Massive Games / Icebreaker List

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1) Honey I Love You

Type: Middle Person Groups: Everyone Complexity (1-3): 1

Once person in the middle, everyone else in a circle around them. The person in the middle goes up to someone and asks "Honey, if you love me, smile” the person has to respond "Honey, you know that I love you, but I just can't smile”. If they smile they swap with the person in the middle, otherwise the original person has to go to someone else and try to make them smile. They can do whatever they want, accept touch the other person to try to make them smile.
James

2) Psychiatrist

Type: Middle Person Groups: Everyone Complexity (1-3): 2

James

3) Cantaloupe Bowling

Type: Fun Groups: Teams Complexity (1-3): 1 Supplies: Cantaloupe + water bottles for pins

James

4) Ultimate Cantaloupe

Type: Fun Groups: Everyone Complexity (1-3): 1 Supplies: Cantaloupe

Ness

5) Sheet drop name game

Type: Fun Groups: 2 Teams Complexity (1-3): 1

James

6) Cat and Mouse

Type: Running Groups: Everyone Complexity (1-3): 1

James

7) Cat and Mouse with walls

Type: Running Groups: Everyone Complexity (1-3): 2

Mouse can pass through, cat pushes
James

8) Cat and Mouse with rotating grid

Type: Running Groups: Everyone Complexity (1-3): 2

Someone calls to rotate grid
James

9) Blind Musical Chairs

Type: Fun Groups: Everyone Complexity (1-3): 1 Supplies: Blind folds

James

10) Spot the passer

Type: Middle Person Groups: Everyone Complexity (1-3): 1

Everyone has a sign and passes it secretly without the person in the middle seeing
James

11) 3,6,9

Type: Sharing Groups: Everyone Complexity (1-3): 1

James

12) Bang

Type: Passing Groups: Everyone Complexity (1-3): 1

James

13) Zip,Zap,Boing

Type: Passing Groups: Everyone Complexity (1-3): 1

James

14) Newspaper football

Type: Sport Groups: 2 Teams Complexity (1-3): 1

James

15) Giant heart attack icebreaker

Type: Fun Groups: Teams Complexity (1-3): 2

four teams and runners other than person putting card down
James

16) Newspaper cup game

Type: Fun Groups: 2 Teams Complexity (1-3): 1

James

17) Pictionary

Type: Creative Groups: Teams Complexity (1-3): 1

James

18) Charades

Type: Creative Groups: Teams Complexity (1-3): 1

James

19) Bible volley ball

Type: Fun Groups: 2 Teams Complexity (1-3): 1

James

20) Bible table tennis key ups

Type: Fun Groups: Teams Complexity (1-3): 1

Leader chooses a number and each team has to keep the ping pong ball up for that long. The first team to keep it up that long gets a point. It keeps going and the team with the most points wins.
James

21) Bible tennis

Type: Knowledge Groups: Teams Complexity (1-3): 1

Have to say a word from the bible and the other team has to say a word starting with the last letter of the one they just said.
James

22) Concentric circles

Type: Sharing Groups: 2 Teams Complexity (1-3): 1

2 circles of the same number of people in each one, move left or right a certain number of places asking a different questions
James

23) Pascal (shoulder) tag

Type: Running Groups: Everyone Complexity (1-3): 1

James

24) Finger fencing

Type: Fun Groups: Everyone Complexity (1-3): 1

Feed still holding hands but sticking finger out. Have to touch the other person with their fingers.
James

25) Thumb wars

Type: Fun Groups: Everyone Complexity (1-3): 1

James

26) First to touch a certain part of someones head

Type: Fun Groups: Pairs Complexity (1-3): 1

James

27) Knight Rider Princess

Type: Fun Groups: Pairs Complexity (1-3): 1

James

28) Rubber band passing with straws

Type: Relay Groups: Teams Complexity (1-3): 1

James

29) Chair racing with stools

Type: Fun Groups: Teams Complexity (1-3): 1

James

30) Get your self in order with of birthday silently

Type: Sharing Groups: Everyone Complexity (1-3): 1

James

31) King of the jungle

Type: Passing Groups: Everyone Complexity (1-3): 1

James

32) BUMPBOUT

Type: Sport Groups: Everyone Complexity (1-3): 1

James

33) Follow the leader

Type: Middle Person Groups: Everyone Complexity (1-3): 1

Select one person in the middle to go outside and one person is the unknown leader. They have to do an action which everyone copies, they keep changing action. The person in the middle comes in and has to guess who it is the leader.
James

34) People bingo

Type: Sharing Groups: Everyone Complexity (1-3): 1

re-prepare a sheet with a load of questions or topics on it like "Owns a pet”, and everyone has to go round and find as many different people for which things apply as possible and get them to sign their paper. First person to finish wins
James

35) Super Rooster

Type: Fun Groups: Everyone Complexity (1-3): 1

James

36) Pillow Fight

Type: Fun Groups: Pairs Complexity (1-3): 1

Hit until they fall off A4 piece of paper
James

37) Tic, Tac, Toe

Type: Fun Groups: Everyone Complexity (1-3): 1

jumping backwards at 'toe', but keeping one foot with the other. objective to knock the person away
Ness

38) Somebody-somebody's men

Type: Middle Person Groups: Everyone Complexity (1-3): 2

(ask the Millers), alternately: Toe Fencing
Ness

39) Everybody's 'It'

Type: Running Groups: Everyone Complexity (1-3): 1

Ness

40) Duck-Duck-Goose, Drip-Drip-Drop

Type: Running Groups: Everyone Complexity (1-3): 1

duck duck goose with water
Ness

41) Relay races

Type: Relay Groups: Teams Complexity (1-3): 1

with ice cream, straws, balls, ball between legs, wet diapers etc
Ness

42) Hot potato with baby food

Type: Fun Groups: Everyone Complexity (1-3): 1

Ness

43) Big fish, small fish

Type: Passing Groups: Everyone Complexity (1-3): 1

Ness

44) Blow up volleyball

Type: Sport Groups: 2 Teams Complexity (1-3): 1

Ness

45) Octopus

Type: Running Groups: Everyone Complexity (1-3): 1

Ness

46) Amoeba

Type: Running Groups: Everyone Complexity (1-3): 1

if you're tagged you clump with the catcher
Ness

47) Clumps

Type: Fun Groups: Teams Complexity (1-3): 1

leader of the game calls out a number, people get into this group; nice lead into a sharing ice-breaker
Ness

48) I have/I have never

Type: Sharing Groups: Teams Complexity (1-3): 1

Ness

49) Fruit basket

Type: Fun Groups: Everyone Complexity (1-3): 1

Ness

50) Five finger sharing

Type: Sharing Groups: Teams Complexity (1-3): 1

Ness

51) Four truths and a lie

Type: Sharing Groups: Teams Complexity (1-3): 1

people have to guess which is the lie
Ness

52) British bulldog

Type: Running Groups: 2 Teams Complexity (1-3): 1

Ness

53) Defending the ant queen

Type: Fun Groups: 2 Teams Complexity (1-3): 1

Ness

54) Shouting match

Type: Fun Groups: 2 Teams Complexity (1-3): 1

Ness

55) Bobbing for worms

Type: Fun Groups: Everyone Complexity (1-3): 1

Ness

56) Human machines

Type: Creative Groups: Teams Complexity (1-3): 1

groups make the machine that is called out. Also played this at church camp last year
Ness

57) Chubby bunny

Type: Fun Groups: Everyone Complexity (1-3): 1

volunteers put a marshmallow in their mouth and say chubby bunny and add to the marshmallow in their mouth one by one
Ness

58) Indoor bump-out

Type: Sport Groups: Everyone Complexity (1-3): 1

Ness

59) Cushion racing

Type: Sport Groups: Everyone Complexity (1-3): 1

Ness

60) Butt racing

Type: Sport Groups: Everyone Complexity (1-3): 1

Ness

61) Sock grab

Type: Fun Groups: 2 Teams Complexity (1-3): 1

Ness

62) Shoe search

Type: Fun Groups: Pairs Complexity (1-3): 1

Ness

63) I love people who...

Type: Sharing Groups: Everyone Complexity (1-3): 1

Ness

64) Do you love your neighbour?

Type: Sharing Groups: Everyone Complexity (1-3): 1

Ness

65) Detective

Type: Middle Person Groups: Everyone Complexity (1-3): 1

Ness

66) Wink murder

Type: Middle Person Groups: Everyone Complexity (1-3): 1

Ness

67) Handshake murder

Type: Middle Person Groups: Everyone Complexity (1-3): 2

Ness

68) Chinese whispers

Type: Relay Groups: Teams Complexity (1-3): 1

Ness

69) Story circle

Type: Creative Groups: Everyone Complexity (1-3): 2

each person adds one sentence to the story as it comes around
Ness

70) Back to back

Groups: Everyone Complexity (1-3): 1

two people, then four, then eight and so on, try to stand together with back to back and elbows linked
Ness

71) Egg, Chicken, Dinosaur

Groups: Everyone Complexity (1-3): 1

Ness

72) Body parts

Groups: Pairs Complexity (1-3): 1

the leader yells two body parts, and partners have to touch those body parts together
Ness

73) Front of the boat, back of the boat

Groups: Teams Complexity (1-3): 1

Ness

74) Bubble gum sculpture

Type: Creative Groups: Teams Complexity (1-3): 1

Ness

75) Trigger

Type: Middle Person Groups: Everyone Complexity (1-3): 2

in a circle, the person on your left whispers something you have to do when someone does a particular something. The person in the middle guesses people's triggers
Ness

76) Dodgeball

Type: Sport Groups: 2 Teams Complexity (1-3): 1

Ness

77) Musical chairs

Type: Fun Groups: Everyone Complexity (1-3): 1

Ness

78) Duct tape tag

Type: Running Groups: Everyone Complexity (1-3): 1

Ness

79) Any kind of tag

Type: Running Groups: Everyone Complexity (1-3): 1

with saviours who tag you back in the game
Ness

80) Obstacle courses

Type: Relay Groups: Teams Complexity (1-3): 1

Ness

81) Bingo

Type: Sharing Groups: Everyone Complexity (1-3): 1

Ness

82) Stuck in the mud

Type: Running Groups: Everyone Complexity (1-3): 1

Ness

83) Flushed down the toilet

Type: Running Groups: Everyone Complexity (1-3): 1

Ness

84) Capture the flag

Type: Running Groups: 2 Teams Complexity (1-3): 2

or the flip flop that time
Ness

85) Human Christmas Tree

Type: Creative Groups: Teams Complexity (1-3): 1

Ness

86) Human knots

Type: Team Groups: Teams Complexity (1-3): 1

Ness

87) Defend the Fortress

Type: Fun Groups: 2 Teams Complexity (1-3): 1

one person per team - two teams - sits in a large cardboard box and the opposite team tries to fill the box with newspaper balls. Team with the least newspaper wins
Ness

88) Smarties/M&M trade

Type: Sharing Groups: Everyone Complexity (1-3): 1

trade different colours till you get all the same colour candy
Ness

89) Move Right If

Type: Sharing Groups: Everyone Complexity (1-3): 1

eventually people will be sitting on people's laps
Ness

90) Telephone

Groups: Everyone Complexity (1-3): 1

Ness

91) Giants, Wizards and Elves

Groups: Everyone Complexity (1-3): 1

Ness

92) 7up

Type: Passing Groups: Everyone Complexity (1-3): 1

Ness

93) Body word spelling

Type: Creative Groups: Teams Complexity (1-3): 1

Other

94) Parachute competition, throw and closes to target

Type: Creative Groups: Teams Complexity (1-3): 3

two teams at MH, looking down from balcony, take pictures, judges decision final, end with spelling the longest word they can
Other

95) Speak without saying um, uh, ah, for as long as possible

Type: Skill Groups: Everyone Complexity (1-3): 1

Other

96) Catch popcorn in your mouth

Type: Skill Groups: Pairs Complexity (1-3): 1

that team mate throws, one at a time
Other

97) Blow a peanut across the floor using a straw

Type: Relay Groups: Teams Complexity (1-3): 1

Other

98) Memory test

Type: Skill Groups: Teams Complexity (1-3): 1

Other

99) Catch a potato with a fork

Type: Sharing Groups: Pairs Complexity (1-3): 1

Other

100) Toga from one piece of clothing from each person in group

Type: Creative Groups: Teams Complexity (1-3): 1

Other

101) Tattoo on someone else with pen, most artistic wins

Type: Creative Groups: Teams Complexity (1-3): 1

Other

102) Bottle blowing song guessing

Type: Creative Groups: Teams Complexity (1-3): 3

Other

103) 12 Days of christmas?????

Groups: Teams Complexity (1-3): 1

Other

104) Cereal eating without cutlery

Type: Fun Groups: Everyone Complexity (1-3): 1

Other

105) Ballon race hitting with head, or pass down a line

Type: Relay Groups: Teams Complexity (1-3): 1

Other

106) Ice cube melting race

Type: Fun Groups: Teams Complexity (1-3): 1

Other

107) Blowing race, blow up balloons to push item

Type: Relay Groups: Teams Complexity (1-3): 1

Other

108) Longest paper airplane

Type: Creative Groups: Teams Complexity (1-3): 1

Other

109) Jump rope contest

Type: Skill Groups: Everyone Complexity (1-3): 1

Other

110) Soap carving

Type: Creative Groups: Teams Complexity (1-3): 1

Other

111) Potato / vegetable sculptures (tooth picks)

Type: Creative Groups: Teams Complexity (1-3): 1

Other

112) Limbo

Type: Skill Groups: Everyone Complexity (1-3): 1

Other

113) Know your team mate competition

Type: Sharing Groups: Teams Complexity (1-3): 1

Other

114) Pencil holding

Type: Skill Groups: Everyone Complexity (1-3): 1

arms horizonal, for as long as possible
Other

115) Throw ball, blindfold team mate, have to go get it

Type: Skill Groups: Teams Complexity (1-3): 1

vs. battle, maybe also guide 2 people for each team, one after oponents ball one after your own teams, guides have to be behind a certain line so they're compeating for volume
Other

116) Musical instruments out of rocks / nature

Type: Creative Groups: Teams Complexity (1-3): 2

Other

117) Blindfold team mate, draw lipstick on someone else

Type: Fun Groups: Teams Complexity (1-3): 1

Other

118) Throw plastic cheese stick to forehead

Type: Fun Groups: Pairs Complexity (1-3): 1

Other

119) A4 paper ring

Type: Puzzle Groups: Teams Complexity (1-3): 2

A4 paper create a ring that people can can crawl through, first team to do it, without breaking it, start again without breaking it (as much paper as you want)
Other

120) Tallest tower

Type: Creative Groups: Teams Complexity (1-3): 2

toilet paper, tape and something else
Other

121) Sock puppet show dramas

Type: Creative Groups: Teams Complexity (1-3): 1

for talk, hehehe
Other

122) Toilet Paper airplane that flies

Type: Creative Groups: Teams Complexity (1-3): 2

Other

123) a-z backwards

Type: Short task Groups: Everyone Complexity (1-3): 1

Other

124) 6 items, each from 1 colour of the rainbow

Type: Short task Groups: Teams Complexity (1-3): 1

Other

125) As many items starting with different letters of the alphabet

Type: Creative Groups: Teams Complexity (1-3): 1

Other

126) Pair up and change one piece of clothing

Groups: Pairs Complexity (1-3): 1

Other

127) Write name of partner with your toes and a pencil

Type: Skill Groups: Teams Complexity (1-3): 1

Other

128) Find oldest coin

Type: Short task Groups: Teams Complexity (1-3): 1

Other

129) Move single grains of rice with chopsticks

Type: Fun Groups: Teams Complexity (1-3): 1

Other

130) Longest Burp

Type: Short task Groups: Teams Complexity (1-3): 1

Other

131) Tie shoe laces using 1 hand each

Type: Short task Groups: Teams Complexity (1-3): 1

left and right for harder
Other

132) Floating paper boat

Type: Short task Groups: Teams Complexity (1-3): 1

Other

133) Write down band names beginning with a letter

Type: Short task Groups: Teams Complexity (1-3): 1

Other

134) List of countries been too

Type: Short task Groups: Teams Complexity (1-3): 1

Other

135) Write hello in as many languages as possible or 1-10

Type: Short task Groups: Teams Complexity (1-3): 1

Other

136) Best joke

Type: Short task Groups: Teams Complexity (1-3): 1

Other

137) bring something from wallet

Type: Short task Groups: Teams Complexity (1-3): 1

Other

138) demonstrate static electricity

Type: Short task Groups: Teams Complexity (1-3): 1

Other

139) tallest tower from things in the room

Type: Short task Groups: Teams Complexity (1-3): 1

Other

140) Tie a tie

Type: Short task Groups: Teams Complexity (1-3): 1

Other

141) book on head walking race

Type: Short task Groups: Teams Complexity (1-3): 1

Other

142) wiggle ears

Type: Short task Groups: Teams Complexity (1-3): 1

Other

143) Teeth Teeth

Type: Fun Groups: Everyone Complexity (1-3): 1

choose animals/fruit/colours, 1 per person, say your own then someone else's without showing teeth. when teeth are shown everyone yells "teeth teeth" and that person's out.
Ness

144) Ballooniture

Type: Creative Groups: Teams Complexity (1-3): 1

You need lots of balloons for this fun community-building activity. Divide into groups of 5-10 and provide each group with a large number of colorful balloons and a good number of rolls of masking tape. The challenge: Use the balloons to create a piece of "furniture" that is sufficiently sturdy to completely support the weight of one team member. The group can choose which team member will be the "testee" for their creation but remind them that the "ballooniture" must support the person such that no part of his or her body is touching the floor. Groups could form the balloons into beds, chairs, ottomans -- leave that part up to their creativity. As teams finish, applaud their achievement and allow them to help other teams. This activity can be followed up with a discussion about how we are called to support one another in our walk of faith. Invite the group to think about how that can be accomplished in and out of youth group.
Ness

145) Throwing Eggs Game

Type: Fun Groups: Pairs Complexity (1-3): 1

Everyone get a partner, throw eggs and move further and further apart
Ness

146) Circle Stretch

Type: Puzzle Groups: Teams Complexity (1-3): 1

you will need: 1 rubber band per team, 1 ten-inch piece of string for each participant, and paper cups. Divide the youth into teams of 5-8 people. Instruct team members to tie one end of their string to different places around the rubber band. Next, set out a collection of paper cups for each team, rim down. The challenge: each team member takes hold of their string and they must work together to stretch or relax the rubber band so that it will grip or release the cups, allowing them to be moved, stacked, lined up, or whatever challenge you devise. Resist the temptation to pit team against team! The challenge isn't to be the first group to finish the task. The challenge is to support each other and work together. Want to make it even harder? Blindfold the whole team save for one player and have that person stand alongside and offer directions to the team.
Ness

147) Marshmallow / Toothpick Sculpture

Type: Creative Groups: Teams Complexity (1-3): 1

Highest / best looking
Anna

148) $1000 Bill Exchange

Make your own money on your computer. Give each person 10 of the bills. They are to try to win as many as possible from their peers by challenging them one on one doing one of three things: Thumb wrestling Rock, paper, scissors Flipping a coin Rules: You must accept any challenge Sudden death, no two out of three Challenger has to have a coin and is "heads" on the coin toss.
Ness' Doc

149) Alka Seltzer Challenge

Purchase Alka-Seltzer tabs (or cheap substitute) at your local drug store.  The object of this challenge is to see how long a student can keep a seltzer tablet in his or her mouth full of water.  The person who keeps their mouth shut the longest wins.  You will want to have buckets or large bowls for students to empty their mouths into.  For added fun, have students stand across from each other so if one explodes, they drench the person across from them!
Ness' Doc

150) Alphabet Soup

Split your group into several teams.  Give each team a platter and a few cans of alphabet soup, or for a less messy option, a box of ALPHABITS cereal.  Each team must sift through the goo to spell words or make numbers. You can give points a number of ways:   - words of three letters   - words of four letters   - words with five or more letters   - Churches can give students high points for spelling spiritual words   - the biggest word gets a lot of points   - leaders name gets high points as well They are given a time frame to do this maybe 5 minutes or so.  Make sure you specify no curse words or body parts.
Ness' Doc

151) Amoeba Race

Tie several crowds of people together with a rope around their perimeter and have them race each other's group as a large "Amoeba."
Ness' Doc

152) American Eagle 1-2-3

Line everyone up on one side of the room, and have about 2 or 3 kids and leaders in the middle of the room. The object is for everyone to run from one side of the room to the other, and the people in the middle have to pick up whoever they can and say "American eagle 1-2-3" before they SLOWLY LOWER them back to the ground. When the person is picked up they join the middle and it keeps going until there is 1 person left running. Be careful though because some kids get hurt during the game if you don't keep the middle under control (i.e. don't drop the kids on the ground).
Ness' Doc

153) Ape, Man, Girl Game

This is a variation of the Rock-Scissors-Paper game. Have people pair off. When the signal is given each person strikes a pose like an ape, man, or girl. Be sure to demonstrate what each looks like ahead of time. The ape beats the girl, man beats the ape, the girl gets the man. Eliminate the losers and pair the winners until you get a champion.
Ness' Doc

154) Baby Food/Hot Potato with a Twist

You play this game just like hot potato, with everyone sitting in a circle. The twist is you use jars of baby food. When the music starts, you begin passing the jar of baby food around the circle. When the music stops, whoever is left holding the jar has to take a spoonful. We use this game for special occasions, such as Thanksgiving, and use flavors such as turkey and gravy, sweet potato, green beans, etc. Be prepared for someone to throw up.
Ness' Doc

155) Back to Back

This is the game where you start out with two people sitting back to back and they have to stand straight up without using their hands. Add one person every time they stand up successfully.
Ness' Doc

156) Balloon Pop Relay

This is the age old boring relay where they line up, run to a chair across the room, blow up a balloon, pop it by sitting on it and run back. First team that finishes wins. The less people you have on each team, the better- kids will get bored if they stand in line too long.
Ness' Doc

157) Balloon Soccer

Two teams, each with a bunch of balloons. Each team has only one color balloon. Goalie for each team stands opposite his team with a large container. Try to get your balloons to goalie and into container while keeping the other balloons out by popping, etc.
Ness' Doc

158) Balloon Triathlon

Three kids compete in three events. Have them blow up a balloon until it breaks. Have them blow up a balloon not using their hands, only their mouths. Have them blow up a balloon only using their nostrils.
Ness' Doc

159) Banana Barf

Have two or three volunteers put a whole banana in their mouth, instructing them not to eat it, just hold it in their mouth. Then put a pair of panty-hose over each volunteer's head. Have them squish the banana threw the tiny holes in the hose into a trash or grocery bag.
Ness' Doc

160) Banana Dress-Up

Each team or group is given a banana and a baggy of random items (felt, foil, beads, etc BE CREATIVE). They then are told to create a personality and appearance for their banana with the items they get. One volunteer from each group gets up and introduces their banana to the group. It's better if each group gets different items for variety.)
Ness' Doc

161) Banana Legs

You can use as many contestants as desired but its best with an audience cheering them on. The contestants place a knee high over their head (similar to a bank robber) and given a banana.  It is a race to see who can eat the banana first, through the nylon. Have a camera ready because you're going to want pictures of this one.
Ness' Doc

162) Barbasol Beauty Parlor

Have several guy volunteers come up and have them each select a beautician from the audience. Give the beautician beauty supplies: shaving cream, and other items if you wish (sprinkles, chocolate syrup, etc.). Have the beautician put the shaving cream in the guys hair and try to beautify him as much as possible. Have the crowd applause as to the best job to determine the winner.
Ness' Doc

163) Barnyard

This is a good little game to divide into teams for the day/evening. Have pre-made cards for more than enough kids. Come up with as many animals as you want teams that night. If you want four teams, have four animals. If you predict 35 kids that night make forty cards, four groups of ten. Each group of ten cards will have a particular animal written on it (so you will have 10 chicken cards, 10 cow cards, 10 donkey cards and 10 pig cards). Hand out cards randomly to the kids and tell them to not tell anyone their animal. When you give the signal, have them make the sound of their animal as loud as possible until they find their entire group. First group to totally find each other wins.
Ness' Doc

164) Battle of the Bagels

Place tape on the floor in two places, one for a starting line and one for a finishing line. These may be as far apart as you wish. Have as many players come up to the line with their bagel ready. They stand on the starting and line and pitch their bagel to the other line. The one closest to the finish line, wins. You can keep going with eliminating players as you go along so you can finish with the best bagel throwers.
Ness' Doc

165) Beach Ball Waddle

Couples lock arms back to back and hold beach ball between them. They must try to get around a pylon and back without dropping the ball.
Ness' Doc

166) Beautiful Boys

Pick six girls and put them in pairs. Then have each pair pick a boy. Now from your local dollar store get cheap makeup, hair clips ,earrings, necklaces, or any thing like that. Put it all out on a tray or table. give the girls two minutes to makeup the guy, then have the group vote on the best looker. You have some great pictures for blackmail later.
Ness' Doc

167) Bellybutton Basketball

Get two volunteers from the audience or you can use teams if you prefer. Using a fish net (one used in a home aquarium) bend the handle so that it fits securely in the front of your pants with net straight out in front attach a rubber ball with a rubber band attached to it at the base of the net (remember those old ball and paddle games, those work best, just remove string and ball and use with fish net). Contestant must swing ball and ring net without using their hands. Lots of fun to watch. Two points each basket! Person or team with most points wins!
Ness' Doc

168) Big Balloon Bop

This is a simple game. Go to your local art supply or party supply store and buy the biggest balloons they carry. (16" are cool, 3' are better). Divide the crowd in two. Have numerous staff throw the balloons in the crowd and have the crowd try to hit the balloons to the other side of the crowd. A fun twist to the game is, when done, tell the kids to pop the balloons and have #'s in a few of the balloons. Bring the kids with the #'s up front to use in an up-front game or to give a prize to.
Ness' Doc

169) Big Bootie

You can use any size group with this game.  Sit in a circle and designate someone to be the "Bootie". Number everyone off (they have to remember their number). In unison everyone must clap their hands once then slap their legs. Do this during the whole game. Now to the game. At the beginning you sing and clap, "Aahhh, big bootie, big bootie, big bootie, big bootie, ohhh yehhh, big bootie!”. The designated "Bootie" says, "Bootie to the two!" No. 2 has to respond and say, "2 to the (any number)!" Make sure that you clap only once as you say "2 to the--!" Then slap your leg once as you say a number. Whoever claps or slaps their leg more than once as they call out a number is out! The game is confusing at first, but once the kids get it they can go really fast.
Ness' Doc

170) Big Squeeze, The

Easy game for a big group (at least 20, if not more). Quickly divide into 2 teams and announce that each team will be racing to squeeze into the shape of the item mentioned. For example: if the leaders yells out the word "football" the teams must squeeze into the shape of a football as would be seen from above. Keep score- first team to 10 wins. Good Squeeze Shapes (Squeeze into the shape of . . .)   California   A dog   A pair of sunglasses   A baseball bat   A shark   A map of the U.S.A.   (your youth group leader)
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171) Blend 'O' Rama

Blend '0' Rama is a great up front game that is very entertaining to watch.  Find four students who have strong stomachs!  You know the type- the students that claim they'll do anything.   Place four blenders on a table on stage or up front.  Have 20 different edible items placed in 4 different lunch bags.  Number the lunch bags 1-4. Interview each student- ask them their school, their birthday and their favorite food.  Keep note of who is the oldest in the group.  Then tell the oldest that they get to go first, then the next oldest, and so on until the youngest.  Have them each pick the bag that they will blend. You put what ever is in the bag into the blender, you do this until all the bags have been picked. Make sure that one of the items is a liquid so that it will blend well.  Once everything is blended, pour into a cup and have them all drink it down. Who ever finishes their cup first wins. Great blending materials: Baby food milk spam bananas Gold fish chocolate syrup ketchup mustard M&M's a can of Soda frozen veggies
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172) Blind Kickball

This is one of those "trust" games that you can finish up with a short Bible study on faith. The game is simple and would work with any group of 18+. The rules are the same as kickball (3 outs/inning, foul balls, force outs, etc.). The twist is that the students play with a partner and one is blindfolded. At bat, the seeing player kicks the ball, but the blind player runs the bases. The seeing player can run alongside and coach, but may not touch the runner. In the field, the seeing player can catch or stop the ball, but not throw or tag a runner. They CAN, however, touch their partner to lead them to the ball or runner. Players alternate being blindfolded each inning.
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173) Blind Shoe Grab (Cinderfellas)

Arrange chairs in a circle. All of the Cinderellas (girls) in the group select a chair. The Prince Charmings (boys) each pick a girl and kneel in front of her. He removes her shoes and holds them in his hand. Then the girls blindfold the guys. The leader calls for the shoes and they are thrown into the middle of the circle. On the signal, the guys crawl to the center and attempt to find their Cinderella's shoes. The girls can only shout out instructions to her prince. After finding the shoes they crawl back to the girls and put shoes on right feet.
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174) Blind Tag

Conjure up something with a circumference of about twenty feet, (such a two tables pushed together or rope wrapped around four chairs). Blindfold two people and dress them in helmet and pads for safety. Put them on opposite sides of this object. Both must always be touching it. Designate one to be "it" and have the bystanders shout to their favorite which way to go to catch or avoid being caught by the other. Beware of high-speed collisions. One variation is to remove one of the two contestants and let everyone shout directions to the unsuspecting victim. Another is to have everyone silent and let them listen for each other.
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175) Blindfold Marco Polo Dogdeball

Blindfold half of your staff and give them a dodgeball. Have them stand in the middle of the play area. Assign a second staff member to each blindfolded staff to be a ball fetcher. The blindfolded staff call out "Marco" in which every kid has to respond "Polo!" The blindfolded staff try to throw the ball at the kids. If they hit one the assistant staff remove them to a designated area and then fetch the ball. Last kid remaining is the winner. Rules: If a kid doesn't respond "Polo" he or she is automatically out. If a kid ever even touches or is hit by a ball he or she is out.
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176) Blindfold Obstacle Course

Create an obstacle course (a playground works GREAT) and get your students or leaders to go in pairs. They will lead another person through the obstacle course by using only their voice. The Point: Team building; a good game for a leadership event.
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177) Blob Tag

This game is a normal game of tag with an added twist. When "it" tags someone, that person becomes part of it. Then the two of them must run hand-in-hand and catch their next victim who will also join them. Last one caught by the "Blob" is the winner!
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178) Board Lift (aka Airplane)

For this upfront game you need a blindfold and a 2x10 at least 3 to 4 feet long – strong enough to support someone's weight. Point: Trust and/or things aren't always what they seem. Have two informed strong leaders on either side of the board they are going to "lift" with someone standing on it. Have several informed 'spotters' as well that can catch them any way they would stumble. Then, select three players who don't have a fear of heights and have them escorted out of the room. Have your first player escorted back in. Tell them the object of this game is to see who can stand on the board longest as the guys lift it up a little at a time. This is a "test of bravery.” But assure them that they are going to have one (or both) hands on your shoulders as they are lifted up on the board. Now blindfold your victim. In actuality, the board holders aren't going to lift the board more than six inches off the ground. By virtue of person's weight they will naturally move and ‘shift' the board a little. You (or the game leader) will begin to kneel down slowly till they almost can't really touch your shoulders. At that point the person really thinks they are going up in the air! Have your spotters play it up to the crowd and motion them to cheer and react as though the board is being lifted up high. Then have your two guys tip the board over so the person falls off. They think they're falling 5 feet when it's only 5". Clap for that player, excuse them back to their seat, and go on to your next victim…er, player.
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179) Bobbing for Bananas

This game works best in a church with a baptistry that you've filled with milk and the bananas are sunk at the bottom 4 feet down! You can use a bathtub or one of those bigger baby pools too- but a 4 foot baptistry is best! (Use powdered milk to save $$$$) We had a camera at the entrance to the baptistry, interviewing each "bobber" as they disappeared into the 50 gallon tank for what seemed like minutes before emerging with a banana in their mouth.
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180) Bobbing for Spam

Fill up a large bucket with water, drop in a few large chunks of Spam, the rest is the same as bobbing for apples (just not with apples), so figure it out on your own.  With small groups all can play, or with larger groups, make it an up-front game.
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181) Bobbing for Worms

Similar to Bobbing for apples, but you use gummy worms and an infant's swimming pool. Not a game for the weak at heart or have hang ups about germs. Take the infant's swimming pool and fill with water. Add one bag of gummy worms to the water. They will sink to the bottom. Have the volunteers take a turn at bobbing for the worms. The person who can get and keep the most worms in their mouth during their one minute try time wins. You can have the youth wear goggles to protect eyes.
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182) Body Parts (aka Foot to Ear)

For this game you only need a boom box and a fun, upbeat CD.  It's kind of like musical chairs . . . only more fun to mc. It works best with an even # of students. Have any "extra" be a judge, who stands on a chair for better viewing. Have students pair up with one standing in a circle and the other standing next to their partner outside of the circle. Have the inner circle walk clockwise when the music begins and the outer circle walk counter-clockwise. When the music stops the leader will yell out two body parts (e.g. "foot to ear!"). When the music stops and the leader yells the body parts the partners need to run straight to each other and put those designated body parts together (e.g. the one would run to the other and put their foot on their partner's ear). Fun & funny game . . . just think before you yell body parts (e.g. don't yell "chest to head!")
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183) British Bulldog

This is a good game to release a lot of energy. Divide into two teams and have them each get to one side of the room, divided by a line down the middle. The object of this game is for teams to try to convert members of the opposite team to their own team. How? Easy. A team member runs to the opposite team's side and tries to lift an opposite team member into the air. While lifting the opposite team member you must yell "British Bulldog." If done successfully you both have free walk back to the lifter's original side, who just gained a new team member. While on the opposite teams side, you, of course can be lifted as well and converted to that team (if not on a free walk back). Winning team is the one that gets everyone.
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184) Bubble Gum Sculpture

Supplies: bubble gum and a towel or two

This can be played as an up-front game or, with smaller groups, everyone can play. Divide your group into groups of 4 or 5. Ask for two very brave volunteers out of each group. (Don't tell them what they're volunteering for) Give them a plate or flat dish (we used cookie sheets). Give the rest of the groups the bubble gum, and tell them to chew as quickly as possible. Have them chew it only until it is soft, and then give it to the volunteers in their group, and start chewing the next piece. As the group is chewing, the volunteers need to be working on their sculpture. Set a time limit, say 10 minutes, and give them creative ideas of what to make- such as pizza, turtle, etc., but it has to be something difficult. When the gum chewers are through, have them step back and watch. Have someone judge the sculptures. We gave a prize (a Christian CD) to each of our winning volunteers, since they were so brave! Note: Instead of regular stick gum- such as Wrigly's, I would suggest using larger gum drops- such as Bazooka. {It's much easier to work with!} Keep it cheap, because you'll want to buy enough!
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185) Build your own Snowman

This can be played up-front while the audience watches, or you can divide into teams and have the group play. For each contestant have a bag full of assorted snowman accessories such as a hat, scarf, mittens, a carrot etc. and a pair of safety goggles, a can of shaving cream and a set of clothes to go over their clothes for protection. Each team has a designated amount of time to use the shaving cream to cover their "snowman" (the contestant) and put all of the accessories on. The team to make the nicest looking snow man wins.  If you do this game indoors, be sure and put a large tarp on the floor.
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186) Butt Charades

Cut up slips of paper with words on them and put them into a bag. Break up into two teams. Get a volunteer from each team to spell the word he/she took out of the bag by moving their hips (spelling the words with thier butts!). (Make sure they do not say a word to give away clues.) If their team does not figure out the word after two spellings, the other team gets to guess. Make it interesting by the words you choose, try to keep it clean.
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187) By The Seat of Your Pants Volleyball

This can be an excellent indoor game for large groups in a large room, especially during rainy weather. Divide the group into two teams. Set up a volleyball net (or a rope across the room if you don’t have a net) so the top of the net is approximately 5 feet above the floor (shorter than the norm). Each player is instructed to sit down on his team’s side of the net so that his or her legs are crossed in front of them. Because of limited mobility of each player a larger number of participants is suggested (20-25 per team). Use a beach ball, serve from the center of the group and don’t worry how many hits per side. Other than that . . . normal volleyball!
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188) Can Can

You don't want your circle to start bigger than about 25 people, so if you have a large group, have several circles going at once.  All you need is a trash can. The taller they are, the better. Also, plastic ones are better than metal ones, and it's always better to find a trash can that hasn't had anything put in it ( a clean one). The participants get into a circle around the trash can and hold hands. If a player touches the trash can in any way, they are out. Also, if players break their grip on one another, they are both out. Play pauses after an elimination, giving a much-needed time for players to re-firm their hand-holds. This game is seriously tiring, and is an excellent way to tucker out jr. high kids who just can't seem to chill out. Play until one person remains.  If an elimination seems slow in coming, adding another trash can to the mix speeds up the game.
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189) Candle Blow/Ginger Ale Drink

