Whatever! 10 Pin: A Super Bible School Activity for Memorizing Philippians 4:8
by Kathy Vincent 07/12/10
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If you’ve got a child in the house, you’ve probably heard the word “whatever” a few too many times. But the next time your lovely son or daughter rolls their eyes at you and proclaims, “Whatever!” to your next request, simply reply back with your own list of “whatevers” found in Philippians 4:8, which says: “Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever if pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.” Today I’ve given you a fun Bible school activity you can play with your kids to help them learn these important “whatevers” and to help them “lose the ‘tude!” It’s called “Whatever! 10 Pin.”
Here’s what you do:
Gather 10 empty and clean soda liter bottles. On the outside of each attach the following word sections of Philippians 4:8: Whatever is true/ whatever is noble/ whatever is right/ whatever if pure/ whatever is lovely/ whatever is admirable/ if anything is excellent/ or praiseworthy/ think about such things/ Philippians 4:8. You might want to laminate the words for long-term use. Next, lay down 10 circles in the bowling 10 pin form. Number the circles 1 through 10 in consecutive order beginning with #1 as the first left front circle. Lastly, grab a ball that will be heavy enough to bowl over the bottles/pins. Before playing the game, set the pins up in correct verse order as in bowling and place a piece of tape down on the ground about 10 feet away from the pins that the kids will stand behind in order to bowl. (The reference of Phil. 4:8 will be on circle 10.) You are now ready to play.
Divide your kids into 2 teams. Start by picking 2 team captains. To fill in the rest of the teammates, ask each child what team they would like to be on. After each answer they give you, go into obnoxious teenager mode and say, “Whatever!” after everything they say. The kids will think you’re a little goofy, but they will understand the reasoning for your silliness once you explain the Bible verse they will memorize. Once you have the teams, say the following: You know, guys, I bet some of you have said, “whatever” at different times with your eyes rolling back, but did you know that the Bible has its own version of “whatever”? It does. It’s found in Philippians 4:8, which says…(Read the verse.) Today we are going to play “Whatever! 10 Pin” so that you guys can learn the real and true way you should be saying “whatever.”
Continue saying: Here’s how we play. Each team will have the chance to bowl down the pins. However many pins your teammate knocks down, that is the number of points your team could earn. To earn them, the person who just bowled must come and place all the pins back on the circles in correct verse order. For every pin you place in the right spot, you earn a point. The team with the most points at the end of the game wins.
Tips:
1. Go over the verse with your class several times before playing the game.
2. Give everyone at least 2 chances to play.
3. This Bible school activity is great for helping your kids memorize any long repetitive Bible verses.
Next, if you liked this Sunday School/Homeschooling idea, then sign up today to receive Scripture Lady's Free Email Kid Tips packed full with creative ideas and receive 6 FREE Bible Review Games to help get your kids excited about the Bible!
