Category Archives: Bible Activities

Bible activities are an extremely effective method for reinforcing Biblical truths and helping to engage your students in embracing God’s word.

Bible Activities

Bible Puzzles

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For years, Sunday school teachers have been making their own free Bible puzzles on several easy sites. Granted, Bible puzzles can be bought at very reasonable prices, and programs to design them can be downloaded. The greatest assets of our recommended sites is that Bible puzzles can be created free, without the anxiety of downloading viruses, and they can be tailored to your lesson plans as time fillers and extra activities! Bible puzzles that center around your particular lessons are always great to have on hand.

Armored Penguin is a great place to create easy word searches. Just go to their website with a list of words that go with your lesson. You’ll see a grid of rectangles going across and down. Click in the first rectangle and type your first word. Hit the tab key, which will take you to the second rectangle, and so on. Make sure to use either all caps or all small letters, as the algorithm is case sensitive.

With Armored Penguin, you have the ability to do some fun things, such as name a color and type face. But the word search will size itself, based on how many words you include and how long they are on average. Is that smart, or what?!

Even if you’re plugging in words off the top of your head, the word search only takes a few minutes to complete. Click “Make Puzzle” when finished the page. Alas:  You’ll be looking at your completed word search in about a second! You can print in PDF or HTML, or save in either format. If you want the puzzle larger, simply insert it as an “image” into a Word document, then click and drag until it is as large as you want.

Discovery Education is another miraculous yet easy, free site. Some Sunday school teachers find their specialties to be mazes and cryptograms containing Bible messages. However, the site will do any of the following with ease: word search, criss-cross, double puzzles, fallen phrases, math squares, mazes, letter tiles, cryptograms, number blocks, hidden messages, etc. Just come to their site, http://www.discoveryeducation.com/free-puzzlemaker/, with some terminology associated with your particular lesson and carefully follow the prompts (they’re designed for kids to follow, so it shouldn’t be a problem). Once finished, click “create my puzzle!” at the bottom. You will again have your choice of printable or savable formats and can choose colors, fonts, and sometimes other artwork! Just print and bring to class!

Puzzlemaker.com allows you to do easy word searches or crossword puzzles with the same ease as Discovery Ed or Armored Penguin. Its unique feature is that after easily creating your word search, you have the option to “export to Microsoft Excel.” This way, you can open the document in Excel and play around with it quite a bit if you are an Excel-loving artist. The puzzles will appear, one letter in each of the Excel squares. You can then choose from Excel’s two hundred typefaces or insert Microsoft artwork. If you save it as an Excel document, then insert it in a Word program, you can stretch it out to fit on any size piece of paper so that it is centered, balanced, and taking up most of the space on the page.

When creating Bible puzzles, you’re usually in a hurry, and you surely don’t need additional expenses. These three websites for Bible puzzles have been so satisfying the some Sunday school teachers haven’t bought a single program for added materials in years!

Bible Activities

Genesis Bible Quiz and Answers

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Sunday school teachers looking for fun and exciting fill-in activities can always take students back to Genesis. Genesis is the foundation of recorded history for all those in the Judeo, Christian and Muslim faiths. A Genesis Bible Quiz can help keep the beginnings of mankind fresh, enjoyable and relevant to kids.

Here’s an easy Genesis Bible quiz that can reinforce facts that kids should know and can also help teach those facts!  (Answers are provided after each quiz question.)

 

1. The first life forms mentioned in Genesis were:

A. Adam and Eve

B. God and Jesus

C. Abraham and Moses

D. Sodom and Gomorrah

Answer:  B

God says in 1:26, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness,”  and He doesn’t create Adam and Eve until 1:27. Church fathers dating back to Christ’s apostles say the “us/our” references are God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

 

2. In Genesis 3, the fruit Eve ate that caused her to sin was what type?

A. An apple

B. A fig

C. A pomegranate

D. Unknown

Answer:  D

While it is widely thought that Eve ate an apple, the fruit is not named, and it may even be a fruit that ceased to exist after the Garden disappeared.

 

3. The first person to commit murder in the Bible was:

A. Adam

B. Cain

C. Esau

D. Methuselah

Answer:  B

Adam helped commit the first sin, but it was not murder. Cain, his son, murdered his brother Abel over jealousy.

 

4. How long did Adam live?

A. 33 years

B. 100 years

C. 930 years

D. 1000 years

Answer:  C

Genesis 5:5 lists Adam living “930 years, and then he died.”
5. How many sons did Noah have?

A. 3

B. 21

C. 7

D. 9

Answer:  A

Genesis 6:9 first names them:  Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

 

6. The ark was made out of what kind of wood?

A. Teak

B. Oak

C. Cypress

D. Pine

Answer:  C

Many beautiful boats today are made out of teak wood, as it is least porous and quite water resistant; however, the ark was made out of cypress (Genesis 6:14).

