – Luke 15 | Games

The story of the lost sheep and the faithful 99 is a church classic. These games play with ideas in the passage found in Luke 15.

‘99 Sheep’ board game

Age group recommendation icon

All Ages

Smaller groups icon

Small group

No setup-time required icon

No Setup time

Quiet game icon

Quiet game

Suitable for seated groups icon

Can be seated

Print the board game PDF by clicking on the picture. You will need counters and a dice to play. Travel along the pathway collecting sheep. The person with the most sheep at the end is the winner, but beware of the foxes and lions!
Link: Counting the sheep.

Roped reuniting

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All Ages

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Any size group

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Requires setup time

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Noisy game

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Space needed

This obstacle course meets arcade game involves players controlling an object through pulling ropes and tension. Attach two or more long strings or ropes to a doll. Lay out an obstacle course with a sheep to reunite with at one end. The players can not step inside the obstacle course area, but must hold the ropes from the sides, pulling them or keeping the string tense to guide the doll around the obstacles to reach the sheep.
Link: The search for the sheep.

Where did it go?

Age group recommendation icon

Under 7’s

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Any size group

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No Setup time

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Noisy game

Space needed icon

Space needed

Hide a small ornament or picture of a sheep in the room and have the kids hunt for it.
Link: The search for the sheep.

Follow the leader 

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Under 7’s

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Any size group

No setup-time required icon

No Setup time

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Noisy game

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Space needed

In this classic game, you follow the leader around the room, imitating their actions.
Link: following the good shepherd.

Sheep separation

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All Ages

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Big group

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No Setup time

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Noisy game

Space needed icon

Space needed

(A JWL favourite sheep game) This is a noisy and silly game for a group. Choose 2 herdsmen, and assign them each a colour. Using chairs, or some sort of barriers, make sheep pens. Tell all the other children they must pretend to be sheep, on all fours. If someone comes and stands near them, they must turn away from the person. When all the children are on all fours, mark their backs with a coloured dot sticker. The herdsmen then need to herd the sheep into the right pen.
Link: The shepherd taking the sheep home.

Lydia (Acts 16) | Games

The story of Lydia, a woman who sold purple cloth and was the first European convert, is a small passage signifying great meaning and a huge step forward for the church. These games play with ideas in the passage, Lydia’s actions and character traits.

Sailing Destination

Age group recommendation icon

Ages 7+

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Big group

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Requires setup time

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Noisy game

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Space needed

Grab a parachute. The aim is to get all the boats through the hole in the parachute, apart from the one Paul is on. For boats, use table tennis balls or tennis balls. Make sure one ball is a different colour or mark it with tape.
Link: Paul sailed to get to Macedonia and Lydia.

Purple  

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All Ages

Any sized group icon

Big group

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Requires setup time

No Setup time

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Noisy game

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Space needed

This is a simple hide and seek game using dot stickers or coloured tape. Hide a large number of dot stickers in your space and have the kids search for them. You can either have kids remove the stickers to stick to their t-shirts or count how many there are of each colour. At the end, tally up how many kids find and remember the purple counts double.
Link: Lydia was a dealer in purple cloth, like many from her home town.

Back Rhythm

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All Ages

Any sized group icon

Any size group

No setup-time required icon

Requires setup time

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Noisy game

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Space needed

Sit in a circle and pass a rhythm around by tapping it on the back of the person in front of you.
Link: God’s church grew by passing the word from person to person.

Baptism role play

Age group recommendation icon

Under 7’s

Smaller groups icon

Small group

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Requires setup time

Quiet game icon

Quiet game

Suitable for seated groups icon

Can be seated

Use dolls of teddies and blue shredded paper for water to act out how your church baptises. This is a great activity for the very young and a good conversation starter.
Link: Lydia showed she was a new believer by being baptised.
 

p-key

Love is – 1 Corinthians 13 | Games

Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 13 are a beautiful attempt at pinning down what God’s love is, and these games will help you explore the passage deeper with your youngsters.

What love is

Age group recommendation icon

All Ages

Smaller groups icon

Small group

Setup time required icon

Requires setup time

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Noisy game

Suitable for seated groups icon

Can be seated

Print the 2 pages of the card game included with this pack and follow the instructions on the printout pages. This simple card game is suitable for 1-3 players and is a great way of learning the different attributes that Paul assigns to love. (click on picture for file!)
Link: The description of love.
 

