Well of course we should! I had a church member ask me this question. But in this particular case, they were using a question to make a statement. Hidden inside the question “should the kids be playing games at church” was the statement “kids should not be playing games at church.” My immediate response was “Well of course they should. They are kids and kids love to play games.” The reality is this. Games can be a great tool in connecting with kids. Not only are games fun, but it helps to lower the emotional and mental resistance kids might have when they first show up at church.
Our goal is to communicate a message to our kids but sometimes there is an invisible wall that shuts us out. Maybe the kids are tired, hungry or just in a foul mood. Games can help to lower that wall.
I just have two questions for you to consider:
1. Do the games you play at your church include everyone?
It’s not always possible to include every single kid in the room, but there has to be a way to make them a part of what is happening. As an active child, I didn’t like watching other kids play games. I WANTED TO PLAY! Especially if it was a cool game. I’ve done games before and watched the kids in the seats completely disconnect. That’s not the goal. The goal is to involve as many kids as possible, even if they are not on the stage, to lower the walls of resistance.
2. Do the games connect to the overall teaching objectives?
Not every game has to connect to the subject you are teaching that day, but it’s a good idea to reinforce the “topic of the day” with a game when you can. There are those games that have absolutely nothing to do with the teaching; it’s simply a really fun game. But finding a game that connects with the teaching objectives can be a great way to reinforce the subject matter.
Hey, if you have some really fun games you have used in the past, send them to me and I’ll share them with everyone in another blog post.
Steve Adams has been the Children’s Pastor at Saddleback Church since 2007. He has served as Children’s Pastor for over 20 years and is a leader and mentor to many children’s ministry leaders around the country and into the world. God has blessed him with a creative mind, a true pastor’s heart and a passion for serving God and others through Children’s Ministry! Steve and his wife, Stephanie, have two sons – Tyler and Matthew.
More Than Puppets 
I totally agree that games have a place in children’s sunday school, mid-week program and beyond. Children learn as they are doing, they bond as friends when they become a part of a team, they are competitive and like to achieve goals. Each one of these elements lends itself to a teaching enviornment that can cement the idea that a Teacher is explaining.
You are right Pamela. Some people view it as foolishness, but it does have a place in kid min. and it does serve a purpose. Besides, sometimes kids just need to move around. I wish Pastor Rick would play some games in the adult service. In fact, I might suggest that…haha. Thanks for the comment.
When adults play games to facilitate learning and understanding we call it a team building exercise and most consider it a very forward thinking endeavor. Well that’s what we’re doing every weekend. We are team building with our kids and in the process they are more deeply learning God’s truth and the importance of fellowship in their church family. By the way, I Jesus often showed a sense of humor and wit while presenting God’s truth to people. He also showed a deference to children. Based on those two characteristics alone I’m pretty sure that God is O.K. with games at church.