Materials
Collection of Bricks, blocks, dominoes, Jenga blocks, cards, straws, paper rolls/tubes, and various other objects. Provide an identical set of objects for each group.

Activity
1. Ask youth / children to build a tall tower using the object provided. The key will to be to put the heavier objects on bottom. Have a competition to see which group can build the tallest tower.
2. Repeat the competition using a pillow or other unstable object as a foundation.

Debrief
1. Compare the two activities. Which foundation was more effective?
2. Why is a strong foundation important?
3. Is your life built on the solid or or shifting sand? Explain.

Application
1. The tower build on solid ground is like building our lives upon Christ.
2. Matthew 7:24 – Christ as foundation
3. Matthew 16:18 – Peter’s confession of faith is a rock

A little bit more…
While some may object to using Children’s Fairy tales in church, the story of the Big bad wolf and the three little pigs which built houses of straw, hay, and brick are a perfect illustration of this spiritual truth. The pig who built his house of brick is like the person who puts his faith in Christ. Satan is like the big bad wolf!

200 page e-book that explains everything you need to know when planning your very own object lessons. It contains 90 fully developed object lesson ideas and another 200 object lesson starter ideas based on Biblical idioms and Names / Descriptions of God.

Learn More…

Materials
plastic Spoons, Ping Pong Balls

Setup
Create an obstacle course for a relay race around chairs, under a rope, etc

Activity
Relay 1: Youth must travel the relay course balancing a ping- pong ball on a spoon. If they drop the ball they must return to the start line. First group to all go through the course wins.
Relay 2: Blind Pyramids: Members, blindfolded, must go to a designated area and stack six Styrofoam cups pyramid fashion then return and pass the blindfold to the next team mate. Leaders should knock the cups down between people.
Relay 3: Coin, Book, Ball relay: Each team is given a 50 cent piece, a tennis ball, and paperback book. The idea is to balance the book on your head, hold coin in your eye, and keep the ball between your knees while going to the end of the room and back. First team to have all members complete the relay wins.
Relay 4: Each person on team pairs with a partner. Each pair races to a goal with an apple or a balloon balanced between their foreheads. If it is dropped they must start over.
Relay 5: Handsfull relay: collect a variety of interesting identical pairs of objects. 2 brooms, 2 balls, 2 skillets, 2 rolls of bathroom tissue, 2 chairs, 2 table tennis paddles, 2 ping pong balls, etc. Be crazy! Get at least 12 items. Place the items at the opposite end of the room in 2 piles. The first player runs to the end of the room picks up an item of choice and brings it back to his team. His team member then carries the object back to the other end and adds a second item. Each succeeding player carries the items collected by his teammates, picks up one new item, and carries them all back to the next player. This game will begin rapidly but will become slower as each successive player decides which item to add and then must pass all the items to the next player. Once picked up an item cannot touch the floor or be set down. Any item dropped in transit is returned to the table by the youth workers. No one may assist the players in the exchange of items except through verbal coaching. First team to empty their pile wins…

Applications
1. Daniel 5:27 “He was weighed in the balance and found wanting”
2. Opening for a lesson of priorities, balance, time management, etc.

200 page e-book that explains everything you need to know when planning your very own object lessons. It contains 90 fully developed object lesson ideas and another 200 object lesson starter ideas based on Biblical idioms and Names / Descriptions of God.

Learn More…

Materials
1. 2 sets – 8 types of prayer (prepared by you)
2. 2 sets – 8 cards with examples from Daniel 9 or other passages ( 1 set prepared by each group)
3. 2 sets – 8 cards with real life examples of each aspect of prayer (1 set prepared by each group)
4. +4 – add 4 wild cards (prepared by you) and you will have a set of 52 cards…

This means there are 6 cards for each aspect of prayer..
Another option is to have youth collect and arrange cards in the correct order from various famous prayers. You can also Get 52 or more index cards. For larger groups create additional sets. On the cards, write portions of prayers. On other cards write the authors of each portion. You can then play various card games using the notecards you have prepared. Suits can be identified by four key authors such as David, Paul, Jesus, Jeremiah, etc . Phrases can be matched by similar sentiments or components. Throw in cards with each aspect of the prayer wheel for additional matches (Praise, Meditation, The Word, Listening, Singing, Confession, Intercession, Petition.)

You may have youth prepare the cards: add cards with real items to be lifted up in prayer. Add prayers for missionaries. Add other prayers for church activities. The possibilities are endless.

Activities
1. Relay: Divide the class into two groups. Give a set of cards to each group. Each group member gets a card and lines up against the opposite wall opposite you. Call out examples of each type of prayer. First group to get the corresponding prayer card to you gets a point. Members return to the wall. Go fish – try to complete as many sets as possible
2. Spoons – be the 1st to get a set of 1 type of prayer
3. Battle – divide the cards into two stacks, one for each team. Players turn over cards simultaneously. If two cards match the first player to slap the discard pile gets all the cards in it. A match in this case would be any two cards of the same type of prayer. The object is to collect all the cards. After a couple minutes change players on each team.

Application
As a closing activity, have youth each take a real life prayer from the stack and keep that in prayer for this week… using fresh cards, have youth put their name and a prayer request on a card. Shuffle all the cards. Distribute cards and encourage them to pray for the person they get this week.

200 page e-book that explains everything you need to know when planning your very own object lessons. It contains 90 fully developed object lesson ideas and another 200 object lesson starter ideas based on Biblical idioms and Names / Descriptions of God.

Learn More…