Leader Guide
Game
- One laundry basket or a medium-size box
- Hand Sign
- Paper plates—two per child, plus extras
- Crayons, colored pencils, or washable markers
- Masking tape or painter's tape
- Optional: glue sticks
- Whiteboard and marker or chalkboard and chalk
Note: If class time is limited, make the flying discs ahead of time—one per child, plus extras. Children can write their names on their discs rather than coloring their pictures. OR, you may simply make one flying disc per team and have all the children on each team share the same disc.
Make a model disc using two plates—see illustration.
Make a copy of the Hand Sign in color or black and white. Attach it to the basket using tape.
Place the basket near one end of the room.
Tape four lines at about three feet, six feet, ten feet, and eighteen to twenty feet from the box, the start line—see illustration.
Safe in His Hands! Give yourself to God to mold and shape you.
In Large Group, you were asked to watch for something Jeremiah wore to symbolize the bondage and captivity that God’s people would suffer if they did not turn back to Him. What’s the answer? Ox yoke.
God sent Jeremiah to call the people to repent of their sins and return to Him. If they willingly put themselves in God’s hands, He would mercifully remove their sins and reshape them. That is what our game is about—placing ourselves in God’s hands to transform us.
If you have not made the flying discs ahead of time, give each child two paper plates. Provide glue sticks or tape and crayons, colored pencils, or washable markers to the children. Have the children make a happy face of themselves on one plate and a sad face on the other plate—or, to save time, simply have them write their names on their discs. Then, demonstrate how to make a circle of tape or use the glue to stick the two plate backs together. If using glue sticks, have children firmly press the plates together in the middle for about five seconds.
Divide the children into two equal teams. If teams are unequal, have one child play twice and use the model disc in addition to the one the player made.
Demonstrate as you explain. This disc represents you. The goal is to place your disc in God’s hand, which is represented by the basket. To do this, you will quickly walk from the starting line to the first line and toss your disc toward the basket. If it goes in, return to your team so the next player can take a turn. If your disc doesn’t go in, no problem! Just retrieve it and move quickly to the next line and try again. If it still doesn’t go in, go to the line closest to the basket and toss it in. Then you will return to your team, and the next person will go. This is a race to see which team finishes first—but no matter how long it takes, everyone needs to put their disc into the basket with God’s hand—because that’s more important than winning a race!
Have the teams form separate lines behind the starting line.
Say “Go” to start the game. The first players of each team go quickly to the first line and toss their discs. Continue as described above until one team has all of their discs in the basket. That team wins the race.
If time allows, play again.
Conclusion: Just like with Jeremiah, God has known us from the very beginning, and He has a unique plan and purpose for each of us. When we place ourselves in God’s hands, we can become all He created us to be. And the closer we are to God, the better we can know His will!