Valentine Games for Kids in Children's Church

You can plan games that incorporate religion for your children’s Valentine’s Day party at church or Sunday school. Encourage children to play to win, but consider everyone’s feelings when playing. Eliminate hurt feelings and play only for fun instead of for prizes, or award prizes to everyone who participates.

Gather several red and pink balloons that have not yet been inflated. Select a Bible verse that is about love. Write the verse on a chalkboard or poster board and hang it on the wall. Write each word of the verse on individual pieces of paper. Create a second set of these verse words so each team will have their own set of words from the verse. Fold the papers into small pieces. Inflate the pink balloons and insert a word of the verse into each one before tying it closed. Repeat this process with the red balloons.

Separate the children into one pink team and one red team. Instruct them to pop each of the balloons in their team color and remove the word. Once they have collected all their words, they are to arrange them on a previously determined space such as a table or piece of paper. The first team to complete the Bible verse with their words wins.

Use shorter phrases such as “God is Love” to make this game easier for younger children.

Cut out hearts from cardstock, construction paper or foam board. Create half as many hearts as there will be children playing. Cut the hearts in half and write coordinating names on each half, such as Mary and Joseph or Adam and Eve. Shuffle the heart halves and hand them out to the children. Instruct the children to walk around the room until they find their partner with the matching heart. Once they have found each other, have them return to their seats. The last team standing is out. Shuffle the heart halves and hand out to the remaining players. Repeat the process until only one team remains. They are the winners.

Purchase a few bags of Valentine conversation hearts. Sort them by message to remove any that may be inappropriate for children in a church setting. Spread the remaining hearts on a table. Once the children are seated around the table, give them each a pair of chopsticks and a bowl. Play a religious song about love and instruct the kids to collect as many hearts as they can, using only the chopsticks to place them in the bowls. When the song is over, the players drop their chopsticks and the game is over. Count the hearts in each bowl. The child who collected the most is the winner.

Have the children sit in a circle and hand them a plush or paper heart. Play just as you would the game of hot potato, with the heart replacing the potato. Play the piano or a CD of hymns and have the kids sing along. When the music stops, the child holding the heart is out, the music resumes and play continues until one winner remains.