David and Goliath

(1 Samuel 17)

I'm so sorry it has been... hmmmm... a while, since my last post. I hope you all had a lovely Christmas and New Years.

Today I'd like to give you a fun game to go with the David and Goliath lesson. I took a bit of an artistic liberty with this one. David, as you know, used a slingshot to slay Goliath, but I am not a fan of slingslots for kids; therefore, I improvised a bit. 

This game will require:

Two catapults with ammunition

Two Goliaths

Two tables

DAVID'S WEAPON:

There is a great YouTube video on how to make a catapult. Actually, there are several. Click here for the one I used. You are probably thinking, Catapult? Is that really any safer than a slingshot? Well, with the right supervision, I think it is. I can honestly say that I had no trouble keeping the kids in control with this one. Here's how I did it:

Tip #1: Make it yourself at home before class day.

            The object is not to teach the kids how to make a catapult, it's to play the game. I'm sure they will all ask you how to make one, so be prepared with whatever answer you want to give them! 

Tip #2: Make only two. 

            Each team will need one. Any more than two and things start to get a little wild.

Tip #3: Either hide them (very well) or take them home after class.

            The kids will want to play with the catapults every week if possible, and they will want to experiment with what objects will fly, so best to keep things safe and just not have them freely available.

AMMUNITION:

        Large marshmallows, ping pong balls, or aluminum foil balls all work great.

GOLIATH:

Goliath can be constructed out of a variety of materials. Two Goliaths are needed (one for each team).

       Pool noodle blocks.

       Sponge blocks.

       A shoe box with a picture of Goliath drawn on the bottom. (Stand the box up on end.) 

       Etc.

GAME PLAY:

       Place each team and their catapult at one end of a long table with Goliath on the other end. The teams race to see who can knock Goliath over first. Be sure to explain that each player should get only one shot at a time so that everyone will get a turn.
       I allowed each player two practice shots before we began the race just so they could get a feel for how to aim. We played over and over until the class time ran out!!


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