Two people sitting very close (knee to knee) in chairs facing each other compete to drink a full container of Ginger Ale. They have a candle (which they can never let go of) in their left hand resting on their left knee, and a lighter and a Ginger Ale in front of them. They may only drink the Ginger Ale when the candle is lit. They may blow out the other person's candle but they cannot touch any of the other person's supplies. The winner is the person who can finish their Ginger Ale first when their candle is lit. if you move your candle off your left knee, you lose! if you touch the other person's candle, you lose! if you touch the other person's Ginger Ale, you lose! if you touch the other person's lighter, you lose! you must find the balance between drinking and blowing your opponent's candle.
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190) Candy Hunt

This game works very well as a crowd breaker for large crowds. Gather a few distinctly different types of candy and tape them under the chairs of your audience before the meeting. Keep in mind when deciding how many types of candy you use that you will want the teams to be as evenly numbered as possible. Have your MC explain the activity as follows: 1. Groups must look underneath their seat, grab the candy bar (or individually wrapped small candy), and then find the other people in the room with that candy bar. 2. Once all team members have found their respective group, they must eat their candy and present their wrappers to one person on the team who will bring them all to the MC. This gets the crowd up and interacting and provides a boost of energy to your meeting. It is also a good idea to have some high energy back ground music.
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191) Candy String Race

Have two contestants face each. Have a long piece of string with a candy of some sort tied to the exact middle. Put each end in a contestants mouth. Say go and the contestants will eat their way toward the center of the string to get the candy. Person who gets the candy in their mouth the first is the winner.
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192) Cat Tails

You will need some strips of cloth (approx. 2-3 ft of fabric, cloth, plastic, cord etc...) for everyone who plays. The game is simple. Have everyone tuck the strips into the back of their pants or shorts so that approx 2 feet of excess strip is left hanging.(Note this works great with young children as well). The object of the game is to pull all the other players tail off. The last one standing with their tail is the winner. Have everyone run with their hands on their head- except when grabbing a tail.  This prevents people from blocking and makes them look pretty funny.
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193) Catch the Dragon's Tail

Length (mins): 15-45 People: 10 to 30 Place: Outside Supplies: A large scarf or handkerchief

The first person in the line tries to catch the last person in line. All the players line up and put their hands on the waist of the person in front of them. The last person in line tucks one end of the scarf in his back pocket, belt, or waistband. The first person in lines tries to grab the scarf. When the "head" gets the "tail", he dons the scarf and becomes the new tail. The person second in line becomes the head. Variation: Form two or more teams, each being a "dragon" trying to catch the others tail.
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194) Cereal Mania

Here are 5 games that all involve cereal: First is the Snoot Shoot, as you may have seen before. The youth shoot Cocoa Puffs out of their noses. The team whose Puff goes the farthest wins. Next is the Rice Krispy Marble Dig. Fill a small swimming pool full of Rice Krispies & marbles. Add water (milk is better, use the powdered kind to save $$$). A representative from each team takes off their shoes and socks and digs the marbles out with their toes.   The third game is Cereal Art. Give each team various kinds of cereal, glue, paper, and scissors. No leaders are allowed to help. Tell students the only rule: BE CREATIVE! Fun photo op here. Leaders may judge. The fourth game, Shredded Wheat Toss,  involves two representatives from each team playing. One is at one end of the room holding an upright bucket on their head. The other is at the other end with a bucket of water and boxes of Large Shredded Wheat. The representatives dunk the shredded wheat one by one attempting to throw them in the buckets on the their team member's head. The last game is a cereal eating relay. Five members from each team line up. One at a time they race to a table where they fix  themselves a bowl of cereal and eat it, go back, and tag the next team member.
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195) Change Drop

The age old and very fun game where about $100 (you can dump less!) in change is dumped in a pool. At the whistle everyone dives in and goes crazy trying to collect as much as possible. You can do so many variations of this with tokens, toys, items worth more points, etc.
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196) Chariot Races

Divide youth into groups of three. Each group gets a large blanket. Each team lines up at the starting line. Two of the youth on each team are holding onto front corners of the blanket. One youth is sitting on the other end of the blanket, soon to be hanging on for dear life. At the signal, the teams race around a designated course (a large oval works well), the two youth in front acting as horses and the blanket acting as a chariot. The race consists of three laps. At the end of each lap, the youth rotate, so one of the people riding now pulls, and one of the pullers now rides. Three laps allows each person to ride once and pull twice. If a rider is thrown from his chariot, the team must stop until the rider is firmly reseated. Can be played inside on carpet and outside on the grass.
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197) Cheeky, Cheeky

Bring up 6-7 kids - guy, girl alternating with a girl at the end (all are in on it before club/group except for the last guy before the last girl). Standing in line always facing the audience they quickly relay down the line a "cheeky, cheeky" (they say it as they squeeze some part of the other persons face between their forefinger and thumb). Instruct them that When receiving the cheeky cheeky you must close your eyes like you would if grandma was doing it and then you must relay it quickly  to the next person. Do it over and over, faster and faster, but the last girl each time has lipstick on her fingers and is decorating the face of the guy next to her without him knowing it! He looks goofier and goofier each time. This must be a kid that can handle it. The girl may need to practice. If it doesn't work it is usually because the guy sees stuff on her hand or she leaves a big glob. Have a towel for him to clean up.
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198) Chee-toes

Get together three groups of two people. Have one person in each pair sit in a chair and take off one of their shoes and sock. Now have the other person in the team lay on the ground. Place a napkin next to them, with around 10 - 15 cheetos cheese snacks. The object of the game is to have the person with the bare foot try to feed cheetos to the person lying on the ground by picking them up with their toes and putting them in the other persons mouth. The first team done wins a prize (whatever you want to give them.) Tip: Have them put a rubber glove on the bare foot (for sanitary purposes!)
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199) Cheetos Face

Arrange several groups of two in the front of your room or on stage. One partner gets whipped cream spread (or sprayed) all over his or her face. The other partner stands back about 5 feet and throws Cheetos on the whipped creamed partner's face (they stick!) in a given amount of time. Whoever ends up with the most Cheetos on his or her face wins.
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200) Chewing Gum Contest

For this game you need any number of upfront volunteers as you want, sticks of chewing gum, work gloves, and shopping bags in front of each person. Individual sticks of wrapped gum are placed inside the shopping bags, and each volunteer is given a pair of work gloves. The idea is to put on the gloves, pull a piece of gum out of the bag, unwrap it and chew it. You can make teams of two so that one must pass the gloves to their partner after they’re done.
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201) Chicken Pox Epidemic

Have the "contestants" "break-out" in chicken pox by covering their arms in washable red marker dots. Give each student a wad of band-aids, and the one who covers the most chicken pox spots in 3 minutes is the winner.
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202) Chinese Fire Drill Basketball

If your church is blessed with a gym and more than two baskets, this is a good game. Divide the group into a number of teams that is one more than the number of baskets you have. The extra team gets a basketball. Each of the other teams is assigned a basket to defend. When the game starts, following basic basketball rules, the team with the ball attacks one of the defended baskets. If the attacking team scores a basket they take the ball with them and attack the next basket located counterclockwise in the gym. If the defending team gains possession of the ball before the attacking team scores, the defending team becomes the attacking team and moves to the next defended basket. The team that just lost the ball stays at that basket and defends it from the next attack. Repeat this pattern until time expires. For extra mayhem, pick teams so there are initially two extra teams so that there are always two baskets being attacked. Be sure your good basketball players are spread among the teams.
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203) Chocolate Drop

Prepare before hand by spreading out plastic on your stage area.  Try to find a place where everyone can see someone laying down. Get several partners to come up front.  Have one partner lay down on the plastic and the other around the edge of the plastic.  Have the "dropper" stand over their head of their partner with a small cup of chocolate syrup. The "dropper," standing straight up (no bending to get a better aim), dunks marshmallows into the chocolate syrup and with his or her arm straight out, drops it into the mouth of the person on the floor. Points are awarded by the number of marshmallows eaten.
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204) Christmas 12 Bags of Doom

This is a messy "thank you" or Christmas gift to your staff (or interns). Staff wear dumpy clothes and get ready to be icky! Students get to dump 12 items of gross stuff on the staff, one at a time. The twelve days of Christmas gives a nice outline for the event: On the twelfth day of Christmas our students give to you (the interns)..... 12 raw eggs 11 cups of oatmeal 10 squirts of syrup 9 cups of popcorn 8 squirts of green ketchup 7 cups of applesauce 6 bags of cornmeal 5 packages of swiss miss 4 frozen mixed vegetables 3 cans of whipped cream 2 cups of canola oil 1 betty crocker cake mix A great gross event as long as your not the dumpee....
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205) Christmas Quiz

Here’s a quiz you can give out at Christmas time to kill time. Name That Christmas Carol! 1. Bleached Yule 2. Castaneous_colored Seed Vesicated in a Conflagration 3. Singular Yearning for the Twin Anterior Incisors 4. Righteous Darkness 5. Arrival Time2400 hrs _ WeatherCloudless 6. Loyal Followers Advance 7. Far Off in a Feeder 8. Array the Corridor 9. Bantam Male Percussionist 10. Monarchial Triad 11. Nocturnal Noiselessness 12. Jehovah Deactivate Blithe Chevaliers 13. Red Man En Route to Borough 14. Frozen Precipitation Commence 15. Proceed and Enlighten on the Pinnacle 16. The Quadruped with the Vermillion Probiscis 17. Query Regarding Identity of Descendant 18. Delight for this Planet 19. Give Attention to the Melodious Celestial Beings 20. The Dozen Festive 24 Hour Intervals Answers: (Don’t include these on the quiz . . . duh!) 1. White Christmas 2. Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire 3. All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth 4. O Holy Night 5. It Came Upon a Midnight Clear 6. O Come, All Ye Faithful 7. Away in a Manger 8. Deck the Hall 9. Little Drummer Boy 10. We Three Kings 11. Silent Night 12. God Rest Ye, Merry Gentlemen 13. Santa Claus is Coming to Town 14. Let it Snow 15. Go, Tell It on the Mountain 16. Rudolph, the Red_nosed Reindeer 17. What Child is This? 18. Joy to the World 19. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing 20. The Twelve Days of Christmas
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206) Christmas: Dueling Carolers

Divide into 2-4 groups. Give each group 5 minutes to come up with as many Christmas carols as they can. After time is called, each group takes turns singing part of a Christmas carol on their list. If any other group has the same carol on their list, no points are given. If no other group has the carol on their list, they get 100 points. Keep it fast paced. Groups should mark off carols already sung. Group with the most points at the end wins.
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207) Chubby Chihuahuas

Like the age old, much debated, Chubby Bunnies, Chubby Chihuahuas uses "atomic fireballs" (those red hot dime-store candies). RED GOOK GOES EVERYWHERE!!!!!
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208) Circle Dodge

Have two volunteers face each other with one hand at their side. Tape a piece of paper cut into a circle (about 4-6 inches in diameter) on their back. Say "Go!", and each person will try to grab the other person's circle without getting theirs grabbed. Rules: You may only use one hand to grab, the other hand must always remain at your side. You may not block with your hand, you can only turn your body. You can only grab for the circle; you cannot hit, push, bite, scratch, kick, maim, injure, head-butt, etc.
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209) Clothes Pin Mixer

Pass out about 4-5 clothes pins per kid in the room and instruct them to pin them on their own sleeves. Explain that when the music begins, the object of the game is to get all clothes pins off themselves and on to someone else. Turn off lights and on strobes and music. (You may want to put girls on one side of room and guys on another- guys can get a little frisky sticking clothespins on girls). Explain that when the lights come on, one or two people should have about 100 pins on them - pull them up and parade the winner. At the end you won't want them playing with the pins all night during the talk, so dress a tough kid or leader up front in protective gear (motorcycle helmet with face shield, chest protector or thick jacket, turtleneck, scarf, gloves, shin guards, thick pants, etc.); and put a bulls-eye on their chest. Tell everybody to grab all their clothes pins and bring in your human target and play music as they throw or pin their clothes pins at him. Kids can't believe they are doing this, and when you stop the music, all your pins are gathered up at the front.
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210) Clothespin Bite Relay

This is set up like any relay with multiple teams, each team with 5 clothespins. Have the first person in line attach the clothespins to their shirt, clothes, or body part, run around a certain designated point and return to have the clothespins removed by the next person in line . . . with their teeth!
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211) Clumps

Easy game used to divide your group into teams. Simply yell "Form a group according to . . . (GPA, hair color, cavity #'s, sibling #'s, shirt color, etc.)" If you're looking for a certain number of people per team, just say, "Form a group of 7!" If you end up with a remainder, then have staff go around and divide the leftovers on teams.
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212) Communist Church

This game is PERFECT for that All Night Activity. It also is a great set up for a discussion starter. Set Up: Explain to the kids about communism and persecution in restricted nations, how Christians are not allowed to gather publicly. If they are found gathering, they are put in prison. Game Prep: In the building that you are going to use, shut all the doors to rooms. Lock rooms that youth are not allowed in, and unlock rooms that they are allowed. The Game: Turn on and hide a flashlight (which  represents the church) in a room in your building - making sure the light is hidden so it can't be seen without REALLY looking for it. Your Youth's job is to find the flashlight. Once they do they are not to touch the flashlight, but they are to hide in that room, so no one knows they are there. Once a group of about 10 find the church the game is over (depending on the size of your group). The Catch: Have your leaders be the communists. Their job is to catch the kids and take them outside the building. The communists are only allowed in the hallways, they cannot go inside of rooms. If they tag or grab a youth, the youth must surrender and be escorted out. Once the youth are outside their job is to find a way back in. Which you have made difficult since you or another leader are constantly locking and unlocking doors, leaving one door unlocked at all times. Best played at night, with  lights off.
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213) Condiment Twister

This game is exactly like twister, but you load each of the colors up with a condiment. So each circle is smothered with a particular condiment. Grape Jelly for blue, mustard for yellow, ketchup for red, and relish on the green circles. Make sure that you have plastic bags and masking tape to cover the volunteers with, so clothes aren't ruined. Have their faces, hands, and feet (shoes and socks off) exposed. Then change the places on the spinning board to right/left cheek, right/left ear, nose, right/left hand, right/left foot. When you spin, you call out which body part goes where. i.e right cheek to blue, left leg to green, right hand to yellow. It is a mess and a riot. It does get slippery, so make sure you have staff there to help when people start flying around. Have a place for students to clean up after.
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214) Counting Game

Have everyone in your group pair up and face each other. Each person holds up zero to ten fingers behind their back. On the count of three, have them pull their hands from behind their backs. The first person to yell out the correct sum of all the fingers wins. Do best two of three. Then bring the winners up front to play each other until you have a champion.
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215) Counting Game Variation: The Math Game

Competitors hold just one hand behind their back, revealing the number of fingers at the signal. Whoever yells out the sum of the fingers wins the first round. For Round 2, multiply the fingers. Round 3 is the difference between the two numbers. Rotate through as many rounds as you want. For the left-brained at heart, the Championship Round has the two survivors (who you'll bring up front) square the total of the two sets of fingers. For example, Person A shows three fingers, Person B shows four, so the winning answer is 3+4 = 7 * 7=49
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216) Criss Cross

Simple game! Divide into 4 teams. Send each team into a corner. The object of the game is to see which team can get to the opposite (diagonal) corner the fastest using the designated method that the leader calls out (eg. if the leader calls out "hopping," the teams must hop to the opposite corner). This will create quite a "bottleneck" or "traffic jam" in the middle each time. Keep score of which team wins each crossing. First team to 5 wins. Good Crossing Methods: Hopping Wheel barrel (one person holding a partner's legs while they walk on hands) Crab Walk Sprint Backwards Walk Skipping Crawling
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217) Croc Wrestling

Get a big inflatable croc and choose 3 volunteers who will each have 60 seconds, by themselves to do the best show of croc wrestling in the pool. Give points for creativity, death rolls, etc.
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218) Da Breakdance

Ask for three volunteers. Tell them only after they've come forward that they all need to breakdance for 30 seconds, whether they can or not. It is very interesting to see the things people come up with.
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219) Dancing Musical Chairs

Get six volunteers and have five chairs up front. Tell them that they are gong to play musical chairs, "but this being (NAME OF YOUTH GROUP), we do dancing musical chairs!" Tell them that they will have to dance, dance, dance when the music starts. Blindfold them and starts the music. Encourage other kids to cheer them on. After a couple of rounds, pull blindfolds off all kids but one. Cheer like mad and let them dance and scramble for seat. Keep it up till they figure it out.
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220) Diving Board Pig

Line up kids behind the diving board. Just like the basketball game "PIG" (or HORSE) the first person says what they are going to try to do. If they do it the next person has to do the same dive, flip, or whatever they did. If they also do it correctly then the next person has to do it as well. As soon as someone messes up they get a letter and then the next person in line calls what they are going to attempt. This continues until all but one person is eliminated by spelling "PIG". Rule:  You can only use the same dive once per game. (Otherwise you will have one person just keep doing the same double flip that no one else can do.) Pick a judge or vote to decide if they get a letter or not.
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221) Diving For The Prize!

Get 3 few volunteers.  Have a table set up in front with 3 large bowls filled with whipped cream.  Tell all that each bowl is filled with whipped cream and has chocolate hidden inside.  The volunteers have to find the chocolate without using their hands, and eat it.  The first one to finish eating the chocolate wins.  The trick is, instead of it being a piece of chocolate, its an olive!  You should see their faces! :)
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222) Do You Love Your Neighbor?

You need chairs for this game. Have everyone sit in a circle. There should be one less seat than there are people, and the extra person stands in the middle. The person standing approaches someone who is seated and asks him, "Do you love your neighbor?" The seated person can answer two ways. If he says, "No," then the people seated directly next to him have to switch seats as quickly as possible so that the standing person doesn't get one. If he says, "Yes," he must add a qualify statement such as, "But I don't like people who have blue eyes." Anyone who matches the description must get up and find a different seat. Whoever is left standing is then the "asker."
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223) Doctor Doctor

(This is modified dodge-ball) Divide into 2 teams, each choosing a doctor, or 2 for larger groups (their identity being secret). Just like regular dodge-ball, use a bunch of balls that are soft and throw them at each other. When someone is hit, they must sit. Here's where the doctor, just one of the players to the other team, may touch the injured and bring them back into play. Hint: the players shouldn't just pop up when touched- this will give away the doctor. Also, we recommend a decoy touching kids as well. When the doctor is hit, the team's only hope is their skill. The object: Eliminating the opposing team, including their doctor.
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224) Dollar Jump

Hold up a dollar and offer it to anyone who can perform a simple task. Bring the sucker . . . I mean, "volunteer" up front and tell them that the dollar is theirs if they can simply jump over it the way you designate. Lay the dollar on the ground. Have the person stand with their toes to the dollar. They must bend over and grab their toes. Now, tell them that they can't let go of their toes and they must jump over the dollar. No matter how they bend, contort, etc. they won't be able to do it. (I did have a kid one year do it by jumping backwards over it- but that was one in a thousand).
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225) Dollar Surprise

Mingling game. One or two people have a dollar. Everyone goes around shaking hands. Persons with dollar pass dollar off to tenth person he shakes hands with. Keep going...if you get the dollar, pass off to tenth person. When music stops, person with dollar keeps it.
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226) Donut On A String

This game is played with four people. Two kids sit in chairs. The other two stand behind them with small poles about three feet long with string dangling at the end. On the end of the string is a chocolate covered donut. The donut is to be held out in front of the kids sitting in the chairs. The first one to eat the donut wins. The trick is that as they take a bite the donut will swing away from their face and come crashing back into it leaving a chocolate mark.
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227) Donut on a String Variation

Cover the donuts in chocolate syrup. The frosting doesn't always come off, but the syrup makes a messy face.
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228) Dragon Dodge Ball

Have the entire group make a circle. Pick four to five people for each team. The first team goes into the center of the circle and forms a line by attaching their hands to the waist of the person in front of them. The people who make up the circle throw the ball at the "dragon", trying to hit the last person below the waist. Once hit, the last person returns to the outside circle and players continue to hit the new person at the end of the dragon until there in only one person left and they too are hit. A new team then goes into the middle. Time each team to see which one can last the longest.
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229) Drip, Drip, Drop

Just like Duck, Duck, Goose except with a cup of water that the person drips, drips, drips then drops on the person they want to chase them around the circle!
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230) Duct Tape Challenge

Divide into even teams and have each team select a volunteer- preferably a small, light one. Give each team a roll of duct tape. The object is to tape a team member up on to the wall, using no more than the provided role of tape. The one who stays up the longest is the winner. (At one event, a middle school kid was on the wall for 30 minutes!) Hint: Make sure you use the tape that doesn't leave sticky stuff on the wall or tear off paint (especially in rented or borrowed facilities!) Provide a soft landing for youth as they drop off the wall!
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231) Eat Slime Through Pantyhose

Prepare some oatmeal, warmed, not too hot. Buy two packages of pantyhoses and cut them in half so you have four individual legs. Ask the crowd who’s hungry. Bring up 3 or 4 volunteers and inform them that they’ll be able to eat something in a moment . . . but first they have to put on their "eating apparel.” Place the pantyhose leg over their head and then put a bowl of oatmeal in front of them. Yell "Go!” No spoon, no straw, no lifting the pantyhose- just pure mess. First one to eat the bowl wins. Provide plenty of moist paper towels and a trash can.
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232) Eat That Food

Two students add one ingredient at a time to a cracker trying to outbid each other to eat the cracker. They can pick up to 10 gross ingredients. "I can eat that cracker with sardines." "I can eat that cracker with sardines and jalapenos…." A great game show host can really spice this up along with some fun sound effects from a CD. You may even do two pairs and then a championship round with different foods. Have a bucket or a bag just in case there is a surprise ending. Keep moist paper towels handy.
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233) Egg Blow

Put the inside of an egg inside a large surgical tubing. Have two students on opposite ends blow into the tubing until the egg blows onto someone's face. Use an egg substitute (like Eggbeater's) to avoid bacteria or chance of salmonella. Have moist washcloths and towels handy.
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234) Egg Bop

Have at least four teams of two and have the stronger team member wear a knee high on their head - tight enough  so the egg is on the player's forehead) Have team member number two get on number one's back (piggy back style) and carry a rolled up newspaper or magazine. Number one runs around while number two is trying to smash other people's eggs with the newspaper while still trying to protect their own. Last team with unbroken egg wins.
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235) Egg Obstacle Course

Pick two barefoot kids. Lay eggs on plastic and have them walk through the course (simple). Have them walk through it backwards (still easy). The last time blindfold them and while they are blindfolded, remove the eggs and replace them with peanuts. Make them do it fast so they don't have time to feel with their feet. The audience can coach them. At the end- pull off the blindfold- they will be pretty surprised to see no mess.
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236) Elbow Tag

Divide everyone into partners and have them stand together arm-in-arm (elbows locked together) in your play area. Divide one set of partners and make one player "it" and the other player the snipe (the victim, the damsel, whatever!) The snipe runs when you say go while "it" tries to tag him or her. The snipe can lock arms with anyone, and that person's partner must disconnect and is now the snipe. They in turn can lock arms with another player sending yet another snipe out. When the snipe is finally caught, "it" and the snipe become partners and the last set of partners touched become "it" and the snipe.
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237) Electric Orange Game

Game Description: Just like Grab It (below), except team members grab an orange instead of soap or marble in an ice bucket. It requires less resources, is a great last minute game, and can produce some "orange juice" if your youth group is as violent as mine!
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238) Elf Defense

Supplies: two different colored balloons, 25 to 50 of each for two teams of play.

Form two teams of elves. Each team must defend its treasure (a pile of balloons) while attempting to steal or destroy the other team's treasure. Use one color of balloons for one team, and another color for the other team. Designate a time period (five to 10 minutes) to play the game. When the time ends, each team's unpopped balloons count 100 points each. Stolen, unpopped balloons count 200 points each.
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239) Encore

This is a simple game that tests kids' ability to think fast. Divide into teams (could be upper vs. lower classmen, girls vs. guys, etc.). Yell out a word that is commonly found in songs (love, road, river, girl, baby, need . . . ). The teams must sing a song in unison (together) using that word. The first team to do it wins a point. Play as long as they like it.
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240) Estrogen Hoop

This is a great time filler involving everyone. It's simple. All that you need is a basketball court and a ball. Have everyone (up to about 50 people) on the basketball court at once. Play normal basketball but with the following rules added: 1. Only girls can shoot or score 2. No limit to how many people on the court
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241) Extinction/Survival

Supplies: 10-12 hats signs for each hat (disasters, natural/man-made) pre-made card for each player with 5 stations on it special marker for variables stamps for stations station signs food items and drink (juice boxes, joe louis, timbits) other station items wide open field or campground

Overview - Using a natural disaster theme, kids try to "survive" game without getting caught 3 times, while trying to get to different stations to receive special "stamps". Each station represents a safe zone from the disasters and cannot be penetrated by the "extinction" elements. Boundaries - An entire campground setting is best used in this game, as the more space used the better for the overall atmosphere to the game. 5 Stations are set-up in spread out locations around the entire campground and signs are placed in the area to identify what the station is (i.e. Bomb shelter, famine relief, hospital, etc...). Game Starts - Game begins when the "variables" are sent out into the field to await the survivors. Each person is given a card with 5 stations on it. Each player must find and go to each of the 5 stations and get the station attendant to stamp the player card. Once at the station, the survivors are safe from the variables, but can only remain at the station for 2 minutes max. The object is to safely reach the stations without getting caught by a variable person 3 times. Variables - A variable is a group of pre-selected campers or counselors who represent life-threatening disasters (i.e. tornadoes, fire, pollution, nuclear war, etc...), by wearing a hat which has the disaster taped to it. Each "variable/disaster" is given a marker and if they catch a "survivor", put an X on the back of their card. Once a "survivor" gets 3 X's on their card, they are out of the game. Variables are untouchable; until a survivor has reached all 5 station and show the scorekeeper their completed, stamped card. Now they can catch the variable and eliminate them from the game by tagging them out. Notes - It's a good idea to incorporate food and drinks into the game, as it will increase the "rewards" value. You can also try to hide the stations a little, without making it too hard to find. Game Ends - If you get caught 3 times by a variable/disaster, then you are out of the game. If someone catches a variable after they have completed all 5 stations, then the variable is out (when a player completes all 5 stations, they will be given a special mark or hat to identify them).
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242) Fall Of Faith

A youth ministry classic. Get a person to stand backward on a chair while the rest of the group prepares to catch him or her. Tell the person that they need to fall with their body as straight as possible. The Point: Team building; a good game for a leadership event.
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243) Find Someone Who

(Works well with large groups.) Give out the "Find Someone Who" list to students and have them go from student to student looking for someone who meets the description on their list. Example: Find someone who is wearing blue pants. The student who fits this description signs their name. Students then go off to find someone else that meets a description on their list. The winner is the one who has their sheet filled out first and most accurately. You should read aloud the list with the person's name who signed it. Have the student who signed the list verify the information. example: Find someone who can belch the alphabet. If Joe signed that item, have Joe come up and demonstrate. Items needed: Find Someone List (make one up.) Make enough copies for everyone. Pencils or pens SAMPLE "FIND SOMEONE WHO" LIST: Find someone who has a birthday in February and have him/her sign their initials here. __________________________________ Find someone who has been to Colorado before and leapfrog over him/her. Then have the person initial here.______________________ Get seven leaders to sign the back of this sheet. Find someone who has a birthday this month and sing "Happy Birthday" to them Have the person initial here._____________________ Find someone to listen to you say "toy boat" ten times quickly. Then have them initial here.___________________________________ Get three other people to link arms with you and do the cheer "lean to the left, lean to the right, stand up, sit down, fight, fight, fight!" Have each person initial here.________________________________________ Give someone your ugliest face and have them initial here.__________________ With two other people, face the front of the room, put your hand over your heart, and say the "Pledge of Allegiance" in unison. Initial each other's papers._______ Have someone tell you about the best Christmas gift they ever received. Then have them initial here._______________________ Get a hair over 5 inches long from someone else's head. Let them pull it out. Have the person initial here._________________ Give someone a backrub and have them initial here._____________________ Find someone who has blue eyes and have them initial here.______________ Find someone who is left-handed and have them initial here.______________
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244) Fish Pass Through Relay

Run a long piece of rope (like clothesline) through a dead fish. Make sure the end of the rope is pretty secure. Line up your volunteers shoulder to shoulder. Two teams facing each other. Volunteers must have t-shirts on. No spaghetti straps or long sleeves. The players must pass the fish through their shirt in one sleeve out the other. First one to make it through all shirts wins. Having girls in this one makes the game. They're always squeamish. You need a good number of people for this one. 10 - 12 on a team works best.
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245) Flour Swing

Supplies: Two pair of nylons and five pounds of flour

Prepare: Pour half the flour down one leg of nylons and the other half down a leg in the other pair of nylons. Mark an area on the floor for the match. Play: Select two volunteers. Each volunteer places the waist portion of the nylons over their head. They now have two nylon legs hanging from their head, one full of flour. The players face off in the marked area for specific time period. This is a fast paced game and one minute is almost too long. Players then swing their heads to make the flour come into contact with their opponent. The winner is the player with the least amount of flour on their clothes. (It doesn't matter whether the flour is from their own nylon or their opponent's.) Or you can count points for each time a blow is struck to the torso.
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246) Four on a Couch

Great Small Group Game: Create a circle with chairs and one couch - enough seats for everyone playing plus one extra seat. 2 girls and 2 guys start off by sitting on the couch; everyone else in the chairs. Give every person playing a paper to write their name on. They are to turn their names in to you. Mix the names up and redistribute them back to the youth, making sure no one gets their own name. They are not to tell which name they have. The purpose of the game is for the guys to get all 4 guys on the couch and the girls to get all 4 girls on the couch. The person to the left of the empty seat calls out a name of someone in the circle. Whoever is HOLDING THAT NAME (not the one whose name it is, i.e John calls Amy's name, and Jeff is holding Amy's name.) gets up and sits on the empty chair. The person who called the name and the person who sat on the chair, then exchange papers with names on it (that way the same name does not stay with the same person, it makes it more challenging). The person to the left of the new empty seat calls a new name. (the same name cannot be repeated 2x in a row)  Again the purpose is for the guys to get the 2 girls off the couch and visa versa. This is really fun game but it can last a long time.
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247) Fowl Ball

Played just like baseball only substitute a baseball with a frozen Cornish hen or other small frozen bird from your grocery store freezer. Don’t use a whiffle ball bat.....it wont hold up!
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248) Frozen Marbles

Supplies: 2-4 large buckets or plastic tubs with rope handles 2-4 bags of marbles(depending on the # of buckets used.) 2 bags of ice for each bucket water

Fill each bucket with ice, water, and one bag of marbles. Divide your students into two to four groups. Each person takes a turn stepping into a bucket with bare feet. They have 15 seconds to get as many marbles out of the bucket using their toes. The team with the most marbles out after everyone has gone through or the marbles are gone wins! Brrr! Our tip: Have a youth workers with dry towels close by to dry each player's feet.
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249) Frozen to a T

Prep: Get as many t shirts as you want to do (2-6). Soak them in water and wring them out until damp. If you leave them too wet students can't play the game. Fold them up nicely & place on wax paper inside your freezer for at least an hour. Game: Have 2 teams of 4 students volunteer.  Pull t-shirts out of the freezer. (Keep in cooler or wrapped in foil if you have to bring them from home.) The object: When you say go they have to open the shirt and one of the students has to put it on. The team that does this the fastest wins! OUR POINT:  This would be a good game to intro a discussion/teaching making the point that some people are willing to endure a certain amount of discomfort in order to reach a goal.
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250) Fruit Basket Upset

Have group sit in a circle. Make sure each seat is clearly marked-- use chairs or mark places with tape. "Number" people off, but instead of saying, "one, two, three, four, five" say "apple, banana, orange, kiwi, peach" or whatever fruit you like. The more people you have, the more groups you may want. The last person is "It" and stands in the center of the circle. "It" yells out a fruit name. Everyone with that name must exchange seats with someone else with that name. "It" tries to take one of the empty chairs before they are all taken. Whoever is left without a chair is "It". Rather than yelling a fruit name, "It" may yell "Fruit Basket Upset." Everyone must change seats. Variation: "It" may yell more than one fruit at a time. This gets more people up and moving.
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251) Fruit Sculpture

Break up into teams. Each team makes a sculpture out of the fruit given to it.  Award prizes for most creative and most stable.  Have hand towels and paper towels handy for clean up.
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252) Funnel Penny Gag

Take a funnel and shove the small end down the front of your pants so the wide end is facing up. Put your head back, place a penny on your forehead and close your eyes. Tilt your head forward, dropping the penny off of your forehead and into the funnel. Challenge the kids that no one in the audience can do that three times in a row. Pick the kid that is the most eager to prove you wrong. Set it up for the kid and emphasize how much you must close your eyes for at least three seconds before dropping the penny in. On the kid's third try, pour a huge glass of ice water down the funnel (make sure that the funnel has a big enough opening to allow good water flow!)
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253) Gag a Napkin

Quick, just for fun game to liven up even the most boring banquet. Each person opens up a paper napkin and places a corner of it on his or her tongue. Race to see who gets the entire napkin in their mouth first.
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254) Gargle a Tune

Bring 3 students up front. Hand them each a glass of water. Then, one at a time, show only the person doing the gargling the name of a familiar song. It could be a nursery rhyme or any other familiar song. Have the person take a drink of water and attempt to gargle the tune you have showed them. The rest of the students in the room should be listening close so they can guess the song. Be ready for water through the nose.
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255) Gargoyles

Kind of like a Mission Impossible/Freeze tag, only more fun,this game is great for lock-ins or all-nighters because it must be pitch dark and played in a facility with a lot of rooms. You should have more than 10 or 12 people to play (the more the better). You need a standard flashlight with 4 parts to it: 2 batteries, the handle, and the light head. Turn off all the lights in the church or facility except one room - the one that you explain the game in. Assign 2 people to be the Gargoyles. If you have 10 or less, assign 1. As you are explaining the rules and objectives, have a staff member hide the parts of the flashlight in obvious places that you would see in the light but not too easy in dark. Tell that staff member to make sure all doors of rooms that kids may hide or go in are open. Turn all students, except the Gargoyles, loose to find the pieces to the flashlight. 3 minutes after you let the students go, let the Gargoyles loose. When a Gargoyle touches someone, they are frozen and must remain in the same spot they were tagged in. The only way a student can be unfrozen is if a person with a piece of the flashlight touches them. The objective for the Gargoyles is to freeze everyone. The objective for the others is to find the flashlight pieces, put it together, and shine it on the Gargoyles. If the person with the "completed" flashlight gets tagged before he or she shines it on the Gargoyles then the Gargoyles win. If the Gargoyles are spotted by the flashlight then the others win. If a person with a part gets tagged, he or she can't hand it off to another passerby- they have to wait until they are unfrozen. If someone with a part is getting chased and feels that they will be tagged they may roll the part to the side and tell other people by yelling, "There is a piece next to me, someone come get it!" Gargoyles may not touch the pieces. Frozen people may yell to everyone else about where the Gargoyles are or to come and unfreeze them. To avoid cheating, assign 2 staff members or 2 trusty students to be "watchmen". They can take away watches with lights, laser lights, or any other source of light. They may warn people the first time, then eliminate people for running away after they are frozen.
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256) Getting to Know You

(You need a wide blanket or canvas to play this game) Divide the kids into two teams. Put two chairs (one for each team) about 2 meters apart facing each other. Assign two people who will hold one corner of the blanket such that the blanket is in a vertical position. This will prevent whoever sits in each chair from seeing the one sitting on the other. Each team will assign somebody per turn to sit on each chair. At the count of three the 2 people holding the blanket will release it causing it to fall down and reveal who is sitting on the chairs. The two people sitting on the chairs will immediately say the name of the one opposite them. The first between the two who names the person opposite him/her scores a point. The Point: Great for getting a new group of students to know each other's names. Our variation: If you have a smaller group of "regulars" have people come up withnicknames that everyone else has to remember. You can have people make up their own or choose from categories like body parts.  I.e. "Twinkle Toes", "Pretty Eyes", etc.; or animal names like, "Ape", "Moose", "Kitten"; or cars; you get the idea.
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257) Give Yourself A Hand!

