Make a big batch of unflavored oatmeal and allow it to cool. Place some of the oatmeal into two bowls, and mix in several raisins. Mix it well, and then add a layer of oatmeal over the top to hide all of the raisins.

Divide the class into two teams, and have them run, one at a time, to their designated oatmeal bowl. Each player must dig in the bowl to retrieve one raisin (make sure there are plenty so that if one or two is dropped there are still enough for all players), then run back to the starting line and place the raisin in a small container, tagging the next player. The winning team is the first one to successfully have each player retrieve a raisin.

Do not have the players eat the raisins, as this is not a very sanitary game. Should be played in a gym or outdoors, as it will be messy. Avoid playing this game on carpet.

This game is completely for fun and has no spiritual meaning or lesson to learn.

Idea from Fun Attic

Balloon volleyball is an ideal game for those lesson that are a little deep or those days when the kids seem a little more active than normal. Line up chairs in a line through the center of the room. These will serve as the “net.” Divide the children into two teams, one on either side of the “net.” Instruct the children to kneel to play the game. Blow up a balloon and launch it into play. The children will hit it back and forth. The only rule is that it cannot touch the ground. If it touches the ground on Team A’s side, Team B will get a point. Play to 10 points.

If you have a large classroom or a particularly small group of kids, take the time to set up boundary lines with masking tape on the floor. Otherwise, keep the game interesting by not having an “out of bounds.” When the kids seem to have the hang of it, launch a second balloon into play.

This game does not have any spiritual connection, but it is a lot of fun and works well to get the wiggles out at the beginning or end of a lesson.

First, divide the boys and girls into two groups, and have each group hold hands in a circle (if the children are very young, you may not need to separate the genders).

Have the children walk forward until they are very close together making a small circle. At this point have them drop hands. Then, instruct them to grab hands with two other people, but not the people directly beside them. They will be tangled up in a giant “web.”

The goal now is to have them untangle themselves, but they CANNOT let go of any hands. The first group to successfully untangle is the winner. Remind them to duck under arms, step over others, and such. It is possible, but will take a lot of teamwork! Keep in mind that this will only work with a fairly large group of kids.

Idea from www.childrens-church-ministry.com

Draw a line on the floor with masking tape. One side of the line is “in the tomb” and one side is “out of the tomb.” The game’s leader will call out “into the tomb” or “out of the tomb.” The children are to jump onto the correct side.

The game continues like this, but any time a child does not jump or jumps the wrong direction, he is eliminated. The last child left in the game is the winner.

This game works well when children are particularly energetic. It also goes along nicely with stories about rising from the dead. Adapt the game as needed to make it work well for your group.

Idea from Kids Sunday School.

Have fun drawing water out of a homemade well in this activity.

Materials:

• Styrofoam cups
• Wire
• Poster board
• Markers
• Tape/Glue
• Cooler
• Bucket

Allow the children to practice drawing water from a well. Decorate a large cooler so it looks like a well using poster board to create the appearance of a stone wall. Fill it with water, and then allow the children to draw using “buckets” made from Styrofoam cups. Attach two wires to the rim of each cup to be the “rope” that he children use to dip them into the cooler and draw out the water. Have another container that they poor the water into. Continue the activity until all water that can be drawn is drawn. This will give the children the feel for how difficult drawing water was.

As a variation, set this up two times and do a relay race between two teams. The first team to fill the new bucket to a set line is the winner.

This activity can be used for any story dealing with a well, such as The Woman at the Well or Rebecca and Isaac’s Servant.

Bible Bingo is a good game to have on hand for times when you need a fun filler activity. Make large, laminated cards that have a four by four square grid. In each grid, put a picture from a Bible story. The, have a pile of matching pictures to draw from.

To play, give each player some chips or pennies and one of the laminated cards. When you draw a card, they can place a chip or penny on the matching picture, if they have it on their card. The first player to fill in their entire card yells “Bible Bingo” and wins.

To make the cards, print pictures off of the Internet and glue them to the grid before laminating. Moses, the cross, a dove, and other recognizable characters are all great to use. Print identical pictures to use as cards. Consider laminating the cards to keep the game from falling apart too quickly. This is quite a bit of prep work, but you will love having the game on hand for those times the lesson goes more quickly than you anticipated.

Many times in the life of Jesus the images of fishing and fishing for men are used. In a lesson that uses this idea, you can play this game:

Materials:

• Fish shapes cut in paper, preferably on cardstock or laminated
• Paper clips
• Long sticks or dowel rods
• Small magnets
• Twine or string

Clip a paper clip to the mouth portion of each fish template. Tie the twine to a magnet, and then tie the other end of the twine to the stick. Allow the kids to fish for the paper fish using the newly designed fishing pole.

Turn this into a review game by adding a review question to each fish. Once a child catches a fish, ask the class the question on that fish.

Turn this into a Bible verse review by writing the words to the Bible verse on the fish, one per fish. Once all of the fish have been caught, have the children arrange the words in the right order.

The Sword Drill is an excellent game to keep in the back of your mind for filling time if your lesson goes short or your craft is a flop. Make a list of verses on certain topics, and write down the verses with the first five words. Keep these lists in your Sunday School materials to use for Sword Drills.

To perform a Sword Drill, have all of the children hold their Bibles above their heads, hands on the spine. State the reference of the passage you wish for them to search for. Have them repeat it, then repeat it to them again. Say “Charge!” When you do, the children need to search as fast as they can for the verse. The first child to find it should stand and start reading it. Your list will help you know if they are right, because you will have the first few words written.

Consider using a keyword, which is a word that is included in every verse. This will inspire the children to listen as the verse is read. Have a prize for the child who can identify the keyword at the end of the Sword Drill.

Consider having a “Quiz Out” limit for kids who are particularly good at this. For example, if they get two charges correct, they have to sit out. They can still listen for the keyword, but they cannot search. This gives children who are not as good at finding passages in the Bible a chance to win.

Get two identical rolls of toilet paper. Divide the class into two teams. Place the children into two lines, with only a foot or less between each child. Give the child at the front of the line the roll of toilet paper. As fast as they can, have the children unroll the paper and pass it to the person behind them. The first child should pass the toilet paper under his or her legs, and the next child should pass it over his or her head, and so forth. Then, when it reaches the end of the line, they should pass it back to the front, continuing to alternate.

This idea comes from Children’s Church Ministry.com.

Many stories in the Bible deal with clay vessels or jars, and this game can be used to get the wiggles out in conjunction with any of those stories.

The game is a variation of Hot Potato, using a homemade clay jar instead of a potato or ball. The children will pass the jar around a circle while music plays. When the music ends, whichever child is holding the jar must sit out. Play continues until only one child remains, and that child is the winner. Instruct the children to be gentle with the jar, and have a spare jar or two in case it gets dropped and breaks.

Here is a simple recipe to use to make the jar:

• Four parts flour
• One part salt
• One part warm water

Mix the flour and salt together, then gradually add the water, kneading with your hands until it is the right consistency. Shape a small jar out of the clay, and let it sit for a week to dry. You can paint it with acrylic paint if you wish, or just use it as is.