B28 – Which Soil Am I? (Icebreaker) | Junior Activities

Kids Ministry · Icebreaker

Which Soil Am I?

A 5–8 minute action game to kick off Lesson 28: Four Kinds of Soil

5–8 minutes Matthew 13:23 · Matthew 12:22–13:23 · Mark 3:20–4:20 · Luke 8:1–15 Junior kids No materials needed

This week Jesus tells a story about a farmer who scatters seed on four kinds of ground — a hard path, rocky soil, thorny ground, and good soil. Before we hear the parable, warm up with this quick action game that gets kids thinking about what helps something grow, and what stops it.

What you'll need

• Nothing — just open floor space
• One leader to call out the scenarios

How to Play

1. Have kids stand where they can move safely.
2. Teach the four poses below.
3. Call out a scenario. Kids act out the matching pose as fast as they can.
4. Speed up each round to build energy.
5. After the last scenario, ask the wrap-up question and share the big idea.

Path

Stomp both feet twice, arms crossed — “Nothing gets in!”

Rocky

Jump up, then flop down like wilting.

Thorny

Squeeze both arms in tight, like being crowded out.

Good Soil

Reach arms up slowly, like a tree growing tall.

Leader tip

Run through the four poses once as practice before you start calling out scenarios, so everyone's ready.

Call It Out

• A seed lands where feet walk every day and birds swoop in to eat it

  Path

• A plant sprouts fast in shallow dirt but the sun scorches it — no roots

  Rocky

• A seedling grows up right next to weeds that crowd out all its sunlight

  Thorny

• A seed lands in soft, deep dirt and grows into a tall, healthy plant

  Good Soil

• Someone hears God's Word, but worries and busyness choke it out

  Thorny

• Someone hears God's Word, gets excited for a week, then quits when it gets hard

  Rocky

• Someone hears God's Word and doesn't understand or care at all

  Path

• Someone hears God's Word, understands it, and it produces real change

  Good Soil

Wrap It Up

Ask the group: “Which one of these would you want to be — and why?” Let a few kids answer, then share this:

Big idea

Jesus told a story about a farmer scattering seed on four different kinds of ground. He wasn't just talking about farming — He was talking about how people respond to God's Word. Today we'll find out what makes the difference between soil that produces nothing and soil that produces a harvest.

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This activity is free to use and adapt for non-commercial ministry purposes.