Supplies: Paper, Markers or Ink pens, Safety Pins

You can either pre-make paper hands or have each participant trace their own hand on  paper and pin it on their back.  Then the whole group walks around and writes a one word POSITIVE description of the person whose back they are writing on.  (ex. Nice, Pretty, Fun, Exciting, Loving, Kindhearted, etc.) Allow enough time, depending on group size, for everyone to circulate. Then have students come up front and read what everyone said about them.   The Point: This is an excellent motivator for positive self esteem.
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258) Gold Fish Snag

Throw about 50 gold fish into a swimming pool. Whoever catches the most fish with their bare hands wins! For added fun, add some other bigger fish or try it in the dark! Use a tarp if indoors.
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259) Golf Ball and Nylon Relay

This game can be a relay, but I, personally, think relays just take too much time and leave kids standing there bored . . . so I usually do this as an up-front game for everyone to watch a couple people do. Tape two lines on the floor about fifteen feet apart. Have ready two pair of pantyhose and four golf balls. Put one golf ball in the leg of the pantyhose and one golf ball on the ground. After wrapping the other leg of the pantyhose around your waist, the leg with the golf ball should be hanging down in front of you just barely touching the ground. With movement from your body alone, you are to hit the golf ball on the ground with the one hanging from your waist. The object is to move the golf ball from one line to the next. Pass the pantyhose to the next person and they must go back. This is repeated until 5-10 people on each team have completed the task. Items needed: 4 golf balls, tape, 2 pairs of pantyhose
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260) Golf Phwack

This is a great activity to kill time at the beginning of an event- it can be done indoor our outdoors . . . although it works best with a good amount of space.  The same as driving a regular golf ball, the only difference is. . . you use marshmallows.  See who can hit them the furthest distance.
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261) Golf Phwack II

Same as Golf Phwack with a few twists. I created an oversized golf green on an overhead. Different areas were different worth different points. We then had people come up on the stage and take a pitching wedge and aim at the back wall where we had the overhead pointed. It was close enough to make it, but hard enough to make it a challenge. They took turns and the one with the highest score won. It was fun and strange enough to keep their interest.
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262) Gossip Tellers

This game works best in smaller groups (less than 30). Have everyone get in a circle or line. One person start by whispering something in their neighbor's ear. Keep it going until everyone has heard the initial statement or information. The last person will share with the group what they've been told; usually, it isn't
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263) Grab Bag Scarf

Supplies: 2 bags, lots of food items.

Again, this can be a relay, but I play it as an up front game involving 6-8 people. Great game for a guys against girls night. Obtain 2 bags of miscellaneous food items. They must have the same amount of items in each bag. Some items could be: package of unsweetened Kool Aid, a candy bar, soda, a can of sardines, a dill pickle, an onion slice, a clove of garlic, etc. Each bag should have 12-15 items in it. The object of the game is that the first team to eat the entire contents of the bag wins! Note: Kids might need to vomit after a game like this so give them the bag.
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264) Grab It

Groups: 2 Teams

Divide into two teams. Put them into two lines parallel and next to one another (about 3 feet apart) sitting down and holding hands. At the back of the line put a bucket of water with a bar of soap in it between the two lines. If this is on carpet, put a layer of towels or a tarp down; water tends to splash, then drip. Stand at the head of the lines with a quarter in your hand. Instruct them that you are going to flip the quarter so only the first person in line can see the results. They are not to yell out how the quarter landed or even look back at their team. If the quarter lands on heads the persons in front are to squeeze their hands. The rest of the line is to squeeze their hands if their other hand is squeezed so that they can communicate to the last person in the line that the quarter is indeed heads not tails. If the last person in line has their hand squeezed than they are to try to grab the soap out of the bucket before the last person on the other team does. The person successful in retrieving the soap gets to go to the front of the line. The problem arrives however when the message is wrongly communicated to the person in back and they grab the soap only to find out that the quarter was actually tails. At that point the person in front must go to the back of the line. The first team to get their entire team forward in line (back person to front- not front to back), wins.
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265) Green Oatmeal

This is a fun game if you have the ability to shoot and show video. Get 3 or 4 brave volunteers who race to eat a bowl of green oatmeal the fastest.  This is best if recorded on camera and projected on the big screen.  Award a first, second and third place so all contestants keep eating til done. When they finish have one of the leaders ask, "Hey, where do you get green oatmeal?"  You answer, "That's a good question, and show them. Play a pre-recorded video of you and another staff member in your office, home, wherever, with a large (very large) pan or bowl of oatmeal.  Drop green food coloring in it and then dialogue about how to stir it.  "Do you have a big spoon?"  "No.  Do you?"  "No."  "Then what are we going to use?"  "HEY!  I got an idea!" Each person in the video takes off his shoes and socks.  This is a great opportunity to show close-ups of your feet when the socks come off. (pre-dirty your feet with some grease between each toe).  Then stick your feet in the oatmeal and start sloshing around in it to mix it up.  As the camera tilts up to your faces, both can say, "That's how you make green oatmeal!" (Note: for obvious health reasons, don't use that oatmeal as the oatmeal they eat!)  The look on their faces and reaction from the audience is priceless.  
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266) Grocery Bag Take Off

Get the group seated in chairs in a circle and give each a grocery bag. Say that you are going to have an endurance test to see who can last the longest. Each person is  told to place the bag over his or her head to minimize embarrassment. Then tell them to take off something that they didn’t wear to bed the night before. Some will catch on immediately, others will take off an article of clothing or piece of jewelry, etc., but don't allow them to give the trick away. Then they are instructed to take off something else that they didn’t wear to bed the previous evening. Before the slow one takes off too much, yell at them, "Take off the bag, Professor - Or did you wear it to bed last night?"
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267) Grocery Bag Yoga

Great Small Group game!  Take a regular paper grocery bag and set it in the middle of the floor with the kids all around it in a circle. The object is for each youth to try and pick it up by their teeth while standing on one leg and NOT touching the floor (if you touch the floor or fall, you're out!). Once they do it, they tear off the piece that was in their mouth....then the next youth goes. Obviously, after so many go, the bag gets shorter and shorter. Eventually, they realize that they can tear a big piece or small piece! The bag ends up getting so short, kids loose their balance and fall. For that reason, this is best played on soft grass or carpet. Our point: This is a good game to tie into a discussion using the point, "Don't bite off more than you can chew or you'll lose your balance!" (Balancing life priorities, etc.)
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268) Gross Balloon Volleyball

All you need is a Volleyball court or something close to that, water balloons, and lots of gross liquids and sauces. What you do is you add things to all of the water balloons like ketchup, mustard, Tabasco, syrup, chocolate syrup, salad dressing, anything you want. The grosser the better. Fill the gross stuff first - then the water). The object is to throw the balloon back and forth over the net. (If you don’t have a net, you can do this like an egg toss). The higher you throw it the more likely it is to break when the person tries to catch it. Make sure that you tell people to wear old clothes in case they get splattered!
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269) Group Charades

Divide the group and give each group something that they need to act out for the other groups to guess what it is. Suggestions: poison gas in the room, laughing gas, bad odor in the room, etc. You don't need to make it a contest, or you can have leaders judge which group did the best.
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270) Guess the Leader

Everyone gets in a big circle. Pick a volunteer to leave the room after you explain the game. Once that volunteer is out of hearing range, choose a simple task that the volunteer is to do when he or she enters the room (walk in and tie a certain kids shoe that is untied, take off their own coat, say the pledge of allegiance, etc.) The volunteer must come in the room and try to start doing certain tasks (unaware of the task to be done). The kids in the room help direct this ignorant person by clapping when this person gets even close to doing the task. Louder and faster clapping means the person is getting "hotter" (closer to completing or discovering what the task is) and silence means "you're way off- keep trying stuff".
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271) Guess the Task

Everyone gets in a big circle. Pick a volunteer to leave the room after you explain the game. Once that volunteer is out of hearing range, choose a simple task that the volunteer is to do when he or she enters the room (walk in and tie a certain kids shoe that is untied, take off their own coat, say the pledge of allegiance, etc.) The volunteer must come in the room and try to start doing certain tasks (unaware of the task to be done). The kids in the room help direct this ignorant person by clapping when this person gets even close to doing the task. Louder and faster clapping means the person is getting "hotter" (closer to completing or discovering what the task is) and silence means "you're way off- keep trying stuff".
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272) Gummy Worms/Chocolate Pudding

Bring 3 or 4 volunteers up front. Each student has a pan with chocolate pudding and 15 gummy worms mixed in. Have them go face first into the chocolate pudding and pick the gummy worms out with their teeth and drop them on a plate. First one to get all 15 or the person who gets the most in a designated amount of time is the winner.
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273) H2O Long Jump

Start at the diving board (or side of pool). Put sturdy floats, etc. in the pool. The  jumper tries to "walk on water" for extra distance! For safety, have spotters on the side to make sure kids don't hit their heads on the side of the pool.
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274) Ha Ha Game

Get every one to lay down on the floor next to each other in a line. The first person in the line say's "ha" , the second "ha ha," the third "ha ha ha," and so on. You can never get to the end of the line because every one starts laughing. You can also line up two lines of people and do it as a race.
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275) Hanging Apple

Teamwork counts on this game. Choose 4 or 5 sets of two-person teams. Hang that many apples (or caramel apples) from the ceiling with a string. Make sure that they are secure. Once you say "Go' the two people will try to finish their apple before the other teams. The first team that finishes wins. The trick is that the apples swing around when you try to bite into them and they can't use their hands, so unless they bite at the exact same time the apple can't even be bitten into. An added twist: To modify the "Hanging Apple" game, we have  someone hold the apple on a string for the person instead of from the ceiling.  The person eating the apple is on their knees and blindfolded. Right before you begin, switch the apple for a student who can take a joke with a raw onion.  Great reactions.
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276) Hannah's Game

Each player writes a name on a slip of paper and then passes it to the judge. After the judge receives all the slips, he mixes them up and writes the names on the board. The judge picks a person to start. The person (Frank) chooses someone in the game and guesses what their name might be. "Bob", I think you're Cinderella." If Frank is correct, Bob in now on Frank's team. Later, if Frank's name is guessed, both Frank and Bob join the other's team. Frank continues to guess people's names until he guesses wrong. The last person he asks now gets to guess. Play continues until all but two players have been guessed. The winner is the player with the most people on his team.
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277) Happy Shake

File this up front game under the "fun with a blender" category! Go to McDonalds and pick up 3 Happy Meals (the manager may even donate them if he appreciates youth work).  Pre-pick 3 willing contestants and bring them up front.  (be prepared and make sure the entire crowd can see clearly) Blend the Happy Meals together (burger, fries and drink) in front of them. Then, fill up equal CLEAR cups for each person. The rest is a race to see who can drink their "happy shake" the fastest. You might want one or two trash cans near the front for participants who don't like the shakes.
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278) Hawaiian Punch

Choose 3 two-person teams. Each team is given a bag of fruit, a clear drinking cup that has a line drawn across it to indicate a minimum amount of juice to be squeezed into the cup, and a chair. The object of the game is to squeeze enough juice from the fruit into the cup to reach the line and for one team member to drink it. The gross out factor is that the only way that fruit can be squeezed is either in the armpit, the back of the knee or with the feet. On team member sits in the chair and does the squeezing (with the help of the drinker) while the other team member catches the juice. Once predetermined level is reached, the drinker has to run up front and drink it. Award prizes, dumb like a can of bean dip or an old soccer trophy, or good, like a cd or devo from your local Christian bookstore. Tips: Cut the fruit in half before the teams get it b/c it juices easier. Grapefruits are good b/c they have tons of juice, so are tomatoes because they are gross and have a ton of juice. Plastic cups are safest to use. We used tape on the cup to indicate the level of juice. Be sure and keep the level low enough and use tons of fruit b/c each piece yields very little juice.
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279) Headphone Karaoke (aka Low Budget Karaoke)

You will need a sound system or some way to play a song in headphones and over speakers at the same time, and then fade the outside music while keeping music in the phones. Tell the kids that it's Karaoke Night, and three lucky people will have a chance to show off their musical skills. Unfortunately, there were budget cuts from the home office in "your area" and we could not afford any type of karaoke machine. Soooooo, instead each will have to sing their song using a stereo instead. Pick three kids and take them out of the room. Coach the crowd that you will bring in each person, play the song for everyone who will be singing, then put headphones on the contestant (with the song playing over them). Then, you will draw the sound out of the room and the crowd will just pretend to continue singing, allowing a hilarious solo from your person with headphones. Do the same to the next two kids. Use a popular song kids will know and 3 outgoing kids who are secure. (You may even cheat and clue in your last kid before, just in case the first two lock up when they get up front). Props could be a mic and mic stand.
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280) Hefalump Game

Have 3 people who know the object of the game hiding out of the room with a cup of water and a blanket. The leader then explains that he has found a rare creature (the hefalump) and that it is skilled in many areas. To build it up the leader starts to explain how people must be quiet and not stare or point as it may upset the hefalump. The leader then goes outside and fetches the people who have the blanket over their heads and the back person has the cup of water. They come back in and the leader says it can do math, so he starts asking questions like 2+2, then the hefalump using one of its legs taps out the answer. After doing this a couple of times you say even though it has no eyes it can step over things without treading on them. So ask for 3 volunteers to come forward and lye on the floor so you introduce them all and say which position they are in and emphasise one. Then as the hefalump lifts his leg over the one who has been emphasised and pour the water all over that one! Its a total class joke and will have everyone in hysterics!!!!!
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281) Hi My Name Is

A great get to know ya game!  Plant several people in your crowd who have a one dollar bill, a certificate to something, or any prize of your liking. Tell everyone that they need to go and introduce themselves to and learn the names of as many people as they can meet. Have your "planted people" give the prize to the 15th person that introduces themselves to them. Once the prizes have been given announce who received them and who had the prizes.
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282) Honey, If You Love Me You'll Smile

Played just like "Poor Little Kitten". Everyone sits in a circle. One person is "It". He or she must walk over to someone and say,"Honey, if you love me you'll smile." They can make faces and noises, etc., but no touching or tickling. If they laugh while the person who is "it" says,"Honey, if you love me you'll smile", then they must be "it". If they don't laugh they must say to the "it" person,"Honey, I love you but I just can't smile."
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283) Hose-Head

Bring 2 people up front. Get a pair of women's size small thigh-high panty hose.( or just cut the legs from a regular pair) Put a tennis ball in the end of each one all the way at the toe end. Have the contestants put the panty hose over their head and face (w/ ball dangling in front). They bend over and start swinging their panty hose and ball. Then they try to use their swinging hose to catch the other swinging hose and pull it off the other person's head. The first one to pull it off their opponents head is the winner. They can run around or whatever trying to keep it on their head. As always, use caution and safety. Make it a rule that if their hose hits the other person or wraps around the other person, they lose. (You don't want them wrapping hose around necks, heads, etc.) You might want to offer eye protection as well. Another option is to do this with about 6-10 people.
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284) Hot Potato and Oven Mitt Pass

Just like it sounds: like hot potato.   Get one potato and two oven mitts. Get everyone in a circle and start passing the potato when the music plays.  Here's the catch . . . you can only touch the potato when the oven mitt is on your hand.  Two people next to each other start with the mitts on, one hands the potato to the other, then the "hander" takes off the mitt and hands that to them as well.  The "handee" must hold the potato in their mitt, waiting for the other mitt, and when they receive it pass it on to the next person.  Once they have the mitt on, they pass it on, etc. When the music stops . . . the "hander" (the person with the potato) and the ‘handee" (the person putting on the mitt) are both out!  (This keeps the "handee" from dillydallying.) For bigger groups, get several of these going at once.  (We suggest a pair of mitts and a potato for every 10 or so.) Rules: 1.  If you touch a potato without your mitt- you're out!. 2.  If you have a mitt when the music stops- you're out! 3.  No using weapons or firearms (it's always good to say that just to be safe!)
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285) Hot Seat - Discussion Wrap-Up

Have everyone sit in a big circle with one person sitting on a chair in the middle – the "hot seat". That person takes on the role of someone you've talked about in your small group discussion. If there has been some kind of talk or drama or story, then they can pick someone from that. The student in the hot seat has to really try to be that person. They have to try and hold themselves like that person and speak like that person. Not in voice but in what they say. The people in the circle then have to ask the person questions and they have to answer as the person they are. It's a good test to see if they've been listening! The person in the hot seat eventually tells the others in the circle who they are portraying if it hasn't been guessed yet. The point: Helps students retain the info they just learned.
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286) Hug Fest

Instruct your whole group to walk randomly around the room. About every ten seconds or so, call out a number. Everyone in the game must immediately form a group hug made up of the number of people that you called. This sometimes leaves some people unable to form a group because they don’t have enough people — they are out of the game. Repeat until you only have two people left and declare them the winners. Our suggestion: Like musical chairs, play upbeat music between calling out numbers
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287) Human Christmas Tree

You can play this as an up front game or, if you have a small group, just divide your group into teams. Have as many teams of 3 or 4 as you want. Designate one person "the Christmas tree," and the other team members "the decorators." Each decorator has a bag full of Ornaments, lights, any Tree decorations. Give each team 5 minutes to decorate partner, when finished turn off all the lights and plug in Christmas Trees. Student lights up like a tree. Its hilarious in a dark room.
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288) Human Foosball

You play just like table game only with real people linked in rows. Split the kids into two teams, have a captain decide who goes in which rows and how many in each row. Each entire team faces one direction and has to stay that way. They link arms by holding the person's elbows next to them. The whole row has to stay within their boundaries like in the game, but they can slide back and forth left and right. When you play inside you can mark the boundaries with masking tape, or if you play outside you can used paint if acceptable or tape or flour. If you play in a building if you need to remove pretty much everything from the room. If you play outside, it is best if you play between two buildings so that the ball stays in the game. If you play in a field have lots of folks around to toss the ball back into play. Make sure everyone is wearing shoes , it can get a little fierce with the kicking. Stress safety and not getting out of control. Also, USE A BALL that is SOFT - we use a stuffed soccer ball, or you could use a nerf ball. Variation of the game, use more than one ball at a time.
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289) Human Knots

Great Small Group game.  If you use a big group, separate them into small circles.  Everyone squeezes together and grabs the hand of a person not standing next to them. They can not let go of the other persons hands.  So in order to untangle they must go over and under peoples arms to get untangled. Sometimes you will end up with two circles. The first team to untangle back into a circle wins.   The Point: It is a group effort and if one isn't working together then it doesn't work out.  
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290) Human Lawn Mower

Divide into two teams.  Give each team two  buckets.  Have students run to the first bucket pre-FILLED with pancake syrup and grab a pair of scissors from the bottom (have only enough scissors for about a third or half the team. Then they run to a designated grassy area where their job is to try and cut as much grass with their scissors as possible and put it in the other bucket.  Teams will have to work together with some cutting, and some picking up grass. Stop the game before students without scissors get bored.  The team with the most cut grass in their bucket at the end of the game wins. As always, emphasise safety instructing  students to run with scissors pointed down.
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291) Human Scrabble

Break youth into groups of 10. Give each person a sheet of paper, marker, and a piece of tape. Have each person write a letter of the alphabet on the paper and tape it to the front of their shirt. Now give the teams 4 minutes to come up with as many words as possible using the letters on their chests. Minimum 3 letters per word. Give each team 2 points for each letter used and an additional 5 points if it is a biblical word. The team with the most points wins.
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292) Human Snowball

Shred a bunch of paper and spread it on the floor in an empty room or corner of your youth room. Split youth in two teams and give each team a roll of duck tape. Have each team select one member to be the "snowball". Give them 2-3 minutes to wrap that person in duck tape with the sticky side out (this isn't easy). Once they are wrapped up, let two members of each team take their snowball person into the room full of paper and give them one minute to roll that person around on the floor. The team that makes the biggest "snowball" wins. Point: I used this to kick off a discussion of David and Bathsheba and the snowball effect of bad choices.
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293) Human Tic Tac Toe

For this game you need at least 6 students and 9 chairs. Set up 2 teams. The guys can be x's and the girls be o's, or all the freshman and sophomores (x) vs juniors and seniors (o). Instruct the players to charge toward the chairs when the leader yells, "TIC TAC GO!" Their goal is to make a line, horizontal, vertical, or diagonal, just like the tic tac toe played on paper. NOTE: Teams cannot make the straight line closest to them. You may have a few "Cat's Tails" or "Cat's Games" (depending on the region you live in)!
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294) Human Twister

You will need two dice and about twelve 3X5 cards for every six people in your group. Separate the group into teams of exactly six and give each person in the group a number 1-6 (if one group has less than six people give some people two numbers). The leader will role the dice, the first one will represent a person and the second will represent a body part (1=foot, 2=knee, 3=hip 4=elbow, 5=hand, 6=nose)  If your group is brave make 5=armpit.   You will role the two dice twice. After the first role you say, "Number 5's nose" and you roll again and say, "number 2's armpit" whatever combination of person and body part is called must then be connected with a 3X5 card in between the two body parts. Each team keeps going until they cannot connect the two parts or one of the earlier cards drops to the floor. The last team to successfully connect two body parts wins the game.
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295) I Have Never

This game is much like Identity Circle, or Fruit Basket Upset. Have everyone sit in a circle except one person. When everyone is seated the person in the middle says something that they have never done(ie. I have never drank. or I have never worn a dress). All the people who have never done that have to get up and find an empty seat (from someone else who just got up). The person stuck without a seat is now in the middle. This game has no time limit and at our youth group is wanted to be played on a weekly basis.
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296) I Need a Shoelace

This game can be played with small or huge groups. The up-front person divides teams (in audiences of rallies or other large gatherings you can make each section of chairs a group). The up-front person then yells out a demand for an somewhat common item that people might have on them. The first team to bring up that item wins that round. Have each team elect ONE runner to run the item up to the person up front. (Examples: I need a... shoelace student body card 13 shoes tied together 3 belts hooked together nail file chewed gum someone with food in their teeth sock with a hole in it movie stub ticket
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297) Ibble Dibble

This game sounds confusing, but read it through a couple times if you have to. Once you try it you’ll get it. Students love it because they get marked up. You need a paintbrush and some red poster paint. Everyone stands or sits in a circle. Number everyone off. No.1 starts off by saying, "Ibble Dibble no.1 with no Iblle Dibbles, calling Ibble Dibble no. (choose) with no Ibble Dibbles. " Then that person must respond and choose another person by saying, "Ibble Dibble no. (whatever # they are) with no Iblle Dibbles, calling Ibble Dibble no. (choose) with no Ibble Dibbles. " If a person makes a mistake, then they receive an Ibble Dibble (a spot of red paint on their cheek) That person then carries on with, "Ibble Dibble no. ? with one Ibble Dibble calling Ibble Dibble no.? with no Ibble Dibbles (or how many they do have)
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298) Ice Chest

Get 3 or 4 of your "tough" guys. Tell them  you're going to have a contest to see who is the "coolest!" Have them change into some x_large shirts that you have for them and have them tuck the shirts in. Then have a team mate (or team mates) run with cups of ice to fill up the shirts. You'll need a lot of Ice, shirts, cups, and buckets or actuall ice chests to hold the ice in. Have towels handy for them when the game is over. You can judge the winners by how much ice they got in the shirt in a given amount of time or by how long the guys could stand having the ice in their shirts.
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299) Ice Cream Feed

Lay plastic on the floor. Have pairs lie down head to head and feed ice cream to the person behind them. The first team to empty their bowls wins. This gets messy only on the fed persons face…and neck…and chest. Be sure to set this up so every one can see.
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300) Ice Cream Mayo Surprise

Plan ahead to do this. Buy cheap vanilla ice cream and a jar of cheap Mayonnaise. Put the mayo in a Tupperware dish and freeze. (Mayonnaise when frozen looks exactly like vanilla ice cream.) Before the contest, scoop out some ice cream into a bowl and do like wise to mayo. Keep frozen until the last minute. Set the contest up as just a typical ice cream eating contest, hands behind their backs, etc. The look on the person who eats the frozen mayo is priceless.
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301) Ice Cream Stuff

Get an even number of students and have them pair up in twos. Have the kids decide who wants to sit and who wants to stand. Place a blindfold on the student standing and give the one who sits a trash can bag to cover his/her clothes. Hand the blindfolded student a big helping of ice cream in an plastic bowl with a spoon. When you say "go," the blindfolded student must feed the sitting student. If any ice cream spills, they must eat it off the floor. Whoever eats it all first wins.
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302) Ice Grab It

Played like the game "Grab It!" But instead of a pail of water and soap, use a huge bucket of ice with a marble in it. Flip a coin.  If it's is heads they go for the marble. Trying to grab it and get it out of their bucket before the other team does and goes to the front. Not as messy as the original but less soap in eyes and everywhere. Have towels close by to warm cold hands!
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303) Identity Circle (Fruit Basket Upset)

This game is just like the Fruit Basket upset- but this is when you forgot the fruit. You just have the person in the middle yell out certain characteristics that they have (hair color, color of clothes, gender, etc.) Instead of a fruit and people with those characteristics must get up and move. Have the person in the middle yell out "I am" or "I have" then the characteristic (I am blonde, I have a blue shirt on, I play on the soccer team, etc.)
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304) Indoor Mini-Wiffle Golf

This game requires lots of prep work. You can bank on at least 2 1/2 hours between set up and tear down. For this game you need to make a mini golf course inside your church. There are a couple of ways to accomplish this. Both require mounds of junk to make obstacles out of. Get some putters (and have the youth bring theirs for extras); floor hockey sticks work just as well. Also get duct tape and gather junk from the dungeon in the church basement where old useless stuff is tossed; any pack-rat's garage is a huge asset, or be creative and hit your local thrift or hardware store. One year we borrowed a dryer hose and used it as a means to get the ball down the stairs. Rolled up carpets, big snow shovels, PVC tubing, Slurpee dome lids - you name it, you can use it (or duct tape it, then use it). Be creative and design your own score sheets. Be sure you use wiffle balls, because who really wants to repair the damage that a real golf ball will do? You can get holes to putt into from a golf shop. Or you can design and make the holes yourself, enlisting your students and leaders to help out. Break up your church into about 4-5 zones and assign a team to each zone. You need to have enough kids and leaders for each zone, about 5-6 per zone. Each team is responsible for making 3-4 holes for their zone using the junk that you've already pulled out for them to use. Give them a time limit and then proceed to have them golf their own course! Have prizes ready for highest scores and best holes, etc.
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305) Inner Tube Stuff

Get several large truck tire inner tubes. Divide the room into teams and see who can stand the most people within the edges of their tire tube. Option: Hula Hoop Stuff
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306) Invention Convention

All you need is a bunch of junk! Get a special trash bag and label 'for game'. Have your staff and parents collect a bunch of their old junk (empty cans, broken appliances, boxes, empty toiletpaper tubes, etc.) Then, when you are going to play, assemble the kids in groups. Give them each a little bit of trash and one roll of duct tape and some paint. They have five minutes to create the weirdest, most funny, most funny, artistic sculpture out of the junk. The winning team gets a prize. Our point: God can make something out of the junk in your life...it may look a little funny, but it's worth something to Him and He can still use you!
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307) Inversion

Divide into teams of 15 or 20. Have stand in order between two lines that are 18 inches apart. On signal, #1 changes with #20, #2 with #19, etc. without moving outside of lines.
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308) IV Bag Suck

Get three large zip lock bags filled with Kool Aid and surgical tubing coming out of the top. Have three people suck until the Kool Aid is gone. First one done wins.
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309) Jail Break

Two-leader teams against students: The leaders try to catch the students and put them in 'prison'. In your gym (or main meeting room) the leaders can catch students by hitting them with something like a nerf ball. Outside the gym, however, the leaders need to actually tag them. Here is where it gets tricky: Leaders Can ONLY run in the gym. They are free to run as fast as they want anywhere they want in the gym, trying to protect a designated jail in the gym. Outside the leaders are very robot-like. They have to walk AND they can only turn if they touch a wall or come to the edge of a designated boundry/perimeter. Leaders have to strategize and maybe use three leaders to trap one student. Students go to prison if they are hit with a nerf ball or if they have been tagged. Students can get free only when another student touches the prison. But once students are free the leaders can throw balls at them again.
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310) Jello Suck

Easy as it sounds. Several contestants, each with a bowl of jello in front of them. You can give them each a straw, or put their hands behind their back and have them bury their face in it. First one done is the winner.
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311) Jelly Bean Trade

Everyone for them self. Everyone is handed 10 jelly beans. They are to try to get 10 of one color by trading with other people one at a time. First person to get all ten of a color they want wins.
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312) Joust

Place: Soft area to play (grass area or padded floor) Supplies: 2 five gallon buckets 2 jousting sticks (4 ft. sticks with foam rubber ends) or two pillows

Place buckets up-side down, about 3 feet apart. 2 players stand on buckets, each with a joust stick or pillow When judge says "Go!", each player tries to knock the other player off his bucket. Discourage "head shots" and other "cheap shots."
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313) Jump or Dive

Here is a classic pool game that is fun for the crazy participants but slightly more entertaining for the onlookers. One requirement is a pool that has a diving board and is large enough for people to dive into. 1. Whoever wants to play lines up outside the pool. 2. Going one at a time, the player must getting a running start, get a good bounce off the board, then at the last second the leader either yells JUMP or DIVE. 3. The player must quickly react and make the necessary adjustments. It begins to get hilarious when players start anticipating the call and try to adjust but end up with very painful belly flops. *One way to keep the game moving is to have elimination. *For added fun, yell JUMP or DIVE just a little too late!
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314) Keys

Everybody sits in a chair but one person. The chairs are scattered all over the room. The person standing has a set of keys in his hand. With his other hand he grabs someone's hand. This person gets up and follows the leader who weaves in and out of the chairs in the room. The person who has gotten out of their chair then grabs someone else's hand who grabs another persons hand. This keeps going until the leader drops the keys on the floor then everyone standing runs and sits in a chair. The person left standing is the new leader. Playing music really adds to the fun of this game!
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315) King Elephant

This game is in addition to the rules of Silent Animal Game. We call it King Elephant because the object is to go around the circle until we get to be King Elephant. The game is the same that you have animal symbols and as you move a chair you become a new animal. We try to put animals in order of the food chain, ie. after elephant, we have lion, tiger, bear, crocodile etc. down to snake, bird and worm. Worm is just a single finger bent and wiggling. We also include a clapping beat to go with the game that King Elephant controls and can increase in speed. We clap twice palms down on our knees and I clap with hands together. On the last clap is when the participant does their symbol. For example: knee clap, knee clap, hand symbol (ie. worm wiggles finger), knee clap, knee clap, another symbol ( ie. two hands come out like claws for bear) then the bear person does the same not missing a beat, knee clap, knee clap, bear symbol, knee clap, knee clap, next symbol. Same as the other game, if the participant makes a mistake, they become the worm and everyone moves up. Object is to try to be king by knocking out anyone in front of you. Some examples of animals that we use: Bird - two hands together with thumbs locked, flying like a bird Chicken - hands under armpits and arms flapping Crocodile - arms extended with one hand facing down, other up, clapping together Bear - two hands out like claws Tiger - hands with fingers spread apart placed on cheeks to look like stripes Lion - hands above head and connected like a circle - just looks big I guess Raccoon - index finger and thumbs together like a circle and put in front of eyes Snake - make a snake movement with one out-stretched arm Giraffe - one hand up above head fully extended with hand bent at wrist Rooster - palm facing to left or right, brought to forehead Monkey - pull ears out from head with hands Beaver - bring to fingers bent to mouth like big teeth Worm - wiggling one bent finger Elephant - one arm extended away from nose, other arm wrapped around and grabbing the nose - hardest one to do, thus challenging to try and stay King
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316) King of the Tube

This is a pool game where teams compete for time. Each team selects a champion that can stay on a tube the longest. One at a time, a champion sits in a tube, and when the timer starts, the opposite teams all try to tip over the champion WITHOUT TOUCHING HIM, only the tube. Time each champion, see who stays on the longest.
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317) Kissing in the Dark

Divide the kids into five teams. Put five targets on a wall with point values such as that on a dart board and line up each of the teams so they are about ten feet away from one of the targets. Assign a volunteer to each team to help things run smoothly and not get out of hand. Explain that each team needs to choose five volunteers to "kiss in the dark." Make sure they are a mixture of guys and girls. Each team will have two blindfolds and a tube of lipstick. Have the team blindfold the first contestant and put lipstick on his/her lips. On your signal, each of the five contestants will walk toward their target and kiss it. There should be another volunteer at each target tallying the points. After the kiss, the kids can take off the blindfold and see how they did. While the first contestant is going, some of the members of the team should be blindfolding and putting lipstick on the next contestant so he/she is ready to go on your signal. After each of the five contestants have gone, announce the team with the best score and give them some Valentine's candy.
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318) Kool-Aid Taste Off

Ask three volunteers to sit in chairs facing the rest of the group. On a signal they each open a different flavored packet (the small ones) of Kool-Aid. They then lick just one finger and dip it into the packet. The person who in that manner is the first to eat all of the Kool-Aid in the packet wins. It's hilarious because they do not anticipate it being so sour, and they usually end up with it all over their lips. (Warning:  this stuff is really gross- use your own judgment- kids could become nauseated.)
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319) Land Mines

Supplies: blindfolds, Water balloons for outside/styrofoam cups for inside, and students

Set up the mine field by randomly placing the water balloons (or cups) in a marked section of ground (a concrete slab or basketball court works well for this. grass also works, but you will need to set boundaries).  Divide students into groups of about 4 or 5. Give each team a blindfold. Put the blindfolds on one member of each team. The point of the game is for the team to get across the mine field with the fewest casualties the fastest. If a person touches a mine he/she is out (if it bursts water on them, it just makes it more fun). The team members must be their eyes and tell them which way to go. The blindfolded people crossing the field must stay within the set boundaries, and only one person per team may be on the mine field at a time (so they can't lead them by touch).  Team members help each other by shouting directions. Works best if mines are close together and if teams are close together. Sponsors may yell out random directions to try to throw them off. The trick is (don't tell the kids this till after it's over) for the person in the mine field to pick out a certain voice and listen to that one voice. Point: Just like we need to listen to God's voice instead of all the voices that the world throws at us.
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320) Last Straw

Much like "Toothpicks and Lifesavers."  Give everyone a straw to put in their mouth. In rows or pews have them stand up and get ready to pass a small cup to the next person by using only the straw. The row to do this first, without cheating, wins! You can have a few people in the middle blind folded for an extra twist.
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321) Leg Line Up

Have 5 guys line up for 3 girls to see. Then blindfold the 3 girls. Have the girls feel the five guys legs and guess which legs belong to which guy. The girl who gets the most correct guessed is the winner.
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322) Lemonade

Get 4 "volunteers" up front and have them sit down on stools, facing the rest of the kids. On a low table in front of each of the "volunteers," have the ingredients for lemonade: a 1/4 of a lemon each, a teaspoon of sugar, and a glass of water. Announce to the kids it is going to be a race to make lemonade. When you say "go" they must first eat the lemon, then the sugar, drink the water, then they have to jump up (twist, spin.... use your creativity) and sit down to mix up the ingredients. The first to do this is declared the winner.
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323) Lemonade Machine

Get at least two volunteers to come up front.  They are now titled "the Lemonade Machine."  Have them each bring up a friend from the crowd to be their partner.  Each "Lemonade Machine" sits in a chair with his or her head leaning backwards and with their mouth open.  At "go" their friend proceeds to squeeze one lemon, 1 spoon of sugar and 1 cup of water into "Lemonade Machine's" mouth.  The "Lemonade Machine" stands up and jumps up and down three times and spits the contents of his or her mouth into a glass (make it a clear one for good visual).  Repeat until the glass is full.
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324) Lengths Of String Mixer

Everyone gets a length of string.  Each string is the same length as one other person in the room. Students have to match up with their partner.  Hint: Use this as a discussion starter.  Once matched, you can ask a question for the partners to discuss.
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325) License Plate Find

Great Travel Game, but can be played in a group - List on a blackboard, overhead, or handout the following state nick names (and others you may know) from auto license plates. Divide group into teams to identify the correct state for each name. The team that correctly identifies the most states wins the game. You can play the game several times by only using ten states at a time. If the game seems too difficult for your age group, provide the state names as well (out of order) and make it a matching game. First in Flight North Carolina The Empire State New York The Aloha State Hawaii The Grand Canyon State Arizona The Keystone State Pennsylvania Land of Opportunity Arkansas The Vacation State Maine The Centennial State Colorado The Volunteer State Tennessee The Constitution State Connecticut The Land of Enchantment New Mexico First State Delaware The Golden State California The Hoosier State Indiana The Sportsman’s State Louisiana The Hawkeye State Iowa Land of Lincoln Illinois The Sunflower State Kansas The Great Lake State Michigan The Bluegrass State Kentucky The Silver State Nevada The Bay State Massachusetts Land of 10,000 Lakes Minnesota The Magnolia State Mississippi
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326) Long Base (A Dodgeball/Kickball Medley)

Great game for a large group. Divide into 2 teams, one in the field and one "at bat". Two or three students bat at a time by bouncing a dodgeball and hitting it with with their hand(s)/arm(s). After hitting the ball, the students attempt to run to the far wall of the gym without being hit. Students in the field may get a batter out by throwing and hitting them with any of the balls that were hit. If a student makes it to the far wall, he must keep a hand on it to remain safe. To score a run, the student must make it back from the far wall to the original line he batted from(home). Students may remain safe at the far wall as long as they want, and there is no limit to the number of students that can stay safe. They can try to run home at any time except when the new batters are holding the balls.
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327) Long John Stuff

This game requires teams of 6 or 7 be chosen. The number of teams depends on the number of kids present. Once the teams are chosen, litter the floor with dozens (or hundreds) of deflated balloons. Then give each team a full pair of long-johns (or union suit). The team then decides who will wear them over their clothes. It works to their advantage to find the most wiry person for this part, (although you'll need to be careful to not make weight an issue). Once the long-johns are on, the leader of the game does or says something to officially begin the game (a cap pistol, the word "go", etc.) The object is for the team members not in long-johns to begin inflating balloons, and stuffing them into the long john pants and tops. Decide on a time limit that will officially end the inflating and stuffing portion of the game. Each team is then featured one-by-one as they are given a pin to begin popping each balloon--counting out loud as they do. The balloons are popped through the clothing. Ultimately, the team with the most number of popped balloons is the winner. Suggestion: Have a camera available for taking shots of the fully stuffed long-johns
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328) M & M Scarf

