Bible Charades Relay

The Bible is full of stories that are easy to picture: Noah building a boat, David facing a giant, Jonah inside a great fish, Daniel in the lions' den. When people act these out, they remember what happened, because they have to think about the details.

Charades works for any age because nobody needs to read or write. A five-year-old can be a lion, and a grandparent can be Moses.

Verse to remember (Psalm 78:4): We will tell the next generation the praises of the Lord. Acting out a story is one way to tell it.

1. Split the group into two teams and let each team sit together on one side of the room.
2. The leader whispers a Bible person or story to the first actor of Team A, for example "Noah", "David and Goliath" or "Jonah and the fish". Use the examples below if you need ideas.
3. The actor acts it out with no talking and no pointing at objects. The team shouts guesses.
4. When the team guesses, the actor sits down, and the next player from Team B comes up. Teams swap turns each time.
5. Give 1 point for each correct guess. If a team has not guessed after one minute, the other team gets one chance to steal the point.
6. Play until every person has acted once, or until time is up.

How it ends: The team with the most points wins. Finish by asking the winning team to tell the story in one sentence, so that the whole group hears how it ends.

Leader can say: “Great acting! Let's tell this story together in one sentence before we move on.”

For little ones: Let little ones act in pairs with a helper. Animals are easy and fun: a lion, a sheep, a dove, a donkey or a fish.

For teens and adults: Teens and adults can try harder ideas, such as Zacchaeus climbing the tree, the woman at the well, the prodigal son coming home or Paul on the road to Damascus.

Safety: Walk, do not run, and keep the acting area clear of chairs. Nobody should be forced to act. A player who is shy can choose a partner or be the leader's helper.

After the game, sit together and ask:

• Which story was the easiest to act out, and why?
• Which person from today's stories would you like to meet?
• What does this story tell us about God?

• Noah's Ark Animal Pairs: Find your animal partner by sound and board the ark two by two.
• Daniel and the Lions: Tap the lions, find Daniel and answer a question about the story.
• All Bible games for church