Christian Camp Games, Crafts & Activities
Youth Christian camps teach lessons on faith, relationships with God and friendships with new people. Games, crafts and activities help kids come together and bond with one another. In both large and small groups, camp instructors can help kids grow in their Christian beliefs while having a good time.
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Games
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For a small group, play the "Who Am I" game to help teach Bible figures and get kids to interact with one another. First, write the names of Bible figures on index cards, enough for every camper in the group. Then, tape an index card to each participant's back, not showing the person the name on the card. The kids then walk around the room and ask each other "yes" or "no" questions about the Bible character on their backs to figure out who they are. The winner is the camper who figures out his Bible character first and shouts it out. After the game, instructors can talk about identity and what makes people unique, relating the lesson back to how each Bible figure was unique in some way.
Arts and Crafts
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Campers can make their own door hangers using fun foam door hangers in different colors, paint, markers and decorations like sequins, puffy paint, pom poms, ribbon, pipe cleaners, foam pieces, glitter and glue. Each camper writes a verse from the Bible on the foam with markers or paint, such as Matthew 7:7, "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you."Then the campers decorate the door hangers with the craft supplies, perhaps to hang on their cabin door knobs. Campers can also design a flower pot using clay or wooden flower pots, paint and decorations like those used for the door hangers. Around the rim, campers can paint a phrase relating to faith, such as "Growing with Faith." After painting the pot, campers can plant a flower seed inside.
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Journey
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One reason kids go to camp is to journey through nature and make friends. Stories in the Bible often describe great journeys, such as the Jews traveling for 40 years in the wilderness or Abraham's journey to Canaan. After talking to campers about these stories, a hiking trip to a camp out can demonstrate the arduous task of journeying through wilderness. A camp out gives the campers time to use survival skills. Camp instructors can start campfire discussions with personal stories of how they came to walk with God, then help kids open up about their feelings toward faith and God.
Large Activities
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Ice breakers help campers meet one another and share interests. The campers line up in a straight line, then a line is drawn or taped on the floor in front of them. Start asking questions with different interests in mind, such as "Who likes to sing in choir?" or "Who likes to usher at Mass?" Students step over the line when they can answer "Yes" to a question. You can vary the questions and relate them to relationships with God, such as "Have you ever felt God answering your prayers?" Once the campers start opening up and stepping up, have them all sit down in a circle and share some experiences with one another.
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References
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