The story of Lydia, a woman who sold purple cloth and was the first European convert, is a small passage signifying great meaning and a huge step forward for the church. These games play with ideas in the passage, Lydia’s actions and character traits.
Sailing Destination
Ages 7+
Big group
Requires setup time
Noisy game
Space needed
Grab a parachute. The aim is to get all the boats through the hole in the parachute, apart from the one Paul is on. For boats, use table tennis balls or tennis balls. Make sure one ball is a different colour or mark it with tape.
Link: Paul sailed to get to Macedonia and Lydia.
Purple
All Ages
Big group
Requires setup time
No Setup time
Noisy game
Space needed
This is a simple hide and seek game using dot stickers or coloured tape. Hide a large number of dot stickers in your space and have the kids search for them. You can either have kids remove the stickers to stick to their t-shirts or count how many there are of each colour. At the end, tally up how many kids find and remember the purple counts double.
Link: Lydia was a dealer in purple cloth, like many from her home town.
Back Rhythm
All Ages
Any size group
Requires setup time
Noisy game
Space needed
Sit in a circle and pass a rhythm around by tapping it on the back of the person in front of you.
Link: God’s church grew by passing the word from person to person.
Baptism role play
Under 7’s
Small group
Requires setup time
Quiet game
Can be seated
Use dolls of teddies and blue shredded paper for water to act out how your church baptises. This is a great activity for the very young and a good conversation starter.
Link: Lydia showed she was a new believer by being baptised.
