Jericho March

God told Joshua and the Israelites to march around the city of Jericho once a day for six days. On the seventh day they marched around seven times. Then the priests blew the trumpets, the people shouted, and the walls fell down.

The people were asked to do something that seemed strange, and they trusted God. This game lets everyone follow instructions together and feel the quiet before the shout.

Verse to remember (Joshua 6:20): When the people shouted, the wall fell down flat, and they took the city.

1. Set up a loop in the room. The leader is Joshua and walks first.
2. Start Day 1. Everyone walks around the loop once, without talking. Say "Day 1 finished" and repeat for Day 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, one lap each.
3. On Day 7, tell the group that they must walk seven laps. Count each lap out loud together in a whisper.
4. After lap 7, the leader holds up one hand like a trumpet and says "Trumpets!" The group blows pretend trumpets with a quiet "toot".
5. On the leader's signal, everybody shouts "Praise God!" and sits on the floor, as the walls fall.
6. Ask the group to sit and listen while the leader finishes the story.

How it ends: After the shout, ask what it felt like to walk in silence and then shout. Remind everyone that Joshua and the people obeyed God before they saw anything happen.

Leader can say: “They trusted God even when the plan looked strange. Let's remember that when it is hard to wait.”

For little ones: Let young children hold the hand of a helper and use quiet "tiptoe" feet. Shorten the march to three days if they get tired.

For teens and adults: Older players can take the role of the priests, the soldiers or the people, and the leader can ask one of them to read Joshua 6:1-20 aloud in the middle of the march.

Safety: Walk slowly, do not run, and keep the loop free of bags and chairs. Remind everyone to keep one arm's length from the player in front.

After the game, sit together and ask:

• Why do you think God asked for such a strange plan?
• What is something that is hard for you to wait for?
• Who helped Joshua lead the people?

• Peace, Be Still: Act out wind, waves and thunder, then freeze when Jesus calms the storm.
• Daniel and the Lions: Tap the lions, find Daniel and answer a question about the story.
• All Bible games for church