Games Ideas for Youth Ministry

Our last YPA gathering in Nashville was a lot of fun because we all brought a couple of simple games to share that we do with our ministries.  The goal was simple, cheap, and not cheesy.  Here are a few that we shared:

DICE GAME
Materials: 6 sided dice, notecards or small pieces of paper, pen

Directions: Divide students into groups of 3-8.  Give each student an index card and have them sit in a circle (around a table or on the floor).  Place one pen and one die in the middle of the circle.  Each person takes a turn rolling the die, going clockwise.  If it lands on 6, that person picks up the pen and begins writing numbers, from 1 to 50 on the card (1,2,3,4,5…).  Meanwhile, the next person continues to roll, and so on until another 6 is rolled.  At that point, the person writing has to give the pen to the person who just rolled the 6.  Play continues until someone reaches 50 and wins ... $1,000!  (we Baptists have a big games budget)

SPIKEBALL
Go to Spikeball.com for all the info and to order.

QUARTER GAME

Materials: quarter or other coin, table and chairs

Directions: 3 or 4 people on either side of a long table; the people on the same side are on the same team.  One team has the quarter and passes it between each others under the table.  When the other team calls, “Hands Up;” The team with the quarter has to hold their hands up with hands closed (the quarter in one of them), then the team with the quarter counts 3,2,1 and then at the same time, slams their hands flat on the table with the quarter under one of them.  Then the team without the quarter has to guess which hand the quarter is under.  They have two guesses and then the quarter goes to the other team and repeat.

Keys

Materials: chairs and set of keys

Directions: Circle of chairs; one person in middle without a seat holds the keys; this person begins a line by walking around the circle picking up a boy or girl and it alternates; then the person who was just pick gets up and locks hands with the person with the keys, and then they pick the next one to add to the chain. Make the line as long or short as you want; the first one who started is holding the keys, and when they are ready, they drop the keys & everyone scatters for a chair; the person left standing must start the next line.

SCATTERBALL

Materials: Larger area, a gym or field is great. One Dodgeball

Directions: This is basically individual dodgeball with one ball.  Everyone starts gathered up together in the middle and the ball is thrown up, and every scatters.  Whoever get the ball has two steps, and tries to hit someone with the ball (dodgeball rules apply, head doesn’t count, if the person being thrown at catches it, the one throwing it out, etc).  When someone get out, they sit down right where they are, because you are never fully out.  They can still get the ball and hit other people from their seat.  Everyone person for themselves, and it continues until one is left.  Then start again.  It can work where people roll or bounce the ball to each other if they want to pass it without getting out.  Those who are seated normally work together to help get everyone else out.

AMBASSADORS
Materials: list of clues

Directions: This game is like team charades.  The leader or ambassador with make a list of items (it might be a good thing to do with a specific topics and use words that relate) to be used.  You'll want to separate into two teams into two different areas (different rooms or even different floors work well.)  The ambassador needs to be located equally distant from both teams.  The first person from each team will go to get their first word at the same time.  They then return to their teams and act out the word, just like in charades (no talking or sounds).  Once someone in the group guesses the word, the person that guessed the word must race over to the ambassador and give them the word that was just guessed so that the ambassador knows which word to give them next.  If at any time a team gets stumped the actor can say pass and another member of the group can go to the ambassador to get that same word.  The person who passed is not allowed to guess in that round.  The team that gets through the entire list first wins the round.
Hint:  It helps to have an adult volunteer supervise each group to make sure there is no cheating. The list can be made by the youth leader, volunteers or even the youth themselves.