Peacemaker parade

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Note: Ideally, before completing this activity, have your children create their own instruments by following the directions in the kick-off craft.

Put your children to work as “peace police officers” who watch for peacemaking in your home. Examples of peacemaking include talking through problems instead of using aggressive or harsh actions; using a quiet and calm voice to explain problems; practicing forgiveness and showing love.

Peacemaking also means giving up what you want for yourself for someone else and then being happy for him or her. Celebrate with a “peacemaker parade” after each peacemaking incident. March around the house playing musical instruments together, singing praises to God. Practice saying the selected memory verse. Celebrate maintaining harmony and talk about how pleasant it is when everyone lives together peacefully. After the parade, pray, thanking God for the good gift of His Holy Spirit who enables family members to get along with each other.

Communication capers and body blunders

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To illustrate how important each part of the body is and how the whole body works together, complete your choice of these fun and potentially messy exercises. After each exercise, ask your child what body parts they used to complete the challenge and what parts they missed using!

  • Blindfold one child, then have a second child clasp their hands behind his or her back. Then instruct the blindfolded child to feed the other some yogurt, or some equally messy food. The first time you do this exercise, allow the person being fed to speak out loud to direct the person feeding them. The second time, don’t allow the person being fed to give any instructions at all.

Note: You may prefer to use two adults for this exercise, or allow a child to feed an adult.

  • Play a very basic game of Charades. Beforehand, you’ll need to prepare notecards featuring pictures of household appliances. Examples that work well include a kettle, microwave, toaster, stove, fridge, washing machine, dryer, blow-dryer, curling iron, blender, radio, television or computer. Have each child draw a card and act as if they are the appliance, while the remaining children try to guess which appliance is being mimicked. Begin with a “no noise” rule. If guessing the correct appliance proves too difficult, allow the actor to make noise.
  • Blindfold a child and ask them to draw a picture of something simple. Guide their hands to the paper, but leave the rest to the child. Next, have the child draw the same item with their eyes open. Compare the results.
  • Play Tape the Tail on the Bunny. Print or draw a picture of a rabbit on some poster paper (minus the fluffy tail). Put tape on some cotton balls and have your children take turns trying to accurately tape a tail on the rabbit while wearing a blindfold.
  • Stand outside a glass window or glass door and take turns trying to communicate with those inside. A vehicle works well because it’s somewhat soundproof.
  • After completing your choice of the activities, read Romans 12:3-10 and use the discussion questions to talk about how the different parts of the body working together can be like a family working together.
Questions for discussion
  • How hard does life become when you don’t have the use of your eyes?
  • What happens to our ability to communicate when we don’t have the use of our mouths?
  • Which is more valuable: the use of our eyes, the use of our ears or the use of our mouths?
  • Imagine that our hands, mouth and ears could talk to each other. What might they say to each other if they were becoming overly proud of their role in the body?
  • Can you think of a special talent or ability that God that has given you?
  • How could you use your ability to serve others?
  • Why do you think God gave people different gifts?

Note: When we consider “gifts” young children can use, examples include a cheerful disposition and a smile that can be offered to anyone at any time. “Helpful hands” can be used to open doors, carry packages and to clean up messes. A helpful pair of arms can offer a hug to someone who is feeling sad. A kind voice can place a phone call to a friend who is sick or to a grandparent, who will be blessed because someone called to say, “I love you!”

Key concepts

All of these fun exercises help illustrate that we need all the parts of our body to function well. Basic life tasks become very difficult when we don’t have the use of our eyes to guide our hands. If we cannot use our voice, it is challenging to communicate. God gives everyone gifts and abilities so we can use them to serve others. If we begin to think our gifts are more valuable than the gifts God has given to others, our pride can get in the way of the “body of Christ” functioning as it should.

When we compare ourselves to one another, we can be tempted to question each person’s value. As a result, our pride can get in the way of things being accomplished in a way that honours God. If we are tempted to be proud of a gift God has given us, we can remember the instructions written in Romans 12:9-11 that tell us to use our gifts to serve God and to show our love for each other by honouring one another above ourselves.

