Object Lesson - Grasping at Straws or Doing the Impossible?

Object Lesson - Grasping at
Straws or Doing the
Impossible?
www.CreativeYouthIdeas.com

This week’s idea of the week centers around the
drinking straw. The main lesson reminds youth
that what sometimes what we see as impossible
is not always as impossible as it seems.

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What You Need
• Lots of soda straws for games
• Depending on the games chosen, various games
may require additional resources
• Apples or potatoes for the final object lesson

Games using Straws
Candy Pass – This game can be played with drinking straws and any candy that
has a hole in it that is big enough to slide onto a straw. (Lifesavers or Polo mints
usually work fine.) Each team stand in a line and with straws in their mouths
they must thread the candy onto the straw then successfully pass it from straw
to straw until it reaches the end of the line. First team to do so wins. To make
the game last longer, give them a whole roll of candies to pass. (You can also use
washers, paperclips or rubber bands to pass) (Make it more interesting by
blindfolding one person in the middle of each team) If the diameter of the
straws is a problem, use coffee straws for this game.

Jello Slurp – Give each team a bowl of Jello and using straws, the first team to
slurp up the jello wins
Peas and Straws – Give each team a cup containing twenty peas and an empty
cup as well. Each team selects a champion to compete on their behalf. At a signal,
all the players must compete to be the first to transfer the peas from one cup to
the other using only the straw. They may not touch the cup or peas with anything
except the straw. (Note: there is nothing in the rules to stop players from bending
the straw in half and using it like a pair of tweezers.) (Note: You can also use
skittles or M&Ms)

Pick up Sticks – Using straws, play a classic game of pickup sticks. Divide the
youth into two teams. Hold a fist full of straws upright and then remove
your hand and let them drop into one big messy pile. Players from each
team will take turns to carefully pull a straw from the pile without moving
any other straws. If he or she is successful, the player keeps the straw and
can go again. However, if any of the other straws move in the process of
removing one the turn ends for that team. The team with the most straws at
the end wins. You can find detailed directions here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pick-up_sticks

Pingpong ball Soccer – Clear a table (a ping pong table works great) and
place pencils at either end as the goals. Give everyone a drinking straw and
then divide the youth into two teams. Players must position themselves
around the table so that no two teammates are standing next to each other.
Place the ping pong ball in the center of the table and then the teams try to
blow jets of air through the straws to move the ball so that it hits one of the
pencil goals to score. If the ball flies off the table, simply replace it back on
the table at the place where it went out. No shoving, pushing, or use of
hands is allowed. First team to make it to a designated number of points
wins.

Pipeline – Give all the youth straws and then divide them into teams of 8 to
20 persons. Each team designates a sipper at the far end. At signal they must
join the straws together to create a pipeline and the sipper must drink all the
coke from a cup. (It’s not as easy as it seems because air leaks from the
connections between the straws)
Plastic straw Javelin – Youth stand behind a line and flip or throw the straw as
far as possible. Farthest toss wins. (Note: Straws may not be torn, folded,
bent or changes in anyway not can anything be placed inside the straw.)

Puzzler – Using a small jigsaw puzzle for each team (You can usually find
some with less than 50 pieces), youth must put the puzzle together using
only straws in their mouths. They may not touch the pieces with their
hands. First to complete the puzzle wins. (Alternatively you can cut a
photograph, postcard, or greeting card into pieces)

Q-Tip War – Divide the room in half for two teams or if you want four teams
divide it into quarters. A piece of strong or masking tape on the floor can be
a simple divider. Give everyone a straw and each team a package of q-tips.
Youth will use the straw to wildly shoot the q-tips like poisoned darts across
the room until time is up. When the time is up, the team who has the least
number of q-tips in their area wins. Q-tips may not be thrown and players
cannot leave their area.

Straw & Paper – Divide the youth into teams, with team members lines up
single file, one behind the other, and give everyone on the team a plastic
straw. The first player must place the straw in his or her mouth and use the
straw to carry a piece of tissue to a finish line and then back to his or her
team. No hands are allowed. If the tissue drops, they must get it back on the
straw, by sucking in through the straw, before moving on. The first team to
have everyone on the team complete the relay wins.

Straw Chomp – Each team chooses a champion to represent them who will
be given a straw. The first person to get the entire straw in his or her mouth
without using hands wins. It’s harder than you think.
Straws and Rubberband mixer – All the youth are given straws to hold in
their mouth and half of them are given rubber bands to hang on the straws.
The youth go around the room challenging each other to pass the rubber
band using the straws. But if the rubber band is dropped, the straw has 1 cm
(1/2 inch) cut off the end of the person who was supposed to pass the
rubberband. The last person with the longest straw wins.

