ON THEIR OWN
Are you more like Jonathan or David?
(find people with the same characteristics as either Jonathan or David and get their signature)
*MATERIALS (for each player):
– One piece of paper with 5 empty spaces on it. A characteristic related to either Jonathan or David is placed next to each space.
– One pen.
*HOW TO PLAY:
– Each player receives a piece of paper with 5 characteristics. They try to guess which of the people in their class have any of those characteristics in common with Jonathan or David. If they find someone that matches, they’re asked to write their name into the box next to that characteristic. Note: One person can only write down their name in 1 box per sheet.
– Once someone gets 5 different names, they yell out “BINGO”, and they win!
– As you read out their names to confirm the results, you can add a little onto the lesson and ask the student whether each characteristic belongs to Jonathan or David.
*PURPOSE/CONCLUSION: Friendships often start from some sort of common point. Which similarities did Jonathan and David share? Do you know what it was about each other that made them want to be friends? You can talk about the characteristics here in your answer, or you can pull from other things you know about them.
IN PAIRS
Standing Firm Together (jump on a piece of paper in pairs)
*MATERIALS (for each pair):
– 1 piece of paper, bigger than two players need to stand on with all four feet.
– Music (it can be this lesson’s song).
*HOW TO PLAY:
– Each pair of players gets 1 piece of paper which is placed on the floor.
– When the music starts, each pair holds hands and jumps in a circle around the paper.
– When the music stops, both of them have to jump onto the piece of paper with their right foot. Their foot must be all the way on the paper without any part of it touching the floor.
– Before the music starts again, each pair must then fold the paper in half before continuing as before. When the music stops, they have to jump onto the paper without any part of their right foot touching the floor.
– Continue playing and folding the paper in half until you’re left with one pair that hasn’t let their right foot touch the floor.
– The last pair still in the game are the winners.
*PURPOSE/CONCLUSION: This game illustrates the image of two friends “standing firm together”. This is a difficult thing to do. When things are easy and smooth, friends share their happiness with each other. When things are difficult, they stand with each other and hold each other up so that they don’t fall. Jonathan was like that with David. While he was serving the king, Jonathan made a covenant of friendship with David and shared each and every victory in battle with David. And Jonathan also stood next to David and protected him when David’s life and future were being threatened. It’s like Proverbs 17:17 writes, “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.”
IN TEAMS
A Fun Day with My Close Friend
(create a story together)
*MATERIALS (for each team):
– 1 piece of Roki paper
– 1 marker
*HOW TO PLAY:
– Have each team line up next to each other
– Put the paper at a distance from each team so they can’t see it easily, and place it so that the paper is turned away from them.
– When the signal is given, the first player in each line runs up to their board and writes down two words on the paper. Then they run to the back of the line.
– Then the next player runs up and continues to write two more words, then runs to the back of the line. The teams keep going until you give the signal to stop.
– Read the stories out loud so that everyone can hear the interesting, random, and hilarious details created from the steps above.
*PURPOSE/CONCLUSION:
I hope the story, “A Fun Day with My Close Friend”, brought you all some good laughs. That’s really what it’s like to have friends – they have fun together, sometimes doing crazy things and burst out laughing about it afterwards. But we’re given friends for us to love and support them as well. We’re meant to learn from each other. We need to help each other move towards our dreams and complete the good plans that God has given us. Let’s memorize this week’s Bible verse and give thanks to God for the friends He has brought into our lives!
