10 Commandment Games For Kindergarteners
I love teaching young kids about the 10 Commandments. I believe it gives us a framework to talk to kids about what is right and wrong and to talk about some really difficult, but important topics, like murder and idols.
Here are a few of my favorite activities to do with kindergarteners to help them understand the 10 Commandments more.
Tablet Water Painting
For my little Sunday School kids, I love using the first 15 minutes or so of our time doing exploration stations. This gives kids play experiences to help them build a framework to understand what we are talking about.
One of my favorite exploration stations for the 10 commandments is tablet painting.
All we did was choose some flat landscaping rocks. (I borrowed one from my in-laws!) I just get enough materials to be used for 2 or 3 kids in a station. But you could certainly get one stone for each kid and do it as a large group activity.
I keep the laminated commandment cards at the station along with paint brushes and cups of water.
Kids can do one of three things.
They can just free paint the tablet.
You can prep the stones by writing one commandment on each stone with a white crayon or sharpie. Then, let the kids use the water to "paint trace" over the commandments.
Finally, they can look and trace by drawing a card and using their water and brush to copy the command onto the tablet.
We have so much fun with this activity!
Bean Bag Toss
I use this as a review game! I print each commandment card that we have learned so far out and lay them out on the floor. If we've only learned 3 commandments, only 3 cards get put out. If we've learned all 10, all 10 cards go down on the floor.
The kids take turns tossing a bean bag. Whichever card they land on, they have to share one way to follow that commandment.
Another version is to have them share a way to NOT follow that commandment. This is great review and practice understanding of the 10 commandments.
Sorting Cards
Sorts are some of my favorite activities for primary kids. Preschoolers and kindergartners need lots of opportunities to make sense of a concept by understanding what it is and is not. Sorting is perfect for that!
During our 10 commandments unit, we have 2 sorting activities.
When we learn about idols, we sort things that help us grow closer to God and things that do not.
When we learn about murder, we talk mostly about how killing is a terrible reaction to anger. During this lesson we sort activities that are healthy ways to handle anger and unhealthy ways to deal with our anger.
This is an important discussion that deepens their understanding of a commandment that can seem unrelatable. Not many of our kids will grow up to kill others. But most, if not all, will struggle dealing with anger...which is the seed that can grow into murder.
Fill a Shape
One exploration station that is in every kindergarten Bible unit is fill a shape. It help kids attend to an important shape that goes with our unit. It's great fine motor practice. And it's just another opportunity to let them "play" and experience something related to our big idea.
During our 10 commandments unit, we fill a tablet with stones!
10 Commandment Boogie Video
I found this video and we absolutely LOVE it! It's great movement for the littles and really does help them remember each rule!
Want to find all of the materials to use with this unit, plus a full lesson on each commandment for kindergartners? Boogie on over and find the full, 10 week unit here.