Type: Movement / Listening Activity
Time: 10 minutes
Group Size: 4+
Materials: None (Open floor space required)

Purpose

To playfully demonstrate what it looks like to follow instructions versus doing the exact opposite, tying into the theme of Jonah running away.

Setup

Have the children stand in the middle of the room. Ensure there is enough space for them to safely walk or lightly jog in different directions.

Exact Instructions

1. Tell the children that you are going to give them a direction to move. When you give the instruction, they must follow it exactly.
2. Call out basic instructions:
   • “Take three steps forward!”
   • “Walk to the left wall!”
   • “Take two giant steps backward!”
3. The Twist: Introduce the “Runaway Command.” Tell the children: “When I say ‘Run like Jonah!’ and point in a direction, you must run the EXACT OPPOSITE way!”
4. Practice a few times. Point to the right and say, “Run like Jonah!” (The children should quickly walk or jog to the left).
5. Mix regular instructions with the Jonah command to see if you can catch them going the wrong way.

Discussion

Have the children sit down. Ask: “Was it hard to remember to go the opposite way? Why do you think someone would choose to go the opposite way when they know what the right direction is?”

Explain: “Sometimes we hear exactly what God, our parents, or our teachers want us to do, but we decide we want to do the exact opposite. That is exactly what Jonah did when God told him to go to Nineveh.”

Connection Back to the Bible Story

Remind the children that God gave Jonah a very clear instruction: “Go to Nineveh.” But Jonah packed his bags, got on a boat, and tried to go to Tarshish—the exact opposite direction. God’s directions are always for our good, even when we don’t want to follow them.