Materials
Obtain a cheap dinner plate. Bring a tube of quick-setting glue: a hammer; a tray; a newspaper

Activity
1. Gather in a circle and pass around the plate. Ask each person to explain why the plate is beautiful or unique. Have the youth imagine the history of the plate. What kinds of suppers were served on it? What might families have discussed during the meal hour? Keep the plate circulating as the discussion continues.

2. Pass the plate around again and ask each person to look into the reflections in the plate and tell you what they see. What reflections are there? (Of course they will see themselves.) Why are they beautiful or unique? What dreams and future do their lives reflect?

3. Place newspaper in the center of the circle and place the plate on top. Tell the children that the plate represent people. Place another newspaper on top of the plate. Carefully break the dish with a hammer. (Try not to shatter it. YOU want to end up with several pieces, not a thousand fragments.)

4. Carefully pass around the pieces. Ask each person to describe the feelings that are evoked because this symbol of a person’s life has been broken. How is this situation a bit like their own lives? How is like Daniel’s life?

5. Reread todays text. Explain that often people are shattered by broken dreams, fears or anxieties.

6. Glue the pieces back together. Place the reconstructed plate on the tray and pass it around the circle. Ask the students to compare God’s act of healing to the glue. How does God heal the broken parts of our lives?

Application
Daniel was captured and carried away to an unknown land. he was a slave even though he lived in the king’s palace. Daniel’s first test dealt with the food placed on his plate. He could eat the king’s food which was sacrificed to idols or he could simply eat vegetables. Then the king had a bad dream and he was going to kill all his advisors unless they could tell him what he saw. It may have seemed like there was no hope. But God revealed what the king saw and what it meant. As a result Daniel was raised from a slave to a ruler. God took a bad situation and made it something good. We need to trust God with bad situations because we know he can peice them back together and make something good out of them.

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Materials
An overhead projector; a large-piece jigsaw with very few pieces. (The picture on this puzzle does not matter.) The size should be similar to the top of the overhead projector.

Arrange the pieces of the large-piece jigsaw at random on top of the overhead projector.

Activity
Ask for a volunteer to come up and assemble the puzzle.

Application
The pieces will show up in silhouette as it is assembled, as will the hands. As this is happening, use the jigsaw to illustrate how God takes all the confusing pieces of life and fits them together. We may not see the picture he is putting together, but we can have faith that he is in charge.

Variation
If you have multiple OHP projectors make a game out of it. Provide teams with the same puzzle pieces but on different projectors. Allow the teams to shout to their leader instructions for putting the puzzle together. (How often do we tell God what we think is best in life when we also do not see the picture as clearly as he does?)

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Materials
None.

Preparation
Form youth/children into teams of equal number.

Activity
Each group must construct a continuous line of objects they have in their possession. The group that builds the longest line in the specified time is the winner. They may only use objects in their personal possession. (Do not inform them, but this includes pens, belts, shoelaces, shoes, socks, coins, a watch, necklace, etc.) The only specification is it must be personal objects. This can be quite fun and quite interesting once the obvious items are out of the way – don’t be surprised if they even take the laces out of their shoes to extend the line.

Debrief
After the time ends, award the group with the longest line. Then ask children, as a group, to choose the one item from the line that is “most precious.” Older children should be prepared to explain their choice. Then ask them what is most precious about the church?

Application
This line you have built, in many way represents the church. In it you bring various gifts, talents, items that help to advance the cause or goals of the church. Other people have come before you and also added their gifts and talents to the church. As a church we are also reaching toward a goal. That goal is to tell others about Jesus, to build the kingdom of God, and to have fellowship with each other.

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Materials
Obtain a children’s puzzle of 10-20 large pieces. Alternatively, get a poster of a church or group of people and cut it into pieces for a puzzle. You can also draw pictures on a large piece of paper, then cut them up. If you are using a precut puzzle of a set number of pieces you may need to use an additional puzzle if the group is larger than the number of pieces. On the back of the pieces you can write questions about the church as icebreakers. Some possible questions are:

* What are some things we do at church?
* Why did Jesus set up the church?
* What is the most important thing that happens at church?
* Name the things you would find in a church?
* What is the difference between a church and a society or organization?
* Why do people go to church?
* Why is the church important?

