The story of the lost sheep and the faithful 99 is a church classic. These games play with ideas in the passage found in Luke 15.
‘99 Sheep’ board game
All Ages
Small group
No Setup time
Quiet game
Can be seated
Print the board game PDF by clicking on the picture. You will need counters and a dice to play. Travel along the pathway collecting sheep. The person with the most sheep at the end is the winner, but beware of the foxes and lions!
Link: Counting the sheep.
Roped reuniting
All Ages
Any size group
Requires setup time
Noisy game
Space needed
This obstacle course meets arcade game involves players controlling an object through pulling ropes and tension. Attach two or more long strings or ropes to a doll. Lay out an obstacle course with a sheep to reunite with at one end. The players can not step inside the obstacle course area, but must hold the ropes from the sides, pulling them or keeping the string tense to guide the doll around the obstacles to reach the sheep.
Link: The search for the sheep.
Where did it go?
Under 7’s
Any size group
No Setup time
Noisy game
Space needed
Hide a small ornament or picture of a sheep in the room and have the kids hunt for it.
Link: The search for the sheep.
Follow the leader
Under 7’s
Any size group
No Setup time
Noisy game
Space needed
In this classic game, you follow the leader around the room, imitating their actions.
Link: following the good shepherd.
Sheep separation
All Ages
Big group
No Setup time
Noisy game
Space needed
(A JWL favourite sheep game) This is a noisy and silly game for a group. Choose 2 herdsmen, and assign them each a colour. Using chairs, or some sort of barriers, make sheep pens. Tell all the other children they must pretend to be sheep, on all fours. If someone comes and stands near them, they must turn away from the person. When all the children are on all fours, mark their backs with a coloured dot sticker. The herdsmen then need to herd the sheep into the right pen.
Link: The shepherd taking the sheep home.
