The story of the God calling Samuel as a youngster is a great story to draw out ideas about listening, decoding, sources, support, and cooperation.
Nighttime Sounds
All Ages
Small group
Requires setup time
Quiet game
Can be seated
Cut out the cards and separate one. Place all the remaining cards face down over random squares. Look at the picture in the remaining uncovered square; this is what we aim to find. Lift any card. Does it match the original picture? If it matches, place it face up on that square; if it doesn’t, place it face down. We now have a new image we are searching for: the one under the card you just lifted. Continue until all the cards are face up.
Link: Samuel searching for the voice’s origin.
Recognising Voices
All Ages
Any size group
No Setup time
Noisy game
Can be seated
Have the child playing Samuel sit in a chair (blindfolded, if you feel it’s needed, or with eyes closed). Point to one other child and get them to call out “young Samuel?” Can the child identify the voice?
Link: Recognising voices
That looks like a…
All Ages
Small group
Requires setup time
Noisy game
Can be seated
Take a large envelope and cut a small hole in the side. (A hole punch will do this neatly.) Slip a picture into the envelope and give it to the children. The children will probably try to move the picture about to see as much as possible.
Link: recognising things by just one part
Follow the leader
Under 7’s
Any size group
No Setup time
Noisy game
Space needed
Use this classic game where the ‘leader’ chooses an action, direction, or sound and the group need to imitate that.
Link: Samuel copied Eli’s instructions
Identify the sound
Under 7’s
Any size group
Requires setup time
Noisy game
Can be seated
If you have access to the internet within your space, then use this YouTube video to play guess the sound, the sound plays then the curtain lifts to reveal what made the sound. Others available too!
Link: Eli identifying God’s voice
