Learning the Bible is an important endeavor for the whole family, but keeping kids engaged can be a challenge. Below are 50 fun and creative Bible games and activities for kids. These activities are perfect for Sunday School classes, summer camps, family fun nights or anytime during a busy week. Ready, set, learn!
Put a Twist on a Classic Game
Bible Matching Game - Similar to the memory game, a matching game is a fun way to learn the names of the Apostles, Ten Commandments and more. Use index cards for a quick game on the go. Make pairs of index cards with the people, places and lessons from the Bible and spread them out. Turn them over, give them a good shuffle and flip them over one at a time and try to find the match!
Bowl of Charades - This is a fun and easy game for a large or small group. Put a list of biblical people, places and things in a bowl. One person at a time draws a card from the bowl and acts it out until someone offers the right answer.
Bible Bingo - Make Bingo cards with the answers to questions about biblical characters, a story or verse. Kids can fill their spaces when they find the right answer on the card. The first person to make a line going up, down or diagonal is the winner. Keep prizes on hand and several different Bingo cards to keep the fun going.
Six Degrees of Separation - Pick two biblical characters and see if you can connect them using six or fewer people, relatives or connections.
Hopscotch - Line up the books of the Bible in order and create an epic hopscotch game. As kids run through the board, have them repeat the names they land on to help with memorization.
Scavenger Hunt - You know the game. Make the Bible come alive with clues that lead your little players around the house and on an outside adventure — like leading them to an olive tree by asking "What did the dove bring back to Noah's ark?" — until they find a prize.
Sidewalk Chalk - Sidewalk chalk is one of the best inventions ever and very versatile in helping kids learn more about the Bible. Read a story from the Bible then illustrate it on the driveway or sidewalk with chalk. Draw one every couple of days and watch the outside grow more colorful with each Bible lesson.
Crossword Puzzles - Perfect as a transition or rainy-day activity, make your own Bible-themed crossword puzzle with clues or use an online guide to create one for you. For a fun twist, ask the kids to make a puzzle for you to figure out.
Word Search - This is a great activity to use after a lesson to help kids remember what they learned. Using keywords and phrases, create a word search. You can give participants a list of words to search or make it a little tougher and let them see if they can find the words without a list.
20 Questions - How well do you know your biblical people, places and things? This is a fun way to find out. Everyone gets a turn picking a person, place or thing and must answer up to 20 questions to see if players can figure it out. You can use only yes or no questions or allow for more in-depth questions. If 20 questions are too easy, reduce it to 15 and see how they do.
Bible Study Basket - When you wake up to a rainy day or the kids are looking for something to do between activities, have a readily available Bible basket filled with crayons, coloring sheets and other easy activities kids can do by themselves or with a friend.
Illustrate a Favorite Verse - Select a verse from the Bible and ask your children to illustrate it. Keep a big stack of crayons, markers, glue and glitter handy! Put the works of art on display or make a Bible art gallery.
Nativity Scene - Nativity scenes are not just for Christmas. Find an empty cardboard box and make a diorama scene from the night baby Jesus was born. Read the story of his birth and create paper dolls of all of the characters involved.
Bible Garden - Plants and vegetables are referenced in both the Old and New Testaments. Grow a biblical garden and learn the references and meanings behind the blooms.
Newspaper - Extra, extra read all about it! Middle school and high schoolers will really get into this activity. Using the Bible as a resource, ask them to create a newspaper edition or magazine issue based on the stories of the Bible that reflect the people, culture and headlines of the day. Watch the creativity fly!
Host House Church - You can have a family Bible study any day of the week by reading through a story of the Bible or watching a brief children's bible story, talking about it and interpreting its application at the age level of your children. Want to take it a step further? Create an experience where family members are assigned roles (pastor, communion server, choir leader) and let them put on house church for you as they act out their interpretation of a church service.
Put on a Play - Everyone has a favorite Bible story and a great way to share it is by acting it out. Assign roles, write a script and get the costumes ready. A production of any size offers something for everyone. If you repeat this activity, assign different jobs so everyone can try a new skill.
