Wednesday, July 21, 2021

Aguas Turquesas - Feliz Cumple Ella!

We celebrated her birthday the evening before with a cake and presents :) 

Well, this trip was NOT for the feint of heart 😳  We gave Ella a few different options of places we could go for her birthday and she chose the Aguas Turquesas.  It wasn't what we were expecting (in some ways), and, in true Peruvian fashion, the tour agency didn't disclose that the main road leading to the AT was closed so we had to take a detour!  The 3 hour trip took 4 hours and 45 minutes to get there!  The car ride wound around the mountain pretty much the entire time.  Imagine the curviest road you've driven on.  Now, imagine that curvy road on the edge of a mountain...that is over 5,000 meters (1,000 meters higher than Pikes Peak).  Now, imagine that curvy road has no shoulder, is basically one lane and you have various animal and people obstacles to look out for.  Oh, and then imagine that it's a dirt road 🙈  Yeah, my thoughts exactly.  Luckily, our driver was awesome (even though he loved looking at the scenery while he was driving).  I did not partake of the beautiful views as looking over the side was terrifying! lol  Here's just a little taste of the drive there.



Because of the curvy road, the lady in front of Noe got sick about an hour and a half into the drive.  The driver was able to pull over in time.  Paul, however, did not get so lucky! 🤢  He's never gotten car sick before and it came on so suddenly there was no warning.  Good times.  I had already asked to sit up in the front seat because I was nauseous.  So Paul joined me.  We felt much better in the front...but it also gave us a front row seat to all the "curvas peligrosas".


Once we finally got there (such relief!), we hiked the 1/2-3/4 miles to the top of the mountain to look down on the Aguas Turquesas.  At 5,200 meters, I had to take a few breaks on the way up.  The kids and Noe seemed fine lol.  Gemma was also quite content the entire trip!


The view from the parking lot was amazing.  we were very high and could see down (a looong way) and we could see miles and miles in most directions.  

hiking up!
If you look closely you can see the yellow stair handles.  They go all the way up (see my red circle).  I took multiple breaks to catch my breath while the kids and Gemma ran up ahead lol.  

on our hike, we saw a few of these along the way.  The guide explained that this is a very poor (and remote) area of Peru.  Indeed, we were VERY far from any large town.  so, they built these to store the water from the river (which is pretty clean), and then stocked each one with fish.  Pretty smart.  Since the main road was closed, one of the locals said that fish was basically their only meat option (unless they had their own animals)

So this is the view from the top.  Beautiful!

I've heard two explanations as to the color of the water and they are very different.  One website claims that limestone is brought in from a nearby cave which make the water turquoise.  Our guide said that it is copper sulfate which changes the color.  I'm thinking the guide may be right - as the rocks and bottom of the river were covered in white...which I think is the copper sulfate (but correct me if I'm wrong).  The sun that reflects off the minerals (whatever they are), creates the color. 

This is the bottom of the waterfalls as the water changes into a regular color...
we hiked down to the water once we finished at the top and got to see everything up close.  All the rocks and stones are white.


They no longer allow people to get in the water because the oils, dirt, and run off from people was destroying the color.  If it is in fact turquoise because of copper sulfate, this is probably a good thing - as that isn't something you want to bathe in!  plus, the water is freezing, so we had no desire to get in anyway  (although we originally thought we could and Ella was disappointed!).

Paul and Noe continued with the group to the very, very top to see where the water originated.  Ella and I hung back because she wanted to look for cool rocks to take as a souvenir :) 
That's Noe inside that little blue circle :) lol
This is the top where the water starts and falls down to the pools.
I was dreading the ride back home.  I knew it would be dark for part of the ride, and I realllly wanted to get through the curviest part before that happened.  I even told our nice driver - if you get us home safely, I'll give you a tip :) lol.  The poor guy was so exhausted by the time we arrived!  We stopped a few times along the way and Ella always found dogs to play with 💙  When we stopped for lunch/dinner, we even got to see and hold a 3 week old baby sheep!
She's like the pied piper with dogs :) lol




Overall, it was a nice trip...but I wouldn't do it again.  When the main road opens up, I think it'd be worth it...but the fact that we couldn't get in the water (and it was so cold), and the trip was so long, made it not really worth it.  This was one of the things on our Peru bucket list to see though. so I'm glad we got to do it!  It will definitely be a birthday Ella remembers! lol

En Cristo,
Laurie y la familia Juarez





Monday, July 12, 2021

The first 3 weeks...

