Children's Church Activities

These games, STEM experiments, activities, memory verse activities, and worship response ideas are easy to prep and do in your children’s ministry with kids of any age. These activities are great for Sunday school, children’s church, or midweek! For more details and engaging lessons to help kids grow in their faith, check out Wonder Ink curriculum.

Children’s Church Activities

1. Activity: Getting to Know You

We’re going to get to know one another a bit better through some fun questions. When I say, “Go,” you should find a partner to stand next to. Once you’ve all found someone, ask each other the questions I give you so you can all get to know some things about a new friend. Ask the following questions and give the kids time to respond:

When is your birthday?
What is your favorite color?
What kind of ice cream is your favorite?
What school do you go to?
How many brothers and sisters do you have?
What did you have for breakfast today?
What do you like to do?

Play until they’ve answered all the questions.

Great job, everyone! This helped us get to know our friends a little bit better. God created people and how He knows each of us. God knows everything about you, and He loves you so much. You can remember that because God knows us, we are known!

2. Game: Like It Or Not?

Because God knows us, we are known! Let’s get to know each other even better by playing a fun game together.

Divide the room into side 1 and side 2. Tell kids that you’re going to make statements about different activities. If they agree with the statement, they should go to side 1. If they disagree, they should go to side 2. Explain that you will let them know how to move each time.

Use the following statements or come up with your own. After each statement, give the kids a different action to perform. Here are some ideas: hop like a bunny, run in slow motion, move like a robot, tiptoe like a ballet dancer, walk backwards, jump like a frog.

I like to draw.
I enjoy playing soccer.
I like eating vegetables.
I love to eat cookies.
I like coming to church.
I enjoy playing games.
I love to sing.
I enjoy playing with friends.
I like to help cook.
I enjoy dancing.
I like to be outside.
I enjoy going to the pool.

We may not all know each other really well, but we can always trust that God knows us. He knows everything about you. He made you and loves you. You are special to Him.

3. Children’s Church Activity: Find the One

Before you begin, pick a kid (if your group is large, pick 2–3 kids) and draw a small heart on her palm with a red marker. Tell her to be sure not to show it to anyone before the game begins! Also designate a corner of the room where kids will sit and wait once they have discovered the person with a heart on her palm.

While washable markers might be the easiest to clean off skin, they also tend to smudge and spread onto other items. Consider using a permanent red marker for this activity. Consider allowing kids to wash their hands with soap and water at the end of the activity.

We have a mystery to solve today. Would you like to help? Let the kids respond. Great! To start, let’s make our hands into fists, like this. Demonstrate by making both hands into fists. For now, keep your hands in fists.

Here’s the mystery: One kid has a heart drawn on the palm of his or her hand. Show your palm to demonstrate. Your job is to figure out where the heart is. What do hearts usually represent? Let the kids respond. That’s right. Love!

In just a moment, you’re going to start your search. You will look for the heart by walking up to someone and tapping that kid on the hand. That kid will then open the hand you tapped and show you his palm. You can only look at one hand on that kid before moving on to someone else.

If you find the heart, walk away from that kid and silently count to ten. Then, because you saw the heart, shout, “I am loved!” and go wait in this area. Show the kids the designated corner where they should wait once they have found the heart. Let’s practice. Ask the kids to shout, “I am loved!”

Remember, when you see the heart, be sure to walk away and count to ten, so you don’t give away who has the heart! Begin the game and play until all the kids have found the heart. Have the kid with the heart on her hand use a hand wipe to wash it off. If time allows, play several rounds with the heart on someone new each time.

children's church activities: find the one

Tip: To draw a heart on one kid’s palm without the other kids knowing, go up to several kids and pretend to draw a heart on each—but actually draw a heart on only one. Or invite other leaders to do the same. Together, pretend to draw hearts on all the kids except the one with the actual heart.

Gather kids back together. In this game, you had to go looking to find “love.” Lots of people in this world are looking for love. They are lonely. They wonder if anyone cares about them. Some of you may even feel that way sometimes. But I have great news. You are all loved! Remember: Because Jesus loves me, I am loved.

These activities are great for Sunday school, children’s church, or midweek!

4. Worship Response: What Do You See?

SUPPLIES: handheld or full-length mirrors (1 per 8–10 kids plus 1), red dry-erase marker, small craft mirrors (1 per kid, optional), red permanent marker (optional)

Ahead of time, use a red dry-erase marker to draw a large heart on each handheld or full-length mirror, leaving only one without a heart (the one you will hold or place next to you). Give the handheld mirrors to different leaders. Or if you are using full-length mirrors, station a leader near each mirror. Hold a mirror in your hand or stand next to it (if using a full-length mirror). Have the red dry-erase marker in your hand or pocket. If you plan on sending small craft mirrors home with kids, draw a large heart on each mirror with permanent red marker.