Relevant Scripture

Romans 12:3-6a “For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to us.”

Pride comes before a fall

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Set up a room as a “pride obstacle course” by padding the floor with cushions, mattresses and blankets. To illustrate how pride causes us to be “blind” to our own sins, begin by blindfolding one child. Have each of your children try to walk from one end of the room to the other without falling over the soft obstacles in their path. If a child is not comfortable wearing a blindfold, have them simply walk through the room with their eyes closed.

After each child has tried the “pride obstacle course,” discuss how pride can make us “blind” to our own sinfulness so that we see no need to repent of our sin before God. Refer to your choice of the Bible verses below before proceeding on to the second part of this activity.

Relevant Scripture

Psalm 36:1-2 “An oracle is within my heart concerning the sinfulness of the wicked: There is no fear of God before his eyes. For in his own eyes he flatters himself too much to detect or hate his sin.”

1 John 1:9-10 “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar and His Word has no place in our lives.”

Proverbs 18:12 “Before his downfall a man’s heart is proud, but humility comes before honor.”

To further illustrate humility and the importance of taking advice, have your children take turns walking through the room with your guidance. Some children will prefer to hold your hand, while others will enjoy the challenge of being guided verbally. After this experience, use the “questions for discussion” to compare the two outcomes and to review the importance of being willing to admit that we are sinful and that we need help from God and others.

Relevant Scripture

Psalm 25:9 “He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them His way.”

Proverbs 13:10 “Pride only breeds quarrels, but wisdom is found in those who take advice.”

Proverbs 16:20 “Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers, and blessed is he who trusts in the Lord.”

Psalm 18:27 “You save the humble but bring low those whose eyes are haughty.”

Proverbs 19:20 “Listen to advice and accept instruction, and in the end you will be wise.”

Questions for discussion
  • According to Psalm 36:1-2, what is pride?
  • How can you tell when someone is proud?
  • What does the Bible say will happen to those who are proud?
  • What does the Bible say about those who listen to advice?
Key concepts

The Bible talks about the sinfulness of the wicked, beginning with a lack of respect for God. Pride can be defined as thinking so highly of ourselves that we do not even notice our sin. We can often tell when a person is proud because they will not admit that they do anything wrong; they always think they are right and refuse to take advice from others. God tells us that He will cause those who are proud to be “brought low” (or humbled). On the other hand, He promises to teach those who are humble His ways and that those who accept instruction will grow up to be wise and prosperous.

Spending time in God’s presence

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The best way to stay humble is to spend time in the presence of someone greater. During the time you are studying humility, take time during your day to read and talk about who God is and how truly wonderful He is.

Ideas for keeping God and His greatness at the forefront of your minds include printing out the Bible passages from below and:

  • posting them around the house
  • taking them on a walk with you
  • placing them in your vehicle (to read at red lights).

Ask your children to remind you to read a verse at each red light, or after passing landmarks on your walk, or on the hour (in your home). This will help you remember, and also increase your children’s level of interest and participation. As you review the verses, explain to your children that by focusing on God and how amazing and holy He is, it reminds us that we are not as “perfect” as we sometimes think we are.

Optional: To supplement this lesson, arrange for your child to spend time with someone who has well-developed skills in an area your child also excels in. For example, if there is a sport or a musical instrument your child is proficient at, have them observe a “master” of the instrument or sport they play. This can be done in person or via media.

Relevant Scripture

Psalm 145:17-21 “The Lord is righteous in all His ways and loving toward all He has made. The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth. He fulfills the desires of those who fear Him; He hears their cry and saves them. The Lord watches over all who love Him, but all the wicked He will destroy. My mouth will speak in praise of the Lord. Let every creature praise His holy name for ever and ever.”

Isaiah 40:25-26 “ ‘To whom will you compare Me? Or who is My equal?’ says the Holy One. Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one and calls them each by name. Because of His great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.”

