David and Goliath assembly: Good to be me (with balloon inflating trick!)

Today we went into school to do a SEALS assembly on the theme of 'Good to be me'.  We acted out the story of David and Goliath, focusing on the fact that, though others thought that David had no chance against Goliath, David trusted God and God was able to use him and the skills he had.  This led us to talk about how we all had things that we were good at (sometimes things that no one else but God and ourselves know about) and that we can all be used by God to help others. 

We illustrated the point with this simple scientific trick...

Before the children arrive, take a balloon and fill it with about a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda. It's quite easy to make the balloon seem as though it is empty as long as the children don't get close enough to touch it! Fix it to the neck of a bottle containing some vinegar.  Talk about how it would seem impossible for me to inflate the balloon using just what is in the bottle.  You might think I was silly to even think it...

But...

At this point lift up the balloon and let the bicarbonate of soda be released into the bottle and explain that, even though no one else could see it, I knew there was something inside the balloon that could do the job.  Watch the balloon inflate!  Then talk about how God gave everyone special gifts and talents and sometimes no one else knows except you and God that they are there.  When you use those special gifts, God can help you to do things that others might think you would never be able to!

The children really responded to the balloon trick and at the end of the assembly, when they were asked to explain what they thought we had been teaching, they had responses such as: 'believe in yourself', 'God knows what you can do', 'everyone is good at something'.  We were happy with that!