As schools close for the long Christmas holidays, parents are being encouraged to find meaningful activities that keep children engaged, nurture good behaviour and support their spiritual and personal development.
With learners spending more than two months away from the classroom, the extended break offers an opportunity for families to help children develop new skills, strengthen relationships and cultivate values that shape their character. However, without purposeful activities, the holidays can also become a period of excessive screen time and missed learning opportunities.
Muthoni Njue, founder of The Rhema Store, says engaging children in constructive learning activities encourages them to explore, solve problems and discover solutions while making learning enjoyable.
“Engaging in learning activities encourages students to explore, problem-solve, and discover solutions,” she says.
For Njue and her team, one way of achieving this is through faith-based games that combine entertainment with Bible learning, helping children spend their free time in activities that reinforce positive values.
This approach inspired the development of Rhema Play, a free Bible-based gaming application launched in October 2026 by The Rhema Store, a Nairobi-based Christian ministry focused on making Scripture accessible and engaging beyond traditional church settings.
The platform allows users to answer daily Bible questions, participate in interactive games and share Scripture with friends and family. It requires no download or account to begin playing and can be accessed through a phone.
Every morning, users encounter five new Bible questions alongside a verse of the day.
Incorrect answers are turned into learning opportunities, with explanations and relevant Scriptures helping players understand the biblical context behind each response.
For children, the platform offers an age-appropriate experience. Parents can add their children to their accounts, giving each child five questions daily tailored to their age.
Unlike the adult version, the children's rounds have no timer or competitive leaderboard, allowing them to learn at their own pace while building streaks and earning badges.
National Parents Association chairman Silas Obuhatsa said the family-oriented approach also creates opportunities for parents to participate in their children's learning rather than leaving them to navigate digital entertainment alone.
“My children race me to the five questions before school. Then at dinner they want to tell me the story behind the answer they got wrong,” he said.
Beyond daily quizzes, Rhema Play features live Game Nights where families, church groups and young people can compete in Bible-themed challenges. Games include identifying speakers in biblical passages, arranging Bible events chronologically and guessing biblical personalities through yes-or-no questions.
The initiative builds on The Rhema Store's experience producing Christian card games, which began in October 2025. After exploring ways to reach more people through digital platforms, the team developed the application to make Bible learning accessible wherever people have a phone and an internet connection.
Njue says the broader vision is to make Scripture a regular part of everyday life, encouraging people not only to read the Bible but also to remember it, discuss it and apply its lessons.
“As families prepare for the Christmas break, initiatives such as Rhema Play offer one way to balance recreation with learning and character development,” she said.
“Parents are also encouraged to complement digital activities with reading, household responsibilities, creative projects, outdoor play and participation in community and church programmes.”
She noted that keeping children constructively engaged during the holidays is about creating opportunities for growth, strengthening family bonds and helping young people return to school with renewed curiosity, confidence and a stronger sense of responsibility.
