Creative spaces for learning = More engaged students = Better lesson retention

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Here's our "Paul's Journey" maze table in our Bible Skills and Games Workshop at Peace Presbyterian, Bradenton FL.

It's a re-usable game piece. As you can see, the kids labeled the pitfalls/holes and bumpers to fit the lesson understanding of "what it takes" and what the challenges are when following God. 

We are balancing the board on a box and tilting it. We did a lot of modifying as part of the lesson, changing the labels, changing how we worked, or didn't work together, changing the ball, etc. Requires a quick thinking teacher!

The obstacles/rails on the board were taped in place and could be moved/added to as our discussion unfolded. For example, we added more "prayer and faith" near one difficult spot!  Each addition became a point of comment. Kids suggested many of them and loved modifying the game. The labels were post-it notes that the kids dictated. Ball rolled over them easily.

Such a board, pitfalls, teamwork, someone working against, guards, unhelpful traps, --these could all be re-purposed for many different discussions and ages.

The board is a thin piece of plywood with 1x1 railing screwed to the edge for rigidity.

Life size Bible Scrabble

Game Wheels...

Add photos of your game wheel by using the "Post Reply" button below. Have some construction details to share? Do so over here.

Spinning in action...

Bible Skills and Games Workshops sometimes take on a "Bible tent" motif.

Notice at the top of the picture below you can see the top of a folding tent/awning in another church's Rotation Model Sunday School. The tent/awning has been permanently set up INSIDE a traditional classroom space to lower the ceiling and give the kids a cozy "tent" feeling.  Fabric has then been stretched between the legs of the folding tent to close it in.  Does wonders in reducing that lovely "concrete pill box" appearance so many classrooms (and kids) suffer with in churches.

Sometimes they are used for music and storytelling too!

Can you figure out what lesson they were teaching in this photo?  Answer below.

_{The Kingdom of God is like a treasure, bread, pearls...!}

United PC, Sterling KS

Zacheus' Treehouse - to be used for both Storytelling and Bible Skills/Games

A Bible skills cup stacking -memory verse game in the Bible Skills and Games Workshop at Church of the Epiphany, Dalton PA.

Neil MacQueen posted:

Here's our "Paul's Journey" maze table in our Bible Skills and Games Workshop at Peace Presbyterian, Bradenton FL.

It's a re-usable game piece. As you can see, the kids labeled the pitfalls/holes and bumpers to fit the lesson understanding of "what it takes" and what the challenges are when following God.  

We are balancing the board on a box and tilting it. We did a lot of modifying as part of the lesson, changing the labels, changing how we worked, or didn't work together, changing the ball, etc. Requires a quick thinking teacher!

The obstacles/rails on the board were taped in place and could be moved/added to as our discussion unfolded. For example, we added more "prayer and faith" near one difficult spot!  Each addition became a point of comment. Kids suggested many of them and loved modifying the game. The labels were post-it notes that the kids dictated. Ball rolled over them easily.

Such a board, pitfalls, teamwork, someone working against, guards, unhelpful traps, --these could all be re-purposed for many different discussions and ages.

The board is a thin piece of plywood with 1x1 railing screwed to the edge for rigidity.

I found this YouTube video of a BLUE TARP version of the tilting board game.

As seen, their tarp "board" requires more hands to hold, but I suppose you could also simply attach 1"x1" wood strips to the four edges of the tarp (using a staple gun) so that one student could control each side of the tarp by themselves.  The tarp would be easy to label. 

• Wilderness Journey Tilting Tarp?
• Avoid Sin Tarp?
• Church working together to solve problems tarp? (what 'holes' do we need to fill, or get the ball to drop in to accomplish a goal?)
• Or how about simply labeling ten holes with a different commandment (or Bible verse) and seeing if you can "tilt" the table-tarp to get the ball to roll into the commandments (or Bible verse) "in the correct order."

Bible Games Workshop and "Museum of the Bible" Workshop (Bible Skills and Knowledge) 
at the Golf Course Road Church of Christ, Midland TX

Click to enlarge

This church has some GREAT resources, Droid!

These photos are courtesy of  Wendy Humphries and the Golf Course Road Church of Christ, Midland TX! Many thanks to @Wendy Humphries!

Goodwood Church of Christ Games Workshop

You can read more about this creative program's decor at Education Hall Makeover.

Here's an example of a "Game Show" Set-up

We cobbled this Game Show Set-Up for an old VBS "Studio Go" back in 2011. We used music stands (to hold any notes or scripts) for the contestants (black and two striped) and host (host's stand is on the far left - with bow tied to it).

In front of music stands I placed 3-sided boxes (large boxes I cut) draped over them were a piece of black and two different striped pieces of material I had in my drama supplies) for added effect.

The brightly coloured squares paper, on the back wall, is just rolls of wrapping paper we hung in strips for a fun background. I still have the Studio Go cardboard standup, the spinner on it can actually be spun.

Good idea. The Bible Skills Cup Stacking Game is a great game that explores many skills in children with a group. happy wheels