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 Up-front Games Games that grab attention and entertain the group 
A Walk in The DarkYou need three players to start. One leads the way, one to be in back and one to be "it" in the middle. At night time when it's dark, one player takes a turn being "it"."It" must wear a blindfold. The player has to walk through the whole house blindfolded. During the first pass the other two people lead them through the whole house - one in front and one in back. Then when they get back where they started, they do it all alone and try to remember their footsteps. If they do the whole thing correctly they win! If they don't, they must come back to the start and give another player a turn. Each turn you go different routes to make it harder. Added by Nate The Point: This could be a discussion starter if talking about friendship or the Ecclesiastes principle of, “Two is better than one. If they fall down . . .”
Air Guitar ContestChoose contestants that you know will really "ham it up" on stage. Find some music that has a lot of guitar solos. Tell the contestants each will be judged (by the audience's applause) on how well each can play the "air guitar". Send each contestant in one at a time, so that "ideas" won't be stolen! It is hilarious to see what these kids can come up with! By the way, there really is a World Air Guitar Contest each year. Check out this story: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/4547805.stm Added by David Findley
Alka-Seltzer On The Head DuelYou may play this game as a quick up-front game or even as a 4-person tournament. 2 contestants, each armed with a squirt gun, will take five paces and turn to duel. On each of their foreheads, you will have attached an Alka-seltzer tablet with double stick tape (possibly use big rubber bands if tape doesn’t work). They draw and shoot the water at each other, the first one to dissolve the tablet on the other's forehead wins. Use swim goggles for each to protect their eyes. The tablet will fizz and foam all over the place. Have towels close by for clean-up. A cheesy western song (think Clint Eastwood or Lone Ranger) and some “cowboys” or “cowgirls” add to this one. Idea from Young Life Also see Dueling Candles (Click Here), Soda Shoot-Out (Click Here), & Squirt Game (Click Here).
Alphabet Soup RaceThis game works great for smaller groups of students. All you need is a couple large bowls, some Alphabet Soup, a few paper plates…and some cleaning supplies. Here’s what you do. Choose two contestants from your group and put each of them in front of the two large bowls filled with Alphabet Soup. When you say go, the contestants bury their faces in the soup, suck up a mouthful of the yummy goodness, and run a few feet to where the paper plates are waiting. There, they “deposit” the soup from their mouths onto the plates. Then, using their hands, they move the letters around to make words. Set a 2 minute time limit for the game. Players can return to the bowl of soup as often as they like for more letters, but the person with the most words at the whistle, wins. Have fun, but clean up your mess! Variation 1: The person with the most syllables wins. Variation 2: The person who spells a chosen word first, wins. (For instance, the name of your city, the name of your youth ministry, or Lithuania.)
AlphabitsDepending on the size of your group this can be an all play or an upfront game. (If you have a big group, make it a short up front game...if your group is on the smaller side, the dynamics of this game lend themselves to be an all play.) Pick a letter of the alphabet and a topic, i.e. animals, cars, clothes, etc. The kids have to come up with a word that matches the topic and starts with the chosen letter. Example-letter B and the topic is animals; bison, bat, baboon, etc. continue to let everyone play. If someone gives up or takes too long they are now part of the judging team to make sure that words are not reused. Continue the game until you run out of words for the chosen letter. It’s amazing how many things the kids can come up with and how good they are at catching the repeated words.
Annika's RevengeThis game is played up front with a few people while the crowd watches. A few years back, golfer Annika Sorenstam became the first woman golfer in 48 years to compete in a PGA Tour event. Although she did not make the weekend cut, her performance was no less exceptional. Rules: This is a boys vs. girls game. There are two players on each team. Set up on stage one of those 10 foot long putting practice greens. It should be easy to find an avid golfer who owns one. If not, they only cost around $20 at Wal-Mart. Each player gets 5 putts. Alternate putts boy/girl. If the player makes the putt their teammate gets to do a gag to their opponent of the opposite sex. You pick the gag. You can: have them crack an egg over their opponents head, pour chocolate syrup on them, shoot them with a super soaker, or whatever. If the player misses the putt, the other team gets to do the gag on the teammate. Give a goofy prize at the end, (like a chocolate golf ball). You might want to give the girls an advantage, like make the guys putt opposite handed or have the girls stand closer to the hole.
Attack of the FishUpfront or Small Group. Supplies: Two cups of Goldfish crackers and two big scoops of creamy peanut butter. Ask for two volunteers who are not allergic to peanuts. Split up teams around them (Use 3 people for each volunteer if the game is up front, and use everyone if it's being played in a small group). Set the timer and have the teams decorate the volunteers' faces as best they can. Best "attacked" face wins. Our jr. highers created looks like Goldfish glasses, oversized eyebrows, earrings, and a goatee. Very fun, very simple, and very tasty. For ambience, play the Jaws theme or music while the game is played. Added by Jason Schmock For variations of this game, see Whiteheads (Click Here) and Cheeto Face (Click Here).
Baby Bottle BurpThree girls put a diaper (towel) around three guys, then sit them on their lap and feed them a baby bottle of soda (no more than half full), then make them burp. The first guy to burp wins. This game is so fun to watch because of how difficult it is to suck any quantity of liquid from a baby bottle. Also check out Baby Bottle Burp Extra (Click Here).
Baby Bottle Burp ExtraWe did the Baby Bottle Burp (Click Here), only first, guys had to feed girls a jar of baby food with the girls wearing bibs. (For bibs: I use plastic grocery bags & split the handles and cut the bags in half; each bag makes two.) Then the girls had to tie the bib around the guy and feed them the bottle of soda and make them burp. Added by Kim Kopsaftis
Balloon MasterSmall Group/All Play: Divide the group into 2 or more teams with 3-4 people on each team. Large Group/Up Front: Choose 2-4 five-person teams. Give each team a roll of masking tape and 30 balloons. On "Go!" have members of each team roll the masking tape (sticky side out) around one of their teammates below the neckline. Next, have kids blow up their balloons as quickly as they can and stick as many as possible to the taped-up team member. You can either end the game here awarding the Balloon Master to the one with the most balloons attached in the time allotted, or you can set up an obstacle course and when the balloons have been attached, have the player go through and back to their team. Balloons that fall off during the race may not be re-attached. The team whose player has the most balloons still attached is the Balloon Master. Idea from Young Life
Balloon Nose PopSelect three volunteers to compete against each other. Each student receives a large balloon. The first to blow up their balloon using only their nose so far that it pops, wins.
