Youth Group Game Ideas

These are the games that youth leaders are looking for and some of these games can be weird, gross, obnoxious and repulsive. Why do youth leaders use such games? To help knock down the walls that kids start building, to teach them that everyone is different and different is okay. Laughter is one of the best medicines and the memories that have been deposited are priceless.

Required: Jars of peanut butter, loaves of bread, & old clothes
Players: Small to large groups

Divide into two teams and choose one person from each team to wear the old clothes. Have two people from each team lather the shirt that the choosen player is wearing with two jars of peanut butter. The rest of the team is given the two allotted loaves of bread. On go the team will try and get the bread to stick by throwing it at the player with peanut butter. If on blacktop you can mark off a throw line. You are not allowed to touch the player to get the bread to stick. The player with peanut butter cannot use his hands to get any of the bread to stick. They can only pivot one-way or the other. They may not move forward or backward. When the bread is gone, whoever has the most bread stuck to the player will win the event.

My teens loved it; they think it’s a very fun game!!

Note: Make sure that there are no peanut allergies in the group of players.

Submitted by Trisha from Redkey Nazarene Church

Required: Paper table cloth in a roll, miniature pickles (round in shape), red and blue marker to mark the landing for the girls and boys, tape measure
Players: Small to medium groups

Line up in two teams with the first player in each team standing side by side at the end of a table cloth rolled out on the ground. Give the first two players a pickle (or in this case a torpedo). Count down from three and let them launch the torpedos from their mouths. Teams then rotate through all players (give each player their own pickle). With tape measure, add total distance for each team. The best team total wins.

Submitted by S.T.A.T.I.K. Kids Church

Required: Sponsor homes, selectons for four-course meals
Players: Medium to large groups

Set up homes with one part of a three or four course meal. The first home could have appetizers, the next home salads, the main course at a third home and a final home for the dessert. The host homes can have assigned participants to bring part of the meal and all the host homes have to do is provide place settings and drinks. If possible have parents drop off their part of the meal ahead of time before the event takes place. Set up between 6 to 12 guests per home depending on the host homes availability. If you have a large group, have multiple homes doing the same menu and spilt the guests for the next course. If you have 8 guests, 4 will always be together but will met up with 4 others at each different home they visit. It will allow the guests to associate with other kids. Do this so they get to know other kids they’ve never talked with on a more personal level. For the last course all guests could meet at one place that could hold everyone. This would have to be somewhere that could hold the entire group like at a designated building or church. Set up some type of lesson plan that will continue at each location. Be creative, break down those walls and have fun. Kids act differently when they are at home and they will see that other kids are just as normal as they are.

Submitted by R. Scheel, Fun-Attic Inc.

Required: Chalk or tape, ties, blindfolds
Players: Small to large groups

Make 5 to 6 circles for each team about 25″ diameters. Set up a start line and stagger circles 12″ apart and then make a finish line for last member of team to cross. Set up teams of 4-8 players.

Mission: (To be told to players so they must pay attention and follow closely)

I don’t know if you realize it but your group has been selected to participate in a special mission. This is a team effort mission; we have been traveling in our Spaceship (______) but have recently found ourselves unavoidably caught in a meteor storm forcing us to land on the planet (_______). As part of this special mission, which has to do with research on friendships and interactions between neighbors we have ___ groups each of whom have their ankles joined together. There is a rescue shuttle that will take you safely back to the mother ship but you must exit the spacecraft to reach the shuttle in the distance. In front of you, you will see the vegetation circles, which lead to safety. If any part of you touches the surface outside of the circles your entire group must go back to the Spaceship Friendship to get rejuvenated.

Action: You have 5 minutes to develop an action plan, form lines, tie ankles together, and designate 1 mute player and 1 blind player for team.

Objective: The team while tied together must try to cross from the start to finish. It will require teamwork, leadership, and cooperation. Two of their players will be limited because one will not be allowed to talk and the other will be blindfolded and not know where they are going. If any one of the players steps off any of the circles the whole team must start over.

