Activities for Children About David & Goliath
- An adult can cut wire clothes hangers into 10-inch pieces with wire cutters to use as the handle for a “pretend” slingshot. Form a V-shape with the 10-inch wire piece and then make a small hook at the top of each side of the V. Twist the bottom of the V to form a 2-inch loop. Twist two or three rubber bands together and slip each end(s) of the rubber band over the hooks on each top of the V wire handle. Close the hooks with pliers. Use small bean bags or wadded balls of aluminum foil as David’s “stones” and launch them from the rubber band on the slingshot.
- In the Old Testament book of 1 Samuel 17:38, King Saul tries to give his armor to the shepherd David before David leaves to confront the giant Goliath, but David doesn’t want the armor as he has never worn armor and he isn’t used to wearing the heavy equipment. With the help of an adult, children can make armor from lightweight cardboard (such as soda or beer boxes), poster board or card stock. Use a template to cut the armor from the cardboard, and complete the pieces using masking, duct or packing tape. Use hook and loop tape, elastic, shoe laces, yarn and fabric strips to tie pieces together and behind the child.
- Use a simple coloring page image of Goliath to enlarge and print and glue the image to poster board to make a David and Goliath version of “Pin the Tail on the Donkey” game. In this game, children will stick a stone on Goliath’s forehead. Color the image with crayons, colored pencils or markers. Cut 2-inch diameter Styrofoam balls in half and paint the halves the color of stones (tan, brown, black, gray, white) with acrylic paint. Press double-sided, self-adhesive foam mounting squares to the flat backs of the foam “stones.” Blindfold the children, spin them around and allow them to press their stone onto Goliath. The "stone" closest to Goliath’s forehead wins the game.
- Use David and Goliath play figures to retell the story in front of painted or drawn background scenes, or to encourage children’s imaginary play. Allow children to retell the story in their own words to encourage retention. Use coloring pages of David and Goliath and cut out the head, arms and legs of each man. Glue the body parts of David to a toilet paper tube with school glue or rubber cement. Glue the body parts of Goliath to a paper towel tube.