HPC 2001 VBS Thursday Night Games

Hilliard Presbyterian's VBS
2001: A Sheep Odyssey

Psalm 23

Lessons & Notes from Neil MacQueen, 527-8737 (phone for HPC members only), or sundaysoft@ee.net

If you are from another church viewing these lessons at the Rotation.org website
you are welcome to copy them and use them as long as you cite Hilliard Presbyterian, Hilliard Ohio as the author and this webpage as your source.
Links to Documents: Monday Night's Sheep Pen Lesson 1-4 | Tuesday Night Sheep Pen Lessons 5-8
Wednesday Night Rotation | Thursday Night Games

THURSDAY NIGHT GAMES AND WRAP-UP

Opening Songs and Worship

THE SHEEP OLYMPICS (45 minutes)

Four wacky olympic games anybody can win (not based on skill or athleticism)

Psalm 23 Obstacle Course: roll on green grass to still waters, dip in water, run under tarp (darkest valley), eat crackers at table prepared for you, drag two objects marked "goodness and mercy" to the finish line.

Psalm 23 Cup Overflows: Two large tubs of water. Kids in teams line up and use small cup to get water to a bucket. A ball in bucket must overflow out of bucket to be the winner.

Psalm 23 Scavenger Hunt: Seven items from Psalm 23 (cup, table, rod, etc.) are hidden on church property. First team to collect all seven wins.

Psalm 23 letters hunt: Find all the letters to spell "Psalms."

They will be standard "kids relay" type games but with a Psalm 23/Sheep twist, such as, "help the sheep get through the Darkest Valley" game. "My Cup Overflows" seems to cry out for a water carrying game!

SNACK...

"Who Wants to Be a Psalm 23 Sheep" Gameshow (45 minutes)

Divide the group into three equal teams. Have an adult be a team captain for the team. Provide each team with a marker and paper for some answers. Set each team at a table. String some "chaser" or blinking Christmas Lights around the chalkboard/scoreboard. Have various sound effects ready for correct and incorrect answers (In the past, I've used my laptop with a set of speakers attached to it. On my desktop I had various "gameshow" sound files I clicked on signaling correct and incorrect. You can download some of those sound files at http://www.sundaysoftware.com/download.htm Bells, buzzers, whistles and other noise makers will work too.)

The Gameshow will consist of 30 to 35 questions about Psalm 23, not only it's word order, but it's meaning as well. Throw in a few fun questions about something funny that happened at the VBS on previous nights. When you get to the last five questions, double their point value and institute a rule change that allows slower teams to catch up (make it up as you go folks). For fun, you can make some questions worth extra points for "better answers" --asking each team to try and answer it to the best of their ability--writing it down and you judging the best answer.

Game Questions:

These will be written on a transparency and projected for all to see.
I'll post those here later (of course, you can come up with your own too).

Closing Songs and Prayers

Each kid received a certificate of completion and a Psalm 23 stuffed sheep.

Questions we used in our Game Show:

Group split into four teams. Game show "audience" composed of adults provided all the sound effects. Gameshow host had microphone for kids to give answers. Prizes awarded almost every answer ..some were goofy prizes. We wrapped the scoreboard and other things in XMAS lights. In round one each team sent one player forward to be the first to complete one of the following questions. Round two had each team talking then writing down the best answer to the question. Judges decided which team had come up with the most correct answer. We had a total hoot.

The Lord is my shepherd _______________.
He makes me lie down _______________.
He leads me beside _____________
He restores ______________
He leads me in right paths for _____________. PRIZE
Even though I walk through ______________________.
I fear no __________.
For you are __________.
Your rod and your staff ____________
You prepare a ___________ before me.
You prepare a table before me in the ______________. PRIZE

You anoint my head with oil ________________.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me ___________________.
And I shall dwell _____________________. PRIZE
Quickie team thought questions:
In Psalm 23, what do the sheep fear (no evil)
In Psalm 23, what comforts the sheep (rod and staff)
What is the difference between a rod and staff?
What does the verse mean: he restores my soul. PRIZE
Why does God prepare a table before you in the presence of your enemies?
In Psalm 23, who is the Good Shepherd?
What does the verse "my cup overflows" mean?
Why are sheep afraid in the darkest valley?
Why do sheep like still waters? PRIZE
What does having your head anointed by God with oil mean?
Who is said to have written Psalm 23? PRIZE

Final Round:
On Monday in Mrs. Epperson's sheep pen, what did the sheep try to get off of them?
On Monday in Mrs Eveland's "restore my soul" sheep pen, what activity did you do?
What was the name of the television studio you made a news broadcast in Wed night?
What was the name of the computer program you used Wednesday night?

Final Bonus Questions:
What was the snack we had on Tuesday night? (Lemonade and pretzels dipped in chocolate.)
What is the name of the mission project we are collecting money for to buy sheep for poor families?