Summer Youth Group Game: Duck & Cover

Topic: Living God’s Way

Use this summer youth group game to teach middle school students about living God’s way.

The game is based on Romans 12:2

Romans 12:2

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

Game Supplies

Yarn or yard string
20-24 Wooden stakes (18-24”)
Rubber mallet
Squirt guns or super soakers for leaders
Goggles for students to wear
Chocolate syrup
Shaving cream
Beach balls
Some sort of prize for all the students (mini squirt guns)

Preparation

Put stakes about 1-1.5 ft apart in rows. Make one row for each team. The number of teams you have depends on the size of your group. Each team should have 8-10 players.
Rows should be far enough apart for two students to crawl side by side in each row.
Tie string off at first stake and then wrap string in a zig-zag pattern from stake to stake between the two rows, until all are connected.
Make sure string in secure on stakes by wrapping around the stake a few times.
Once you are happy with way it looks, tie off the string.
Place beach balls under the obstacle for added difficulty getting around.

Game Directions

Divide students into teams 0f 8-10 players.
Give the first person a pair of goggles they must wear.
On go, the first player in each team will run a race crawling under the obstacle.
Place leaders with squirt guns or super soakers on both sides of course randomly soaking students.
Leaders will also randomly squirt chocolate syrup and shaving cream on students as they pass through.
When players get through the end, they will tag a leader and then crawl back through the obstacle to their team.
Once there, they will switch out the goggles to the next racer.
Once the goggles are on, they can take their turn.
The first team to get their entire team to the leader and back under the obstacle wins.

Teach

Say: Wow, that looked like a lot of fun! Everyone did an amazing job. Congratulations to the winning team! This obstacle course reminds me a lot of the world we live in.

Can anyone tell me why? (Get responses)

It reminds me of the world we live in because we are constantly trying to navigate our way through life. Just like in the race. The world is moving at such a fast pace that we sometimes give in to the world’s way of life. This way of life from the world around us is called our “worldview”. Often, our worldview doesn’t line up with the way God wants us to live. It’s easy to get tangled up in life when we follow our worldview rather than God’s way of living. Lets discuss how we can work through this.

Ask:

Where do we get our “worldview”? (Take responses)

The worldview is based on feelings and what others say is right. It is subject to personal feelings and to living for what makes you happy. The worldview can make us as followers of Jesus feel we are wrong in what we believe. This is something you as preteens are starting to experience.

Ask:

How many of you have felt pressured to believe or accept something you know is not what God wants you to believe?
Give me some examples of things your world tells you is ok, but you know God views it differently? Take responses
How did you handle this?

God knows we are going to experience this, and he tell us very clearly how to handle it.

Read Romans 12:2

Say: When we don’t follow the world’s behavior and allow God to transform us, good stuff happens. The tangled mess we get ourselves in will be unraveled. We will learn the value of doing life God’s way. When you begin to get tangled up in the mess of what the world tells you, make sure you are asking God for help. He will direct you, and he will show you the right way to go.

End in Prayer

Summer Curriculum for Jr High Ministry

If you like this game, be sure to check out our Summer Bundle, which includes two summer jr high series: Splash & The Heat Is On. Each series is 4 weeks long, for a total of 8 lessons perfectly crafted for summer.

View the Summer Bundle