 

7. After Noah and his family went into the Ark, waters flooded the earth for how many days?

A. 40

B. 100

C. 150

D. 3

Answer:  C

It rained for 40 days and nights, but it is thought that water also gushed from beneath the earth as well as the sky. The last verse in Genesis 7 states that “the waters flooded the earth for a hundred and fifty days” [24].

 

8. God foiled man’s plans for the Tower of Babel in Genesis 11 because:

A. He felt that men would be too smart and use their smarts to stray from Him

B. He felt that men would be too smart and use their smarts to destroy each other

C. He felt that man would be smart enough to compete with Him

D. A and B

Answer:  D

Genesis 11:6-7 shows God saying, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them.7 Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.” Man will never compete with God. Frequently God has thwarted man so he wouldn’t injure himself or others or stray from God’s protection.

 

9. From Genesis 12 onward, the Book of Genesis mainly concerns:

A. Four generations of one family

B. Ten sins that men commit frequently

C. Twelve tribes and how they behaved

D.All of the above

Answer:  A

Abraham was the father of Isaac, who was the father of Jacob, who was the father of Joseph, and the rest of Genesis concerns these four generations. Abraham is considered the Father of the Nation of Israel. The ten sins referenced in the Ten Commandments were not introduced until the Book of Exodus (Exodus 20). While the twelve tribes of Israel were born in Genesis, their behavior is not a major issue.

 

10. Which descendant of Abraham was renamed “Israel?”

A. Lot

B. Isaac

C. Jacob

D.Joseph

Answer: C

Jacob, Genesis 32

 

If your students get at least 8 of the 10 questions correct in this Genesis Bible quiz, they know some important and fundamental facts of our faith! If your students were generally scoring lower than 8, that means they could use a refresher course. As some Sunday school teachers have said: “If the Book of Genesis seems real and relevant to a person, he is on his way to Christian maturity.”

Bible Activities

Armor of God Activities for Kids

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The Armor of God, found in Ephesians 6, is a great key concept for teaching kids how to deal with daily life.  Because kids love knights in armor and hearing about their battles, the Armor of God is easy to teach and fun to learn.

Teach Kids Ephesians’ Armor of God

The Bible tells us in Ephesians 6:10-17 (ESV), “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of righteousness, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

Here are some great ideas to bring the Armor of God concepts to life in your class:

Ask a Soldier about the Armor of God

Do you know any men or women in the military? Maybe there is someone in your church or community who has served in the armed forces. Ask them if they would be willing to come to your Sunday school class in their Battle Dress Uniform (also called “BDU’s”)and share with the kids about the equipment they use. Their gear will likely include boots(“shoes for your feet”), a helmet(“the helmet of salvation”), and a Kevlar(bullet-proof) vest(“the breastplate of righteousness” OR “the shield of faith”). Ask them to explain to the class what each piece of equipment is for and how it protects them. Then, use their explanations to tie into the Armor of God. If you don’t know anyone in the military, maybe you know a police officer who would likely have some similar gear. Or, check your local library for books for kids that would include descriptions of the equipment soldiers use today.

Armor of God Bible Cover

A fun and easy craft to go along with an Armor of God Bible lesson is making a “sword of the Spirit” Bible cover. For this craft you will need brown grocery bags, tape, scissors, and markers or crayons.

Cut down one side of each bag, then cut out the bottoms (older kids can do the cutting  themselves). Open the bags so they lay flat. Have the kids open their Bibles on the flattened bag and trace around them, leaving about a half inch overhang around the top and bottom, and about four extra inches on each side to form pockets for the Bible to slip into. Lay the Bibles back down on the paper and fold the ends over the front and back covers, then tape them in place to form the pockets. Then have the kids close their Bibles and write, “The Sword of the Spirit, Ephesians 6:17” on the front and then decorate however they like.

To apply the lesson, tell the kids they are enlisted in “boot camp” this week! Tell them to practice using their “Swords of the Spirit” every day. Ask them to read and memorize part or all the Armor of God verses in Ephesians and any other passages you choose. The following week, ask for a report on their progress and consider making a military-style badge for them to wear as “rank”!

Bible Science

Bible Science Experiment: Ice Cube Trick

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Ben Franklin’s Birthday is January 17th!  For science lovers, here’s a way to tie in God’s wondrous creation to the great inventor.  This demonstration will show that everything isn’t always what it seems to be.  We can remind the class that when tempted to do something that is questionable to remember there is always another way. 

Materials

  • Tall drinking glass
  • Ice cubes
  • Salt
  • String

Introduction

Ask the class if anyone thinks it is possible to pick up an ice-cube with only a piece of string.  Of course, that’s impossible.  In this experiment we’ll show how this can be done. 

Instructions

  1. Place an ice cube in a glass of cold water.
  2. Cut a piece of string about six inches long
  3. Try to pick up the ice-cube by laying the string across the top of it without your hands touching the ice-cube.
  4. Now wet the string and lay it across the ice-cube.
  5. Sprinkle salt on top of the ice-cube and the string.
  6. Wait a few minutes and then try again to pick up the ice-cube with the string.  This time it works.