Balloon Pop Russian Roulette StyleWant a game that builds excitement as it goes? This one is for you. Play this as an upfront game for a guaranteed hit with your group. Bring 5 volunteers up to the stage. Have each volunteer sit in a chair on the stage FACING the audience. Each volunteer will then be blindfolded. Get an adult leader to pass in front of the volunteers holding a bag/box with 5 inflated balloons in it. The volunteers will quickly grab one as the leader passes by. One of the 5 inflated balloons will also contain shaving cream. After the contestants have their balloon, the game leader says go! The 5 volunteers then simultaneously pop their balloons. One volunteer will be covered with shaving cream. He/she is now out of the game. Remove the creamed volunteer and repeat the same process with the remaining 4 volunteers. Remember to keep the volunteers blindfolded. Keep going until only 1 volunteer remains. He/she is the winner. Make sure to have a cool prize on hand for him or her. NOTES: If you have a large group, you may want to use a video feed to cue in on the volunteer that has the loaded balloon. This ensures that every kid in the room can see the startled response of the shocked volunteer. Also, you will want to use darker colored balloons to mask the shaving cream from anybody that might be cheating. Don’t fill them too much because that will be a dead giveaway to the volunteers NOT to choose that particular balloon. And finally, this is supposed to be a quick game, so make sure you don’t slow it down by:
Balloon Shave3 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 beforehand will assure that the balloons will break. Variation: Water Balloon Shave - 3 couples come to the front of the room. The boys sit in chairs facing the audience and hold a large water balloon on their heads. Their girl partners cover the balloons with shaving cream, and with a single edged razor blade (no razor, just the blade) try to "shave" all the soap off of the balloon without breaking it. Whoever is the first to succeed is the winner. Added by Young Life
Balloon SquashA race to see who can break more balloons in a given time by sitting on them. Bring 2-4 kids up front with a leader behind each chair to place the balloons (from a bag or other container). Be sure to make the last one a water balloon! Added by Young Life Also see Balloon Pass Smash (Click Here) and Balloon Squash Outdoor (Click Here).
Balloon TriathlonThree students 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. Note: If you decide to have the same student(s) compete in all three categories, be prepared with spotters, in case they get lightheaded and lose their balance. Added by Young Life Also see Balloon Nose Pop (Click Here) and Balloon Squash (Click Here).
Banana BarfHave 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 through the tiny holes in the hose into a trash or grocery bag. This game is hilarious, because when you take the pantyhose off the students' heads, the banana still stuck in the hose is smeared across their face! Added by Elisabeth See Banana Stuff (Click Here).
Banana Foot PeelThis game works great as an upfront game. All you need is one banana per participant. Bring up about 4 students, have them take off their shoes and socks, and hand each of them a banana. Make sure the crowd can see them really well; if necessary, employ the use of a live video feed. When the leader says go, the contestants are supposed to peel the banana with their feet as quickly as they can. They can use both feet to do so. Judge the winner by speed and final condition of the banana. If you are super brave, you can have someone from the crowd eat the 1st place banana! Make sure to give them a good prize if they can eat it in under a minute. NOTE: It is SO important that everyone be able to see this game happen! If there is any doubt, use a live video feed on the screen(s).
Banana LegsYou can use as many contestants as desired but it's best with an audience cheering them on. The contestants place a knee-high pantyhose stocking over their head and face(like a bank robber) and are given a banana. They race to see who can eat the banana through the nylon first. Have a camera ready! Added by Trish Barnhart See Banana Barf (Click Here) and Banana Stuff (Click Here).
Banana PokeBring 2 students up front. Tie their left hands together and give each a banana. They must peel the banana with one hand and poke the other in the face (not in eye). Round Two: blindfolded Idea from Young Life Also see Banana Stuff (Click Here).
Banana Split FeetI just love ice cream games for summer…don’t you? This is one that will cool you off and gross you out all at the same time. Here’s what you do. Bring three boys and three girls up front and pair each boy with a girl. Now, set several tubs of ice cream and condiments in front of the girls that they will use to make a Banana Split. Make sure to include three flavors of ice cream, bananas, chocolate syrup, nuts, whip cream, and of course, some cherries. Tell the crowd that the girls are going to make a banana split for their boy partner to eat, and the first team to successfully make and eat the banana split wins. Here’s the catch. (Isn’t there always a catch?) The girls have to make their partners’ banana splits using their bare feet! After the girls have taken off their socks and shoes, give them a countdown. The first team with every flavor of ice cream and condiment in the bowl…and then in the guy’s stomach, wins! NOTE: Make sure the ice cream is fairly soft, else the game will flop because the girls won’t be able to get it out with their feet. Idea by Steve
Banana Splits in the MouthRecruit four hungry volunteers. Two people stand up in chairs while two others lie on the floor at their feet. People in the chairs try to make a banana split in the other persons mouth by dropping ice-cream, syrup, banana, nuts, whipping cream and finally, a cherry into the person's mouth. With larger crowds, you may want to have a live video feed, so everyone can see. Variations: Blindfold the people in the chairs. Alternate people in chairs with people on the floor. Payback time. Added by Tammy Straub Also see Banana Stuff (Click Here) and Marshmallow Drop (Click Here).
Banana StuffBring three guys to the front to see who can eat the most bananas in five minutes while blindfolded. As soon as one banana is peeled and eaten, the contestant will be handed another. Blindfold all three. Instruct the crowd to cheer for their favorites, and then have associates silently remove two of the blindfolds and let the guys rejoin the crowd. Start the "contest" and keep the one guy stuffing down bananas as long as possible. When his blindfold is removed and he realizes he was the only one, it is hilarious. Also see Barnyard (Click Here) and Dancing Musical Chairs (Click Here).
Banana SurgeryThis can either be played as an upfront game, or if you have a smaller group, you can have everyone play. Have a team peel and cut up a banana into equal parts. (Don’t tell them what comes next until they're done.) Then tell them they must put the banana back together using pins, needles, tape, or whatever. The team with the best reconstructed banana wins. If you do this with a big group, use a video feed to a big screen and time the "surgery" so it doesn't drag. The point: Things taken apart (relationships, reputations, etc.) aren't as easily put back together. Idea from Young Life Also see Chocolate Tower (Click Here) and Tootsie Roll Sculpture (Click Here).
Battle of the GenerationsNote: This game works best with some sort of screen projection (a video projector is best, but even overhead projectors could work). If you don’t have access to a projector, no worries; you’ll just have to use questions without visuals. This is a great Up Front Game for parents or adult leaders to square off against students. We did it with our adult leaders. A group of 4 students and 4 adult leaders (8 total) were chosen at the opening of our event. They came up on stage and were read the rules. Adult leader “A” would play against Student “A.” Adult leader “B” would square off against Student “B” and so on. The game leader then reads a question to “Adult Leader A” that has to do with today’s generation. The adult leader must get it right, or risk a pie in the face. Let’s say the adult leader gets it right, the game leader would then read a question to “Student A” about the adult leader’s generation (usually the 70’s). The student must get it right or risk a pie in the face. Now, let’s say that the adult leader gets the question wrong. The student squaring off against him MUST know the right answer to be able to pie the adult leader in the face. The same is true for the student. (This kind of operates like volleyball… you have to be in control to score.) Here’s an example of how the game is played: One question the game leader asked “Student A” was, “What kind of jacket is pictured here?” (On the screen we had the ever-so-sought-after Member’s Only brand name jacket pictured.) “Student A” missed the question and was at risk of being pied in the face. However, “Adult Leader A” also missed the question, so nothing happened. For the exact same competitors, the tables were turned. The game leader asked “Adult Leader A”, “Exactly which game console is pictured here?” (On the screen we had a Nintendo DS Lite pictured.) The adult leader did NOT know the answer, but the student did! The student gets to pie the adult leader, BUT NOT YET!!! This process repeats for the other three competitors. A suggestion: save all of the pies until the end. If both “Adult Leader A” and “Student A” are supposed to get pied, you don’t want one of them to have to make a bathroom run in the middle of your game to get cleaned up enough to pie someone else in the face. Save all of the consequences for the end. If you decide to develop your own questions, it’s fun to get some kids to help you develop them. Just make sure that it’s no one that will be involved playing the game. Here are some suggestions for VISUAL QUESTIONS for each generation:
Questions ADULTS ASK STUDENTS
Questions ADULTS ASK STUDENTS
Battle of The SexesSame concept as Battle of the Generations, but between boys and girls. (Great game to use on a Valentine’s Day event.) Questions BOYS ASK GIRLS:
Questions GIRLS ASK BOYS:
Bear HuntAdvertise a “bear hunt” for your next group time. Get everyone excited. Here’s how you play it. Bring 4 girls up front and tell them they are going bear hunting. Bring out 4 bowls that are filled with lots of whipped cream and a few gummi bears throughout. When the leader says GO, the 4 girls must find the gummi bears hidden/buried in the whipped cream using only their FACE! No hands. The girl who finds the most gummi bears in the allotted time, wins. Make sure she gets a great prize!