 

I thought I'd share a few experiences with you, as well as some pictures, of our first 3 weeks.  We've done a lot of walking so that we can get to know our neighborhood, and how to get to the plaza.  Noe has started work and we got to visit him.  



Gemma has a new playmate! :) Chiquitin!

Noe's office!

The kids signed into a class here in Ayacucho to meet their fellow students.  We've visited a few churches.  This one was on the outskirts of ayacucho and it took 15-20 minutes to get there.  The view was beautiful!  The service is in Quechua so the kids and I didn't understand much :) lol  Noe will be helping out with the church regularly.  We also visited the Presbyterian Church of Ayacucho which happens to be a 5 minute walk from our house.  It's in Spanish so the kids and I will probably go there more often. (didn't get any pics of that church)


We also visited Noe's extended family that lives an hour away in Huanta (a little over a one hour trip one way).  Lots of uncles, aunts, cousins and nieces/nephews!  Noe also got to place flowers on his grandparents graves.

We went to a nearby field and played soccer and volleyball!

more beautiful scenery on the drive there.



our youngest relatives :)  We took a few little gifts for them

behind their house is a grove of avocados and some different melons.  

they sent us home with tons of avocados! can't wait until they ripen to make some homemade guac :) 





We have pretty much set up the house with everything we need (still debating on getting a microwave...I think I'm going to eventually cave to that lol).  We're also on a mission to find a pizza place that has pizza the kids like :)  so far we have had a few thumbs down and a couple of "oks".  One was so bad Ella refused to even eat it! lol  We found a water service that will bring us a new 20L jug when we're out - which means we don't have to buy water bottles or boil water constantly :) 

I don't like not having a routine yet - especially for the kids - but it *is their summer break, so I'm cutting them some slack!  They started their online classes for ELA and Math this week (mid-july), so they'll have stuff to do!

As I mentioned in the previous blog, we live close to a large outdoor/indoor market...it's about 4-5 blocks away.  I've been walking there every 2-3 days to learn where to buy things that we need.  I want to take some pics to share, but I'm trying to be very discreet.  As you can imagine, I already stick out lol.  So, if I walk around with a camera aimed at everyone while they shop...well, it's a little weird. lol.  So, I'll post them as I get them :) 

evidently oranges are in season cause they are EVERYWHERE lol.  This whole bin is 16 soles!

cuy/guinea pig 😬



the market is divided into sections - clothes, paper products, grains, meat, poultry, etc.  This is the "meat" section.

part of the outdoor market

There's a large ditch in between one side and the street, so they've constructed little bridges to cross.  Some look more stable than others!


For Ella's birthday (the 20th!), we let her decide on a place nearby to visit.  We have a whole list of places we want to see while we're here in Peru, but with some traveling restrictions still in place, we'll start local and then branch out.  She picked the Aguas Turquesas - a popular tourist attraction here in Ayaucho.  I'm very excited!  It looks beautiful.  I'll share some pics of that trip at the end of the month :) 

Thanks for following our Peru adventures :) God bless!

En Cristo, 

Laurie and the Juarez family

prayers requests - health, that Gemma re-learns to stay in her crate withOUT barking, and that the kids' school starts hybrid in August!!



Sunday, July 4, 2021

over 50 Religious games I've created to play with kids/youth!

 

I thought it would be fun to turn some well known games into Christian games that can be used during children's church, youth group, small groups, Sunday school, intergenerational events or whatever else you can think of!  They are all for sale on my teachers pay teachers or Etsy page and they're all $5 or less.  Most of them I have been able to play in the past few years with my own church kids, so I can tell you from experience that the kids enjoy them :)  Some can be printed out and played, some can be projected up on the wall to play in person and others can be played online (or all 3!).  I made many on powerpoint so they could be played on zoom over the pandemic - but they can be played in person just as easily.


GAMES 1-6 are in person only (can not be played online over zoom)

K-1st and up; $3.50
 

Zingo - prek and up; $3.50

I have...who has; first grade and up; $3
$.75; for any age that knows their left and right ;)


$2; 4th/5th grade/youth/adults

$2; any age that has studied the stories in Kings!

