I thought I’d throw this out there. My team and I racked our brains for 45 minutes coming up with one more small group activity and we came up with nothing. Maybe you can help. I’ll make it interesting… you give me an idea and we use it, I’ll send you your choice of a $5 iTunes card or Starbucks card.

We’re using 252 and the monthly virtue is Responsibility. The bottom line is “When you can be trusted with a little, you can be trusted with a lot.” The Memory verse is similar: Luke 16:10 “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much.” The Bible story is basically the parable of the talents.

The way we’re doing this is a 30 minute large group activity (worship, drama and teaching) and then 35 minutes in small groups. They’ll spend 15 minutes before large group and 20 minutes after larger group in small groups. I have 2 of the three small group activities.

Activity One: The small group leader will toss out a balloon which the kids will keep hitting it and keep it from hitting the ground. As the do well, the leader will introduce another balloon and another until one hits the ground. They’ll play that game a few times. The leader will then gather the kids together again communicate, as you did well with one balloon, you we’re given two to handle and as you showed you could handle two, you were given three. Responsibility is similar, when you prove yourself as someone who is responsible, you will be given more to be responsible for. This is just a fun way to introduce the topic.

Activity Two: ???

Activity Three: Every child will be given a pen/pencil and an index card. On the card the kids will write down “treasures” they have (things that are valuable to them). Kids will go around the group telling one of their treasures and how they can show responsibility with that treasure.

This is where you come in:

I need an activity for “activity two.” This will be just as they are coming back from large group. The kids will be a little wired, so it really does need to be a little hands on or more active than activity three. I really want to push this idea of when you are responsible over something, you’ll become responsible over more. We have thrown out all kinds of ideas of giving kids something earlier in the day and then see how well they’ve taken care of it and then give them a reward… but I’m really trying to avoid the “reward.” I don’t want to make it a competition and I don’t want some kids to feel like they got left out somehow, but I really do want kids to understand “responsibility” and how rewarding it can be.

Last of all, I don’t want something that takes too much time to prepare or anything complicated. We have about 250 elementary aged kids going through this and what we need is high impact with little prep.

Just post your ideas in the comments. I need to have this figured out by Tuesday at noon(ish). Anyone got any ideas?