Orthodox Trivial Pursuit

Get a card box that will hold 3x5 cards, and a bunch of 3x5 cards. (or you can use 5x7.) On the front of each goes a question, and on the back an answer. I am sure that now you can set up your computer so that you can print them- I pasted each on the card when I did it. I also suggest you laminate them, although this can run into money, but is well worth it- mine is at least 20 years old now, and on its second box.

I use about 6 categories: (so buy or make dividers for the categories of cards, and label each.)

Bible
Church History
Liturgy
Sacraments
Saints
Theology (beliefs of Orthodoxy)

I always include some questions that are distinct to my parish, such as: What is our Bishop's name? or, Name one saint that is on our iconostasis. Most however, are more general.

To set it up quickly, I suggest you assign your teachers to come up with a few (questions AND answers), and ask willing parishioners who you think will have accurate information to help also. You can ask teachers to work together, so that teachers who teach elementary students can come up with those questions, middle school teachers questions for those kids, etc. You need quite a lot of cards in each category, but coming up with questions is pretty quick and easy- the time consuming part is getting it to game form (on the cards). (Maybe if you want it by the 6th you could just have 6 sheets of questions and answers, and paste them on cards later.) If you want this set up quickly, get lots of people to help, but be specific about what category each is to work on, so that you get about the same number of questions in each group, and give them a deadline as to when you need the questions! Have as many as possible for each category- it is amazing how many questions you can run through in 20-30 minutes!
I always have 2 or three age level questions on the same card- you choose which one would be age-appropriate for the child answering, and that way you can have multiple ages.

For example, on the same card your questions might be:

elementary: What is the name of your priest? (Father Tom)

middle school: What is the name of your priest? (Father Tom Hopko)

HS: What is the name of your priest and his title? (The Very Rev. Thomas Hopko)

You can also choose to have only one level per card, if this is the way you want to go.


You can play this game any way you want. You can have teams, or individual contestants. You can use as your cut off time, number of points reached first, or any other scoring method you choose, as long as everyone knows ahead of time. Be sure rules are printed out and kept with the game. Orthodox Trivia is not played with a board as is Trivial Pursuit, but is more like Jeopardy in the way you do it. You can use the game with individual classes or age levels, or can make it an activity that includes all ages- even adults. You can have the teachers play too! The rules will be the way you want to set them up. And, the great thing about the file card system is that it is easy to remove dated material and replace it with new material.