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Game Ideas, Object Lessons

Living Skeletons

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Living Skeletons
Even if you don’t want to be involved with Halloween, you’ll want to grab at least one of those plastic or paper Halloween skeletons for this object lesson and games.

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Skeleton Games

Preparation: Purchase one or more plastic skeletons commonly found during the Halloween holiday season. You can also use a paper skeleton that is already cut into parts or make your own. Separate the plastic skeleton parts into pieces or cut them out if they are on paper.

  • Build the Skeleton – Obtain one skeleton for each team. Place all the parts for each skeleton in its own sack and give one sack to each team. When you say ‘Go’, each team must take out the skeleton parts and correctly reconstruct the skeletons. Award prizes for the fastest times. You can also give additional prizes for weirdest skeleton, etc.
  • Skeleton Scavenger Hunt – Hide the skeleton bones before the lesson starts. Let the participants search for them and then reassemble the skeleton. For older youth, you can hide the bones and then write out clues for them to follow to find them. You can also get a few skeletons and break the kids into teams. You can have it as a free for all (i.e. hide all parts and award the first team to find one of each part and put the skeleton together), or you can add a spot of color or a colored ribbon to identify which skeletons belong to which team. Team members must first find a complete set of parts… then they must assemble it correctly.
  • Skeleton Hoop Toss – This game requires a plastic-molded skeleton, positioned upright, and three plastic hula-type hoops. Mark a place where youth teams must stand. Each youth attempts to toss the three hoops over the skeleton. The player who tosses the most hoops over the skeleton wins.
  • Blind Skeleton Assembly – Place all the parts for each skeleton in its own sack and give one sack to each team. Each team chooses one team member to be blindfolded. When you say ‘Go’, the blindfolded person must correctly reconstruct the skeleton according to directions given by his or her team. First team to finish wins.
  • Skeleton Posers – Hang a Skeleton up and then using poster tape, pose the skeletons in different positions and take a picture of each pose. Have fun by placing all the Skeleton’s hands in the air, holding hands, legs positioned like doing a split and so on. You’ll want 20 to 30 different skeleton poses for the game. Take the photos and print out the pictures to create your Skeleton posing cards. When a card is drawn, the first team to pose the skeleton in the correct position wins. Variation: The team chooses one person (who is not allowed to see the photo) to help pose the skeleton according to directions given by the team, so it matches the photo. Variation: Teams are given 3 minutes to see how many Skeleton Poses they can create, the team with the most Poses made in 3 minutes wins.

TAKE IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL

One of the scary things about Halloween is the skeletons. A lot of people are afraid of death. When they see bones it reminds them of death and they become afraid. But they are just bones and there is nothing to be scared about. They can’t come to life right? Or can they?

The prophet Ezekiel might have had the first Halloween scare! We don’t know what day it took place, but it probably wasn’t October 31st. Let’s look at Ezekiel 37 to find out more!

MAKE IT SPIRITUAL

Read the key verses from this vision. God’s question to Ezekiel, “Can these dry bones live?” (v3) might be a question a lot of youth ask on 31st of October.

God was talking about more than a skeleton in a closet. He was giving Ezekiel a glimpse into the future when Jesus would conquer death and bring life to us. Jesus did conquer death on a cross. He also resurrected Lazarus from the dead.

Yet God was giving Ezekiel a picture of something more.

The bones represented the house of Israel and their dryness and loss of hope. (v11) The spirit of God would enter their bodies and they would experience restoration and life.

MAKE IT PRACTICAL

There may situations in life when people feel like a pile of dry bones. A new life may seem impossible.

  • What are some of the seemingly impossible situations youth / people face in life?

Like Ezekiel’s response to God when asked “Can these bones live?”, we can answer “You alone know.” God knows all and with God all things are possible. God can breath life into any situation we are in. Not only can he bring you a new life, but he can also give you a new heart: “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. (Ezekiel 36:26-27).

