Most bible passages and stories depict very ordinary people experiencing a very extraordinary God, but this one is quite the opposite. A secret king in waiting, living a very ordinary life, is spotted as a good musician and brought before the king to soothe his woes. These games look at the power that music held and the willingness of David to serve.
Name that tune – A super simple game that just requires any musician or a CD of backing tracks, at a push you could just hum the melody of songs. Play in teams if you have a lot of children, have them call out or write down the answer. Link to David being a very skilled musician.
Name-beat – for this game you will need the children’s names written out. Look closely at the child’s name and turn them into a drum beat by counting the number of lines in each letter. Have the children start by clapping their name – eg KATE = 3324, ADAM = 3234. Once you have worked out a child’s beat have the whole group join in then move to the next child’s name. Most music relies on a sense of rhythm and the majority of us are blessed with this skill, though some children may struggle, so try to work as a group to ‘mask’ this.
I can serve by… – split the children into small groups (with an adult if they are younger) and hand out paper and pencils. Each group has one minute to write down how many ways they can make someone smile. Dependant on time have the kids demonstrate some of their suggestions, and /or challenge them to do at least 5 before they go to bed tonight. Link to : Serving doesn’t need to be complex, David’s task was to ‘lift Saul’s mood, and bring him peace’, something we can all do for each other.
Restoring Saul – puzzle meets treasure hunt meets musical statues, this is a game full of familiarity, best played after the story has been told. Print the picture of Saul shown here and the outline page. Cut along the lines to form pieces and hide those around the room. Tell the children that this is a game of musical statues with a difference, when the music plays they can hunt for the pieces of Saul, but they must freeze when the music stops. As each piece is found place it into the outline. When completed stop the music and ask how Saul felt after hearing David’s music, draw the expression on his face.
Musical chairs – If restoring Saul seems just too much work play a simple game of musical chairs, talk about how the chair gives us comfort and stability, a safe place to rest, and how David’s music did the same for Saul.
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