We threw a “Pickle Palooza” in our Wednesday night children’s program. From the moment we announced the schedule, this was one of the most anticipated nights. Here are some of the themed elements we tried. Please leave a comment and share your own creative ideas.
>>> Bible Connection <<<
God Made You Special: We used our pickle party along with a lesson on creation. We talked about how God makes each of us different. Just like no two picked are exactly alike! The memory verse was Psalm 139:14, “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.”
Dave & the Giant Pickle: Some churches have used their pickle night along with this classic VeggieTales story about David & Goliath.
>>> Pickle Game Ideas <<<
Pass the Pickle: Similar to hot potato, except with a whole dill pickle. Have the children stand in a circle facing out. When you say “Go” have the children pass the pickle around the circle. When the music stops the person holding the pickle is out. If they drop the pickle on the last pass, we call both players out.
Pickle Partner Pitch: Each child should choose a partner. Begin standing about arm’s length apart. When you say “Pickle” the children should gently toss the pickle to their teammate. After each round have the children take one step backwards. Any team that allows the pickle to drop is out. The last team tossing wins.
Pickle Pop Quiz: Use our pickle trivia questions (download here). Have three volunteers sit in chairs at the front of the room. Give them each a large pickle. The first one to raise the pickle gets to answer. When a child gets the answer right they get to keep their pickle and return to their seat. Call up a new volunteer to take their place.
Pickle Face Off: On the count of 3, have all the children make their best pickle face (like they’ve eaten something sour). Allow them to test several different faces, call this “practice rounds.” Announce that the adult leaders will judge the best girl and boy face. Bring them to the front and crown them “Pickle Prince” and “Pickle Princess.” Have these two represent the girls versus boys in a pickle face off. The winner will be judges by crowd applause. (pickle crown template: prince & princess & extra strips & directions)
>>> Pickle Snack Ideas <<<
As you can see in the picture above, we bought about 12 variety of pickles for our themed night. For each type, we put a small sample in a plastic bowl. The adult leader would explain the type of pickle and them let kids taste them (if they wanted). We also bought pickle flavored potato chips for any kids who didn’t really like the texture of pickles.
>>> Tips for Pickle Night <<<
Juice Management: To avoid a permanent pickle smell, keep the games outside and away from carpet. Pickle juice will burn your eyes and open cuts. If you plan on extreme games, have safety goggles on hand.
Anticipation: The best part about the event was how the kids looked forward to our pickle party. Use this to full advantage in the weeks leading up to the themed night. You could even make simple invitations and have the children invite their friends for this special occasion.
Wear Green: Our children love to come prepared, so we encourage them to wear green shirts.
Take Pictures: This type of crazy event is perfect for parents to share on Facebook. We even took a few shots for our church Facebook page.