Love is…

Age group recommendation icon

Under 7’s

Any sized group icon

Any size group

No setup-time required icon

No Setup time

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Noisy game

Suitable for seated groups icon

Can be seated

The leader calls out words. Those related to love (care, affection, like, etc), get no reaction, but when they say a word not associated with love (hurt, pain, mean etc), the kids make noise by pretending to crash cymbals or pounding on the table.
Link: We know what love is, even though it’s sometimes difficult to describe.

Finding love

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All Ages

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Small group

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Requires setup time

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Noisy game

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Space needed

Have a love hunt. Write the letters F,A,I,T,H,H,O,P,E,L,O,V and E on 13 hearts and hide them around your area. Have the youngsters find the hearts and make the three words.
Link: The final verse: 1 Corinthians 13:13.

Mirror Muddle

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All Ages

Any sized group icon

Any size group

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Requires setup time

Quiet game icon

Noisy game

Suitable for seated groups icon

Can be seated

Use a small hand mirror to try to read something behind you( or look at a picture) and try to describe what you see to the rest of the group. The group could attempt to replicate the picture on their own piece of paper based on what the person looking at the original picture in the mirror says; see who can get the closest.
Link: We might try to explain God, Jesus, Christianity to someone, but we’ll never do a perfect job because it isn’t clear in the mirror (verse 12).

The Body – 1 Corinthians 12 | Games

The body of believers is a great lesson in including all, valuing all, accepting all, and working together to build a community that reflects God’s heart. These lessons all tie into the passage found in 1 Corinthians 12 in slightly different ways, allowing kids to move and experience the power of Paul’s words.

Hindered movement

Age group recommendation icon

All Ages

Smaller groups icon

Small group

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Requires setup time

Noisy game icon

Noisy game

Space needed icon

Space needed

Get the youngsters to complete a task while hindered. Tie their leg to a partner’s then walk across the room. Tie their arms together then get them to open a packet, have them tie a shoe blindfolded. Write their name in flour using their nose.
Link: When one part of our body is hindered, it has an effect on the rest.

Building a church

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All Ages

Any sized group icon

Any size group

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Requires setup time

Quiet game icon

Quiet game

Suitable for seated groups icon

Can be seated

Give the children a few wooden shapes used for building patterns. Ask them to make a person from just the shapes they have. Talk about how limiting it is to work with so few shapes. Now ask the children to put all their shapes together and repeat, discuss how much easier it was with more shapes.
Link: The church grows with diversity.

Musical identification

Age group recommendation icon

Ages 7+

Smaller groups icon

Small group

Setup time required icon

Requires setup time

Noisy game icon

Noisy game

Suitable for seated groups icon

Can be seated

Play a piece of music for the children. Get them to identify the instruments used. If you can source real instruments for props or use photo’s.
Link: Talk about how the combination of instruments makes the piece sound good.

Clay men

Age group recommendation icon

All Ages

Smaller groups icon

Small group

Setup time required icon

Requires setup time

Quiet game icon

Quiet game

Suitable for seated groups icon

Can be seated

Take some clay and shape it into a humanoid shape. Pass the man around, getting each child to break off a small piece. As each child takes a piece, get them to tell you what the man couldn’t do now that he’s missing the piece they took.
Link: We suffer when one part is missing.

Christ the King (John 18) | Games

Kingship is quite a simple concept to describe to children on one level. It’s the idea that one person has the authority to make decisions for others. Like so many things, Jesus turns this Kingship idea on its head. By the time we reach the passage with Pilate, it certainly doesn’t feel like a very kingly setting. Jesus is seen at one of the weakest moments, he’s arrested, questioned like a criminal, and about to be sentenced to die by the brutal execution process of crucifixion. It may seem tempting to act out this passage, but playing the role of one who thought they had authority over Jesus, or Jesus himself, is a lot for anyone to take on. These games skit the passage, look at it sideways and spark conversations.

Who am I?

