Church activities for kids

Engaging children in church activities is a great way to help them grow spiritually, build a sense of community, and develop a love for their faith. Here are some church activities for kids that you can consider:

1. Sabbath School is a weekly program were kids gather in small groups and learn about God’s word. Church leaders tell them about a bible story and read a bible verse. Kids learn about the Bible in a fun way through age-appropriate lessons, songs, crafts, and interactive activities. Working like this, in a small group will help them grow in their faith. Scroll down to download a free pdf file below with worksheets for kids that you can use in your sabbath school.
2. Vacation Bible School (VBS): VBS is an exciting week-long summer camp filled with Bible stories, games, crafts, and fun theme, providing kids and the whole family with an immersive learning experience. This experience is also a great opportunity to get together with other families that are believers that will later strenghten the children’s ministry in the church. We have been at similar summer camps four times before and we love these kind of gatherings. It is suitable for younger kids as well as older kids. Family members are building relationships together and with other families, which is something we love as well.
3. Children’s Choir: When children are engaging in a children’s choir, they are allowed to express their faith through music. It is a fun activity for children in many different ways. They foster a sense of teamwork and devotion as they perform during church services and events. The children’s choir are one of the unique ways of doing youth ministry. If there is no children’s choir at your church, consider starting one or try finding other ministry leaders that can start one. If children play instruments, they can implement their talents at these gatherings and practice together with the choir.
4. Bible Storytelling: Teaching children about the Bible by using bible lesson and storytelling is very helpful. It helps them grasp biblical concepts and learn about bible characters. It also helps them to be engaged in a bible study on a more simple level. When the children listen to a Bible story, encourage them to retell the story. That will help them rethink and remember the story even better. Ask questions that will help them deepen their understanding of the Bible. Quiestions like why and how helps them to think instead of using simple yes and no questions. They can even act them out in front of each other. That is a fun way to learn and helps team members to work and grow together.
5. Prayer Circles. Encourage children to pray for each other, their families, and global issues. This helps instill a strong sense of faith and compassion for people around them. A simple and fun prayer activity that the children can do is called “the popcorn prayer”. First, the leader opens the prayer, then everyone can engage in the prayer with a simple thank you for something they are thankful for. This is easy to implement with very young children. And this helps them to feel that they can be a part of the prayer circle too without too much effort. This will also help them to hold their focus throught the entire prayer. This activity will help the children to understand the importance of prayer and how you can pray easily. Teach them that prayer is like talking to a friend and our friend is Jesus Christ.
6. Nature Walks: Guided nature walks, connect the childrens understanding of the Creator with the creation. Nature is a beautiful place to spend with children, it releases stress, diminishes irritation and helps them to find pleasure in God. God is pleasure and loves pleasure. This is so imortant for children to learn. You could also invite other kids that are not a part of the church to join you in these nature walks or arrange group activites that help children to enjoy nature with God. Understanding the wonders of creaton, deepens their appreciation for the natural world. You could discuss how the natural world reflects God’s glory. You could talk about how it all started, when God created the world and talk about how the sin has affected it as it is today. 
7. Storytelling Sessions: Invite church member or parents to share personal stories of their faith and what God has done in their lives. Especially older people that have lived longer and have a lot of experience can share stories that will deepen the childrens love for God. Even young children that want to tell something that they have experienced with God should be allowed to speak. When they do this they are at the same time building their storytelling skills. It is always interesting to hear real-life stories that people have experiences with God. Children can learn so much from older people and other families when they listen to stories like these.
8. Bible Journaling: Older children that can write, can keep journals to reflect on Bible stories, Bible verses, prayers, and personal insights. This will nurture their spiritual growth and faith in Jesus. Parents can write a journal for younger children and help them get their thoughts down on a paper. This will be fun for the children to read later in life, when the child has learned how to read. Encourage older children to write down their thougths and even questions about their faith, the Bible or about life. Writing things down helps them organize their thoughts and deepens their relationship with Jesus.
9. Movie Nights: Select family-friendly and faith-based movies to watch and discuss. Use these films as a starting point for conversations about faith and values. You can share about this on social media to reach more people. This is a good starting point for families to gather and have their first visit to the church. After the movie you can serve som snacks, like caramel apples or ice cream. This is just one of many fun ideas to do in the church that will help children to have unforgettable fun nights at the church. It is important that parents and children are having a good time so they wanna join again.
10. Art and Craft Workshops. Some children love art and craft sessions. When it is linked to Bible stories, it enables children to express their creativity while reinforcing their understanding of biblical teachings. In order to do this you will have to organize art and craft sessions related to biblical themes. You could use fruit of the spirit theme or other theme that the children love.
11. Mission Projects: Age-appropriate mission projects teach children about service and empathy for their people around them. Making a positive impact on their community will help them feel needed and loved. They will feel great sense of purpose and they will foster a love for serving as they learn how it makes them feel. They will have the holy spirit as their guide. Seek to find people in need and how you can fill that need with your children. When you take the time to execute your idea, remember to ask the children how they feel about it. Talk about the experience and how it impacts their live. Hopefully the experience will have a great impact on the children and give them memories they wont forget.
12. BIble Games: Organize Bible-based games and quizzes, scavenger hunts to make learning fun and competitive. Children love fun activities and this will inspire them to learn more about the word of God. An example of a scavenger hunt is to hide an actual treasure chest out in the woods and create a map they can navigate from to find the treasure chest. This is a fun game for the children.
13. Celebrations: Celebrate religious holidays together and special occasions like Christmas, Easter and Pentecost with kid-friendly activities and educational events. We often forget to celebrate, so this is very important. Children love to celebrate things in life. Think big, and try to make it an unforgettable experience for the children. You could decorate with balloons or other colorful decorations.

