Leader Guide
Optional Opening Game
- Objects to build a 3-4 feet long wall, a minimum of 3-4 inches high. The objects could be large cardboard or plastic building blocks, unopened tissue boxes, thick hardback books, small boxes or plastic food storage containers
- Three empty paper towel tubes
- Marbles*, plastic golf balls or small bouncy balls, three per child (*Do not use marbles if they would present a choking hazard to the children in your class
- Container for the marbles or balls
- Scissors
- Optional: Painter’s tape or masking tape
- Optional: substitute three sheets of cardstock or paper for the paper towel tubes. Or use Jenga style blocks instead of the tubes and stand the blocks vertically.
Cut the paper towel tubes in three sections to make smaller tubes.
If using cardstock, cut the sheets into three sections. Roll the sheets into tubes and tape closed.
Build a wall about three feet from the room wall. Leave some gaps between the sections of walls to represent the damaged wall around Jerusalem.
Randomly position the nine tubes (vertically) between the room wall and the city wall. Leaving space between each tube.
Tape a line on the floor about six feet from the city wall.
This game will help us to understand why it was so important in Bible times to have a strong wall to protect a city and its people from their enemies.
Let’s pretend this wall is the one around Jerusalem that was destroyed. That is why we have the holes or gaps in the wall. Let’s see how well it can protect the people and city inside the walls.
Children play one at a time. Each player will sit behind the line and roll three marbles or balls toward the walls of the city to knock down the standing tubes inside. In this round, some of the marbles should make it past the wall through the gaps.
If time permits, gather the marbles, widen the gaps between the wall sections and play again.
Did the wall protect the city very well? Children answer.
Let’s play again, but first let’s rebuild the wall to make it stronger!
Gather the marbles, stand up the tubes and push the sections of walls together so there are no gaps.
Play again as before. This time no marbles should pass through the wall.
Conclusion: Did the wall protect the city that time? Yes!
A broken-down wall meant a weak city! It was important to repair the Jerusalem wall as quickly as possible so the people could move back inside and be safe from their enemies.