Fruits of the Spirit Games

Various games and activities can be used to teach the fruits of the Spirit to young people. In the Apostle Paul’s writings to the Galatians recorded in the New Testament, Paul lists the fruits of the Spirit. The fruits of the Spirit refer to the qualities in a believer’s life as a result of God’s spirit dwelling within him. The fruits of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

Word games can be used in a classroom setting to teach the fruits of the Spirit. Creative teachers can devise their own word games or use online as well as offline resources that have various word games. Some word games that are used to teach the fruits of the Spirit are crossword puzzles, games involving anagrams and word searches. Students solve word puzzles that contain words and concepts relating to the fruits of the Spirit.

A team game involving actual fruit can be a tool for teaching the fruits of the Spirit. One game has team members passing a tangerine to one another using spoons in a relay race to advance its members to a designated area. As the tangerine makes it way through all the team members the team members advance toward the finish line. This game is started by a reading of Galatians 5:22-23, after which the team selects one of the fruits of the Spirit and writes it on its tangerine. After the game, the teams sit in a circle and discuss how they can show the fruit of the Spirit that is written on the tangerine.

A variation of the classic party game musical chairs can be used to teach the fruits of the Spirit. This game involves using a soft piece of fake fruit. After reviewing the fruits of the Spirit until they are familiar with them, the students sit in a circle and begin passing around the fake fruit with music playing in the background. When the music stops, the student holding the fruit has to name one of the fruits of the Spirit. If the student names one of the fruits the student receives a point; if unable to name one the student does not get a point and has to squeeze the fruit. The game then resumes with each child who can name one of the fruits of the Spirit receiving a point.

A version of the Battleship game can be used to teach the fruits of the Spirit. This version of the game uses the same grid configuration, but instead of ships placed on a grid the game pieces are the fruits of the Spirit. A grid can be made on paper using the Battleship game grid as a model. Four sets of grids need to be made, one to place game pieces on, another for a reference grid to mark when a player guesses an opponent's game piece placement. Instead of ships, the fruits of the Spirit are written on paper and are cut out. Each letter of the fruits of the Spirit game piece will correspond to a space on the grid. The game is played like Battleship, with players calling out grid numbers to try to guess where their opponent has placed his fruit.