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Leader Guide

Action Game

  • 50–75 sheets of paper—preferably recycled or scrap     
  • Painters tape or masking tape
  • Yardstick or tape measure
  • Three pairs of sunglasses or safety glasses
  • Three containers—each large enough to hold about 20 paper balls
  • A bell, whistle, or other noisemaker to indicate when teams should move
  • Whiteboard or chalkboard, marker or chalk
  • Timer, such as a stopwatch, clock or watch with second hand, or timer app
  • Volunteers to help keep score

 

Following the illustration, use tape to make a 12-foot-wide line near one end of the room.

Make a second line two feet from the first line. 

Make three more lines for a total of five lines, each spaced two feet apart.      

Make a Toss Line 10–12 feet from line 5. 


Let’s say the SuperVerse together: Galatians 5:25:

Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.   

Before we became believers, we didn’t make choices according to God’s Word. We made decisions according to what the Bible calls our sinful nature. Sometimes you might hear this referred to as our flesh. 

Optional: The Apostle Paul describes the struggle between our sinful nature and the Holy Spirit in Galatians 5:16–17:    

16 So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. 17 The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions.

This is what our game is about, going forward, following the Spirit’s leading, and not going backward to follow our sinful nature. 

Read 1 Peter 1:14:

So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. 

Have children crumple the sheets of paper into balls. Place the balls in a pile behind the toss line.

Divide children into teams of two or three children, depending on the class size. It doesn’t matter if teams are unequal. Smaller classes can play as individuals instead of in teams.

As you explain the game, step into each zone between the lines. Choose a volunteer to stand behind the toss line and throw balls underhanded when cued.

Three teams will play at a time.

One team will be the Steppers, one will be the Tossers, and one will be the Gatherers. The goal of this game is for the Steppers team to move forward one zone at a time. The Steppers will wear glasses to protect their eyes. Put on glasses.

These four zones represent different areas and circumstances in our lives. You will stay in each of the four zones for 15 seconds. Listen to my signal (bell, whistle, etc.) so you know when to move. Be careful not to bump into any other players while you’re changing zones. While you stand in a zone, the Tossers team will throw balls underhanded at you from that line to try to hit you. Have a volunteer Tosser toss the balls underhanded toward you. Demonstrate movements to avoid the balls. 

The balls represent trials, temptations and adversity that we all will face when we follow Jesus. Steppers may move anywhere within the two lines of a zone to avoid the balls. However, you cannot step backward over a back line of a zone at any time. Demonstrate stepping backwards over a line. 

If you do, the team is penalized five points every time this happens. Each time a Stepper is hit with a ball, the team loses one point.  

A third team called the Gatherers will follow behind the Steppers at a safe distance to gather the balls and to watch for players stepping over the back line. After 15 seconds, the Steppers will move forward into the next zone and play resumes again. When the Steppers reach the last zone, they have reached their final destination to share the Good News as led by the Spirit.      

Three teams play at a time. For every round, one team is the Tossers, one team is the Steppers, and one team is the Gatherers. After a journey is completed, consisting of four 15-second time periods, the score is recorded on the board and teams rotate to play different roles. The Gatherers return the balls to the Tossers after each time period. After all teams have been Steppers, the team with the fewest points wins!           

Important: give each Gatherer a container. They follow behind the action at a safe distance and should never cross a line into the current Stepper zone and interfere with play. 

Each round consists of four 15-second quarters, or until all the balls have been tossed—whichever comes first. 

Conclusion: Which role was your favorite one to play?

It is important to live our lives in step with the Spirit in all areas of our lives. We must ask for His help to avoid slipping back into our old ways. When we do slip up, we can go to Jesus, who is faithful to forgive us. Then we can start moving forward again!