Sunday School Games & Activities for Kids

The Essential Setup

• The Bible is the Resource: Emphasize that the Bible is the essential book for learning about God. Each child should have their own Bible to use.
• Ready Position: Have every child sit with their Bible closed and held vertically in their lap, secured by both hands. They must be sitting at the edge of their seat with both feet flat on the floor. This position adds focus and fun competition. They should not peek or open the Bible before the command.
• No Peeking or False Starts: Remind students that searching cannot begin until the teacher reads the full reference.

The Drill Process

Follow these steps in order to run a fair and fun drill focused on fast and accurate scripture finding:

1. The Command: The teacher speaks the reference clearly: "Find Genesis, chapter one, verse one."
2. The Search: As soon as the reference is completely read, all students immediately begin searching for the location in their Bibles.
3. The Stand-Up: The goal is to find the verse, stand up, and begin reading the correct verse aloud.
4. The Continue Rule: If one student is reading, all other students should continue looking and stand up as soon as they find the verse. This is important because the first student to stand might have the wrong reference.
5. The Winner: The teacher decides who the winner is based on the first student to stand up and start reading the correct verse. Once the correct winner is identified, the teacher says: "Stop!"

Winning and Review

• How to Win: The first child who stands up and starts reading the correct verse wins the round. The teacher immediately calls "Stop!" to end the search for everyone else.
• The Reading: The winner reads the verse aloud, and the teacher confirms its accuracy.
• Teacher Tip for Book Location: If a student is close but wrong, give a hint: "That book is in the Old Testament, which is in the first half of your Bible." This reinforces the major divisions of Scripture.

The Essential Setup

• Get the Cards: You will need a full set of 66 book cards for each team. You can create your own or use a pre-made set.
• The Playing Field: Clear a section of the floor or a long table where teams can create a lengthy chain of cards.
• Team Formation: Divide the class into two or more equal teams.
• The Starting Piles: Shuffle each team's set of 66 cards thoroughly and dump the entire shuffled stack face-up near the team's starting point.

How it Works

Teams race to be the first to complete the chain of all 66 books, working together to locate and place them in order.

1. The Start: On the teacher's mark of "Go!", all teammates immediately begin searching their mixed pile for the first book: Genesis.
2. Build the Chain: Once Genesis is found, the team places it down. The whole team then searches for Exodus and places it right next to Genesis.
3. Team Search: All team members search the mixed pile simultaneously for the next card in the proper order. This requires constant communication ("I need Leviticus!" "I have Romans!").
4. The Order Check: The chain must remain sequential. If the team places Judges after Job, any team member can immediately correct the mistake before continuing.
5. Winning: The first team to correctly lay out all 66 books in one continuous, accurate chain (Genesis to Revelation) wins the race!

How it Works

The teacher reads a keyword clue that describes the content or character of a book, not its name. Students must identify the correct book and then race to find a specific verse within it.

1. Give the Clue: The teacher says a thematic clue. For example: "Find the book written by a doctor" (Luke) or "Find the book named after a woman who stayed loyal" (Ruth) or "Find the book where God gives the Ten Commandments" (Exodus).
2. Identify the Book: Students must first identify which book the clue points to. They cannot open their Bibles until they raise their hand and the teacher confirms: "That is correct, now find chapter three, verse one."
3. The Race: Once the book is confirmed, the standard drill rules apply. The first student to stand and read the correct verse wins the round.
4. Wrong Guess Penalty: If a student guesses the wrong book, they must sit quietly for 15 seconds before trying again. This rewards careful thought over frantic guessing.

Sample Clues for Class

• "Find the book where a giant is defeated by a shepherd boy." (1 Samuel)
• "Find the book full of songs written mostly by a king." (Psalms)
• "Find the book where Jesus feeds five thousand people." (Any Gospel: Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John)
• "Find the book written by someone who was swallowed by a great fish." (Jonah)
• "Find the very last book of the Bible." (Revelation)

How it Works

The teacher gives a verse reference. Once students find it, the questions are not about the verse itself, but about what surrounds it.

1. Find the Verse: Use standard drill rules. Call out a reference, and students race to find it and stand.
2. The Context Question: Once the first student stands and reads the verse, the teacher asks a context question. For example: "Who is speaking the verse right before this one?" or "What happens in the very next verse?"
3. Everyone Searches: All students (including the one who won the drill) now read the surrounding verses to answer the question. The first student to answer correctly wins the round.
4. The Discussion: After each round, spend 60 seconds on the context. Ask: "Does knowing what comes before change how you understand this verse?"

