Fun Kids Games
Jul 21st
Kids love to make a mess! I remember the days of Nickelodeon where kids would go through obstacles and challenges on Double Dare where anything could happen. 
In our Children’s Ministry each Sunday we have a time for game shows just to have some extra fun with the kids before their parents come and pick them up. I have listed 10 of my favorite games that we use at times through out the year. Hopefully some of these you can use as well.
Game 1 Treasure Hunt
Materials: Whipped Cream (Spray Cans 2 per hour used) Plastic plates, Trash bags, Gummy Worms
Each child will sit on their knees facing the crowd. On the floor will be trash bags, with one plate per child. Put 5 Gummy worms on each plate and cover it with Whipped Cream. The child will then use their mouth only to pick the Gummy worms out and set them beside their plate. The first child to get all five out first wins.
Game 2 Bubble Mania
Materials: (Spray Cans 2 per hour used) Plastic plates, gum
Each child will sit on their knees facing the crowd. On the floor will be trash bags, with a plate per child. Put piece of gum on each plate and cover it with Whipped Cream. The child will then use their mouth only to pick up the gum and they will try to be the first to blow a bubble. First child to do this wins.
Game 3 Iced T
Materials: 6 T shirts frozen
The t-shirts will need to be slightly wet and folded as you would see in a store and placed in the freezer for about an hour. The kids will then be handed a t-shirt that is frozen that they will unfold and actually put on. The first child to get the T-shirt completely on is the winner
Game 4 Whistle While You Work
Materials: Spray Cheese and Ritz Crackers, with Plexi glass board for 2 players, blind folds
Choose 2 kids one girl and one guy to represent each team or a member from each grade. Each child can be blind folded or not up to the host. (younger kids probably not) The Ritz crackers will be placed on the Plexi glass being held by the spray cheese. Each contestant would then be asked to eat all their crackers and the first person to eat the crackers and whistle is the winner.
Game 5 Blindfold Musical Chairs
Materials: Blind folds, music, and chairs
Choose 6 kids to come up and play musical chairs. The kids will then be blindfolded. As the music plays they must feel around to find the chairs. Place one less chair than the number of kids. As each child is eliminated remove another chair until you are down to one. The last person sitting wins.
Game 6 Your Face Rings a Bell
Materials: Foam board with velcro, famous picture of someone cut into puzzle pieces, tripod
Choose 4 kids to come up, 2 per team. They will have a set of puzzle pieces that they must put together to reveal the famous face. The first team to put their puzzle face together wins and they also are to name the famous person that is revealed in the puzzle.
Game 7 Gone Fishing
Materials: 2 posts with a long string attached to the top and 10 small strings attached to the upper string that hangs down that attaches donuts or bagels to each string, 6 inner tubers from the pool
Choose 2 kids to come up and the object is to be the first to eat all five of the donuts or bagels. As each kid comes up place 3 inner tubes over each child so they have to waddle while they move from string to string to eat. First person to eat all five is the winner.
Game 8 Deep Dish
Materials: 2 deep dish pizzas, M and M’s or other type of fun candy, (gummy bears, skittles etc), 8 foot table to set pizzas on
Choose 2 kids to play this game. Prior to the game place 10 M & M’s or other candy in the pizza and the child will use only their mouth to find these objects. First person to find all 10 is the winner.
Game 9 Cheeto Face
Materials: 1 large bag of Cheeto’s, 2 Can’s of whip cream per hour used, Goggles, Trash bags to go over the kids on the floor, 6 plastic bowls
Choose 2 kids that are willing to have their entire face covered in whip cream. (You will need to place the goggles over the kids eyes before spraying the whip cream on their face and use a trash bag with a place for the child’s arms and head to go through to cover their clothes) Then choose 3 kids per team and fill a bowl full of Cheeto’s. Set a timer for 30 seconds and allow the kids with the bowl of Cheeto’s to throw them one at a time for 30 seconds onto the child laying down whose face is covered in whip cream. The child with the most Cheeto’s on their face is the winner!
