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Using themes for kids’ ministry excites kids, teachers and volunteers. An Olympic theme is an especially good theme because it is a topic of excellence and endurance. Use an Olympic theme over an entire quarter or just a few classes in your kids’ ministry. Teach kids about what God thinks about sportsmanship, working as a team and the importance of reaching spiritual goals.
Olympic Decorations
Build a small riser for the ‘winners’ to stand on each week. Decorate a room in red, white and blue bunting. Hang flat red, white and blue sheets on clothesline or fishing line at the back of the room. Buy five Hula Hoops and spray paint them gold. Glue them together to make the Olympic logo. Hang the rings up together on your backdrop or on the wall. Use red, white and blue streamers as bright blasts of colors around your room. Display a table of trophies and awards for kids to look at. These could be trophies teachers and volunteers have earned. Visit a party supply store to buy some small plastic trophies to give to kids. Alternatively, you could hand out plastic ‘gold, silver and bronze’ medallions to competitors.
Olympic Games
At the beginning of the quarter, hang up five poster boards side by side on the wall. At the top of each board list an Olympic Game, you will be holding during the event. Some examples would be “Bible Scroll Races” or “Bean Bag Discus”. Include games that are not sports related like “Bible Verse Race” or “Strength Training with the Spirit”. Offer kids many fun, wacky races in celebration of the theme spirit.
Olympic Lessons
Teach kids short lessons supported by object lessons. Breaking up the lessons with games and music will keep even the most active children interested in the program. Dress as a runner or a coach complete with whistle and ball cap. Use a clipboard to hold your lesson plan. Do a roll call at the beginning of each day in kids’ ministry. Give kids a run down of the ‘game plan’ and begin to teach. Paul’s passage in Hebrews 12 is the perfect scripture to teach children. Use the child’s story about the Turtle of the Hare to stress the importance of patiently plodding along in God’s race to the finish. Alternatively, you could teach a lesson about 1 Timothy chapter 6,“We must fight, the good fight!” Have workers demonstrate a mock boxing match. Show a fighter not protecting his face and ignoring his opponent. Then show the fighter protecting himself and beginning to work on the offense.
Share Your Ideas
If you are planning to use an Olympic Theme in your children’s ministry or Sunday School, we would love to hear about it. Just leave a comment below to share your ideas.
Don’t miss our resource page featuring children’s ministry games.
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- LifeWay’s Route 254 Club VBS Theme
- Group’s 2010 VBS Theme Teaser!
- Group’s High Sea Expedition VBS Theme for 2010
- Free Christmas Craft Ideas For Kids
- Crocodile Dock: Group’s 2009 VBS Theme
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
I love to teach Hebrews 12 wearing a robe and flip flops. I introduce myself as an Olympic runner preparing for the big race? The robe is the sin that easily entangles us and the flip flops reminds us of the training I haven’t done!
Correction on the Olympic circles. It’s the white background that is the pureness. The green represents green grass because green grass grows FAST just like we are supposed to grow once we have Christ as out Saviour.
Sorry,
Sandy
The olympic circles are perfectly suited to teach the wordless book. Each colour represents black for sin, red for the blood that covers sin, white, pureness (Christ) that shed his blood, gold for the streets of gold for Heaven (attained when the black of sin is covered by the blood) and blue for a picture of baptism, an act of faith that shows others that you are saved and are ready to serve God.(An outward appearance of the change that takes place inside)
Easy to teach. It never gets old for young or old.
Love these ideas! So fun! Thanks for sharing:)
I got a great idea from Judy The Manners Lady (http://themannersclub.com/).
We have a challenge for children to learn greetings in different languages and to use it with someone from another place. We are teaching kindness, respect, the gateway to hospitality and even missions as we take an interest in others, especially those who may be lonely/alienated immigrants. This works great in a multi-cultural place like Vancouver.