Leader Guide
Game
- Whiteboard and markers, or chalkboard and chalk
- 12 empty cardboard tubes from paper towel rolls, cut in half to make 24 short tubes; or 24 empty cardboard tubes from toilet paper rolls; or 12 pieces of cardstock cut in half vertically into 8.5" x 5.5" sheets, then rolled up and taped into 24 tubes each 5.5" long
- Optional: scissors plus tape or stapler if making tubes from cardstock
- Green and yellow crayons or markers
- 12 or more marbles, ball bearings, small bouncy balls, or other items that roll easily
- Chalk or masking/painters tape to make starting lines
Using the markers or crayons, color 12 tubes green and 12 tubes yellow to resemble wood poles, taking care not to flatten them. If time allows in class, you may have children color the tubes.
Tape or place a mark at opposite ends of room about 15–20 feet apart; adjust as desired.
Set up the poles in a staggered fashion in the middle of the two marks; see illustration.
Omit this paragraph if the condensed Bible story was not shown in Large Group today. Now it’s time for our two bonus questions from Large Group.
- What happened to the offering Gideon brought for the Angel of the Lord? It was burned up, consumed.
- What did Gideon’s army shout when they surrounded the enemy and broke their pitchers? For the Lord and for Gideon!
In today’s game we are going to learn about something the Lord told Gideon to do before he could lead Israel into battle. God had turned Israel over to their enemies for seven years because Israel had done evil in God’s eyes. The Bible tells us that throughout the land of Israel, people had built altars to honor a false god and put up poles for idol worship. Gideon’s father had one of each—and the Lord told Gideon that he must knock them down! So, in our game today, we are going to knock down poles symbolizing false gods and idols.
Divide the children into the Green Team and Yellow Team; teams do not need to be exactly even. Have each team line up behind a starting line at opposite ends of the room so they face each other. Both teams play at the same time. Each player gets to roll two marbles to try and knock down their team’s color of poles without knocking down the other team’s by mistake! If the opposite team’s pole is accidentally knocked over, it stays down. The first team to knock down all of their poles wins. Use as many marbles as you need to keep the game moving. Marbles roll back and forth between teams, so both teams use the same ones. If necessary, children waiting for their turn may help retrieve marbles. Play another round until all children have had at least one turn. For each new round, start with the players who were next in line to roll. You may play the best out of three rounds if time permits.
Conclusion: Great job! How did you like that game?
What was harder—aiming for your own team’s poles or avoiding the other team’s marbles and poles?
Let’s learn more about removing things in our lives that displease God so we can experience His victory!