Put one of the questions on the back of each piece of the puzzle. Repeat questions for larger groups. Remove the corners of the puzzle and write Jesus on the back of them. Mix up the pieces except for the corners. Use puzzle shaped nametags for participants for more fun!

Activity
As each person comes arrives give them a piece. Have them mingle among the group and find ONE person who has a piece of the puzzle that connects to theirs. When they find someone, they then ask each other the questions on the back of their pieces. After discussing the questions, they should move and find another person. Every piece of the puzzle will have at least 3 possible connections. (Corners have only 2 but are not used yet. Edge pieces have 3 connections and pieces from the center of the puzzle have 4)

After the group has mingled, give them the corners you have set aside, and have them construct the puzzle. Make the following rule: No one may touch any one else’s piece of the puzzle (i.e. you have to put your own pieces into the puzzle) If you have more than one puzzle you can have the groups compete to see who completes it the quickest. Do not show them the box with the picture of the completed puzzle.

Application
Ask the following question: How is the puzzle representative of the church – the Body of Christ? You can refer them to 1 Corinthians 12 if they are stuck. Write their responses on the white board. Some possible responses are:

1. made up of many parts.
2. Christ is the cornerstone
3. The parts fit together to make a whole
4. if one part is missing, the whole suffers – to be complete they need each other
5. no piece, is more important that the others.
6. some relationships are closer than others
7. together they form a picture
8. they didn’t have the box so it was sometimes difficult to know what they were forming
9. different people acted as leaders to help them form the picture
10. The pieces support each other
11. there are different connections – shapes – that connect each
12. each piece is different / unique
13. Each piece is identified by where it fits into the whole
14. Some pieces are easily identified but not more important

Closing
After this activity, ask each person to take back their piece of the puzzle as a reminder of the lessons of the puzzle.

Variation
Hide the pieces of the puzzle throughout classroom while children/ youth are out of the room. Have a card table or work area where the puzzle can be reassembled. Let youth / children have a scavenger hunt for the puzzle pieces. When a player finds a piece they are to bring it to the table to fit it together with the other pieces. When a person finds a piece, she/she must ask the question or answer the question on the back of the piece then place it into the puzzle. Once they have found where that piece goes they are off searching for another piece of the puzzle. At the end, have the participants think about all those pieces, each one a different shape, size and color but they all come together to become one big picture.

Find out how you can get 52 of my best icebreakers of all time! (That’s a full year of icebreakers – one a week!) They even lead into lessons on youth related issues!

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This 170 page resource not only provides 52 of the world’s most popular group icebreaker activities and games, but also includes lesson ideas and discussion questions to smoothly transition into conversations about the issues common to most groups.

Click here to find out how to get your hands on this incredible resource!

Materials
Blindfold

Activity
There are many variations of tag. The key ingredient of a game of tag is the ability to touch someone. Even if you are blindfolded, you can feel a person. Blindfold one person. The blindfolded person must then roam about the room trying to touch someone else. Others in the room scatter and try to avoid being touched. If they are touched, then they must become the person with the blindfold. To assure safety, have a teachers stationed in front of any dangerous objects in the room to protect the blindfolded person. To vary the difficulty of the game, you can add variations.

Variations
1. Marco Polo – the person who is blindfolded yells out “Marco” and everyone else must respond with “Polo” The blindfolded person can then use the sound to find the others.
2. Label the four walls of the room, with colors, or another identifyer. Then call out the label. Everyone in the room must then move to make contact with that wall. The blindfolded person tries to touch someone as they go to the colored wall.
3. Blindfold all participants

Application
When you were able to touch (tag) another person, you were aware of their presence. You might have found them by the the things they did, or the sounds they made. Sometimes we may not be able to see God, but we know he is there my the things he does and the sound of his voice. Often times, it is not Jesus himself who does things and speaks to us, but others who are doing it on His behalf. We feel the touch of God through the touch of others.

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Materials
Paper, pencil and blindfold for every two students.

Activity
Break into pairs for a sheep drawing contest. Give one person in the pair some paper and a pencil. This person is the artist. The other person is the shepherd. Blindfold the artists. The “shepherd” can give verbal instructions to the artist but he may not touch his body or his paper. Give the pairs several minutes to work. Provide them with additional paper if needed. After a while, switch roles.

