Instant Games for Children's Ministry [Paperback]

Susan L. Lingo (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 1995

101 just-for-fun games you can play on a moment's notice! All you need are common, inexpensive items like Ping-Pong balls, plastic cups, and balloons. And each 10-to 15-minute game teaches and encourages kids to play together.

Editorial Reviews

Review

From The Good Bookstall - November 2009 '101 fun filled children's games using just 14 everyday items'?! A bold promise indeed, but this book really does 'live up to it's promise'. It does provide that many super games, using just that many items; ideal for 5 - 11 year olds. I was particularly impressed by the information in the 'Get ready...' section, which explained, for each game, the group size, best age, playing time, items needed and the energy level required. 'The scripted story line for each game and the inside tips were also very useful. The whole book is certainly about having fun for all ages young and old and will prove a great resource to have on your shelf, or in your bag, for those 'just in case' moments. Reviewed by Wendy Downey From Congregation Federation September 2009 For those working with children aged 5 to 11, this book had a welcome 'live simply' ethos. All the games are played using a game bag of 14 inexpensive items, such a ping-pong balls and skipping ropes. These are used imaginatively in a good mixture of games: team and individual, quiet and raucous, sensible and crazy. Where needed a simple picture or diagram brings the game to life. A heading for each game gives the suggested ages, size of group, energy level and duration. This format helps leaders to plan a well balanced session. The one thing missing for our purposes was advice for linking particular games with a Bible story or theme. It can be done readily enough by an imaginative leader, but some help would have been welcome. However, excellent value at less than 7 pence per game! Reviewed by Stephen Haward --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

About the Author

Susan L Lingo is a former schoolteacher with over 18 years of experience working with children and author of more than 25 resources for children's workers and children in the US, including Show Me! Devotions for Leaders to Teach Kids. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Group Publishing Inc (July 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1559456957
• ISBN-13: 978-1559456951
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.8 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #485,468 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun games for any number of kids!, August 9, 2001

By 

Melissa Ferguson (Crittenden, KY USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Instant Games for Children's Ministry (Paperback)

This book has a lot of ideas for as many or as few kids as you may have. I was expecting the games to tie into a lesson from the Bible, but they don't. So, you can pick any game and just play with the kids to fill in the 5 or 10 minutes you have left over before the parents come. The great part is that there isn't really any clean-up to be done after! The games are broken down by age group or by energy level which made it perfect for me when I was suddenly told that I would have the K-2 group after I had planned for the 4-6 group!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Okay for the price, but nothing great., July 3, 2010

By 

Lindsey R. Whitney (Erie, PA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Instant Games for Children's Ministry (Paperback)

I just picked up this book, because of it's fabulous price on Amazon. When it arrived in the mail, I was a little disappointed at the size. I'm not sure why, but I expected it to be bigger, taller, thicker.. something! Of course, size doesn't really matter. It's what's on the inside that counts (sounds like a great Children's Ministry lesson, doesn't it?)

I started browsing through the pages. The premise of this book is: gather 14 EVERYDAY items and you'll be able to play 101 Children's Ministry games at the drop of a hat. Most of the items were things you could easily have on hand except circular foam disks (where do I find these?) and a color cube (simple instructions are provided right at the beginning of the book for this). Okay, good start.

I read through the first few games and I got so bogged down in the instructions that I just skipped onto the next one. Not a good sign. If I, as an adult, cannot even read the instructions without getting all jumbled, how is a child supposed to actually play the game? Now, maybe I'm just a little dense, but these did not seem like "pick up and go" kind of games. Instead, they seemed a little overly complicated and too ambitious for a bunch of rowdy kids who are in need of some energy-burning activity. Also, the playing time seemed over-estimated. Many games were reported to last 15 minutes or so, but I could imagine kids getting tired of the game in 5 minutes or so.

There were a few winners: Fox and Hounds, Minefield, Pat the Cat, Hocus Pocus Hats, to name a few. However, you have to do a little searching. Certainly this book is worth the price if you're paying 0.01 on Amazon like I did. But full price... I think I'll pass.

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