Advent: Patience Games – 6/12/20

Have fun playing these patience games together as a family and then talk together afterwards about what you learned.

2 Peter 3:8-15


The Standing Game

Here are the rules:
1) Everyone must close their eyes (no looking at phones or listening to tick-tocking watches)
2) The goal is to stand up when you believe that a minute has passed.
3) Have someone time with a timer, stopwatch or on their phone.
4) The person who stood up closest to the one-minute-mark, wins! (Parents: you might like to have some treats handy for the winners!) 

Here are some follow-up questions: 
– How did the winner keep the time? 
– Did the minute feel long or short? 
– How come it felt long for some and short for others? 
– Is there a difference between being slow and being patient? 


The ice lolly game

Give each person an ice lolly. The competition is to see who can eat their ice lolly the slowest. Sticky hands or puddles on the floor equals minus points (to stop this game going on too long!).  

Do a post-match interview with the champion: 
– What do you think was the secret to your success? 
– Did you have a special strategy? 
– Do you have any tips to anyone out there who struggles with patience? 
– Is there a difference between being slow and being patient? 


After the game(s): 
Explain that today we will think about God’s character. Sometimes we think that he is slow, like when we don’t get an answer to prayer immediately, but the Bible says that instead, he is patient.