Beat til Bang!This is a great game to film for later advertisement for your Youth Ministry. Let’s face it; every person on Earth likes to hit people with those Nerf-like pool noodles. This game allows your students to take their pent up Algebra frustrations out on each other in a very funny way. Supplies Needed: You will need cheap goggles, 4-6 noodles, 8-10 balloons FILLED WITH SHAVING CREAM, and some high quality tape (like duct tape). Preparation Before the Game: Take the 8-10 balloons and blow them up really, really big. The bigger they are, the more stretched they are. The more stretched they are, the quicker the game goes. When you have the balloons inflated squirt some shaving cream into them. (Don’t make them too heavy!) Tie them off and duct tape them to the end of a noodle. One balloon per noodle is quite sufficient! Here's How to Play: Have 2 people compete against each other at a time. They face each other and stand about 5 feet apart (so that when they swing the noodles at each other, their hands and arms do not hit the other person). NOTE: If there is any way you can safely put these wildly swinging people OUT IN THE CROWD area, do it! On your mark, start some loud music and let the contestants start swinging at each other. Have the crowd cheer them on. The winner is the person who pops his/her balloon on the other person first. Here is the deal though... if you have really blown those balloons up, and added the shaving cream, the entire crowd is in for a surprise. Usually, the first three rows of students get covered in the shaving cream as well! A Few Things to Remember:
Beautiful BoysPick six girls and put them in pairs. Then have each pair pick a boy. Ahead of time, buy cheap makeup, hair clips, clip-on earrings, necklaces, etc. (from Wal-Mart or dollar store). Put it all out on a tray or table. Give the girls two minutes to make up the guy, then have the group vote on the best looker. Take great blackmail pictures for later. Added by Janet Martin Also see Beauty Both Ways (Click Here) & Face Decorating (Click Here).
Beauty Both WaysAlso called "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.. Added by Jon Vandivere Also see: Beautiful Boys (Click Here) Face Decorating (Click Here) Shaving Cream Hair-do (Click Here) Spaghetti Hair-do (Click Here)
Bellybutton BasketballEither get two volunteers from the audience or use teams. Using a small fish net (used for 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. Fun to watch. Two points each basket! Person or team with most points wins! Added by Melanie Velaski
Best Pick-Up Line ChallengeIn front of everyone set up 3 chairs side by side. Then place a sheet over them claiming you're making a couch (the sheet must cover all three chairs). Then ask for guys who think they have the best pick up lines. Send the guys out of the room with an adult staff-member saying they can go practice their pick up line, and that they will have to run their pick up line by the staff member to make sure they're appropriate. Then remove the middle chair. If you have a piece of masking tape between the two chairs, one piece at the tops of the chairs and one piece at the edge of the seats, it can help create the form of the couch beneath the blanket. Ask 2 girls from your group to sit on the outer chairs to keep the sheet tight so it looks as if the middle chair is still there. Before the guys come in the room instruct the ladies as the guys go to sit down, they need to stand up. Invite one at a time each guy to sit in-between the two ladies and give them his pick up line. But as he goes to sit down, the ladies will stand up and he'll fall through. The game is very entertaining for the crowd. After everyone has a good laugh, make sure the boy rejoins the rest of the crowd and keeps silent. Added by J.J. Beyronneau (Click Here).
Best Tarzan YellYou know what’s not fair at all? The fact that Tarzan doesn’t get anywhere near the hype and glamour that other heroes get. Could the Hulk swing from tree to tree on a vine? Could Superman control whole animal populations with his mind? Would Batman look good in nothing but a leather loin cloth? No, no, and no! So, here’s a game in honor of the hero who is the real king of the jungle. Bring 2- 4 kids up front to the stage with you. Making sure the audience can hear you, ask the participants if they are familiar with Tarzan. They will probably say yes, but take a second to describe him anyway. Tell them what he looked like, what he wore, what he did, describe his powers, and then, mention the fact that he had a patented Tarzan yell. DON’T DO IT; just say that he had one. Ask them if they know how it went, but don’t let them practice it at all. Next, explain that you will give each of them one shot to give their best Tarzan yell in front of the crowd. They only get one chance to yell the Tarzan yell, and then the crowd will pick the winner. Put the mic in front of the first student’s face and let him/her belt it out. Then give the others a turn, one at a time. Before letting the crowd pick the winner, you may want to play the actual sound effect over the PA system. Make sure to have a “swinging” good prize for the winner.
Better Know A LeaderThis up front game gets its title from “The Colbert Report” but is loosely based off of the new TV game “Identity.” It is simple to play, provided you have a few “interesting” staff or adult leaders in your ministry. A few days in advance of your program, put out a call to all staff, volunteers, or adult leaders asking for weird, shocking, unique, or “no-way” stories, experiences, jobs, etc. The 5 or so people selected need to have a “teen-friendly” story or experience to share and need to be known by your students (at least to a small degree). Also, the story/experience MUST be true. When it comes time to play the game, call your adult leaders/staff/volunteers forward that you have selected prior to the night. Ask them to line up across the front and face the student crowd. Have a name tag on each leader (or if technology provides, their faces and names on the projectors). One by one, read off the stories/experiences that the adults have submitted to you. DO NOT REVEAL WHOSE STORY IT IS! Then call on one student from the crowd and bring her up. Ask her to match the story to the adult leader/volunteer. If she gets 3 out of 5, she gets a prize. If you want, you can call up 2 students and have them guess. (For obvious reasons, you cannot reveal the answers until BOTH students have tried to match the story to the leader.) The night we did it, we had one leader (now in his 70’s) reveal he is a mountain climber! We found out that we have a former Rolling Stones roadie in our midst. We also have a female leader who met James Brown at a funeral. These are the kinds of stories/experiences you are looking for. The more “out there” the story, the better. Here is why this game is so great: it lets your students get a better feel of who their adult leaders are. Also, it highlights the leaders for once, instead of always letting the students be in the center of attention. Lastly, if you program it right, you can spur some GREAT dialogue between your leaders and students if you give enough time at the end of the night for students to talk to leaders about their stories. “No kidding, you once jumped out of an airplane and accidentally landed in the middle of the football stadium?” This had our students talking for weeks about who their adult leaders were. Enjoy!
Blend-O-RamaUp front and entertaining. Find four students who have strong stomachs--the type who 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, asking 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. Put whatever's in the bag into the blender, Do this until all the bags have been picked. Make sure that one of the items in each bag is a liquid so that it will blend well. Once everything is blended, pour into a cup and have them all drink it down. Whoever 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 Be creative! Added by Jackie Also see Choice Combos (Click Here) and Happy Shake (Click Here).