Isaiah 55:8-15 “ ‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,’ declares the Lord. ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.”

Isaiah 57:15 “For this is what the high and exalted One says – He who lives forever, whose name is holy: ‘I live in a high and holy place, but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.”

Jeremiah 10:6-7 “No one is like You, O Lord; You are great, and Your name is mighty in power. Who should not revereYou, O King of the nations? This is Your due. Among all the wise men of the nations and in all their kingdoms, there is no one like You.”

Matthew 23:12 “For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”

1 Corinthians 1:25 “For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.”

Find God’s promises in a pot of gold

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You will need an assortment of verses cut from the chart provided below, a pot, a sunny day and a garden hose to make rainbows. (If you are unable to get outside to make rainbows, rainbows can be made indoors with crystal figurines, crystal glass or even with cut glass pieces detached from a chandelier. Triangular prisms can be purchased at science supply stores.)

Prior to doing this activity, print off and cut out your top choices from the “pot of gold” verses and put them in a pot to be used for your discussion after the rainbow activity. If you wish, foil-wrapped gold coins can be placed in the pot along with each Bible verse.

Go outside prepared to get wet and have fun making rainbows with your children. The best time of day to make rainbows is when the sun is close to the horizon. Stand with your back to the sun and set the garden hose to “mist” or use finger pressure over the end of the nozzle so that only a fine spray of water escapes.

While you create a rainbow, talk about God’s promise to Noah and his family after the flood (see Genesis 9:13-15 below). Your kids will likely want to take a turn making rainbows too. See if they can think of a promise from God for each rainbow they make. After sharing your ideas, tell your children about the myth that there is a pot of gold at the end of every rainbow. You can also tell or read a story about the futile searching that happens if someone were to try and walk to the end of a rainbow. Then let them know you have a pretend pot of gold that contains something way more valuable than all the gold coins in the world in it. See if they can guess what it is.

When you return indoors, allow each child to draw a verse out of the “pot of gold.” Read each verse aloud and identify a promise from God in it. To reinforce the truth that God’s Word and His promises are of much greater value than gold, read Psalm 19:9b-11. In closing, read Psalm 145:3 and thank God for being faithful in keeping all of His promises.

Relevant Scripture

Genesis 9:13-15 [And God said], “…I have set My rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember My covenant between Me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life.”

Psalm 19:9b-11 “The ordinances of the Lord are sure and altogether righteous. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb. By them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.”

Psalm 145:13 “Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and Your dominion endures through all generations. The Lord is faithful to all His promises and loving toward all He has made.”

Here are some suggested Bible verses to use in your “pot of gold.”

John 8:12 “When Jesus spoke again to the people, He said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’ ”

Specific promise
Scripture verse
God promises to care for and protect us. Psalm 121:7-8 “The Lord will keep you from all harm – He will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.”
God promises to guide us. Psalm 32:8 “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.”

John 8:12 “When Jesus spoke again to the people, He said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’ ”
God promises to forgive us. 1 John 2:12 “I am writing to you, dear children, because your sins have been forgiven on account of His name.”

Hebrews 8:12 “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”

Acts 10:43 “All the prophets testify about Him that everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins through His name.”

Acts 13:38 “Therefore, my brothers, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you.”
God promises to answer prayer. Matthew 21:22 “If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”

Mark 11:24 “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”

1 John 5:14-15 “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us – whatever we ask – we know that we have what we asked of Him.”
God promises that He will always be with us. Hebrews 13:5 “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’ ”
God promises to help us when we are tempted to sin. 1 Corinthians 10:13 “No temptation has seized you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.”
God promises to give us the gift of His Holy Spirit. John 14:26 “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”

Acts 2:33 “Exalted to the right hand of God, He has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear.”
God promises to give us eternal life. John 10:28 “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of My hand.”

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

John 14:3 “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with Me that you also may be where I am.”

1 John 2:25 “And this is what He promised us – even eternal life.”
God promises that He has good plans for our lives. Jeremiah 29:11 “ ‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’ ”

 

Joyful bubbles

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For this activity, you will need commercial or homemade bubble solution and wands. Here’s a recipe for homemade bubble mix.

