It's been a couple of years since I shared the Life of David game with you, a board game I made up and used with my children, my young Bible students, and now my grandsons. That's not the only one I made. This past spring my grandsons had their first time playing the Major Prophets game.
First, let me explain this: this is not about the five books we call the Major Prophets, Isaiah through Daniel. This is a game about the four major literary prophets—Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel—and three of the major nonliterary prophets—Nathan, Elijah, and Elisha.
Second, this is not a wind around the trail start to finish game. This one is built along the lines of Monopoly, a repetitive rectangle with squares all around the perimeter. You play for a certain amount of time or until someone reaches a certain point total, however you wish to do it. My grandsons and I play for a half hour, after which the one with the most points wins. And, when we hit the half hour mark, we finish a round so that each person has the same number of turns. Each square around the board contains one prophet's name or a place that is important in one of their lives, scattered at intervals. Only the names are repeated here and there; the places are not.
Third, unlike the David game, you do not have to know much to start playing. You learn as you play, as long as you keep control and don't let them try to rush from one person's turn to another's. You have to explain the stories as they come up, and the children must listen as you go, so YOU need to know your prophets' lives even if they do not.
In the center of the board are places to put stacks of card (each the size of one-third of an index card) for each of the prophets. On these cards are events in the prophets' lives or events they prophesied. For example, in the stack of Nathan cards you will find, "Go to Jerusalem. Tell David the story of the ewe lamb, 10 points," and when a child draws that card it is up to you to tell that story. Or you might find in the Elisha stack, "Go to Shunem. A wealthy woman there has built a room onto her house for you to stay in when you travel through. 10 points." Or you might find in the Jeremiah stack, "Go to Jerusalem. King Jehoiakim burns your book. Lose 10 points." Each time you tell a story or explain an event, go over pertinent details carefully, and repeat them at least once.
Also in the center of the board is a stack of questions. If they have listened carefully to all the cards, which they will eventually hear again and again, they will be able to answer them when they land on a "?" square, several of which are also scattered around the perimeter of the board.
And finally, you will find in the middle of the board the really bad places they might have to go should they pick up that particular card: the Lion's Den, the Miry Pit, Prison, and the Cave of Mt Horeb. At any time you might draw a card from the Daniel or Jeremiah or Elijah stacks and be sent to one of those places. The only way to get out is to answer a question correctly. Instead of rolling, they will choose one from the question stack. If they get the right answer, then they come out one square (three squares lead out from each place), receive the points on the card, and the next turn they roll as usual, finding their way back to the outside perimeter trail.
Just as with the David game, this is not rocket science. And it must be painfully obvious that I am not any kind of artist at all, but it has never bothered any of the children who played these games. You can do this yourself. This one does require more work for you than the David game did. Not only do you have to know your prophets, but then you have to make the cards for each prophet and the question cards, besides drawing the board itself. Click on the gallery in the left sidebar to see what it looks like, but you can use and adapt this idea for any number of things you wish to teach your children or your Bible class. You will have also taught them that Bible study can be fun and interesting as well.
I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him (Deut 18:18).
You can find the article on the David game in the book Two Little Boys or the July 2018 archives at July 12. Also a picture in the gallery at left.
Dene Ward
First, let me explain this: this is not about the five books we call the Major Prophets, Isaiah through Daniel. This is a game about the four major literary prophets—Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel—and three of the major nonliterary prophets—Nathan, Elijah, and Elisha.
Second, this is not a wind around the trail start to finish game. This one is built along the lines of Monopoly, a repetitive rectangle with squares all around the perimeter. You play for a certain amount of time or until someone reaches a certain point total, however you wish to do it. My grandsons and I play for a half hour, after which the one with the most points wins. And, when we hit the half hour mark, we finish a round so that each person has the same number of turns. Each square around the board contains one prophet's name or a place that is important in one of their lives, scattered at intervals. Only the names are repeated here and there; the places are not.
Third, unlike the David game, you do not have to know much to start playing. You learn as you play, as long as you keep control and don't let them try to rush from one person's turn to another's. You have to explain the stories as they come up, and the children must listen as you go, so YOU need to know your prophets' lives even if they do not.
In the center of the board are places to put stacks of card (each the size of one-third of an index card) for each of the prophets. On these cards are events in the prophets' lives or events they prophesied. For example, in the stack of Nathan cards you will find, "Go to Jerusalem. Tell David the story of the ewe lamb, 10 points," and when a child draws that card it is up to you to tell that story. Or you might find in the Elisha stack, "Go to Shunem. A wealthy woman there has built a room onto her house for you to stay in when you travel through. 10 points." Or you might find in the Jeremiah stack, "Go to Jerusalem. King Jehoiakim burns your book. Lose 10 points." Each time you tell a story or explain an event, go over pertinent details carefully, and repeat them at least once.
Also in the center of the board is a stack of questions. If they have listened carefully to all the cards, which they will eventually hear again and again, they will be able to answer them when they land on a "?" square, several of which are also scattered around the perimeter of the board.
And finally, you will find in the middle of the board the really bad places they might have to go should they pick up that particular card: the Lion's Den, the Miry Pit, Prison, and the Cave of Mt Horeb. At any time you might draw a card from the Daniel or Jeremiah or Elijah stacks and be sent to one of those places. The only way to get out is to answer a question correctly. Instead of rolling, they will choose one from the question stack. If they get the right answer, then they come out one square (three squares lead out from each place), receive the points on the card, and the next turn they roll as usual, finding their way back to the outside perimeter trail.
Just as with the David game, this is not rocket science. And it must be painfully obvious that I am not any kind of artist at all, but it has never bothered any of the children who played these games. You can do this yourself. This one does require more work for you than the David game did. Not only do you have to know your prophets, but then you have to make the cards for each prophet and the question cards, besides drawing the board itself. Click on the gallery in the left sidebar to see what it looks like, but you can use and adapt this idea for any number of things you wish to teach your children or your Bible class. You will have also taught them that Bible study can be fun and interesting as well.
I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him (Deut 18:18).
You can find the article on the David game in the book Two Little Boys or the July 2018 archives at July 12. Also a picture in the gallery at left.
Dene Ward
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