Leader Guide

Balloon Activity

Let’s say the SuperTruth together: “God enables us to do great things.”

To enable means to give power and authority to someone to do something. What does God enable us to do? Great things!

Yes, you could say that God activates and empowers us!

Have you ever played a game called freeze tag? You are frozen until someone taps or tags you; then you can move again. In other words, you are activated or enabled! In this game you will be equipped and enabled, and then equip and enable others! Each player stands on a square and is frozen. A teammate will tag you to unfreeze or enable you. The challenging and fun part is that you must bounce a balloon in the air as you move to a teammate to enable them. If a balloon hits the ground before you tag then next player, you must go back to your square and start again. The first team to move the balloon to one end of the line and then back wins. That means that each player will be enabled twice!

Make teams of 3–4 players depending on classroom space and the number of children in the class. Try to mix older and younger children on each team. For larger classes, play 2–3 teams at a time and then have a final elimination tournament.

Give each player a sheet of cardstock.

Have the teams form separate lines, with about 8–10 feet between each player in a line.

Leave about 6–8 feet between team lines.

Each player will place their cardstock on the floor and then stand on it.

Give a balloon to each team’s first player. The other players are “frozen” and cannot move from their cardstock until they are enabled or tagged by a team player with the balloon.

The first players bounce their balloon in the air as they walk to the second players. If the balloon hits the floor, they must pick it up and start again from that point.

When the first players are close enough to the second players, they will tag or enable them and then pass the balloon to equip them. Once the second players are tagged, they can move off their squares to help them get control of the balloon, but not before! The first players then return to the squares they began on.

The second players bounce the balloon to the third players and enable those players, and so on.

Play continues this way until the balloons makes it back to the first players, who are tagged again. The first team to do this wins.

Important: the balloons are never to be held; they must be bounced continuously.

Conclusion: What did it feel like the instant you were enabled? Exciting, fun, empowering.

How did it feel to enable and equip your teammate? Fun, exciting, relief to hand it off.

Let’s read a story about how Jesus did something like this with His disciples!

Read Luke 10:1, 17, 21:

¹ The Lord now chose seventy-two other disciples and sent them ahead in pairs to all the towns and places He planned to visit. ¹⁷ When the seventy-two disciples returned, they joyfully reported to Him, “Lord, even the demons obey us when we use Your name!” ²¹ At that same time Jesus was filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit, and He said, “O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank You for hiding these things from those who think themselves wise and clever, and for revealing them to the childlike. Yes, Father, it pleased You to do it this way.

How did Jesus react to seeing that His disciples were able to do what He sent them to do? Joy, happiness.

God wants to enable us so we can do His will and accomplish His purpose in our lives. He gives us everything we need through Christ!

Alternative Play: Play as a large group in a large area like a gym using one balloon. Have players make a large circle, leaving about 10–12 feet between each player. Start the balloon at any player and start the time. Play as described above. Stop the time when the balloon travels all the way around the circle and the first player is tagged. Play again to beat the previous time.