Swapping ends – Each youth puts one end of a straw in their mouth then
using only their tongue and lips (no hands) they must turn it around so that
the opposite end of the straw is in their mouth. First person to do it wins.
(Have a camera ready for this as there will be a lot of funny faces)
Tallest Tower – Teams must create the tallest tower in a set time period
using only the materials provided. You’ll want to have a lot of straws. For
connectors use marshmallows.

Two straws, one cup – Each team chooses a champion to drink from a cup
through a straw. The first one to finish the drink wins, but there is a catch. They
each receive two straws, one which is in the cup and one which is not. Both
straws must be in their mouth when drinking.
William Tell – Each team chooses one player to be the ‘King’ who will wear a
paper cup on his head as a crown. Using the q-tips as poison darts, on your
signal, other teams must shoot the crown off the opponent King’s head to win.
(The king needs to keep still or he may just lose the crown himself.) Players
cannot cross the divider lines, nor can they use their hands to protect the crown.

Final Challenge and Object Lesson
You’ll need a ripe potato or (ripe apple) for each team. You’ll want to try this
yourself on a sample to make sure it is ok with the straws you have. If they
are too flimsy it may not work. Also you don’t want one of the straws that
bends. You want a straight plastic straw. Note: When you place your thumb
over the end, the trapped air inside causes the straw to be more rigid.

Each group chooses a champion to represent them. Give each a straw and a
potato. On your signal they must put the straw through the potato.
Let them try for a minute or two then ask the teams if they think this is an
impossible challenge?

Then tell the teams how it can be done.
1. Hold the potato in one hand at waist level so that your hands are on the
sides of the potato and not the top or bottom.
2. Hold the straw in your other hand so that your thumb is over the top
end of the straw so and no air can escape.
3. Looking directly at the potato (not your hand), jab the straw into it and
it will go completely through.
“We just made the ‘impossible’ possible.” A weak straw suddenly became
strong enough to do something powerful.

TAKE IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL
MAKE IT SPIRITUAL
The same thing happens when we place our lives in God’s hands. Like the
straw we may be weak, but when we are in God’s hands, he can use us to do
impossible things.

Quote Philippians 4:13 – I can do all things through Christ who strengthens
me.
This does really mean all things. I can’t swim across the Atlantic Ocean or
swallow a car. Those are absurd. What it means is that God can use me to do
anything he wants me to do. I can do all things that God wants me to do. If
God wants me to do it, He will give me strength to do it.

MAKE IT PRACTICAL
• What are some of the things God wants us to do?
• What are some of the things that prevent us from doing
what God wants?
• How can we overcome our doubts and fears when God
wants us to do something that is difficult or even seems
impossible?

MAKE IT PERSONAL
You might want to allow each youth to put the straw through the
potato as a demonstration and reminder that God can do
impossible things through everyone.
• What is something that God wants you to do? Something he
has laid on his your heart?

Whenever you are having a hard time with something God has
asked you to do, I want you to remember putting a straw through
a potato, and I want you to think about Philippians 4:13. ‘You can
do all things through Christ who strengthens you.

SCRIPTURE VERSES
• Matthew 19:26 – But Jesus beheld [them], and said unto them, With
men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.
• Mark 9:23 – Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things [are]
possible to him that believeth.
• Mark 10:27 – And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men [it is]
impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.

• Luke 1:37 – For with God nothing shall be impossible.
• Luke 18:27 – And he said, The things which are impossible with men
are possible with God.
• Matthew 17:20 – And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief:
for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye
shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it
shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.

• Philippians 4:13 – I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
• Romans 8:31 – What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us,
who can be against us?
• Job 42:2 – I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of
yours can be thwarted.
• Jeremiah 32:17 – Ah, Lord God! It is you who have made the heavens
and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm!
Nothing is too hard for you.

MORE IDEAS? See “Creative Object Lessons”
200 page e-book that explains everything you
need to know when planning your very own
object lessons. It contains 90 fully developed
object lesson ideas and another 200 object
lesson starter ideas based on Biblical idioms
and Names / Descriptions of God.
Learn More…
Creative Object Lessons
www.creativeobjectlessons.com

Object Lesson - Grasping at Straws or Doing the Impossible?

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