• Icebreaker games can be helpful when working with children. Such games remove the element of formality often associated with a classroom, youth group or Sunday school group. Such games can help shy, reserved students open up to others more easily.
  
  

The Colors of Life

• This game keeps kids talking and is a natural hit with young children as it involves candy. Open up a big bag of M&Ms or an equivalent candy. Tell each child to take a handful. Dictate a meaning to each color of M&M and write it on the board. For example, the color red can mean family, blue can mean friends, green can mean hobbies, orange can mean school, and yellow can mean dreams. So kids must pick up an M&M and, depending on the color, tell a fact about their family or friends. After they share that fact, they can eat the M&M. The children have to keep going until all the M&Ms are gone.
  
  

Treasure Hunt

• Before the children arrive, cut out magazine pictures that relate to what you would like to discuss with the children, or what you would like them to do that day. For example, if you plan on talking to them about God's creatures, great and small, then you would cut out pictures of animals, glue them to poster board and hide them around the room (or garden if you are outside). Group the children into pairs, and tell them that their partner is their team member and that they need to give their team a name. Give the children two minutes to think of a name for their team. Tell them you have hidden 10 pictures around the room and that it is up to them to work with their partners to find the pictures. Give them five minutes. Once all the pictures are found, have each team hold them up.
  
  

Counting Blessings

• Start with a large flower or brightly covered ball. As the leader, set an example and state your name and say "I know I am blessed because..." Then pass the object to the first student who says his name and repeats, "I know I am blessed because..." Go around the room twice.