Leader Guide
Game
- Painters or masking tape to mark a very large tic-tac-toe game board on the floor; or, if playing outside, use chalk to mark the game board on the pavement
- Six beanbags, rags, or plastic cups; three each of two colors
- OR make your own beanbags using 12 sealable sandwich bags, plus 6 cups of sand, rice, dried beans, or unpopped popcorn
If making beanbags, pour a cup of sand, rice, beans, or unpopped popcorn into each sandwich bag and seal it shut. For added security, put another sandwich bag around each one and tape closed.
Create the tic-tac-toe game board on the floor with tape or on the pavement with chalk according to the diagram, with each line measuring about 4 feet long.
Tape or mark a starting line about 10 feet from game board.
Let’s start with the question about our Bible story video in Large Group. What angered Naaman? Elisha did not come out to meet him and pray. Instead, a servant told to go wash seven times in the Jordan—not a river in Damascus.
After Naaman was healed of an incurable disease, how do you think he felt?
Read 2 Kings 5:14:
So Naaman went down to the Jordan River and dipped himself seven times, as the man of God had instructed him. And his skin became as healthy as the skin of a young child, and he was healed!
Who remembers today’s SuperTruth? “God heals me and makes me whole.”
To be whole means to be healthy not just physically, but spiritually, too. Being truly whole means we are restored and returned to the original way God created us to be. God wants to forgive us so our sin condition is cured, too! Just as Naaman’s skin was washed clean—Jesus blood washes away our sin and makes us whole.
Today, we are going to play a game to make a whole line—a complete line of three in a row. It is played a lot like tic-tac-toe. The goal is to make a line across three connecting squares with the beanbags. Place one beanbag in a corner square. Does this form a whole or complete line? No!
Place a second beanbag in the opposite diagonal corner leaving the middle square blank. Is this a whole or complete line now? No!
You’re right; there is still a piece missing. Place a third beanbag in the middle square to complete the diagonal pattern.
Now this looks like a line that is whole, with no missing pieces! The first team to connect three in a row wins.
Divide the class into two teams. Teams stand next to each other, in single file, behind the line.
Place a pile of three beanbags of the same color on the line beside each team.
Start the game. The first player on each team walks quickly to the game board and drops the bean bag in a square of their choice, then returns to their team.
Players two and three take their turns, except now they must consider blocking the other team from completing their line of three in a row.
After the third player takes a turn, the remaining players take turns going to the board to move one of their own color bean bags to a new position, trying to position their team to complete the line.
Play until one team places their bean bags in a row. That team scores one point.
Play additional rounds so children each have a chance to play two or three times. The game is fast-paced, and most rounds will end quickly.
Conclusion: That game really goes quickly, right? Great job making the whole lines! We’ll discuss in our Signpost teaching how Jesus came to Earth to make us whole!