“Find out the color you should paint your room to match your personality”. Social media and magazines are famous for their fun little quizzes that supposedly take your answers to a few questions and give you all the answers about life you would ever need. Fortunately, there are actually some fun quizzes you can give Bible students that will engage them in your Bible lessons in ways that just jumping into the lesson may not provide.
Older kids and teens may not like quizzes in school, but these quizzes ask questions that claim to have no right or wrong answers, but produce results that can help change their lives in positive ways. The problem is that even if they saw these same quizzes online, the results don’t have very much context nor do they provide many concrete, helpful ways to make use of the information. However, when followed by a Bible class that includes application principles, Christian life skills training and practice, these little quizzes can actually help students make some meaningful, positive, godly changes.
A great example is the Barratt Impulsivity Test. You can find both the test and its scoring online. With thirty quick questions requiring them to say how often certain statements are “true” for them, it shouldn’t take most teens but a few minutes to complete. If the answers are scored, it may give your Bible students some insight, but not much beyond that. When paired with a study of someone like Samson and the problems his impulsivity caused (and why that might matter to God)….plus some life skills training on practical ways to be less impulsive…as well as some practice using these techniques….then your students are equipped to make meaningful, positive, godly changes in their lives.
When choosing these quizzes, be careful not to give them too much power. Teens change rapidly and the answers they would give on the same quiz could vary greatly over time with no change to their behaviors or attitudes. Unless, you are a trained counselor or psychologist, it’s inappropriate to use any quiz to diagnose and treat anyone. Students should be clear, these quizzes are merely for fun, but might give them a clue about how they need to continue to grow as a Christian.
Other fun quizzes you might consider are the “marshmallow” self-control test, the empathy quotient test, the neophilia quiz (preferring “new” versus “familiar”), worry quizzes, Guilford’s Alternative Uses Test (creativity….you can also give students an Odyssey of the Mind sample problem to test and stretch their creativity), Torrance Test of Creative Thinking and the Big Five Personality test. Personally, I’m not a huge fan of the various personality test like enneagrams and Myers Briggs, as their results are a bit suspect and can leave young people feeling locked in for both strengths and weaknesses. Depending upon the topic though, those silly quizzes like “Which Thanksgiving Side Dish Matches Your Personality” can also be used at times as a springboard for a deeper Bible lesson.
As with any activity, use fun quizzes sparingly. Too many quizzes and they will cease being fun and engaging. Used well though, they can give your Bible students a great reason to really pay attention to your Bible lesson and perhaps even make some meaningful changes in their lives.