Blind FeedersCall up between 4 and 10 volunteers (depending on the size of your group) to make two-person teams. Have an apron (or garbage bag with a hole cut out for the head) and one chair for each team. The person standing behind the chair puts on a blindfold. The person sitting puts on an apron and places hands on hips. The person standing threads their arms under the seated person’s armpits. Place a bowl in one hand of the blindfolded teen and a spoon in the other. They will feed their partner (ice cream, mousse, Jello, etc.). The first team finished to the best of their ability wins! Or, you may award prizes for the messiest eaters, cleanest eaters, or the one that got the most into their partner’s mouth, etc. Added by Amanda in Australia Also see Banana Splits in the Mouth (Click Here).
Blind Toy MasterGet 3 toddler toys that have all different shapes which have to fit through the right holes in order to get inside. Blindfold 3 volunteers and have them race to see who can finish the quickest. Challenge: Put all the pieces in one big pile. Added by Young Life Also see Blinded by Money (Click Here).
Blindfolded Banana FeedGet several guy-girl teams to take turns feeding each other bananas while all are blind folded. First let boys feed girls. Then get girls to feed boys, but first take off the girls' blindfolds. Boys get it in the ear! Added by Young Life Also see Bobbing for Bananas (Click Here) and Blindfolded Sit-up (Click Here).
Blindfolded Sit-UpPretend to try and convince 3 people that they can’t do a blindfolded sit-up. The first 2 are in on it. One at a time, they strain but don’t do a sit-up. The third sits up into a cream pie (his face, that is). Or, you can challenge them to do 10 sit-ups in 10 seconds, five of them with their eyes closed. Added by Young Life Also see Blindfolded Banana Feed (Click Here).
Blow Pop ChallengeHave 3 "volunteers" up front. Give them each a Blow Pop sucker. The first one to unwrap it, and bite into it, to the gum, and blow a bubble wins. Also see Bubble Gum Sculpture (Click Here) and Chewing Gum Contest (Click Here).
Board LiftFor this upfront game you need a blindfold and a 2x10 board 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. Added by Travis See Trust Circle (Click Here) and Trust Lift (Click Here).
Board WalkUse a stopwatch or watch with seconds hand for this competition. Secure a 2X4, about 16 feet long, on top of a few cement blocks (not too high; you don't want a law suit!). Tie several football flags to the 2x4. Have the students walk across it, reach down and pull off as many flags as they can, while being sprayed from all sides with super soakers. If they fall off they are eliminated. The one to walk across the quickest and with the most flags wins. from Fear Factor/Faith Factor on our EVENT IDEAS page (CLICK HERE) The Point: It is difficult to walk steadily, focused on the tasks at hand, if we allow the things around us to distract us.
Bobbing For Apples in Baked BeansGreat camp/retreat game! As disgusting as it sounds. The game is exactly what it sounds like. You get a huge bucket/bin filled with baked beans and have apples "floating" around in it. The kids bob for the apples. It's great. Make sure you have plenty of clean-up towels. You may be able to get the beans donated and you may want to have swim goggles and ear plugs. For this game recruit brave, gross-proof students ahead of time. Added by Young Life Also see Bobbing For Caramel Apples (Click Here).
Bobbing For Apples, Ping-Pongs, and Golf BallsPull up 3 guys and have a large fish tank (wider is better than deeper). Explain that it is time to play "Bobbing for Apples (name of your youth ministry) Style"! Instead of just apples put in ping-pong balls, small apples (like crab apples), and golf balls. Explain that the ping pong balls are worth 1,000 points, the apples 2,000 points, and the golf balls 3,000 points. They will be blindfolded and have 30 seconds to 60 seconds each to get as many points a possible. (A great camp/convention promotion would be to put a $25 scholarship on the line.) The visual on this one is hysterical. If your tank is big enough you may even try two at a time. Other unusual things to "bob" for: oranges, hot dogs, pickles, eggs, etc. Added by Young Life Also see Bobbing for Bananas (Click Here) and Bobbing for Caramel Apples (Click Here).
Bobbing For BananasThis 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! (I was young when I did this, so don't email me if you're offended by this!) 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 money.) 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. Great fun - I did it in 1988, and they're still talking about it! Also see Bobbing for Apples in Baked Beans (Click Here).
Bobbing For Caramel ApplesPlayed like Bobbing for Apples, only you put caramel apples in the container instead. A sticky and fun mess! Added by Angela Nuckles Also see Caramel Apple Fest (Click Here), Caramel Apples on a String (Click Here).
Bobbing For MarshmallowsThis game begins just like the regular Bobbing for Apples. However, immediately after bobbing for apples, the person bobs for marshmallows in a bowl of flour. The results are messy, so make sure the floor is covered with plastic for quick and easy clean up. Added by Nate Also see Bobbing For Worms (Click Here) and Marshmallow Drop (Click Here).
Bobbing For SpamSmall groups - all can play. Large group - upfront game. Fill up a large bucket with water, drop in a few large chunks of Spam. The rest is like "Bobbing for Apples" (just not with apples). Added by Gavin Gramstad For more fun with Spam, also check out Spam Scarf (Click Here).
Bobbing For ToastFor three teams, you will need: a kiddie pool 5-10 boxes of Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal 3 swimming caps 3 jars of creamy peanut butter. Pour out the cereal into the kiddie pool. Have the smallest member of each team put on a swim cap. Pick 2 other team members that will be able to pick the smallest member up by the legs and hold upside-down. Have those two members spread the peanut butter on the swimming cap. When everyone is ready, count down from 5 and have each team try to get as many pieces of Cinnamon Toast Crunch stuck to the swim cap as they possibly can. Optional: You can actually count the pieces of cereal or you can judge just by team cheering! Have Fun! Adam Rentas If this isn't gross enough, see Bobbing for Apples in Baked Beans (Click Here).
Bobbing For WormsOutdoor or indoor (lay tarp if inside). Similar to Bobbing for Apples, only with gummy worms in a kiddie swimming pool. Fill the kiddie pool with water. Add one bag of gummy worms, which will sink to the bottom. Have volunteers take turns 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. Play "aqua" music in the background - think, Little Mermaid, Little Nemo, etc. Added by Jodie ("Winning" music is a nice touch in the background when you announce the winner; think Olympics, etc.) Also see Gummy Worms/Chocolate Pudding (Click Here).
Bologna TossPick 2 or 3 groups of 2 students each (4-6 kids total). Have them come up front and pair off. Hand each team a piece of bologna. Make them stand 8 feet apart. The first person tosses the bologna to his/her teammate. They must catch it, take a bite from it, and then toss it back to their teammate AFTER TAKING ONE STEP BACKWARD. (This way, the game continues to get harder.) If a person on the team drops the bologna, they have to pick it up, wipe it off, and continue. The first team to eat all of their bologna wins.
