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This Greatest Commandment game allows students to think about what Jesus’ Greatest Commandment is all about. With this commandment, which summarizes all 10 Commandments, Jesus calls us to love God and neighbor. But what does love look like? Jesus’ definition of love is so much more than just romantic love.

Students read a word on a heart and decide whether it shows love or not by placing it in the correct category. Either the word shows love or it doesn’t. This game is designed to be played team vs team relay style. The team who places all hearts first wins, This game is part of my Greatest Commandment lesson.

Templates for Greatest Commandment Game

Print the 2 page template on white ledger paper (11″ x17″) and glue to the insides of file folders. For color copies, office supply stores like Office Max will print for less than $1.50 per print.

Print this B & W pdf template on colored cardstock

Print Game Boards on Ledger paper
Print Hearts on colored cardstock

Create Two Classroom Sets by these steps

  • Print 2 copies of the heart word template on 2 different colors of cardstock. (By using different shades it is easier to keep the sets separate.)
  • Print 2 copies of the game board template on ledger (11″ x 17″) paper
  • Cut the heart words and laminate (optional)
  • Glue the 4 game boards to the inside of 4 different file folders
  • Store the 2 separate sets of hearts in ziploc bags
I made these sets with 2 different colors of components to make it easier to keep the game sets separate. I cut the heart and null symbol by hand. But you don’t need to do that! Print the free game board template that I created since then!

Words for the Greatest Commandment Game

LOVE IS…

  1. Patient
  2. Kind
  3. Nice
  4. Polite
  5. Helpful
  6. Caring
  7. Courteous
  8. Friendly
  9. Gentle
  10. Calm
  11. Encouraging
  12. Generous
  13. Fair
  14. Honest

LOVE IS NOT…

  1. Inpatient
  2. Grumpy
  3. Lazy
  4. Rude
  5. Cranky
  6. Jealous
  7. Bitter
  8. Impolite

Setup

  1. Find a place to play with a lot of floor space.
  2. Divide class into 2 teams.
  3. Open the 2 game boards for each team and set them out on the floor.
  4. Have teams line up behind their game boards.
  5. Give the 1st person in each line a Ziploc bag full of laminated hearts.

How to Play

  1. The first person in line pulls a heart and then gives the bag to the person behind him/her.
  2. He/she runs to the board and sticks it to the appropriate board:  either LOVE IS or LOVE IS NOT….
    • If necessary, teammates can help read the words
    • Teammates can help them decide where to place the words.
  3. The next person in line then takes a turn to place a heart.
  4. The first team to place all the hearts on the game board at the appropriate place wins.

Extensions

If you make this game and adapt it to meet your needs, please let me know by leaving a comment below.

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