Lip-Sync Battle - All you need for this entertaining activity are your favorite biblically based tunes and a microphone, hairbrush, empty paper towel roll or anything you can sing into and let loose. Go a few rounds with contestants battling it out. In the end, have everyone vote for a winner.
Award Ceremony - Break out the red carpet and give awards to your favorite characters from the Bible. For example, the award for most faithful disciple? John. Best animal tamer? Noah.
Create a Collage - This is an effective tool to help kids memorize important lessons and make it personal. Using the Internet and a pile of old magazines, have kids construct a collage illustrating the Ten Commandments, Beatitudes or verses.
Superheroes of the Bible - If your kids love superheroes, bring this theme into a lesson they are sure to enjoy. Take a modern-day superhero and pair them with a character in the Bible that has similar traits. Daniel took on the lions and Moses had a powerful staff! See how many Bible heroes you can find.
Verses on the Go - Inject a little Bible verse inspiration into your busy life. Ask each member of the family to contribute three to five favorite verses. Put them in a box or bowl near the door. Even on the craziest days, everyone can choose a verse and think about it on their way to work, school and other activities. For a fun adaptation, see if family members can guess who wrote the verse.
Bible Video Games - Do you have a gamer in the house who doesn't seem interested in learning important lessons from the Bible? There are some engaging Bible-themed online games your kids will really get into. Play a few rounds to ensure they are parent-approved!
Sample Sign Ups
Get Them Moving!
Get Across the Finish Line - Prepare 15-20 questions on the topic of a Bible lesson, verse or story. To start the game, have participants line up. Ask one question to each player. If the player gets it right, he or she can take a step toward the person asking the question. A wrong answer will send players back a step. Whoever makes it to the finish line first is the winner!
Bible Verse Relay - If the kids need to get some energy out and want to learn inspirational Bible verses at the same time, this is your game. Divide into two teams and give each team a different verse of relatively the same length to memorize. On "go," each team should send one player to write one word of the verse on a whiteboard, chalkboard, large poster pad, etc. relay style until it is complete. If a team writes a word incorrectly, they must erase it and start again.
H2O Questions - If your family loves pool games, you'll make a big splash with this one. Have one person float at a distance from the group and start describing a person, place or thing from the Bible. Once a person knows the answer, he or she starts swimming towards the person asking the question. The first swimmer to arrive at the person asking the question with the right answer gets to ask the next question.
Go Fish - Dip into biblical knowledge with this fishing game. Purchase foam fish from a dollar store and glue a small magnet on each. Create fishing poles with sticks, lines and a paperclip hook. Write questions pertaining to the Bible on each fish and send them swimming in a pool or tub. When you bring in the big catch, answer the question correctly and collect the fish for a point.
Punch Game - All you need for this interactive game is large plastic cups and colored plastic wrap. Write questions on colored pieces of paper and fold them to fit into the plastic cups. Secure plastic wrap tightly over the cups with a rubber band. Let kids punch the tops of the cups and pull out the paper and answer the question.
Stack the Cups - Put the books of the Bible on the lips of plastic cups and start stacking in order. If there is more than one person, race side by side for an easy indoor game.
Family Interviews - Interviews are a wonderful way to get the whole family involved to talk about faith. Depending on the child's age, see if they can come up with up to five to 10 questions about a favorite Bible verse, a story from the Bible, etc. to ask each family member. Help them record the answers and put a book together for a meaningful heirloom.
Lego Stories - If your little ones have a Lego collection that goes on for days, use it for reenacting Bible stories.
Bible Story Podcasts - Going on a road trip or hopping on a plane? Download a Bible podcast for the kids or listen to it as a family. This activity is entertaining and sure to spur lots of great conversation as you take it on the road.
Goodnight Prayer Book - Does your little one have a favorite nighttime prayer or story? Put the collection together in a book you can create online or make a binder. Let the child draw illustrations and add some flair! It will become a treasured part of the evening ritual.
Learn the A, B, C's - This is a perfect activity for the elementary school set. Make index cards with one letter of the alphabet on each card. As kids read through the Bible, have them list important words that begin with the letter. "A" is for angel, "B" is for Bethlehem, etc. When the cards are full have a Bible spelling bee.
