The story of the stubborn Pharaoh and the escape from Egypt is a favourite with many because of the vivid imagery. These games both use the ideas of many plagues, the stubbornness of the king and the characters of Moses and Aaron to compliment the story.
The Plagues Dominoes
All Ages
Any size group
Requires setup time
Quiet game
Can be seated
These dominoes are a great review tool and suitable for the younger age group. Challenge the older ones to put the plagues in order first as a review of the different symbols. The download and full instructions can be found by clicking on the image.
The Staff
Ages 7+
Any size group
No Setup time
Noisy game
Space needed
This miming activity gets silly quickly but is a great way to identify with the frustration of the egyptians. God uses both Aaron’s and Moses’ staff to begin some of the plagues – this activity builds on the transformational nature of these staffs. Lay a pole or staff on the floor and a marker about a meter beyond. Explain that once the youngster passes the staff, they must pretend they are affected by one of the plagues. (Please be sensitive here and avoid the final plague with young groups.) Have them step or jump over the staff, then go around the marker and return to the beginning. Use the cards that come with the story post as prompts if needed.
Dodge the plague
All Ages
Big group
Requires setup time
Noisy game
Space needed
This dodgeball variant plays just the same, except each coloured ball (or cuddly toys if you can source them) represents a plague. Have 2 people play Moses and Aaron, God’s messengers ‘sending’ the plagues, and the rest of the people can be the Egyptians. Talk about how the Egyptians may have felt about Pharaoh by the end.
Door Frames
All Ages
Small group
Requires setup time
Quiet game
Space needed
Run a simple competition to decorate a door frame swiftly… scope out the available door frames in advance and dependent on the surface you could use chalk, whiteboard markers, stickers or decorations with sticky tack to adorn the frame. Talk about how the door markings were important to protect God’s people – but that they were done in a rush.
He said “No”
All Ages
Any size group
No Setup time
Noisy game
Can be seated
Have the youngsters write a small challenge on a piece of paper then throw it into a tub, or prepare some age appropriate ones yourself. Talk about how the Pharaoh had a choice but kept saying no – but God didn’t let him say no forever. Then have a volunteer pick out a challenge and ask them if they would do it or say ‘no’ to doing it. If they say no give then a chance to pick another but this time they can’t say no!
There is a lot of evidence that the Pharaoh’s and their people enjoyed table-top games. Matching images is a lovely simple activity upon which many a game hangs, this classic is dominoes. Two pages of beautifully colourful symbols will give your group plenty of time to familiarize themselves with the plagues and how they must have seemed never ending for the Egyptian people.
Please note : this is not a complete set as it would have been huge, I’ve strategically removed the doubles plus 20 other cards.
To make this craft, you will need the 2-page template printout, scissors, some paper glue, and some card or stiff paper for backing – I used scrapbook paper.
Roughly cut around the cards so you don’t end up wasting glue, then glue each page onto your backing.
Carefully cut out all the cards.
The basic rules of play are as follows:
Each played takes 7 dominoes from the pile. One extra domino is turned faced up on the table to start the game. Players take turns to make the pathway longer by placing matching symbols together. Each symbol can only be matched once. If a player is unable to take a turn, they must pick up another domino to add to their pile. The winner is the first to get rid of all their dominoes, or the one with the least left when the pile is gone.
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These Plagues scroll viewers showing Pharaoh, Moses and Aaron looking on, are a great storytelling tool. Simple turn one pole at a time to watch the plagues scroll past in order. All 10 plagues are represented.
To make this craft, you will need the 2-page template printout, scissors, and some sticky tape and something to use as poles. (Optional: round hole punch may also help.)
The poles can be pens, dowels, plastic pipes, round bag clips or (as I’ve used here) the outer part of infant easy dose syringes! It must be over 10cm (4 inches) and allow sticky tape to attach to it.
Start by cutting the viewer.
Fold before removing the window or pole holes.
This makes it much easier later on.
Now remove the window.
Punch or cut holes for your poles.
Cut out your scenes, 3 long ones and one short one.
Attach the scenes together to make one very long strip. Tape on both sides.
Attach one end of the strip onto a pole. Attach on both sides for security. The strip will roll with the picture side face out.
Repeat with the other pole and wrap to look like a scroll – wrapping well now will make the mechanism smoother.
Carefully place your scroll into the viewer.
Tape the back of the viewer together – you may find this is the one time an extra set of hands helps!
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These are the Character resources provided for: Pharaoh’s plagues (Exodus 7)
For each passage, there is a collectable card alongside high-quality character images and a colouring page. All other graphics are extra’s!
Click on the images below to see a larger version. Save the images by right click + ‘save image as’ (computers) OR long press + ‘save image’ (mobile).
These images are NOT copyright free.