Six students on each team (2 teams) must divide out colors of a pound bag of M&M's and eat them in order of color. Example: First person opens the bag and sorts out all the red colors then passes the bag to the next person while scarfing (eating) his color! The team with all the M& M's eaten first is the winner.
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329) Mafia (also called Killers)

This is a great game if you have limited space or you're stuck indoors. It's also good for smaller youth groups or over_nighters. The object of the game is to not get killed off.. Unfortunately, it takes a lot of explaining, but once you get it, it will quickly become a group favorite. You need at least 8 players to make the game interesting. You need a deck of cards, or slips of paper with the identities on it. For 10 or more, there should be 2 Mafia, 1 Angel, 1 Cop, and the rest townspeople. For less, have only 1 Mafia. Try not to play with more than 30, because it turns into a huge shouting match. Distribute the identities secretly. Everyone should keep their identity a secret, but if they choose to they can reveal it as part of strategy later. Here is an outline of how to play each round: 1. Narrator says "Town go to sleep." All players put their heads down and close their eyes. 2. N: "Mafia wake up" Only the mafia open their eyes and look at narrator. 3. N: "Mafia, who do you want to kill?" Mafia have to point to someone in the room and agree on that person. Narrator nods to let them know they understand. 4. N: "Mafia go to sleep" Mafia close eyes again. 5. N: "Cop wake up" The cop opens eyes. "Who do you think it is?" Cop points to someone they suspect is a mafia. Narrator either nods yes or no. Now the cop has an advantage for later. "Cop go to sleep" 6. N: "Angel wake up" Same deal. "Angel, who do you want to save?" Usually, the angel points to him/herself, in case they were picked to be killed off. But sometimes they are gracious and point to someone else to be saved, especially if they have an idea who has been picked by the Mafia. "Angel go to sleep" 7. N: "Town wake up" At this point, everyone opens their eyes, and the narrator announces who is dead, or that no_one is dead (if Angel managed to save them.) Everyone gasps in surprise, and then the accusations fly. 8. Narrator asks for accusations as to who the town thinks the mafia is. It's usually a good idea to limit it to 2 or 3 per round. To make it more interesting, I always insist on the accuser making up some creative reason why they are accusing so_and_so. (like, "I heard them leave their house last night" or "look how muddy their shoes are!") 9. Narrator then allows each of the accused to defend themselves. This whole process can get really rowdy, and you need to be careful not to offend the sensitive kids. Narrator must remain neutral, but can egg on either side with "facts" 10. After a few minutes, narrator should announce that it's time to vote. By a show of hands, go through each accused. The one with the most votes gets "lynched" by the town and is therefore dead. 11. Repeat. When someone is "dead" they cannot participate in the accusations. They are not allowed to talk. However, they get to keep their eyes open and find out all the answers to the mystery. Remind students not to cheat, because the temptation is great to do so! The game ends when either both Mafia are killed off (town wins) or are the only ones left (mafia wins). The advantage of being the cop is that they can say "I'm the cop, I know the Mafia is so_and_so." However, they should be careful, as sometimes the town doesn't believe them and the cop ends up getting killed off! Also, you can play that once the Angel is killed off, that's it, or that he/she can continue to save people because they don't technically die.
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330) Marker Fencing

Dress two contestants in white tee shirts and white sweats. Give students protective eyewear (It will add a lot if you can get your hands on some fencing headgear as well). Duct tape two big black markers to the end of two strong dowel rods (bought at any hardware store). Instruct them that the only place they can mark is above the belt and below the neck. Then let them duel. The person to make the most marks of at least on half inch long wins. You can order glow in the dark pens, follow the same directions, and then turn out the lights to determine your winner. Background music will be a must, and white gloves and socks can help highlight the uniforms! Fence away!
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331) Marshmallow Dodgeball

For this game, all you need are a couple bags of large marshmallows, plastic cups, and masking tape. Divide students into two teams on each side of the room. Divide room with masking tape to mark where players cannot go past. Put a plastic cup on the head of one player on each team (so that everyone on one side of the room has a cup on his or her head). These players sit against the wall on their side of the room, even spaced apart. The game starts by having the players on the other side of the room chuck the marshmallows at the cupheads, attempting to knock the cup off. Give a point to each side that does just that. Optional: Soak the marshmallows in water so they will stick to the player when hit. Rules: The cupheads must sit on their rears at all times. If you have enough students, have someone guard the cupheads so the cup won't get hit. Clean-up: After the game players will have marshmallow powder on them which either makes a great crowd pleaser or a mess, so you might have wet paper towels close by. Caution: If you are in a carpeted room, clean up the marshmallows right after the game so they will not leave a big stain (thereby ensuring an ongoing friendship with the church janitor).
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332) Marshmallow Drop

Supplies: 1 Bag large marshmallows Chocolate syrup 2 bowls 2 chairs or step ladder

You will also need 3 students: one to hold the bowl, one to stand on the chair/ladder, one to lay down on floor. The object of the game is to see how many chocolate marshmallows can be dropped into the mouth of the person laying on the floor. The person on the chair/ladder dips a arshmallow into the chocolate and tries to drop it into the mouth of the person lying on the floor. Person on the chair can not bend over but must stay in upright position. The person on the floor should spit the marshmallow out of their mouth, to catch the next marshmallow. The winners are the group that catches the most marshmallows in a given amount of time. You set the time.
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333) Marshmallow Pass

For this game, have your kids pair off and give each pair a sack of miniature marshmallows. Each pair should also have a neutral counter. One person is the pitcher, the other the catcher. On "go", the pitcher tosses a marshmallow into the catcher's mouth, and the catcher must eat the marshmallow. The pitcher and catcher should be about ten feet apart. The counter counts how many successful catches are made, and the couple with the most at the end of a time limit or the first to reach twenty successful catches is the winner.
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334) Marshmallow Splat Ball

This is a messy adaptation to Splat Ball.  Make sure students wear clothes that can be thrown away. Divide into 4 or more teams and arm each person with a small Styrofoam plate, and 4 marshmallows. Give each team captain (adult) a different color dipping sauce (we used Mustard, Red & Green Catsup, and Chocolate Syrup, but use your imagination). Then map out the boundaries, and send each team to a corner of the playing field as a designated area to load up. Fill each plate with the splat substance. Then tell them to dip and on your signal begin throwing them at the other teams. The team with the most hits wins, but once the slime pellets start to fly no one cares. It was a blast. When they run out of mellows they can either pick one up from the ground, and re-dip, or run back to the supply station until the ammo run out. When the fun was done we had a contest to see which team could pick up the most mellows. The prize was dumping a bottle of maple syrup over a leaders head,(stolen from the 10 bags of doom) the ground was spotless. We serve a fun God!
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335) Marshmallow Stuff

This works best in groups under 30. We recommend 6 guys and 6 girls at a time. For this game you need a couple, of bags of big marshmallows, a Coke (or other soda) for every two players, and any song with a word or phrase that repeats frequently in the chorus. (One youth worker suggests "My Girl", but any upbeat song will work as long as it includes a frequently repeated pronoun, work, or phrase.) Your guys should be on their knees with the girls behind them. Give the girls the marshmallows and the guys the Coke. Instruct your players that when you play the song, every time they hear the word/phrase "___________", the girls have to shove a marshmallow in the guys mouth and the guy has to take a drink of the coke. Be ready for some spit ups with a small garbage can or towel under each guy.
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336) Mattress Pass

Easy! Two mattresses in the back- one on each side of the crowd. Get a kid on top of each one and have the audience pass the mattress (with the kid on it) to the front. CAUTION: Have staff all around the crowd to catch the kid on the edges- very important to avoid any injury!
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337) Melon Fest

Watermelon Helmet Contest: That's right, have each team carve a helmet (or helmets) out of watermelons.  You can go for the gladiator look or more of the Darth Vador look.  Team members must wear helmets throughout the event.
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338) Watermelon Seed Spitting Contest

Watermelon Seed Spitting Contest
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339) Cantelope Bowling

Create an ally in the parking lot and set up 2 liter bottles at the end.  Leave the 2 liters full and give a bonus if you bust the 2 liters open.
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340) Melon Armor

Give each team a ball of string, a roll of duct tape, a knife, and about 5 of each melon.  Have each team dress one of their team members in FULL MELON ARMOR.  That's right- dress up this person in as much armor, made of melons, as humanly possible.  (You might want to make the team member a guy!)
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341) Watermelon Toss

You guessed it- get your two strongest guys to do the age old egg toss (line up facing each other, toss to team mate, back up a step, toss back, and so on . . .) but with a much heavier item!  CAN'T hit the ground.  Last pair still tossing wins!
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342) Seedless Watermelon Eating Contest

Bring 2 representatives from each team up front-- an eater and a cutter.  At "Go" the cutter starts cutting watermelon for the eater to eat.  Eater scarfs down as many watermelons down in a given period of time.
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343) Ultimate Cantaloupe

This is just like Ultimate Frisbee . . . but with a cantaloupe!  Divide into two teams, each trying to get to the opposite end zone. Instead of a kick-off, just have one team start on their side of the field. When a player catches the cantaloupe, they can take only 3 steps then they must throw/toss it. Team work their way down the field, passing to each other until a team scores. If the team hits the ground it's the other teams ball (frisbee actually). An added twist: if one team busts the cantaloupe, the other team automatically scores (have extra cantaloupes available) No knocking the melon down, like in ultimate frisbee- in Ultimate Cantaloupe, it always goes to the opposite team of the last person to touch it before it hits the ground. Defensive players must give any person already holding a cantaloupe at least 3 feet clearance.
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344) Bobbing for Melons

This game requires a pool or some other large body of water.  You can play this many ways- one way is to fill a pool with all kinds of melons, even a few vegetables of choice (cucumbers, squash, etc.)  Then give a team a certain amount of time to retrieve the melons, vegetables, etc. Increase the degree of difficulty by doing this at night with no lights, or putting Vasoline all over the watermelon.
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345) Steal the Melon

That's right.  Plain ol' "Steal the Bacon" with greased watermelon in the center.  (Line up two teams facing each other, number them off, call a number and that person has to grab the watermelon and get it back to their side).
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346) Melt That Ice Cube

Divide group into two or three teams. Give a large block of ice to each group. The team has to melt the ice any way they can (i.e. crushing, breaking, friction, body heat etc.). If possible, weigh before and after to determine winner. Prepare for water.
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347) Messy Message

This game works well if you have a laminator, buy the laminating pages, or use clear mailing tape. Print or write a phrase or scripture out on a piece of paper. Then cut it into separate words. Laminate it or figure out some way to protect the paper from the elements it will be exposed to. Then put the words into balloons and fill the balloons with gross things like ketchup,  salad dressing, or salsa, etc. The object of the games is to pop the balloon with your feet, find the words, and spell out the scripture or phrase.  
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348) Messy Plexi

Prep: Buy or get a 4'x8'sheet of plexi glass donated. Oreos, Cheese in a can, Crackers Call up 2 teams of 2. Tell the students that they need to draw someone using the oreos, cheese in a can, and crackers. When they finish hold up the plexi glass to show the audience and let them vote by applause. Then tell them the game is just starting. The team that can eat their creation the fastest wins. It's great to see tounges, lips, hair, ears and whatever press up against the glass and the audience will roar with laughter.
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349) Milk Chug

Three students compete trying to down a half gallon of milk. Then they must compete in a bat/broom spin. Bat or broom is place on forehead. Spin person 10 times, then have him/her run around a cone that has been placed several feet away from him/her and then return to starting point.
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350) Mind Reader

This is a fun game where you and another staff person or student leader pretend that one of you has the ability to read minds. Important: pre-arrange with "It" (your assistant) a person that they will pick first. As everybody arrives, tell them that "It"is a mind reader. Send "It" out of the room and point to the person that you have pre-arranged. Have "It" come back in the room and ask him or her which person you just selected while "It" was out of the room. "It," of course, will know and the kids won't be that impressed. But "It" looks two spaces clockwise from the person you just pointed to and remembers that person. When "It" leaves the room again, shuffle everyone around (for their confusion) and then pick that person (that WAS two spaces clockwise from the previous person). "It" will come and pick this person to everyone's amazement. Continue playing this for a few rounds, quitting while they still want more.
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351) Mock Spelling Bee

This is designed to get you, the leader. It begins by having someone challenge you to a spelling bee. Four kids come up front to challenge you one a time to a power spelling bee. The game goes as follows: one kid at a time steps up and is given an object (for example an egg) and your leader asks them to spell egg. If they do it correctly, they get to put the object on you. If incorrectly, they do not (Obviously by now you will have an egg on your head). Then it is your chance to spell and put something on them, only you are set up each time. For example, your leader may hold up a can of coke to which you excitedly blurt out "coke…c-o-k-e…coke" only to have your leader tell you that is not the word, instead, they read the toughest ingredient on the can (phenylcarbonhydronate acid or whatever) you miss. The next kid steps up and spells another object (oatmeal, syrup, bananas all work). Each time you get drilled and each time you spell back you lose. Whoever is running the game may trick you in other ways, for example, silent "p's" whatever. A good ender is for them to give you one that you can get right, you in disbelief stare and take a minute to try to guess the catch…then you slowly spell the easy word…on the second to last letter your leader looks at their watch, interrupts saying "whoop, you time has expired, but thanks for playing" and takes off. Your reactions, facial expressions, and acting ability will make or break this one!
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352) Move Right If

Just like it sounds. Tell the people in the crowd to "move right if . . ." (e.g. they are wearing green, if they're in eighth grade, if their birthday is this month, etc.) Be creative! (move two seats to the left if . . . ) Kids will end up on multiple layers of laps or under others.
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353) Mud-O-War

The ever popular Mud-O-War is simply tug of war in the mud, through a jello kiddy pool . . . you name it!
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354) Mullet Envy

This is a crowd breaker-- Have students get into groups of 5 to 10. Have them select one student who will wear a shower cap. Have the group place 2-sided tape all over the cap and then cut either brown or black yarn to be placed on the tape on the cap to look like a mullet. Then have the mullet ones come up to the stage to be judged on the best one. Have the mulletheads say "Business in the front and a party in the back." into the mic in their best 80's metal voice. Also, while they are constructing the mullet play a couple of mullet songs (KJ-52 mullet song hidden track #9 and Phantom Mullet by Five Iron Frenzy). Party on dude!
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355) Mummy Wrap

This game can be played as both a "Crowd" game and an "Up Front" game.  In a big crowd, you can throw out 2 or 3 rolls of toilet paper to different sections of the crowd and have them do it right there.   For "Up front" just pick three groups of three people each. Give each a roll or two of toilet paper. Make sure you give each team the same amount. Two people wrap up (like a mummy) the third person in the group. The object of the game is to: See who can wrap up their "mummy" first or who is most creative in their "mummifying". You may wish to add a few other objects into the game (Q-tips, t.p. rolls, etc.) to aid in the "artistic expression possibilities". You could have the crowd vote or the staff. You need 3 or 6 rolls of toilet paper.
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356) Musical Baby Food

Have the whole group of kids sit in a circle. If there is a small group of kids you only need 1 can of the worst baby food you can find. If you have a larger group of kids you can get a couple of cans of food. Play music as the cans of food are being passed around, but when the music stops whoever is holding the can of food has to take a big spoonful! (have a staff person supply a clean spoon for each person- no double dipping)
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357) Musical Food

Put an apple, and onion, and tomato, etc. in separate lunch bags in front of everyone. Mix them up, throw them out into crowd, start music. When music stops whoever has a bag takes a bite. You may need referees to declare who had it when the music stopped. The number of objects will obviously depend on size of your youth group. Try to think of great objects!
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358) Musical Guys

Musical Chairs with a fun twist. The guys are the chairs and the girls play. Remove a guy (just like a chair) each round until finally two girls fight over one guy!
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359) Musical Squirt Guns

This is a great game that people of all ages can play together---3 year olds to 95 year olds. Have a group sit on chairs in a circle. Play some really bad music (I have a tape of Swiss accordion music). As the music plays, the group is given a loaded squirt gun. They pass the squirt gun around the circle. When the music stops, the person with the squirt gun is out of the game. However, as they leave, they have the privilege of squirting the gun 2 times. They may squirt the person on their immediate left and their immediate right. (Or they may squirt one of these people two times). They take their chair, and leave the circle and the game continues. A variation that speeds up the game is to use two squirt guns moving in different directions around the circle.
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360) Musical Tape

This is just like musical chairs, but with more versatility and you dont need chairs!  Begin by giving each player a 6-8" strip of sticky tape.  You can use duct tape, masking tape, etc., just make sure it doesn't leave residue when removed.  Ask them to fix it anywhere on the floor. (Hint- first have them fold 1" of the tape over on the end of the tape- that way you'll be able to pull it up easier later)  While introducing and explaining the game, remove one of the strips. Tell the youth that they are to move around the room while the music plays, but as soon as the music stops they must place a foot completely over the tape. If some of the tape is visible, the spot may be stolen. One player will be eliminated. With each round another strip is removed until it comes down to the final winner. Because the duct tape is placed randomly, this game is different each time it is played. The choice of which strip to remove will greatly affect the strategies the kids must use to win.
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361) Musical Wardrobe

Supplies: 15-20+ articles of clothing (hats, scarves, blouses, pants, shoes, etc.-more clothes than you'll have players)

The bigger the group, the more items you will need. It is a lot more fun if the items are "thrift store" type clothes (goofy, ugly, lashing, out of style, etc.) Make sure items are in good taste. The game is played like "Hot Potatoe" (notice the CORRECT, old school, Dan Quail spelling of the word) in that you turn the music on, and pass the bag(s) of clothes around. When the music stops, the person left "holding the bag" must pick something out of the bag to put on. They must put it on as it would normally be worn, no cheating by setting it in their lap, throwing it over their shoulder, etc. Continue starting and stopping music until all the items are on people's bodies. To end you can do a few different things: Vote on the "Best Dressed" Most clothes wins Least amount of clothes wins Take a picture for laughs later!
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362) Mute Organization

Simply announce to everyone that you want everyone lined up across the room by birth date. Only catch . . . no talking. Once they are all lined up, ask certain people their birthdays just to be sure. Then you can have them do the same thing, but by shoe size, height, etc.
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363) My Girl

This works best in groups under 30.  We recommend playing 6 guys and 6 girls at a time.  For this game you need a couple of bags of big marshmallows, a Coke (or other soda) for every two players, and any song with a word or phrase that repeats frequently in the chorus.  (One youth worker suggests the song "My Girl”, but any upbeat song will work as long as it includes a frequently repeated pronoun, word, or phrase.) Your guys should be on their knees with the girls behind them. Give the girls the marshmallows and the guys the Coke. Instruct your players that when you play the song, every time they hear the word/phrase "My Girl," the girls have to shove a marshmallow in the guy’s mouth and the guy has to take a drink of the coke. Be ready for some spit ups with a small garbage can or towel under each guy.
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364) Name Game

You start with a name (Tom Cruise). The other team must come up with a name starting with the last letter of the name (Edward Scissorhands). We had it going for a long time until we ran out of names for Y's and got into arguments over whether or not people really existed. We did another variation of the same game with songs. Less fights that way.
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365) Name Tag Mixer

Before kids arrive, prepare name-tags by writing an easy-to-read number on each one. Also prepare slips of paper with instructions such as "Introduce #4 to #12, "Find out #7’s favorite pizza topping," "Shake hands with #5 and #13," and so on. Don’t use numbers higher than the number of kids expected. It’s better to make instructions for #1 to #10 and have duplicate name- tags for #1, #2, #3, and so on. Give kids a name-tag and slip of paper, then send them out to complete their assignment.
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366) Name Toss

Have your group sit in a circle.  There should be no open spots, and one person in the middle holding a tennis or wiffle ball.  The person in the middle calls out someone's name and throws the ball up in the air.  The person's name who was called has to run to the middle and catch the ball while the person who called the name has to run to the open spot.  If the ball is dropped, the catcher is out. Continue playing until there are only a few people left.  One rule: you cannot call the person's name who was just in the middle.   The Point: A great get-to-know-you game.
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367) Newspaper Name Nail

My favorite. I play it all the time. It's designed as a mixer "get-to-know-ya" kind of game (usually for no more than about 30-35 people) Have everyone sit in a circle or something as close as you can get. Then, have each person give their name and make sure each name is clearly said so that all others can hear it. After going through the names once or even twice, have someone start in the middle by asking someone to call the name of someone in the room. The person in the middle proceeds to find the person and try to whop'em with a rolled up newspaper (or pillow) before that person can say both their name and someone else's name in the room. If they get whooped before they can say their name and someone else's name, they are now "it". Also, if the person whose name is called fails to say both their name and another person's name, they will have to be it. The person who is in the middle takes the place of the person they whoop. This helps people learn each others name and mixes kids around with each other. Items needed: Rolled up newspaper or pillow (pillow is actually preferable.)
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368) Newspaper Search

Split up into teams and hand out a newspaper to each. Then call out different things that they need to find. Whoever finds their item/word first gets a point.  You choose who wins after so many points.
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369) Ninja, Gun, Gorilla

Same beat as "Rock-Scissors-Paper”, only you use your whole body. Play it up huge, having someone demonstrate each: ninja-guy in karate stance yelling "waaaaa!”; gun-hold finger gun and say "BANG!”; gorilla-arms in air & beating chest, saying "ooo, ooo, ahh, ahh, ahh!”  Ninja beats gun, gun beats gorilla, gorilla beats ninja. Keep going until all are eliminated, fun to find a champ. It helps to have the students who are out to go to the outside and the people still playing in the middle.
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370) Oil Ball

Get a plastic tarp, about 20' x 25', and lay it down. Pour and smear about 5 to 6 bottles of baby oil all over the tarp. Make the outline of an oval track with about 6 cans of shaving cream. Now the goal is to "wheelbarrow" (this is when one kid stands while holding another kids feet in the air) with the kid on the ground pushing a tennis ball with his/her head around the track twice. The first one done wins! This game does have a cost, but everyone who plays is covered when done and you'll see some great wipe-outs!
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371) One Body

Supplies: 1-t-shirt (or sweat shirt)size 2x-3x 1- pair sweat pants size 2x-3x 3 blind folds 1 laundry basket

Objects to be put into basket. Form teams of 4 players each:    1-person is the "eyes & mouth"    1-person is the "brain"    1-person is "1/2 the body"    1-person is other "1/2 of body" Get prepared for game: "Body" gets into the sweat pants and shirt together (then blind fold them). The "Brain" stands behind the "Body" and is blindfolded.(may hold on to back of sweat shirt) The "eyes & mouth" stands next to the "Brain" How to play: The "Eyes and mouth" whispers to the "brain" what to tell the "Body" to do.   The body tries to get the pre-designated objects into their own basket. When all objects are found and in their basket, Team sits down, "Eyes & mouth" yells "DONE!" First team to sit wins! Rules: No peeking!  "Eyes & mouth" must only "whisper" to the "Brain". "Brain is the only one who can "talk". Body may not use their arm or hand that is inside of the sweat shirt. Object ideas: Gallon size food cans. Twisted pipe cleaners "on" each basket. Large ball. *This game works best if the objects cannot be picked up with one hand. Have the same kind of object for each team to pick up. Game Variation:  When all objects are found and in team baskets...Leader yells "Done!" Each teams sits and the team with most objects in their basket wins. This way does not require identical objects for each team. The Point/Discussion Idea: Ask what they learned about the Church being "One Body" through this game.
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372) One-footed Blindfolded, Peanut Butter . . .

You gotta try One-footed Blindfolded, Peanut Butter Life-Saver Picker-upper. One volunteer hops around on one foot while blind-folded, picking up at least one of each flavor of lifesaver in the area. To begin, they must dip their foot in peanut-butter, then hop around an area where three different stations of different colored lifesavers are set up. Meanwhile, the rest of the audience, or several dozen members, surround the chosen one, but do not touch him/her. For the first round, the audience insults and deceives the blind-folded volunteer to keep them from completing their task. For the second round, the audience encourages and helps the volunteer successfully pick up at least one of each flavor. This was specifically designed for a class on encouragement.
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373) Opposite Arm Dodge Ball

game is played just like it sounds. Set up any dodge ball game that your kids like, however, make them throw with their opposite arm. This is a great game and really funny. It helps keep your jocks from dominating the game and also encourages the more sensitive kids, who are afraid of getting hit, to play. I normally play and act really dumb trying to throw with my wrong arm, kids laugh at me and we have a great time.
Ness' Doc

374) Organized Mingling Mixer

Get an even amount of students and staff in the room.  (Add your staff as needed to make the number even.)  Students and staff mingle to music and shake hands.  When the music stops, everyone must find another person and shake hands.  The leader calls out a question they must ask of whomever they are shaking hands.  Use fun and serious questions. Sample questions: 1.  What is your favorite pizza? 2.  What is your favorite kind of weather and why? 3.  If you could go anywhere on a vacation for a week, where would you go? 4.  What would you do with $1,000 dollars cash right now? 5.  Share a moment in your life where you remember being the most happy. 6.  Share a moment in your life where you were really sad. Hint: you can use questions that will kick off that night's discussion.
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375) Pantyhose Jello slurp

Up front game with three to five contestants. Each contestant places a knee high pantyhose over their head, which is funny in its own right. Then place a drop cloth or tarp down and have each kneel on the tarp. Give each contestant a bowl of especially runny Jello in the most seasonal color (green St. Patrick's Day, red for Valentine's, orange for Halloween, etc.). Place something seasonal in the Jello (peeled grapes for eyeballs at Halloween, Lucky Charms for St. Pat's) and give bonus points for those that can slurp seasonal items through their pantyhose. Winner gets a dumb prize.
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376) Paper Plane Onslaught

For this game you need two different colors of 8½ x 11 paper, as many sheets as you have students plus extra, just in case. Also, give everyone a pair of cheap sunglasses, because you'll need eye protection for this one. Then you split the room with tape or other similar divider. Give half the group one stack of color paper and the other half the other color. Choose a time limit between 1 and 3 minutes. The idea is to see how many paper airplanes one team can throw to the other side before the time is up. The team that has thrown the most planes to the other side wins. Quick Clean Up: The team that cleans up their side the fastest wins the onslaught.
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377) Paper Plate Musical Chairs

Have paper plates scattered throughout the room.  When the music stops, everyone must be touching the plate.  If they are not, then they are out.  Take out more plates every time.
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378) Pass the Brains

Here's a Halloween variation of the 'pass the parcel' game we typically play at kid's parties in Australia. Scoop out a pumpkin as you would to make a jack _o _lantern. Carve out a face, but don't make the holes too big otherwise the 'brains' will fall out too quickly. (Alternatively, you could just draw a face on the pumpkin with a black marker pen.) Fill the pumpkin with cold, cooked spaghetti hiding wrapped candy in amongst the 'brains'. There should be one candy for each kid playing. Play some spooky music as the pumpkin head is passed around. When the music stops, the kid holding the head feels through its 'brains to find some candy.
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379) Pass the Spam

Divide students into teams (however many you want) and form a line. Give each team a can of Spam. Have the first person in each line open the can and place the Spam under his chin, holding it against their chest. When you say "Go" they pass it to the next persons chin. (No hands...except to pick it up off the floor!). A simple relay, but have fun adding creative twists...like "last person eats it!"
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380) Penguin Football

Give each person a rag about four inches wide and two feet long (sheets torn into strips work well.) Each person then ties the rag securely around his knees to make running impossible. Players can move only by shuffling their feet. Now divide into teams and play football using a Nerf football. The game becomes hilarious when players must hike, run, throw, and kick with their knees tied together. Of course, this opens up the possibility of playing Penguin Baseball, Penguin volleyball, Penguin Soccer, and countless other games.
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381) Penny on the Chin Mixer

Give each student a penny and have them find a partner. They must hold the penny between their lip and chin without using their hands. Have them stand back to back. On the count of three they turn and face each other. The first one to drop their penny is out and must sit down. The winner then finds a new partner and moves on. Go until someone wins. Find new partners and eliminate to final couple. If there is a tie, both have to sit down. You may want background music starting and stopping each round.
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382) People Scavenger Hunt

Good game for a crowd or audience.  Divide the crowd into three or four teams, each section with a captain.  The game leader calls out certain characteristics.....blue eyes, likes to snowboard, has a 4.0, has red hair, etc.  The captain of each team must quickly try to bring someone with that characteristic up to leader.  First one to do so wins that round.  Keep score and play to 5 or 10.
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383) Phone a Friend

Supplies: cell phone (one of those radio/cell phones with the speakerphone is the best) and a sound system.

Pick out a teen and bring them upfront using your cell phone (you have to be able to hear the person on the other line) to make a live call to a friend of their choice. They will identify where they are and what's going on ("I'm part of this contest in my youth group right now . . .”) Now ask your teen a series of questions about the person they are going to call. They have to guess what the person on the cell will say, such as: Will they answer before the third ring? Have they eaten dinner yet? Do they have shoes on? Or something embarrassing like: Does their mom kiss them good night? Give a prize to your teen for every right answer they give. They can keep going up the prize ladder for better prizes, but if they miss they lose everything! Go 5 rounds, start with small prizes like candy bars up to cd's, tickets to a concert, amusement park, money, whatever!
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384) Pickle Spitting Contest

Buy a large container of dill pickles. You can go with whole pickles, you can cut them . . . the size is up to you! Roll out plastic on floor! Catagorize you crowd by age, grade, gender, whatever you feel like, and go to it. Anything from distance, bullseye, goal posts, target, (skies the limit) and have fun with lots of recognition. We have done this in our harvest party and had takers of all ages.
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385) Pie Pan Bubble Blow

You get three people to come up front and sit in chairs at a table. Then you put in front of them three pie pans that are full of whip cream. At the bottom of each pie plate is a piece of bubble gum. The race is to see who can eat all the whip cream, find the gum and be the first person to blow a bubble. The first person done is the winner. Rules are though they can't use their hands. They can stand or sit doing this. Kids love getting messy!
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386) Pie Roulette

Six kids in a circle pass a pie around. When the music stops, the kid with the pie has the choice of pieing the person on their right or himself. If the kid pies another kid he’s out. If he pies himself, he stays in. If they all pie themselves add honey to the pie, or Spam, or chocolate syrup, or whatever it takes. Use marshmallow fluff or whip cream for the pies.
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387) Ping Pong Ball Party Blower

Give several guys a party blower and a ping pong ball each. Have the guys get down on all fours and race their ping pong ball to a given destination and back. The only way they can move the ball is by bopping it with the party blower.
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388) Play Doh Pictionary

Just like it sounds! Pictionary, but with Play-doh. Divide into teams. Have a representative come up front from each group. Whisper a Pictionary word (like "dog") to the group and they must run back to their group and, without talking, mold that word with Play-doh. You can use words from your "topic" that day or from your lesson to introduce the subject.   Put a staff member on each team cause kids will cheat (so do some staff members!)
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389) Play Doh Snowman

We did this for one of our Youth's Christmas Parties. Divide group into teams made up of about 3-5 people. Give them each a couple cans of Play Doh (or divide cans up between teams). Have each team come up with their best "snow man". Have a couple of judges prepared to judge the finished products. You can have one winner or you can make up a couple of categories, such as, "Most Creative" or "Biggest Snow Man", etc. This works great for groups of 30-40 teens. Our teens were very creative, and we showcased them on Sunday in the foyer. They loved it.
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390) Plunger Head

In most hardware stores you can buy the pink plunger part separate from the stick. So get two plunger ends for every stick. Put one plunger end at each end of the stick. Tie a tennis ball by about 2 feet of string to the middle of the stick.  Put your group into equal teams.  Have them run a relay to the end of a determined length in pairs. Each member has to put a plunger end on his forehead and together they have to wrap the tennis ball around the stick without using their hands (other than to hold the plunger to their heads). When they get it wound, they drop it, run back and tag the next group who then has to UNWIND it in the same fashion. Not only does it teach teamwork and team cheering, everyone looks equally stupid in the process.
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391) Polaroid Picture Challenge

You can make this a class competition. Mount a Polaroid on a tripod that must be held stationary on the same spot. Explain to each class or team that they must try to fit as many people as possible into the view of the camera. The winner is the team with the most in the picture.
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392) Pole Pole

(also known as Can-can) Find something to use as a free-standing pole (you can use a garbage can as well, hence the name "Can-can."). Circle around it holding hands. The rules are simple. If you touch the pole or the pole touches you in any way, you are out, and if you break hands with the person next to you, you both are out. And the last man (or woman) standing wins. My youth love it- it's their favorite game. Can get a little intense though.
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393) Pool Waterskiing

That's right! You can water ski in a pool! (It just helps if it is an Olympic sized pool!) Just have a strong staff guy bracing himself and holding a water ski rope in the back of a truck just outside the pool area. When the skier yells Òhit it,Ó the truck takes off and skis the person 3/4 the way across the pool before the person in the truck lets go of the rope (for safety). Have people with inner tubes or blow up rafts on the side of the pool for safety! (ItÕs best to test this out with a couple of staff first to see how far to pull before letting go!) This is just cool to watch. You can score it how you like. The best way is for judges to hold up numbers between 1 and 10.
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394) Poolside Steal the Bacon

Just like Steal the Bacon with its many variations, but in the pool. The 2 teams can either be in the water or standing on the opposite sides of the pool (if you have a deep enough deep end that allows for safe diving in). The "Bacon" can be anything (ball, rag, raft, be creative here) and can be floating on the water, sunk to the bottom, or even in the process of sinking.
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395) Poor Little Kitten

Everyone sits in a circle. One person is the "Poor Little Kitten", and stands in the middle of the circle. He must then go to any person in the circle and kneel down in front of them and meow the saddest "meow". The person sitting must then say "Poor Little Kitten" and pet him on the head without laughing. The "Poor Little Kitten" has three chances to make the person laugh. If the person sitting laughs he becomes the "Poor Little Kitten".
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396) Poorman's Beachball Volleyball

Use your staff as net (all lined up across the court with hands in the air) and play normal volleyball with a beachball. Allow as many hit per side as needed and allow as many players as needed (your whole group, in other words)
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397) Protect the President

Supplies: For this game all you need is a volleyball-sized Nerf ball

All the kids stand in a wide circle with two people in the middle. one person in the middle is the President, the other is the Bodyguard. The poeple in the circle have the Nerf ball, and throw it at the president. The bodyguard may do anything to block the ball with his body: jump, squat, dive, etc. The ball may NEVER touch the president. If the ball touches the President at any time, the person who threw the ball (or the last person to touch it) then becomes the Bodyguard, the Bodyguard becomes the President, and the President goes back into the circle. What makes this REALLY exciting is that from the moment the President is hit, the new Presdent is vulnerable the transition is instantaneous. The new bodyguard must be fast at getting into the circle to defend him or her. This sometimes makes Presidential Turnover pretty quick, but it's exciting. This game is EXHAUSTING, especially if the people in the middle are good. Be ready to sweat if you play. One strategy for the "shooters" is to pass the ball around the circle and keep it moving to wear the people in the middle down. They'll eventually tire and the president will get hit. As the kids get more experience at the game, they will develop strategies and tactics, and will thoroughly enjoy themselves.
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398) Psychiatrist

This game is a blast, it can take a long time though, so be prepared to make it your only game for the night! Take your group and have them sit in a circle with one person, the psychiatrist, questioning them while standing in the middle (usually it helps if the person who is the psychiatrist has never played the game before). They are briefed separately on the rules of the game. The Psychiatrists goal is to try and diagnose everyone's problem. He should do this by asking questions, and analyzing their answers to discover the true nature of their problem. For the sake of his patient's confidentiality and anonymity, he is not allowed to ask them their names. Nor may he ask them what their symptoms are. If they knew what was wrong with them, they wouldn't be coming to him for help! Be sure to let the Psychiatrist know, that the same problem is shared by all the patients, and that the problem is NOT a clinical one (i.e.: schizophrenia, kleptomania etc.) The Patients goal is to answer questions as truthfully as possible, without revealing the true nature of their problem. Their problem is simple. They believe that they are the person sitting next to them on their left. So when the Psychiatrist asks them a question, they must answer as if they were the person on their left. If they answer incorrectly, someone who catches their mistake, must yell "psychiatrist" and then they all must stand up and switch seats with someone else. When this happens they take on the characteristics of the new person they are sitting next to. To win, the Psychiatrist must diagnose that everyone believes that they are the person sitting on their left, and then he must diagnose why they are saying Psychiatrist and switching seats.
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399) Pudding Fling

Make a "Bulls Eye" hole in a large (door size) piece of cardboard or plywood (think refrigerator box). Give the one who volunteers to stick their head in the "Bulls Eye" sunglasses to protect their eyes. Have a mixing bowl full of pudding for students to spoon from. They will fling a pudding filled spoon at their target.
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400) Pull Across the Line