Remember to adapt these activities to suit the age group and interests of the children in your church. The goal is to make learning about faith enjoyable and meaningful for them. It would be helpful if some activity is happening at a regular basis. This will engage the children in church activities and help them to build stronger relationship with other church members and God. Do not forget to invite neighbours and friends to join that are not regular church visitors.

Fun and educational worksheets for kids in the church and for everyday life

During worship service, children tend to get bored and loose interest. They get irritated and want to move around. By giving them worsksheets to work on during this time can help them to calm down and focus on something uplifting and fun. Here are some ideas on how to create your own church worksheets for your children (or download the free worksheets for kids in the church pdf below):

1. Bible Verse Memorization: Create worksheets with a specific Bible verse for children to read, to write and memorize. You can make Bible verse tracing sheets for your children. Be sure to include spaces for them to draw and color a picture related to the verse. You could also add a section where they can write down what the verse means to them.
2. Bible Stories: Design worksheets that focus on a specifc Bible story, for example David and Goliath or Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt. Include quiestions of fill-in-the-blank sentences related to the story. Help them understand the biblical characters by adding a section to illustrate their favorite character in the story and why.
3. Crossword Puzzles: Create a worksheet with crossword puzzles with clues related to church or religious terms. Provide a word bank for kids to choose from when filling in the crossword. You could create a crossword about The Ark of Noah and make a word bank for all the different animals. 
4. Coloring Pages: Design coloring pages with scenes from the Bible or church-related images. This is also a great activity you can do at home on rainy days.
5. Prayer and Gratitude Journals: Create a Journal where children can write down their prayer and gratitude. Include sections for them to list people, things or animals that they want to pray for. 
6. Mazes: Make mazes with a religious theme, such as a family that has to find their way to a church. You could also add a message at the end of the maze, that is related to the theme. Another idea is to have a charachter find their way to Jesus. This is a lot of fun for many children, especially younger children. You could also include other characters of the new testament.
7. Matching Games: Develop and create matching games with pairs of cards or pictures featuring religious symbols, characters or concepts. Children can match the cards that go together.
8. Fill in the Blanks: Create sheets with sentences that have missing words related to a religious topic, for example about the ten commandments. You could include a word bank for children to choose from when filling in the blanks. This is a great game for them to learn more about the Bible.

Remember to adapt the worksheets to the age and comprehension level of the children you are working with. You can also incorporate fun and creative elements to make the learning experience enjoyable. Be prepared ahead of time. The best way is to have a special church bag that you can fill with all these church worksheets and pencils and more. This way, you are always prepared for each sabbath and can easily pick it with you and have something to offer your children while you and your  children enjoy the worship service. This will help you have an enjoyable time together and build good memories from the church service.