Number 10: Human Sundae
Materials: 2 bottles of Chocolate Syrup, 2 bottles of Strawberry Syrup, 2 bottles of Caramel Syrup, 2 cans of Whip Cream, 2 bowls of cherries, 2 trash bags, 2 plates, 10 blindfolds, 2 goggles
Choose 6 kids to participate per team. One child will be selected to go in the middle to become the Human Sundae. They will need to wear the trash bags and goggles. They will be holding a plate and spin around to try and collect each item as it is being sprayed or thrown in their direction. The five children on the outside of the circle is handed one of the 5 toppings and they are blindfolded. Their job is to squeeze or throw their object toward the child in the middle in hopes of all the items landing on the plate. The first team to get all 5 items on the plate first. The child in the middle will become a Human Sundae!
Parenting Beyond our Capacity
May 4th
Hey Friends,
This is a great post and a great place for you to go to receive parenting advice etc. It will be another great blog that you can follow for parenting. Reggie and Carey are great leaders who have a lot of knowledge to share with us about Parenting.
I hope you find this post from them helpful.
Jason
Posted by Reggie Joiner and Carey Nieuwhof on April 28th, 2010
Welcome to Orange Parents
So neither of us is a parenting expert. We are simply dads who constantly try to remind each other about the important stuff related to our families. We both openly admit that we are
- somewhat dysfunctional,
- a little insecure,
- more stressed than we should be.
Oh, and there is one other fact that we will occasionally hide from strangers we meet. We are both pastors. That means we have spent most of our adult lives working in churches to help people grow in their relationships with God.
We don’t really consider ourselves to be experts on God or relationships. But we are both committed to a lifelong pursuit of figuring out how to love God and our families better, and to help other people do the same.
The ages of our children add up to nearly 120 years. That means we have collectively parented for over 43,500 days. So we have had a lot of time to experiment on our children. We have made a host of mistakes, but we have also had quite a few accidental discoveries that led to powerful and positive memories. Now that all of our children have turned out practically perfect, we are both comfortable writing a blog and book about our parenting skills. (Not really … just checking to see if you were actually reading.) Let us rephrase: Now that we have realized there is something more important than getting your kids to “turn out right,” we were compelled to write about what we are learning. We called our book Parenting Beyond your Capacity, and it’s being released today at the Orange Conference! And our blog is launching today to invite parents and church leaders into an ongoing conversation.
Parent Devotional #4 Blinded by Sin
Apr 14th
This lesson is adapted from Family Time. It’s a great devotional to help your kids understand how sin effects their lives.
Sin can blind us and lead to more sin in our lives.
Read the following verses: 2 Corinthians 4:3-4, John 12:40 and 1 John 2:10-11
Materials needed: 2 bowls, 1 cup uncooked white rice, 1 cup uncooked brown/or wild rice (distinctly different from white rice), blindfold
Mix the brown and white rice in a bowl. Use 3 parts brown and 1 part white.
Say: When a blind person wants to go somewhere that they’ve never been before, how do they get there? (They need the help of a friend or guide) Did you know tat we can be blind spiritually? The Bible tells us that spiritual blindness means we may not understand that Jesus came to save us or we may not understand with our hearts when our words, actions or behaviors are wrong. Just like the blind person needs help getting someplace new, we need God’s help to overcome spiritual blindness. Spiritual blindness begins when we allow sin to become a regular part of our lives. Read 1 John 2:10-11
What does it mean to love your brother in light? (Love your brother as Christ commands us) Notice that the person who loves his brother does not stumble, he can see! What does it mean that the person who hates his brother can not see? (When we hate,our brother we are not following Christ and we are blinded by our sin.) The person who hates his brother is lost in the dark.
Activity: Set the two bowls on the table. One is filled with mixed rice and the other is empty. The bowl filled with rice represents all the choices we can make every day-choices in what we are going to do, say, and think. The dark rice represents choices that are sin. The white rice represents choices that Jesus would want us to make. The empty second bowl represents our life. Pick out 20 grains of White rice and put them in the second bowl. Let every child have a turn. Because you can see, you can avoid the dark rice which represents sin. When you can see spiritually you can fill your life with good, Godly choices in what you do, say and think.
Now, wearing a blindfold try the activity again and pick out 20 grains of white rice. Give each child a turn. Select 20 grains and drop them in the second bowl. When the child is finished, take the blindfold off. Could you tell the difference between the white and dark rice when you were blindfolded? (No) In the same way, when we are spiritually blind-allowing sin in our lives-its hard to choose what is right. Now that your blindfold has been removed, pick out the dark grains and put them back in the other bowl.