  • We are all dead in our sin, like a pile of dry bones (Ephesians 2:1)
  • But God, because of his great love for us, makes us alive in Christ (Ephesians 2:4-5)
  • We experience new life through faith in Christ! Doing good things doesn’t get us eternal life, but we are made alive in Christ that we might do good things for Him. (Ephesians 2:8-10)

MAKE IT PERSONAL

  • Have there been times in your own life when you feel like a pile of dry bones?
  • How can knowing that God can bring even piles of bones back to life give you hope in hopeless situations?
  • How can Christ’s resurrection give you hope in hopeless situations?

SCRIPTURE VERSES

  • Ezekiel 37
  • Ezekiel 36:26-27
  • Ephesians 2:1
  • Ephesians 2:4-5
  • Ephesians 2:8-10

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Creative Teaching Ideas, Game Ideas, Object Lessons

Easter – The Empty Tomb and Empty Eggs

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This object lesson for youth uses eggs to make the Easter message of the empty tomb memorable and fun while re-creating, the emotions felt by Christ’s disciples upon finding the empty tomb on Easter morning.

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Games using Easter Eggs

  • Armenian Egg Crush – Each youth must knock their hard boiled egg against another person’s hard boiled egg. The egg that doesn’t crack wins. Have the winners face off with other winners until only one person is left.
  • Broken Eggs – Raw Eggs are placed on the floor while all the youth look on. Ask them to carefully memorize the locations of the eggs. Then ask for a volunteer who will be blindfolded to walk through the eggs without stepping on any of them. Once blindfolded, the eggs are quickly swapped with peanuts or corn chips. The blindfolded person will think they are eggs when stepped upon. (Be sure to have a vacuum or broom to sweep up the mess)
  • Capture the Egg – Play a game of capture the flag with eggs. Divide into two teams and give each team 4 eggs. You’ll need a large open area with lots of obstacles and obstructions. Divide it into into three areas, one for each of the two teams separated by a neutral area. Each team must hide their 4 eggs somewhere in their area, making sure that nobody from the opposing team can see where it is. In order to win the game, you must capture the other team’s eggs and bring them back to your own territory. But if an enemy team member grabs you while you’re standing in their territory, they are allowed to take you straight to jail (which is a small area somewhere inside their territory). You can be freed from jail if one of your team members tags you, and join back in the game. When time is up whoever has captured the most eggs wins.
  • Don’t Drop The Egg – Two youth pair up and stand back to back. Place an egg between them. They objective is for the youth to lower the egg to the floor without breaking it. Best done with a hard boiled egg, but if you are feeling particularly playful you could use raw eggs.
  • Egg Blow – (Messy Game) Get a clear flexible tube from the hardware store, preferably of large enough diameter to hold a cracked egg inside. Youth compete against each other by placing their mouths on each side of the tube and blowing. The loser get’s a face full of egg. (Cautions: Let them place a garbage bag over clothes. You can also use an egg substitute (like Eggbeater’s) to avoid bacteria or chance of salmonella. Have moist washcloths and towels handy.)
  • Egg Drop – Give each team of youth 6ft of masking tape, 1 balloon, a handful of straws, and 1 raw egg. They have to build a protection “capsule” out of those materials that will protect the egg when dropped from various heights off a tall ladder until only one egg survives.
  • Egg Fan – Create a start and a finish line on a hard floor using masking tape. Each youth must use an empty medium sized 14″ pizza box to fan the egg to the finish line. They are not allowed to touch the egg and can only move the egg with gusts of air from waving their pizza box. This can be a team relay race or an individual race.
  • Egg Pass – Each youth has a spoon in his mouth. Teams must pass an egg to the end of the line as quickly as possible using only the spoons. First to finish wins. Do you dare use raw eggs?
  • Egg Roll – Create a start and a finish line on a hard floor using masking tape. Each youth must push the egg to the finish line using only his/her nose. This can be a team relay race or an individual race.
  • Egg Roulette – Choose 4-5 volunteers from among the youth. Place 4-5 eggs on a table. The volunteers are told that one of the eggs is raw, but the others are hardboiled. (In fact, all are hardboiled) Each player takes a turn, taking an egg from the table and tapping it on the other players foreheads until it breaks. The players are told whoever gets the raw egg is the bravest. Because all of the eggs are hardboiled, the last player gets the prize before an egg is tried on his forehead.
  • Egg Run – A youth is given a spoon to hold in his mouth while an egg is placed on the ground (hard boiled) in front of him. He must stoop down, get the egg onto his spoon without using his hands, stand up, travel to the other side of the arena, return to the starting place and return the egg to its starting position. This can be played as a relay or as individuals.
  • Egg Toss – Pairs form two lines facing off and toss an egg back and forth. Every time a catch is successful those who survived back up a little further and try again. The pair that catches the longest toss wins. Use hard boiled or raw eggs.
  • Egg Tower – Using 4 Easter eggs and 4 paper towel rolls be the first to build a tower using all the objects to create a single pillar. Be careful not to get the tower out of alignment or it will come crashing down! Play with raw or boiled eggs.
  • Hot Eggs – As music plays, youth must pass the “hot egg” around the circle from person to person. No one is skipped. The youth caught holding the egg when the music stops is out, and the game begins again.
  • Raw Egg Drop – (Messy Game) Choose 4-5 volunteers from among the youth. The volunteers lay down on their backs on the floor with a cup on their forehead. One teammate stands over them and cracks the egg with their hands attempting to drop the content of the egg into the cup as it spills out. Most of the egg will wind up on the participants face. It’s rather tricky. The team with the most egg in their cup wins. (Cautions: You might want to cover the floor with some newspaper or plastics bags first, and make sure the youth on the floor keeps eyes and mouth closed. Has some wet towels for cleanup)