Age group recommendation icon

Ages 7+

Any sized group icon

Any size group

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Requires setup time

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Noisy game

Suitable for seated groups icon

Can be seated

Also known as the Sticky Note game. Write the name of someone the child will know and stick it to their forehead. The child then has to guess who they are by asking questions that can only be answered with a yes or no.
Link: Pilate was trying to work out who Jesus was.

Sticky crowns

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All Ages

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Any size group

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Requires setup time

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Noisy game

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Space needed

Give each team one hat and one roll of sticky tape. The “crown” must be worn by one player. The aim is to attach as many different things to the crown as possible. At the end of the game, each king or queen must walk a full circle of the room before the teams are scored.
Link: Jesus’s crown was unexpected for a king.

Card circles

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All Ages

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Big group

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Requires setup time

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Noisy game

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Space needed

Mix up one suit from a pack of playing cards and have the children make a circle, so each card gets progressively bigger. (Aces beat kings but are beaten by 2s.) Do this either as a timed race or by giving each child a card and standing in a circle.
Link: The Sunday of “Christ the King” is the last Sunday in the Church year, forming a circle that never ends.

Destruction of the Temple (Mark 13) | Games

It’s easy to trivialise or minimise the importance of the temple to the people of Jerusalem. We often mistakenly consider it to be a large building and ignore the gigantic structure that it stood on. The whole setup was considered one of the wonders of the ancient world and bigger than 30 football pitches in size. The idea of it being removed or destroyed must have seemed impossible. Here are a few suggestions to get the wiggles out and learn though play as you launch into this lesson.

Part of the picture

Age group recommendation icon

All Ages

Any sized group icon

Any size group

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No Setup time

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Quiet game

Suitable for seated groups icon

Can be seated

Give each child a piece of paper with a squiggle on it. Have them complete the picture. You could also do this with a piece of jigsaw puzzle and have them verbally describe what is missing.
Link: The disciples only saw a tiny bit of the whole picture; they couldn’t imagine the temple not playing a big role.

Don’t wobble the structure

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All Ages

Any sized group icon

Any size group

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Requires setup time

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Noisy game

Suitable for seated groups icon

Can be seated

Play a balance/stacking game like Jenga®, bottle balance or stacking chairs. You can make your own version of many of these games if needed.
Link: The temple was impressive, but it would fall.

Lean on me

Age group recommendation icon

All Ages

Any sized group icon

Any size group

No setup-time required icon

No Setup time

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Noisy game

Space needed icon

Space needed

Have the kids get into pairs and sit back to back. Interlock arms and push against each other to stand up. They must not use their hands. Add one person to the group each time they are successful.
Link: God asks us to lean on him, not on the things we build in this world.
 

The Rich Man (Mark 10) | Games

It’s easy to feel sympathetic for the rich young man, he is obviously truly seeking belief beyond what he has experienced, but Jesus sees his heart is more tied to his wealth than his faith. These games play with this idea and the imagery of the needle and camel that Jesus used to illustrate the difficulty wealth can cause.

Human knot

Age group recommendation icon

All Ages

Any sized group icon

Any size group

No setup-time required icon

No Setup time

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Noisy game

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Space needed

Standing in a circle, have every child reach out both hands into the centre and grab another random wrist. The aim is to untangle the knot formed without letting go of each other by stepping over arms and spinning, etc.
Link: the rich man had tried to follow all the rules but failed because his love of money was greater than his faith.

Find the camel

Age group recommendation icon

Under 7’s

Smaller groups icon

Small group

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Requires setup time

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Noisy game

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Space needed

Print the page (click on the picture for the file) and hide the camels around the room. Once collected, talk about the different sizes.
Link: even these tiny camels can’t get through the eye of a needle!

Dominoes

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All Ages

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Small group

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Requires setup time

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Noisy game

Suitable for seated groups icon

Can be seated

Use dominoes or Jenga blocks to make a fall run. For older kids, give each team a set-up time limit!
Link: In dominoes, the first falling block does not complete the series, that honour goes to the last block to fall.

The needle’s eye

Age group recommendation icon

Ages 7+

Any sized group icon

Any size group

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Requires setup time

Quiet game icon

Quiet game

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Can be seated

Can you fit the camel? Print this page by clicking on the image for the PDF and let your kids try the challenge!

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