See "British Bulldog" (above). Same object of the game, but you can't cross the center line and you convert people to your side by reaching over the line and pulling them to your side. Variation: Have someone sit down if they are pulled across
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401) Pull Apart

This is where all the guys link up (get in a big pile and hug, grab each other, whatever necessary to try to stay linked together) and when you say "go," the girls try to pull them apart. Once a guy is pulled to where he isn't touching any other guys, he's out and needs to go sit down. Last two guys together are the winners. For the obvious reasons, we don't suggest reversing the gender roles on this game.
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402) Pull-up

Everyone gets a chair and forms a circle, everyone sitting in their chair and facing the center of the circle except for 5 boys and 5 girls who start the game. (They are in the middle, standing). At a whistle the 10 boys and girls in the center of the circle run to the people sitting in the chairs and "pull-up" a person of the opposite sex, by taking their hands and pulling them out of their chair. For example a boy would go up to a girl, pull her out of her chair and then take her place. The girl can offer not resistance. She then runs to the other side of the circle, pulls a guy out of this chair, and takes his seat, and so- on. This continues for one minute, the whistle blows, and everybody stops where they are. The boys and girls left standing are counted. If there are 2 more girls than boys, the boys get 2 points, and the game goes on. Every time a minute goes by, the whistle blows and those standing are counted. The idea is sort of a random "musical chairs", boys against the girls. The team with the least left standing each time wins.
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403) Push Over

Have two people come up and face each other about 2-3 feet apart. Their feet should be even (side by side, not in front of one another) and their hands are raised, touching each others palms (like they are playing "Patty-cake"). The object is to make the other person fall, forward or backward by pushing or releasing pressure to your hands. Rules: Can't move your feet Can't move your hands other than forward or back Can't grab or close your hands
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404) Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is

Two guys who have wallets each face the other and see who can "draw" his wallet the fastest and stick it in his mouth (gunfighter style). Another way to do this is to ask for two people who want to win two dollars. When they come up, give each a dollar bill, which they must put in their wallets and place back in their back pockets. On the signal, they go for their wallets, gunfighter style, and each must take the dollar out of his wallet, put it on the floor and then sit on it. The last guy to do so has to give the other guy his dollar, and he loses.
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405) Pyramid Races

Pretty Simple. Divide Group into teams of six. Have them build a pyramid (three people on bottom, two in the middle, one on top) and walk across a certain point (only needs to be 10 or 15 feet away), turn around and walk back, all while in the pyramid. First team done wins!
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406) Q-Tip and Food Coloring Wars

This is a messy game, so do game outside or in area easily cleaned up. Have a staff person wear a T-shirt, preferably plain white. Draw a target on the shirt that is big enough to cover the front of the shirt. Divide into 4 teams, each with a different color. Give each team 5 Q-Tips per person or an equal amount if teams are not even in number. (6 on team one, 7 on team two, 6 on team 3 - give team #2 five more Q-Tips) and give each person a straw (wide straws work best - McDonald's has them, but it would be wise to ask instead of just grabbing that amount). You also need a bowl or cup of water (about 1 cup of water per team ) with enough food coloring added to color water well. One by one kids dip their Q-Tips in the bowl/cup to color the tip. Then they shoot their five "darts" (Q-Tips) at the target on the staff person's shirt. It does not matter who shoots when as long as each person gets in their five shots. The object is to hit the most points on the target. Staff note: Make the target however you want in terms of points. Add up the total points or # or hits. You may just put a big (+) across the front making 4 different quadrants, one for each team and score it by how many times a team can "hit" in their quadrant. 2 points if they hit their own quadrant and 1 point for hitting someone else's quadrant. Items needed: Old white T-shirt (they'll need to be thrown out after this event!) Enough Q-Tips for each kid to have 5 4 different food coloring colors 4 cups or bowls 4 one cup measures of water Drop cloth Tape to tape a firing line on the ground
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407) Q-Tip Shuffle

Another stupid relay . . . but some of you might actually like those pathetic things! Several teams divide in half and stand in two lines on the opposite sides of the room for this relay game. A person in front of the line shoves six Q-tips in different orifices of his/her body (sticking out of pockets, between knees, protruding from armpits . . . ), then shuffles across room to the person in front of the other line who grabs Q-tips with their teeth, and drops them on the floor. That person then sticks the Q-tips on their body somewhere and does the same, running (shuffling) back to the original line. First team to finish the relay wins.
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408) Q-Tip War

This is a simpler, cleaner version of our Q-tip & Food Coloring War game above. Divide room in half (with tape if needed). Each person gets a plastic straw and each side a bunch of Q-tips. On "Go" with loud music started, the object is to get as many Q-tips on the other side of the line in the allotted time.
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409) Questionnaire Game

For this game you'll need as many pens as students and a pre-typed/copied questionnaire. Have all your students fill out an anonymous questionnaire when they come in, with questions/statements like, "My favorite band is.." "My dream car is...". Once finished, pass the questionnaires out randomly (to someone different than the person who filled it out) and yell "Go!"   Students have to walk around asking each other questions, trying to find whose questionnaire they have.   The Point: Good getting-to-know-you game
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410) Quick Change

Prepare three or four costumes and grab the same number of volunteers. I used an old military uniform, one of those old polyester Taco Bell uniforms (it was my friends, NOT MINE! ), and a 70's outfit. Each ridiculous looking costume consisted of a pair of pants, a top, a pair of glasses, and a hat. I set the costume in front of each participant, handed them each a balloon, explained to them each the object of the game, and yelled go. Each of them had to blow up the balloon and start bopping (is that a word?) it into the air. The object was for them to get completely into the costume and back out of the costume while keeping the balloon in the air. The result is three people running and hopping all over the room, trying to get dressed while chasing a balloon. Great fun- give it a try!
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411) Radioactive Renegades

This is a "sponsor hunt” type game played at night on a retreat and takes 30 minutes to an hour (most often played outdoors, but can be played in a huge facility with lots of rooms- and lights dim).  The objective is for students to "save the world” by finding all the "Renegade Rebels”.  The catch is that they must find them all in order. Step One: Before the game number off all your leaders, give them a colored felt marker and tell them to hide around the camp (or wherever you are).  These hiding leaders are your "renegade rebels” the kids are trying to find. You can provide glow sticks or glow products to your students.  Send them out in pairs. Step Two:  Gather your group and tell them that Renegade Rebels have stolen a large amount of plutonium. The students must identify each of the renegade rebels in order to win the game.  When they approach someone they think is a renegade rebel they need to ask if they are "Renegade Rebel Number One".  If that happens to be the leader’s number, they make a mark with their felt tip on the student’s arm.  Then the student searches for Renegade Rebel Number Two.  If the leader is not the right renegade rebel they simply answer "I don't know what your talking about," and the student keeps on searching. Step Three:   Students have to search and ask until they have found all the renegade rebels in order.  They will have markings for each rebel on their arm as evidence. To make it more fun and challenging you can have your rebels move around, changing hiding spots throughout the game; or you can add leaders as decoys who are nor renegade rebels to fool the kids.
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412) Real Identity

This is a great "get to know ya" and a memory game. Everybody is in a circle. Everyone takes a turn saying their name and something about them (example, "Hi, I'm John and I play football"). The next person needs to say the previous person's name and item of interest before saying their own (example, "He's John, he plays football and I'm Mary and I torture small animals."). As this game moves on, people need to remember more and more information. With bigger groups you can have them only repeat the names to save time.
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413) Rio Linda Kickball

This is a lot like normal kickball with a bunch of backwards twists (hence the name "Rio Linda," if you've ever been there, you know exactly what I mean!) Here are the rules: all the bases are backwards. Run to 3rd first, 2nd second, and 1st third . . . if you follow me All players on a team get one time up and they get one pitch from their own pitcher Endless # of outs, just keep going until all players have been up once. No foul balls, everything is fair no limit to how many people on bases, no force outs get someone out by touching ANY base at any time. Any runners between any bases are out if a ball is caught the runner is out if a runner is tagged they are out
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414) Rio Linda Wiffle Ball

This is the same as Rio Linda Kickball but with a wiffle ball and bat. One added rule for this game: runners must carry the bat with them to 3rd (the first) base. If they drop the bat they are out!
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415) River Crossing

The goal of this game is to help teach your students or leaders to work together by having them work as a team to cross a "river". First, using your gym or other space, you need a place to start from (a wall, lines in the gym, etc), the "river", and then a destination. You can use assorted pieces of wood, blankets, or anything else they can stand on. Break them up into teams and have them race to the other side of the river. The rules are: everyone has to get across and no one can touch the floor or they all have to start over. The Point: Team building; a good game for a leadership event.
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416) Ro-Sham-Bo Train

Everyone grab a partner. Rock paper scissors- if you lose you go follow behind the person that beat you and they will do it again with another pair. Keep this up. A large train will build behind the people that keep winning- eventually someone will have everyone behind him- he or she wins a prize.
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417) Row Organizer (aka LINEUP GAME)

The reason that this game is good is because it takes no props! Just tell the crowd that each individual row is a team (make sure all rows have at least 7 or 8 people in them). Then you tell everyone to organize themselves in their row by . . . (height, birthday, shoe size, age, # of speeding tickets, etc.) First row to do it gets a point. Keep score and give the winning row a prize.
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418) Rubber Band on Nose

Put a large rubber band around the heads of several people. Place it so that is squashes their nose and folds their ears over. They can use anything to get it down around their necks except their hands (can use wall, other people, etc.). First one through wins. Can also play where they can't use anything else (no walls, other people, etc.) just the movement of your face to manipulate it down. Hilarious facial expressions as they work it down.
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419) Run the Gauntlet

Girls are given rolled up newspapers, and they are lined up in two single file lines. The two lines are parallel, facing each other with approximately three to four feet between them. The boys tie balloons to their seats (on their pant belt loops) and must "run the gauntlet", that is , they must run between the tow lines of girls who try to pop the balloons by hitting them with the newspapers. The object is to see which boy(s) can avoid having their balloon popped.
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420) Saran Wrap Body Pass

Get 4 staff members from the crowd (as many staff as you have sections of the crowd- divided by isles) Have each staff member stand in front of a given section of crowd that can cheer for their staff member. Have each staff member grab about 3 or 4 kids to "wrap them.” Hand each group 3 or 4 rolls of Saran Wrap, tell them to mummy them and yell "Go!” (I tell the staff to put their hands in the air so they have them free for later!) When they are wrapped up- ask the crowd what the best way to judge who is wrapped the best- then announce that you have an idea. "Pick them up and pass them to the back of the crowd and back up front again. First section to do that wins!”
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421) Saran Wrap Race

Supplies: as many boxes of 100 ft. plastic wrap as you plan teams for, masking tape (for finishing line), trash can, stop-watch (optional)

Prep: Beforehand, use tape to designate start and finish lines. Pick 4-10 students (depending on amount of space available) and put them in teams of two. Assign one player from each team to wrap and one to be wrapped. When they hear "Go!", the wrapper opens the box (an added challenge) and starts wrapping their teammate from the neck down, including arms, with the entire roll. NOTE: Do not wrap arms to body- this could result in injury if they fall. Have them only wrap arms individually! Once they've been wrapped they must hop to the finish line. As soon as they get across the finish line their teammate runs from the starting line and unwraps them. The first person to unwrap their partner and throw away all the plastic wrap wins! (Notice how the clean-up is slyly integrated into the game…they don't pay you for your good looks alone!) Twist #1: Instead of hopping, students must inch-worm their way across the finish line. (For this game you can have wrap their arms to their body- just don't let them fall- they don't have their arms to stop their fall) Twist #2: When the wrapped one gets across the finish line, the other teammate wraps themselves up as they unwrap their teammate. After they are wrapped up they hop to the starting line, turn around and hop back to the finish line, and the game resumes as usual. Use this twist if you need to burn more time up.
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422) Sardines

This is game is kind of a reverse "hide and go seek". Turn out all the lights. Have one person go hide. Everyone else is "it” and looks for this person. As soon as one person finds the person hiding, he or she hides with the person. Now there are two hiding. As soon as someone else finds them, that person hides with them. You end up with a bunch of people packed like "sardines” in one hiding spot with one poor person trying to find everyone.
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423) Scalp (or Duct Tape Tag)

Divide into two teams. One team places a 1.5 foot long strip of duct tape horizontally on their backs. The other team places a 1.5 foot long strip of duct tape vertically on their back. (You can use different colored tape if you want and name the teams by the colors. i.e. Yellow vs. Black) Have teams separate in a large playing area, preferably at night. The object is to "scalp" the other team by pulling the tape off their backs. Once their tape is removed they are out of the game.
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424) Scavenger Hunt With a Twist

This ain’t yer grandma’s Scavenger Hunt - but it could be! Split students into teams, assigning a youth leader to follow them around. Provide students with a list of unusual items that they need to get from people's homes or businesses. Your list could include toilet paper, a drink, a bug, soap, a kiss on the elbow, toast, a tack, etc.; stuff people normally wouldn't ask for. The bonus item is a grandmother. All of the items had to be brought back to your meeting area within a half-hour - even the grandma. You'll be surprised how many grandmas are willing to help. If possible, get someone’s grandmother from the other team without them knowing it (the team, not the grandmother)!
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425) Seltzer Melt

Each person will receives an Alka-Seltzer attached to the string. For best results we divided our teens into 4 armies. The field is divided into a huge square, outside of that huge square (4 corners)each army has a home base and a huge trash can of water to refill guns. The object of the game is to melt the opposing teams Alka-Seltzer. The last team standing with Alka-Seltzer’s intact wins. Hints: Make sure girls wear swim suits- they will get wet. Use discretion. Ask students to bring their own water guns (ANYTHING GOES on the squirt guns!)
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426) Shave the Balloon

3 or 4 kids race to shave a balloon. First put shaving cream all over the balloons. The trick is that when the balloon breaks, the shaving cream goes all over — so be prepared. A little nick put on the razor's edge before hand will assure that the balloons will break.
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427) Shaving Creme Whiffle Ball

Basically you just play a game of baseball with whiffle ball and bat, but before each pitch you fill the ball up with shaving creme. So as the bat hits, it splatters everywhere - as you catch the ball you get covered in shaving creme. Usually it turns into a shaving creme fight, but the kids and adults love it.
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428) Shoe Pile

Have everyone take off one of their shoes and throw it into a big pile. You might even designate someone as the Shoe Salad Tosser, instructing them to mess up the pile, so people can't remember where certain shoes landed in the pile. Then everyone needs to pick out a shoe from the pile and proceed to find the person who belongs to that shoe. This works well for a large group. Option II: The other option is to put everyone's shoes in the pile and instruct them that they each need to get their own shoe, put it on, tie it, and stand back up. First one standing is the winner.
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429) Shoe Tie

While students are entering your youth room, ask them to take off their shoes and put them in a back room out of sight.  While they are involved in other activities, have a leader or two sneak back and tie all the shoes together in one big, massive knot.  Then bring out the pile in front of everyone.   The object of the game is to see who can be first to get their shoes untied, back on their feet, and tied again.  Award two different winners: laces and no laces. 
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430) Shuffle The Deck Mixer

Hand everyone a playing card as they come in.  During the mixer call out different combinations that they have to form a group with.  Example: four of a kind, a flush, two pairs, etc.
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431) Shuffle Your Buns

This game requires at least a good handful of people and a chair for everyone. Have everyone sit in a circle. Then select a person to go into the middle. When you say "go" they are to try to go back to their seat. Everyone slides their tush (shuffles their buns) over to block the person from sitting in the empty seat. The person will end up running around the circle trying to get to the rapidly moving empty seat. If he sits than the person on his or her left is the person who has to go in the middle.
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432) Siamese Twins Tasks

This game is only as good as the person leading it. Bring a few pairs of kids up front. Have an XXL t-shirt for every pair. Have them both get into the t-shirt and do specific tasks that you ask them to do. You can do this in a drama-like format. You can read a story and have them act it out. (e.g. Once upon a time the Stuck Sisters got up from a good night's sleep. They immediately decided to do their morning exercises. They started with toe touchers. Then push ups . . . now they need to brush their teeth with their one tooth brush . . . ) Fun to watch!
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433) Silent Animal Circle

People: 20

This game gets difficult with more than twenty people; it is better for groups of 15 or so. Everyone gets in a circle and is given an animal in which they are assigned a hand motion that represents that animal. Hand Motions (a few examples): Elephant- hang one arm down with your other arm wrapped around it, holding your nose (like a trunk) Mosquito- with your left hand hold up a peace sign with the inside of your hand facing you, with your right hand poke your index finger pointing forward and place it in the middle of the peace sign in your left hand; now bring your hands to your face like you have a mosquito nose. Cow- put your hand at your stomach with your fingers sticking out like an udder. Deer- point a finger on each hand upward, placing your hands on top of your head (like single horns) Moose- open your hands with fingers spread wide and place hands on your head with thumbs touching the top of your head (moose antlers) How To Play: Lets say that 12 people are playing this game. They are all in a circle. The Elephant, in the 12 o'clock position of the circle is the leader. Then in the 11 o'clock position the mosquito then whatever order you like. The animal is always in the same position- as people move, they assume the animal in that particular seat or place in the circle. The object is to get to be the elephant. As people mess up in this game, they have to move back to the one o'clock position and work their way up again as others mess up. The elephant starts the game by doing his own signal then another animals signal, such as the cow. The cow must then do his own signal and another animal's signal immediately. A certain rhythm or speed is set by the elephant (by how fast he or she does the signals). Everyone must keep that rhythm- no hesitations. If an individual pauses, forgets to do their signal, or messes up the signal in any way, then he or she must go back to the one o'clock position. Lets say that the cow is always in the 10 o'clock position. If the person that was the cow messes up, then he or she goes to the one o'clock position and is now a snake (for example). The person who was the deer (in the 9 o'clock position) is now the cow and so on down the line. When ever someone messes up, it is only the people below them that are affected and have to move up to a new animal. If the elephant messes up, everyone moves because he is the highest position.
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434) Sing A Song

Bring 3-5 volunteers up to the front. Each player gets a cup of water. The youth leader assigns that person a song. The person has to sing it while gargling water. The audience has to guess the song. You can do this with any size group.
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435) Sink the Bismarck

Basically, it's every man for himself dodge-ball. A group of students, 10-30, is asked to stand in a large open circle and game balls are placed sporadically (if that's a word) throughout the circle. You can pick the number of balls. I use about 5 or 6. When the leader says "Go" students run to the nearest ball start trying to hit anyone around them. If you are holding a ball you can't run and if you get hit you must sit down. If you catch a thrown ball, the thrower is out, if you get hit and the ball hits the ground, you are out and you must sit down, In order for a person to move with the ball, he must pass it to a trustworthy person who is sitting on the ground (by rolling it -- remember if caught in the air you're out). But be careful, they could hit you with the ball or give it to another standing thrower) the last person standing wins the prize.
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436) Sit Down If

Instructions: Ask the entire group to stand. Instruct them to sit down when the statement characterizes them and remain seated. Encourage them to be as honest as possible. If you have trouble because most are not sitting down, give them general characteristics (sit down if you are under 15, if you have on white socks, if you are in love). Sit Down Mixer Number 1 Sit down if: You haven't used deodorant in a week ... two days. You haven't won the same socks two days in a row. You sing in the shower. You drive a Volkswagon. Your belly button is an outie. You haven't taken a shower in a week. You didn't use mouthwash today. You are a girl and you didn't shave your legs today. You are a guy and you didn't shave your legs today.
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437) Sit Down Mixer Number 2

Sit down if: Your nose is crooked You believe each person should pay expenses on the first date. You still suck your thumb. Your socks don't match. You are ticklish. You wear baby doll pajamas. You weigh less than 100 pounds. You nose is running and you don't have a handkerchief. You're going steady but you wish you weren't. You are good-looking but not conceited.
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438) Sit Down Mixer Number 3

Sit down if: You have ever eaten snails. You are cross-eyed. Your mother still dresses you. You use Ban deodorant. You have never lied to your mother. You have a hole in your sock. Your zipper is open. You got a traffic ticket lately. You are on a diet. You have never stolen a street marker. You have a false tooth. You are really good looking.
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439) Slime Twister

This is a MESSY twist (pun intended) on the classic board game Twister. Did we say messy? That's an understatement: you play this version using pea soup, blue pudding, ketchup, and mustard.
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440) SnickerDew Race

Choose a number of contestants based on the size of your group, 2 - 6 works best. Give each contestant a King Size Snicker bar and a can or bottle of Mountain Dew. The contestants race to see who can finish their feast first. If you are feeling extra sneaky, add yourself to the game and give a Joe Nameth-style guarantee that you will win the competition. The key to the win is to give everyone else a candy bar that is nearly frozen. Yours will be nice and soft at room temperature. Just pretend like it is hard to bite into.
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441) Shoot Shoot

Bring 3 or 4 people up front. Give them each a certain number of Jelly Bellys, they're smaller than normal jelly beans- Good and Plenty's or Skittles work as well. Place a bucket a good 5 feet away from each contestant. You can guess the rest- they shoot the Jelly Bellys, cherios, or other candy out their NOSE into the bucket. A riot to watch- and not much fun to count the candy in the bucket.
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442) Sock and Bop

For this semi-messy game you need old pantyhose and flour. This is similar to the game, Open Gates. Have all the students line up. Then have the leaders on the field with flour stuffed into the legs of pantyhose. One of the leaders will shout out something like, "Everyone with purple on!" and those people must then run. The leaders try to hit them with the 'flour hose' and then they must go back to the other side and wait. The winner is the last "boppee" standing. DISCLAIMER: ONLY bop in the torso area - NEVER bop below the waist, in the face, or around the neck. BTW, the "boppers" (they don't have to be leaders if you have students mature enough to handle a flour filled pantyhose) can be placed facing each other to create a "run-through" line or they can be placed randomly around the playing field (as kids would in a game of tag).
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443) Sock Wars

Use tape on the floor to design an "arena" and have all contestants take off shoes but leave socks on. You can have as many people participate, but remember the more kids, the bigger the area should be. The object of this game is to keep your socks on as long as possible! There is no standing, so everyone is crawling around on the arena trying to pull everyone elses socks off while trying to defend their own socks.
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444) Sockball

kind of like hot potatoes/tag/WWF NEED: circle of chairs of no less than 15 people 2-4 people standing in the middle 3-4 long socks with tennis balls in the end. HOW Those sitting in the circle toss the sockballs to each other (usually very hard throws) and try to keep those in the middle from catching them.(more fun if you can bounce it off someone in the middle) If they catch it then the thrower goes in and the runner sits down.(even if it falls to the ground and is picked up) The people in the middle can also tag any thrower who is holding the sockball and they have to switch.(this keeps the pace up). This is our favorite game, good for those nights when high activity level is the best option.
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445) Soda Slam

This game is a cinch. Bring up a few contestants, give them each a soda and tell them the first one to empty the can wins. Option: have them belch when they're done to complete the contest. Another Option: Have each contestant turn their can upside down before opening. Take a pen and poke a hole in the bottom sidewall of the can. Have them place their mouth around the hole, tilt the can upright and open the top at the same time. All the soda will flow into their mouth in less than 10 seconds- very hard to keep from spitting it out (See the Rob Reiner film, "The Sure Thing" for a demonstration)
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446) Song Endurance

This game is very simple and can be played with two or more teams. Sometimes this is fun to do with guys against girls. Pick a song theme (at Christmas choose Christmas songs, with a younger or more ignorant group you don't even need a theme- any song can be open game) and let the singing begin. The object of this game is to keep coming up with songs longer than the other team or teams. One team starts and sings a line of one song. Then the other team has 5 seconds to start singing a line of another song. Then the other team has 5 seconds to sing a line from yet another song . . . Teams may discuss and plan out which song to sing while the other teams are singing. The first team to repeat a song, sing a song that doesn't fit that category or just not sing within 5 seconds is the loser. If more than two teams play, sit losing teams out until one team finally prevails.
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447) Song Making

Split the room up into groups and give each group five words on a card. They need to make up a song with those words. This works well on theme nights, for example, holiday or western.
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448) Spam Carving

Announce, "I need two artistic volunteers!" Give each a can of spam and have them make a creative carving. Have the group applause to judge which one is the winner.
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449) Spam Scarf

That's it, pretty easy to understand. Get several volunteers up front who claim to be hungry. Give them each a can of Spam (yuck!) and give a prize to the first person to finish the whole thing.
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450) Spell My Feet

Take five people and have them take off their shoes and socks. Take a marker and write a large letter on the bottom of each of their feet so if they sit facing you and hold their feet in the air, you can read the letters. On the first person put an A and a N (one letter on each foot), on the next an E and a T, then GR, OM, and SP. You will call out different words for them to spell and they have to cross legs, stretch, and situate themselves in a position so that the bottom of their feet spell the word you called. You can do this with two teams of five if you want and see who spells the word first. Use these words: master roast smear togas snore ten proms get spam great son
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451) Spew

The name says it all. Go to your local store and get some of the cheep Alka-Seltzer (enough for at least 4 tries per student) because they think that they can get better as the game goes on. Get 4 or 5 brave volunteers.  Place one Alka-Seltzer tablet under their tongue (they can't taste it that way) Then you give each one about 4 or 5 oz of SPRITE or clear soda pop. When they put it in their mouth, the fun begins.  The one who can hold their mouth closed the longest is the winner. Don't stand in front of them unless you want to get spew on you.
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452) Sponge

Simple but fun, especially on a hot day!  You divide your group in rows. In front of each row you place a bucket with water and a sponge. At the back you place an empty bucket to collect water. When time starts running the person in the front dips the sponge and passes it to the back and the last person squeezes the water into the bucket. The row that manages to collect the most water wins.
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453) Squirt Game

Have everyone sit in a circle. Designate one person as the "squirter" and one person as the "moderator". For the first round give your squirter a spray bottle of water. This student names a topic, such as "Rides at an amusement park," or "NFL teams" and whispers one item in that category to the moderator. Squirter goes around the inside of the circle, pointing the spray bottle right in the face of each person, who must quickly name an item fitting the topic. Squirter lets them have it if they don't name one right away, OR duplicate something already said, OR if they name the item whispered to the Moderator by Squirter. The person who got squirted becomes the new Squirter and selects a new topic, whispering a specific item from that topic to the moderator. Topics are endless: "Running" (running shoes, tank top, water bottle, treadmill), "NBA teams" (San Antonio Spurs, LA Lakers, Detroit Pistons), "G-Rated Movies" (you and I both know they still enjoy them ? ) You get the idea.
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454) Stand on the Bucket

This is an age old game that can be played a billion different ways. How good the game is depends on how creative you are with methods and objects. The game is played by forming two teams in parallel lines facing each other. Number them off so each person has a counterpart. Put an object in the middle such as an old tire tube (the bacon) When a number is called, 12 for example, the number 12 from each team is to try to run out and grab the bacon and get it back to their side. This can be played many ways. Here are a few: Kiss the wench- see above in the game list Hockey style- a ball is in the middle and several hockey sticks. A goal of some sort is on each end of the play area. When numbers are called (single numbers or multiple numbers) the numbers called are to run out, pick up a hockey stick and try to hit the ball in the appropriate goal. Water balloon style- one Water balloon is in the middle- the number called runs out and tries to get the Water balloon first and try to hit the other person with it. Bucket of water- same as Water balloon but with bucket of water Chalk Sock- Same as the Water balloon style but they have to try to grab the chalk sock (a long sock with a pile of chalk powder in the end- leaves a chalk mark on clothes- and sometimes starts really cool fights!) and hit the other person with it. Steal the Freshman-Take a wild guess what you put in the middle! Steal the Fish-Gross, but fun Backpack Style-With this method you always call two numbers and one must get on the other's back before running to get the object in the middle. You can use an object suspended in the air (hung by string) that they have to grab with their teeth.
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455) Sticks and Tires (Toothpicks and life savers):

This is a simple game with any number of evenly divided teams. Everyone gets a toothpick and places it in their mouth. Get the teams in some sort of single file line, row or circle. Start the front or beginning person with a Lifesaver candy on their toothpick. They must pass the life saver from their toothpick to their neighbors toothpick without any hands. First team to pass it all the way down is the winner.
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456) Stinky Coke Swig

Get several volunteers (8-10) to compete up front. Then, once they have their unopened coke in hand say that you forgot they need to take off their sock and put it over the now open can. (you will usually lose a few kids here). then you say you forgot again- and they need to pass the coke to the person next to them and drink their can instead of yours...( you're now down to 3-4 kids tops!) so whoever drinks it the fastest wins the prize.
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457) Stocking Race

One person starts a story – any kind of story (i.e. "Once upon a time there was a bear named Horatio….”). The person in the next seat continues the story (i.e. "Horatio was a dumb, but friendly bear with zits all over his fur-face…”).  Each person adds a statement to the story. This time-filler ends whenever there’s an agreed upon conclusion to the story.
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458) Story

Stand or sit in a circle. Go around the room assigning the name of a person, place or thing to each person. The first person in the group begins to tell a story that they make up. Within 10 seconds (longer or shorter is okay) that person must mention the person, place or thing assigned to them. When the timer goes off (you can use a kitchen timer or just a stop watch) the story is picked up by the next person and they must mention their assigned person, place or thing within 10 seconds. This continues around the circle until everyone has had a turn. The stories can get pretty strange but that's the fun of it.
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459) String Toss Game

Get a spool of string or yarn. Have each person answer a question of some sort when they have the string in their possession. They then hold on to the string and throw the ball/spool to another so they can answer the question. You eventually create a web of some sort. In the end, describe how the web is analogous to the group in that we all play a part in creating the web, and that if one person was gone it would look different. Likewise, it is important that we all take part to make the group what it is, unique and special. We suggest typing up your predetermined questions ahead of time. You can find some great ideas for questions or discussion starting statement on this page: http://www.thesource4ym.com/outreach/koosh.asp
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460) Stud Walk

Take 3 guys out of the room. One at a time tell them to walk in with music playing with their studliest strut while the crowd is clapping and cheering. Each one is to sit down between two girls on a make shift couch (consisting of two chairs and a blanket) There is no chair in the middle where he is going to sit. As soon as he sits down have the girls stand up and he will fall right through the chairs. Have a pillow so he doesn't get hurt. The crowd goes crazy!!
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461) Stupid Human Tricks

Announce these ahead of time. Include all the weird things kids can do (roll tongue three times, dislocate body parts, burp the National Anthem). Screen the volunteers before they go on stage and help them be great at what they do.
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462) Suck and Blow

You might want to rename this game! This racy title just happens to describe what you do. Line the kids up, and have them pass an index card down the line as fast as they can using only their mouths. You need to suck in wind to keep the card on your lips in order to pass it (by blowing out) to the next person in line. This game is especially great with boys, because if one person drops the card at just the right point, the two come very close to locking lips. The first group to pass the card all the way down (and back if you wish) wins.
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463) Sugar Salesman

Props: two identical bowls with spoons, one filled with salt the other with sugar. Send kids A and B (both are forewarned) and C (unsuspecting sucker) out of the room). Inform A (who already knows this) that he or she is to try to convince C to buy this bowl of sugar. Then let C know that he or she will have a turn as well trying to sell to B. Make A put on a cheesy leisure suit jacket (maybe even plaid pants and a white belt). A comes in with a bowl of sugar expounding on how great it is. He/she tries to sell C on buying some of the delicious sugar by having him/her taste it, while taking a huge spoonful himself. C will not be too impressed with A's selling ability. Then tell C that they can top that performance. Have C try to sell some to B. While C is putting on the outfit, switch the sugar bowl for the salt bowl.
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464) Super Slip-n-Slide Relay

First make the biggest (trust me, it needs to be big) slip-n-slide that money will allow. Then put baby shampoo (no tears!) and water all over it to make it as slick as possible. Line your kids up across on of the slides skinny ends. (our dimension are always around 20' x 30') make as many teams as will fit safely (make enough space in between each team so they don't run into each other). On the opposite side of the slide have bats available for "dizzy bat." When you say "go" have a student from each team run and then slide on the mat. If they do not slide all the way across then they have to army crawl the rest of the way. Then they must take their bat, place their forehead on one end of the bat, put the other end on the ground and spin around it 10 times (hence "dizzy bat") Then all they have to do is simply run back down the mat to their team and tag the next person. When done right it is almost impossible to run down the slide without falling down a bunch. Great fun.
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465) Super Soaker vs. the Sphere

Get one of those little toddler games that looks like a ball with shapes cut into the side of it. Have one student sit opposite another. One gets the ball the other gets a super soaker. Object is for the one with the ball to get all of the shapes into the ball before time us up. If they can't do it within time, the other youth gets to blast them with the super soaker. But oh, it gets better. Then tell them to switch. After all, it's only fair! We have a couple adults with much bigger super soakers to help convince the youth that "it's only fair!"
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466) Super Sundae

Divide group into teams of 4 to 6 kids. In a giant bowl, see which team can construct the most original ice cream concoction using equal amounts of ice cream products supplied by the staff. Afterwards, award a prize to the team with the coolest sundae. THEN spring it on them that they have 5 minutes to see which team can eat the most of their sundae without using their hands or utensils. The team with most ice cream gone wins a prize. Talk about messy!
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467) Superball Pass

This is a great game to be done in a sanctuary with pews. Divide the crowd in half. Have several members from each side of the sanctuary go to the back of the room behind the last pew. Dump a pile (about 20 is good) of superballs in front of the first pew. The kids in the pews must get the superballs to the people in the back of the room by shoving/throwing/passing them UNDER THE PEWS. Nothing can go over a pew. First team to get a certain # of the balls to the back (75%) is the winner!
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468) Surgical Glove Blow Up

If you haven't seen Howie Mandell do it . . . you're missing out. Get some surgical gloves- rubber- the kind that blow up. Have several contestants come up and pull the gloves over their own heads, all the way down to just above their mouth. Have them blow with their noses, inflating the gloves on their head. After 90 seconds see who's glove is blown the biggest.
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469) Swinging Marshmallow

Bring 2 or 3 pairs of students up front. Pair them up (player A and player B) and give each pair a four foot long piece of string and two marshmallows. At a signal the pairs tie one marshmallow on each end of the string. Player A in each pair holds one marshmallow in her mouth while standing facing the front of the room. Player B stands to the side of player A at an arm's length, looking toward player A. Moving only her head, player A begins to swing the string back and forth like a pendulum while player B attempts to catch the swinging marshmallow in his mouth. Both players may move only their head, no bending over. The winner is the first pair in which player B catches the marshmallow.
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470) Taboo on Easel

This is like the board game Taboo, but on an Easel and a lot easier. Divide into teams. Teams elect someone to be the stood person. Bring that person on the stool and write four words behind them on the easel for all to see except the stool person (Example: bulldog, stapler, Spain, paper airplane) Assign a point value for each word (example: 10 points each). Give the team a certain time (a minute 30 seconds) to try to get the stool person to guess the words. The team can do the words in any order. If they break any of the rules or cheat, they not only don't get the points for that particular word, they are given negative points (Example: negative 10 points). Do several rounds for each team, one at a time, bringing up new stool people each time. Play until blue in the face. Rules: no hand motions no "sounds like" or rhyming with other words
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471) Talk or Get Squirted

Give an outgoing kid a topic like belly button lint. He/she must talk about it for two minutes. If he/she stops or repeats him/herself, he/she gets squirted. These must be funny kids who can really talk. For a sell on this one you may use a student who just talks and talks non-stop interrupting your group. You may consider giving the kid a bullhorn or microphone so kids can hear him/her.
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472) Tape Head

The same as I need a Shoelace with an added twist! Have the runners or team leaders have a hat with tape all over it on their head. Teams must stick the items called for to the hat to remain there til the end of the game.
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473) The Sentence Game

Great game for Jr Highers, Travel, or creative kids. Can be played with just two people or 50. It's simple, but can get  crazy and fun. The first person says a word...for example, "The." The second person says the first word and ADDS a word... "The clown." And so on. At the end you might have a complete sentence, something like, "The clown was in the pool when an ant bit his toe and made chocolate pudding squirt from his eye." It has to make sense, but no GOOD sense. The really fun thing is putting twists in the sentence on your turn so that other people have a hard time coming up with a word that fits. The Point:  It really shows that everyone thinks differently and uniquely.
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474) To Tell The Truth

Complexity (1-3): Trashball

Like the old 70's TV game show. Pre-arrange four contestants for this game. Have them share a funny/interesting story that happened to them when they were young that they can say in one sentence. (e.g. My name is Billy and when I was 5, I was walking with my mom and a big guy ran by and grabbed my mom's purse!) If that is the story that sounds the best have all 4 contestants use their real name and say the same story. (e.g. My name is Teresa and when I was 5, I was walking with my mom and a big guy ran by and grabbed my mom's purse!) All contestants will tell the audience the exact same thing as if it is their story- but only one of them is telling the truth. Open up the audience to question individual contestants (like an Oprah show) and three of the contestants will have to lie through their teeth. Then have the audience vote who this really happened to. Then have the real person step forward. Great fun!
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475) Toe Fencing

