Hijos del Altísimo
	(Children of the Most High)
	Teaching Idea of the Month - April 2001

On this page, you will find each month a new idea for teaching or for an activity with children.

The Encouragement Game

Biblical foundation:
"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." (Ephesians 4:29)
It is not always easy saying words which will encourage or build up others. But we all need to be encouraged! With this game we can practise a little encouraging one another and telling us positive things we can see in each other.

What you need:
Chairs to form a circle (if you do not have chairs, you can also play on the floor)
An object you can make turn round on the floor and point at somebody (for example an empty bottle, or a large felt pen)
A box with prepared question cards (see below)

Let's start!
Everybody is sitting in a circle. The teacher leading the game begins by making turn round the bottle (or pen) in the middle of the circle. The person the bottle is pointing at when it stops, must take a question card out of the box. (The goal of all questions is to say something positive and encouraging about another person present.) After answering the question, the person who answered makes turn round the bottle again in order to choose the next player. Teachers also participate! You can play until everybody has answered at least one question, or until the questions are finished. (Although it does not matter if the same question appears twice.)

Suggestions for questions on the cards:

• Who loves God? How did you notice this?
• Who is courageous? How did you notice it?
• Who is giving an example of patience? Why?
• Who did something nice to you during the last week? What did he/she do?
• Who is willing to help others? How did you notice this?
• Who is a good friend? Tell him/her why.
• Who is faithful? Tell an example.
• Who is intelligent? How did you notice it?
• With whom do you like playing? Why?
• Who is giving an example of perseverance? Why?
• Who is encouraging? Tell an example.
• Who is friendly? How did you notice it?
• Who would you like to know better? Ask him/her a question.
• Look at the person at your right side and tell him/her something you like about him/her.
• Look at the person at your left side and tell him/her a promise from God for him/her.

Variation: Before starting the game, everybody must take off his right shoe. All the shoes are put together outside the circle. You explain the children that we feel uneasy with our shoes taken off ... just the way you feel when somebody discourages you with his words. But now we will encourage one another, and everybody who encourages someone else will put him his shoe too. - Then you start the game, but additionally, everybody who answers a question will also put on the shoe to the person he is encouraging.

Hijos del Altísimo - http://www.altisimo.net

You can contribute to "Idea of the Month"! If you have a good idea for teaching children, send us an e-mail describing your idea. We will publish here the best ideas, together with the name of the person who sent us the idea.
Write to: with the subject "Idea of the Month".

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