Explanation

The salt will have melted the ice slightly and the water will have refrozen around the string making it adhere to the ice.

Teacher’s discussion

Let’s pretend that we are like the ice, God is the string, and the salt is like God’s Word.  When we “sprinkle our lives” with God’s word, it draws us closer to him and he is able to “pick us up.”   But when we sprinkle our lives with bad thoughts and evil deeds we are pulling away from God instead of reaching towards him. The Bible encourages us to draw close to God and allow our hearts and bodies to be cleansed of sin.  Hebrews 10:22 “Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.”

Bible Activities, Object Lessons

Bible Object Lesson – “Flashlights”

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In creating New Year’s resolutions, students can learn two important principles:

  • Without God’s light and love to help us see where we’re going, we’re like blind people trying to get somewhere;
  • Reach for high goals, which bring confidence and trust in God’s power.  As Dr. Martin Luther King observes:  “You don’t have to see the whole staircase…just the next step.”    

This lesson will help students realize both principles.

Household Object:   Flashlight

Materials

  • Flashlight
  • Bag of candy kisses wrapped in silver or gold, enough for each child to have several

Preparation

  1. Before class, place 10 candy kisses around the room in various places, mostly in plain sight, but some hidden behind things.
  2. Hide the bag of candy kisses.
  3. Turn out all the lights in the room and close blinds, making it as dark as possible.
  4. Seat students around a table to listen to you, and you sit at the head.

 Lesson

Turn on flashlight so you can read.  This year, I’d like to do some amazing things. 

  1. I’d like to lose all my extra pounds. 
  2. I’d like to be able to run in a marathon, five miles at least! 
  3. I’d like to read a book a week…that’s 52 books. 
  4. I’d like to set a goal to clean my house every week and pick up every night so it never looks messy when company comes. 
  5. I’d like to be available for homework every night so that my kids can get straight A’s. 

 How many of you think I can do all that?  Shine the light around so you can see hands raised.

 Guess what my goals were last year.  Let them guess.

 Actually my goals were pretty much the same last year.  How many of those goals do you think I accomplished?  Let them answer. 

 Think of it:  If I had gotten all these goals last year, why would I be asking for them again this year? 

 I made some headway.   For maybe six weeks I cleaned my house every week.  I lost four pounds, but I gained it back.  This year is different.  This year…

 Shine the light in your smiling face… I’m letting God lead me, rather than simply telling God what I want and waiting for Him to fall into MY plans.

 Reaching your goals and dreams doesn’t happen over night.  When you don’t get them one year, should you give up?  No. 

 Failing at things can be a great opportunity in disguise.  It can bring us closer to God.  Proverbs 16:9 says, “In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.”

 This year, I’m going to tell God what I want.  But then, I’m going to do my best to determine what he wants.  Does God want me to be a miserable failure?  No.

According to 3 John 1:2, God wants us to prosper and be in good health.   And the truth is that God works for the long-term.  We work for the short term.  I’d like to lose four pounds this week.  God would like me to become the type of person who finds comfort in Him rather than food.  

Which is the better goal?  If I follow God’s plan, will I make my goal, too?  Yes, and in a better way.

I would like to be able to run five miles in two weeks.  God wants to work on my heart, my muscles, my lungs, my mindset, my faith.   He wants to make sure I’m even more focused on my inner qualities than my appearance.  If I follow God’s timing, will I make my own goal, too?  Yes. 

To set New Year’s goals we need patience, trust, and faith in God’s direction.  

There are 10 pieces of candy hidden around this room.  Don’t anyone get up yet. 

Turn off the flashlight.

Who wants to try to find them all in the dark? 

Turn on the flashlight.

Why bust around in the dark, when we have the Light of the World to help us? 

We can set huge goals this year, so long as we are led by the Light.  Dr. Martin Luther King once said, “You don’t have to see the whole staircase.  You only have to see the next step…”

Shine the light on the floor where you are sure there is a candy kiss. 

Let’s use the light of God to help us throughout this coming year.  Let’s use the light now to find all the treasures and think of them like dreams for the New Year…

Let the students take the flashlight and use it to find the 10 pieces of candy.  The light will reflect off the foil to help “illuminate” them.  Tell students not to eat the kisses, but to bring it all back to the table. 

Once everyone is seated…

Who would like to share the candy they found with those who found less?  You may get some takers, but not many. 

Isaiah 30:18 says, “The LORD longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!”

Here’s the greatest thing about God.  When we follow Him, he gives us a LOT more than what we asked for…if we wait patiently for Him. 

Take out the rest of the bag of candy kisses.  Turn on the overhead lights, and pass out so that everyone has the same amount. 

Serve with juice as a snack or snack supplement.