All the players pair off, lock hands, and try to tap the top of one of their partner’s feet with their own feet. In other words, one player tries to step on the other player’s foot while their hands are clasped. Of course, since players are also trying to avoid having their feet stepped on, they are all hopping around the floor in a frantic dance. When a player has had his foot tapped three times, he is out of the game, and the winning partner challenges another winner. The game continues until only one person is left (or until the music runs out).
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476) Toilet Bowl Rollercoaster

Get four volunteers or pick four people and have a sponsor take them back to a secluded room. have that sponsor tell them that they will go up in front of the crowd, one at a time. Each one will sit in a chair. The object is for them to act out a given scenario WITHOUT leaving the chair: 1. Pretend they are on a major roller coaster 2. Pretend they are riding a bull 3. Pretend they are being tortured 4. Pretend they are getting their shoulders rubbed and they like it a lot Whoever does the best job - wins. Meanwhile - the leader is in the other room telling the audience that the four people coming out are going to act out what they do when they are on the toilet. Let them go for about a minute or so and then tell them what they were really doing!
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477) Toilet Paper Firing Squad

If you don't mind A LOT of clean up, this game is one kids will remember! For this game you need several packs of toilet paper, depending on the number of students you have. This is a variation of Toilet Paper Dodge Ball. Line all but two players against an outside wall with side boundaries clearly marked. The two "marksmen" pull off a wad of toilet paper and dip in a bucket of water, making it really soggy. Then they try to hit the other players who are allowed to move side to side from about 15-20 feet away. The last person to be hit and the runner-up are the two "marksmen" in the next round. If the game is taking too long, put a 1-3 minute time limit on each " round, and pronounce the winner as the one who has the least amount of people left standing (and dry)!
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478) Toilet Paper Over Under

This is the age old "Over Under Relay."  Divide teams.  On "go," each team passes the toilet paper, over the first person's head, under the next person's legs, over the next . . . unraveling it as you go. If toilet paper breaks, the person must tie it together before continuing to unravel.
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479) Toothpaste Drop

You get tubes of toothpaste, little dixie cups, chairs and blindfolds. Form teams of two (again, this is a great up-front game with the crowd watching) One person stands on the chairs while the other one lays on the ground (or a table if you want the audience to see better) with their heads near the back legs of the chair. The person on the chair puts on a blindfold and the one on the ground puts the dixie cup in his or her mouth. Have the people in the chair start squeezing the toothpaste tube at their own chest level, dropping toothpaste into the dixie cup of the other person. It's a simple contest of who can get the most toothpaste into the cups. It's pretty messy . . . and the paper towel doesn't really do much help so there's still tons of mess (use drop cloths)! But everyone smells minty fresh!
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480) Top 40 Mixer

This is a fun guessing game that can be used as a mixer. Divide the room into teams. Tape-record bits and pieces of some of the top 40 hits of the month, week, or whatever onto a cassette. You can usually accomplish this by recording them right off of the radio. Edit it so that only a second or two of each song can be heard. Then when you play it back for the kids, see how many of them can identify all of the songs.
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481) Torpedo

This game is a gym-version of the pool game "sharks and minnows." Using a basketball court or marking your own, you need a large rectangle. Two kids are chosen as the "launchers" while the rest of the group (anywhere from 15 to 50 kids works fine) lines up outside one of the short sides of the rectangle. The launchers stand on either of the long sides of the rectangle, armed with dodgeballs or something similar. A leader or youth is the caller. The caller shouts "TORPEDO!" and the kids start to run as fast as they can to get past the line on the other side, where they are safe. While they are running, the launchers try to hit as many people as possible with their dodgeballs, while staying behind their own lines. They usually can only get one good throw in, since they can't cross the line. Any runner who gets hit must sit down exactly where they are. They are now land mines. Now it gets interesting. Each time the kids torpedo across the room, there are more and more land mines to hit them. The youth on the floor can try to touch the runners. Anyone touched must sit down too. Eventually you get down to two lonely runners, and then one winner. You can play again and again and again.... it's a blast to watch (and to play).
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482) Touch Telephone

This game is based on the old telephone game but involves touch rather than hearing. No talking is allowed. Divide the group into teams of about six each. Each team sits in a line, one behind the other. The last person is shown a simple hand drawn picture of an object such as a house, a cat, or a Christmas tree, for example. The person who is shown the drawing then tries to draw an exact copy of it, using their fingers, on the back of the person in front of them. The drawing can only be done once. The second person then draws what they felt onto the back of the person in front of them. This continues until it gets to the person at the front of the line, that person then must draw what he or she felt, on a piece of paper. The team whose picture most resembles the original wins that round.
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483) Tractor Tire Pile Up

You just get a big tractor tire tube(the bigger the better) and see how many people you can get on the tire at one time. You will need to make sure that the tire stays in the middle of the deep end of the pool. You don't want anyone busting their head on the bottom or side of the pool.
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484) Trash Bag Rafts

Give each group a certain number of the largest trash can bags you can find and some tape/rope etc. See who can build the strongest raft and then race across the width of the pool.
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485) Trashball

Groups: 2 Teams

Divide into two teams. This game is basically basketball, with your own player as the basketholder (that can assist at getting the ball in). Use a trashcan that is about the same size as your ball.  Have each team choose a trash can holder (rotate regularly, its a fun place to be).  Have each one stand up on a chair (they can't move from the chair or grab a ball- just move the trash can).  Make a boundry of about 10 feet around each holder with tape.  Anyone caught inside the tape must sit there indefinately (at your discretion). For large groups, add an extra ball or two they can only take 3 steps when they have the ball, so more are involved This is a fun game because, with the help of the can holder, almost anyone can make a full court shot, so we tell them the ball must touch a certain # of girls before you can shoot. Enjoy the game!
Ness' Doc

486) Trigger

The group sits in a circle.  Each member gives the person on their right a "trigger", such as, "Every time Jenny smiles, you must stand up and sing The Star Spangled Banner".  On "Go", wveryone watches for their trigger.  The object of the game is to guess what other peoples' triggers are.  
Ness' Doc

487) Trust Circle

Object of the Game: To hold up the person in the middle and keep him safe from falling. One player is chosen to be "it" first. A tight circle of players is formed, alternating physically strong and weak people. The person chosen to be "it" goes into the middle of the circle and crosses his arms across his chest. The "it" stiffens and falls backwards. The players in the circle work together to catch the person and pass him back and forth around the circle. The player in the middle must keep his feet together and near the middle of the circle for this to work well, and players in the circle generally grab the person who is "it" around the arms and shoulders. Each player is encouraged to have a turn. Variations: 1. Players in the circle sit down, placing their feet around the ankles of the person in the middle. Sounds crazy, but it works 2. "Courage Camille" is a slight variation of this game in which only 3 players are required. Two of the players face each other and lock hands. The third person stiffens and falls backwards into their arms. This should be done several times, with the person falling farther backwards each time (the players locking their hands should lower them each time). Other players can then try. 3. "Courage Camille" can also be played with only one person catching. 4. The person who is "it" wears a blindfold. Comments: The players who are "catchers" should be careful as they pass the person around and catch him. In the "Courage Camille" variation, care should be taken that the two players who are acting as "catchers" are strong enough to hold the heaviest person participating.
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488) Trust Lift

More of a learning exercise than a game! Object of the Game: To lift a person above everyone's head. One player is chosen to be "it" first. He lies on his back and stiffens himself while everyone else assembles around him. Together everyone lifts him slowly toward the ceiling as he maintains his reclining position. Once he has reached maximum height, the others hold him there for about 30 seconds before slowly lowering him.
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489) T-Shirt Challenge

You use a men's size medium t-shirt, place it flat out on the ground, and then see how many kids can get on the t-shirt with no feet or any body part touching off of the t-shirt. Our record stands at 17 people!
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490) T-shirt Stuff

Like the good ol' Long John Stuff game, except with a T-shirt. Bring up 2, 3, or 4 guys that are wearing t-shirts and have them each choose 2 or 3 friends to help them. Hand each group 10-20 balloons and instruct them to blow them up and stuff them in their designated team member's t-shirt. As each group stuffs balloons in their team member's shirt, he will begin to look like the Stay Puff Marshmellow Man. At a given point (when you see that their shirts are almost maxed out), count down from 10, stop the stuffing and have the "stuffers" go sit down. Have the audience vote by applauding who looks the most stuffed. If the game ended there, I would think it's lame. Here's where the fun begins. Now inform each fat boy that it's time to pop the balloons. Offer a prize to the person that can pop all their balloons first, (there's a catch!) without taking them out and without using their hands. They have to throw themselves on the floor, body slamming their torso on the ground to pop all the balloons. This is hilarious to watch and the audience will love it.
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491) TubeMania

- You can have a TUBEMANIA night and play all the following games! TUBAL BACON (steal the bacon with innertubes): - This is a physically exhausting game that can be lots of fun, but might be best if played against boys and boys and girls against girls. Mark a large square in the field and place a stack of seven to ten inner tubes in the center of the square. Divide the group into four equal teams, each one lining up on their side of the square. Number the players on each team from one to however many players are on each team. The object of the game is to get as many inner tubes as possible across your team's line. Call out several numbers. The players with those numbers run to the center and start dragging the inner tubes to their lines. There may be several players tugging on the same tube. Each tube successfully pulled across a team's line is a score (one point) for that team. Once the kids get the hang of it, add a soccer ball to the game. Each team gets a point deducted from their score if the ball is kicked over their line. Team members along the team line act as goalies. Once the ball touches the ground in their territory the point is scored against them. To further complicate the game, add a cage ball, or earth ball (four to eight feet in diameter). The team that gets this ball across their own line gets three additional points. CRISS, CROSS, CRASH: Good name for this game. Be very careful- if you don't use good safety precautions this could result in injuries. Divide your crowd into two teams, each team in two groups for a relay. Line the teams up in four corners of the playing field, each team diagonal with it's partner team. Give each group 2 or 3 tubes (depending on size). The first team members must step into the tubes, pick them up (so they look like a Michelin Man) and run diagonal to their partner team. Of course their partner team and two apposing teams are running through the same intersection so look out! First team to switch all players across the diagonal one at a time is the winner. JUMP THROUGH: This is a simple relay where you give each team one tube and they race to see who can get their entire team through their tube first. MICHELIN MAN BUMPER TUBE: This is basically Sumo Wrestling for poor people. Two players battle each other, each holding a tube like a belt or belly. Draw or rope off a small circle that they try to bump each other out of. TUBAL TUG: Get 5 innertubes (small to medium sized ones work best). One of them serves as the middle ring. Tie 4 ropes (ropes should be 8 to 10 feet in length) to this middle tube (you have to have your tubes tied for this game!!!) Tie the other ends of the ropes to the other 4 tubes - one rope to each tube. Next you will need 4 cones and 4 tennis balls. Lay out the inner tube contraption, putting the center ring at the center (duh...) and the other 4 stretched out to the noon, 3, 6 and 9 o'clock positions. Then place the cones with the tennis balls on top about 10 feet out from the inner tubes. Kids then get in the inner tubes and on "Go" they attempt to become the 1st person to get the tennis ball off their respective cones (thus a four way tug-o-war). Since they are essentially pulling against 3 other people, from different directions, it's not always the biggest/strongest that wins. Caution: don't do this game on cement/asphalt because someone always slips or falls down and then gets drug across the ground by the other players. Enjoy!
Ness' Doc

492) Tug-O-Fish

Just like tug-o-war, but a one on one competition with fish. Get a bunch of small (at least 6 to 8 inches) fish from the local store and pair off. At 'go' everyone starts tugging.  The first person to let go, whose hands slip off, or if the fish break....has the smallest half in the hand is out. You do this until there are only 2 people left. Then you break out the largest fish you could find.
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493) Twinkie Launch

Borrow or purchase a clay pigeon thrower. This was not the kind you hold in your hand, it was the kind that mounts on a base and fires the clay pigeon with a giant spring and a catapult arm. Without telling them why, I told all participants of the overnighter to bring one wrapped Little Debbie or Hostess product. Later in the evening when the kids needed a snack, I had them all stand in a group at the other end of the gym (our church meets in a gymnasium) and I fired litte debbies through the air with the clay pigeon thrower. IT WAS AWESOME!! As I experimented with it, I was able to fire three or four at once at a distance of 50 feet and a height of about 13 feet. I also fired some bananas which went the entire length of the gym and splattered on the back wall. (oops!) A word of warning though. This type of clay pigeon thrower uses EXTREME spring tension. If a teen were to play around with it they could literally lose a limb if the catapult arm hit them. I made sure that I covered the thrower up until I used it and then removed it from the auditorium as soon as I was done so that no one would mess with it.
Ness' Doc

494) Twinkie Stuff

Two people, one at a time or simultaneously, eat as many twinkies as possible in two minutes or less.
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495) Twister

Buy the board game twister and play three guys, then three girls. See which gender can stay on for the most turns.
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496) Two Truths and A Lie

A good game for small group interaction. The object is to reveal unknown things about yourself to the group in a fun atmosphere. A person states three things about himself. Two must be true and one a lie. For example: "I was born in South Africa. I have a green card. I have a dog named Bubba." The others in the group try to guess which statement is the lie. If a player guesses correctly, they earn a point. If no one guesses correctly, the individual earns five points. Each person should get a chance to share. The Point:  Getting to know each other.
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497) Ugliest Thing in the World

Props: one large blanket and 3 informed guys. Announce that you have discovered the ugliest thing in the world, and he is so ugly that it is hard to look at him, in fact it's downright unbearable. Only another real ugly person can stand the sight of him. At this point, bring in a guy underneath a huge blanket rigged in such a way that there is an opening around his face, but not exposed to the room. Ask a couple of guys to take a look at him and let us know what he looks like (of course these two guys have been clued in). Each takes a hesitant look at the ugly thing and each reacts very violently, screaming running out of the room clutching at his eyes. Finally pick a cute (but very secure) girl or secure female leader and ask her to take a look. She will probably be a little reluctant about taking a look at him. When she does, the guy underneath runs away screaming.  
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498) Ultimate Frisbee (Frisbee Football)

If you've never played this you've missed out. Divide into two teams, each trying to get to the opposite end zone. One team kicks (throws actually) off and the other team receives. When a player catches the frisbee they can take only 3 steps then they must throw it. Team work their way down the field, passing to each other until a team scores. If the team hits the ground it's the other teams ball (frisbee actually). If a defensive player knocks the frisbee to the ground possession switches as well. Defensive players must give any person already holding a frisbee at least 3 feet clearance.
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499) Ultimate Octopus

This game is just like Ultimate Frisbee . . . but . . . you guessed it- played with an octopus.   Purchase an octopus at your local grocery store or fish market.  Divide into two teams and play ULTIMATE FRISBEE, with the octopus. Divide into two teams, each trying to get to the opposite end zone. One team kicks (throws actually) off and the other team receives. When a player catches the octopus they can take only 3 steps then they must throw it. Team work their way down the field, passing to each other until a team scores. If the team hits the ground it's the other teams ball (octopus actually). If a defensive player knocks the octopus to the ground possession switches as well. Defensive players must give any person already holding an octopus at least 3 feet clearance.
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500) Ultimate Wet Soccer

Use the rules from ultimate frisbee (move the ball down the field by throwing it, player may take two steps after catching ball, interceptions or missed passes result in turnover), but replace the frisbee with a water-soaked Nerf soccer ball. Not an extremely wet game, but the water gives the game a new twist. We used buckets as goals at either end. Added by Owen Sallee
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501) Unfair Newspaper Smash

Get 2 or 3 couples. (If possible get tall guys and short girls). Tie the boy's right wrists to the girls left wrists. Blindfold the girls first, then boys. After the boys are blindfolded, remove the girls' blindfolds. Give each a rolled newspaper (make it a very light newspaper that doesn't hurt) and tell them on the signal to "smash" each other. The boys can't understand why they are getting smashed but have a hard time trying to find the target.
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502) Valentine Candy Mixer

Pass out valentine "conversational" heart candy to everyone, then split up into groups and have each group come up with a poem or funny story using what it says on their hearts.
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503) Water Ballet

Give each team a certain amount of time to perform a water ballet that involves EVERY team member.
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504) Water Balloon Stuff

Get two sets of those long johns and a bunch of water balloons. Get two volunteers and assign them a team whose job is to stuff water balloons in the long johns. When the designated time is up you count the balloons and the one with the most balloons wins. The winner and his stuffers get to throw all the balloons at the loser.
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505) Water Balloon Towel Catch

Split students into teams of four, giving them each a beach towel (tell them ahead of time to bring one from home). Set them a predetermined length apart and have two from each team launch a water balloon with the beach towel. The other two must run and catch the water balloon
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506) Water Capture the Flag

Play capture the flag with a water twist! Instead of simply tagging people or pulling flags off a belt, etc. use the Alka-Seltzer method! Make a badge on the arm of every player like so: wrap a strip of duct tape around the player's arm (t-shirt sleeve), place an Alka-Seltzer tablet on the tape and add two more strips above and below the tablet, so that it is still visible but held on the person's arm by the tape. When your water war badge gets wet- you are out and must go to the "medic tent" to get a new one (medics need to have towels to dry tape before applying new tablet to badge!) Play capture the flag on a large open field, with a "medic tent" replacing the jails. All players get Super-soakers, and when your tab breaks off or fizzez out you must go to the tent, take a 3 min break and get a new one. HINTS: Make sure your playing area is not to big, so that players get soaked quickly. If you have people with hoses guarding the flags, the game is more fun. Also make sure you have refilling stations with faucets for the super soakers. Water balloon launchers can be cool to, but be careful. They tend to knock kids of their feet, without getting them wet.
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507) Water Challenge

On "Go!" have two kids drink two glasses of water with not much spilling. The first one to down all the water is the winner. The next week,  have someone take on the champion of last week. If hyped properly you will have kids begging to be the challenger each night. I started out with 2 smaller girls and am working my way up to the bigger kids. Also something that could be added is a cheap plastic medal to be passed down to the winner each week. This game can go on for a whole semester!
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508) Water Gun-Shaving Cream Squirt:

Have several contestants come up and select a friend from the crowd to be their partner. Put a dollup of Shaving Cream on each of the original contestants and give their partner a squirt gun (it always helps to have it full of water!). Spread the gunner from cream nose at least 10 feet. First one to clean their partner's nose is the winner.
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509) Water Hoop

Sometimes the most basic games are the most fun. That's right- get two hoops, one on each site of the pool and play a game of basketball. Make a 5 second possession rule- (ie: no one can have the ball for more than 5 seconds at a time). If girls don't get involved, make it so only girls can score.
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510) Water Polo

Same as Water Hoop but with goals instead of hoops.
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511) Watermelon Polo

Water Polo with a small watermelon (or small greased watermelon)
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512) Weight Gain

Three people weigh themselves, then drink as much as possible in 5 minutes. The winner is the person who gained the most weight.
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513) Wet Baseball

Standard baseball rules, but for each base was a hard plastic wading pool and from 3rd base to home was a slip-n-slide. Use a large plastic bat, a tee for the ball which was a splash ball. The kids wore water shoes if they had them and got just soaking wet and had so much fun that they all begged to have it again this year!
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514) Wet Sweatshirt Relay

Supply two teams with a large or extra large sweatshirt. Half of each team will go to the opposite end of the pool. At the whistle the first person of each team must put on the sweatshirt (over their bathing suit of course) and swim to the other side where their teammates are. Then they have to remove the sweatshirt and give it to the next person on their team. Teammates can help remove and put on the sweatshirt. First team who gets their team on the opposite side they started from wins.
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515) Wet Toilet Paper Dodge Ball

Set up a court outside for dodgeball. Plays like dodge ball or any other variation. Use rope to setup a centerline and boundaries. Give each team a bucket of water, 5 gallon buckets works well. Outfit each team with plenty of rolls of toilet paper depending on the size of your group. You'll get about 5 good throws from a roll. Throw more rolls into the court when the action dies down. (It’s really just an excuse to throw wet toilet paper rolls at each other. The actual game of dodge ball didn't last very long.)
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516) What Goes Around Comes Around

Great for wacky game nights, or lock-ins. This game requires shaving cream, a spoon, female hair products (bows, clips, hairspray), and chairs to sit in. Start with the girls sitting. Assign a boy - with hair - to each girl.  Have the boys "shave" the girl's face with shaving cream and a spoon in under 1 minute. After the time is up, let the girls wash off. Next the boys sit down. The girls get 5 minutes to do as much with the boys hair as they want, besides cutting it. The boys are to stay in braids, curls, whatever for the rest of the night, or until the youth pastor lets them take them out..
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517) Wheel of Misfortune

Run this like a game show with a wheel that has things like "pie in the face" and some possible good things like "$25 off camp." Contestants get whatever the wheel land on. Play music from TV game shows. Have the prizes planned out.
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518) Whipped Cream Pie Search

Have a whipped cream pie in front of each kid. Tell them that there are 5 M&M's in each pie. The first ones to find all five using only their face will win. But only put 4 M&M's in each pie.
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519) Who Hit Me?

Have two guys lie down on the floor (face up, side by side) and put a blanket over them so that they cannot see. Everyone in the crowd forms a circle around them, and one person in the crowd has a rolled up newspaper. The newspaper is passed around to someone who takes it and hits one of the guys under the blanket with it (make the newspaper thin so it doesn't hurt). The "smacker" then gets back into the circle, leaving the newspaper on the blanket. The guy who has been hit counts to 5 and comes out from the blanket and tries to guess who hit him. If he guesses correctly, the person who is guessed goes under the blanket in his place. These are the instructions given to the crowd and to the players. However, one of the guys under the blanket has been clued in ahead of time that he will be given the newspaper and he will reach over and smack the guy laying next to him with it, then pull his arm in under the blanket real fast and play dumb. The guy who is hit will jump up, and his guesses will always be wrong. (Hit the clued-in guy once in a while so that it won't look quite so rigged.)
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520) Who Is It?

This is a good game for small group interaction. The object is to get individuals to share unknown things about themselves in a safe environment. Each player writes down a little known truth about himself. The paper slips are handed in and read aloud one at a time. The slips are then read a second time, and players write who they think wrote that slip. After everyone has guessed on slips, the truth is revealed. Each player gets a point for every correct guess. If no one guesses a person's slip correctly, that person gets five points.
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521) Who Wants to Be a Bible Millionaire?

This game is a clone of the hit T.V. show "Who Wants to be a Millionare?" Here's how it works: The game is nearly identical to the TV version, with a few minor exceptions. All contestants know one or two weeks in advance what portion of the Bible the questions will come from. (We generally give two weeks' notice and often cover an entire book, such as one of the Gospels.) The Grand Prize is $50 and the prize ladder for correctly answered questions is as follows. Question #1 = $1 Question #2 = $2 Question #3 = $3 Question #4 = $4 Question #5 = $5 (first milestone) Question #6 = 10 Question #7 = 12 Question #8 = 14 Question #9 = 16 (second milestone) Question #10= 20 Question #11= 25 Question #12= 30 Question #13= 35 Question #14= 40 Question #15= 50 (You may decide upon less money; but I have found the lure of $50 to be a *big* motivator. You may elect to charge a small fee from contestants and observers.) Obviously the easier questions come at the beginning and gradually become much harder toward the end. Students know that one has a very limited chance of winning the Grand Prize without having carefully read the entire material at least once or twice. (Yet the questions should not be so hard that they are nearly impossible to answer...) Lifelines are the same except for one. Instead of the "Call a Friend" lifeline, we substituted a "Check the Bible" lifeline, where a student has thirty seconds to look for an answer in the Bible. "Fastest Finger" questions may be anything you want, but should be easy enough for anyone to answer. Sheets of paper and pens may be handed to each potential contestant and then the Fastest Finger question is read audibly. The first student to raise his/her sheet of paper (and who has the correct answers) gets to compete for the Grand Prize. Some students may not do Fastest Finger well. Another option may be to ask the question and have students fold their sheets and hand them in. Then the host draws one sheet at random. To involve more people, you may invite other students not answering questions to be "guest hosts" and read the questions to the contestants. We put all the questions on MS PowerPoint, dimmed the lights and showed the questions on a large screen.
Ness' Doc

522) Who's on my back

Have everyone secretly write down the name of a person on a small piece of paper. It has to be a person that everyone in the room would know about (eg. Jesus, George Washington, Madonna, Leonardo DiCaprio, etc.) Then have them tape the name on the back of the person on their left. Everyone must now go around and ask people yes or no questions about who is on their back. They can only ask each person one question. The person who can do it in the least number of asks wins.
Ness' Doc

523) Will it Float?

Inspired by David Letterman. For this game you will need a video camera, a digital camera, and a number of items which you will launch into a lake or pool. Take a photo of the object, a watermelon for example, then video tape someone dropping it into the lake or pool. Choose 4 contestants; show them the picture of each item, one at a time. Have the students guess whether or not the item will float. Then show the footage of you throwing the item into the lake. Who ever guesses the most right wins. If you do use the lake, if the item is not biodegradable then tie fishing line on it to retrieve it. The more random the item, the better.
Ness' Doc

524) Win Lose or Draw

This game is the same as the old TV version by the same name. It is played like Pictionary, either guys against girls (battle of the sexes kind of deal), or team against team. A word is given to one member of each team who tries to draw symbols and pictures to lead his/her team to say the word that was given to them. You may not use numbers letters or the "number sign" (#), anything else is okay. You also may not say anything or do any kind of gestures, to help you team guess the word. You may point to a team member who is on the right track or very close to saying the answer, but no other gestures may be used. You may nod your head to say "yes, that's right" or "no, wrong". Use Pictionary cards if you have them or make up a list of words yourself (maybe use words from a certain subject or topic to introduce your discussion for the evening, or words to fit the season, i.e., Manger, Wise Men, Christmas tree, etc.) Whoever has the most points (words guessed) at the ends wins. If it is a tie, give each team another word and see who can do their word the fastest.
Ness' Doc

525) Worm Fest

Have volunteers put one hand in a pot of live fishing worms in moist dirt, while eating gummy worms from a bowl with the other hand. The first one to eat 10 gummy worms without taking their other hand out of the real worm pot is the winner.
Ness' Doc

526) Yelling Match

Group is divided into two equal teams. Each team sits in a single row facing the opponent team across a room. Each team picks out a piece of paper with a message on it. The messages should be common phrases or Bible verses with about 5-10 words in it. Each person on a team is assigned a word from the message. If there are more team members than words, same words can be assigned to multiple people. At a given count, the entire team yells out their assigned word in unison to the opposing team. The opposing team repeats the process. Each team has one guess at deciphering the message. The yelling is repeated until one team guesses the correct message.
Ness' Doc

527) Your Number is Up

Great for dividing teams.  Much like the game "Clumps."  Instruct your whole group to walk randomly around the room. About every ten seconds or so, call out a number. Everyone in the game must immediately form a group hug, made up of the number of people that you called. This sometimes leaves some people unable to form a group because they don't have enough people — they are out of the game. Repeat until you only have two people left and declare them the winners.
Ness' Doc

528) Zip Zap Bop

Played like Newspaper Name Nail with a few changes. Everyone is to learn the names of the persons to their left and right. Zip means left and Zap means right. The person in the middle says a persons name and either Zip or Zap. The person called must say the name of the person to their right or left, depending on what the person in the middle said, Zip or Zap. The person in the middle tries to bop them on the head with the newspaper before they can say it. This is a pretty stupid game- but some kids actually like it- try it and if it doesn't work right away have a back up.
Ness' Doc

529) Air Mattress Pile-up

Inflate an air mattress and see how many kids can stand up straight on it in the water without falling over. For more fun, do not inflate it all the way.
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530) Belly Flop

Judge on 3 catagories: 1. Creativity 2. Pain 3. Air
Ness' Doc

531) Picture hunt

disposable cameras, hand out. Have the kids go out and take pictures off a list. First team back with developed pics and all items done wins prize. Sharing, teaching on something related to the topic.
Ness' Doc

532) Tennis-Elbow-Foot

A game of word associations, played like tennis: 1) Player A says a word to Player B. 2) Player B says a word which is connected with Player A's word. 3) Player A says a word which is connected with Player B's word, and so on, e.g., GLASS, WINDOW, CURTAIN, DARK. If one of the players takes too long (more than five seconds) to say a word, or if they say a word which has no connection with the previous word, that player loses a point. Score like tennis: 15-love, 15-all…40-30, deuce, advantage etc.
Ness' Doc

533) First Letters

1) Team A thinks of a subject and writes a list of 10 examples of this subject, i.e., Cold drinks - orange juice, milk, water, milkshakes, coke etc. Red things - lipstick, roses, blood, fire-engines etc. 2) Team A then tells Team B the subject, and Team B has to guess as many things as they can on Team A's list. Team B gets a point every time they mention something that is on A's list. 3) Team B then tells Team A their subject, and so on. Time limit of 1-2 minutes per guessing round.
Ness' Doc

534) Cream pies

We hid cream pies (whipped cream on paper plates) all around the camp site (in bushes, up trees etc). Then we divided the campers into 2 teams and put different colour face paint on each team to identify them. We told them that they were all clowns from opposing circuses and that someone had stolen all the cream pies they needed for their act and hidden them. The aim was to find as many cream pies as possible and get them back to their base intact. Cream pies that had obviously been dropped did not count. They also had to try to stop the other team getting pies back to their base. Leaders have specific roles and all dressed up, which was really funny. Their roles were as follows: Director/youth pastor: Ringmaster.  If they catch any of the kids, the Ringmaster can do what ever he/she wants to them. Our Ringmaster was making students get him drinks, doing somersaults along the ground; the list is endless. Lion & lion tamer: We dressed the lion up (he had a tail, feather bower mane, and face painted). The lion tamer could crack a fake whip. Their role is to escort one team. If a camper from the appropriate team has a pie and is with the lion & tamer the pie cannot be taken from them. Strong man: The strong man is the escort for the other team Snack person: Wanders around with drinks, lollies and popcorn, giving it out to whoever wants it. No other role. Clowns: We had a few clowns. They had two roles: To be really annoying; if they saw someone trying to creep back to base with a cream pie they would start yelling, "I’ve found one…over here!" or start singing to them. Their second role was to take cream pies off campers they caught (to 'catch' them they sprayed them with silly string) and re-hide the pies. Base leaders: We had one per team. Their role was just to be at the base and keep track of the amount of pies that had been bought back. If you run low on pies left take them from the bases and hide them again. The team keeps their score. What we also told the leaders who were taking pies was that if the campers started to follow them to see where they re-hid the pies, to turn around and throw the pie at them. VERY funny the first time it happened. The leader had GREAT aim.
Ness' Doc

535) All My Neighbours

Length (mins): 5-10 minutes Place: Anywhere Supplies: Chairs for all but one person

Have kids stand in a circle. Someone (a leader) starts in the middle and says, "Hey, all my neighbors who… (something) – stand up and recognize!” The (something) is something about yourself that is true. Everyone else who has this in common must leave their spot and find a new one. The person in the middle must seek out a spot in the circle. The one who does not find a spot becomes IT.
104 Games – T. Richter

536) Amoeba Tag

Length (mins): However long you want Place: Open Area Supplies: None

Designate one person as "it.” Like normal tag, the point is to tag as many people as possible. However, every time you tag someone, they grab your hand and join you in tagging people. The hands cannot break, or else those that were tagged while broken don’t count.
104 Games – T. Richter

537) Auto Tag

Length (mins): However long you want Place: Open Area Supplies: 2 soft balls

Running pairs will have to hold onto one another’s hands. Each pair chooses a make, model and color of car to be, then makes the appropriate noises associated with their vehicle. Each member of the IT pair will have one free hand. Fill IT’s free hands with soft, throwable balls, like fleece balls (something YOU wouldn’t mind getting hit with…) A "tag” is made if the IT auto-pair hits someone with one of their balls. When this occurs, the other IT player drops their ball (headlight), which must be retrieved by the hit pair, who are now IT, and the game continues.
104 Games – T. Richter

538) Back Stabbers

Length (mins): Only a few minutes Place: Open Area Supplies: 3-5 spring loaded clothespins per player

Indicate that players are to try and get rid of their pins by clipping them onto the clothing of any other player, who will also be trying to do the same. As soon as a player legally gets rid of all three clips, they jump up and down, simultaneously shouting that they have accomplished this, and if anyone is listening, that person is recognized as the winner. Emphasis is obviously on the action rather than the outcome. To avoid the predictable embarrassment of inappropriate ventral pin attachment, allow only clip contact on the back. Clips must also stay on for at least 5 seconds and if they fall off before 5 seconds, they go back to the clipper. After 5 seconds, they go to the person from which they fell. Set boundaries. Go!
104 Games – T. Richter

539) Balloon Feet Battle

Length (mins): Only a few minutes Place: Open Area Supplies: Balloons, string (pre cut 18 inch, two per kid)

Have kids blow up two balloons and tie them to their ankles. Then tell them that they need to be the last one standing (with only one or both balloons) in order to win. On "Go!” chaos ensues.
104 Games – T. Richter

540) Bang, you're dead

Length (mins): 5-10 minutes Place: Anywhere Supplies: None

This is a game where the leader knows the secret, and the rest of the group try and guess how it’s done. Make sure that the group understands it is possible to know right away who has been shot, but they have to figure out what the secret is. Everyone should be seated around the room in a casual manner, with the leader at the front. After everyone is quiet, the leader raises their hand and points it like a gun and says, "Bang, you’re dead.” Then they ask, "Whom did I shoot?” It’s hardly ever the person who was being pointed at. Several people will guess, and they will most likely be wrong. Then the leader announces who it was. The leader continues to shoot people, but changes what they do each time. And just what is the secret? The person who was actually shot is the first person to speak after you say, "Bang, you’re dead.” Sooner or later, someone will catch on or perhaps the leader will make it a little more obvious, which only baffles the rest of the group more. It’s fun as well as frustrating.
104 Games – T. Richter

541) Bing-Bang-Buzz

Length (mins): 5-10 minutes Place: Anywhere Supplies: None

Everyone sits in a circle and someone starts counting. Each person sequentially says a number in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction until the number 7 is reached, and instead of saying 7, that person says "BUZZ.” The counting direction then reverses until the next number that has a 7 in it or is a multiple of 7 is reached; that person also says "BUZZ.” The direction again reverses, and the sequence continues until someone makes a mistake (not saying "BUZZ” or saying "BUZZ” at the wrong time). At which point, the group must begin again from one. After some practice, a group may surprise themselves as to how high a counting sequence can be reached before a mistake is made. Remember, when you reach 77, the response is "BUZZ-BUZZ”; now which direction are you headed? To make the game more difficult, add the word "BANG” for 5s and multiples of 5. The ultimate advanced game includes the word "BING” for 3s and multiples of 3. If any number can be a combination of 3, 5, or7, each "BING”, "BANG”, or "BUZZ” must be said. Anticipate that this sequence will move slowly.
104 Games – T. Richter

542) Birdie on a Perch

Length (mins): Only a few minutes Place: Open Area Supplies: None

Have everyone get a partner. Have them decide who is the birdie and who is the perch. Have all the birdies stand in a circle and all the perches stand in a circle surrounding the birdies. Have music ready. When the music starts, the birdies walk clockwise around the circle and the perches walk counter-clockwise. When the music stops, the birdies must find their perches and sit on them. Usually the perch kneels on one knee, making a perch out of the other leg. The last couple to pair up is out and the object is to be the last couple left.
104 Games – T. Richter

543) Bobidee Bop Bop Bop

Length (mins): Only a few minutes Place: Anywhere Supplies: None

Have the kids forma circle. One person in IT in the middle of the circle. To become NOT IT, the person has three options. Option 1: the person in the middle goes to someone in the circle and says "Bobbidee Bop Bop Bop.” The other person must respond with "Bop” before IT finishes saying "Bobbidee Bop Bop Bop.” Option 2: IT may simply say "Bop” to a person in the circle. If the person accidentally responds with "Bop,” they become IT. Option 3: IT points to a person and says "Elvis.” Then the person they pointed to has to impersonate Elvis and the people on each side must impersonate crazy fans. If IT can count to 10 before the people do their impersonations, the person that doesn’t make it is the new IT.
104 Games – T. Richter

544) Body Part Musical Chairs

Length (mins): 5-10 minutes Place: Open Area Supplies: One chair per person

Have everyone form a big circle of chairs with the chairs facing outward. Remove one chair. Have music ready. When the music starts, everyone must walk around the chairs. When the music starts, a caller yells out a body part. Then everyone races to touch that body part to a chair, one person per chair only. If they touch a chair before the body part is called, they are out. The one person who doesn’t get a chair is also out. To speed it up, you can remove more chairs. We usually start out simple – nose, hair, left elbow, etc. but towards the end we get more complicated – your bare feet (both of them), someone who’s out’s left hand, etc. The object is to be the last one left.
104 Games – T. Richter

545) Book Volleyball

Length (mins): 5-15 minutes Place: Outside, Open Area Supplies: Books, Tennis Ball, Net

First, everyone must use a book (any size) instead of their hands to hit the ball. Obviously it is best to use a hardbound book. The rest of the usual volleyball rules apply.
104 Games – T. Richter

546) Box Game

Length (mins): Only a few minutes Place: anywhere Supplies: none

The purpose of the box game is to create a fun way to get the kids’ attention. Have fids form a box around you. Make them memorize where they are in the box in respect to you. If you rotate to the left, the box is supposed to rotate with you. The leader in the middle of the box must think of a nonsense word. Whenever they shout it for the rest of the night, the kids must create the box around the leader.
104 Games – T. Richter