Bologna ArtistsRemember cutting out "snowflakes" from folded paper in kindergarten? Well this challenge takes on that same idea only using a piece of bologna instead of paper and using only your teeth instead of scissors! During the holiday season, we introduced this challenge to our midweek crowd. We invite 4 "artists" to come up front. We are a smaller group (15-20 teens weekly) so everyone can see what's going on pretty well. Each artist is given a piece of bologna. I suggest using a "thick" piece of bologna. (if you personally know a butcher, my dad owns a meat market, have them cut the pieces of bologna thicker for you - it keeps the finally design held together better!) Each artist has 1 minute to create a snowflake design out of their piece of bologna. After the time limit is up, the crowd votes on the best "bologna snowflake". It's really funny to see the faces of those who are biting off pieces of bologna...some like it and eat it and some gag and well you know what happens... It's a lot of fun to watch and the kids want to do it every winter holiday season. And, heh, you'd be surprised what kind of artists you have in your crowd! Added by Kim McNamar
Boo!Seven students, alternating guy, girl, etc., line up, side by side, with informed female student at the end. Have them face sideways, then turn and say, “Boo!” to the next person after the person on the other side has said, “Boo!” to them. Next, they “Boo!” each other back down the line again (going the other direction). The third time the leader behind the informed girl gives her a pie behind her back. She pies the guy in front of her when he turns around to “Boo” her. Be sure to choose a good sport to get pied and have a towel handy. Also see Cheeky, Cheeky (Click Here) and Flower (Flour) Girl (Click Here).
Brother and SisterLike the old tv game show, "The Newlywed Game," only with siblings. The Point: Just because you're related to someone doesn't mean you know them. Relationships take effort no matter if you're related or not! Get several sets of siblings to play this game- see which siblings know each other the best. (select siblings that can be a good sport and won't mind answering the below questions.) A brother and sister couple must work together to score the highest points possible to win. The brother is sent out of the room and the sister answers a series of questions about her brother. She records her answers on a large sheet of paper. When the brother returns, he sits in a chair with his sister standing behind him holding up her written answers. If their answers match, the couple gets a point. (Remember: when you ask the brother the questions that you asked the sister, ask them like this: "1. What did your sister say was the dumbest thing you . . .") Repeat this process by sending the sister out of the room and asking the brother to answer questions. Tally the scores and award the prize. Their answers are usually hilarious. Questions to the sister about her brother: What is the dumbest thing your brother has ever done? What is his favorite food? What do you dislike most about your brother? Describe your brother in one word. What is the meanest thing he has ever done to you? What does he spend most of his time thinking about? If you had one wish, what would you wish about your brother? What is his favorite TV program? How often does he take a bath? Question to the brother about his sister: What does your sister spend most of her time doing? If you were your sister, what would you change about yourself first? About how many arguments do you have with her each week? Who obeys your mom and dad best, you or your sister? How old was your sister when she kissed a boy for the first time? What animal is your sister most like? What is your sister's favorite subject? How long does she talk on the phone each day? Does she chase boys? Idea from Young Life Also see Family Feud (Click Here).
Bubble Gum SculptureMaterials: 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! Submitted by Rebecca Sapp aka Zgrrl Also see Blow Pop Challenge (Click Here) and Tootsie Roll Sculpture (Click Here).
Build Your Own SnowmanCan be played up-front with audience watching or in teams with the whole group playing. 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 snowman wins. Lay tarp down and have towels handy. Added by Tina Ogle
Butt CharadesCut up slips of paper with words on them and put them into a bag. Break up your audience or group 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 (or their side of the audience) 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. We don't want any dirty butts!
Cake HeadThis game is played up front with a few people while the crowd watches. Mix a cake on the head – yes, directly on the head - of a brave volunteer who will be a good sport if their hair gets messed up. Just dump it all on their head. Use cake mix, eggs, water, oil, and icing. Mmm, yummy! Lathers up good, too! The Point: This can also be used as an illustration for a talk about faith and deeds. Without Christ as the foundation of a life, we can have all the right ingredients in our lives (church, Bible study, Christian friends, etc.), but they won't matter. If we don't have the right foundation, all that great stuff is useless. Added by Elise Hawke Also see Human Sundae (Click Here).
Candle Blow/Ginger Ale DrinkTwo 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! If you spit your Ginger Ale, you lose! For safety, you want slow-burning candles, and perhaps a guard that catches the melted wax so it's not dripping onto the student's hand or knee.
Caramel Apple FestHave a contest between several students, eating a hanging caramel apple blindfolded. The object is to see who could get done first! For a fun twist, give one of the kids or leaders a caramel ONION instead of an apple! Added by Naomi Also see Bobbing for Caramel Apples (Click Here). For a twist in the game, see Caramel Apples on a String (Click Here).
Caramel Apples On A StringThis game is played up front with a few people while the crowd watches. Choose a student from each class. Tie caramel apples to a string tied to a broom handle and get someone to hold it for each student. They race to see which one can eat the apple the fastest. Fake starting and stop once to add chocolate syrup, then again to add whipped cream and last to blindfold the contestants. Added by Young Life Also see Caramel Apple Fest (Click Here) and Bobbing for Caramel Apples (Click Here).
Cardboard 500, TheThis is a relay racing game that pits two teams against one another. Choose two teams with an equal amount of players. Each team must have a durable piece of cardboard, that is the EXACT SAME SIZE! Put a starting line and finish line on the floor. Have both teams line up at the starting line, facing the finish line. The goal of the game is to be the team with all of your members on the other side of the finish line, first. The first person from each team uses the cardboard as a sled and pulls the second person from the starting line to the finish line. Then the second person runs back to the starting line with the cardboard and pulls the third person to the finish line. This repeats until all players have been moved to the finish line. If a student falls off between the starting line and the finish line, he/she must return to the starting line. First team with ALL students across the finish line wins! Have the crowd cheer them on!
Celebrity ImpersonationsThis up front game pits students against adult leaders to see who has the best impersonation skills. You can choose the students as they walk in and register at your event. For the students who are up for the challenge, have a picture and short bio of the character or celebrity they will be acting out. You need to coordinate with the adult leaders beforehand as well. For this type of game’s participants, think RAGING EXTROVERTS! The fun, of course, is choosing some female students and leaders to portray male celebrities/characters, and vice versa. We prepared slides to flash on the video projection screens of the characters/celebrities, but that is not necessary. Try to have the final contestant (whether student or adult leader) impersonate the Youth Pastor. If you can do so without his or her knowledge, it makes it all the more fun. Get the crowd to cheer them on and decide the winner by applause.
Cell Phone ChallengeHave someone hidden in the crowd with a cell phone on. Have another phone up front with the number for the other one programmed in it. Bring up a kid from the audience, dial the other phone, hand him the phone and tell him to find the other one as fast as he can. Hints: Test the room to make sure that cell phones work. Also, most cell phones will only ring four times and then will go to voice mail . . . so tell the kid to hit end and send again every four rings! See Cell Phone Pizza Challenge (Click Here).
Cell Phone Pizza ChallengeFind two local pizza places that deliver. During the beginning of the evening, divide the crowd in two and bring up a representative from each side. Hand each representative a cell phone and phone # of two competing pizza places. Have them each order a large pizza, tell the delivery person the situation, and that there's a $20 tip for the one that arrives first. Clearly announce to the crowd which pizza place is coming for each team. As you are continuing your program, one side of the room will erupt into applause when a pizza driver comes in representing their side of the room. (Olympic or Rocky theme music is a plus!) Interview the deliverer and give him the $20 tip in front of the crowd. (You can then have up front games lined up where winners get a piece of pizza.) See also Cell Phone Challenge (Click Here).
