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Leader Guide

Balloon Game


  • Four small boxes, each large enough to hold 2-3 inflated balloons
  • Eight round balloons, plus extras for breakage
  • Paper plates, one per child, plus extras
  • Permanent marker
  • Bible or the Superbook Bible App

For larger classes, add four balloons and two boxes for every additional team.

Blow up the balloons and tie closed.

For each set of four balloons, use the marker to write JESUS HELPS on two balloons, I HELP on one balloon, and I ENCOURAGE on one balloon. 

      

Pass it on! Play a game to illustrate the SuperTruth.

In Large Group you were asked to listen carefully for two things believers did with Paul’s message. What were these two things? They copied it, they memorized it.       

 

Reading and placing God’s Word deep in our hearts is essential for all believers. It helps us endure difficult times and be ready to share His Word with others to encourage and help them!

 

You might think at your age that you don’t have much help or encouragement to give—yet that is far from the truth. You can help and encourage others by sharing God’s love, mercy, forgiveness, salvation message, wisdom from His Word, and kindness, etc.

 

Hold up the balloons. These balloons represent just a few of the many things that we receive from God through Jesus. God is generous with us so we can be generous with others. In this game, you will receive a balloon and then immediately give it to the person next to you.


Divide the children into two equal teams—ideally eight or fewer children. If teams are unequal, a leader can play. 

Have the teams form separate lines. The teams will face each other, with several feet between them.    

The players of each team will stand next to each other, about an arm’s length between players.

Place a box at each end of both lines.

Place two JESUS HELPS balloons on the floor at one end of each team’s line.

Place one I HELP and one I ENCOURAGE balloon in the remaining box for each team.   

Give a paper plate to each player.


Round 1 (easier):

On both teams, the player next to the JESUS HELPS balloon box puts one balloon on his/her plate, shouts the words on the balloon, and then carefully passes it to the next player’s plate. That player shouts the words and passes the balloon to the plate of the next player, and so on. The balloon is received and given this way until it reaches the player at the other end of the line. That player shouts the words, then slides the balloon from the plate into the box.  

As soon as the first player passes one balloon, another balloon is immediately put on the plate to pass again.


If a balloon falls to the floor at any time, it must be picked up by the player and put back on the plate to resume play.    

Once both JESUS HELPS balloons have been passed down the line and put into the box, the last player reaches in the box and places the I ENCOURAGE balloon on his/her plate and passes it in the opposite direction to the end of the line and into the box. As soon as the first player passes the I ENCOURAGE balloon, the I HELP balloon is immediately put on the plate to pass.

The first team to put the I HELP balloon in the box at the opposite end wins.   


Round 2 (harder):

Both end players on each team start a balloon at the same time, shouting the word on the balloon. Players continue passing balloons from both sides and shouting the words. When two balloons meet in the middle, players must shout the words and exchange the balloons by tossing one in the air and catching the other simultaneously. The rest of the game play is the same.


Conclusion: Jesus is ready to help us; all we need to do is come to Him and ask. Because Jesus freely helps us, we can show our gratitude and love to Him by freely giving to others what we have received.  

 

In our Signpost Teaching today, we’ll learn more about how Jesus endured suffering and pain to give us the greatest gift we could ever receive and give to others!