Theme: THE GAME PLAN A focus on the Two Greatest Commandments: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind… and love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:37-39)

Virtue: Excellence (striving to do your very best in all you do)

DAILY DRILLS

Hello, fellow athletes and team players! My name is Coach (use your last name). 

I will be your personal trainer for this week’s Cathletics VBS games. Each day, we’ll get together for a pep talk (theme connection) and a team huddle (game instructions). My plan this week is to keep you active with daily drills and game skills.

While playing games and having fun this week, remember to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind… and love your neighbor as yourself.” 

Are you ready to do that, team? (cheer)

Instructions:

1. We’re going to warm up with a few daily drill exercises.
2. When I call out a sport, I want you to do an action from that sport. 

Call out the sports in any random order. Repeat the drills faster and faster as the players become more familiar the actions. 

Let’s try a few:  

Football: Be football players and jump through 10 imaginary tires. Lift those knees up high.

Baseball: Be baseball players. Swing the bat 3 times like you’ve hit a home run.

Swimming: Lie on your stomach and start kicking your arms and legs around.

Running: Run on the spot. 

Soccer: Kick the ball 5 times into the net.

Skiing: Jump side to side down the hill.

Weightlifting:  Do arm curls or 3 push ups. 

Basketball: Dribble the ball and jump up to shoot the ball into the hoop.

Gymnastics: Try doing the splits.

Volleyball: Jump and spike the volleyball over the net.

Hockey: Shoot the puck 3 times into the net.

Run these Daily Drills at your games station each day. 

It’s a great 3-5 minute warm up and emphasizes the importance of daily exercise.

PASS THE TORCH

Theme Connection:

The Olympic torch is a widely recognised symbol of the Olympic games. In Ancient Greece, a fire was lit at the opening ceremony (first day) and stayed burning throughout the entire games. This Pass the Torch game will be a reminder of how we are to be lights for Christ as we run the race of life!

You’ll need:

• 10 Traffic cones
• Paper torch (1/team) (Wooden dowel, red/orange tissue paper, tape)
• (Opt.) Colored streamers

Set up:

• Make a torch for each team. Tape red or orange colored 
• tissue paper to the top of a wooden dowel or stick. 
• Using traffic cones, divide the track into four equal lengths.

Instructions:

1. Set up teams of four.
2. One player from each team will line up on the starting line and the other teammates will stand at a designated spot on the relay course. The first player from each team will run and pass the torch to their closest teammate and so forth, until the last player crosses the finish line. 
3. The first team to make it to the finish line wins. Play multiple rounds.

The group leaders can hold a streamer for the kids to run through at the finish line. 

To play this game indoors, determine a start and finish line. Have the first player from each team run with their torch to the finish line and back before passing it to the next player. This continues until each player carries the torch across the line. 

TERRIFIC TEAMMATES 

Theme Connection:

Teamwork is important. It’s about players working together towards a common goal. It’s not about ME (show 3 fingers pointing down to form the letter M), it’s about WE (show 3 fingers pointing up to form the letter W). This is also a great reminder that it takes 3 to make a great team: God first, others second and yourself third.

You’ll need: 

• Colored tape

Set up: 

• Tape two parallel lines (approx. 25 feet apart).

Instructions:

1. Stand together in the middle of the parallel lines. 
2. I’m going to ask you a question, such as, “Do you prefer soccer (point to the far right line) or baseball (point to the far left line)?” Everyone who likes soccer has to run and stand on the far right line, and all those who like baseball have to run and stand on the left line. 
3. After we see who has the most “teammates”, everyone comes back to the middle for the next question. 

“Do you prefer skiing (point to the right) or snowboarding (point to the left)

Swimming or skating?

Hot dogs or burgers?

Summer Olympics or Winter Olympics? 

Singing or dancing?

Popcorn or potato chips?

Running or walking?

Fruit or veggies?

Watching sports or playing sports?

The color red or the color blue?

Any two different football teams (Green Bay Packers or Chicago Bears?)

Any two different hockey teams (Edmonton Oilers or Calgary Flames?)

STRIDE FOR EXCELLENCE 

Virtue Connection: 

In any sport, you can be sure the coach wants every athlete to strive, or in this game, stride for excellence. Jesus, our Head Coach, wants us to do the same by doing our very best in every little thing we do. This is a great team building game where every stride counts! (Stride: a long step or a step forward.)

Ages: 7 and up

You’ll need:

• Masking tape (1 roll/team) 

Set up:

• Determine a start line.

Instructions:

1. Divide into equal teams. 
2. The first player from each team will stand behind the starting line and take a large step forward. 
3. The first player will place a roll of tape directly in front of their feet and leave it on the ground before going back to the start line.
4. The second player will place their feet directly behind the roll of tape, pick up the roll and take a large step forward. After they place the roll of tape in front of their feet, the next player from will do the same. 
5. Once the last player on each team has a turn, the leader will place a piece of tape to mark the spot.
6. The team who went the furthest distance wins. 
7. Play another round to try and beat your team’s record. 

Give prizes to the teams that beat their records. 

SCRIPTURE SCAVENGER HUNT

Theme Connection:

The Bible is filled with great scriptures that go along with our Cathletics VBS theme. Jesus, our Coach, wants to teach us so many great lessons that will help us become Champions in our faith. 

As we find scripture cards in our Scripture Scavenger Hunt, let’s focus on what Jesus wants to tell us through His Word!

You’ll need:

• Cathletics Scripture Cards (Use Cathletics Sport Cards for the younger kids.)
• Whistle

Set up:

• Print and cut the Cathletics Scripture (or Sport) Cards. Print 4-8 copies of each page (depending on group sizes). 
• Hide the cards in your games area.

Instructions:

1. Try and find as many cards as you can before the leader blows the whistle. 

After approx. 5 minutes, see which player collected the most cards.

In order to claim their prize, the older kids can take turns reading a scripture out loud from any one of the cards they found. Have the kids hide the cards back in the same place they found them. This will save you from having to hide them for the next group of kids coming to your games station.

I WANT YOUR AUTOGRAPH

Ages: 7 and up

You’ll need: 

• I Want Your Autograph Game Sheet 
• Colored marker (1/player)

Instructions:

1. Everyone will get a marker and a game sheet. 
2. Try to get an autograph from as many different people that can do the exercises on your game sheet.           
3. Ex: Jacob will ask Avery if she can do three push-ups. Avery says: “Yes”,  so Avery will do three push-ups and sign that box on Jacob’s game sheet. Then, Avery will ask Jacob something from her game sheet for Jacob to sign. Jacob and Avery will continue to ask other players for their autographs. 

 The person with the most autographs after five minutes wins.