Leader Guide
Bowling Game
- Twelve empty water bottles
- Two tennis balls or racquetballs (any small balls)
- Painters tape or masking tape
- Three volunteers or leaders to be “bottle setters” or a score keeper
- Yardstick or tape measure
- Whiteboard and marker or chalkboard and chalk to tally score
- Four boards: 2"x 4", 2 feet long; boxes, thick books, or pool noodles can be substituted; anything that can form a border or “alley”
- Optional: timer, such as a stopwatch, clock or watch with second hand, or timer app
Note: smaller classes can use one alley and bowl for the highest combined pin total.
For one alley you will need six bottles, one ball, and two boards.
Set up the “bowling alleys”; see diagram:
Make an alley by placing two boards parallel to each other, 18 inches apart.
Place a line or mark 15–20 feet from the boards.
Arrange six bottles in a triangle shape between the boards, with the back row of three bottles lined up with the end of the boards (furthest from the line or mark).
Repeat for the second alley, leaving several feet of space between the alleys.
Bo-WILL-ing Prayers: Play a unique game of bowling.
Let’s say our SuperTruth together. “I will pray as Jesus did.”
Jesus’ prayers were pleasing to God because He prayed according to God’s will. That means His prayers were in line with God’s will. What Jesus prayed is what God already wanted to do. That is why Jesus said in the Lord’s Prayer to pray: “Your will be done.”
Hold up the ball and then roll it to demonstrate as you explain the game. The area inside these two boards represents God’s will. The balls represent prayers. The bottles represent needs or things you are praying for. When a bottle is knocked over, your prayer is answered and you score a point! To knock over bottles, the balls must stay between the boards that represent God’s will. When we pray according to God’s will, what does Jesus say will happen? We receive what we ask for; our prayers are answered.
Prayer that pleases God produces results! On the other hand, when balls roll outside the boards, they represent prayers that do not line up with God’s will and are not pleasing to Him. These balls will not knock over bottles, meaning the prayer does not produce results. Here is a hint for you: roll the ball with enough force to knock over bottles, but not so hard that it bounces outside the lane.
Divide the class into two even teams. One child may need to bowl twice.
Teams line up single file behind the line or mark.
Select two “bottle setters” (leaders or volunteer children and one person to keep score).
Bottle setters line up behind each set of bottles. They will quickly reset the bottles after each player and roll the ball back to their team.
After players know their score, they quickly walk to the scorekeeper to say which team they’re on and how many points they scored, then go to the back of their team line.
Play until each player has a chance to roll 2 or 3 times. The team with the highest score wins. Play another round if time permits. Be prepared to assist younger children or those with special needs.
Optional: play for a set amount of time. Children play as above except at a faster pace to get more turns in before time runs out. Teams do not have to be even.
Conclusion: What happened when the ball went outside the borders? The bottles weren’t knocked over.
Remember, when we pray as Jesus did, in line with God’s will, our prayers will produce results and God will receive glory!
Optional: Read 1 John 5:14–15:
Let’s learn more about praying like Jesus in our Teaching.