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Reply to "BIBLE SKILLS & GAMES Workshop Lessons and Ideas for Esther"

Love the game adaptation suggestions, @Amanda Kerr Here is one more that springs to mind:

Adapt "Mother May I" to "King Ahasuerus, May I?" 

Choose a child to be King Ahasuerus. He/She wears a crown, sits in a throne (chair) facing away from the other children, and holds a scepter (or baton, dowel rod, or something similar).

To begin the game, the King sits at one end of a room facing away, while all the children line up at the other end. The children take turns asking "King Ahasuerus, may I ____?", and makes a movement suggestion. For example, one might ask, "King Ahasuerus, may I take five baby steps forward?" The King either replies "Yes, you may" or "No, you may not do that, but you may _____ instead" and inserts his/her own suggestion. The players usually move closer to the King but are sometimes led farther away. Even if the King makes an unfavorable suggestion, the child must still perform it. The first of the children to reach the location of the King wins the game. That child then becomes the King himself, the original King becomes a player, and a new round begins.

Some suggestions that fill in the "King Ahasuerus, may I ____?" blank include:

  • Take (#) steps forward
  • Take (#) giant steps forward (usually a small number, due to large step size)
  • Take (#) baby steps forward (usually a large number, due to tiny step size)
  • Hop forward like a frog (#) times
  • Run forward for (#) seconds

 

Discussion points:

  • During Esther’s time, if someone went to the king without permission, that person could be killed! But sometimes the king held out his scepter; that meant the person would be allowed to live.
  • You certainly were not in a life or death situation playing this game, but how did it feel not knowing how the "King" would answer your request?
  • Talk about where Esther got the strength/courage to approach the King.
  • Talk about the spiritual disciplines that Esther used when preparing to approach the King.
  • What sorts of spiritual disciplines can we use to help us feel closer to God on difficult days?
  •  Remind the children that while Haman had an evil plan to kill the Jews, God was in control. God used Esther in His plan to rescue His people. Similarly, when Jesus came to earth, His enemies killed Him. But Jesus did not stay dead;  Jesus has power over evil.

 

Source: adapted from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mother_May_I%3F

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