Discussion after the event: Did your team come up with a specific plan of action? Did you notice any patterns of leadership styles? (Group dynamics) How did you feel when you were depending on others to get you through but they let you down?

Submitted by Pam Pierce, Thanks Pam!!

Required: Long tables, blindfolds, frosted shredded wheat boxes and stuffed mice
Players: Medium to large group

Set up an area for two teams. Each team will need their own racing lane to crawl through while blindfolded. You do this by laying large rectangular tables down on their sides on both sides of each lane. The table tops will become the walls of the lane with the legs safely out of the way giving support (make sure that the tables will not tip over on the participants). Continue adding more tables to form two long lanes each about 3-4 feet wide. Lay them out with a few angles and turns so it’s not an effortless course. At the end of the course you will place one open but full box of Shredded Wheat cereal, you may choose to have a large box at the end that they crawl into to get to the Shredded Wheat box. The first player on each team will put on the blindfold, crawl through the course, retrieve a Shredded Wheat (eat it or bring it back whatever you prefer), crawl back to the beginning and the next player will do the same. The first team done is the winner.

For added excitement “if you choose” add a stuffed mouse toy that you have purchased from your local pet shop. Add one mouse per box a few layers down to be hidden until someone really digs into the box. Do not let the players know that something extra has been added to the box. They will be very surprised to feel something furry. You’ll know when they find it by the screams.

Created by R. Scheel, Fun-Attic Inc.

Required: A lot of work but very fun!!
Players: Medium to large groups

Plan out a road rally with your group. Have someone plan the route and make up clues that will have to be solved at each location. Have adult drivers and 4-6 participants per car. At the starting point they will have to solve a clue that will send them in search of the next clue somewhere within a two to three mile radius. They might have to unscramble the clues or use a bible to look up information. At one location you could make them solve one more mystery in order for them to pick the correct envelope. The team to arrive at the last location first is the winning team. You can provide maps that might have clues on them and phone number to call for help. Have the last clue direct all teams to a location where everyone will eventually end up for a party and swapping funny stories about their adventures. Note: Make sure you have a flashlight, cell phone and a map of the area.

Submitted by R. Scheel, Fun-Attic Inc.

Required: 5-8 chairs and volunteers
Players: Medium to large groups

Here’s a game and lesson plan for your junior high or high school age youth group. Pull 5-8 volunteers out from your group of youth to do this demonstration. Take them away from the group or into another room and instruct them that they are to pretend that they are all on a roller coaster. They cannot say what they are doing, but they can howler, shake, lean to the side, raise their arms or what they feel the best way to convince the group that they are on a roller coaster. While the volunteers are away from the group explain to the group something different. Stay with me on this one there is a lesson. Explain to them that the volunteers think that they are on a roller coaster but imagine that they are really on a toilet. After watching the expressions from both groups tell the volunteers to try and get the others to join them without them leaving their seats. Finally explain to the volunteers what has really happened. Then have the whole group rethink and talk about what happens when a person tries drugs. Are they lead to believe it’s going to be something different than what it really is? What about getting physically involved with someone? What are the true dangers of not knowing the whole truth or outcome of any important decision that they might make?

Submitted by Toran Scott
Lesson plan by R. Scheel, Fun-Attic Inc.

Required: Brown paper bags, smooshy or smooshable foods, big plastic soda bottles, clothes or shirt to get messy in, table and dish pan or wipes for hands
Players: Small to medium groups

Line the youth up into 2 or more team lines a few feet from a table and have each team send one person at a time up to the table where the paper bags and soda bottles are. Without looking in their assigned bags they are to pull out one smooshy item. As fast as they can, they are to smoosh whatever they pull out of the bag into the tiny opening of the plastic soda bottle. When they finished, “with the approval of the table judge”, have them run back to the line and switch with another team mate. The nastier and messier the product the more fun it is. Don’t be afraid to make your own creation (butter mixed with flower and chocolate). The first team done is the winner. Try to stay away from openings cans so that they don’t rush and cut themselves. Here are examples of items to use: cat food, peaches, sticks of butter, bananas, grapes, pudding cups, ice cream cups (cold), marshmallows and maybe sardines. You can put items in zip lock bags within the bag.