Prepare your leaders for this activity by letting them know what to expect. Those holding or standing near mirrors will speak these words over each kid near the end of the activity: Because Jesus loves me, I am loved!

Gather kids together and show them the mirror you’re holding. When you look in the mirror, what do you see? Pause for kids to answer. That’s right! You may see lots of different things, but mostly you see yourself.

If there were a mirror in front of you all the time, would it ever show your face looking sad? Show me those sad faces! Give the kids a chance to look sad while you pass the mirror in front of them. Would the mirror ever show an angry face? Show me! Pass the mirror in front of the kids while they make angry faces. Wow, those are some angry faces!

What other kinds of faces might the mirror show you making? Give kids a chance to respond. If that mirror was in front of us all the time, we would see some good reflections of ourselves, and some not-so-good ones. You might see yourself being helpful, or you might see yourself being selfish. You might see yourself obeying your parents and teachers, or you might see yourself disobeying. You might see yourself telling the truth, or you might see yourself telling a lie.

Look in the mirror. When I look in the mirror, I don’t always see someone who seems very lovable. But the Bible tells me that Jesus loves me. I am loved. Use the dry-erase marker to draw a large red heart on the mirror so that it frames your face when you look into it. Show it to the kids. And so are you!

The heart on this mirror is a reminder of Jesus’ love for us. In a moment, you are going to have a chance to go to one of the mirrors in the room. As you look at your face in the mirror, remember: Because Jesus loves me, I am loved!

Play worship music as you invite kids to go to one of the handheld or full-length mirrors in the room. As each kid takes a turn looking into the mirror, have the leader nearby say to each kid, “Jesus loves you, [insert name of kid]. You are loved!”

When all the kids have had an opportunity to look in a mirror, turn down the music. We can be secure in Jesus’ love. That means Jesus will never take His love away from us. No matter what. Because Jesus loves us, we are loved.

If you have small craft mirrors with a heart drawn on them for all the kids, hand them out at this time. Invite kids to take the mirrors home, and encourage them to look in the mirror whenever they want to be reminded that Jesus loves them.

5. Craft: Water World Filters

SUPPLIES: metal baking sheets (1 per every 5 kids), paper towels, paper heart cutouts (1 per kid), coffee filters (1 per kid), blue and green washable markers (several), spray bottle, water, glue, permanent markers or pens, red construction paper (several sheets, optional), scissors (prep only, optional), cardstock (1 sheet per kid, optional)

Ahead of time, cover metal baking sheets with paper towels. If you don’t have paper hearts, cut a heart from red construction paper for each kid.

Jesus loves the world with a big love, so big that Jesus died for us. Let’s make something to remind us that Jesus loves the world—and that includes you and me!

children's church activities: water world filters

Give each kid a coffee filter and encourage her to flatten it as much as possible. Tell the kids they can use a permanent marker or pen to write their names or initials on the back of the filter. Then have the kids use the blue and green washable markers to draw shapes on the other side of the filter so that it looks like the world with oceans and continents. When the filters are colored, place them on the baking sheets covered with paper towels. Use the spray bottle filled with water to mist the coffee filters. The colors should blend and look like earth. Give the coffee filters time to dry a bit before letting the kids glue a heart shape to the middle of each colored filter. If the filters get sprayed with a lot of water, it may take a while for them to dry.

You could also have the kids glue the filters to sheets of cardstock for durability and transporting home.

Take your craft home as a reminder that Jesus—who made the heavens and the earth—loves you so much!

6. STEM Experiment: Follow the Leader

SUPPLIES: table, clear plastic water bottle, water, paper clips (several), magnet

For this activity, you’ll be placing several paper clips into a full water bottle and demonstrating how a magnet on the outside of the bottle can move the paper clips. Ahead of time, practice the activity to ensure your magnet is strong enough to move the paper clips. Many science magnets (such as wand magnets available from online retailers) can pull the paper clips up and even out of the bottle. Average kitchen magnets can move the paper clips but may not be strong enough to pull the paper clips out of the bottle. Either will work for this activity! After practicing, remove the paper clips from the bottle, refill the bottle with water, and put the cap back on. Set up a table at the front of your teaching area.

Transparent bottles with straight, smooth sides (such as those used for some types of electrolyte water) work best for this activity!

children's church activities: follow the leader

Gather kids together. Hold up the filled water bottle and several paper clips. Drop the paper clips into the water and watch them sink to the bottom. Do you think I can lead the paper clips back to the top of the bottle without touching them or shaking the bottle? Allow kids to respond. If they think you can, invite them to share how they think you’ll do it. Next, reveal the magnet. Set the bottle on the table and hold the magnet against the outside of the bottle. Use the magnet to move the paper clips to the top of the bottle. If your magnet is strong enough to pull the paper clips up and out of the bottle, remove the cap and do so. Or if your magnet isn’t that strong, keep the cap on and simply move the paper clips up, down, and around the inside of the bottle.

