The parable of the Banquet guests is a strange one! On the one hand, you have the remarkable generosity of the banquet host, or king as he’s referred to in Matthew’s passage, but on the other hand you have the blatant failure of friendship from the invited guests. These games look at the idea of invitation, the roller coaster of emotions, and the idea of a party. Here is a selection of games to suit a wide range of ages and set-ups. Choose the game you would most like playing and your youngsters would respond to best.
Wipe that smile off your face
All Ages
Any size group
No Setup time
Noisy game
Can be seated
The first person pulls their silliest smile and directs it at each child in the circle, trying to make someone giggle or laugh. On the leaders’ mark, they use one hand to literally “wipe” the smile off their face, and hand it to the next person, and on it goes. This can get silly rapidly but shows how much infectious smiles and excitement can be.
Every spot
Under 7’s
Small group
Requires setup time
Noisy game
Space needed
Lay paper plates out on a table to indicate how many people/cuddly toys you need. Hide the cuddly toys around the room. Make it harder by putting names or colours on the plates, they need to match up.
You are invited…
Under 7’s
Any size group
No Setup time
Noisy game
Space needed
First mark a section of your room as the party area and a section outside where the ‘guests’ (kids) start. This can be played two ways, either as a form of Simon says ‘you are invited if you can jump’- the kids then jump into the party. Once everyone is in the areas, swap and you give a new command. For older groups, each child presents themselves miming an action, the host can invite them in by naming that action by saying “you are invited …. (insert action e.g. doing the washing up!)”
Who am I
Ages 7+
Small group
Requires setup time
Quiet game
Can be seated
A traditional game that works well with older groups (sometimes referred to as the post-it note game). Place the name of a famous person on the forehead (or back) of each player. The player must work out who they are by asking yes/no questions of the other players.
Pass the parcel
All Ages
Small group
Requires setup time
Quiet game
Space needed
This classic game involves a parcel with many layers that gets passed around a circle as the music plays. When the music stops, the child removes a single layer and the process begins again. Link to the idea of all these strangers sharing the joy of a party, passing the food, enjoying the undeserved gifts they received.
