Play this fun game as a way to review the events of Holy Week and of the Easter season. Competing team members race to pick the correct day of an event by using fly swatters as their selection tool. This Holy Week game works well with the Jesus’ Death and Resurrection lesson plan.
Keep in mind, however, that if your class is rusty on Holy Week events, it might be a good idea to review Holy Week events first. Here are a couple of recommended ways to do that:
- One way is to use my Events of the Triduum Activity in which individuals or pairs sort through Triduum events and match them to the day they occur on. The prep for this activity simply involves making some manipulatives by some printing and cutting.
- Another idea is to do a whole group activity by dividing the white board into 4 columns and labeling them Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday. Then solicit input from the kids about what they know happened on any of these days. Write their responses in the appropriate column. Either method will ensure that this game will be a hit because the kids will have more confidence in choosing their answers.
Supplies needed for game:
- 2 clean fly swatters
- whiteboard and markers
Preparation:
Write these words randomly on the white board as spread out as possible from each other:
- Ash Wednesday
- Palm Sunday
- Holy Thursday
- Good Friday
- Holy Saturday
- Easter Sunday
- Ascension Thursday
- Pentecost
Directions:
- Divide class into 2 teams and have each team line up in a single file in separate lines
- Give the first person in each line a fly swatter.
- Ask one of the questions below. The first person to swat the correct word earns a point for their team. Careful–make sure they only get ONE try. If they swat the wrong word, they must wait for the other person to swat a word. If both teams are wrong, then no one gets a point.
- CAUTION: Before starting remind everyone about APPROPRIATE use of the fly swatters!
- Keep tally marks on white board for point totals
Questions:
- Day of the Last Supper. [Holy Thursday]
- Holy Spirit came to the Apostles. [Pentecost]
- The day Lent start. [Ash Wednesday]
- Jesus prayed in Garden of Gethsemane with Disciples. [Holy Thursday]
- Jesus carried the cross. [Good Friday]
- Crown of thorn was put on Jesus head. [Good Friday]
- Judas betrayed Jesus. [Holy Thursday]
- Jesus was taken down from cross. [Holy Saturday]
- Jesus rode a donkey into Jerusalem and was honored as a King. [Palm Sunday]
- Empty tomb. [Easter Sunday]
- Jesus washed disciples’ feet. [Holy Thursday]
- Day Jesus died. [Good Friday]
- Jesus rose to heaven. [Ascension Thursday]
- Jesus was laid in tomb. [Holy Saturday]
- Jesus was put on trial. [Good Friday]
- Mary Magdalen ran to Peter with the big news. [Easter Sunday]
- The Apostles spoke in tongues. [Pentecost]