These resources are provided for personal/classroom use only. Use can use them for teaching, games, publicity, decorations, big screen presentations, flannel graphs, stickers, or any other non-commercial activity in your church, school, home, or organised group. You may not use them in products you are going to sell (both printed and digital). Nor may you upload the original images online, on websites, social media or in YouTube videos. Any questions, please reach out to me using the contact page link at the end of the page.
We join this story part way through, Moses has seen the burning bush and travelled back to Egypt. His brother Aaron is now by his side, and it’s his voice that the Pharaoh hears and his staff that performs miracles. I’ve deliberately missed the staff turning into a snake part of this story, but you are welcome to add it in if you wish. It’s the pharaohs reactions that drive this story and his decision when it will end, that’s why he is the hero. I’ve provided flashcards for the retelling at the end of this post.
This retold version of the Bible passage is supplied for inspiration, feel free to omit or embellish to give it your personal voice.
Main Passage : Exodus 7-12
Moses walked up the steps to the palace, his brother Aaron by his side, trying not to look nervous. Moses pointed to one side where the steps flattened, two young children sat in the shade of the wall playing with something on the ground. “I used to sit there as a child” said Moses, “I wonder what they are playing?” The palace hadn’t changed a lot in the 40 years he’d been away. In the throne room, sat on a raised platform was the Pharaoh, he obviously wasn’t pleased to see them. Moses waited for the sign that they could speak, then he looked at Aaron.
“This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: “Let my people go.”” came Aaron’s voice loud and clear. The pharaoh sighed, “Show me some sign of this God, who is he that I should obey him?” he replied.
The next morning, Moses and Aaron waited for the Pharaoh by the river. When he came down to bathe, he saw them there. As the Pharaoh got into the water, Aaron shouted, “The Lord, God, has sent me to say to you: Let my people go. But until now, you have not listened. You ask for signs to know the Lord: With this staff I will strike the water of the Nile, and it will be changed into blood.” Then Aaron lifted his staff and the water turned red. The Pharaoh was covered in blood and not happy.
His people complained, the river smelt terrible, the fish died, but nothing would change the Pharaohs mind. A week later Pharaoh was out in the morning when he heard Aaron’s voice again shout ; “Let my people go, if you refuse, I will send a plague of frogs on your whole country.” the Pharaoh ignored him, so Aaron lifted his staff above the water and our jumped more frogs that you have ever seen. There were frogs in the throne room, frogs in the beds, frogs in the pots and the dishes. “Get rid of them” cried the Pharaoh but still more came. “Call Moses” he shouted, frustrated. When Moses and Aaron arrived, the Pharaoh told them to remove the frogs, and he would let them go. The next day the frogs had all disappeared, but the Pharaoh had lied.
So God kept sending more signs. The next time, Aaron hit the ground so hard that gnats flew everywhere, and they just kept coming. Gnats covered the animals, the people, every surface seemed to be covered, even the ground under their feet. The Pharaoh’s advisers told him it was a sign from heaven, but still, the Pharaoh said no to Moses and Aaron. After the gnats came flies and again Pharaoh lied, saying he would let the people go if Moses took them away.
The Egyptians started to talk about the plagues, how many more would they suffer? They warned Pharaoh that the plagues would get worse, but still, he did not change his mind. The following day, the animals the Egyptians owned started to die. The horses, donkeys, camels, sheep and goats. The pharaoh noticed that the only people who lost no animals were the Hebrew slaves, but still, he would not let them go. Next came itchy boils, hail that was so hard it ruined the crops in the field and took every leaf off the trees, and locusts that ate everything they could find. The pharaoh’s people and officials started to beg Pharaoh to let Moses and his people go, but he wouldn’t.
Then came 3 days of darkness. By torchlight, the Pharaoh called for Moses to come see him. He tried to bargain with Moses, tried to get Moses to leave the animals behind, but Moses knew now that when the people left it would be forever, nothing was to be left behind. When Moses said no, so did Pharaoh – “Get out of my sight!” he shouted at Moses, “Make sure you do not appear before me again! The day you see my face, you will die.” “I will not come again” replied Moses and he left the palace.
God told Moses there would be one final plague. He sent instructions to God’s people to prepare their things to leave and to prepare for a feast. On the 14th night, they must roast a lamb and use some of its blood to mark the door frames of their houses. That mark would protect those inside the house from the terrible plague. At midnight, God would send his angel and the firstborn in every family would die. The firstborn of Pharaoh and the firstborn of the prisoner, the firstborn of all the household animals as well. The whole of Egypt cried that night, as everyone lost someone they loved. The Pharaoh told Moses to “go, take your people and animals and leave”. The Egyptian people gave them gifts of gold, silver and fine cloth, anything to make them leave, for they were scared they would all die. And God’s people left with rejoicing, for they were no longer slaves but free.
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