Leader Guide
Balloon Game
- Two bath towels, the same size
- Timer: watch with second hand, timer app, or stopwatch
- Sixteen medium-sized round balloons, plus a few extras for breakage
- Permanent marker
- Adult, teen, or sixth grade volunteer to assist
- Chalkboard and chalk, or whiteboard or poster board and marker
Blow up and tie each balloon closed. Older children who arrive early may enjoy helping; or you may ask sixth grade helpers or adults to assist.
Write each blessing on two balloons: love, joy, peace, forgiveness, salvation, strength, protection, provision. There will be two identical sets of eight blessings—one per team.
Let’s take a moment and name some of the blessings that we have available to us through Christ.
After each response, briefly discuss each answer. Divide the children into two teams. The children will work in pairs during their turn.
We have named many blessings, but there are so many more to discover and experience as we serve God! Let’s say our SuperTruth together. “I will do my best to keep all of God’s blessings.”
Have the volunteer helper stand in the middle of the room, surrounded by clear space. Place the two sets of balloons beside the helper. Give a towel to the first pair of players from each team. They will each hold one end of their towel. Each pair will stand in front of and about ten feet away from the helper.
Esau and Jacob were twins, so we are going to work in pairs. Your partner is your temporary twin during this game! You, as twins, are going to do what our SuperTruth tells us—do your best to keep ALL of God’s blessings.
I will start the timer and say, “Throw.” The helper, who represents Jesus, will throw a pair of balloons, one in each hand, with the same blessing written on each, high up in the air toward each team. Each pair will try to catch a balloon on their towel to keep that blessing. In 5 seconds I will shout “throw” again, and you will try to catch the second blessing (balloon) in your towels without losing the first blessing (balloon). Every 5 seconds I will instruct the helper to throw a blessing, and each team will try to catch that blessing while at the same time trying to keep the other blessings on the towel. If a balloon falls to the floor, you lose that blessing. Partners must keep hold of their towels at all times. You may not use your hand to hold, catch or guide the balloons. You cannot catch or steal both balloons on any throw because God has enough blessings for all His children! After each round, we will count the balloons in each team’s towel. Each balloon scores one point.
Record the score on the board. Play until all pairs have played. The highest score wins.