One of the things that makes our Children’s Ministry unique is that we offer a missions-emphasis program for our preschoolers, elementary-age children and preteens. Second Sunday for the World, offered on the second Sunday of each month October – June, exposes children to other cultures, introduces them to church-supported missionaries, and allows them to pray for people around the world. They learn to have God’s heart for the world by serving others locally and globally.
I always keep an eye out for missions resources for children. Many of my ideas come from Pinterest. (You can check out my KidMin Missions board here.)
My friend Steven Knight has compiled a new resource that I was thrilled to take a look at. Children’s Games from Around the World provides 23 fun games from 22 different countries. These games are great complements to Sunday lessons, VBS, and missions programs.
I love that many of the games are active – they get the children up and moving. This is especially important to our ministry because we have an abundance of boys who like to throw balls (and each other occasionally!), run and jump. I also love that the countries are listed alphabetically in the table of contents, making finding a game for a particular place fairly easy.
Each game’s directions are clearly laid out, so it’s easy to follow, even spur-of-the moment if needed. I was also grateful to see that several interesting facts follow each country’s game. The games can be fun & informative!
What I Think Was Missing:
It would have been great if each country could have been identified by its flag or location on a map (again, educating the children). Some had identification; some did not. It also would’ve been helpful if each game was categorized as “high energy” or “low energy”. That information is useful to me when selecting a game. Lastly, a list of needed supplies would make selecting and prepping for a game super easy. This is also something that I take into consideration when selecting a game.
My Recommendation:
This resource is a good one to have in your arsenal. If you’re like me, you’ll refer to it regularly. For a limited time, Steven is offering this downloadable eBook free of charge to everyone who subscribes to his blog, KidMin Tools. I encourage you to check it out!