An Object Lesson

A lot of the games using Easter Eggs have an element of surprise. The Eggs might not be as expected. They also tend to create a variety of other emotions as well – fear, excitement, hesitation, anger, disappointment, relief, doubt, disbelief. Many of the those same emotions are found in the resurrection accounts in the gospels. The following demonstration or object lesson helps to draw out more feelings as an empty egg reminds us of the empty tomb.

Preparation

  • Remove the contents of a raw egg. Some people create a hole in each end using a needle, then use a pipe cleaner or piece of wire to scramble the contents inside the egg. You can then carefully blow into the smaller hole so that the egg comes out a bigger hole on the other side. Some people use a syringe to suck the contents out. Once you have emptied the egg, and likely broken a couple trying, rinse it with a little water and then set it aside to dry. Later you can hold the egg with your thumb and finger to cover the holes on the top and bottom so they are not visible.
  • You also want to have a real raw egg. You can have a dozen raw eggs in a carton to add a little more credibility to the object lesson.

What to do

Holding up the real egg, ask youth what is inside an egg. After the games they should already have a good idea. Explain that unlike some of those used in the game, this one is a raw one. Inside you would find a raw yellow yolk and the clear runny white part of the egg. Break it into a glass so they can see.

Then ask for a brave volunteer to come in front of the group with you. Ask them to stand still and take out the emptied egg and proceed to crack it over the volunteer’s head. You’ll hear exclamations of surprise from both the volunteer and those watching then there will be sighs of relief or complaints from the more mischievous ones.

TAKE IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL

MAKE IT SPIRITUAL

  • Ask youth how they felt when they first broke an egg during one of the games or when you broke it during your demonstration? What feelings did they have?

Read the Resurrection story from the various accounts.

  • What were some of the reactions people had to the empty tomb in the Easter story? Mary? John? Peter? Roman Guards? High Priests? How do you think each person felt?

MAKE IT PRACTICAL

  • If you had been one of them at the empty tomb on that first easter morning, how do you think you might have reacted? What do you think you might have been feeling?
  • How did those who heard the story react? How do you typically react when you hear something unexpected?
  • Have you ever experienced anything in life that at first reaction shocked you, surprised you, or maybe even frightened you, but later turned out to be something good?
  • Was it a good thing or bad thing that the egg was empty? Was it a good thing or a bad thing that the tomb was empty? How do you think the people in the story might have answered this question?

MAKE IT PERSONAL

When Jesus’ followers found out the tomb was empty, they weren’t sure right away what to think, just like you didn’t know what to think about the empty egg. But the empty tomb was the best news of all: Jesus was alive! And because Jesus rose from the dead, we can be saved from sin and death and live with him forever in Heaven.

