JR HIGH MOTHER’S DAY GAME
Many moments in life pass us by without us giving them much thought.
But, if we were to ask our moms, many of those moments are still archived in their hearts and minds.
They replay them like a favorite YouTube video – both the good and bad moments – because there’s something special about how moms love their children.
Use this fun Mother’s Day game to give students a glimpse into how moms see and think about their lives.
–Nick Diliberto, Junior High Ministry
JR HIGH MOTHER’S DAY GAME
Written by: Mike Sheley
Bible: Luke 2:19 and Psalm 119:11
SUPPLIES
- Index cards: Write one phrase on each card from the list below. Leave the opposite side blank. One set per team.
- OPTION 1: If you have a large group, put these words on a screen using PowerPoint, Keynote, or similar software. To make the game more challenging, type them in different fonts, colors and sizes.
- OPTION 2: Mix things up and help those students who are more visual, by replacing the words or phrases with images. You could do this by drawing an image on the index card or inserting an image on the presentation slide.
- Combination locks (One per team)
- Container: That is able to be locked with a combination lock – one per team.
- CLICK HERE for an example of a container that you can attach a combination lock to.
- CLICK HERE for an example of a combination lock.
- Bag of individually wrapped candy: Hershey Kisses or Hugs would be perfect – one per team.
- Timer (one per team)
- Paper and pen (3 sheets per team), or a dry erase board and marker per team
GAME SET-UP
Put one bag of individually wrapped candy in one container, per team.
Put a label on the container marking it: A, B, C, etc.
Set the combination and write that combination on an index card along with the letter of the container.
Lock the combination lock.
Write the words and/or draw images of the words and phrases from the list below, only one per index card (one full set per team).
Divide the cards into stacks based on the lists below (List 1, List 2, List 3 – three stacks per team)
Set out one set of the List 1 cards per team with enough space between them for students to work without bothering other groups.
Make sure all the cards are face down
HOW TO PLAY THE GAME
Divide students into teams… if possible, three or more teams works best.
Give one leader per team a timer.
Explain to students that we have a collection of words, phrases and images that all have to do with Moms.
When I say, “Go!”, each team can flip over all of their cards.
They will then have 60 seconds to read and memorize as many of the words, phrases and images as they can.
No one is allowed to take a picture of the cards or write down anything at this point.
When time is up, the leader will flip all the cards back over.
Teams will then have 2 minutes to write down as many of the words, phrases and images as they can remember.
Next, check and see which team remembered the most words correctly.
Award 10 points for each correct word.
Then, repeat these steps for rounds 2 and 3.
After explaining the rules, begin the game.
Have the leader from each team add up points for each round and keep a running total of each team’s points.
Repeat this process of memorizing and remembering for Lists 2 and 3.
When you have finished round 3, the team with the most points gets the combination to the lock.
Then, each team after will receive the combination 10 seconds later.
When a team successfully unlocks the lock, they get the candy prize inside to share as a team.
LIST 1
- flowers
- candy
- card
- baby
- lullaby
- worry
- manners
- cooking
- cleaning
- working
- cookies
- meatloaf
- discipline
- calendar
- bedtime
LIST 2
- garden
- vacuum
- crafts
- scrapbook
- playdate
- bandages
- diapers
- bottles
- sack lunch
- field trip chaperone
- listening
- stories
- clothes
- matchmaker
- teacher
LIST 3
- soccer mom
- photographer
- social media
- friends
- coffee
- tea
- breakfast
- praying
- hugs
- kisses
- coach
- encourager
- shopping
- budget
- laughing
TEACH
That game was all about things that remind us of our moms and you all did awesome!
Let’s keep talking about moms for a few minutes…
There’s a short verse in the Book of Luke that we often skip right over.
After Jesus was born, there is the story of the angels visiting the shepherds, praising God, and then sending them into town to visit Jesus and his parents.
After the shepherds shared their story of being visited by the angels, Luke records this note about Mary, Jesus’ mother:
Read Luke 2:19 NLT.
“Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often.”
We don’t know a lot of specifics here, but we do know a lot about moms.
Mary probably thought often about what happened when her son, Jesus, was born.
I can even imagine her sitting around as people are telling stories about their kids and she is thinking about the crazy, amazing night she had when her son was born.
I mean, not everyone has angels that announce the birth of their child!
And definitely, not many people have stinky shepherd boys rushing to visit when their baby is born.
For Mary, this memory was one of many she kept hidden like a treasure in her heart.
She could think about it whenever she wanted.
It reminds me of a similar verse in the Book of Psalms.
Read Psalm 119:11 NLT.
“I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.”
The writer of this psalm tells us that by hiding God’s word in our hearts… or to say it another way, meditating on God’s Word, it will help us live the way God wants us to live and avoid the temptation to sin.
In life, spending time in God’s Word is like a mom hiding away a great memory of her child so she can think about it often.
When you do that, you’ll find yourself living more and more like Jesus…. and that should make any mother smile!
Close in prayer.
Like this game? Check out this…
JUNIOR HIGH GAME: MOVIE MADNESS
Written by Mike Sheley, who is the Middle School Pastor (5th-8th grade) at Mount Pleasant Christian Church in Greenwood, Indiana.
He’s been in full-time youth ministry over 17 years with most of that time focused on 5th-8th graders.