Leader Guide
Balloon Game
- One round balloon for every four children, plus extras
- Whiteboard and marker; or chalkboard and chalk
- Timer, such as a stopwatch, clock or watch with second hand, or timer app
Blow up the balloons and tie them closed.
Write the SuperTruth on the board. “God uses simple things for His glory.”
Elisha told Naaman to wash in the Jordan five times, right?
No, it wasn’t five times! I am glad that you listened to the Bible story. How many times did Naaman dip in the water to obey Elisha’s instructions? Seven times.
God then performed a miracle to heal Naaman of his incurable disease.
In the Bible, there is another story about God telling a different person to do something seven times. I’ll give you some hints to guess who it was.
Give as many hints as necessary:
We can read this story in the Old Testament.
There is a book of the Bible named after this man.
He was the commander of the Israelite army.
He led them in an attack by having them march around a city seven times.
After the seventh time, the army blew their trumpets and shouted.
The walls of the city fell down!
The name of the city was—Jericho.
The name of the man was—Joshua!
If you were inside Jericho watching the Israelites march around the city, you would have thought they were being foolish. But God performed a miracle.
Yes, in the Bible, the number seven is identified with something being finished or complete. God rested on the seventh day after creating the heavens and Earth for six days. The seventh day is to be set apart for God.
How many words are in our SuperTruth today? Seven.
Yes, seven! Let’s say the SuperTruth together: “God uses simple things for His glory.”
Let’s play a simple game to help you learn today’s SuperTruth.
Divide the children into teams of four. Smaller classes can make teams of two or three. Mix older and younger children on teams.
Have each team form a circle—standing several feet apart from other teams.
Give a balloon to each team.
Start the time and play for 1 or 2 minutes.
The first player says the first word of the SuperTruth and at the same time taps the balloon to the player on the right.
The second player says the second word and taps the balloon to the third player. Continue this pattern until the entire SuperTruth is said aloud.
The balloon can only be touched once by each player.
If a balloon hits the floor, is hit twice by the same player, or is caught by any player, that same player must start the round over again with the first word of the SuperTruth.
Once the SuperTruth is completed, the next player immediately starts over by saying the first word without stopping play. Remind the children to keep track of how many times they complete the SuperTruth.
When the time ends, the team that completed the SuperTruth the most times wins.
Play more rounds as time permits.