Ceral Box ChampionshipThis is a really easy game to play that is usually good for some laughs. Here’s how you do it. Get the word out about this game to your students via email, text message, IM, phone calls, etc. (Text message works the best!) Tell them that all they have to do to win a great gift certificate (or CD, etc) is to bring in a prize/toy from a cereal box and present it to the judges. On the night your youth group meets, have a panel of judges in place. Ask for 3-5 students who have brought in a cereal box prize/toy to bring it forward at this time. They must show it to the panel of judges and to the entire crowd and explain why it is THE BEST prize for the night! They can say anything (true or untrue, doesn’t matter) as long as they keep it clean. They can make up ANYTHING about their prize/toy. Allow the judges to vote on who has the best prize. (Give the crowd a chance to vote as well!) Give the winner the gift certificate or whatever you have chosen as the prize.
Cereal KillerYou will need 1 box of cereal, 1/2 gallon of milk, a bowl large enough to fit an entire box of cereal, and 5 spoons for each team. Put 5 students on one team and 5 different students on another team. Have all ten students come up, grab a spoon, and circle their bowl. Pour the ½ gallon of milk and the full box cereal into each team’s bowl. When the game leader says go, the contestants will have three minutes to eat as much cereal as possible. There must be absolutely NO spillage, because if the bowls are not emptied after three minutes they will be weighed for rankings. If you don't have a small accurate scale, you can let the leaders rank what is left in the bowls. Tip: there is absolutely no way to avoid spilling, so let them know that you will weigh the paper towels used to clean up their mess along with their leftover cereal. Also make sure each team has the same type of bowl and cereal to avoid controversy. This game is great; the spoons leave about 10 seconds into the game, and they start shoveling it in with their hands.
Cereal Mania5 games that all involve cereal:
Cut off the front panel of several cereal boxes — one for each group you've formed. Then cut up each panel into puzzle shapes- one for each person in the group. Mix together all the pieces and give one to each person and have them compete to find their cereal. Also see Cereal Box Puzzle (Click Here) Snoot Shoot, featuring jelly beans (Click Here). Added by Jason Huddleston
Chariot RaceIf you have a large group (say, 200 people), just select a few groups of 4 kids to do this chariot race in front of everyone else. If you have a small group, you might want to let everyone do it. For example, if you only have 15 kids, use 3 teams of 5. 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 2 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. 3 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. Added by Joshua Ellis Variation: Chariot Basketball Relay Line up all the students in 2 teams. On each team pair students up to run the relay. On "Go" the first two pairs race toward the basket. One student pulls the other student on a blanket. The rider has one shot to make a basket. The pairs switch places and race back to the start of the line and tag the next pair on their team. The team with the most baskets at the end of the time limit wins. Added by Jason Dougherty Also see Chariot Race: Australian Style (Click Here) and Indoor Bobsledding (Click Here).
Cheeky, CheekyBring up 6-7 kids - guy, girl alternating with a girl at the end (all are in on it beforehand except for the last guy before the last girl). Standing in line always facing the audience, they quickly relay down the line “cheeky, cheeky" (they say it as they squeeze the other person’s cheek between their forefinger and thumb). Tell them that when receiving the “cheeky, cheeky" they must close their eyes like they would if grandma was doing it, then quickly turn 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 each time (make sure it’s a secure guy who can handle it). The girl may need to practice; if it doesn’t work it’s usually because the guy sees stuff on her hand or she leaves a big glob. Have a towel for him to clean up. Added by Young Life Also see Boo! (Click Here) & Flower (Flour) Girl (Click Here).
Cheerio Face-OffItems Needed: Cheerios (or generic substitute), soft butter or margarine, face cleanser, hand towels, card table Directions: Choose one volunteer from each grade. Spread Cheerios all over card table. One volunteer covers their own face with butter and has ten seconds to stick Cheerios to face, without hands. Repeat with other three volunteers. Have another leader start counting the Cheerios stuck to face. Take digital pics and show on screen afterward! See also Attack of the Fish (Click Here), Whiteheads (Click Here), and Cheeto Face (Click Here).
Cheeto FaceArrange several pairs of students up front. 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. Added by Julie Ohara See also Attack of the Fish (Click Here), Whiteheads (Click Here), and Chee-toes (Click Here).
Chee-toesBring up three pairs of people. Have one person in each pair sit in a chair and take off one shoe 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 person's mouth. The first team done wins a prize (whatever you want to give them.) Tip: Have them put a rubber or latex glove on the bare foot (for sanitary purposes!) Added by Jason Fullmore Also see Cheeto Face (Click Here).
Chewing Gum ContestFor this game you can use any number of upfront volunteers that you want, sticks of chewing gum, huge leather yardwork 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. Added by Young Life Also see Blow Pop Challenge (Click Here), Bubble Gum Sculpture (Click Here) and Bubble Gum in Flour (Click Here).
Chicken Pox EpidemicHave 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. Added by Brooke Also see Ibble Dibble (Click Here).
Chocolate DropPrepare beforehand by spreading out plastic on your stage area. Find a place where everyone can see someone laying down. Get several pairs of students 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 the head of the 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. Added by Michael Boyd
Chocolate TowerFor this game you need a table, and 3 of each: volunteers, chairs, chocolate bars, blindfolds, and pairs of latex gloves. 1. Have contestants sit in a chair, the wrapped chocolate bars in front of them. 2. Explain that whoever unwraps the bar and builds a tower the fastest is the winner. The tower can be one on top of the other, a pyramid, criss-cross, or anything they think of. 3. Say, “On your mark, get set...” then interrupt by announcing that they must use latex gloves. 4. Once again, “On your mark, get set...”, and again interrupt by announcing that they must be blindfolded as well! 5. Now, you can start! The winner is the one done first. If you have a smart-alec who begins to eat the chocolate, since he or she is blindfolded, slide the chocolate pieces out of the way! Added by Danette Matty Also see Banana Surgery (Click Here), Tootsie Roll Sculpture (Click Here), and Bubble Gum Sculpture (Click Here).
Choice CombosIntroduce this gross game by saying you want 3 volunteers to test a new product: explain that Starbucks gives you lots of alternative drinks and Jamba Juice uses those cool huge blenders (if your area doesn’t have a Jamba Juice, you can refer to it or a similar store). If you combine these two, it will be a franchise called "Choices". Before the meeting prepare 12 bags and set up a blender. Keep them covered with a sheet until it is time for the game. After the intro, uncover the bags and the blender. 1. Prepare a set of 4 bags for each kid, for a total of 12 bags in all. 2. On the outside of each bag, write a "choice". Let the kid decide which he wants. 3. Make the first bag for each kid be a choice of liquids. For example, offer the first student either coffee or tea, the second student, grape juice or orange juice, and the third, chocolate milk or strawberry milk. 4. After they have selected their "base", give them 3 more choices. Put it all in the blender and juice it up. Give it to them in a clear glass so the disgusting color is obvious. 5. No need to wash the blender between drinks, just pour out any extra. (Tell the kids the labor cost is really low for this product because you didn't have to wash the blender after each customer.) 5. Have each kid hold their drink until all 3 have had their drinks. Then they chug them down. The first kid to drink the whole glass (or last one not puking in some cases), wins. I used stuff I had around the house or church kitchen for the 3 other choices. The two items in each group should be related and, in and of themselves, not disgusting. I did at one point ask the kid if he wanted cat food or dog food, but I then said, "just joking" and gave another choice. Here are some ideas: a) ketchup or mustard b) maple syrup or blueberry syrup c) Thousand Island or Caesar salad dressing d) sour cream or cottage cheese e) jello or pudding f) hot sauce or A-1 sauce g) brown sugar or powdered sugar Added by Kristin Clark Also see Blend-O-Rama (Click Here).