Invite a couple of kids to the front to take turns holding the magnet as the other kids shout out direction words like “up,” “down,” “right,” and “left.” The kid holding the bottle can use the magnet to lead the paper clips in the directions shouted. Consider passing around multiple magnets and water bottles with paper clips in them so all the kids can try the activity!

If time allows, explain some of the science behind the activity: A magnet is a rock or metal that can pull certain types of metal toward itself because of a force called magnetism. Magnets can work across distances, so a strong magnet doesn’t have to be touching the magnetic object in order to pull it toward itself.

Wow! Magnets are powerful, and our magnet sure led these paper clips all over! We are a little like the paper clips in this activity. When we believe in Jesus and trust Him as our Savior, He promises we will have the Holy Spirit to help, teach, and lead us every day. We get to follow God’s Holy Spirit like the paper clips followed the magnet! The Holy Spirit is God’s powerful, wise, and loving presence in our lives, and when we trust in Jesus, the Holy Spirit leads and guides us.

Tip: If kids are unfamiliar with the Holy Spirit, explain that God is three persons but still one true God: Father, Son (Jesus), and the Holy Spirit. This is called the Trinity. The Holy Spirit, who is God, lives in all Jesus-followers and is our powerful, wise, and loving helper. Assure kids that they will all learn more about the Holy Spirit throughout this lesson!

7. STEM Experiment: Cut a Cross

SUPPLIES: paper (1 sheet per kid plus extras), kid-safe scissors, Cross Sheet (optional)

children's church activities: cut a cross

PREP

Ahead of time, follow these steps to cut out a paper cross with just one cut. If needed, print the Cross Sheet to see step-by-step photos.

1. Fold the top left corner of a blank sheet of paper to the opposite edge of the paper.

2. Fold down the top right corner.

3. Fold in half vertically.

4. Fold in half vertically again.

5. Cut a vertical line all the way through the center.

6. Open the paper on the left to reveal a paper cross.

Gather kids together. Hold a piece of paper in one hand and the paper cross you prepared ahead of time in the other. Can you turn this (hold up paper) into this (hold up cross) with only one cut? Pause for kids to respond. Let’s practice to see if it’s possible!

Hand out a sheet of paper and scissors to each kid. Allow time for kids to experiment, reminding them to only make one straight cut but to fold the paper one or more times first. (If some kids in your group struggle to use scissors due to fine-motor skill challenges, pair them with a leader or another kid to do the cutting.) Most likely, no one will be able to do it. When kids have finished trying, collect the papers and scissors and gather kids back together.

Hold up your own fresh sheet of paper and scissors as you continue: Cutting a cross shape out of this paper with just one straight cut seems impossible, and it almost is! Demonstrate the paper-cutting trick for the kids, and hold up the newly cut cross when you’re finished. But there is a way! This activity seemed about as impossible as becoming part of God’s family. All of us sin—we do wrong things that separate us from God. And God knew we couldn’t be perfect enough or work hard enough to fix the sin and bridge the gap between us and Him on our own. Only God has the power and the love to make it possible! So He sent Jesus—His own Son—to earth to show us who God is and to fix the things broken by sin so we could be near to God again.

Hold out the paper cross. By dying on the cross and rising again, Jesus made the way for us to be God’s kids!

Wonder Ink’s 3-year, 52-week children’s ministry curriculum offers kids space to fully find their place in God’s Big Story. Children discover they are Known by God, Loved by Jesus, and Led by the Holy Spirit.

8. Game: Carried to Safety

SUPPLIES: hand towels (1 per team), buckets (2 per team), small balls (at least 20 per team), bed sheet or butcher paper (blue, if possible), masking tape

In this relay, teams will move the balls in their bucket from one side of the room to a bucket on the other side of the room using only a hand towel (and a partner!). You can use whatever supplies you have on hand to play this game. Boxes or containers can be substituted for the buckets. And while table tennis or ball pit balls would be ideal, even objects like plastic Easter eggs or small toys can be substituted for the balls.

Ahead of time, fill one bucket or container per team with 20 or more small balls. (Every team’s bucket should have the same number of balls.) Set a hand towel next to each bucket. On the opposite side of the room, place an empty bucket or container for each team. Place a bed sheet or long sheet of butcher paper (blue, if possible) across the middle of the room to symbolize a river that kids must cross to get to their bucket on the other side of the room. Secure the bed sheet or butcher paper to the floor with tape. For ministry contexts with limited space, invite two pairs of kids (four kids total) to compete against each other, carrying the balls to one centralized bucket while all the other kids cheer them on. And in smaller group settings, kids can work together as one team to complete this task.

