Ruth was poor and a foreigner but she had strength and God’s blessing on her side. These games look at her strength and the practice of gleaning. Some are best as introductory games and others are better used after the story.
To hunt to Glean – Grab a few big tubs and fill them with brown or yellow tissue paper. This is a hunt for the grain in the sheaf and mud. Use real grain or small objects like craft gems. Give each team a minute to find as much grain as they can. Talk about how gleaning was a hunt, and one that was often messy.
Stranger – Give one group of children the following instructions – you must only speak using the letter ‘h and p’, you must bow before you talk, you must not touch anything’. Tell the other children that they are going to meet a new group of people, they should welcome them and try and find out their customs. Give the 2 groups 5 minutes maximum to meet. At the end ask the two groups how they felt and what obstacles they found to being together. Talk about Ruth being a foreigner in Bethlehem and how life must have felt strange to her.
