Creative Ways to Engage Kids in Children's Ministry Activities
- Frances McFarland
- Jul 17
- 7 min read
Regardless of whether they're in a thirty-minute Sunday school class or a week-long VBS program, we want our children to learn and remember messages of God's love and grace. Make every minute of your time with them count as you lead them on a journey to know and love their Creator God.
Innovative Children's Ministry Activities
Bring excitement into your gathering time with meaningful activities that help children...
Understand the message that God is speaking to us through His Word
Remember what they learn
Embrace the truths of God's word
Build up strong spiritual foundations to grow on
Here are some children's ministry ideas that turn ho-hum into fun!
1. Interactive Storytelling
Involve children during lesson time through drama. Offer props or costumes to represent characters and invite children to become active participants. Reenacting the events they study from the Bible helps children understand and retain what they learn.
For example, after sharing the account of David and Goliath, have kids take on the roles of David and the soldiers. Hand out large sheets of aluminum foil and allow some of your "soldiers" to press a pretend helmet and armor around the David character, while others fashion his sword and shield. When the armor is complete and "David" is feeling the burden of his foil suit, lead children in a discussion about his decision to throw off the armor and rely on God to give him victory in his battle with the giant.
Incorporate simple objects into your lesson time to capture attention and make your lessons memorable. When teaching this lesson on David and Goliath, bring a measuring tape to class. Have a child stand at the back of the room and hold one end of the tape while you pull it across the room until you stop at nine feet, six inches, Goliath’s height. Encourage children to imagine this huge soldier coming to battle against a young shepherd boy. Remind them of David’s words. "The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.” Samuel 17:37
Object lessons are simple but powerful avenues to teach children in ways that they understand and remember. Click here to see an object lesson in action. All you need is an apple and a knife to teach a lesson on God's promise to Abraham. It's a lesson appropriate for all ages!
2. Nature Adventures
What better way to point children to their Creator than to slow them down to take an intentional, close-up look at His work? Think of ways to make nature their classroom.
Kick off the hour with a scavenger hunt, allowing students to experience the beauty and wonder of God's creation firsthand, preparing them for a lesson on His power and love.
Make a list of nature items children are to look for as you guide them down a nearby trail. Give each child a paper bag with a copy of the list stapled to its front. Cheer each time a discovery is made. When the hunt is complete, gather the group and allow children to show what they have found.
Take children beyond a celebration of a successful scavenger hunt by pointing out the wonders of God's creation. Encourage them to examine the prickly pinecone and the soft green moss. Talk about the attributes of each item in the bag and lead children in thanking God for His awesome creation!
Make room for "Be Still and Know Moments. Sometimes, a quiet moment is all we need to open our eyes to the majesty of God's creation. Encourage a moment of silent observation in nature to make children aware of its grandeur. Give them time and space to marvel at the works of the Creator.
For sensory activity designed to connect children with their Creator, check out our blog, "Be Still and Know". A free lesson and downloadable activity page are available if you would like to create a "Be Still and Know" moment for the children in your classroom... (Consider adding this activity to a weekend retreat with your own children or grandchildren as well!)
3. Art and Craft Projects
Including an art or craft project in your lesson plan can be a wise investment of your time with the children.
Choose projects that support the goals of helping children understand and retain the messages of your lessons.
Encourage children to use their imaginations. Resist the temptation to stifle their creativity by jumping in to perfect their efforts. It’s important that they value the work of their own hands. These will be the projects they find worthy of displaying in their homes. There, they serve as daily reminders of Bible truths.
Creative projects at the beginning of the hour lay the groundwork for the Bible lesson to follow. For example, to introduce a lesson on David, let children make tambourines from paper plates and bells. Lead the class in a time of marching around the room and singing with their instruments. Demonstrate the joy we have in worshiping God with music. When you gather for lesson time, reflect on that experience while pointing them to scriptures of David's joyful praises.
Schedule this craft and movement activity to take place after the lesson if you prefer to use it as a reminder that David praised God with music. Encourage children to use their created instruments and to sing and praise God as well!
Offer age-appropriate craft projects for children in primary grades, as well as those in preschool. Some projects can work for both age groups. Click here for an example of a "Love Your Neighbor" lesson that begins with an art project appropriate for all ages. Children add houses they make to a classroom neighborhood when studying the Parable of the Good Samaritan. This activity provides an excellent introduction to the question, "Who is my neighbor?" It paves the way for meaningful discussions on how we can show love to the people God puts in our paths.
4. Music
Encourage children to experience the joy of worship through music! Songs with simple verses and catchy refrains are easiest for children to learn. Don't be afraid to repeat these often and introduce new songs gradually. Children enjoy the confidence that comes with singing familiar songs.
Provide instruments such as bells, tambourines, and rhythm sticks for occasional additions to group singing. Reserve these for special days so they are welcome additions rather than distractions.
Bring out ribbons or scarves to incorporate movement activities. Reserve these for special times as well. Explain that moving with music is a form of worshipping God with our whole bodies, like King David did!
Use music as a tool for memorization. Putting scripture to music is perhaps the most effective way to encourage memorization. Many artists offer excellent recordings for purchase. Consider Seeds Family Worship for songs that cover a variety of scripture passages, teaching verses word for word to lively, catchy tunes.
Try putting words of scripture to the tunes of familiar children's songs. You can often tweak the tunes to make the words of the memory verse fit. Here are a few song suggestions to get you started:
Mary Had a Little Lamb
Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star
The Noble Duke of North
Jingle Bells
Old MacDonald
I'm a Little Teapot
Incy Wincy Spider
The Wheels on the Bus
Jesus Loves Me
5. Snacks
Kids love snack time. Teachers love snack time too! It is the portion of the hour when noise and activity levels die down while the group enjoys munching on crackers and sipping their juice. Gathering children together for snack time provides a golden opportunity to review the Bible lesson.
Preschool
Think creatively for opportunities to remind children of what they have learned while they sit at the snack table. For example, encourage preschoolers to "build" an ark from pretzels. Hand out animal crackers and pass around small cups of fruit cereal. Retell the story as children spread a colorful rainbow of fruity cereal rings over their pretzel arks and march animal crackers to "dry land".
Elementary
Don't miss opportunities for older children to enjoy meaningful snack time experiences as well. Click here for a "Share Your Gifts" lesson that challenges kids to make their own snacks. The result is a fun picnic and a valuable lesson that demonstrates the power of using our gifts to strengthen the church.
6. Games
Children appreciate the opportunity to get up and move. Leaders often incorporate games into their programs for a fun way to release energy when other scheduled activities are less active. Teaching doesn't need to stop during recreation time. Look for ways to adapt familiar children's games to fit your theme. Keep kids focused on the Bible's message by choosing games that support it. When recreation time is over, take a minute to point out the similarities between what happened as the game unfolded and the truths learned in the Bible's message for that day.
If your children's ministry space is limited or the weather prohibits going outdoors, seat games offer rich opportunities to reinforce your lesson while children have fun. Click here to find games designed to complement specific Bible lessons.
Final Thoughts
Teaching children the truths of God's Word should never be boring. Consider the wonderful way God has designed them to grow and learn.
They play.
They explore.
They create.
They observe.
They imitate.
... And all the while,
they learn!
Let's get busy teaching the eternal truths of God's love and grace in ways that captivate the hearts of the next generation.
Comments