Playing games as a family is a great way to bond, teach biblical values, and cultivate the fruits of the Spirit. Faith-based games, whether indoors or outdoors, can reinforce Christian principles, build fellowship, and create a fun atmosphere that encourages teamwork, patience, and love. Engaging your children through games not only helps them learn more about their faith, but it also fosters a sense of community, joy, and togetherness.
1 Corinthians 10:31 (ESV):
"So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."
Incorporate Biblical Lessons: Use gameplay as a teaching tool. Whether through trivia games or team activities, find opportunities to discuss Christian values and lessons from the Bible.
Focus on Teamwork and Encouragement: Encourage children to work together rather than compete against each other. Highlight how the fruits of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control—are important in the way they play.
Praise Character, Not Just Wins: Reinforce positive character traits like honesty, kindness, and fairness over simply winning. This helps children understand that glorifying God in their behavior is more important than coming out on top.
Adjust to Age Levels: Make sure the games are appropriate for all ages. For younger children, simplify the rules or play as a family so everyone feels included.
Pray Before or After Games: Take a moment to pray, asking God to guide your family to have fun while honoring Him in the way they interact with each other during gameplay.
Bible Trivia
Create or buy a Bible trivia game that tests knowledge of Scripture, characters, and stories. Each question can lead to a discussion or deeper explanation of the biblical passage.
Fruit of the Spirit Matching Game
Make cards with different fruits of the Spirit on one side and examples of those traits in action on the other. Match the fruit with the corresponding behavior.
Bible Story Matching Game
Bible Story Match! is a fun, "2-games-in-1" memory game featuring 100 colorful cards with favorite Old and New Testament stories, perfect for kids ages 3 and up for family game night or Sunday school.
Scripture Memory Challenge
Write Bible verses on index cards, leaving out key words for kids to fill in. The game helps with Scripture memorization and reinforces biblical truths.
Bible Charades
Act out Bible stories or characters without speaking while others guess what it is. This game gets everyone thinking about the Bible in a fun, active way.
Christian Pictionary
Draw Bible scenes, Scripture references, or Christian symbols while others try to guess what you’re drawing.
Praise and Worship Freeze Dance
Play worship music and have kids dance around. When the music stops, they have to freeze. It’s a fun, energetic way to get moving while celebrating God.
Armor of God Dress-Up Race
Using household items, create pieces of the armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18). Race to see who can “dress up” in the full armor of God the fastest.
Faith-Based Board Games
Play Christian-themed board games like Bibleopoly (Bible-themed Monopoly) or Apples to Apples: Bible Editionfor family-friendly fun with a biblical twist.
Acts of Kindness Bingo
Create a bingo card with acts of kindness (helping a sibling, praying for a friend, etc.). Each time a child completes one, they mark it off the card.
Prayer Balloon Toss
Write prayer requests on balloons and toss them around the room. As each one is caught, the person reads the prayer request aloud and prays for it.
Bible Verse Scavenger Hunt
Hide objects or clues around the yard, each tied to a Bible verse. After finding all the clues, the verses lead to a special prize or message.
Fruits of the Spirit Relay Race
Set up a relay race with stations that represent different fruits of the Spirit. At each station, the child performs an activity that demonstrates that trait (e.g., sharing, showing patience).
Noah’s Ark Animal Game
Create a version of tag where one child is "Noah," and others are animals trying to get to the ark. Play with pairs of children as animals to symbolize the two-by-two theme.
Creation Nature Walk
Go for a walk, pointing out parts of God’s creation that reflect His handiwork—trees, flowers, animals. After the walk, discuss the wonders of God’s creation.
David and Goliath Slingshot Game
Use soft balls or bean bags and a target to represent Goliath. Each child takes turns slinging the "stone" to knock over the target, like David in the Bible.
Red Sea Crossing Game
Create two teams with a rope or pool noodles forming the "Red Sea." One team (Moses) holds back the water (ropes), while the other team (Israelites) must cross before the water "closes."
Parable Treasure Hunt
Hide small treasures (coins or toys) in the yard and relate it to the Parable of the Hidden Treasure (Matthew 13:44). After finding the treasures, talk about what true treasure in God’s kingdom means.
Faith Obstacle Course
Set up an obstacle course with a “leap of faith” section, where kids have to trust a parent or sibling to guide them through part of the course while blindfolded.
Wall of Jericho
Build a wall with blocks or boxes and reenact the story of Jericho. March around it, then knock it down after “shouting” like the Israelites did in Joshua 6.
Praise Parachute Game
Use a large parachute (or a bedsheet) for the kids to hold. Toss a soft object in the middle (representing a prayer or praise) and see how long they can keep it in the air.