Christian Character Clubhouse: Domino Game
For this activity, you can use dominoes or any toy that can be set up like a domino chain. You can even use boxes of pudding or other food products. Set up the chain of items. The family can help. Once all of the items have been arranged, just sit and look at it. Do nothing. If no one starts the first item to fall, nothing will happen to the rest of the chain. Ask if anyone knows what the word “initiative” means. The first person to get the answer correct starts the chain. Discuss how it took only one push to knock down all the items. Explain that we all have the responsibility to take the Initiative to complete our jobs. It could be a job outside the home, it could be caring for the home, or just your own room. Your job could be paying attention in school and doing homework. Ask each person to consider their areas of responsibility and identify three things they could do right now. It could be cleaning, homework, or finishing a project. Suggest that these be small tasks, or perhaps the first task of a larger project. Set a 15-minute timer and send everyone off to do one of the items they thought about. When the timer rings, gather everyone together.
When the activity is over, process with these or similar questions:
Did anyone finish a task completely?
Did anyone do more than one or think of another task as they worked?
Was getting started easier than you thought?
Is anyone going to go finish another task now that they are thinking of it?
How do we use Initiative in our Faith?
In the same way that we tackled our chores, we can tackle the work of the Church. By volunteering in our church and helping our neighbors in our community before we are asked, we can show initiative. Staying alert to the needs of those around us and jumping in to help is another way to show initiative. What about taking the initiative to invite a friend to church?