Leader Guide
Marching Game
- Bible or the Superbook Bible App
- Chairs
Make a large circle with the chairs facing outward. Make sure there is one less chair than participants. If you have a large class, you can make two circles of chairs and play at the same time. When there is one child left in both circles, conduct a final round playoff with the two remaining children to find the winner.
God had specific instructions for Joshua and the Israelite army. The army marched around the walls of Jericho one time a day for how many days? Six.
What were the instructions for the seventh day? March around seven times and then shout!
We are going to play a version of musical chairs where the chairs represent the walls of Jericho—and we will march instead of walk!
Have the children form a circle around the chairs. Tell them that they are not allowed to talk as they march; they must be completely silent like Joshua’s army. Play begins as you say, “March around Jericho!” The children march in unison around the chairs. As they march you begin to shout out the numbers one through seven in random order. When you shout out the number “7” everyone must shout and try to sit down in one of the chairs. The player who is left without a chair is eliminated from the game, and one chair is removed so there will always be one chair less than the number of players. If you have a large class and wish to shorten the game, you may remove two chairs each time. The marching resumes as you say, “March around Jericho!” and begin shouting numbers again. Keep the game interesting by varying the cadence and timing when shouting out the numbers. Go slow, speed up, say strings of numbers quickly, repeat a number, say the number “7” immediately after starting the march, etc. Repeat in this fashion until there is only one player left in the game, who is the winner.
What do you think it felt like to march around the walls silently for 6 days? Would it be easy or difficult?
Would you think that the people of Jericho might be laughing at you?
What do you think it felt like on the seventh day when Joshua gave the command to shout?
The walls of Jericho were tall and thick but they could not stand against God! Let’s shout our SuperTruth together and raise our hands in victory as if we are Joshua’s soldiers after 7 days of marching! “No one can stand against God!”