Rain tends to throw a wrench into church happenings on occasion, especially if kids and games are involved. If your church doesn’t have a gym or large open space to move games to, it can be challenging to think of something to do for your group. Here are two games that can be played outside, in a gym, or even in a classroom with tables and chairs.
Paper Plate Tag
Equipment: Paper plates (enough for 1 per child)
Set-up: Give every child (excluding 3-5) a paper plate. Kids without plates are “taggers.”
Objective:The object of the game is to not have your plate knocked off of your hand. You are not allowed to hold onto it, however. You must balance the plate on the palm of your hand so that it is not impossible to knock off. If your plate gets knocked off or if you drop it, you are now the “tagger” and have to knock some else’s plate off. If you knock someone’s plate off, you pick it up and you are now back in the game.
Variation: Every child gets a plate and everybody is it. Each student is the “tagger.” Once they drop their plate, they are out.
Shields
Equipment: Sheets of newspaper (enough for 1 sheet per child)
Set-up: Everyone, except 3-5 kids, needs 1 sheet of newspaper (children without paper are taggers). Hold the open piece of newspaper flat against the torso and begin walking quickly. Let go of the paper while walking so the force of the wind holds the paper on the body.
Objective: The taggers go around and try to pull off another student’s newspaper. Once they pull another’s a newspaper, they put it on their torso and start walking quickly. The student that lost their paper then becomes the tagger and has to walk quickly to chase down another piece of paper to pull. If a student’s newspaper drops without the tagger pulling it, they still become a tagger.
Variation: If the newspaper drops without a tagger pulling it, that child has to do some sort of activity (10 jumping jacks, say a Bible verse, recite the ABC’s, etc.), then they can pick up their paper and are back in the game.
Hope you are able to use these the next time it looks like rain is in the forecast. Feel free to comment with other variations/adaptations that would make these games even better!