Game

Read Daniel 2:10–12:

¹⁰ The astrologers replied to the king, “No one on earth can tell the king his dream! And no king, however great and powerful, has ever asked such a thing of any magician, enchanter, or astrologer! ¹¹The king’s demand is impossible. No one except the gods can tell you your dream, and they do not live here among people.” ¹²The king was furious when he heard this, and he ordered that all the wise men of Babylon be executed.

The king’s wise men were helpless; their evil methods and practices of gaining knowledge and wisdom could not help them now. In the video, what did the wise men do? They scattered and ran to hide.

In this game, you are going to pretend to be the king’s wise men. You are going to flee from the commander and hide in a different part of the king’s palace. Read aloud the different signs on the wall in order.

Have a sixth grade helper or another older child play the commander of the guard. Have the commander stand in the center of the room as you explain the game.

Have you ever played a game called Four Corners? The game we are about to play is very similar. All of you will pretend to be wise men who are running from the commander. However, in this game, you must be as quiet as you can as you sneak around the palace. The commander’s guards are listening carefully for any movement! Your goal is to avoid being caught! The commander will stand in the middle of the room and, witheyes closed, slowly count aloud to ten. During the count, you will quietly move to the numbered room of your choice. With eyes still closed, the commander will say, “I think some wise men are hiding in room number __(1, 2, 3, or 4).” You never know which number the commander will pick! Everyone hiding in that room is “arrested” and must sit down in the middle of the room near the commander. The game continues until only one wise man remains and is the winner. Let’s play a couple of practice rounds to make sure everyone understands the game. If you’re caught in these two rounds, you don’t need to sit down.

To shorten the game, once a numbered room is named, you may announce that the door for that room is now locked so it can no longer be a hiding place. Place a cone or chair under that sign so the wise men know they cannot hide there. This limits play to three turns per round, after which there will probably be a group of winners in the fourth room. If you play the shortened game, this will allow you to play more rounds and keep children involved longer. Choose another commander for Round 2. Children who were “arrested” are freed to play again.

Conclusion: Did Daniel run and hide, too? No, he asked to speak to the king to save the wise men.

Why do you think he was so brave? He had faith in God.