Make New Words - Break kids into teams and give them the name of a Bible book, character or place (the longer the better). When the leader says "go," try to make as many new words out of the longer word as possible. Count up the words from both teams and see who wins.
Popsicle Line Up - Write each book of the Bible on a popsicle stick. On "go," see how long it takes players to line them up in order.
Increase Their Bible Knowledge
Who Am I? - Perfect as a get to know you icebreaker, have participants attach a biblical character to their back. While working the room, have the players ask each other questions to try to guess who they are. Once they figure it out, ask them to help others complete the game.
Who Said It? - After reviewing a chapter in the Bible or lesson, write down keywords and phrases and collect a list of quotes. Then read the quotes out loud and see if players can guess who the words are attributed to.
Beatitudes Match - For a life-sized lesson, start with big pieces of poster board and on one side write the phrase "Blessed are the meek" and fill another large poster board with the ending of each Beatitude. Have teams put together the sides that match or race one-on-one.
Name the Commandment - Find a modern story or movie and discuss which Commandment goes with it. Have members of the group take turns finding examples and reading them aloud.
Apostle, King or Prophet? - Pull a name out of the hat and ask players if it is an apostle, king or prophet? To stump players and make sure they are paying attention, mix in names from popular movies, books and TV shows.
Roll the Dice - Have kids roll one or two dice. Whatever number comes up is the number of books in the Bible they need to name. If you want to make it more challenging, don't let players repeat books that have already been named.
Noah's Ark Charades - This is fun for family night or with a group of learners. Have each person make a list of the animals who took a ride on Noah's Ark. Keep the list a secret and don't show it to anyone. Set a timer and on "go" one person starts acting out the list. If you want to make it more difficult, don't allow animals sounds. See how long it takes the group to figure out the animal. Whoever can get through their list in the fastest time is the winner.
Communicate with Verses - This is especially effective with middle and high schoolers. Leave a Bible in a central location in the house and assign each family member a colored sticky note. When you want to cheer someone up, encourage or share a moving story with a particular family member, place his or her colored sticky in the Bible where they can find it.
One-Minute Memorization - All it takes is 60 seconds to memorize a verse and put it to good use. Find a fishbowl and an old-fashioned kitchen timer and you are ready to go. Draw a verse from the bowl and set the timer. Repeat the verse over and over until the timer dings. This is a great activity to do while cooking dinner, folding laundry or waiting for the pizza to be delivered. Keep testing your memory throughout the day!
Rewrite the Verse - Take a favorite verse and rewrite it with today's vernacular and popular words or use an emoji. This is a creative way to break down more complicated verses and ideas.
Word Jumble - Jumble the names of characters from the Bible and ready, set, go — see who can unscramble the words first. Create your own puzzle or go online for help.
Calendar Round Robin - Bring the Bible and prayer to life by assigning a family member a week to select and lead the prayer at dinner and bedtimes and pick a Bible verse or story for the family to discuss. All family members (mom and dad included) should rotate weeks and keep the list on a calendar in an easily visible place so everyone knows the schedule. This is a great way to share as a family.
Bible Ring Toss - This game is great for all levels of learners, affordable and portable enough to play indoors or out. Cut out the center of paper plates to make the rings and purchase two plastic traffic cones online or at a discount big box store. Label one cone "yes" and the other "no." Line up players and ask yes or no questions about a Bible lesson, figures in the Bible or other important topics. Have players toss their rings to the "yes" or "no" cone and see who can rack up the most correct answers.
Get in the Kitchen - Make Bible lessons flavorful and fun when you take to the kitchen. Bake a coat for Joseph's coat of many colors and get out the frosting while you talk about the lesson. Bake up or purchase animal crackers and load the animals on board Noah's Ark constructed of gingerbread and talk about God's promise. Goldfish are another popular and tasty treat and a way to share the loaves and fish story. Yum!
These ideas are just the start of making the people, places and lessons of the Bible come alive for every member of your family. Infusing inspiration and lessons into everyday life is a fun way to keep the family connected and continue to grow in faith.
Courtney McLaughlin is a freelance writer in Charlotte, N.C. She gratefully shares her life, home and heart with her daughter and their dog.
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