Freebies
Life Puzzle
2/19/2009
Go to your local dollar store or department store and pick up some 100 piece puzzles. Empty each puzzle into a separate bag and number the bag. On that puzzle's box, write the same number. Have your teenagers form into smaller groups (probably 3-6) and give each group a bag. Have them try to put the puzzle together without the box. Give them a decent amount of time, try to let some finish. Then follow up with questions such as, "What would have made this activity easier?" Then talk about how sometimes we try to figure out life. and put it together on our own, instead of asking for direction and help from the one (God) who knows what our life is supposed to look like.
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I have used two other
I have used two other activities with puzzles from the dollar store:
Break the kids up into groups, have them work on the puzzle and make sure that there is one piece missing from it. When they get done with their puzzles they are frantic looking for the extra piece. The analogy I use is that when they don't show up to our group, we are not complete either. We depend on everyone to be part of the group, the missing puzzle piece is then put in to complete, much like how the students complete our group.
Variation 2:
Break into groups of four or so, have them work together thinking that this is a contest. When you see that the groups are nearly complete, have them switch to a different puzzle. To process, how did you feel when your puzzle was nearly complete and you could not finish it? How did you all work together? Talk about the whole process of working together and in this case, I related to going on our mission trip and the people we would be serving. How we all work differntly yet have the same goal.
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