What are some things that can blind us to God’s ways? (Listen to answers) Did you ever think that not showing love to your brother or sister could blind you-like the blindfold-to what God wants you to do? Do you think the verse we talked about just means our brothers and sisters in a family? (It means anyone, not just family) God wants us to show love to everyone and when we fight with people, including your brothers and sisters, it can blind you to what God wants you to do.
Each day when you pray we need to ask God to show us the sin in our lives which we cannot see. God will help remove the spiritual blindness in our lives-the blindfold-so that we can see the sin and remove it from our lives. Parent’s, you may want to give an example of sin in your life that you didn’t see until God took away your spiritual blindness.
Close in prayer and allow each child to ask God to help show them where they are spiritually blind and to help start making good choices.
Fundamentals of Children’s Ministry
Mar 29th
This is part of an article I read from K Magazine that I thought was a great reminder to all those in ministry that help remind us of the basics. I’m a huge sports fan so I can relate to this analogy, and I hope you can too.
In the 1960s, the premier football team in the NFL was the Green Bay Packers. They won five NFL titles in the 60’s. They also won the first two Super Bowls. Their coach, the Superbowl Trophy’s namesake, Vince Lombardi.
Vince Lombardi was an incredible coach and an outstanding leader; one of his greatest successes, wasn’t just winning championships, but building an enduring team. He won because of the teams he built, and he built the team he did because he focused on what he called the fundamentals of the game.
If you are a fan of sports at all, you will have at least heard of the legendary Vince Lombardi. Vince understood something that caused his teams to be great and allow him to achieve greatness on the field few have matched. He understood that winning doesn’t come by accident. He preached the value of fundamentals.
“Winning is not a sometime thing; it’s an all the time thing. You don’t win once in a while; you don’t do things right once in a while; you do them right all the time. Winning is a habit. Unfortunately, so is losing.” Vince Lombardi
In sports and life, winning and losing always comes down to the fundamentals, will the person or team do the small things right. If so, nine times out of ten they come out on the winning side.
Leadership is all about doing the right things all the time, and this leads to developing what Lombardi calls a winning habit. What does a winning habit look like in the leadership in Children’s ministry? What are the fundamentals of Children’s Ministry that winning? If you’re going to soar in Children’s Ministry what are the things you need to be doing at the ground level? What things do you focus on in the first year? If you’re a grizzly veteran, what are the fundamentals you must revisit every year?
Vince Lombardi said it this way, “Every time a football player goes to play his trade he’s got to play from the ground up — from the soles of his feet right up to his head.”
- Lead With Vision
- Build with Relationships
- Grow with change
An organization that is led by vision, builds relationships, and is continually changing will produce fruit that remains. As a leader, your passion is sapped when you forget these fundamentals, it doesn’t matter how long you’ve been in the arena of kids ministry. Remember and constantly work on the fundamentals.
This is part of Sam Luce article from the latest K! Magazine.
The Hole in Our Gospel Book Review Part 1
Mar 25th
Richard Stearns is President of World Vision U.S. and is the author of The Hole in Our Gospel. He is a the former President of Parker Brothers Games and was President and CEO of Lenox, Inc. He is a man who has written a great book about orphans and the Hole we have in this world when it comes to poverty and the need to help orphans in the world. He was a man who struggled to give up the high life to do something God was calling him to do. He tried to run from God before realizing that World Vision was where God was calling him.
I have read about half of this book and it is a powerful book. It is not for the faint of heart. It will change your heart and mind for what needs to be done in the world today to help orphans and those in poverty around the world. In this book, you realize the need to help children across the world and how many kids die per year because they don’t have the food nor the kind of care it takes to survive in the world today. Richard takes you on a journey of his life along with what the Bible says about caring for orphans. He talks about how it has changed his heart and how it has impacted his life.
