Action Game

• Jesus Feeds the Hungry Leftovers Relay—two pages
• Scissors
• Two baskets or large unbreakable bowls or containers
• Cardstock
• Optional: masking tape or painters tape
• Timer, such as a stopwatch, clock or watch with a second hand, or timer app

Make one copy of the two page Jesus Feeds the Hungry Leftovers Relay for every two children plus two extras on cardstock.

Cut apart the individual cards and shuffle them thoroughly in a pile. Scatter the cards randomly on the floor, shelves, tables, chairs, etc., face down in one half of the room. Hold back one bread card and one fish card.

View Jesus Feeds the Hungry Leftovers Relay Game Layout for information on game setup.

   Leftovers Relay: Gather the remaining fish and bread.

What did the disciples do after everyone had eaten as much food as they wanted? They gathered all of the leftover food in baskets.

The disciples filled twelve baskets with the leftovers! We are going to play a game in which you will be Jesus’ disciples. Show the bread and fish cards as you explain.

Your task is to gather all of the leftover bread and fish and put them in your team basket. This is a timed relay game. The game will last 90 seconds. (Adjust as necessary according to the number of children. Select a time to give each child at least two turns.) Each team will gather as many leftover fish and bread loaves as you can. Each player must find one fish card and one loaf card and quickly put them in the team basket.

After time expires, the team with the most bread and fish in their basket wins. Now, here is the catch, all of the cards you see scattered are not bread and fish. There are also other kinds of food that wouldn’t be found during Jesus’ time on the earth. If you find one of these other food cards, return it picture side up to the floor so other disciples can avoid it. Each player must search until a card with bread and a card with a fish are gathered. Place them in the basket, and the next player takes a turn.

Divide the children into three teams. If possible, place a mix of boys, girls, older and younger children on each team. Have teams form separate lines behind the mark or line. One player for each team plays at the same time. When the game ends, have an older child from each team help count the bread and fish in the team’s basket.

Options:

- Play more rounds if time permits. To make it more challenging in the second round, players will not turn the modern day food cards face up when discovered; instead, the cards are placed on the floor, face down again.

- Keep score over three rounds. A point is scored for each fish or bread card. Tally the score for each team after each round. The team with the most points after three rounds wins.

Conclusion: Try to imagine twelve baskets of leftovers gathered after thousands of people were fed—all from a young boy’s lunch of only five loaves and two fish! Today, Jesus still blesses and multiplies all that we give Him!