PRODIGAL SON OBSTACLE COURSE

a game for reviewing the story

Supplies:

• sidewalk chalk;
• big plastic garbage bag loosely stuffed with newspaper (bag of money);
• orange cones (or plastic flower pots or whatever you can find for slalom);
• hula hoop;
• timer or stopwatch;
• bucket decorated to look like a pig (give it pink ears and nose);
• smallish balls (8 or so) and a basket to hold the balls;
• bathrobe and big sandals (or fuzzy slippers);
• water and cups.

Setup:

Use chalk to outline the path the “son” must follow (or use masking tape if indoors):

The “big bag of money” should be at the starting line (and a junior helper can return it there after each person trades it for a hula hoop).

Outline a slalom sort of path between the cones from the starting line to the “far away” hula hoop party area.

A helper with the timer and the hula hoop should be at the end of the slalom path.

Draw a short path to the ball and bucket tossing area. Another helper should be in this area to put the balls back into the “food basket” after the “pig” (bucket) has been fed. The “pig” should be far enough away to make this a little bit frustrating.

More cones and a chalk line should mark another slalom sort of path to where the “father” (teacher) is watching and waiting. The robe and sandals are here.

The path leads on to the water and cups.

One more short path takes the “son” to the finish line, where he removes the robe and slippers and gives them back to the teacher and then sits down to wait for everyone else.

Game instructions:

Tell the children that they will be reviewing the Parable of the Prodigal Son today. Show them the obstacle course and review the story. Tell them that they will each get a chance to be the younger son and go through the story.

1. Son is given “big bag of money.”
2. Son travels to far away land (weaving around cones).
3. Son spends all of his money for food and fun (gives big bag to helper, and hula hoops for 1 minute).
4. Son is penniless and has to feed the pigs (toss balls into a bucket – if any miss, pick them up and keep trying).
5. Son realizes his father’s servants lived a better life, so he decides to go home and ask for forgiveness (crawl along path to “Father”).
6. Give Father (teacher) a big hug and put on a robe and sandals.
7. Run to the party. Pour and drink a cup of water.
8. Then take off robe and sandals and give them to the teacher (or a helper who returns them to teacher). Sit at the finish line and wait and cheer for the others in the tribe as they go through the course.

Have the children go one at a time through the course. This is not a race, but they will need to start with enough space between them so they don’t get all bunched up.