Christmas 12 Bags of DoomThis is a messy "thank you" or Christmas gift to your staff (or interns). Lay tarp down (a large vinyl table cloth works, too). Staff wear old 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 you're not the dumpee.... Micah McCarty NEWCHURCH, OKC Funny idea from Tonya Berry: Have the group actually sing the song and dump each item every time a new item's added! See Human Christmas Tree (Click Here) & Ten Bags of Doom! (Click Here).
Christmas Poem Mad LibRead portions of the poem, “’Twas The Night Before Christmas” like a Mad Lib. Ask your audience for words (parts of speech). Use a grease board to write words on. Have a sharp student come up and read the new “poem”. FYI: You will need – total nouns, - plural nouns, - adjectives, - verbs, and 2 past tense verbs. ‘Twas the night before Christmas and all through the (noun), not a creature was stirring, not even a/an (noun). The (plural noun) were tucked, all snug in their (plural noun), while visions of (adjective) plums danced in their heads. Then up on the (noun) there arose such a clatter. I sprang from my (noun) to see what was the matter. It was St. Nicholas with his little (adjective) belly, That shook when he laughed like a bowl full of (plural noun). He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work And filled all the (plural noun), then turned with a jerk. And laying his (noun) aside of his nose And giving a nod, up the (noun) he rose. I heard him exclaim as he (past tense verb) out of sight, “(adjective) Christmas to all, and to all a good night!” Also see Christmas Carol Quiz (Click Here) Christmas Wish List (Click Here).
Circle Dodge DuelHave 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. Also see Ankle Balloon Pop (Click Here).
Clothespin SlimeFill two kiddie pools with slime (mix flour, water, and green food coloring). Drop in a ton of clothespins. Have contestants pull clothespins out with their feet and pin them somewhere on themselves. Use a tarp under the pools if indoors. from Fear Factor/Faith Factor on our EVENT IDEAS page (CLICK HERE)
Clothespins On FaceGet four students up front with many clothespins. They have one minute to put clothespins all over their face. The one with the most clothespins at the end of the designated time is the winner. Also see Clothespin Bite Relay (Click Here) & Clothespin Mixer (Click Here).
Coke ChugSelect 3 students to be in a Coke drinking contest. Have them leave the room to get a drink of water to clear their pipes. (I told my students it makes a bigger burp.) Fill up a 12 oz. glass with Coke and have the three students chug it. They all burp and you vote for the best one. If you do this with two sets of three, have the two winners face-off. When they leave the room to get a drink of water, fill their glasses with soy sauce. Added by Mike Also see Milk Chug (Click Here).
Cold Toe DogsFill large bowls with freezing ice water. Add small round hot dog slices. Call three teams of two up front. One player needs to sit in a chair with a bowl on the ground directly in front of them. The same player also needs to remove the shoe and sock from one of their feet. The second team member kneels down in front of the bowl. The sitting player removes the hotdog slices from the freezing water with their foot and then the kneeling member removes the hotdogs only using their mouth. Optional gross factor: The kneeling team member has to eat the hotdogs. We have even replaced the hotdogs with sardines or spam. Added by Meri Clark Also see Frozen Marbles (Click Here).
Cookie TowerGet teams of 3 or 4 people up front. Each team member is armed with cookies. (Gingersnaps are usually the best; Nilla Wafers work in a pinch.) Within one minute, the team members must stack their cookies, one on top of the other, on one person’s forehead. The team with the most cookies stacked wins. (Try this with Starbursts, too.) Added by Young Life
Corn Shucking RaceYou need several ears of corn. Select 3 volunteers to "shuck" an ear of corn using only their bare feet. No hands allowed. Put tarp down if indoors. Whoever finishes first, or has done the best job within a given time is the winner. Award an appropriate prize, such as a bag of corn chips or corn nuts. Idea from Young Life Also see Cold Toe Dogs (Click Here).
Cotton-ball Vaseline RaceBring 2 guys and 2 girls up (or one student from each grade). Give each student a pile of cotton balls. They must move the pile to another location of your choice (could be next to them on the table or across the room in a bowl, etc.) by putting Vaseline on their noses and picking up the cotton balls with their noses. They may not use their hands. The first one to move all their cotton balls wins.
Counting GameThis can either be played up front, with everyone watching, or as a group with everyone playing. Have everyone in your group (or the people on stage) 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. See also Counting Game Variation: The Math Game (Click Here).
Counting Game Variation: The Math GameCompetitors 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 Added by Youth For Christ See Counting Game (Click Here).
Cowboy KingGet five or more guys to be blindfolded 'horses' and five girls to be riders. Riders will try to guide their horse to another horse and rider to "blast them!" Here's how it works: After blindfolding the "horse," the rider puts a cup of ice (ammo), in the horse's mouth. The rider guides the horse by pulling on its ears. The only command they can yell is "FIRE." When this command is yelled, the horse spits the ice from its mouth and tries to hit an opponent. The rider then reloads her horse with ice. If a rider gets hit twice, she is out. If it is a hard floor have kneepads for guys. Play western music. Also see Toilet Seat Toss (Click Here).
CPW (Cotton Projectile War)Divide into two teams and give each member a straw and a pile of Q-tips. One team member from each side sits on their side of the room on a chair with a paper cup on their head. The object is to knock the opposite team's paper cup off the person's head by blowing the Q-tips through the straws. No blocking Q-tips by anyone during the battle. If you have a huge group, you can have the room divided into quarters, giving you the capacity for four teams instead of two. Also see Q-tip War (Click Here) and Q-tip & Food Coloring War (Click Here).
Crab WalkThis one is for you crazy…I mean brave…youth leaders out there! Put a large plastic tarp down on the ground and ask for 8 volunteers (girls work best here). Tell them they are merely going to race across the tarp; fastest one wins. Line them up and say, “Ready, set, oh wait a minute! I forgot the most important part.” Have a couple of youth leaders (who are ALREADY prepared) scatter live crawdads or crabs down on the tarp. 15-20 is a good number to have. Then say, “Ready, set, go!” The 8 girls race all at once. Cut the slowest 4 girls from the competition. Take the 4 fastest girls and bring them back to the starting line. Blindfold them and tell them that this is the championship round. The winner of this round gets a cool prize. They will each get a friend to help them navigate the crawdads/crabs. The friend must stand off to the side and yell directions to the contestant. Let them choose their friend/navigator. After the 4 contestants are blindfolded, have several adult leaders VERY quickly remove the crawdads/crabs and replace them with pre-opened bags of Doritos. You will probably have to cover this process with some live music. (You can also distract the 4 contestants with crowd pumpers like, “Who thinks Ashley is gonna win!?”) When everything is in place, say ready, set, go and watch the contestants hop, skip, and shriek their way across the tarp. After the game is over, let the 4 contestants in on the joke. Keep your word and give a cool prize to the winner. NOTE: It is imperative that you not let the cat out of the bag concerning the “second round.” Use live music, some hype, and maybe even PowerPoint screens to give directions to the crowd.
