The Bible is an infinite source of godly wisdom, but it can be a great source of fun, too. If you need some icebreaker or game ideas for your gatherings, Sunday School, or youth camp, you can get everyone’s energy up and running by playing Bible outdoor games. Being outdoors can break the ice in a more fun manner while at the same time dusting up on your Biblical knowledge.
Here are some fun Bible outdoor games you can play with your games:
Bible Books Hopscotch
This game combines hopscotch and the familiarization with the books of the Bible. The instructor or leader draws two large squares on a blacktop area outside using sidewalk chalk, labeling one “Old Testament” and one “New Testament.”
The children stand in between the squares while the instructor calls out the names of the books of the Bible. If the book mentioned is from the New Testament, the children must hop into the Old Testament Square and vice versa. When doing the game for children, you can decide that there are no winners or losers, but if you want to add a layer of competition, let the person or group who jumps at the wrong square be eliminated from the game.
Memory Verse Relay
You can play a memory verse relay if you want to keep the energy going while also exercising everyone’s memory. This game is great for youth groups to adults. Divide into two teams, let them line up, and give each team a verse of a relatively acceptable length to memorize on the spot. Pick a random verse – not a verse that people would typically memorize so that no one gets an edge.
On the go, each team must send one player to the game facilitator, who will receive and memorize the verse. After memorizing, the player must pass the message to the person next in line until it reaches the person at the back. The person on the back of the line must then run to the facilitator to recite the verse. The first team to finish and recite the verse accurately wins. In case one team goes first, but the other team recited the verse more closely to the original text, the other team gets the point. The point goes to the team with the least error.
Bible Ring Toss
This is a game that’s great for all students of the Bible. It’s also portable enough to play indoors and out. To prepare, cut out the center of paper plates to make the rings, and provide four plastic traffic cones (two for each team). Label two cones “yes,” and the other two “no.” Then, divide the group by two and make sure there are “yes” and “no” cones for both teams.
The host or facilitator must prepare a list of questions about a Bible lesson, figures of the Bible, and other critical Biblical topics that are answerable as yes or no. Line up players and ask questions, then have them toss their rings to the yes or no cone and see who can rack up the correct answers.
Get Across the Finish Line
Every player plays against each other for this game, making it a great outdoor game to play for small groups. Prepare about 15-20 questions about the Bible. To start the game, have participants line up horizontally. Ask one question to each player, and if the player gets it right, they must take a step towards the person asking the question. If the answer is wrong, the player must take a step backward. Whoever makes it to the finish line first wins.
Bible Charades
Test your acting skills and teamwork with this entertaining game perfect for both children and adults. All you need are small pieces of paper with Biblical scenes written on them. Divide the group into two teams. Each team must have three to five representatives. Let them pick one sheet of paper. Then the representatives must act out the scene written on it. The remaining team members must try to guess the scene the other members acted out. The facilitator must set a time limit for the guessing game, and when the group fails to guess, the other group gets a chance to steal. Whoever gives the correct answer gets the point.
Who Am I?
This game is excellent for familiarizing Bible characters. You need to prepare large strips of paper or index cards with a name of a Biblical character on them. Group the participants into twos. Each duo will receive a turn to play.
Out of the two players, the other would guess who is the Bible character on a piece of paper that will be taped into their forehead. The facilitator must be careful not to let the guesser see what’s written on it. The guesser would ask their partner some answerable questions by “yes” or “no,” as they try to guess the character. The facilitator times each game for 2 minutes, and the guesser must guess the Bible character before the time is up to get the point. Repeat this until all participants have played. You can turn it into a tournament by pitting each winner against each other until one player remains.
Forbidden Fruit Relay
Have the teens or kids pretend they are Adam and Eve trying to capture the forbidden fruit in a fun fruit relay. Let them break into two separate teams. One team will be the “Adam” team, and the other will be the “Eve” team. Boys vs. girls would be a logical way to play this game.
Set out two large containers, one for each team, filled with different types of fruits and vegetables. Then prepare two empty baskets as well, one for each team. Among the produce, include enough apples so that each team member can find one. A player from each team must run to the container, grab an apple, put it in the basket, and run back to tag the next team member who must run to the container and get an apple as well. To make it more fun and challenging, provide different types of apples (green, red) and add some fruits that look like apples. After every player has taken their turn, the facilitator will check the baskets and count the apples in them while also checking if the fruits on the basket are all apples. The team whose members find all (or most of) the apples wins the relay.