Gather kids together and help them form teams. (Teams can range from 4–12 kids.) Today you have a very important challenge! You’re going to work with your teams to carry the precious cargo in your buckets across the river (point to the bed sheet or butcher paper) without losing any of it. Invite kids to line up behind their team’s bucket in pairs. You will get in pairs of two and then take turns grabbing the hand towel, stretching it out straight between you, and balancing as many balls as you can safely carry across the river to your team’s bucket on the other side. Once you reach the other side, you will carefully deposit the balls into the other bucket. If you drop any of the balls, you must pick them up, go back to the starting bucket, and try again. With another leader or an older kid, demonstrate how to carry balls from one side of the room to the other on a hand towel that is stretched between you. Once you finish, you will cross back over the river quickly and give the towel to the next pair in your team’s line. The first team to get all their balls across the river wins!

On your “Go,” have teams begin! Once all the teams have successfully moved all their balls from one bucket to the other, gather kids together. Great job taking care of your precious cargo! In this game, the balls were separated from the other bucket by a river. This is similar to what sin does: it separates us from God. Sin—the wrong things we do—comes between us and God. On our own, there is no way to cross the divide. But Jesus changes everything! Because of His love for us, Jesus made the way for us to be near to God.

9. Game: Copy-Cat Freeze

In this game, kids will copy the motions of the leader, except for the action that requires everyone to freeze. When the leader performs the “freeze action,” anyone who copies the leader instead of freezing is out!

Prior to the start of the game, choose one leader who is willing to act out different motions in front of the group. The leader can be a volunteer or an older kid in your group. With the leader, decide on the designated motion that will signal to kids that they should freeze. For example, putting both hands on the top of her head could be the chosen “freeze action.” Any kid who does not freeze when the leader places her hands on her head is out!

Gather kids together. Are you up for a challenge to see how well you can follow? Pause for kids to respond. OK … let’s do it then! Invite your chosen leader to the stage area and introduce him to the kids. Your challenge is to follow every action our leader performs. However, if he does the “freeze action,” you are not supposed to copy him! Show the kids the predetermined “freeze action.” Instead, if you see this movement, you freeze! If you don’t stay perfectly still, then you are out!

Continue playing rounds until only one person is left. If a leader is having trouble getting kids out, suggest that he speed up his actions so that kids have less time to think before they start following. Play several rounds, as time allows, switching up the leader and “freeze action” each time. Then gather kids together.

When Jesus was on earth with the disciples, they had someone to lead and guide them—Jesus! Jesus knew He would be leaving His disciples, but He promised that He would not leave them alone; God would send them the Holy Spirit—His powerful, loving presence. People who follow Jesus today have that same Holy Spirit, who is God! In this game, you had a leader in front of you to imitate. Similarly, Jesus gives us the Holy Spirit to lead us. The Spirit will never leave us and will help us to become more like Jesus.

10. Game: Frozen

SUPPLIES: small object (such as a ball, pencil, or toy), additional small objects (3–4, optional)

In this game, kids will attempt to move a small object from one end of the room to the other without been spotted.

Gather kids together and introduce the game: Let’s play a game where you try to move an object from one end of the room (point to the wall at one end of the room) to the other end (point to the wall at the opposite end of the room) without your movement being seen by the person who is “It.” In a moment, I’ll choose one person to be It, and that person will move away from the group for a short time.

While It is in another area, the rest of you will make a plan to move this item (show the small object) across the room. Once your plan is complete, I’ll invite the person who is It back to the group.

During the game, the person who is It will stand in front watching the group. Every few seconds, It will turn away from the group. Each time It has her back turned, you’ll try to quickly and quietly move the object across the room. Each time It turns toward the group again, everyone must freeze. (It’s OK to blink or breathe!) If It catches you moving, you’ll be out of the game and will sit on the side.

Select a volunteer to be “It” and direct her to an area where she can’t see or hear the rest of the kids while they make a plan. Encourage everyone else to work together to come up with a plan for moving the object without being detected by It. After a minute or two of planning time, call It back to the group and begin. Remind kids that whenever It is facing them, they must remain frozen, but when It turns her back, they can pass the object. Each round ends when the object successfully gets to the other end of the room or when everyone is caught moving. Play several rounds, as time allows, and consider switching the object for each round.

Make the game more challenging by adding additional objects each round for the kids to move across the room. Gather kids back together and discuss these questions:

Do you think it would be easier to get the item across the room by yourself or with others? Why?
How did having a plan help you in this game?

Just as a plan helped us in this game, God has a plan for each of our lives, and His plan is always good!

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Top 10 Children’s Church Activities for Your Ministry