Submitted by Alyssa, Independent Church of Christ

Required: Cans of Spam, plastic knives, forks, spoons and plates

Yes, it does stink, but I think it tastes good. If you can, have each child bring in one can of Spam. Those that don’t care to participate don’t have to. Each student will be given one can of Spam, plastic ware to carve with and a plate. If you are limited as to how many cans you have, students can team up. The individual or team with the best Spam carving wins. You can have many winning classifications in this event. At the end have everyone taste this yummy product.

Created by R. Scheel, Fun-Attic Inc.

Required: String, spoon and bagels
Players: Small to large groups

Set up teams of 8-10 players and give each team string, one spoon, and one bagel. You don’t have to use a spoon with this game but it will make the game go quicker. One thing you can do with the spoon is put them on ice, which will make them icy cold and definitely get the kids attention. Each spoon should have a spool of string or yarn tied tightly to it. Have each team line up in a straight line and on go, the first player will thread the spoon through their clothes (from top of the shirt down through the pant leg) and then pull the string through and the next player will do the same so that all teams players will be attached together with the string. Once they get going pretty good, then instruct them that there are two more elements to the game. When the string reaches the end player, the end player is to take one bagel and string it back through the string and all do the same until is reaches first player. Once the bagel has reached the beginning, the players must slowly and carefully unstring themselves. Once this has been accomplished then one player or the whole team must eat the bagel. The first team done is the winner.

Submitted by Jeremy from the music group “Down Here”

Required: Extra extra large white cotton underwear
Players: Small to large groups

Separate players into teams and give each team one set of underwear. Show all players what point they are to run to during the relay. Once all players understand the course then have them line up into teams. Then inform them that there is one more rule to the game, it takes two players per team back to back in the underwear to play the game. The first team to complete the course is the winner.

Submitted by Jeremy from the music group “Down Here”

Required: 3 wadding pools and one Kick Ball
Players: Medium to large groups

Borrow three wadding pools for this game. Set up on an open playing field. Use the wadding pools filled with water for bases. Now enjoy a great game of Kick Ball. You can also play baseball using the Fun Gripper Bat & Ball Set with this setup. Great for those hot summer days with the youth group. Caution, pools can be slippery.

Submitted by Jim Hovarka, Wisconsin

Required: Whipped cream, cheese puffs and plastic aprons
Players: Small to large groups

Divide up into teams and one person from each team will need to wear an apron or old t-shirt for this game. Leaders could be the designated receipt ants if they dare. Each team will have one person that has been allotted several scoops of whipped cream on a plate and when signaled will apply the allotment to the face of the designated player. Each team will be given a bag or an allowance of cheese puffs and standing several feet away from the whipped cream faced player, toss the cheese puffs trying to get them to stick. The team with the most cheese puffs attached is the winner.

The players should be thankful that they don’t have big honkin zits that look like cheese puffs. Make sure you have a camera handy for those awesome pictures. Avoid getting any whip cream in the eyes and you may want to keep the eyes closed while being tossed at or use obnoxious sunglasses for protection and laughs.

Submitted by Jeremy from the music group Down Here”

Remember – The object is for everyone to have fun. The moderator is the all-powerful dictator. You may at any time change the rules or boundaries or handicap players to help balance out the wide spectrum of abilities. We want the tentative athlete and the superjock to play together at the best of their abilities.

Have Fun! ?

Now here are some colorful ideas to liven up play time.
If you have a fun game that is entertaining and healthy for kids of ANY age, you can send it to us for consideration and addition to our Games and Activities Guide.
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