Distinctly Beautiful

4 shiney stars

For this game you will need paper and a pen/pencil.

Background info: This game is meant to build up the self esteem of youth. Sometimes they may look at themselves and see something they don't like. This game is focusing on what makes them beautiful in their own way. It was inspired by a preaching, a movement started by a poet, and Song of Solomon 4:7

Now get everyone in a group, or they can separate themselves if they want to. It would be best if they are separated that way there is no outside influence or anything that may change what they feel (more explained later).

Make sure each person has a pen and a paper in hand. Tell them to write "I am distinctly beautiful because..." a certain amount of times (5,10,12. the more times written the better they can build up their self esteem) down the left hand side of their page. Now they all write reasons why they are beautiful after "I am distinctly beautiful because...". When everyone is done, they can share one or more reasons if they wish. When they have shared, read Song of Solomon 4:7. This usually works best in a preaching.

 


Other resources to help with Self Esteem particularly in girls

Dove Body Image video

Please suggest any others via comments below.

If you like this game, you may also be interested in the encouragement game.


Features
  • Free / Low Cost
Objectives
  • Discipleship / Bible
  • Team Building Teamwork
Space
  • Indoor
  • Large area
  • Small area
Age
  • Primary or Elementary School
  • Teens (Age 12-15)
  • Teens (Age 16-18)
  • Young Adults

Group Size
  • Small Groups (1-9 people)
  • Medium (10-29 people)
  • Large groups (30+)

Duration
  • Longer (30-60 mins)
  • Medium (11-29 mins)
  • Short (1-10 minutes)
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Comments

Great, because our goal is to convince kids they are beautiful. Perhaps some of our young people need to evaluate why they have low self-esteem (celebrity worship, covetousness, self-centeredness, fear of man) and deal with those issues. Propping up kids with stuff like this only validates the worlds messages and is completely man centered versus God centered.
- Todd (28 Jan 2009)

but the bible teaches us that we are LOVED, and i believe thats the message coming across here, i didnt pick up that its about outward beauty, but inward beauty. i can see answers such as "i am distinctly beautiful because i love helping animals" i dont see many kids saying "because i dyed my hair blonde and thats way cuter!" thats not the point of this activity Todd, i think its absolutely great! Thanks for sharing!
- michelle (29 Mar 2009)

I remember doing something similar to this as a youth (about 5 years ago). But instead of being about why we're beautiful, other people in the group wrote why we're special/one nice thing about the other person. I still have those little slips of paper in a special place at home.
- Cassaundra (23 Sep 2009)

thanks for the idea anna, i am a youth leader in a church and i had run out of ideas,lol. thanks again, GOD BLESS!

- ryan (9 Dec 2009)

This is a wonderful idea!
- Ash (26 Jan 2010)

But we aren't beautiful, only Christ is...I don't want to build up their flesh and give them reason to be prideful. Identify with Christ and see that we have been made beautiful because we are in Him.
- Ben (17 Jan 2012)

Ben, of course we are beautiful - as you mention we are made beautiful in Christ, and that is what this game is about - helping people realise this. Amazing things can happen when people learn to love themselves
- Dave (17 Jan 2012)

Also Ben you said Christ is the beautiful one.. We were made in the image of Christ himself making us beautiful as well
- (27 Jan 2012)

You can use this game to teach how our view of ourselves differs than that of scripture. We may see ourself as good but the truth is there is none good, not one. But we also may see ourself as worthless and unfixable. Yet the Scripture teaches that although we are broken sinners we are able to be made beautiful in Christ. Oh What a Savior!
- brad (25 Jul 2012)

Thanks for the idea, I plan to use it with our group tonight but think I will use the scripture from 1 Peter 3 that says our beauty should not come from outward adornment but should be inner beauty and then tie that into how we are made beautiful when we are transformed by Christ.
- betsy (3 Oct 2012)

ok. so this is horrid theology, Dave, your statement "Amazing things can happen when people learn to love themselves" is entirely the Worlds philosophy! I have yet to meet a person who did not love themselves! People with "low self-esteem" do not love themselves too little, but rather too much! Our only hope is in Jesus and His beauty! Once I get a real grasp of how bad I am and how wicked I really am, that is when Jesus is most beautiful. If this is what you were trying to say then say it. Assumed truth is really lazy teaching and ends up teaching false doctrine in the end. So if you meant to say that Jesus is what makes you beautiful, maybe have the game be "Write out 15 ways that Jesus makes you beautiful!" That would be SO much better. Thanks for the idea though.
- josh (7 Jan 2015)

Thanks for the idea! God made everyone uniquely different. It is an error to state that Christians should not love themselves. For Proverbs 19:8 states, Whoever gets sense loves his own soul; he who keeps understanding will discover good and we are also told to love our neighbor as ourselves. Jesus makes us holy, He sanctifies us, He make us righteous. We should not teach with a spirit of condemnation but with love. Absolutely nothing is wrong with pointing out to children what makes them beautiful and why God loves them as long as Jesus Christ is the foundation.
- korena (15 Jan 2015)

The overall point and intent of the game is to build self esteem. In a society and world where we are constantly judged and told every reason we aren't beautiful it's refreshing to throw in positivity with beauty. Yes this younger generation needs the truth and nothing but the truth. However, I think it's key to remember who your ministering to Josh. This is a group of preteen and teen children. You continue to throw the fact they are nothing but wicked and bad kids well you won't have much of a kid or ministry in my opinion. But we can make a difference in the lives of some children who do not normally feel good about themselves. They may not be accustomed to receiving compliments or having an adult that will engage in conversation with them. Lets make sure we help them to feel not just pretty but important. When a young girl doesn't get the right kind of attention, she grows into a young lady that will seek the wrong kind of attention.
In Jesus' parable of the sheep and goats (Matthew 25:34-40) the King is welcoming those into His kingdom that have ministered to Him. When the people asked the King when did we minister to you he says "Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."
- Mallory (12 Aug 2016)

my take on this is that first you have to know your kids and whether they need this or not. in my youth most of them don't have problem with self esteem, but with ignorance. only few that have low self esteem problem, and we solve it thru more personal approach and involvement in ministry to build them up. second i would rephrase the wording, because the wording doesn't have anything that drive the children to Jesus instead to look at themselves and decide this is beautiful or not. i understand the goal is for them to be not "under appreciated" themselves and always feeling afraid. i think in some way low self-esteem is a sin, because we doubt that God equip us to be fruitful and again as pride the focus is ourselves. i don't think you should do this activity very lightly. i think you need to think it through. why would you do this activity if you haven't teach/preach extensively about sin and the depravity of man? otherwise you will drive your kids further away from Christ.
- Amsal Sihombing (7 Sep 2016)

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