  • Who do you need to tell about the empty tomb of Christ this week? How do you think they might react? How does the easter story give you confidence to tell others about the Risen Saviour?
  • What personal lessons can you apply from the Easter story when you face unexpected surprises in life?

SCRIPTURE VERSES FOR THE EASTER STORY

  • Matthew 28:1-11
  • Mark 16:1-8
  • Luke 24:1-12
  • John 20:1-18

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Object Lessons

Tough Nuts to Crack

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All of us face tough situations in our lives. We could be having the time of our lives but when bad things happen, the good times are forgotten, and all we can see ahead of us is despair. Christ passed through the gates of Jerusalem triumphantly, people waved palm leaves, cloaks were laid at the feet of the donkey He rode on, the crowds cheered and welcomed Him. Barely a week later, the cheers turned to jeers, it was His cloak that was ripped from Him and it was a whip that greeted Him. This Easter themed object lesson uses a walnut to teach the youth that even in the darkest hour and hopeless situations, something good awaits for those who know the plan of the Master.

Resources

  1. Walnuts, one for each youth
  2. Fine tipped markers, one for each youth
  3. Bibles

What to Do

  1. Give each youth a walnut and a fine tipped marker.
  2. Ask youth to think of some difficult situations Bible Characters faced that turned out for good. They can search their Bibles for more examples. (See Examples Below)
  3. Ask the youth to think of difficult times that could end up working out for good for people today? (e.g. Failing a test might lead a youth studying harder and passing a class)
  4. Then ask the youth to think a situation in their own life where something difficult turned into something good. Once they think of something, have them come up with a word, phrase or symbol that represents that situation.
  5. Ask the youth to write the word of phrase or symbol onto the shell of the walnut.
  6. Ask for volunteers to share the word or phrase with the rest of the youth and a little about what happened.
  7. After the sharing, ask the youth to take their walnuts outside and do whatever it takes to crack open the walnut. (You could also provide a hammer or nut cracker if you wish).
  8. When everyone has cracked the walnuts, ask the youth to collect all the pieces and return to the room. Encourage them to taste and eat the walnuts.

Biblical Examples:

  • Moses: Murder and ran away to desert – Exodus 2:11-22
  • Joseph: Sold into slavery – Genesis 37
  • Daniel: Carried off as a captive to Babylon – Daniel 1
  • Joseph: Accused by Potiphar’s wife – Genesis 39
  • Esther: Forced into a harem for a pagan king – Esther 4:14
  • Jonah: Swallowed by a whale – Jonah 1
  • Paul: Imprisoned in Rome – Philippians 1:12-14

 Take It to the Next Level


  • How did you feel as you crushed the walnut that represented the difficult situation?
  • How is breaking open the walnut and finding something good inside similar to the difficult situations in life – when something good comes out of a bad situation?

Make it Spiritual

  • How is Jesus’ death on the cross similar? (Acts 4:27-28)
  • What good came out of Christ’s death? Resurrection?
  • How is Jesus’ resurrection like tasting the good meat inside the walnut?

Make it Personal

  • What does Christ’s death and resurrection mean to you personally?
  • How has Christ’s death made a difference in your life for good?
  • Psalm 34:8 tells us to taste and see that the Lord is good. How does this relate to the object lesson?

Make it Practical

  • What are some tough situations you’re struggling with?
  • How does Romans 8:28 and the Easter story give you hope and strength to crush these situations in your life?

Scripture References

“Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.”
– Psalm 34:8 (NIV)

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
– Rom 8:28 (NIV)

“‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'”
– Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

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Creative Teaching Ideas

Easter: Taken by Surprise

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We all make plans for big events and the next big one coming up is Easter. We often find that things rarely go according to how we intend and we tend to get caught off guard. The Easter account is full of surprises. Like the plot twist at the end of a suspense novel, all the characters get the surprise of their lives and their lives are never the same again. Here’s a fun game you can play that expresses the surprising Easter story!