My prayer is that you will begin to read this book and see how God speaks to you as you begin to see from Richard’s point of view what is taking place across many countries around the world. For me, it has given me greater confidence in what God has called Sarah and I to do as we are on the waiting list to adopt a child from Ethiopia. I know that God is doing a work in me, and this is just one way God is going to use our family to help save at least one child. Who knows what God has in store for us for the future and how this one child may be forever changed. My prayer is that we will be able to show her God’s love so that she will be forever changed. We are adopting a little girl and one phrase really caught my attention, “There is a saying in Africa: “If you educate a man you simply educate an individual, but if you educate a woman, you educate a nation.” The phrase speaks volumes of how women in Africa can play a significant role. Who knows what kind of role our little girl may play in God’s plan or for us in the future.
Jesus had a mission statement in John 10:10 ” I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” What will you do to see that other kids have the potential to live a full life and be used to make a difference for God’s kingdom? What does God expect of you?
Parent Devotional #3
Mar 24th
As I continue to think about my own children and how I can impact them for God’s kingdom, I can’t stop going back to Deuteronomy 6:5-9. These five verses are the keys to raising children with the gospel. The first thing we as parents need to do is put God first in our lives as it states in vs 5. If we do this then the rest should all fall into place. If not, then it will be a struggle to do the rest. In verse 7, it tells us as parents that we are to impress them on our children. In other words, we are to teach our children daily or as often as we can about who God is and what He has done for us in our own lives. We are to talk to them at home, on the road, when they go to bed, and when they get up. Wow, that is at least 4 times a day we are told to talk to our kids about God’s love for them. What a challenge we have as parents to spend that kind of time with our kids. In verses 8 and 9, it says for us to tie symbols on our hands and bind them on our foreheads along with writing these commandments on the door frames of our houses and our gates. This is another very strong word.
We have two key verses in our house that we have written on our wall to remind us of what we are to teach our kids daily. By it being written on our wall, I can’t help but reminded of it every morning I get up. We also have verses placed in our bathrooms to remind us of God’s unfailing love God has for our family. These are just a couple of ways we can help remind ourselves of the goal we have to teach our kids about God’s love.
As a parent, I want to challenge you to think of ways you as a family can sit down and teach your kids about God’s love each day of their lives. Take time to teach them when they get up and drive them to school. When you pick them up, there are great lessons we can teach them about God and His commandments as they share about their day. What do you talk to your children about before they go to bed at night? Do you tell them how proud you are of them and how much God loves them? Many times, our kids just need to hear that before they lay down because they have had a difficult day and struggle with the thought, “Am I good enough to be loved?” We, as parents, are called by God to love our kids unconditionally. No matter what we have done, God loves us despite our disobedience. Don’t we owe it to our children to do the same for them so that they can see the kind of love God has for them through our actions? Are you showing your kids the same kind of love God has impressed upon you? If not, take time to ask God to help you and find creative ways to teach your kids about God’s love. The Bible says in Proverbs 22:6, if we teach them while they are young they will not turn from their ways. We have a huge responsibility. What are you doing to teach your kids about our Creator and how will they fit into His love story?
R U Being Purposeful Part 1 Come
Mar 4th
Over the next five weeks, our church is reminding our people of the 5 purposes behind why we do what we do at Long Hollow. Beginning this week, I will write about these five purposes from a leadership perspective as a purpose-driven Children’s Pastor. This will also apply to anyone who is in ministry or any type of leadership role.
Our first purpose at Long Hollow is to “Come.” Come means to come prepared for worship. This does not mean to come just to fulfill a need on our own, but to come prepared to encounter a time with God. As a leader in the church, we have to set the example of taking time to come to worship not only on Sunday’s, but making worship a part of our everyday lives. As a Children’s Pastor, that sometimes is difficult because of the preparation that takes place each week in God’s Word as preparation for the lesson that will be taught to the children. The time for these lesson preparations, however, are in addition to the time that we need to count towards our time with God. We must make time for Him and come before Him with a clear mind and a clear heart, ready to hear a word from our Lord.