Let everyone share their drawings. Give various prizes to the artists.
1. Best Sheep
2. Most Unusual
3. Best imitation of an animal besides a sheep
4. Best Abstract Art

Discussion
In John 10:7-13: 27-30, Jesus described His relationship to us as one of a shepherd to his sheep.

In what ways are we like sheep?
*Sheep don’t consider the implications of what they do and are always getting into trouble
*Sheep are dependent on the shepherd
*Sheep live a carefree existence
*Shepherd provides for thier needs
*Shepherd rescues them when they get into trouble
*Shepherd protects them
*Sheep need to rely on shepherd for defense
*There is a relationship between sheep and the shepherd

What is difficult about being a sheep?

What is the best thing about being a sheep?

In what ways does the passage compare our relationship with Christ to that of a sheep and Shepherd?
*He wants the very best for us (9-10)
*He laid down His life for us (11, 16-17))
*He will never abandon us (12-13)
*He knows us well; He wants us to know Him well (14-15)

Application
In the same way the artist had to follow the verbal instructions of the shepherd in the drawing competition, according to John 10:27-30, we follow Jesus by hearing His voice.

In what ways do we hear the voice of the shepherd today?

In order of authority:
#1 The Bible
#2 Christians
#3 Spiritual Authorities
#4 Circumstances

200 page e-book that explains everything you need to know when planning your very own object lessons. It contains 90 fully developed object lesson ideas and another 200 object lesson starter ideas based on Biblical idioms and Names / Descriptions of God.

Learn More…

Materials
Bring in a variety of items that may be unfamiliar to children. These items should have a special purpose and be useless apart from that purpose. Examples might be:

* the little wrench that is used to tighten a drill bit in a power drill – useless without the drill
* a jumper from a computer board – useless without the computer card
* a zipper from an old backpack – useless without the backpack
* Corkscrew – useless without a cork
* watch battery – useless without a watch
* can opener – useless without a can
* staples – useless apart from a stapler
* power cord – useless without an appliance
* monopoly or other game peices – useless without the game board
* eyeglass / sunglasses lense – useless without the frames
* telephone handset – useless without the telephone / phone line
* roll of film – useless without a camera
* cap from an ink pen – useless without the pen
* lid from a teacup – useless without the cup
* lock – useless without a key
* doorknob – useless without a door
* Pull ring from a soft drink
* etc.

You can also use car parts, adapters, components of power tools, parts of kitchen appliances, and various parts and peices of items found around your home.

Activity
Ask children to identify the purpose of each item. Award prizes to individuals for each item correctly guessed or to teams who correctly identify the most items. You may wish to number items for identification purposes.

Application
Explain that each item has a very special purpose. It was created to fulfill a very specific task or need. While it might be used for other things, it has a very specific purpose. Apart from that purpose it is basically a piece of junk. According to Acts 28:30-31, the church was also created with a purpose. Apart from that purpose it is useless. The purpose of the church is to
1) Focus on Jesus;
2) Focus on the Kingdom of God;
3) Focus on Koinonia (fellowship).

Variation
Use this to discuss the idea that God created each of us with a purpose (1 Corinthians 12)

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Materials
A toy bow and arrow set, a toy gun with darts that use suction to stick, or a darts set and target. You can get nerf targets and even velcro targets with velcro coated balls from Toys R Us or another toy store.

Activity
Demonstrate your skill at throwing the dart/ shooting the arrow without aiming at anything. Brag about how good of a shot you are. Then explain that no one really knows how good of a shot you are without a target. Bring out the target and have a competition between you and the kids.

Then place the target an impossible distance away so that it is impossible to hit the target and challenge anyone to hit it. Give them only one chance.

Application
Explain that reaching the target is a bit like us trying to reach heaven. It is impossible for us because we are not perfect enough to hit the target. If we miss once, we are disqualified. If we tell one lie, say one hurtful word, do one thing wrong, then we miss. In the Bible the word for “sin” is the same word used in archery to describe the missing of the bullseye. It means “to miss the mark.”