Bubble mix recipe

Combine the following ingredients:

1/4 cup of dish soap (any Dawn product, or Dawn with “Olay hand renewal” works very well)
1/4 cup of cool water
1 tsp. sugar

Use any circular item to blow bubbles. If you don’t have any traditional bubble-blowing wands, the handle of a pair of scissors works well, but first tape the blades closed and wrap the blade end in a protective cover, such as bubble wrap, to prevent injuries.

Have fun blowing bubbles together outside. If it isn’t warm enough to play outside, you can still blow bubbles indoors at bath time. A fun song to sing while blowing bubbles is Jesus’ Love is a Bubblin’ Over. After your children are tired of blowing bubbles themselves, suggest that they take a break from blowing and try to pop the bubbles that you blow. When they are done blowing and chasing bubbles, call your children together and tell them this make-believe story. (Feel free to change it to personalize it for your kids.)

Bubble-time s​tory

Once upon a time, there was a little girl named Karis. Karis was a normal girl who lived in a normal home with a very normal family. But she thought her life was abnormally boring. She desperately wanted to be a princess. If only I could live in a palace! she thought. If I could live in a palace and have all the privileges of a princess, my life would be full of joy.

As she fell asleep one night, Karis wished – for the one hundred and first time – that she could one day become a princess. Moments later, much to Karis’ surprise, a huge butterfly flew through her window and spoke to her. The butterfly told her that she had been chosen as the next princess of the Land of Chara, and that they must fly there right away.

Away through the dark night they flew, eventually arriving at their destination. As they flew down toward the Land of Chara, Karis noticed that the streets were golden. When the butterfly showed Karis her new bedroom and gave her a tour of the royal palace, Karis thought that she would be incredibly happy in her new role. Her room was full of hundreds of dolls, complete with a tiny kitchen that had mini-appliances of every kind, including a fridge, an oven and a dishwasher – and they all worked!

The butterfly told Karis to put on an extravagant gown and get ready for a royal feast. As she quickly dressed, she wondered what kind of food would be served at the party. Almost as soon as Karis had fastened her gown, she noticed that the lace at the neck and the sleeves had begun to itch. Soon, Karis wished she could take the dress off, but she thought to herself, If this is what I must do to be a princess, then I will have to leave the gown on.

At the feast there were many people Karis didn’t recognize, but they all smiled at her and bowed or curtsied when she walked past. It seemed as though everyone was almost afraid to talk to her because she was royalty. The food that was brought to her table was wonderful; it was pizza with all her favourite toppings, and tiny hamburgers with exquisite miniature fries. For drinks, there were five different flavours of milkshakes to choose from. Karis chose chocolate and strawberry. For dessert, they rolled out a very large tray full of fancy cakes and candy. There were more treats on the tray than Karis had ever seen all at once, and she got to choose whatever she wanted.

After dinner, everyone went outside for a carnival. There were rubber inflatables, giant slides and even a climbing wall. Pretty bubbles floated through the air, generated by automatic bubble-making machines. Although everyone seemed to be having a grand time, Karis felt a little lonely wandering around and playing by herself at the different attractions. She also was a little worried about the nasty-looking little dwarves who ran around popping all the bubbles, laughing as they went. Karis decided to go back to her room to play. She set the dolls up in the kitchen, but it wasn’t much fun playing alone.

By nightfall, Karis’ stomach had started to hurt and her gown had given her a horrible rash. Just as she was thinking about going to bed, the butterfly came fluttering in the window, and reminded Karis that she was now a princess, which meant she could stay up as late as she wanted. But Karis was very tired, and soon going to bed seemed like a very good idea. The bed was beautiful, but it was so high off the ground that Karis worried that she might get hurt if she fell out. As she lay in bed, she longed for her mom and dad to come and tuck her in. She wished she could hear her little brother making silly noises in the room next door. Then a frightening thought came into her mind: Will I ever see my family again? she wondered. All night long Karis tossed and turned as her worries and her aching belly disturbed her sleep.