Do you have a place where you can go and spend time with God each week? Is there a special place that you can go to get away from the chaos of your life each day to just sit before your heavenly Father and make Him a priority every day? I know, for me, my house is crazy with 3 kids, and there is not a single quiet room or place to go at this life stage. My place is different each day, but one of the places I encounter time with God is in my car. It is quiet there, and there are no distractions. I begin by listening to Him in song by putting in a CD that helps to clear my mind and to prepare me for an encounter with Him. I also take time to find a quiet place in my office at times or another place in the church where there are no distractions so I can focus on Him. Sometimes it is in the wee hours of the morning when it is still dark and everyone is still asleep that I have my time with Him. One of my favorite places is the classrooms in which the kids come to each week to learn about God. When I look out the window, I am reminded of Daniel and how he would look out His window to pray to God three times a day. When I go into the classroom, I can look out the window and remind myself of why I am here. I can look out and see God’s creation and worship Him without distractions. I can get a glimpse of seeing people in my mind coming to worship and seeing families holding hands together as they come together to worship. Our calling is to teach and equip parents to teach their kids about worship. However, if we are not doing that ourselves, then we need to take time to get it straightened out so that God can use us the way He intended to use us as leaders in the church.
He wants us to come to Him each day. It doesn’t matter where you are or what you are doing. Everything you do is an act of worship. What are you doing this week to make time with God a priority and a part of your everyday life?
Drive Time Tip #2
Feb 25th
As I was taking my kids to school this week, I thought about the phrase that I see on our school signs, “Staying above the Line.” I asked my daughter what she thought it meant to be above the line and she said, “doing the right thing.” Then I asked her, what would it mean if you went below the line? She said, “that would be when we get into trouble for not following the rules in school and we are not obeying our teachers.” I was rather curious to see what her thoughts were, and then I thought and challenged them to think of the line like this: “When we obey and do what is right we are staying on the line, but when we do things above the line we are going above and beyond what is expected of us.” I, then, asked them what were some things they could do to be above the line. My daughter said helping other kids, giving my best at basketball, and not complaining when things don’t go my way. My son (age 4), on the other hand, didn’t quite get the concept. He did finally come up with doing his best at baseball.
To me, the line marks what God expects of us each and every day of our lives. When we go below the line, it shows us where we have failed in what God expects of us. When we are above the line, we are showing God that we want to do more than what He expects and our desire is to stay above the line as often as we can so that others might see Him through our actions and attitudes.
What will you do to help your kids to try and stay above the line in all that they do? What are some parameters you can put in place to help teach your children so that as they grow they understand what it truly means to be above the line and to show the highest possible standards of integrity they possibly could hold.
Titus 2:7 “In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity…”
Parent Devotional #2 An Eye for Weaknesses
Feb 11th
As we drive in our cars we think we are in control, but when we are driving there is an area of weakness that most of us don’t pay attention to until it’s too late, Blind Spots! How many of you have had an accident because you didn’t check your blind spot in your car or you had someone honk their horn at you to let you know that you were in their lane? I know I have come very close to wrecking my car because I forgot to check my blind spot or the weak area in my car. The horn sounding is a sounding board to say hey, watch out you forgot to check out that area. For several days after the horn sounds, I will be aware of the blind spots in my car so I won’t run into someone unexpectedly. Kids are no different than us. Yet they are not always aware of their blind spots or weaknesses. It’s up to us as parents to help teach them to have an eye for their weakness. This is a great lesson to show children that God can help them overcome their weaknesses by doing the right thing.
Supplies: 2 pieces of plain white paper, a pencil, and a Bible, a colored crayon
Activity: Poke a pencil-sized hole through the middle of one piece of paper. (Be sure to not poke the entire pencil through the hole or it will not work. You will just need to poke the hole big enough for the led to go through otherwise this activity will not work. I did the larger hole first and the object lesson didn’t go as planned.) On the other sheet of paper you will want to draw a circle in the middle about the size of a penny and color it in. (You can pick any color but I suggest a color other than black. We used blue for our color.) Let each family member complete the following tasks to determine which eye is dominant:
1. Hold the paper with the colored circle at arm’s length.
2. Hold the paper with the hole in it in front at just the right distance where the circle can be seen by both eyes through the hole.
3. Alternating closing the left and right eye to determine when the circle disappears.
4. If the circle disappears when the right eye is closed, that means the person is right-eye dominant. If the circle disappears when the left eye is closed, that means the person is left-eye dominant.
After you complete the activity with each person explain to them that the reason the dot went away when you closed one of your eyes is because each of us has a dominant or stronger eye than the other. We also have strong and weak spots in other areas of our lives. Share with the family I Kings 11:3-4. Explain in your own words that even Solomon, who was the wisest man to ever live, had weak spots. He was led to do some wrong things. Satan likes to attack our weak spots. Have each person share an area in their lives when they are weak. My kids said following directions and obeying mom and dad all the time is hard. You as the parent should also share an area where you are weak so the kids see that you have a weakness.
