It’s been said that raising teens is like nailing Jell-O to a tree. It’s hard. Understanding teenagers and relating to them is something that no parent is prepared for, and yet, the parent’s role is vital to guiding them and giving them opportunities to experience right from wrong.
As Christian teens mature, they need more chances to form their own beliefs, make a connection with their faith and build their own personal relationship with God. Parents can encourage a life-long relationship with Christ through daily exposure to faith with fun avenues like games and books. These Christian games are a perfect for families with teens, as well as teenage youth groups and teen bible camps.
This entertaining party game is filled with challenging Bible topics such as “Names for Christ,” or “Animals in the Bible,” and “Sons of Jacob”. Each topic has 10 specific answers and players have 60 seconds to name as many answers as possible. It includes 252 topics, a molded card viewer, bonus points, passing chips and hours and hours of laughter and fun. It’s available for purchase here.
Perfect for teens, this game emphasizes the consequences of gossiping or spreading rumors. Choose several bible verses that have positive themes or relate to good character, write them down on small pieces of paper, and put them in a container. Players sit in a circle and one player blindly chooses a verse and reads it to himself. He then whispers the verse to the person sitting to his right, who then passes it on to the next person until it reaches the last person of the circle. This person announces the verse to the group to show how a message can change when it is passed from mouth to mouth, demonstrating the negative effect of spreading rumors.
Play this game like the television version of Jeopardy with categories and clues. Contestants choose a category and then have to buzz in to give the question that the clue answers. Each clue has a point or monetary value and whoever buzzes in first and gets it correct, gets those points. Play a few rounds of Jeopardy and then have a Double Jeopardy round where the points double. At the end of the game, each contestant bets his or her points or money on a Final Jeopardy question. To design a version to use on your computer, you can visit Jeopardylabs.com. There are also sample questions to use at https://www.christianity.com/trivia/jeopardy/.
A hilarious game that teaches you that God’s grace wins every time. For 2 to 6 players, this game includes 60 cards with seven deadly sin cards that are nearly impossible to avoid. The good news is that the grace card can save you from the sin every time. Combine strategy and the abundance of grace to be the last player standing to win. All About That Grace is available for purchase at http://www.gracegame.com.
This is a fun game to play in small teams of 3-5 people. Give each group a bible, a copy of the scavenger hunt questions, and a something to write with. They will also need a camera or cell phone with photo capabilities. They then race to look up the answers to the scavenger hunt questions. Once they know the answers, they race to go and take pictures of the different items in the answers. You can find a free printable worksheet at http://scavenger-hunt.org/bible-scavenger-hunt/.
Capture the Flag REDUX is a fun and exciting glow-in-the-dark game that also teaches meaningful principles. This active, adventure game is not for those who want to sit around and talk. It involves hiding, searching, running and even sneaking up on people. The game includes glowing orbs, territory markers and team bracelets and comes with easy-to-follow illustrated instructions. It is the perfect icebreaker or team-building exercise game for youth groups, church activities and church summer camps. This game gets preteens active and teaches them to (literally) follow the Light! Find it here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00XK9C4H0maas=maas_adg_DE0F2D96B8246F92080AD556B253718D_afap_abs&ref_=aa_maas
Applying Biblical Principles to Everyday Situations by Rainfall Educational Toys: This board game makes learning to choose right from wrong fun and exciting. Face tough, real life decisions involving peer pressure, honesty, and purity. The game includes a game board, 6 player markers, 150 dilemma cards, and 10 principle cards to help teens learn how to base decision-making on biblical principles. Purchase this game at https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/22489/new-teen-choices.
For a fun and easy youth group activity or church party that doesn’t take a lot of equipment or planning, play “Who Am I” – bible version. Grab some post-it notes and write the names of different bible characters on each one. Without seeing the name, have each person stick one on his or her forehead. Then, the players go around asking only yes or no questions to the other players until they can guess who they are.
Teens love to dance, and when the spirit moves them and they want to show off their moves, you have a dance-off. Choose some impartial judges, and make a bracket with all of the participants’ names. Then, let the music begin and let them battle each other, until one by one they are eliminated and you choose a final dance champion. This is a great outlet for teens that love music and dancing.
Sometimes it’s hard to get the teens off of their screens. When it comes to that, you want them to play video games that have uplifting themes and Christian messages. To find these, parents can search Christian-based game review sites such as: https://www.christcenteredgamer.com and http://www.familyfriendlygaming.com. One game that is popular with stunning graphics and a powerful Christian message is Axys Adventures – Truthseeker. The main character is a teen that struggles to make the right decisions but ultimately learns of the healing and forgiveness that God offers. You can find it online at http://www.therebelplanet.com/product/axys-adventures-truthseeker/.