Resources

  • Colored Easter Eggs

Preparation

  1. Prepare a variety of Easter eggs in different colors (black, white, red, yellow, blue, green, orange, and purple), some with numbers (7, 11, 13, and 15) and some without.
  2. Hide them around the room or a designated area.

What to Do

  1. Before starting the game, divide the youth into 2 or more teams.
  2. Tell them they have 10 minutes to find all the eggs. You might have to extend the time depending on the size of the group or the playing area.
  3. Let them know it is a team competition and that some eggs will be worth more than others.
  4. You are also allowed to trade eggs with other teams once your find them.
  5. When you announce the game has begun, the youth search for eggs, trying to acquire the eggs they think are worth the most and trading eggs with each other based on what they think the true value is.
  6. Only you will know the true value of the eggs and the meaning of the numbers.
  7. When the time is up, gather the teams together and reveal the scoring system for the eggs:

Colors: (Substitute colors as needed)

  • Black = 30 points
  • Red = 10 points
  • Yellow = 5 points
  • Blue = 2 points
  • Green = minus 2 points
  • Orange = minus 5 points
  • Purple = minus 10 points
  • White = minus 30 points

Numbers:

  • 7 = subtract 50
  • 11 = double score
  • 13 = add 50
  • 15 = add 1

Take It to the Next Level

In this game, you thought you knew the outcome. You had an idea of the meaning of the eggs and the numbers. You thought you knew the rules. You thought you had a plan. You thought you knew what to expect. But you were surprised.

Sometimes what seems a solid victory can actually be a defeat. What seems a defeat can be a victory. Sometimes the ending of the story is actually the beginning. The expected gives way to the unexpected and we are surprised. With God there are many things which are certain. But there are also things that only He understands. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

Make it Spiritual

  • Like the game, the Easter Story is full of surprises – some pleasant and some unpleasant. What are some of the surprises in the easter story?
  • What expectations did the disciples have? The pharisees? The crowd? The criminals on the cross? The Guards at the tomb? Satan? The other characters in the story?

His disciples were surprised. In the hours after Christ’s crucifixion, believers huddled together in fear behind locked doors. Then Jesus appeared, inside the locked room, in their midst. Can you imagine the surprise?

Can you imagine the surprise of those who persecuted Christ? The religious leaders surely thought that they had won. The so called Messiah would never question their authority or their righteousness again. Can you imagine how they felt when they heard about the empty tomb?

Can you imagine Satan’s surprise? It seemed that God had allowed Christ to placed under the heel of death. You can imagine his satisfaction as he watched Jesus’ head fall onto His chest, the last breath leaving His body on that terrible Friday afternoon. “We have won!” But can you imagine His surprise when Jesus rose from the dead, stole the victory from him, and conquered sin and death?

Can you imagine the surprise of the Roman soldiers guarding the tomb? Jesus was a convicted rebel put to a very painful death for his crimes. He was a rebel. He was argumentative and angered many powerful people. Even the crowd wanted his blood. And as the soldiers were guarding the tomb can you imagine their surprise when they felt a violent earthquake and the appearance of an angel who rolled away the massive stone. Matthew reported they were so petrified they were shaken stiff – just like dead men.

The women visiting Jesus’ tomb were surprised.  They were expecting to tend to a corpse. They came prepared with spices but they saw an angel actually speaking to them and telling them the unbelievable story that Jesus is not dead, and has risen. They were the first to be told that Jesus had risen from the dead. They were the first to hear of the news and Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene personally! Not surprisingly, when they reported this to the apostles, the apostles thought that what the women said was nonsense and they did not believe them (Luke 24:11).

The greatest Surprise? Of all the surprises that Easter morning, the greatest surprise is that a holy, perfect God would be willing to die for sinful man. That He died for you and He died for me. And that He rose again so will we – that’s the true surprise of the Easter story.

Make It Personal

  1. When you are surprised, what reactions do you have? How do you feel? What is the difference between a pleasant surprise and an unpleasant one? Do any make you feel the need to make changes?
  2. What surprises you in the Easter Story? What do you think should surprise us more?
  3. How is Jesus’ whole life a surprise to many?
  4. How do we assign value to people? Are there some people you consider less valuable than others? How does God value people? Does his value differ from ours?

