Wall Construction and Demolition Lesson Idea 

We created a large pile of small cardboard boxes.

Children each took a block and wrote on it something that was a wall (barrier, hurdle, problem) for him or her in their life.

Then we created blocks for community problems, church problems, family problems, world problems.

Following the reading of the Bible story, we talked about "how God can knock down our problems."   Then we looked at individual blocks and had the kids suggest solutions, resources for dealing with those blocks.  Prayer!  Giving!  Unselfishness!  Protest!  Peacemaking!  etc.

After a goodly amount of discussion and Bible reading, we marched and shouted, but the walls didn't come down.   So..... we played a "bowling" game.

I brought in a bowling ball and wrapped it in paper and tape. 

Then we WROTE on the bowling ball a lot of our suggestions/resources for solving problems, and let each kids take a roll at our wall.  It came down quick, so we rebuilt it and kept playing. They certainly got the point!

With the older kids, before they rolled again, they had to come up with new things to write on the ball.

Claire Petersky with additional ideas by Neil MacQueen