547) Buddy Rope Knot

Length (mins): Only a few minutes Place: Anywhere Supplies: A buddy rope for everyone

Rather than grasping a hand, grasp the end of a rope. Each person is assigned one rope and is genetically allotted at birth two digital graspers, so when all the grasping is done, this hand-in-hand scenario should come out even. Make sure, as in the old hand-holding classic, that you don’t grab two ropes coming from the same person. Otherwise this vis-à-vis close encounter will severely limit your group involvement. Notice how the tangled ropes allow a better view of what needs to be accomplished. Ordinarily, when you begin this problem (hands only), a participants initial view is usually of someone’s armpit or the back of a head. It also becomes quickly obvious that the ropes allow more people to be involved. Fifteen participants sharing tangled ropes is no problem. Fifteen tangled people holding hands might result in separated shoulders.
104 Games – T. Richter

548) Candy Roll

Length (mins): 5-10 minutes Place: Open Area Supplies: Candy, Duct Tape, Scissors

Spread candy out on floor. Wrap kids in duct tape, sticky side out, hands at their sides and feet together. On "Go”, kids have one minute to roll around and pick up as much candy as possible. The winner is the kid with the most amount of candy, plus all the players get to keep their candy. * Variations: Great as a reward for a contest. Help kids down to the floor. You’ll have to cut the kids out of the tape at the end.
104 Games – T. Richter

549) Caterpillar Relay

Length (mins): Only a few minutes Place: Anywhere Supplies: Sleeping bags

One at a time, each person on a team gets into a sleeping bag (head first!) and tries to reach a certain point and return. Obstacles may be placed in the way to make the game a little tougher.
104 Games – T. Richter

550) Centipede Race

Length (mins): Only a few minutes Place: Outside, Open Area Supplies: 2-3 benches

Here’s a great game that can be played indoors or outdoors. Seat as many students on each bench as possible, straddling it like a horse. When the race starts, everyone must stand up, bend over, and pick up the bench, holding it between their legs. They then run like a centipede. The finish line should be forty to fifty feet away. It’s a lot of fun to watch!
104 Games – T. Richter

551) Chair Balloon Ball

Length (mins): 5-10 minutes Place: Outside, Open Area Supplies: Balloons, Chairs

A non-carpeted floor is the best surface for this game. Divide the students up into two even teams and have each team choose a goalie. Have the goalies sit across from one another at each end of the playing area. These are not traditional goalies, as their job is to get the balloon and sit on it before the other team counts to three (loudly!). The rest of the players all have their own chair that they cannot get out of. The game style is similar to soccer, but each player moves around the room in a chair and uses their free hand to hit the balloon and their other hand to hold onto the chair. The teams play offense and defense and score when their goalie (who is on the other end of the playing area) pops a balloon.
104 Games – T. Richter

552) Chalk it up

Length (mins): 5-10 minutes Place: Outside Supplies: Chalk

Divide into small groups (this works well with squads/devotional groups). Give each group one full piece of chalk. Tell groups to choose one person from their group to hold the chalk. Then the rest of them need to lie on the ground, but they need to connect somehow. The person with the chalk stays standing. On "Go!” the person with the chalk has to outline all the other members of the group while they are lying on the ground. When everyone is successfully outlined, everyone gets up and the person with the chalk lies on the ground in the middle of the outlines, while someone else outlines them. When the original person with the chalk has been outlined, they need to have the chalk back in their hands and then they are done. First group to be done wins.
104 Games – T. Richter

553) CheeseHead

Length (mins): Only a few minutes Place: Anywhere Supplies: Shaving cream, cheese balls, towels

Choose three leaders and three kids. Each leader gets on their knees with one kid in front of them. When the time keeper says "Go!,” the kids have 60 seconds to stick as many cheese balls to the face of the leader using shaving cream. Whoever sticks the most cheese balls to their leader’s face is the winner!
104 Games – T. Richter

554) Chocolate Bar Scramble

Length (mins): Only a few minutes Place: Anywhere Supplies: Fully size candy bar, dice, mittens, cap, scarf, table, knife, fork

Here is a great game for groups of six to ten. Place a chocolate bar in the center of the table. The candy should stay in its wrapper and, to make the game last longer, you could wrap the candy in gift-wrapping paper as well. Each person sitting around the table takes a turn at rolling the dice. The first person who rolls a six gets to start eating the candy bar – but only after they put on a pair of mittens, a cap, a scarf; only after they run around the table once; and only with a knife and fork. While that person is getting ready (according to the instructions above) to eat the candy bar, the group keeps taking turns rolling the dice. If someone rolls a six, then the person who rolled the six before them relinquishes their right to the candy bar, and the second person must try to eat the candy bar before someone else rolls a six. The game is over when all the candy bar is devoured or when everyone drops to the floor from exhaustion.
104 Games – T. Richter

555) Christmas Story Shuffle

Length (mins): Only a few minutes Place: Anywhere

God made the world and people / but people rebelled against God / and they were separated from Him. / God promised to send a Savior. / Finally, after a long time an angel / appeared to a woman named Mary. / The angel told her she would have a baby, / and that she should name the baby / "Jesus” – which means God with us. / Mary and Joseph had to travel to Bethlehem. / When they arrived, there was no room, / so they found a place to stay / in a stable full of animals. / Mary had her baby / and named him Jesus. / On some hills nearby, there were shepherds / who were keeping watch over their sheep. / The sky became full of angels / singing "Hallelujah” and "Peace on Earth.” / A bright new star appeared in the eastern sky, / and some wise men followed it to Bethlehem. / They brought gifts to Jesus / and worshipped the newborn king. / Jesus grew up just as we all did, / and when the time was just right, / He died on a cross to take the punishment / for our sins. Divide kids into teams of 3-5. Kids get strips of paper and race to put the phrases together in the correct order to tell the Christmas story. *Variations: Have them search for their bag of strips. Have a ‘Treasure Hunt’ to find different strips.
104 Games – T. Richter

556) Circle Soccer

Length (mins): 5-15 minutes Place: Outside, Open Area Supplies: Soccer Ball

Two teams get into one circle, half on one side and half on the other. A ball is thrown into the circle, and the players try to kick it out through the other team’s side. If the ball is kicked out over the heads of the players, the point goes to the non-kicking team. If the ball is kicked out below the heads of the players, the kicking team gets the point. Hands may not be used at all, only feet and bodies. No one may move out of position except one player per team who may kick the ball to their teammates if the ball gets stuck in the center. That person may not score, however, or cross into the other team’s territory. If the roaming player gets hit with the ball (when kicked by the other team), the kicking team gets a point.
104 Games – T. Richter

557) Copy Cat Copy Cat

Length (mins): Only a few minutes Place: Anywhere Supplies: none

Ask your group to form a circle. During your explanation of the rules, ask each person to choose someone else in the circle to be their leader, but not to tell anyone who their leader is. Explain that once the activity starts, if the person you chose as a leader moves or changes position in any way, you must do exactly as s/he does. Whenever s/he moves, you mirror them. Ask that people try to watch their leaders without staring directly at them so that leaders won’t know who (if anyone) is following them. After explaining and asking for questions, check to be certain that everyone has a leader chosen. Before beginning, have people close their eyes and get in a comfortable pose. As soon as everyone opens their eyes on your command, they should change their pose to duplicate that of their leader. Once people open their eyes, patterns of movement begin to ripple around the circle. Sometimes this activity will last for several minutes, sometimes it will seem frenzied – at other time quiet. The end result is usually everyone in the same pose, though sometimes you get two or three groups of people doing different poses.
104 Games – T. Richter

558) Cups Stack-a Attack

Length (mins): Only a few minutes Place: Anywhere Supplies: 11 paper cups per team of 3

Kids race to stack and unstack the cups according to a set pattern that is demonstrated ahead of time. Once you get the basic idea, you can make all kinds of variations. Give each group 11 cups, stacked within each other as a singular pillar. Each kid starts sitting/standing behind their stack of cups with their hands on their head. On "Go!” they must make a triangle pyramid with five across the bottom, side-by-side, four on top of those, (wide side down so that the next row can be stacked upon the bottom of the row below), and the next row has three, the next has two, then one and the last cup goes right-side-up on top of the last cup. After the mountain is built, they must put their hands on their head and yell "Up!” (This prevents them from holding the mountain of cups up, because if it falls, they must rebuild it.) Once they succeed at yelling "Up!” with their hands on their head and the stack of cups remains, they must unstack the cups and return them to their original stack, all within each other, stacked open ends down. When done, they put their hands back on their head and yell "Done!” First one done wins! * Variations: Have individual competitions. Encourage blowing on competitors’ mountains.
104 Games – T. Richter

559) Don't Grab The Apple

Length (mins): 5-10 minutes Place: Anywhere Supplies: Tub of colored balls (multicolored but only one red), blindfalls, bags

Choose 5 or 6 kids. Give each a small bag. Blindfold them. On "Go,” they are to reach into the big tote of balls and grab some, putting them into their bag. Blue = 5pts, Green = 10pts, Yellow = 20pts, but if they pick the red one, they get ZERO points for that round. Play several 30 seconds rounds adding up their points each time and then putting the balls back. If someone got the red one, they get no points. Last round = NO blindfold. Ask why no one picked the red one when the blindfolds were off. "You knew the red was bad, so you didn’t pick it, but you did when you were blind. Sin is bad for you and will take away good things in life. Sometimes others blind us, or ignorance and sin, but other times we sin with our eyes wide open like Adam and Eve did. Sin costs you – avoid it – and you will be a winner
104 Games – T. Richter

560) Duck, duck, goose... CHAOS STYLE

Length (mins): Only a few minutes Place: Outside Supplies: Bowls, foam/whipped cream

Have the kids sit in a circle and close their eyes. Tell them to imagine their favorite place to go. Psyche them out by having some of them share where they are and what they are doing. Try to get everyone into it while the leaders are filling bowls with their weapon (the foam). Have the leaders spread out around the circle and stand behind a kid of their choice. Keep talking while another leader counts to three. On three, kids now have foam all in their hair. We used purple soap so that we could tell their parents that it comes off, but we were also helping to keep them clean.
104 Games – T. Richter

561) Egg-and-armpit relay

Length (mins): Only a few minutes Place: Anywhere Supplies: Hardboiled eggs, spoons

Half of the team lines up on each side of the room. The first person races to the other side with a spoon in his mouth and an egg on it. The teammate on the other side takes the egg and puts it in their armpit and runs back across the room. He drops the egg from his armpit onto the next person’s spoon.
104 Games – T. Richter

562) Elephant, Rhino, and Rabbit

Length (mins): Only a few minutes Place: Anywhere Supplies: None

The players sit in a tight circle with IT in the middle. IT points to someone in the circle and says either "Elephant,” "Rhino,” or "Rabbit.” The person he points to must either put their hands behind their back for "Rabbit,” put their hands in a first in front of each other in front of their nose for "Elephant,” or they must put both fists on their nose with the two index fingers pointing upwards for "Rhino.” The two people on either side of the player pointed to must put an open hand facing IT to the player’s head for "Elephant” (like elephant ears). For "Rhino,” they must put a fist to the other’s head (like rhino ears). For "Rabbit,” they must put a fist to the other’s head with one finger pointing upward (like rabbit ears). All of this must be done before the count of ten. If any one of the three people fails to do their part, they then become IT.
104 Games – T. Richter

563) Eskinose

Length (mins): Only a few minutes Place: Anywhere Supplies: Bright red lipstick

Divide group into two teams. First person has a lipstick smear on his nose. The winning team is the team that can pass the lipstick the farthest in thirty seconds by Eskimo kissing. Serve Eskimo Pies as prizes (and consolation prizes).
104 Games – T. Richter

564) Excendrin Whomp

Length (mins): Only a few minutes Place: Anywhere Supplies: Newspapers, Paper bags

Have each person put a paper bag over their head. Then give each person a rolled newspaper. The object is to knock someone else’s paper bag off without losing one’s own. No one is allowed to hold his hat on.
104 Games – T. Richter

565) Find the Cookie Monster

Length (mins): 10+ minutes Place: Entire Building Supplies: Cookies

A fun twist on "Hide and Seek.” A leader hides with a bunch of cookies and the kids go looking for him/her. When they find the leader, they are given a cookie, but should NOT give away where the leader is hidden. They should hide the cookie until they are away from the hidden leader. Why? So that they can show off their cookie to others and slowly eat it, bragging that they have a cookie and not the others. Game goes until everyone has a cookie, or until the leader is out of cookies. Variations: Instead of cookies, use Christmas presents around Christmas time. No lights = dark fun!
104 Games – T. Richter

566) Fire in the Hole

Length (mins): Only a few minutes Place: Anywhere Supplies: Blown up balloons

Have students stand front to back and include an inflated balloon between themselves and the person distal to their anterior (balloon at their belly button). Then everyone simultaneously pulls at one another to initiate the expand-to-burst scenario: Good fun provides an off-the-wall means of eliminating balloon storage problems.
104 Games – T. Richter

567) Flamingo Football

Length (mins): 5-10 minutes Place: Outside, Open Area Supplies: Football

Divide into teams – boys vs. girls. It’s co-ed tackle football with a catch. All the guys hafta hold one foot off the ground at all times (this includes running, hiking, passing, tackling and everything else).
104 Games – T. Richter

568) Foot Painting

Length (mins): Only a few minutes Place: On a tiled floor Supplies: Washable Paint

Choose a group (number of people should be one half the number of letters you plan to use). They all sit down in a line with their legs extended toward the audience. You paint the letters in the name of your group on the bottom of their feet (jumbled up) with paint. At a signal, they are to try and get the letters unscrambled and in order without any of them getting up or moving from their positions.
104 Games – T. Richter

569) Four Team Volleyball

Length (mins): 10 - 20 minutes Place: Outside, Open Area Supplies: 5 or six poles, 2 or 4 nets, volleyball

Here’s a wild version of volleyball that involves four teams at once. You can set it up with four volleyball nets or just two, depending on the size of your teams and the number of nets you have available. If you use two nets, then you form two right angles with them. If you use four nets, tie all four to the center pole. The four teams get in one of the four corners of the court, and the game is played like regular volleyball, except now you can hit the ball to any of the other three teams. An interesting strategy can develop since a team is never sure exactly when the ball will be coming their way.
104 Games – T. Richter

570) Funnel Trick

Length (mins): Only a few minutes Place: Anywhere Supplies: Funnel, Nickel, Cup of Freezing Water

Place a funnel in a boy’s pants (in front). Have him tip his head back, then place a nickel on his forehead. The object is for him to drop the nickel into the funnel three times in succession. The third time, pour a cup of water into the funnel while his head is tipped back.
104 Games – T. Richter

571) Garbage Bag Ball

Length (mins): Only a few minutes Place: Anywhere open Supplies: Garbage Bag, Blown up balloons

For this game, take a large plastic garbage bag and fill it full of balloons and tie it. You now have a Garbage Bag Ball. Here’s an exciting game that makes good use of it. Have all but ten of your group form a large circle on their knees. The remaining ten kids then form a pinwheel formation in the center of the circle, lying on their backs, heads toward the center. Everyone should have his shoes off for best results. The garbage bag ball is then tossed into the circle. The object is for the kids on their backs to kick or hit the ball out of the circle, over the heads of the kids in the outer circle. The outer circle tries to keep it in play. If the ball is kicked over a player’s head, in the outer circle, then s/he must take the person’s place in the inner circle. Play for as long as you wish.
104 Games – T. Richter

572) Ginger Ale Blow

Length (mins): 1-10 minutes Place: Somewhere with a tile floor Supplies: 2 candles, ginger ale, 2 chairs, table, 2 glasses, 2 lighters

Two people sit very close at a small table in chairs facing each other and they compete to drink a full glass of ginger ale. Each contestant has a candle in their left hand resting on the left corner of the table, a lighter and a glass or can of ginger ale in front of them. They may only drink the ginger ale when their candle is lit. Each tries to blow out the other person’s candle while trying to finish their own drink first. The winner is the person who can finish the ginger ale first with their candle still lit. Disqualifications: if you move the candle, if you touch the other person’s candle, if you touch the other person’s ginger ale, if you touch the other person’s lighter
104 Games – T. Richter

573) Grapefruit Pass

Length (mins): Only a few minutes Place: Anywhere Supplies: Grapefruits

Teams line up in a single line. A grapefruit is started at one end of the line and passed under the chins of the players – no hands! If dropped, the grapefruit must be started at the front of the line again.
104 Games – T. Richter

574) Grog

Length (mins): 10-60 minutes Place: Entire Building Supplies: A flashlight (disassembled)

In order to prepare for this game, the different pieces of a flashlight are hidden on surfaces throughout the church (i.e. not in drawers, etc) One person is chosen to be the ‘Grog.’ During the course of the game, if the Grog touches another player, they scream at the top f their lungs and ‘die.’ This lets everyone else know where they are and where the Grog is. A ‘dead’ player can be brought back to life if another player touches them. The Grog wins if all the other players are ‘dead’ simultaneously. The others win f they can find all the pieces of the flashlight, assemble it, and shine the light in the eyes of the Grog. The Grog is not allowed to touch any of the pieces of the flashlight during the game.
104 Games – T. Richter

575) Guess the Gargle

Length (mins): Only a few minutes Place: Anywhere Supplies: Cups of water for each competitor

Put all students names into a hat, then draw them out as teams. The last person you draw is the first to go. Give them a cup and then have them draw a song from a hat. Then they have to gargle the song in hopes of their team choosing the correct song (think Gargle Charades?) If after 2 minutes, the guessing team hasn’t correctly identified the song, the opposing team gets one guess. Continue like charades.
104 Games – T. Richter

576) Guzzle Relay

Length (mins): Only a few minutes Place: Anywhere Supplies: 2 or 3 gallons of cider, straws

Each person gets a drinking straw. A gallon of apple cider is placed a certain distance away. When the whistle is blown, the first person in line runs to the cider and starts guzzling. When the whistle blows again, he stops and the next person takes over. (Some people get a short drink, others a long drink, depending on your best judgment.) The first team to finish their gallon of cider wins.
104 Games – T. Richter

577) Happy Shake

Length (mins): Only a few minutes Place: Tile floor or outside Supplies: 3 blenders, 3 happy meals, large clear plastic cups, 3 big trash cans

Go to the local McDonalds ad pick up three Happy Meals. Have students pick their favorite Happy Meal and give them the bag and drink with a trash bag with a hole cut out. Instruct them to put all of their food on their plate, unwrapped. And then to take the lid off and the straw out of their drink. Then tell them to put on the trash bag. The leaders should then pull out the hidden blenders and walk up behind the students and proceed to put all of the Happy Meal into the blender. Blend it up real good. Put the shakes into clear cups. The rest is a race to see who can drink their Happy Shake the fastest. Make sure to have their trash cans nearby.
104 Games – T. Richter

578) Hoop Loops

Length (mins): Only a few minutes Place: Open Area Supplies: Several hula hoops

Form circles holding hands as a team. The Game Leader breaks the circle and places a hula hoop between two random people. The game begins with the Game Leader yelling out "RIGHT” or "LEFT,” at which point the hula hoop must circle in that direction and every team member must pass through it without breaking the circle (or the hoop). For added fun, try competition elimination rounds
104 Games – T. Richter

579) Hose Hockey

Length (mins): Only a few minutes Place: Outside Supplies: Smooth table top, foam pipe insulators, hose with a 'Y' adapter, 2 hoses with triggers, puck, two googles

Set up a smooth top table outdoors. Use foam pipe insulators to make bumpers along the sides of the table. Hook up a hose and put a "Y” adapter on the end. Run two hoses from the adapter, putting trigger-type sprayers at the ends. Two players stand at either end of the table (goggles optional). Put a hollow, plastic, street hockey puck in the center of the table. On "Go,” players try to spray the puck off the opposite end of the table. Deliberate spraying in someone’s face results in a penalty – penalized player has to take five steps backward and play from there.
104 Games – T. Richter

580) Hot Gift

Length (mins): 5-10 minutes Place: Anywhere Supplies: One gift per student

Put chairs in rows or a circle. Start with the smallest gifts at the front of the rows or in the middle of the circle. When the music starts, they are to pass the present to the direction indicated. If you have the present when the music stops, you lose and are out of the game and get to keep that gift. Game continues until the end and the biggest gifts go to the winners.
104 Games – T. Richter

581) Hot Wired

Length (mins): 5-10 minutes Place: Anywhere Supplies: 7 different colors of yam

Twist the yarn around each other so that they are tangles, but still lay straight. Choose 14 kids (7 pairs of friends) from the group. Have each pair grab the end of the same color of yarn. The object of the game is to get them untangled from the others WITHOUT LETTING GO of their connection to the other end. They can only use ONE hand, and may NOT let go, or they are out. They will have to reach up, over and under the others in order to get their wire free. * It is our daily struggle to stay connected to God, and we need to hold onto God no matter what and work to free ourselves from things that will try to entangle us.
104 Games – T. Richter

582) Human Battleship

Length (mins): 10+ minutes Place: Two separate rooms Supplies: Masking tape, two clipboards, pens, megaphone

Create a huge Battleship-like grid on the floor in two rooms with a 10’x10’ space. Label the rows A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J. Label the columns 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. Also, make a sheet with the same grid and put on the clipboards for the teams to keep track of their hits and misses toward the other team. Kids must form ships, groups of two, three, four and five… you make up the allotment of ships, but make sure both teams are the same. Then teams take turns trying to hit the other team’s ships by guessing a square. The clipboard starts with the person closest to the A1 position, and they get to call out a position at which they are firing. If a person is hit, they yell, "I’m hit!” (Encourage dramatic replies.) Persons ‘hit’ still get to play, but they have to sit down in their square. Play goes to the next team and starts with the person closest to A1 and goes back and forth from team to team until one team has everybody sitting down (they lose!). The clipboard gets passed to the next person going by row so everyone gets to guess at positions to ‘hit.’ (Even those sitting get to fire so that no one loses interest in the game.) A megaphone comes in handy for announcing the hits and misses. * Variations: If rooms are out of earshot, use a messenger.
104 Games – T. Richter

583) Human Blop

Length (mins): 5-10 minutes Place: Open Area Supplies: Chairs for all but one person

Have everyone form a circle and hold hands. Have a leader volunteer for the chair in the middle. The object of the game is to stay in the ‘blob’ while everyone else is pushing and pulling you towards the middle. Anyone who lets go is out. Anyone who touches the leader in the middle is out. The leader in the middle can move his/her arms but not their legs or the chair. Keep playing until there are only about five students left. They are the winners. The kids will want to play this one over and over again, so be prepared.
104 Games – T. Richter

584) Human Foosball

Length (mins): Only a few minutes Place: Outside, Open Area Supplies: String, folding chairs, soccerball

Using an open field, the Foosball format may be reconstructed making for a wild and fast game of soccer. Begin by dividing a playing field into ten sections. You may divide the field using string or cord strung across the filed about waist high. (You may run the string across the field and attach it at both ends to folding chairs.) Once the field is divided, then it is time to arrange the players. Each team should use an equal number of players; normally ten is about right, but you may want to adjust that number depending on field size and the number of people who want to participate. Arrange the players in the sections as shown in the following diagram. The players on the outer edges of the field are called spotters.
104 Games – T. Richter

585) Human Memory

Length (mins): 10+ minutes Place: Open Area Supplies: None

This is a version of the matching/memory game we played as kids. Two kids leave the room. The rest of the kids pair up (in unlikely pairs) and choose a noise. An adult then has each pair make their noise to make sure there are no duplicates. The kids then mix up and lay down on the ground on their stomachs. The kids who let left the room come in and try to match up the pairs. They do this by tapping a kid on the head, and then the kid gets up and makes their noise. This continues just like memory until all the pairs are matched. * Variations: Use movie quotes or farm noises or animal sounds.
104 Games – T. Richter

586) Human Tic Tac Toe

Length (mins): Only a few minutes Place: Anywhere Supplies: 9 chairs

As suggested by its title, this game is played just like it is on paper, except that people are used. It is very active and great for smaller groups. To play, set up nine chairs in three rows of three. Team A stands on one side of the chairs, and Team B on the other. Players on each team then number off. The leader calls a number like "4.” As soon as the number is called, the 4 on each team scrambles to sit down in any chair as quickly as they can. When they are seated, another number is called, and play continues until three teammates from either team have successfully scored a tic-tac-toe by sitting in a row of three either up, down or diagonally, and the game is played again.
104 Games – T. Richter

587) Ice Chest

Length (mins): Only a few minutes Place: Outside or a tile floor Supplies: 20 pounds of ice or more per contestant, cooler for each contestant 9 scoops or cups, 3 XXXL tshirts

Prearrange for three guys to come up front and prove how manly they are and for three girls to act as assistants for each guy (9 girls). Provide each guy with an XXXL t-shirt and instruct them to take off their regular shirts and put on this shirt, making sure to tuck them in really, really well. (Best idea: have them change into the XXXL shirts ahead of time, with no idea why, but just knowing their about to prove their manhood. Instruct the girls separately and keep coolers closed. Have each of the guys stand by a cooler of ice and give each of the girls a large scoop. When you say "Go!” the girls will begin shoveling the ice into the guys’ shirts. This is hilarious to watch and painful to experience. Give the 10-second warning after a minute or two, depending on the crowd’s interest. You can simply declare the guy with the most ice in his shirt the winner, or you can have the crowd vote by applause. Save yourself a lot of cleanup by having the ice-stuffed guys escorted outside for emptying and changing of clothes.
104 Games – T. Richter

588) Inside Dodgeball

Length (mins): 5-10 minutes Place: Open area Supplies: A ball

Use a dodgeball and mark off the territory for the game and those who are ‘out’. Have everyone spread out. One leader starts with a ball. The person holding the ball can only take two steps with it in their hands. They can, however, roll the ball on the floor, bounce it off the wall, etc. When someone is hit, they need to go to the ‘out’ area. Also, if someone catches the ball thrown, the person who threw the ball gets out (just like dodgeball). The thing that keeps the game moving is that those who are out need to remember who got them there. If the person that got them out, gets out themselves, they can go back into the game. Game ends whenever leaders are too tired to play anymore
104 Games – T. Richter

589) Jell o bobbing

Length (mins): Only a few minutes Place: Tile floor or outside Supplies: Candy, lots of jell-o

Place candy in the bottom of a large tub. Fill the tub with jell-o (multiple flavors for the best effect). Instruct students to bob for candy similar to bobbing for apples. Clean up. Tada!
104 Games – T. Richter

590) Klingon Tag

Length (mins): Only a few minutes Place: Open Area Supplies: Colored dot stickers (400 = 100 x 4 colors)

Divide your group into 4 smaller groups and give each group 100 Klingon Dots of the same color. Differentiate the colors by marking their foreheads with a washable marker. Have each team distribute their dots evenly among their members. The object of the game is for players to stick their dots on members of the other teams. They must be applied singly and no hard slapping or poking applications. Dots can only be placed on the backs of other players. When a player has applied all of their dots, allow them to retreat to a safe zone. To count have them face the wall while leaders compare backs.
104 Games – T. Richter

591) Knot game

Length (mins): Only a few minutes Place: Anywhere Supplies: None or buddy ropes

Have the kids stand in a circle then all move to the center. Have each kid grab the hand of someone across from him or her. You must grab two hands from different people. Once everyone is connected, have each group untangle themselves into a circle without letting go of hands.
104 Games – T. Richter

592) Kool-Aid IV Race

Length (mins): Only a few minutes Place: Tile floor or outside Supplies: Red KoolAid, long surgical tubes, clear cups, paper towels, chairs

Set a bowl of M&Ms in the middle of a circle. Have the person to the left of the leader choose an M&M with their eyes closed. Then have them answer a question below, depending on which color they chose. Red – If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go? Blue – What’s your favorite ice cream flavor? Green – What’s your favorite movie? Yellow – What’s one of your talents? Orange – What’s your favorite food? Brown – If you could have dinner with someone famous, who would you choose?
104 Games – T. Richter

593) Latex Glove Head Game

Length (mins): Only a few minutes Place: Anywhere Supplies: Latex gloves

All the boys receive one latex glove. This is for the girls’ entertainment. Have each participant stretch the gloves over their heads like a hat. Pull the glove over the nose, but not over the mouth (this would lead to suffocation). Now the game: suck through the mouth, blow through the nose. First one to blow up the glove to the point of popping is the winner.
104 Games – T. Richter

594) Lifesaver Relay

Length (mins): Only a few minutes Place: Anywhere Supplies: Toothpicks, Lifesavers

Give each player a toothpick to hold in their teeth. The leader places a Lifesaver on the toothpick of the player at the head of each line. It is then passed from toothpick to toothpick until it reaches the end of the line. If it is dropped before it reaches the end of the line, it must be started all over again. The winning team is the one whose Lifesaver reaches the end of the line first.
104 Games – T. Richter

595) M&M Game

Length (mins): 5-10 minutes Place: Anywhere Supplies: Bowls, M&Ms

104 Games – T. Richter

596) Mad Relay

Length (mins): 5-10 minutes Place: Anywhere Supplies: Folding chairs, bags with instructions on the inside

In this relay, each player does something different. At the beginning of the race, each team is lined up single file. At a signal, the first person on each team runs to the other end of the course to a chair. On the chair is a bag containing instructions written on separate pieces of paper. The player draws one of the instructions, reads it, and follows it as quickly as possible. Before returning to the team, the player must tag the chair and then run back and tag the next runner. The team that uses all of its instructions first is the winner. Here are a few sample directions: 1) Run around the chair five times while continuously yelling "The Americans are coming, the Americans are coming!” 2) Run to the nearest person on another team and scratch their head. 3) Run to the nearest adult in the room and whisper, "You’re no spring chicken!” 4) Stand on one foot while holding the other in your hand, tilt your head back and count, "10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, Blast Off!” 5) Take your shoes off, put them on the wrong feet, and then tag your nearest opponent. 6) Sit on the floor, cross your legs, and sing the following: "Mary had a little lamb, little lamb, little lamb. Mary had a little lamb, its fleece was white as snow.” 7) Go to the last person on your team and make three different funny-face expressions, then return to the chair before tagging your next runner. 8)Put your hands over your eyes and snort like a pig five times and meow like a cat five times. 9) Sit in the chair, fold your arms, and laugh hard and loud for five seconds. 10) Go to a blonde and keep asking, "Do blondes really have more fun?” until they answer. 11) Run around the chair backward five times while clapping your hands. 12) Run to someone not on your team and kiss their hand and gently pinch their cheek.
104 Games – T. Richter

597) Map Game

Length (mins): 5-10 minutes Place: Anywhere Supplies: Identical maps, marketrs

For this game, get several identical road maps of your state and ahead of time, draw a large number, letter or symbol, such as number 8, on the map. Make a list of all the towns that your lines cross or come near. Have the kids divide up into small groups and give each group a map and a list of towns. On "Go!,” they must locate the towns and figure out (like dot-to-dot) what the towns form when connected with a line – no guessing allowed (a wrong guess disqualifies them). The first group with the correct answer wins.
104 Games – T. Richter

598) Marble sucking relay

Length (mins): Only a few minutes Place: Anywhere Supplies: Straws, marbles, paper cups

Divide your group into several teams. Give each person a plastic straw and a paper cup. The first person on each team gets a marble in their cup. The object is to suck the marble up with the straw and drop it into the next person’s cup. If the marble drops on the floor, the team must start over at the beginning. The first team to get the marble to the last person wins!
104 Games – T. Richter

599) Marshmallow Pitch

Length (mins): Only a few minutes Place: Anywhere Supplies: Bags of miniature marshmallows

For this game, have kids pair off and give each pair a sack of miniature marshmallows. Each pair should also have a neutral counter. One person is the pitcher, the other the catcher. On "go,” the pitcher tosses a marshmallow into the catcher’s mouth, and the catcher must eat the marshmallow. The pitcher and catcher should be about ten feet apart. The counter counts how many successful catches are made, and the couple with the most at the end of a time limit or the first to reach twenty successful catches is the winner.
104 Games – T. Richter

600) Mattress Relay

Length (mins): 10-20 minutes Place: Open Area Supplies: One mattress per team

This game is excellent for camps or large groups. The group is divided into two teams. Have the team divide by 2/3 and 1/3. The 2/3 lie flat on their backs on the floor, side by side, alternating head to foot. The 1/3 are transported over the line one the floor on a mattresses and jumps off at the end. The mattress is then passed back, and another girl gets on. If any girl falls off, she must get back on the mattress where she fell off. The team who transport their 1/3 in the quickest time wins.
104 Games – T. Richter

601) Mummy

Length (mins): 5-10 minutes Place: Anywhere Supplies: One roll of toilet paper per team, stopwatch

Divide kids into teams. Have each team choose a volunteer dead person. Give each team a roll of toilet paper. Teams race to unroll a roll of toilet paper around their dead person. If the paper breaks, 10 seconds is added to their time. Winner is a combination of speed and how good the mummy looks. * Variations: Add bonus points for creativity (for example: arms straight out, arms crossed, finished mummy lying on the floor, etc.).
104 Games – T. Richter

602) Musical Costumes

Length (mins): 5-10 minutes Place: Anywhere Supplies: A laundry bag or pillow case filled with various articles of clothing

Here is a funny game that allows everyone to look funny. Keep the bag tied shut, so the clothing will not spill out. Have your group form a circle and start passing the bag around as the music is played. When the music stops, the person holding the bag must reach in and take out an article without looking. Then they must put it on and wear it for the remainder of the game. Try to have enough, so each person gets three or four funny articles of clothing. After the game, you can have a fashion show or take pictures to hang up on the youth group bulletin board.
104 Games – T. Richter

603) Name Speed Game

Length (mins): Only a few minutes Place: Anywhere Supplies: None or a ball

Have kids sit in a circle. Have them go around and introduce their name with an adjective in front of it. Then, see how fast you can do it as a group. Possibly set a time goal. Twist: Have kids throw a ball, not directly in line. Then have them repeat while throwing the ball
104 Games – T. Richter

604) Name That Gift

Length (mins): 10+ minutes Place: Anywhere Supplies: 3x5 cards, box, 2 white boards, dry erase markers

As kids come, have them write on a card one thing they’re hoping they’ll get for Christmas, and turn it in. Put them all in a box. Divide the room into two halves and have a whiteboard for each side. Each side takes a turn. Have the first player draw a card from the box. They have 30 seconds to draw what is on the card while their team tries to guess. 100 points are awarded to the team for each correct guess. If they don’t get it in 30 seconds, the other team gets 10 seconds to guess.
104 Games – T. Richter

605) Needle'n'thread tag

Length (mins): Only a few minutes Place: Open Area Supplies: None

Create a circle with all but two of your players. The people in the circle need to stand close enough to hold hands. Choose one of the two other players to be IT. The other will be NI (not it). Whenever the NI runs between two people in the circle, those two people immediately link hands to create a barrier, which the IT cannot break. People in the circle must close their hands as quickly as possible and try to prevent the IT from crossing between them. The NI is given the option of closing where to start, either inside or outside the circle, and the IT must start wherever the NI is not; the IT starts the game by yelling "I’m SEW gonna get you!” The objective for the NI is to sew up the circle without being caught by the IT. If the IT tags the NI, that ends the round. At this point, the NI is the new IT. If the NI succeeds in closing all the gaps without being tagged, either they will be in the same realm (meaning an endless pursuit unless boundaries are set or certain capture within the circle) or the NI will be forever safe from IT. Either way, it’s exciting.
104 Games – T. Richter

606) Open or closed

Length (mins): 5-10 minutes Place: Anywhere Supplies: A pair of drumsticks

This is a great game for small informal meetings where kids sit in a circle and around a pair of drumsticks. When the sticks are passed, each person must announce whether they are passing it "open” or "closed.” For example, they might say, "I received it … (open or closed) and I am passing it … (open or closed).” The leader then tells the person whether they are right or wrong. If they are wrong, they must stand up. The idea is to learn the secret, which is: if your legs are crossed, you must pass the object closed. If your legs are uncrossed, you must pass the object open. It’s sounds simple, but it is really hard to figure out.
104 Games – T. Richter

607) Pantee Ho

Length (mins): Only a few minutes Place: Outside, tile floor Supplies: Full-size nylons, bananas

Choose volunteers from the group. Have them put one leg of the nylons over their face. Then, hand them a banana. The first person to eat the entire banana through the nylon wins!
104 Games – T. Richter

608) Passing the word

Length (mins): Only a few minutes Place: Anywhere Supplies: 2 balls

Here is a simple game that teaches a great lesson on witnessing! You will need to conspire ahead of time with one team member from each team. You can apply this object to many different games or relays, but I used it this way. Choose about 8-10 kids per team for a competition. Have each team line up in a single-file line facing the other team. On "Go,” the person in front passes the ball over their heads to the next person. It continues down the line in over-under fashion. When the ball gets to the back of the line, that person runs it back to the front and starts it again. This cycle continues until the person who was at the front at the beginning is back in the front. Then they all sit down. The first team to have given everyone a chance at the front and then sitting down WINS! * Variations: Ahead of time, select two kids, one from each team and talk to them. Choose kids of strong character who can handle everyone being temporarily upset with them. If they give in to peer pressure, your lesson will flop! Explain the game to them and tell them that you will choose them to be part of the team and will place them toward the end of the line. When the ball gets to them, they are to just hold the ball and NOT pass it. No matter what, they are to hold the ball. If others try to get it from them or yell at them, they are to just bend over, hugging the ball, and refuse to pass it. Make sure no one knows you talked ahead of time! Then, go on to lesson! After lesson, play the game as normal.
104 Games – T. Richter

