Game

Ruth was faithful and kind to Naomi. She offered to find a field where she could glean grain. Do you remember Gizmo’s definition of a gleaner? 

A gleaner is a person who collects left over crops that the harvesters leave behind in a farmer’s field. In this game, you will glean the harvest like Ruth. I am the foreman for the owner of this field. That means I’m your boss! So listen carefully to my instructions, because this owner is not as kind and generous as Boaz. You will work with a partner to glean the number of grain stalks I announce on your turn—no more! Now, let’s get to work!    

Place the two baskets at one end of the room.

Divide children into two teams; the Gleaners and the Collectors.

Children stand as teams at the other end of the room.

Two Sixth Grade helpers scatter the straws or other items on the floor.

Tell the children that the straws represent the grain in the field.

Two players from each team play at one time. For smaller classes, have one player from each team play at a time.  

Before each round, choose a number between 10 and 50 and tell the two teams the number.

You may choose even numbers and suggest that each pair divides the number to glean faster. For instance, for 28 stalks, each player in a pair will gather 14 stalks.

Shout, “1–2–3 Glean!”

Each team collects the exact number of straws needed. 

The first team to put the correct number of straws in their basket scores a point.

If a team places too many straws in the basket, the other team wins that round. 

Have children who just played take the straws from the baskets and scatter them on the floor again.

Continue play until all children have played at least one time. 

The team with the most points wins. 

Conclusion: That looked fun; you are fast gleaners! Now, let’s learn more about how Ruth and Boaz were faithful and kind.