Then read 2 Corinthians 12:9-10. Ask your kids, ” What are we to do with our weak spots?” (Admit we have them, tell someone about them, and be honest) How do we overcome our weak spots? (Ask God to help us and trust Him)
We all have weaknesses and blind spots. There are some areas in our life that we are weak in but we don’t notice them. However your friends, parents, and teachers may recognize them. Instead of pouting about them or getting upset about having weak areas of our life, the Bible tells us that we should give them to God and He will help us overcome the areas in our life where we are weak. If we never give our weaknesses over to God, and admit we have them we will never overcome them. Pray and ask God to help reveal or show you the weaknesses in your life so that you will have an eye to catch yourself and ask Him to overcome them.
Adapted from Simple Science Family Night Tool Chest by Jim Widemann and Mark DeNooy, with Kurt Burner
Tips for Guiding Your Child’s Salvation
Feb 8th
Children are very inquisitive. They are like sponges that soak up everything that comes into their path. Children begin their journey as early as the preschool years, learning that God loves them and that Jesus is their friend. As they move into the elementary years, they develop a deeper understanding of what is right and wrong. They begin to see other friends being baptized or other adults and begin to ask questions about baptism and sin. Here are a few tips and questions that can help you as a parent to recognize signs that your child is leaning towards salvation.
One of the most common indications that your child is thinking about Christianity is the persistent asking of questions in regards to sin, death, or even hell. The biggest thing to remember is to never push your child. Instead, let them set the pace and depth of their responses. When this takes place, be sure to follow these guidelines:
1. Keep it conversational. Don’t make your child feel like its a question and answer session but a conversation that takes place over a period of time.
2. Be sure to use simple and concrete terms they can understand.
3. Encourage your child to express his or her own ideas.
4. Give your child time to think (Open ended questions allow them to think deeply about what is being discussed).
5. Always rely on God’s word (God’s word is the ultimate source in the plan of salvation).
Here are 5 key things you want to share with your child when they are ready in regards to salvation and key verses to share with them.
1. God loves you and has a plan for you (Psalm 139:13-16). God wants a relationship with everyone, and He has a special plan for your life.
2. Everyone has disobeyed God (Sin) (Romans 3:23). Explain to your child that we choose to do things our own way rather than God’s way. Ask them if they have sinned and what God thinks about sin.
3. Even though you and I choose to sin, God still loves us and offers us a way to be forgiven (Romans 5:8) Explain to your child that God loves them even when they sin just like you and I do. God promised that one day a Savior would come, not sin, and die for all people. Do you know who God sent to be the Savior of the world?
4. Jesus is the Savior of the World (John 3:16). What did Jesus do for you so that you could be forgiven? (He lived a perfect life without sin, died on the cross, and 3 days later He came back to life.) Jesus did that for you so that you could spend the rest of your life with God in Heaven.
5. You can become a Christian by telling (confessing) that Jesus is your Savior and Lord (Romans 10:9). Encourage your child to tell in his or her own words what they understand. Ask them if they want to become a Christian and a part of God’s team. If so, then you can lead them in this simple prayer that they can pray in their own words.
They would say something like this, “Dear Jesus, I know that I have disobeyed you and sinned. Please forgive me for what I have done. I am sorry for my sin. I believe that you are God’s son, and I choose you today to be my Savior and Lord. Thank you, Jesus, for giving up your life for me, and I can’t wait to see you in Heaven someday.”
After your child prays, read Romans 10:13 and remind them of the promise. It means that they are a Christian. I would be sure to write in their Bible or something special the date that your child accepts Christ and make it a big deal for them. You may even want to take a family picture of that special day. Sarah and I took a picture of our daughter the morning she accepted Christ. Have them call their friends and family members along with their Pastor or Children’s Pastor depending on your church home. They will follow up with you in regards to baptism and any questions you may have. Once they have done this, remind your child about it once a month to encourage them. On the anniversary of your child’s decision, throw them a party, similar to a birthday party, to help remind them of their decision so they will never forget how important it is to love God.
To View a training video of this go to : http://vimeo.com/9363002