Variation
Add a variety of carnival games for children and display gifts (candy?) for those that are successful. Some options:
* Toss a ring over a softdrink or water bottle (very small ring)
* Toss a coin on a saucer sitting on top of a cup (impossible distance)
* Throw a dart at a balloon (impossible distance)
* bounce a ping pong ball into a small glass (slightly bigger than the hole)
* toss a tennis ball to knock over all three cans (use heavy cans)
* toss a ball through a hole in the side of a box. (Hole is almost same size as ball)
* Use a straw and cotton swab as a dart to hit a peice of adhesive (sticky) paper or fly paper. (impossible distance)

Application
After everyone has failed, reward all participants with the prizes. The Bible says it is impossible for us to reach heaven by our own efforts, but God gives us the free gift. All we have to do is trust in him. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

200 page e-book that explains everything you need to know when planning your very own object lessons. It contains 90 fully developed object lesson ideas and another 200 object lesson starter ideas based on Biblical idioms and Names / Descriptions of God.

Learn More…

Materials
A large opaque cloth sack for each group of objects (a dark colored pillow case works fine), and a variety of objects that can be identified by touch. Alternatively you can get dark colored socks or even paper bags for smaller items.

Look through your house and collect a variety of objects. Some possible items you can use:

fruits– apple, orange, banana, grape, plum, nuts, rambutan, star fruit, lemon
office supplies– pencil, stapler, eraser, paperclip, pen, hole punch (avoid sharp items such as thumbtacks and scissors)
stuffed animals / beanie babies– Various stuffed animals you have around the house.
kitchen utensils– butter knife, spoon, fork, egg beater, spatula, ladle (Avoid sharp utensils)
tools– screwdriver, hammer, wrench, file, punch, plyers, level
small hardware– nails, bolts, nuts, washers, hooks, screw
money– various coins, various bank notes, credit cards
jewelry– ring, necklaec, brooch, tie-pin, earring
game pieces– monopoly tokens, poker chips, dominos, chess peice, dice, carrom seeds, marbles, jacks
toys– car, doll, marbles, miniatures
toiletries– soap, toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo
nature– various leaves, stone, twig, flower, sand
sports– golf ball, ping pong ball, tennis ball, golf tee, soccer ball
computer– mouse, diskette, memory chip, keyboard
multimedia– vcr, audio, CD, MD disk, players, earphones
Dinner table items– cup, saucer, bowl, plate, pot, pan
Personal items– wallet, keys, ID card, belt, watch, glasses (use unbreakable ones)
OTHERS?

For added significance, place physical items mentioned in a Biblical story you are going to discuss inside a bag on its own. (For Example you could place gardner’s tools and a vine and branches in a bag when you wish to discuss John 15.)

Activity
1. Place the categories of items in separate bags. Place one item that doesn’t match with the others. (i.e. place an apple in with office supplies) Have youth/children use touch to identify the item that doesn’t belong. Award bonus points for also getting the category correct.

Variation
Place all the items in a single bag. You should have 5-20 items depending on the age of your group and the appropriate difficulty. If you wish to expedite this activity you might prepare several bags of identical items. Without looking inside the bag, have kids touch the items in the bag and then go back and write down all the items. Award kids who get them all correct or the most correct. This can be done as a subsequent activity to the first.

Application
Just as you identified by touch the presence of items that you could not see, we can identify the presence of God in the ways he touches our lives. Many times he uses other people to touch our lives. Even today, you may not see Jesus, but you know he is there and has other people to take care of you.

This document is a guide only. It contains general information and is not intended to represent a comprehensive checklist
.

200 page e-book that explains everything you need to know when planning your very own object lessons. It contains 90 fully developed object lesson ideas and another 200 object lesson starter ideas based on Biblical idioms and Names / Descriptions of God.

Learn More…

Materials
List of single word questions or scripture verses missing a single word. Ensure that the words are not longer than the number of people on a team.

Activity
The next time you have a Bible quiz or scripture memory, make kids answer the question or supply the missing word in the scripture by spelling it out using their hands, arms, legs and body. Each person becomes ones letter. The first team to line up and correctly spell out the answer as a team gets the points for that question. Continue until all questions are completed.

Icebreakers Ahead: Take It To the Next Level

This 170 page resource not only provides 52 of the world’s most popular group icebreaker activities and games, but also includes lesson ideas and discussion questions to smoothly transition into conversations about the issues common to most groups.

Click here to find out how to get your hands on this incredible resource!