1-6.  There are 6 games I wasn't able to edit to be online and they were an Apples to Apples Bible game called "Alpha to Omega"Bible Zingo (a fast paced Bingo game even preschoolers can play!),  I have...who has, Left Right game using the Ruth story, March Basketball 1 v 1 game, and 2 Truths and a Lie. I just couldn't figure out how to do those over zoom lol.  

Alpha to Omega was made for early readers (K/1st grade) and up. My version of Apples to Apples includes 138 words that are Bible story or church related and 66 descriptive cards. All the cards are words that a first grader would know (that is familiar with Bible stories) and most likely be able to read - like "Goliath", "Daniel and the lions", etc. I made this in powerpoint AND PDF and I included blank cards in case you wanted to add more words that you are learning about or change a few of mine. Just print them, deal them out and play! It's also available in Spanish.

The Zingo game is for non-readers and up.   Included in the Zingo game ...50 Zingo cards so 50 kids can play at one time. Each card has six pictures. There are 48 different pictures of Bible stories and church. If you’d rather play with 4 pics per cards, then just cut two off. Slides 5 and 6 have all the pictures miniature size so they’re easy for you to see. You can use those as the playing cards, or, if you’d rather have bigger ones, slides 7-14 also contain all 48 pictures. You can use those as playing cards and as Zingo cards (so print them out twice).

I have...who has Bible version - This set has three files - Books of the Bible (OT and NT) and People in the Bible.  These cards are very basic - no clip art or fancy graphics.  Makes it easier to print out and I can sell them at a cheaper price (all 3 games for $5).  I suggest printing them on cardstock (something colorful?) or laminating them. Each set contains 20 cards. 

The game is played by passing out all the cards (each child can have one or 5 or more). The first card starts and reads what it says "I have the first card, who has the person who..." The child that has the correct answer reads, "I have Jesus, Who has the person who..." etc.

these are somewhat harder so I suggest 3rd grade and up...although you may have some 1st/2nd graders who can do it with some help. I would definitely let the kids have a Bible handy to help them with the 2 books of the Bible sets :) At least at first ;)

The Left Right game (using the Ruth story), is where you sit in a circle and either hand out some gifts and they pass the gift left or right, or you place the gifts on the ground in front of people and the people move left or right (depending on what is read in the story). 

March basketball was an idea I came up with to play with my older elementary during March Madness.  I wanted to have a basketball themed meeting and play this!  Unfortunately, I made it right before the pandemic and never got to play it...and now I'm currently serving out of the country and not in a church.  So, someone play this and let me know how it goes!! :) This is in PDF and Powerpoint I made 4 brackets - the "strongest", "bravest", "meanest" and "wisest". Who would win in an arm wrestling contest? Who would win at Jeopardy? Who was the most wicked? You decide! In each bracket there are 8 contestants that will "compete" to see who will win! There are many different ways you could play, but I included 3 versions. Before you start playing, give them all time to study the bracket(s) that you will be using and have them make a "prediction" - just like sportscasters do!  Click the link for more ideas on how to play.

Lastly, 2 Truths and a Lie is a review of 4 stories in the books of Kings plus Feeding the 5000 and Ruth!  Start off by playing the game within your own group. Everyone tell two truths about themselves and one lie. Can everyone guess what the lie is? Now play this review Bible game as a group and see how many you can get right - or divide into two groups and compete!

Print out the cards on cardstock (or print them on regular paper and laminate them). cut them in half so that there is one question per card. Next, fold them in half so that the question is on the front and the answer is on the back. You can laminate them closed, or you can staple/tape them shut.

ONLINE or IN PERSON - all of these games can be played on zoom together OR in person.

$3; 1st grade and up (youth and adults as well will enjoy this!)

7.  Gibberish!  This is a game my daughter found on a filter - I believe on Instagram.  We had fun playing it together and I thought - this would be fun to do with my 4th/5th grade group!  It's silly, fun, and it could be competitive or just a group activity.  Hint: say it quickly out loud over and over and emphasize different syllables ;)  Ex. "Newt Estimate"...New Testament!

There are FIFTY phrases and answers. If you're playing in person, you can print out the word/PDF version and everyone can play on their own, in small groups or in a large group. If you're playing on line over zoom or projected up on a screen in person, there is a powerpoint/PDF version where you can play together (or in competition) advancing each slide (each slide contains one phrase and the next is the answer).

