Empty Tomb Easter Bible Game
1 Corinthians 15:13–22
Celebrate the resurrection of Jesus with an active Easter Bible game kids will remember! In the Empty Tomb game, children race to “arise” from their team's tomb until every player is out. The first team with an empty tomb wins!
Use the game to reinforce the truth of 1 Corinthians 15:13–22: Christ has indeed been raised from the dead! After the game, continue the lesson by reading the Resurrection story from a child-friendly Bible and closing in prayer.
"If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your
faith . . . For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your
sins . . . If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all
men . . . But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead . . . For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made
alive" 1 Corinthians 15: 13-22.
Set Up
Large playing area where you can mark off 8-10 foot circles, "tombs," for each team. (If you're playing indoors, you can use masking tape. If you're outdoors, use a rope, hose, or banner flags.) Place two cones a few feet apart on the edge of the circles to designate the
entrance to the tomb.
How To Play
Evenly divide players into teams (preferably 8-10 per team). Players from each team must lie down in their tombs. While the players are lying down, "playing dead," read the Scripture verses above. Designate one player from each team to be the first to go. At the GO, the teacher says, "Arise!", whereupon the designated
player from each team stands up, runs out through their tomb entrance, runs completely around their tomb, reenters
the tomb through the entry way, tags another player on their team and says, "Arise." First players then sit down on the outside edge of their tombs, and the tagged players proceed as before. Play continues like this until all the players have been
tagged and have run completely around their tomb. When the last player from each team has run around the tomb and sa down, the entire team must yell, "EMPTY
TOMB!"
How To Win
The first team to empty their tomb and scream, "Empty Tomb," wins!
After the Game
When all the players are sitting around their "tombs," read the Resurrection story from a child-friendly Bible, found in Matthew 27:41- Matthew 28:10.
Lead players in prayer. (Suggested prayer: "Dear Jesus, thank you for dying on the cross for my sins and rising from the dead to give me eternal life! Help me to follow you and to know you more. Help me to love you. Amen.")
Empty Tomb is one of the Bible games in His Name Shall Be Called . . . ,
a Bible lesson series for children that teaches the names and titles of Jesus.
Looking for more Bible games? Explore our collection of Bible Games for Kids for more Scripture-based games and activities for Sunday School and children's ministry.
Copyright 2002 Sarah Keith
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