Originally posted by member Rachel H, 2007

A David’s Relay Race Game Idea

(for use in a lesson plan)

Play the game:

• When David went to fight the giant, people tried to be helpful. The king gave him some armor to help protect him. It was way too big and heavy for David. David chose to wear God’s armor instead. King Saul sent him off saying, “May the Lord go with you.”
• David was not afraid. He said to Goliath, “You come to me with a sword and a shield. But I come in the name of the Lord. You have spoken against Him, but God is going to give you to me. Then everyone will know there is a God in Israel!”
• Divide the kids into teams (have 3-4 kids in each team)
• Draw numbers out of a hat (1,2,1,2…have the same # of kids as #’s)
• If your teams are uneven, have someone go twice
• Set the group of clothes to be “put on” at one end of the classroom - opposite the kids.
•  Each team has a group of clothes to put on. Make them as similar/hard to put on as possible. Suggestions:
• • Helmet – bike, football, army, or band, etc
  • Pull-on Shirt (T-shirt – extra large – must be put on right side out, logo in the front or “it doesn’t matter")
  • “Armor”
  •  Knee pads – bike, skateboard, basketball, or soccer shin guards, etc (OK to fasten only one of the straps to keep it on or have to have everything fastened to be considered ‘on').
  • (Optional) Baseball catcher’s chest protector, pillow/case with loops of elastic to put arms thro
  • Elastic shorts (2 sizes – kids large & men’s x-large – for the different size kids)
  • Tell the girls in dresses that they only have to pull the shorts up to their knees/thighs.
  • Shield (pot/pan lid, cardboard, plastic)
  • Weapon – (sling, spear, sword, bat, tennis racket)

• Go over the best ‘order’ to put things on – put t-shirt on before the chest protector, t-shirt on before helmet, etc
• To start the race – don’t use ‘on your marks, get set, go”
• Yell, “Who will fight this giant?”
• Kids yell, “I will”
• Say, “Go in the name of the Lord!” (To start the race)
• The first child on each team races to the other end of the room and put on the ‘armor’
• After each child has his ‘armor’ on, they have to say, “I come in the name of the Lord!” (Have a cue card for them or written on the chalk board) – then take off the armor and run back to tag the next person in line.
• Continue till all make it through the line.
• Let them go through once – If more time allows, redo with different teams. Talk about teamwork and keeping the t-shirt in a condition that is not hard for the next person to put on and equipment not scattered everywhere. (We are all team members in the faith of God)
• The race only takes about 10 min, so make sure you spend some time on the commercial: "God Commercial Script Skeleton" taken from - David and Goliath - a lesson set from the Kirk of Kildaire also posted in this forum.

Close with a prayer: Dear Lord, thank you for giving us everything we need to be in Your army. Continue to shelter and protect us. Help us to stand up tall and show our faith to others. Amen

Have the kids help clean up.