Leader Guide
Balloon Game
- Bible or the Superbook Bible App
- Permanent marker
- Four medium-size balloons, plus extras for breakage
- See Isaiah Balloon Game illustration
Blow up and tie four balloons closed.
Write “Sin” on two balloons.
Write “Salvation” on two balloons.
A Good Return: Play a game about receiving salvation.
In Large Group, you were asked to listen for the nation God’s people wanted to join forces with. Which one is it? Egypt.
Was God pleased by this? No, God wanted His people to trust in Him alone.
Let’s say today’s SuperVerse together: Isaiah 30:15b:
God sent Isaiah to tell the people to repent and return to Him so they could be saved. It is the same with us: when we repent of our sins and return to God, we will be saved! Jesus is faithful to forgive us—every time! That is what this game is all about!
Divide the children into two equal teams. Have the teams make two single-file lines, with players standing about an arm’s length behind each other and leaving several feet of space between the teams (See illustration). Give a “Sin” balloon to the player at the front of each line.
Give a “Salvation” balloon to the player at the back of each line. Start the game. Without turning around, the first player must toss the “Sin” balloon backward over his/her head to the player directly behind. The balloon continues to move backward in this way until it is caught by the player at the back of the line. That player keeps the “Sin” balloon in one hand while using the other hand to toss the “Salvation” balloon to the player directly ahead. The “Salvation” balloon moves forward until it reaches the player at the front of the line.
At the end of the round, the entire team immediately turns around to face the opposite end of the room, and the second round begins. The player who was at the back of the line is now at the front of the line. He/she tosses the “Sin” balloon overhead and backward to the player directly behind.
Continue with the game as it was played in the first round. The first team to complete both rounds wins.
Note: If a balloon falls to the ground, the player who was to receive the toss must pick it up and continue play from that point.
We never have to worry about what we will receive from God when we return to Him. We serve a loving God who wants to show us mercy and forgiveness—not judgment! He wants all people to be saved. Let’s learn more about this in today’s Teaching.