This can really be played with any school age child. Some clues may be more difficult than others, but you can see how many you can get as a group!

$3; since no one will probably know most of the answers to these questions, even your younger elementary can play! :) 


8.  A or B Comparison Game - This sounds kind of lame, but it's pretty neat :) lol.  I had fun making this one as I had to do a LOT of research, googling and creative thinking!  Which weighs more?  A hippo or the stone that was rolled away from Jesus's tomb?  Does it matter?  no! lol  But now you want to know, right? ;)  Totally random facts that you and your kids can guess.  I played this in person in our gym and labeled one wall A and the other B.  We played as an icebreaker.  They went to the side that they thought was the answer.  Those that were wrong, sat out, and those that were correct continued.  It was a very fast paced game so they didn't sit out long.  And it kept them active!

This is not a game where your kids/youth/adults need to have any background knowledge or skill. It's basically just a silly (but informative!) guessing game - is the answer A or B? All the questions either contain Bible vocabulary (some very obscure!), people, books or things in God's creation. In addition, the questions are all comparisons...which is bigger? older? deeper? first? etc.

You can play as a whole group and decide on the answers together or you could have them number their papers to 40 and play competitively. Just remember - they will most likely know only a couple. The rest will be educated guesses :) hopefully this will be a fun game that can be used as an icebreaker, filler, or during game time.

Play online over zoom or project it up on a screen and play in the classroom. I have included printable cards at the end to use in person.


$2.50; elem/youth/adults - although for elementary you may need to pick certain categories that you know they've studied

9. Yell it out!  This is based on the old game Outburst - which I love!  Whether you play this online, projected up on a screen, or printed out and on a white board, you will need to print out the slides so you have the answers in front of you.  If you play online, you click the numbers to reveal their guesses.  If you project the powerpoint presentation, the same applies.  If you want to play with a whiteboard, simply write up their guesses as they get them right!

There are 20 cards. If you play to 50 points or so...hopefully that is enough cards to allow you to play at least 2 times with the same group.  There is a youtube video timer embedded into the slide which you can activate by pressing the enter key or using your mouse. Hitting the enter key a second time advances the slide.

There are 10 answers for each category and they are NOT ALL easy. The point of the game is NOT to get all 10 (that is too easy lol). The idea is to see how many each team can get in one minute. If they get all ten - then awesome!! But I made 6-7 in each category pretty easy and the rest are more challenging. (with the exception of the 10 commandments...in which case they have to name all ten)


4th grade and up - $2


10.  Bible Categories - So this one is like the game Scattergories.  If you've never played, everyone uses the same word list and the same letter to see how many words they can come up with.  For example, if your letter is "s" and you're playing with "word list 1", then every answer to every question needs to start with an S.  After 1 1/2-2 minutes, you call time and everyone gives their answers.  If someone has the same answer as you, you both cross it off and no one gets a point.  Unique and original answers are better :)  

There are 4 cards with 10 descriptions - you can play each card multiple times with different letters. Pick one of the cards, have the kids/youth number their papers to ten, pick a random letter (if you're playing online, there is a website called pickerwheel.com that will pick a random letter for you when you spin their wheel), then give them 1 1/2-2 minutes to fill in words to the clues that start with that letter. Scoring is explained. This is a powerpoint AND PDF that has 4 slides of 4 cards, a 5th card with an idea for doing "reverse Scattergories" and a 6th slide which contains a blank card that your group can make (maybe specific to your church/group!). You could play this game online or in person with little set up.  If you're playing in person, print out enough of the cards for each participant.

This was made with middle and high schoolers in mind (adults could play as well). 4th/5th graders could perhaps also play, but some clues may be too complicated for them (you could switch some clues and make your own card).


$3 each or $9 for all 4; 4th grade and up (youth and adults)


11.  Guess in 10 - This is like a reverse 20 Questions game.  I played this with my 4th/5th graders (online) during the pandemic and they enjoyed it.  You need to make note of, or print out the answers to clues ahead of time so you know if their guesses are correct.  I made 4 versions of this game - famous random people in the Bible, famous women in the Bible, NT people and OT people (these last two are easier with more well known people).  I don't think there is any overlap so if you get all 4, they will all be different.  You start by reading clue number 1 (the hardest clue), and work your way to the last clue (the easiest). Can you guess the person after just a few clues? Or will it take you all the clues to guess? Play this for fun as a group or play it in competition with one another. You can play together online by sharing your screen/powerpoint, or you could print out the cards and play them in person. You may also project the powerpoint up to play in person.  This game would be fun with church/school staff, adult groups, youth groups and kids - and you can play online over zoom or in person!  You can just read out the clues if you're playing in person; or, if you want them to be able to see all the previous clues as well, you could project it on the screen.  

