Thanksgiving Party Activity - Looking Back

Thanksgiving Party
Activity - Looking Back
www.CreativeYouthIdeas.com

Thanksgiving is an American Holiday
where people set aside a day to
remember what God has done for them
over the past one year and praise Him and
give Him thanks for the works He has
done in heir lives. This game plays on the
idea of looking forward yet being able to
recognize and picture what is behind. It
serves as a metaphor for us, also looking
forward to the future, but taking some
time to picture and recognize what God
has done in the past.

What You Need
• A variety of simple images related
to the Thanksgiving. Some
possibilities include a turkey, a
pumpkin, a pie, an Indian, fall
leaves, the Mayflower ship,
pilgrims, etc. You can also use
simple greeting cards for the design
or images from a Children’s coloring
book.
• Paper and something for youth to
write with.

What to do – Game
• Form teams of six people.
• Instruct each team to sit in a
line, one person behind
another, and take a vow of
silence for the duration of the
game.
• Give the first person in each
line a pencil and a piece of
paper.
• Then show the last person in
each line a simple image of
a Thanksgiving outline or
drawing

• That person must use his or her
finger to draw the object on the
back of the person in front of
him or her.
• This continues until the drawing
reaches the first person in line.
He or she must draw it on the
piece of paper.
• Have judges determine which
team’s picture closest
resembles the original picture.
• If time permits, play more
rounds, letting team members
change positions if they wish.

TAKE IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL
MAKE IT SPIRITUAL
In this game, we looked forward but
had to recognize things that were
behind us. Sometimes it is difficult to
look back and recognize God’s
handiwork when we are focused only
on what is in front of us. Thanksgiving
is an opportunity to look back, and
recognize what God has done for us
and praise Him and Thank Him for his
work in our lives.

In Deuteronomy 8: 10-18 the Israelites
were also reminded to look back at what
God had done for them.
“When you have eaten and are satisfied,
praise the Lord your God for the good land
he has given you. Be careful that you do
not forget the Lord your God, failing to
observe his commands, his laws and his
decrees that I am giving you this day.
Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied,
when you build fine houses and settle
down, and when your herds and flocks
grow large and your silver and gold
increase and all you have is multiplied,
then your heart will become proud and
you will forget the Lord your God,

who brought you out of Egypt, out of the
land of slavery. He led you through the
vast and dreadful wilderness, that thirsty
and waterless land, with its venomous
snakes and scorpions. He brought you
water out of hard rock. He gave you
manna to eat in the wilderness,
something your ancestors had never
known, to humble and test you so that in
the end it might go well with you. You may
say to yourself, “My power and the
strength of my hands have produced this
wealth for me.” But remember the Lord
your God, for it is he who gives you the
ability to produce wealth, and so confirms
his covenant, which he swore to your
ancestors, as it is today.”

• List some of the things
mentioned in the
passage that the
Israelites were to praise
God for? Were they all
pleasant things?
• What lessons can we
learn from this passage?

What to do – An optional
Illustration
1. Ask the youth to look
around the room and take
notice of everything in the
room that is red. (You can
use any color here as long
as there are things in the
room of that color)
2. Then ask the youths to
close their eyes and name
something in the room that
is yellow. (Again pick any
color that can be found in
the room)

3. Most will be unable to name
something unless they are
wearing that color.
4. It doesn’t mean that the color did
not exist when they were looking
around, but the way our minds
work, when we focus on
something specific, we have a
hard time recognizing anything
else.
The lesson is that if we are always
looking at all the negative things in
our lives and all of our problems (the
red color) we will probably miss all
the things to be thankful for (the
yellow color).

MAKE IT PRACTICAL
• Why is it important to Thank
God and Praise Him for what
he has done for us in the
past?
• What does the passage in
Deuteronomy 8 says about
why it is important?

MAKE IT PERSONAL
• Ask God to help you to examine
your life – help you to see all the
times He’s worked in your life.
• What has God done in your life
today and then what has He
done this week? This month?
Write down a list of everything
God’s done in your life during the
past year.
• Ask the youth to share some
things they have received from
God or that God has done for
them during the past year?

• What event(s) in your life do you
look back on as special evidence
of God's love and care for you?
• Spend some moments in prayer,
praising and thanking God for
working in your life.
• Ask the youth to keep the list of
blessings made during the lesson,
take it home, and place it in a
drawer or on a mirror where it
will be seen often and add to it
from time to time.

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE
“Give praise to the LORD, proclaim his
name; make known among the nations
what he has done. Sing to him, sing
praise to him; tell of all his wonderful
acts. Glory in his holy name; let the
hearts of those who seek the LORD
rejoice. Look to the LORD and his
strength; seek his face always.
Remember the wonders he has done, his
miracles, and the judgments he
pronounced”
- 1 Chronicles 16:8-12

Holiday Collection
Games and Activities in Celebration
of common Holidays.
Creative Holiday Ideas has over 300 pages of
ideas to help you plan your next New Year’s
Day, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s
Day, Halloween or Fall Festival, and
Thanksgiving event. If you’ve ever wondered
what you’re going to do for all these holidays
and how you’re going to do it, this resource is
for you.
=> Tell me more about the Holiday Collection

Thanksgiving Party Activity - Looking Back

Recommandé

Recommandé

Contenu connexe

Similaire à Thanksgiving Party Activity - Looking Back

Similaire à Thanksgiving Party Activity - Looking Back (20)

Plus de Ken Sapp

Plus de Ken Sapp (20)

Dernier

Dernier (20)

Thanksgiving Party Activity - Looking Back