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Leader Guide

Game

  • Snake Pattern
  • Question Sticks Pattern  
  • Optional: brown marker
  • Cardstock, five sheets
  • Six coins
  • Scissors
  • Glue or tape
  • A large towel or small rug/mat, red for fire if possible, see note
  • Sixth Grade helper or adult assistant
  • Whiteboard or chalkboard
  • Marker or chalk

Note: Choose a size of towel or rug/mat you think will challenge children but not be too difficult. You may also vary the distance from the line to the towel or rug to vary the degree of difficulty. Consider having two lines—one for grades 1–3 and a line further away for grades 4–6.  

Make a copy of the Snake Pattern in color or in black and white, and an extra one in case of tearing.

Make one copy of each page of the Question Sticks Pattern.  

Carefully cut out the four snakes.  

Glue or tape a coin to the head of each snake. Weight is needed to toss snakes.   

Mark or tape a line near one end of the room.

Place the towel or rug about 6–8 feet from the line—see note above.   

Cut out the twenty “Question Sticks” from the two sheets.

Optional: color the back of each stick brown. You may also just make a few brown lines across each stick to save time.

Place the sticks, text facing down, in a pile—to build a fire.

Let’s find out who can answer our bonus question you were asked to look for in today’s video! What was the name of the Roman captain who was in charge of the prisoners? Julius.

Very good! Now, as we said in Large Group time, our game involves snakes!  

Read Acts 28:3–6:

As Paul gathered an armful of sticks and was laying them on the fire, a poisonous snake, driven out by the heat, bit him on the hand. The people of the island saw it hanging from his hand and said to each other, “A murderer, no doubt! Though he escaped the sea, justice will not permit him to live.” But Paul shook off the snake into the fire and was unharmed. The people waited for him to swell up or suddenly drop dead. But when they had waited a long time and saw that he wasn’t harmed, they changed their minds and decided he was a god.

Divide the class evenly into two teams, but have a mix of older and younger children on each team. The teacher is Team One’s leader, and the assistant is Team Two’s leader. If teams are uneven, one child may play twice. Teams will make two separate lines behind the mark or line. Hand two snakes to the first player on each team. The players will alternate turns trying to “shake off” their snake into the fire by tossing/flinging them underhanded. Score as follows:

  • One point for each snake that lands partially on the towel/rug—fire.
  • Three points for each snake that lands completely on the towel/rug—no part off.
  • Five points for each correct answer.        

Once snakes are tossed and scores are tallied, players retrieve their snakes to take back to their teams. The player with the higher score then selects one Question Stick from the “fire” to take to the teacher. The teacher will read the question aloud to both players. Each player will quietly whisper the answer to the team leader, either the teacher or the assistant. If correct, points are added to the score, and the next players take their turns. The team with the higher score wins after all players have taken a turn.

Note: After the snakes are tossed, if the same number of points are scored by the two players, allow the player with a snake closest to the center of the towel/rug to select a Question Stick.

You showed some real skill shaking off those snakes! Can you imagine if the snakes were real? Paul experienced many trials and hardships; yet God protected Paul throughout his missions as he spread the Gospel! Now we are going to discuss what we saw in our Signposts video about how the events in Paul’s life pointed to Jesus! 

Answer Key for Question Sticks

Question Sticks are numbered but do not need to be selected in order.

  1. False.
  2. False, angel warned him.
  3. False.
  4. He was very sick with a fever.
  5. To testify before Caesar, to stand trial because he was arrested.
  6. Jesus.
  7. What is good.
  8. Weakness.
  9. False, Julius.
  10. Jesus.
  11. False.
  12. Strong.
  13. He was not harmed by the poisonous snake bite. 
  14. Bringing unbelievers into the temple.
  15. Snake bitten, arrested, beaten, imprisoned, shipwrecked.
  16. Books of the Bible or New Testament.
  17. Acts—Acts of the Apostles.
  18. True.
  19. Blessings.
  20. False, ship.