$4; 2nd grade and up (youth and adults)

12.  Along with Guess in 10 is a game I made up called "Who's the Imposter?"  Using the same people and clues from Guess in 10, you could play it a completely different way!  Each person has 8 cards that you can give out to your group/small group. Seven of the cards are true, and one is an IMPOSTER! You can play this different ways - depending on the age of your group. Don't tell them who the imposter is and the group has to guess - or individuals (for younger kids). Use the cards with the imposter marked, and see if the imposter can convince the group that their statement is true :) You can also tell them who their cards are describing, or let them earn a point by guessing who it is. Maybe you can think of another way to play?

$1.50; K and up

13.  Spot the Item - Bible themed - My daughter and I like to play Spot It!, so we decided to come up with a Bible version.  These cards are to be used to play online together over zoom or to play as a group in person on a projector. They won't work if you are wanting to print them out and cut them into cards.  

Each slide has two cards (pictured above) that have one image in common (in this example, the fire). The first one to yell out their name and the like object gets a point! If you'd like, add in a Bible component!  Once they yell out the object, have them tell everyone something about the object - how it relates to the church or the Bible :)  In this example, they could mention the burning bush, Elijah and the fire, etc.

There are 25 slides with objects. Also included, if anyone would like them, is a word doc with all the pics used in the game.  Since this game is sort of a "one and done" game that can't be used multiple times with the same group, it's only $1.50.


$1.25-$2; With the exception of a couple of the more difficult ones, this can be for ages 1st grade and up (youth and adults as well)


14.  Wheel of Bible Trivia - this game is obviously based on Wheel of Fortune and has to be played online together, or projected up on the screen in person with powerpoint.  I've made multiple versions of this, but the link takes you to a bundle of 8 - NT and OT books (or this one on Etsy for all 12!), random people, parables, easy, advanced, phrases from the Lord's prayer, and first half of well known memory verses.  I also made some holiday themed ones - Valentine's Day (secular), Christmas (secular), Christmas (Biblical), and Holy Week/Easter.  Except for a couple, each version contains 10 puzzles.  

$3.50 for the original, $2 for specific versions (less cards); you could play with kids as young as prek if you gave them multiple choice all the way up to adults!

15.  Guess the Bible Story Emoji Game - This is a series of games and one of my best sellers, and it's pretty self explanatory :)  I give you emojis and you have to figure out which Bible story goes with them.  20 of the most well-known children's Bible stories told with 3-7 emojis. Can you guess the story?! To make this a learning experience, I put the emojis on one slide, and on the next slide is the answer, where you would find it in the Bible, and a summary of the story that can you read with your kids if they don't remember the story.  I have also included slides at the end that have four cards each - so you can print these out and play in person as a flashcard game or a matching game with the Bible story/verse.

You can play this with pretty much any age. If you wanted to play with littles (like prek/k), you could give them multiple choice!  Other versions available: parable version, 10 commandments, Christmas story, and Holy Week/Easter.  If you can think of another theme for this game let me know!  The kids really enjoy these and they're a great way to review or teach a story!

elem-adults; $2

16.  Would you Rather - Bible/Church versionWould you rather fight Goliath or a Bear? :) Use these 60 cards as conversation starters in your small group or tables. Or, use them in your youth group or children's ministry. You could even use them with your adults or staff! Why should kids have all the fun!?

There are Biblical questions and church questions...like, "Would you rather play Sardines or 9 Square?" Or, "Would you rather sing in the choir or cook in the kitchen?"

If you want to make this active, label one side of the room one answer and the other side the other answer.  Have them partner up and tell WHY they chose that answer.

There is a PDF version so you can print out 4 cards per page. There is also a powerpoint version with one card per slide if you want to project them up or play online.


