Here are three easy icebreakers that require no prep. You can use these to kick off a kids church hour or as time fillers.

1. Opposite Game

How to play:

It’s like Simon Says but the opposite! Instruct your students to stand. Explain to them that you will give instructions like “put your right hand up”, “stand up” but the catch is they have to do the opposite of what you say!

For example, if you say “put your right hand up”, they have to put their left hand up. If you say “look to the right”, they have to look to the left, etc. If they don’t do the opposite or if they just freeze and don’t do anything, then they are out! The last one standing wins!

2. This or That

How to play:

Instruct the students to stand up and divide the room into two halves. For each round, you are going to give two options – This or That. If they choose This – they will go to one side of the room. If they choose That, they will go to the other side. Clarify which side is This and which side is That.

Examples but feel free to add your own:

This: Your own personal robot / That: A dog that flies

This: Go to the dentist / That: Go to the doctor

This: Green Ears / That: Purple Nose

This: Chocolate Cake / That: French Fries

3. The Floor is Lava

How to play:

The rules are simple – stay out of the lava! When you say “the floor is lava”, they must sit in their chair with their feet up (clarify they must sit not stand on the chairs!). When you say “the chair is lava”, they must stand on the floor. If they do the opposite of what you say and stand or sit in the lava, they are out.

As the game progresses, make the game a little more challenging by saying the commands faster and by occasionally repeating the phrases. For example, if you say “the chair is lava” two times in a row, they might get confused and sit down on the second command. The last one remaining wins!

For more kids church games, check out 52 Kidmin Games.

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