In the morning, Karis was delighted to find herself in her own bed, in her own bedroom. She ran downstairs and found her family eating cereal for breakfast. Her younger brother was making loud slurping noises at the breakfast table as usual, but this time it didn’t bother Karis.

Later that morning, Karis told her parents about her dream and everything she experienced in the Land of Chara. Her parents listened, deep in thought, as Karis explained her dream. Then Karis’ parents offered their thoughts about the dream, and Karis saw the Land of Chara in a whole new light.

What Karis had not known was that the Land of Chara was a fake or a “counterfeit.” All the wonderful things in the dream were things that people often think they need in order to be happy. Although it was named the Land of Joy – for the word “chara” means “joy” in Greek – it was not really the land of joy at all. It was a place that offered false joy instead of true joy.

Karis’ parents explained that the only way anyone can experience true joy is through knowing Jesus. They said that there is nothing wrong with wanting to be happy, as long as a person doesn’t seek after happiness instead of seeking the joy of knowing and being with Jesus.

Then Karis’ parents told her that her name means “grace,” and that her name also came from the Greek root word for “joy.” Her mother then explained that it is because of God’s grace that everyone can have their sins forgiven and experience the joy of knowing God as a friend.

“A relationship with God will give us much joy here on earth,” her mother said, “but we will have even more joy when we go to live with God in heaven someday.” Then Karis’ father got out a Bible and read from the book of Revelation to let Karis know what heaven would be like some day. Heaven sounded much better than the land in her dream. Karis’ favourite part was the promise that in heaven there will be no more tears or pain (Revelation 21:4). Karis found herself thinking a lot about heaven in the days that followed, but never again did she wish to be a princess.

A note to parents: The Greek word for “joy” is “chara,” derived from the word “charis,” which is the Greek word for “grace.” This is important to note, for it tells us that “chara” is produced by the “charis” of God. This means that true joy is divine in origin… it is a Spirit-given expression that flourishes best in hard times.

Finish your time together by asking the following questions:

  • What caused Karis to be dissatisfied?
  • What are some things in your life that tempt you to be discontent?
  • When are you tempted to be selfish or discontent?
  • How do we find true joy?
  • If the bubbles we played with represent joy, then what kind of thoughts and attitudes can pop your “joy bubbles”?
  • What kind of attitudes can prevent your joy bubbles from bursting?
Key concepts

People can have everything their hearts desire and still feel empty and alone if their goal in life is to please themselves and not God. We can be joyful in “normal” circumstances – even when life gets very hard – if we love and trust God. The soap bubbles, as pretty and fun as they were, only lasted a short time. Similarly, having things, popularity and entertainment are short-lived in the length of time they entertain us or offer us fascination.

Some common joy stealers include dissatisfaction and greed (always wanting more or wanting the biggest or the best). These attitudes steal joy, but being content and generous with what we have gives us joy. True joy is found in Jesus and in sharing His love with others.

Relevant Scripture

Psalm 37:3-4 “Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.”

Popcorn dipping party

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Plan a zany activity you can enjoy as a family. Choose from the options below (or any combination thereof), or plan an activity of your own. The goal is to laugh together as much as possible.

Fun with food

Have a popcorn fondue party. Beforehand, prepare by using a low-temperature glue gun to glue cotton balls all over disposable shower caps (one for each family member). The plan is to wear these hats during your party. After everyone dons a cap, put popcorn in the microwave or hot-air popper. While the popcorn is popping, jump around pretending that you are popcorn kernels popping too. Pretend that you are exploding; bump into each other and roll on the floor again and again until the real popcorn is done popping.

Have everyone in the family decide on one or two “dipping sauces” to use with the popcorn you have popped. Examples include peanut butter, peanut butter mixed with melted chocolate, chocolate or butterscotch sundae sauce, melted cheese, jam, ranch or dill-flavoured salad dressing, cream cheese (any flavour), melted butter, pizza sauce, mustard and ketchup. Put a spot of each of the dipping sauces on each person’s plate and give out toothpicks to use as fondue forks. Enjoy as many creative popcorn dipping combinations as you can think of – or stomach!