$3; 4th grade and up (youth and adults as well)

17.  5 Second Game - Bible version - I love the 5 second rule game!  You are given a category (ie the 12 Disciples) and you have to name 3 in 5 seconds. You can play online, projecting up on a wall in person, or by printing out the cards.  You'll need a 5 second timer (unless you use the Powerpoint in which case one is embedded into each slide) and you'll need to print out the 40 cards that are provided unless you use the projector or play online. Some of the categories are more difficult, so I also included answers for the cards that have a fixed number (like the 12 disciples) and for some of the cards that may need an explanation. 

*This was done on powerpoint slides so you need powerpoint to open it online, but it is also a PDF.  Also available in Spanish.


$1; any age

18.  21 Religious Bible Stem Lego Cards for ChurchThese are 21 printable cards to use with your kids at church! Use them during a Lego night, as a filler, or as a review! Compete, share, or just have fun :) All 21 are religious and you will need the Bible for a few of them :)  I suppose you could also play this virtually if the kids are given legos at home.  Also available are a Holy week/Easter version and Miracles of Jesus versions.


$3; intergenerational; K and up

19.  Faithful Feud - 100 Church goers were asked 50 questions and these were their answers! :)  50 questions and answers are included (hopefully you can play multiple times with this!). You can play by projecting the powerpoint and revealing the answers one by one (online or in person); or, you can print out the cards from the PDF version. Rules are included, but feel free to play anyway that works for your group!

Also included is a bonus answer to each questions. I felt that some of the answers were quite unique and some were funny :) so, I put those as a bonus if you want to use them in your game (they are a bonus - not a part of the actual game card).

This is a great intergenerational game as even young elementary can answer many of these questions!



$2; younger elementary to youth/adults


20.  Who Said it? Bible Version - Fun Bible trivia game that you can play in person or online! 21 famous quotes that your kids/youth can guess - Who Said it? There are multiple choice options if you want to use them - probably better for the younger kids :) Elementary to high school could play this! Even adults! Play it as a board game, team A vs. team B, one on one...however you want! Make it educational by reading the Scripture that is included in the answer ;)

play online using the powerpoint presentation, or print out the PDF cards on cardstock and play in person. or you can project the powerpoint in person.



21.  Bible Pictionary! - $2 - A new way to play with elementary kids, youth, and adults! Each card has an easy and a hard word (that is related to church or the Bible). Divide into two teams. Each person gets 1 1/2 - 2 minutes to draw their word(s) and for their team to guess. The child first draws the easy word (ex. tree). Once the group gets it, they get one point. With the time remaining, they then try and get their team to guess the second word, which is harder. In this case, the second word is Zacchaeus! If they get the second word as well before time is up, they get an 3 additional points!

  For youth and adults, you can skip the first word if you want and just play with the harder word :)  There are 50 cards total with an easy and hard word on them.

$1.25 each or buy all 5 for $5


21.  Tenzi Dice game variations - religious and secular.  I have five games in total.  You could play this together online if every participant has ten dice!  If you aren't familiar with tenzi, you race others by rolling 10 dice and following the rules for that game (ie - roll 10 5's, roll five 3's and five 2's, etc).  I've created some "fun fact/question" cards that go along with different themes and you have to roll what the card says.  There are 10 cards in each themed set and you can race someone on each card, or race someone to finish all 10! You can play this in small groups, individually, pairs, however your group wants to play.  but every person or group will need 10 dice.  My two secular games are Valentine's Day fun facts and Thanksgiving Turkey facts (fun game for kids to play at the table while waiting for dinner!).  The three religious versions are General Bible stories, Parables, and the Christmas story.  

The next 2 games can only be played online (reveal the picture can be projected in person)

$3.50; youth/adults

22.  Guess the groups Bible version - otherwise known as "Codenames".  This is a complicated game, but a LOT of fun for youth and adults.  If you haven't played the regular "codenames" game, then I don't suggest trying to tackle it online over zoom.  Play it in person first and then try and play with someone over zoom :)  Go to the link for some more details and a short video.  You could project this in person I suppose and play together in the same room, but I haven't given that a try yet!