609) Penguine Sports

Length (mins): 10-20 minutes Place: Outside, Open Area Supplies: Strips of cloth, appropriate ball, goals

Give each person a rag about 4 inches wide and 2 feet long (sheets torn into strips work well). Each person then ties the rag securely around their knees to make running impossible. Players can move only by shuffling their feet. Now divide into teams and play football. Or baseball. Or Volleyball. Or Soccer. It’s great fun!
104 Games – T. Richter

610) People Bingo

Length (mins): 5-10 minutes Place: Anywhere Supplies: Bingo cards, hat, scrap paper

Give every student a Bingo playing card (remember that the middle is FREE!) and have them fill their boxes with names of students in the room (only once per student, of course). Then, from a hat, randomly pull students’ names and if a player has that one’s name on his card, he marks an "X” through that name. The first player who has a row of "X’s” either horizontally, vertically or diagonally, wins!
104 Games – T. Richter

611) Poop Deck

Length (mins): Only a few minutes Place: Outside, Open Area Supplies: None

Here’s a great game for 10 – 100. Clearly mark off three section on the floor with tape, chalk, etc. One section is the Poop Deck, one the Main Deck, and the last the Quarter Deck. Begin with everyone standing on the Poop Deck. Call the name of a deck (even the one that they are standing in) and the kids then run to the deck that you have called. The last person on the deck is out. If the kids are on Poop Deck, for example, and you call "Poop Deck,” any kid who crosses the line, jumps the gun, or in any other way (except being pushed) goes off the Poop Deck section, is out. The game continues until one person is the winner.
104 Games – T. Richter

612) Porky Mallow

Length (mins): Only a few minutes Place: Anywhere Supplies: Marshmallows, toothpicks

This game gets more difficult and funnier as it’s played. Divide y our group into two or more teams. Give each player a toothpick. The first player gets a marshmallow on their toothpick and then holds the toothpick only with their teeth. Pass the marshmallow from player to player only by sticking your toothpick into the marshmallow and leaving it as you pass it along – no hands allowed. As the marshmallow is passed, it accumulates one more toothpick from each player. It’s a riot to see players trying to avoid being stuck by the other toothpicks already on the marshmallow. The first team to finish is the winner. And the end product is a marshmallow that looks like a porcupine.
104 Games – T. Richter

613) Pull Apart

Length (mins): About 5 minutes Place: Anywhere Supplies: None

This is the game in which all students of the larger gender link up by getting in a big pile, hugging and grabbing each other – whatever is necessary – in order to stay connected. When you say "Go,” the other gender tries to pull them apart. Once a person is pulled apart from the pile, they are out and must go sit down. The last two linked together are the winners. Works best if the girls are grabbing the guys due to inappropriate touch and whatnot.
104 Games – T. Richter

614) Push em into balance

Length (mins): Only a few minutes Place: Anywhere Supplies: None

The group pairs off and the players in each twosome lean toward each other hand-to-hand, so that they are dependent on each other to keep from falling. Then they attempt to push each other into independent standing positions without moving their feet. Variations – kneel, threesome partnerships, benches or balance beams, kneeling to standing, etc.
104 Games – T. Richter

615) Scrap Paper War

Length (mins): Only a few minutes Place: Open Area Supplies: Scrap Paper

Divide room in half and tell teams to spread out in their half of the area. Then tell them that their feet are to be like glued to the floor. Have each team quickly choose their "Gopher.” On "Go!” the gopher will go grab some paper, but only giving one piece to each team member at a time. The team with the most paper on their side loses, so cheer them on.
104 Games – T. Richter

616) Shipwreck

Length (mins): 5-10 minutes Place: Outside, Open Area Supplies: 4 cones, chalk

Create four corners with cones. On each side, write the appropriate title: Front = bow, back = stern, left = port, right = starboard. The chosen captains stands at the front of the ship. Announce that everyone has to do exactly as the captain says or else they’ll be forced to walk the plank. The Captain will announce a movement and crew members must react as quickly and accurate as possible to avoid walking the plank. Make sure to demonstrate the possible commands. Jellyfish: lie on your back with arms and legs jiggling in the air // Sunbathing: lie on your stomach // Fish for Dinner: jump up and down, holding your nose // May I Go To the Bathroom, Captain? Salute while jumping up and down with legs crossed // Dig for Treasure: pantomime digging movements with sound effects //Scrub the Deck: get on hands and knees // Midships: lie belly-down in the middle of the ship // Crow’s Nest: kneel on one knee and pantomime looking through a spyglass // Bow: run to the bow of the ship // Port: run to the port of the ship // Stern: run to the stern of the ship // Starboard: run to the starboard of the ship // Bow/Stern/Starboard/Port on Fire! run to the opposite side of the ship // Overboard: grab a partner and get in the piggy-back position // Arm the Torpedoes: grab a partner and get in the wheelbarrow position // Under Attack! grab a partner and lie across each other like an X // Time for Grub: grab a partner – one makes a table, the other eats // 3 in a Lifeboat: form a trio, sit on the ground single-file and row, singing "Row, Row, Row Your Boat” // Shipwreck: everyone freezes
104 Games – T. Richter

617) Shoe Shucking Race

Length (mins): 3 minutes Place: Anywhere Supplies: Dishpans of water

Divide into groups of 5-6. Each team member must lie on their back with their feet in the air, meeting in the center of the circle. A container of water is placed on the elevated feet. The object is for each team member to remove their shoes without spilling the water. The team to win is the one with the most shoes off after three minutes.
104 Games – T. Richter

618) Snowball Brigade

Length (mins): Only a few minutes Place: Open Area Supplies: 1 bucket per team, stopwatch, background music, bags of large marshmallows

Choose teams of 5-6 youth. Each team needs to pick a "Frosty”. Frosty will need to put on a coat, mittens/gloves, hat, boots, scarf, etc. Teams should line up along front of stage (or in front of boundary). "Frosty”s will be up on the stage (or behind another boundary) with a bucket. Teams will have one minute to put as many marshmallows in their team bucket as they can. * Variations: Add Frosty’s dressing into the time (add a minute). Use paper wads or styrofoam balls instead of marshmallows. Use different mediums as "snowballs” and count as different points. Take it outside!
104 Games – T. Richter

619) Soda Tower Demolition

Length (mins): 5-10 minutes Place: Open Area Supplies: Marshmallows

Have kids bring as many soda cans as they can for this fundraiser/game. Teams of three need to stack their soda cans as fast as they can. Meanwhile, every team gets one marshmallow per soda can. The marshmallows are used to demolish other towers. Quickest one to build their tower and include all their cans wins! We’ve never had a winner. Chaos usually ensues with a marshmallow fight.
104 Games – T. Richter

620) Spit Wad Soldiers

Length (mins): 5-10 minutes Place: Anywhere Supplies: 1 cup, 1 piece of paper, and 1 straw for every person, tape to mark a 'no man's land'

Divide the group into two teams. Give each person a cup, a piece of paper and a straw. Have them balance the cup upside down on their heads. Explain that there is a 'no man's land' marked with tape and no one can enter that area. However, using the materials given they are to make the cups of the other team fall off their heads. If anyone's cup falls off, no matter how, they are 'fallen soldiers' and must sit out for the remainder of the game. The result of this game is usually a spit wad war, but leave it open so that they have to be creative.
104 Games – T. Richter

621) Sponge Catch

Length (mins): 5-10 minutes Place: Outside Supplies: Sponges, 2 buckets per team, water

This is a relay where they need to catch sponges as fast as possible. Start off with two lines drawn 20 feet apart. Teams need to choose one person to start holding the bucket and one person to throw the rejects back. The person holding the bucket needs to sit on one line and the other person stands behind them. The rest of the team lines up single-file behind the other line. The first person attempts to throw the sponge into the bucket. The person standing behind cannot help at all, but rather retrieves the sponges that don’t make it. The person throwing keeps throwing until they make it. Then the thrower replaces the person behind the bucket. The person behind the bucket replaces the person sitting. The person sitting with the bucket on their head goes to the back of the line. Continue until everyone has had a chance to throw. First team done wins!
104 Games – T. Richter

622) Star Donut Eating Contest

Length (mins): Only a few minutes Place: Tile floor or outside Supplies: Star-shaped donuts, string, pole (limbo-style)

Choose kids and bring them up front. Hang as many star-shaped donuts as you have kids playing from a pole above their heads. They will race to eat the star off the string – but if it falls on the ground, they’re out. The one who finishes first, wins!
104 Games – T. Richter

623) Stepping stones

Length (mins): 5-20 minutes Place: Outside, open area Supplies: One proper per player, two ropes or masking tape

The basic set-up here is the old "get from Point A to Point B without touching the ground in between” routine. People are assembled at Point A, given one prop less than their number and told to arrive safely with the entire group at Point B before the time runs out. Touch the ground and the whole group returns to Point A.
104 Games – T. Richter

624) Straws & Q-Tips

Length (mins): Only a few minutes Place: Anywhere Supplies: Straws, Q-Tips, buckets

Give each child a straw and several Q-tips. Put a Q-tip into the straw, and by blowing the straw it will shoot out the Q-tip. Have a bucket about 10 feet away and see how many they can get into the bucket.
104 Games – T. Richter

625) Striker

Length (mins): 10-20 minutes Place: An open field or gymnasium Supplies: One beach ball

Divide your group in half and ask each team to separate to a side. The team with the youngest player can elect to either receive or smack the ball. The team that initially delivers the ball initiates the action by having one player toss the ball aloft, allowing another player to hand-strike the descending soft sphere so that it sails toward the other team. Play has begun, so here’s a few rules to maintain some semblance of competition. A score is achieved by hitting the ball over tan end line or by making ball/wall contact at the end of the gym. After a goal is made, a member of the defending team is allowed to pick up the ball and, without interference, strike the ball toward the far wall. There is no time out after a score – play is continuous. The ball cannot be hit with any part of the body except hands and arms. No purposeful body contact is allowed. There are no time outs, penalties, or whistles. Contact with the ball is made only with an open hand – no fists.
104 Games – T. Richter

626) Tail Grab

Length (mins): Only a few minutes Place: Anywhere Supplies: Several ties

Divide the group into any number of equal chains (a line of people in which each person grips the wrist – or waist if divided boys vs girls – of the one in front of them). The last person in the chain has a tail (a tie) dangling behind them. The object is for the first person in the chain to snatch the tail from another line. The fun is to maneuver to get someone else’s tail while trying to keep your own.
104 Games – T. Richter

627) Tails! You're it!

Length (mins): 5-10 minutes Place: Open Area Supplies: A quarter

Gather everyone in the front of the sanctuary. Take a coin and tell everyone to declare heads or tails affiliation by placing one hand either on his or her head or on his or her behind. Flip the coin. If the coin comes up heads, heads are "It.” All the heads then charge about, trying to tag all the tails. Have all the players maintain their hand positions while running. Then, if a tail is tagged, s/he indicates a tagged status by putting both hands on their posterior and standing with legs well spread. Uncaught tails can free tagged tails by crawling through the tagged players’ legs and yelling "Tails Free!” If a coin comes up tails, tails are "It.” When a head is tagged, s/he indicated a tagged status by putting both hands on top of his/her head and freezes with legs spread apart. Uncaught heads can free their frozen teammates by crawling through their legs and yelling, "Heads Free!”
104 Games – T. Richter

628) Tape Head

Length (mins): However long you want Place: Anywhere Supplies: Hats, Tape

Divide the group into two teams or more. Each team designates a runner who stands up front in their section, wearing a sticky hat. Yell out a demand for a common item that people might have on them. The team finds that item and sticks it on their runner’s head. The first runner who makes it up to the emcee with the item stuck to their head wins that round. Make sure there is lots of tape on the hats and the teams must leave the items stuck on the hat until the end of the game. Possible call items: shoelace, student ID, piece of chewed gum, three shoelaces tied together, a belt, baby picture, driver’s license, $20 bill, penny, $3.48, a self-plucked red hair, a handwritten note, etc.
104 Games – T. Richter

629) Tee Pee Unroll

Length (mins): Only a few minutes Place: Anywhere Supplies: One roll of toilet paper per team, stopwatch

Divide group into teams. Have teams line up in a single-file line. Give the first person on each team a roll of toilet paper. They race to unroll it, but for every break, they get 10 seconds added to their score. It must be passed unrolling down the row and back until it is all unrolled – first team to finish wins! * Variations: Try "Over-Under” while unrolling it. Give them straws and tell them they can’t touch it with their hands. Tell them they have to roll it on the ground with their feet and it needs to circle their team, but they can’t use their hands
104 Games – T. Richter

630) Todo El Mundo Tag

Length (mins): Only a few minutes Place: Outside, Open Area Supplies: None

Everyone spreads out and on "Go!” tags everyone that they can. When a person is tagged, they are to sit down where they were tagged. If two people tag each other at the same time, they are both out. The last person standing wins!
104 Games – T. Richter

631) Toe Fencing

Length (mins): Only a few minutes Place: Anywhere Supplies: None

Here’s a wild game, and if it’s set to music, it looks like a new kind of dance. All the players pair off, lock hands, and try to tap the top of one of their partner’s feet with their own feet. In other words, one player tries to stomp on the other player’s foot while their hands are clasped (tapping sounds a bit more humane). Of course, since players are also trying to avoid having their feet stepped on, they are all hopping around the floor in a frantic dance. When a player has had their foot tapped three times, s/he is out of the game, and the winning partner challenges another winner. The game continues until only one person is left (or until the music runs out.)
104 Games – T. Richter

632) Triangle Tag

Length (mins): Only a few minutes Place: Outside, Open Area Supplies: None

Groups of three hold hands. Anyone left is IT. The tallest person in the group is the taggable. The triangle runs and spins to keep that person from being tagged. Once their tagged, they give up their spot to the IT and become the new IT. Obviously, there will now be a new taggable person.
104 Games – T. Richter

633) Tug of war times two

Length (mins): Only a few minutes Place: Large room, open area, outside Supplies: Tug of war rope

By tying two ropes in the middle, so you have four ends of equal length, you can have a tug of war with four teams instead of two. Draw a circle on the ground so that each team is outside the circle when the war begins. When one team is pulled across the circle line, it is eliminated from the game, leaving the other three teams to tug against each other. Then those three play until another is eliminated, and finally two teams play to determine the winner. Each time, the tug of war is conducted across the circle.
104 Games – T. Richter

634) Whats up, banana

Length (mins): Only a few minutes Place: Anywhere with 3 trash buckets Supplies: Three bottles of 7-up, 3 bananas

This was inspired by a couple of our high school students. Pull three students who race to see who can peel and eat a banana, then drink a bottle of 7-Up the fastest.
104 Games – T. Richter

635) World water bucket championships

Length (mins): 5-10 minutes Place: Outside Supplies: Buckets, water

Pairs of buckets of water are placed 20 feet apart. The players on each team have to transfer the water from one bucket, by cupping their hands and passing the water to each other down the line, trying to pour the water into an empty bucket at the end of the line. The amounts of water transferred are measured and the winners are announced.
104 Games – T. Richter

636) Wrap a kid!

Length (mins): 5-10 minutes Place: Anywhere Supplies: Rolls of wrapping paper, scissors, tape, bows

Choose two kids from the group and have them pick three friends to help. Give each of them a roll of wrapping paper, scissors, tape and a bow. Have them race to be the first to completely wrap their friend.
104 Games – T. Richter

637) FACT OR FICTION

Ask everyone to write on a piece of paper THREE things about themselves which may not be known to the others in the group. Two are true and one is not. Taking turns they read out the three ‘facts’ about themselves and the rest of the group votes which are true and false. There are always surprises. This simple activity is always fun, and helps the group and leaders get to know more about each other.
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638) INTERVIEW

Divide the young people into pairs. Ask them to take three minutes to interview each other. Each interviewer has to find 3 interesting facts about their partner. Bring everyone back to together and ask everyone to present the 3 facts about their partner to the rest of the group. Watch the time on this one, keep it moving along.
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639) CONVERSATIONS

Each person is given a sheet of paper with a series of instructions to follow. This is a good mixing game and conversation starter as each person must speak to everyone else. For example; Count the number of brown eyed boys in the room. Find out who has made the longest journey. Who has the most unusual hobby? Find the weirdest thing anyone has eaten. Who has had the most embarrassing experience? Who knows what 'Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia' is a fear of? Nearest guess wins. If that's too easy you can try Arachibutyrophobia, Alektorophobia, Ephebiphobia or Anglophobia. (Answers on page 57!)
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640) MY NAME IS?

Go around the group and ask each young person to state his/her name and attach an adjective that not only describes a dominant characteristic, but also starts with the same letter of his name e.g. generous Grahame, dynamic Dave. Write them down and refer to them by this for the rest of the evening.
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641) THE QUESTION WEB

You need to have a spool of string or wool for this game. Ask the young people to stand in a circle. Hold on to the end of the string and throw the ball/spool to one of the young people to catch. They then choose a question from 1-20 to answer. A list of 20 sample questions is given below. Adapt for your group. Holding the string they then throw it to another member of the group. Eventually this creates a web as well as learning some interesting things about each other! At the end of the game you could comment that we all played a part in creating this unique web and if one person was gone it would look different. In the same way it's important that we all take part to make the group what it is, unique and special.
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642) THE QUESTION WEB Questions

1. If you had a time machine that would work only once, what point in the future or in history would you visit? 2. If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go? 3. If your house was burning down, what three objects would you try and save? 4. If you could talk to any one person now living, who would it be and why? 5. If you HAD to give up one of your senses (hearing, seeing, feeling, smelling, tasting) which would it be and why? 6. If you were an animal, what would you be and why? 7. Do you have a pet? If not, what sort of pet would you like? 8. Name a gift you will never forget. 9. Name one thing you really like about yourself. 10. What's your favourite thing to do in the summer? 11. Who's your favourite cartoon character, and why? 12. Does your name have a special meaning and or were you named after someone special? 13. What is the hardest thing you have ever done? 14. If you are at a friend's or relative's house for dinner and you find a dead insect in your salad, what would you do? 15. What was the best thing that happened to you this past week? 16. If you had this week over again what would you do differently? 17. What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think about God? 18. What's the weirdest thing you've ever eaten? 19. If you could ask Christ to change one problem in the world today, what would you like him to change? 20. What book, movie or video have you seen/read recently you would recommend? Why?
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643) IF

Ask the group to sit in a circle. Write 20 'IF' questions on cards and place them (question down) in the middle of the circle. The first person takes a card, reads it out and gives their answer, comment or explanation. The card is returned to the bottom of the pile before the next person takes their card. This is a simple icebreaker to get young people talking and listening to others in the group. Keep it moving and don't play for too long. Write your own additional 'IF' questions to add to the list.
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644) IF Questions

1. If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go? 2. If I gave you $10,000, what would you spend it on? 3. If you could watch your favourite movie now, what would it be? 4. If you could talk to anyone in the world, who would it be? 5. If you could wish one thing to come true this year, what would it be? 6. If you could live in any period of history, when would it be? 7. If you could change anything about yourself, what would you change? 8. If you could be someone else, who would you be? 9. If you could have any question answered, what would it be? 10. If you could watch your favourite TV show now, what would it be? 11. If you could have any kind of pet, what would you have? 12. If you could do your dream job 10 years from now, what would it be? 13. If you had to be allergic to something, what would it be? 14. If you sat down next to Jesus on a bus, what would you talk about? 15. If money and time was no object, what would you be doing right now? 16. If you had one day to live over again, what day would you pick? 17. If you could eat your favourite food now, what would it be? 18. If you could learn any skill, what would it be? 19. If you were sent to live on a space station for three months and only allowed to bring three personal items with you, what would they be? 20. If you could buy a car right now, what would you buy?
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645) DESERT ISLAND

Announce, 'You've been exiled to a deserted island for a year. In addition to the essentials, you may take one piece of music, one book (which is not the Bible) and one luxury item you can carry with you i.e. not a boat to leave the island! What would you take and why?' Allow a few minutes for the young people to draw up their list of three items, before sharing their choices with the rest of the group. As with most icebreakers and relationship building activities, it's good for the group leaders to join in too!
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646) WOULD YOU RATHER

Questions may range from silly trivia to more serious content. On the way you might find out some interesting things about your young people! Place a line of tape down the centre of the room. Ask the group to straddle the tape. When asked 'Would you rather?’ they have to jump to the left or right as indicated by the leader. Don't forget to encourage your adult helpers to join in too! I've included 20 starter questions, just add your own and let the fun begin. Would you rather..? Visit the doctor or the dentist? Eat broccoli or carrots? Watch TV or listen to music? Own a lizard or a snake?
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647) WOULD YOU RATHER Questions

Have a beach holiday or a mountain holiday? Be an apple or a banana? Be invisible or be able to read minds? Be hairy all over or completely bald? Be the most popular or the smartest person you know? Make headlines for saving somebody's life or winning a Nobel Prize? Go without television or fast food for the rest of your life? Have permanent diarrhoea or permanent constipation? Be handsome/beautiful and dumb or be ugly and really smart? Always be cold or always be hot? Not hear or not see? Eliminate hunger and disease or be able to bring lasting world peace? Be stranded on a deserted island alone or with someone you don't like? See the future or change the past? Be three inches taller or three inches shorter? Wrestle a lion or fight a shark?
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648) MASKS

You will need crayons or paints, markers, scissors and white card for this activity. Give each young person a piece of white card. Ask them to draw and cut out a life-sized shape of a face. They can also cut out eyes and a mouth if they wish. Each young person is then asked to decorate their card face. One side represents what they think people see/know/believe about them i.e. on the outside. The other side represents what they feel about themselves i.e. things going on the inside, what people do not necessarily know or see. This is best used in an established group where the young people are comfortable and at ease with each other. 'Masks' is also a good discussion starter on self image and self worth.
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649) NAME THAT PERSON

Divide into two teams. Give each person a blank piece of card. Ask them to write five little known facts about themselves on their card. Include all leaders in this game too. For example, I have a pet iguana, I was born in Iceland, my favourite food is spinach, my grandmother is called Doris and my favourite colour is vermillion. Collect the cards into two team piles. Draw one card from the opposing team pile. Each team tries to name the person in as few clues as possible. Five points if they get it on the first clue, then 4, 3, 2, 1, 0. The team with the most points wins. (Note: if you select the most obscure facts first, it will increase the level of competition and general head scratching!)
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650) PEOPLE BINGO

Great for new groups. Make a 5 by 4 grid on a piece of card and duplicate for everyone in your group. Supply pens or pencils. Each box contains one of the statements below. Encourage the group to mix, talk to everyone to try and complete their card. If one of the items listed on the bingo card relates to the person they are talking with, have them sign their name in that box. End the activity after 10 minutes and review some of the interesting facts the group has discovered about each other. You can add your own statements appropriate for your group.
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651) PEOPLE BINGO Questions

Has brown eyes Has made the longest journey Has eaten the weirdest food Plays Tennis Is wearing blue Speaks a foreign language Knows what a muntjak is (it's a small deer) Plays a musical instrument Has 2 or more pets Has been to the most foreign countries Hates broccoli Has 2 or more siblings Name begins with an 'S' Loves Chinese food Loves to ski Knows what a quark is (A quark is a tiny theoretical particle that makes up protons and neutrons in the atomic nucleus. So there!) Loves soccer Likes to get up early Someone who’s favourite TV show is CSI Someone over 6ft tall
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652) FLAGS

Flags is a get-to-know-you activity, helping young people express what's important to them or more about themselves. Provide large sheets of paper, crayons, markers and paints. Ask each young person to draw a flag which contains some symbols or pictures describing who they are, what's important to them or what they enjoy. Each flag is divided into 4 or 6 segments. Each segment can contain a picture i.e. favourite emotion, favourite food, a hobby, a skill, where you were born, your family, your faith. Give everyone 20 minutes to draw their flags. Ask some of the group to share their flags and explain the meaning of what they drew.
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653) AROUND THE WORLD

The leader begins by saying the name of any country, city, river, ocean or mountain that can be found in an atlas. The young person next to him must then say another name that begins with the last letter of the word just given. Each person has a definite time limit (e.g. three seconds) and no names can be repeated. For example; First person: London Second Person: Niagara Falls Third Person: Switzerland
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654) SUPERMARKET

The first player says: "I went to the supermarket to buy an Apple (or any other object you can buy in a supermarket that begins with an A). The next player repeats the sentence, including the "A" word and adds a "B" word. Each successive player recites the sentence with all the alphabet items, adding one of his own. For example; 'I went to the supermarket and bought an Apple, Banana, CD, dog food, envelopes, frozen fish'. It's not too hard to reach the end of the alphabet, usually with a little help! Mild panic sets in when ‘Q’ or ‘X’ approaches 
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655) TALL STORIES

The leader starts a story with a sentence that ends in SUDDENLY. The next person then has to add to the story with his own sentence that ends in SUDDENLY. Continue the story until everyone has contributed. The story becomes crazier as each young person adds their sentence. Tape it and play it back. For example; 'Yesterday I went to the zoo and was passing the elephant enclosure when SUDDENLY.....'
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656) ONCE UPON A TIME

Ask each young person to think of either the name of a person, a place or a thing. Invite them to share this with the rest of the group. Select one of your group to begin a story. However, within 10 seconds they must mention the person, place or thing they have thought of. After 10 seconds (use a stopwatch or kitchen timer) the story is continued by the next person who must also mention their person, place or thing within the 10 seconds. Continue until everyone has made a contribution. The stories can get really weird, but that's part of the fun! Tape the story for playback at the next parents meeting!
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657) WORD LINK

This is a word association game. Ask the group to sit in a circle. The first person starts with any word they wish i.e. red. The next person repeats the first word and adds another word which links to the first i.e. tomato. The next person repeats the previous word and add another word link i.e. soup, and so on. To keep this moving, only allow five seconds for each word link.
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658) OBJECT STORIES

Collect together a number of objects and place in a canvas bag. The objects can include everyday items i.e. a pencil, key-ring, mobile phone, but also include some more unusual ones i.e. a fossil, holiday photograph, wig! Pass the bag around the group and invite each young person to dip their hand into the bag (without looking) and pull out one of the objects. The leader begins a story which includes his object. After 20 seconds, the next person takes up the story and adds another 20 seconds, incorporating the object they are holding. And so on, until everyone has made a contribution to your epic literary tale :-)
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659) ADD WORDS

Simple, completely ridiculous and a lot of fun. The first person says a word, for example 'The'. The second person says the first word and ADDS a second word of their choice, and so on. At the end you might have a complete sentence! For example, 'The aardvark spiralled into the puddle of custard clutching his skateboard while whistling his favourite Bjork melody.' The fun thing is putting twists in the sentence so that the others have a hard time coming up with a word that fits. ADD WORDS can be played a few times without being boring.
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660) VOCABULARY

You begin by thinking of a word and then give the first letter. The next player thinks of a word beginning with this letter and gives the second letter. The third player thinks of a word that begins with the first two letters and adds a third. The object of the game is to avoid completing a word. When a player has completed three words or failed to add a letter they can rest their brain for the remainder of the game! You might need a dictionary handy to adjudicate on some words.
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661) ONE MINUTE PLEASE!

The aim of the game is to talk for one minute on a given subject. You announce the topic and a member of the group is randomly selected to speak for one minute. Use a pack of cards to randomly select i.e. person who draws the lowest number. Choose subjects to stimulate the imagination and which may be amusing. Put a stopwatch on each person to see how long they last before drying up! Subjects might include, my earliest memories, my favourite computer game, why beans are good for you, 10 things you can do with potatoes, Alligator wrestling, pre-millennialism (no, not really!)
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662) NAME GRID

Divide the young people into groups of four. Each group needs paper and pens. Ask them to draw a grid on which they write their forenames. For example, Give each team three minutes to write down as many words (three letters or more) that they can make only using the letters in their names. Letters must adjoin each other in the grid, but do not have to be in a straight line. When the time is up each team adds up their score. 3 or 4 letter words = 1 point 5 letter word = 2 points 6 letter word = 3 points
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663) NEWSPAPER PUZZLE

Divide into teams of five or six people and give each group a copy of the SAME newspaper. Ask them to spread the newspaper out in front of each team. Describe a particular advert, article, fact or picture from the paper and the group has to find it, rip it out and bring it to you. The first team to bring it gets a point. Continue calling out items and the winning team is the one with the most points. Watch the paper fly :-)
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664) BALLOON HUGGING

Select three couples to help you with this game. Give each couple three balloons. The couple must blow up and knot all their balloons. Then place two under the girl's armpits and one between the pair as they face each other. The couple then has to burst the three balloons simultaneously by hugging each other. The winning couple is the pair who burst all their balloons in the quickest time. You need to see this to believe it!
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665) LINE UP

Ask the youth group to line up. Works best with 8-10 in a line. If you’ve got a bigger group, split them up and challenge each line to complete the task first. Ask the group to form a new line in order of…. Height, from smallest to tallest. Birthdays, from January through to December. Shoe size, from smallest to largest. Alphabetical first names (A-Z). Alphabetical mothers first names. Alphabetical grandmother's first names! Anything else you think up.
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666) WHO AM I?

Prepare a self adhesive label or post-it note for each young person in your group. Write on it the name of a well-known or famous person. This can be an historical character or current sportsman, musician, TV personality, celebrity etc. Have a good mix of men and women. Keeping the names hidden, stick the post-it notes on the foreheads of everyone in the group. They must then ask questions of the others to find out their identity. Each person takes a turn to ask questions and figure out who they are. For example, Am I alive? Am I female? Am I in a band? Only yes or no questions can be asked. If the answer is no, their turn is over. If the answer is yes, they can ask another question and keep going until they get a no, or guess who they are. Keep playing until everyone has guessed, or if time is short, stop after the first few correct answers.
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667) PASS THE ORANGE

Ask the young people to form a circle. Give the first young person a large orange and explain they need to pass this around the circle. No problem. BUT, it has to be passed around the circle using only chin and neck. If the orange is dropped, it must be returned to the previous player in the circle and the game restarts. A camera is a must for this game!
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668) LIQUORICE LINE-UP

You will need some very long strands of liquorice (or smaller strands tied together). Invite five or six couples (boy/girl) to take part in the game. Each couple places one end of the liquorice in their mouth. At the signal they begin to chew until they reach the middle. The winning couple is the one which reaches the middle first. Award a bag of liquorice to the winners!
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669) CHOCOLATE CHOMP

Another old party game, but still lots of fun. Ask everyone to sit in a circle on the floor. In the middle of the circle place a large bar of chocolate on a plate, a knife, a fork and three items of clothing – gloves, scarf and a cap. (Don't forget to remove the wrapper from the chocolate!) Each person in the circle takes a turn at rolling a dice. On throwing a six they run to the middle of the circle, put on the items of clothing and try to eat as much chocolate as possible. However, they can only cut it with the knife and pick it up with the fork. As soon as someone else throws a six, they run to the middle, put on the gloves, hat and cap, and take over. Continue until all the chocolate is eaten.
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670) WHISTLE AND BURP

Invite three couples to take part in this simple game. Ask them to sit together at the front of the group. Give each of the boys five crackers and give each of the girls a can of coke. On the signal the boys must eat the crackers as fast as possible and then whistle a pre- selected tune to the satisfaction of the rest of the group. They then hand over to their partner (girl) who must drink the coke and then burp audibly. The first couple to finish wins a packet of crackers and a can of coke!
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671) PASS THE POLO

Invite the group to line up in teams of six. Give each person a toothpick, which they must hold in their mouth. The person at the front of the line has a polo on his toothpick and he must (without using his hands) pass the polo down the line. If anyone drops their sweet, the team must start again from the front of the line with a new polo.
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672) KNOTS

Divide your group into teams of 6-8. Each team forms a small circle. Ask them to extend their right hand across the circle and hold the left hand of the other team member opposite them. Then extend their left hand across the circle and hold the right hand of another group member. The task is to unravel the spider's web of interlocking arms without letting go of anyone's hands. Give them a three minute time limit to complete the task. Pressure!
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673) BACKWARD CLUMPS

Divide into pairs. Ask each pair to sit on the floor with their partner, backs together, feet out in front and arms linked. Their task is to stand up together. Once everyone has done this, two pairs join together and the group of four try to repeat the task. After they succeed, add another two and try again. Keep adding people until your whole group is trying to stand together. A sight to behold!
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674) SONG SCRAMBLE

Before the youth meeting write out the first lines from several well known songs, but write down only one line on each piece of card. Make sure that only enough songs are used to cover the number of people present. The cards are then scattered on the floor. Once the game begins each person grabs a card and tries to find the holders of the other cards which will complete the verse or section of the song. The winning group is the first one to correctly assemble and sing their song. Tape the songs to playback later. Here are a couple of examples which show my age 
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675) SONG SCRAMBLE Example

Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy? Caught in a landslide. No escape from reality. Open your eyes. Look up to the skies and see. I’m just a poor boy, I need no sympathy. Because I’m easy come, easy go, a little high, little low. I have climbed the highest mountain, I have run through the fields Only to be with you. Only to be with you I have run. I have crawled. I have scaled these city walls These city walls. Only to be with you But I still haven’t found what I’m looking for. AND THE SONGS (of course, you already got them!) Bohemian Rhapsody, Queen I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For, U2
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676) CHARADE RELAY

A simple party game but great fun. Make a list of 20 popular TV programmes. Divide your group into smaller teams who base themselves around the ground floor of your house! You stand somewhere in the middle. The game begins by each team sending one person to you. Show them the first TV programme on your list. They return to their team and silently act it out in front of the group. As soon as someone guesses it, that person runs to you for the next clue and repeats the process. The wining group is the one which has acted out and guessed 20 programmes.
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677) MOVIE STAR SCRAMBLE

Divide the group into pairs, each with a paper and pen. Ask them to visit the cards you have previously prepared and placed around the room. Their goal is to unscramble the names of 20 famous movies stars i.e. SHRIN FOR ROAD (work it out yourself!) Points are awarded for each correct answer. Alternatively there is ANIMAL SCRAMBLE, TV SCRAMBLE and so on. Anyone for OLD TESTAMENT PROPHET SCRAMBLE 
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678) BODY SPELL

Divide the young people into teams of five. They will need to play this game with bare feet. The groups can play against each other or the clock (five second time limit). Using a felt tip marker write three letters on each team member. Either two hands (palms) and one foot (sole) or one hand and two feet. 1. TDO 2. HYI 3. EHR 4. BFT 5. OCS As you call out a series of 4, 5, 6 or 7 letter words the group has to spell the word using combinations of hands and feet. Select 20 words from the list below. The finished words must be clearly visible to the leader. 4 Letter words: rest, fist, dice, trot, crib, boot, rich, host. 5 letter words: shoot, first, drift, shirt, roost, shred, hired 6 letter words: forest, theory, bitter, bother, frosty, boiled, strict 7 letter words: thirsty, ostrich, october, boosted, shifted, hoisted. 8 letter word: stitched
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679) TWENTY QUESTIONS

20 questions is an old party game which encourages deductive reasoning and creativity. One player is selected to think of an item. The rest of the group tries to guess the item by asking a question which can only be answered with a simple "Yes" or "No." Truthful answers only please, as anything else will ruin the game.
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680) WINK MURDER

Ask the group to sit in a circle. Choose a number of playing cards to match the number of young people in your group. Be certain your selection contains an ace. Each young person then draws a card. They must not comment or show it to anyone else. The player who chooses the ace is the murderer and he kills his victims by winking at them! The game begins quietly with players sitting looking at each other. When someone catches the eye of the killer and is winked at, they are killed, and can die in any manner they choose. Some prefer to die quietly with a whimper, some opt for the blood curdling scream technique, while others might fall off their seat and lie prone on the floor. The object is to identify the murderer while trying not to be killed in the process. An incorrect guess results in instant death!
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681) THE HUMAN CHAIR

Invite everyone to stand in a circle shoulder to shoulder. Each person then turns to the right to face the back of the person in front of them. Ask them to place their hands on the shoulder of the person in front. On the count of three they slowly begin to sit down on the lap of the person behind. As long as everyone is helping the person in front of him or her to sit, then everyone should be supporting the weight of everyone else. Of course, should someone slip, the game becomes 'human dominoes.'  It might take a couple of attempts to complete the challenge.
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682) YOUR PHOBIAS ANSWERED

Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia - Fear of long words (not a giant hippo in sight!) Arachibutyrophobia - Fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of the mouth. (I think I might have this!) Alektorophobia - Fear of chickens. (no McDonalds today then!) Ephebiphobia - Fear of teenagers (tough phobia for a youth worker!) Anglophobia - Fear of England or English culture. (Be afraid, be very afraid!)
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