Fun with hair

Try some crazy hair capers. Start your family fun time by blowing up some balloons. Rub balloons on each person’s head to create enough static electricity to cause their hair to stand on end. See if you can create enough static to stick the balloons on the walls or on your clothing. Can you cover someone completely in balloons?

Since everyone’s hair is now a mess anyway, this is an ideal time to take turns “sculpting” each other’s hair. Bring out some styling gel and have fun creating wild and wacky hairstyles on each other. Don’t forget to take photos or video footage of your escapade!

Note: Supervise young children closely during this activity to ensure they do not chew or inhale deflated balloons or balloon fragments.

Fun with faces

Visit the website Dogster.com and look up pictures of dogs and cats that share the names of your family members. (Young kids find this particularly funny.) See how many dogs you can look at without laughing! You’ll have to navigate around the site a little to find the correct search field. On the home page, click the orange “Community” button. On the drop-down menu, choose “See the dogs.” Next, scroll down near the bottom of the “See the dogs” page and choose “Advanced search.” On the search criteria page, just enter the name of a family member in the search field “Name.” If you prefer feline humour, there is a similar website called Catster.com.

After you enjoy the absolute silliness of letting loose with people you trust enough to be crazy with, thank God for placing you in a family where you can enjoy laughing together. Pray together, thanking God for laughter and for the joy of being a part of a loving family.

Relevant Scripture

Psalm 68:4-6 “Sing to God, sing praise to His name, extol Him who rides on the clouds – His name is the Lord – and rejoice before Him. A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in His holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families, He leads forth the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.”

Follow the leader

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Play the traditional game of Follow the Leader. Begin by acting as the leader yourself, then allow each child to take a turn as leader.

Afterwards, have a short discussion with your children, explaining that since you are followers of Jesus, you try to live like Jesus did by following His example.

Brainstorm together with your kids to create a list of ways you can show love to others.

Relevant Scripture

1 Corinthians 11:1 “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.”

1 John 2:5-6 “But if anyone obeys His word, God’s love is truly made complete in Him. This is how we know we are in Him: Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did.”

Mom says / Dad says

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Modify the popular game of Simon Says by replacing the phrase “Simon says” with “Mom says” or “Dad says.”

The rules of the game are as follows: The game leader (mom or dad) calls out a simple instruction such as “Touch your toes.” If the game leader precedes their instruction with the words “Mom says” or “Dad says,” the children playing the game need to complete the action called out by the game leader. If a child has not been listening closely and follows a directive that was not preceded by “Mom says” or “Dad says,” they are “out.”

Usually, anyone “caught out” in this way has to sit out the remaining rounds of the game until only one child – the winner – is left. However, you may decide to skip this step to ensure that all children remain in the game for each round.

Relevant Scripture

Ephesians 6:1-3 “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ‘Honor your father and mother’ – which is the first commandment with a promise – ‘That it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on earth.’ ”

Colossians 3:20 “Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.”

Patient Polly tossed a bally

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Standing in a circle with a ball, try to accomplish a set number of tosses to each other without dropping the ball. Say the rhyme below as you throw the ball, taking turns deciding what to eat for the treat when you are done practicing patience. You may also change the person’s name in the rhyme. For example, “Patient Mary tossed a cherry.”

Patient Polly tossed a bally.
This is what she said: “Are you ready for my throw?”
Things go better when we’re patient, this is how I know.
I throw, you catch – then we all eat cookie dough.

Predetermine how many passes you want to complete and what the reward will be when you meet your goal. Encourage each thrower to be patient. Talk about how being patient can help you accomplish the task. Emphasize that if you are impatient and throw the ball quickly before the other person is ready to catch it, it makes reaching the goal harder for everyone. Do not set an overly lofty goal or this activity may try the patience of the parents more than the children!