Make It Practical

You are valuable to God. Not just you, the lost, the sinful, the broken hearted, the poor, the rich, everyone has value to God. Just how valuable? They say you only know the true value of something by what someone else is willing to trade for it. God traded His beloved Son and Jesus paid the price Himself, for you. That’s how valuable you truly are.

This Easter, how can you share God’s love with someone and let them know that it’s not just you who sees their true value, but how much more God does? What are you willing to trade to show someone else the love of Christ? Commit to surprising someone with the love of Christ through your words or deeds this week!

Scripture References

“‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the Lord. ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.'”
– Isaiah 55:8-9 (NIV)

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Object Lessons

The Gospel According to a Tea Bag

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The Gospel according to a Tea Bag

Use a tea bag as an object lesson to tell the story of Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection.

Materials

A tagged tea bag, two saucers, a clear glass of hot water, and a match or lighter.
NOTE: Please test first as not all brands of tea bags will float when lit.

Scripture

Ephesians 2:5-10

Objective

Use a tea bag as an object lesson to tell the story of Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection. It’s the Easter message for children and adults.

Object Lesson

The Label

  1. Remove the tag/label and hold it up for the children to see.
  2. Explain: The label identifies the tea. Jesus was labeled with many tags. He was called Christ, Messiah, teacher, Savior, the King of Kings, the man from Galilee, the carpenter, the Son of God, Redeemer, friend of sinners, good shepherd, Great Physician, King of the Jews and much more. Then at the cross, a sign was placed over his head – “King of the Jews.” Jesus was in the very nature God, but he wasn’t concerned with titles. He did not consider equality with God something to be grasped. Instead, he took the nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. He emptied himself and made himself nothing.

The String

  1. Remove the string and show it to the children.
  2. Then explain: People often become attached to things here on earth. They are often attached to possessions, pleasure, and power. Jesus was tempted by Satan after 40 days in the desert with the very same things. But Jesus was not attached to these things. Instead, his focus was on doing the will of God. He came to earth with a purpose. And that purpose was yours and my redemption.

The Staple

  1. Carefully remove the staple and show it to the children.
  2. Explain: This tea bag was pierced and has holes from a staple. Jesus was not pierced with a staple but with nails and a spear. Soldiers nailed his body to a cross.

The Tea

  1. Carefully open the tea bag without tearing it. Display the bag of tea leaves to the children.
  2. Then explain: Tea looks like dirt. If you put it in water, it will change the water to the color of the tea. It will no longer be clear and pure.
  3. Demonstrate by dropping a bit of tea into the glass of hot water and stirring it around.
  4. Explain: Like this tea bag, we all have dirt in our lives. We are not pure. The Bible calls this dirt, this impurity, sin. We need help from God to remove the sin from our lives. That’s exactly why Jesus came – to help us remove the sin from our lives. We must trust Jesus to remove the sin from our lives. When we ask him for forgiveness, he will make us clean and pure again.
  5. Then empty the tea leaves into the saucer.

The Tea Bag

  1. Carefully open up the tea bag completely. It will open into a long tube that you can stand on the second saucer.
  2. Explain: When Jesus removes the sin from our lives we can stand pure and proud in the sight of God. We will become a light for God. Philippians 2:15 says that among the perverse generation we will shine as lights in the world.

Lights for Christ

  1. Light the bag from the top and allow it to burn.
  2. Explain: As you shine for Jesus you become closer to God in your Christian walk, and one day your soul shall join him for eternal life. Just as Christ was resurrected and went to be with the Father, we will also rise up to be with him. We will be exalted and raised with him.
  3. The tea bag floats up as it burns.

Summary
That’s the story of Easter. Jesus set aside his titles and emptied himself and became one of us. He came with a purpose, to cut us free from the things of the world. He was pierced for us. And when we ask his forgiveness, he will take away the dirt from our lives and make us pure. We can stand strong and become his light to the world. And, just as he has risen we will also rise to be with him.



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Learn More…

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