Sample Context Questions

• John 3:16: "What does verse 17 say God did not send His Son to do?"
• Psalm 23:1: "What is the very last line of this entire Psalm?"
• Genesis 1:1: "What is the very first thing God creates in verse 3?"
• Romans 8:28: "Who does verse 29 say God's purpose is pointing toward?"

How it Works

Prepare a set of 66 book-name cards and a set of 8 to 10 "Division Header" cards. The Division Headers label the major theological sections of Scripture.

• Old Testament Divisions: Pentateuch (Law), Historical Books, Poetry and Wisdom, Major Prophets, Minor Prophets
• New Testament Divisions: Gospels, History (Acts), Letters of Paul (Epistles), General Letters, Prophecy (Revelation)

1. Lay Out the Headers: Place the Division Header cards in a row on the floor or a table. These are the "buckets" students will sort into.
2. Shuffle the Book Cards: Mix all 66 book-name cards and divide them evenly among the teams.
3. Race to Sort: On "Go!", each team places their book cards under the correct Division Header as fast as possible. Team members must discuss and agree before placing a card.
4. The Judge Check: When a team finishes, the teacher checks their answers. Each correct placement earns one point. Misplaced cards are returned for re-sorting, and the team earns no point for that card.
5. Winning: The team with the most correct placements after all cards are checked wins.

The Setup

• Prep the Cards: Write one word of the target memory verse on each index card. Include punctuation on the card with the word it follows. Make one complete set per team.
• Shuffle and Distribute: Shuffle each team's set and hand one card to each student. If you have more cards than students, some students hold two cards. If you have more students than cards, some students are "runners" who help arrange teammates.
• Define the Finish Line: Mark a line on the floor (tape works great) where the completed verse will be assembled.

How it Works

1. The Start: On "Go!", each team must physically arrange themselves in the correct order to spell out the memory verse, holding their cards facing outward at the finish line.
2. The Problem-Solvers: Teammates without cards (or with extra cards) serve as coaches, directing the card-holders into the right positions.
3. The Read-Through: Once the team believes they are in order, they read the verse aloud together in sequence. The teacher listens for accuracy.
4. The Win: The first team to correctly recite the verse in order, with all cards visible, wins the round.
5. Round Two: Reshuffle and redistribute cards to scramble the verse again. Repeat two to three times until students have the verse locked in.

How it Works

• Materials: One blank sheet of paper and a pencil or crayon per student. No rulers, no erasers required.
• The Rule: Students must remain completely silent for the entire narration. No questions. No talking. Only drawing.

1. Set the Scene: Tell students: "I am going to tell you today's Bible story. Your job is to draw what you hear. Draw the people, the places, the events, in order, as I speak them."
2. Tell the Story Slowly: Narrate the lesson at a measured pace, pausing naturally at key plot points to give students time to capture what they heard. Do not describe what to draw. Just tell the story.
3. The Gallery Walk: After the story, students hold up or lay out their drawings. Take two minutes for a quick gallery walk where everyone can see each other's maps.
4. The Debrief: Ask three to four students to walk the class through their drawing. Ask: "What did you draw for this part? What was happening when you drew this?"

What to Look For

• A student who draws detailed, sequential scenes was deeply engaged with the narrative.
• A student who only drew one scene may have tuned out after that point, which is valuable feedback for the teacher.
• A student whose drawings are out of order may need the story reviewed in smaller chunks next time.

How it Works

• Room Setup: Clear two sides of the room. Designate one wall or corner as "True" and the opposite side as "Pharaoh" (False).
• Everyone Stands: All students begin standing in the center of the room.

1. The Statement: The teacher reads a statement about the lesson, a Bible fact, or a theological truth. For example: "Pharaoh let the Israelites go after the first plague."
2. The Move: Students immediately move to the wall they believe is correct. True or Pharaoh (False). No conferring. No waiting to see where friends go.
3. The Reveal: The teacher announces the correct answer. Students on the wrong side sit down for that round and become the "audience" for the next question. Students on the correct side stay standing.
4. Keep Going: Continue until one student or one small group remains. That group wins the round.
5. Reset: After a winner is crowned, all students stand back up and the next round begins. Run two to three full rounds per class session.

Sample Statements for an Exodus Lesson

• "God spoke to Moses from a burning bush." (True)
• "Pharaoh's heart was soft after the plague of frogs." (Pharaoh, False: his heart was hardened.)
• "The Israelites crossed the Red Sea on dry ground." (True)
• "Moses wrote the Ten Commandments himself on stone tablets." (Pharaoh, False: God wrote them.)
• "God provided manna from the sky to feed His people in the wilderness." (True)