Why is church important for kids? 

The importance of church for kids can vary depending on individual beliefs, values, and cultural backgrounds. For many families and communities, church plays a significant role in a child’s upbringing for several reasons:

1. Moral and Ethical Foundation: Church often provides a moral and ethical framework for children. It teaches values such as kindness, honesty, compassion and respcet, which are important for their personal development and for building a strong sense of right and wrong. Children learn easily from each other. But as we know, children are selfish in nature. That means that parents and church leaders need to teach children right and wrong and give them a good moral and ethical foundation.
2. Spiritual Development: When children visit the church, they develop their spirituality and can make connection with God, who is so much bigger and greater than themselves. They learn about God and create connection with other likeminded people, which is important for their spiritual development. The church can be a source of comfort and guidance in their life. For me personally, I have always felt that the church is my family. I need them and can always rely on them if I need help.
3. Community and Social Interaction: When children attend church they foster a sense of belonging. They can build relationships with peers and adults who share similar values and beliefs. Today we are living in a world were people are a lot behind a screen and disconnected. The church can fill that belonging need that children and youth have today. Events and gatherings should be on a regular basis for children to get together.
4. Mental and Emotional Support: During difficult times, church often provide emotional support to families and children. When in need, children can always turn to their church community for help, encouragement and guidance. That is the privilege that people have when they are a part of the church. They have a “large family” and they do not have to feel alone.
5. Education and Learning: Many churches offer sabbath school, educational programs and Bible studies that can contribute to the childrens intellectual development. Children often deepen their learning about life and the Bible. Programs like these will also promote critical thinking. Something you can use for increase their learning is to have review questions about your topic.
6. Service and Volunteer Opportunities: Churches often encourage service and volunteerism as part ot their teachings. This can instill a sense of responsibility and empathy in children as they engage in activities that benefit others in their community. There are many opportunities for this because the church needs people that are willing to work as voluntaries. As an example is that children can help with different tasks during church service, like gather collection or help cleaning or cook for potluck.
7. Guidance and Role Models: The leaders and mentors in the church can serve as positive role models for children. They can offer guidance, mentorship as they navigate the challenges of growing up. A simple example of this is to spend time with the children. It is important for them to feel that they are accepted, loved and needed. Try to include them and have an open and warm mindset towards the children in the church. It is important to think big and try to see the big picture, where children are growing up and will maybe be the future leaders because of your impact on them. Your time and energy can have tremendous impact on a child’s life. Think about it, you could be the hero in someone else’s life. When they are grown up, they can look back and remember you as their personal hero and mentor in their life. Do not underestimate the time you can give to other children. 
8. Family Bonds: Many families strengthen their family bonds by attending church together. It provides a regular time for them to come together, spend time together with God and other like-minded families. It is a place where they share experiences, struggles and where they can strengthen each other.

It’s important to note that the significance of church for kids can vary greatly depending on individual beliefs and experiences. Some families may prioritize religious education and involvement in church activities, while others may have different ways of instilling values and providing social and moral support for their children. Ultimately, the decision to involve children in church should be made by parents or guardians based on their own beliefs and values.

Why church is important to us

The church really enriches our lives greatly. Many of our activities and friends that we have, are related to the church. It is because of the church that we have many more friends and aquaintances. We have different tasks and we feel needed, which is a good feeling. When we contribute with service, love and time to our church, we usually leave the church with gratitude and a sense of a great accomplishment. As I said, the church enriches our lives in many ways. We would not want to be without it. And I think God want this to be a part of our lives. We need each other for support, encouragement and for friendship. God has created the seventh-day to be our sabbath and a day for rest from daily work. This day is for our profit. God gives good gifts, and this is a gift from him to you. Maybe you feel lonely and empty and want more uplifting activities for your children. Look for a church nearby which you can visit on a regular basis and where you can get to know the people that are there and be a part of that congregation. You can always leave again if it does not fit you and your family. Another part is to join a online church, which is a great possibility in today’s society.