$2; prek-3rd grade

23.  Reveal the Picture - this is just something simple I made up for younger kids.  All my games seemed to be for older kids, and I wanted a fun, simple review game I could do with my littles.  So, all 5 reveal the pictures are geared towards prek-3rd grade.  There is no way to print this out, so it either has to be played online or projected on a screen.  The questions help review these 5 stories - King David, Lord's Prayer, Joseph, the Beatitudes, and the 10 commandments.  Ask them the questions and then let them reveal a piece of another story. The picture underneath the cards is a different Bible story. Can they guess the story before they turn over all the cards? There are 8-9 cards and the questions are relatively simple (you can add multiple choice or take away the mult choice to make it harder or easier). The pictures are fairly simple as well making this a great game to play with your younger elementary children. Take a look at the 30 sec sample video to see how it is played. (click a question (?), answer the question, if they get it right they pick a number to reveal, click to reveal, click the question to get rid of it, then click another question and repeat).  Please make sure and read how the Powerpoint works and watch the video.  I got a negative review because someone didn't follow the instructions!

Solo Worship Bag Games/Activities

two freebies, 6 pack is $1.25


24.  6 Sermon Bingos plus 2 freebies :)  What is a "sermon bingo"?  It's one sheet of bingo (every child/youth can use the same sheet because this isn't a competition between kids) that fits a sermon theme.  I've picked 8 general themes that will be used sometime throughout the year - Christmas (freebie), Valentine's Day (freebie), and the six in the packet are Communion, Palm Sunday, Easter, Pentecost, My Neighbor, and Stewardship.  The kids are instructed to listen to the sermon very carefully and cross off any word that they hear (or sometimes see).  This can ONLY be played DURING the sermon though!  Not any other time during the service.  The idea is to engage the kids more during the sermon.  It works!  My kids loved it (my youth and adults even played one Sunday in our contemporary service! lol).  These are easy to make and you could also make your own - but I thought I'd get you started with 8 :)  Check out the freebies if you want a better idea of what they look like and how to play.  The two freebies have pics in each square so prek can even play - they are free because I can't charge for the copyright of the pics :)  The other 6 have a few pics that I have drawn but the rest of the squares are blank so the kids can illustrate while they listen.

Buy them separately for .50 each or buy all five for $2; for ages prek-3rd grade

25.  5 individual dice games - These are little fill in the blank coloring sheets that your younger kids can do during worship.  The need one dice.  I suggest that you buy the tiny plastic containers at the dollar tree and line every side except the bottom with felt.  They can roll the dice in the container without losing it and without making much noise.  You could also use these to react to a story you've read in Sunday school.  They could play as a group and see how different their finished products are! :)  These are my own simple drawings - nothing complicated or professional...but hopefully still a lot of fun for you kiddos in worship!  The five themes are Christmas (Christmas tree), Joseph's coat, draw the leaves on the Palm branches for Palm Sunday, Miraculous catch of fish, and the Creation story (color in the shapes).

$1 for four; prek-3rd grade

26.  Listen and color activity for worship bags4 sheets I made that kids can do during the sermon to help them pay attention and listen. The idea is to put 10-20 pics on a piece of paper that the kids have to color in when the pastor says a certain word. Sometimes I give prizes if they get the right amount of times or if they color in all the pictures. Sometimes it's just for fun :) The four topics I've done this for (and could be used for different stories) are : clocks/time (I think we used this for New Year's but could be other times), sheep (used this for "feed my sheep" but could be used for lots of other stories), locks/security (pastor was preaching on what makes you feel secure...kind of random, I know :) and fish (dozens of stories this could go with). I have found that not only do my littles like this activity (and it helps them pay attention) but the middle schoolers also ask for them!  Just tell them what word to listen for (it's even more fun if you get the pastor to play along ;)

Of course, if you want to save a lot of money ($15!), you can buy ALL the games at once.  The other benefit of this, is that it is a "growing" bundle!  What does this mean?  It means, that once you buy the bundle, any games I add to it AFTERwards are yours for free!  Just check your TPT inbox occasionally for notifications from me :)  Those that bought this bundle 6 months ago at $40 have now received over 10 games for free!  It's now at $82 but still growing so get it now!  If you're only interested in the youth games or the children's games, you can buy the bundles for those age groups (they are also GROWING bundles!).   One last bundle I offer is for adults/staff/committees - why should kids have all the fun? :) 

I also enjoy creating and making Escape Rooms and have made 10 religious ones!  If you're interested in checking those out, you can find a few of the bundles here and here and see what I have to offer :)  Or, you can check out my blogpost that describes many of the ones I have made!

Thanks for checking out my products and helping support us as we work as missionaries in Peru!