Friends Help Us Reach High Heights (Ball Bounce)

Source: unknown, I have seen several variations of this demonstration on-line including one on “Mad About Jesus Laboratories” using a toy called “astroblasters” which is the same concept as the demonstration below.

Bible Story: Jonathan and David, 1 Samuel 18: 1-4

Supplies: one basketball and one tennis ball

Discussion:
Friends, who needs them? We all need them. Friends are fun to play with and fun to talk to. Friends are fun to sing with. Friends share stories and toys. Friends make us feel better when we are sad and make us laugh when we want to be mad. Friends help us to do better and be better.

Here I have a basketball and a tennis ball. Do you think they could be friends? Of course, they can. We do not have to look alike to be friends.

• (bounce the basketball) This is a nice basketball. It can do all sorts of neat tricks bouncing up and down and between my legs and more.
• (bounce the tennis ball) This is a nice tennis ball. It too can do all sorts of things including bouncing up and down.
• (demonstration) Both of these balls are pretty good, but can either of these balls bounce as high as where they started from? Let’s try the basketball first (place on hand on top of the ball and one hand on the bottom. Hold the ball out at arms length. DO not move the hand on top. Remove the bottom hand and let the ball drop. It will not make it back to your hand.) Let’s try the tennis ball (repeat using the tennis ball. It will not be able to reach your hand either).
• (Reach High Heights) The basketball is a good ball but it cannot bounce as high as my hand by itself. The tennis ball is a good ball but it cannot bounce as high as my hand by itself. What if the basketball and tennis ball were friends and worked together? (place the tennis ball on top of the basketball. Place one hand on top of the tennis ball and one hand under the basketball and press the balls together like a sandwich. Stretch your arms out and keep the top hand at shoulder level. Remove your lower hand. The basketball will not bounce at all but the energy will shoot the tennis ball really high. Make sure you have some room since the tennis ball may shoot in any direction depending on how center or not center it is on top of the basketball.)

Wow! Together these balls can accomplish some great things. By themselves they are pretty good, but together they are better. Friends can make a big difference.