Cricket SpitGo to your local pet store and buy a bunch of live crickets before your event. Ask for volunteers before you reveal the game. Each victim (I mean contestant) reaches in to the container of crickets and pulls out one at a time and pops the live cricket into their mouth. The object is to spit the cricket into their bucket,which is placed several feet away. This is a timed event. When the time runs out, the person with the most crickets in the bucket is the winner. We usually give the winner a prize and all contestants are given mouthwash. Supplies Needed: Two buckets Live crickets in a container Prize for the winner Mouthwash
Crowd PleaserSend 3 very secure students out of the room. Explain to the crowd that it was recently learned that when someone is placed in front of a crowd in complete silence, that they will revert back to the experience of their first kiss. As a matter of fact the first things they will say are the things they said after their first kiss! Therefore, the crowd must be completely silent and stare at the person. Bring the students one at a time back in, and just have them stand in front of the audience. The awkwardness is super funny. Don’t leave the poor kid up there for too long though. Added by Young Life
Cup CloserThis is done with partners. The girls lay on the floor with a coke cup on their forehead. The guys kneel beside the girls and put their forehead on the other end of the cup. From this position the couple must try to stand — then turn the cup over, with the boy now laying on the ground, without touching it w/their hands. Bonus points if they waltz with the cup between their heads. (Supply waltzing music.) Our variation: Use a volleyball or goofy looking stuffed toy instead of a cup. Idea from Young Life
CupidMake a heart-shaped target and fasten it to a guy’s back (be sure to choose a "solid" couple who sets a good example of dating in your group; pick married sponsors, if nothing else). Give his girlfriend a bow and arrow (with suction cups on arrows) and she stands about 20 feet away, and is given 6 arrows. The idea is that she must hit the heart on her boyfriend’s back, if she loves him. Every time she misses, the boy gets a pie in the face. Note: Bow and arrow should be the toy store variety. You can use toy pistols with suction-cup darts, also. Idea from Young Life Variation: If you don't have any really good examples of couples in your group (of you just plain want to get away from the romance part of it), you can just have a few pairs of students (one boy, one girl) compete in the same game. The pair who is punished with the fewest number of pies gets a really great prize.
Da BreakdanceAsk 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. Interesting to see the things people come up with! Added by Katie Ray See Dance or Dare (Click Here).
Dance Dance EVOLUTIONDance Dance Evolution It’s called Dance Dance EVOLUTION because the style of music keeps changing and changing and students don't know what to expect next! Here’s how you pull it off. Bring 2-4 students up front and tell them you are going to play a CD that they must dance to...without stopping! Best dancer wins. Make a CD with snippets (I'd say about 30 seconds each) of different genres of music, (at least 10), the goofier the better. Here are some ideas: The Wiggles (children’s TV show) Country Song (something with a lot of twang!) Rock Song (top 40 will suffice) Polka Opera Heavy Metal Bluegrass Gospel Cartoon Theme Show (like Sponge Bob) Reggae Rap/Hip Hop (make sure it’s clean) Individuals compete against each other for the best dance composition. You can have 2-4 students compete at the same time. Judge them for who has the most creative moves, who wasted the least amount of time trying to figure out what to do, the one willing to be the goofiest, etc. Here are a couple of rules to help you make the game a hit with your group. 1. You can't just do the same thing the whole time. You have to change your dancing each time the music changes. 2. Once you stop dancing for more than 10 seconds, you're out! 3. Make sure the dance moves are “acceptable” by your standards. (Announce this before you begin, or else you WILL see some “dirty” dancing.) Have fun!
Dance Or DareBe like a cheesy game show host (with an assistant if you have one). Call contestants (outgoing kids) up front. They are given the choice to Dance or Dare. If the choose Dare, they draw a card from a pre-typed pile of "dares". If they choose to dance, they are given a dance and a costume prop (for disco, mosh, hand jive, chicken dance, etc.). The dares are similar (sing an Elvis song Elvis style, sing a nursery song opera style, do a frog stance and ribbet in someone's - opposite sex - eyes). Added by Young Life See Da Breakdance (Click Here).
Dancing Musical ChairsGet 6 volunteers and have 5 chairs up front. Tell them that they are going 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 start 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 a seat. Keep it up till that poor kid figures it out. Idea from Young Life Also see Banana Stuff (Click Here) and Barnyard (Click Here).
Deal or No DealAsk for several volunteers to come up to the front to participate in a game called DEAL OR NO DEAL, but don't tell them what it involves. Introduce each volunteer to the rest of the crowd and have them cheer for the contestants. You can allow as many people as you'd like to be involved, but to save time and space, you should probably keep it under ten or so. Explain to the volunteers that they can stop at anytime during the game, but they will lose out on some cool (valuable prizes...$$$). Explain that there will be three rounds, and anyone who passes the first two can go on to the third round, which will determine who the winner is. Round 1: The first round have everyone hold out both arms and stand on one foot for five minutes. Ask them beforehand... DEAL OR NO DEAL? If they succeed they go on to the next round. If they fail they are out! Round 2: The second round is tougher. Explain it to them beforehand and ask again, "DEAL OR NO DEAL?" I had them eat mushed up spam with chocolate sauce. (Make up your own "meal"). The ones who complete go onto the final round, which is the toughest. Round 3: Usually there are only 3 or 4 left at this point. [Have the following prepared ahead of time in a separate area of the room: a large tarp spread out with hand towels placed on top in a row (1 for each contestant). Bring out pre-frozen blocks of ice (you can make them yourself or buy them at the local grocery store) and place them under the towels (good size is 12x12x6). Have the remaining contestants remove their shoes and socks and stand barefoot on the iceblock (be sure the towels are always under their feet, so they don't get frostbite or frozen to the ice. At this point, it is who can stay on the longest. Try to bribe them off with a lesser valuable prize. Of course if they fall off, they lose. No pushing or touching among the contestants. I had three that stood on for more than 20 minutes! The winner lasted over 35 minutes. His feet and toes were almost frozen, but ok! Award the winner(s) the cool prize(s)... (maybe a pass to a waterpark, amusement park or GC to a music store). Variation: Use your hands instead! Added by Kevin Flores Also see Fear Factor, More (Click Here).
Dime on Your ForeheadTake 3 kids out of the room and bring them in one at a time. Demonstrate that there is a special skill of facial movements allowing someone to shake a dime off their forehead without jumping or shaking. Place a dime on your forehead so it sticks and get the dime to fall off. Have the student close their eyes. Then as you go to press this same dime on their forehead, press hard for 10 seconds and gently take off the coin so it feels to them like its still there. Have them open their eyes and try to get off the coin that isn’t there. Practice. Added by Young Life
Diving For DollarsFill a tub or large plastic tote with ice. Add water until tub is full of both ice and water (a baptistry works). Then place ten ones, two fives and one ten dollar bill in the water beneath the ice. The contestants' names are drawn from a hat. (This is a great way to get visitor names and addresses.) Draw out two or three names. Each contestant gets 30 seconds to dunk their head (no hands) in the ice and water and fish out with their teeth any cash they can find. They get ONE try each, and they get to keep whatever they can catch. Option: Use Jello for a second week teaser. Added by Jeff Smith See Diving For The Prize! (Click Here).
Diving For The Prize!Bring 3 volunteers up front. 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 twist is, instead of it being a piece of chocolate, its an olive! Added by Becky See Diving For Dollars (Click Here).
Dog Biscuit DropBring 3 students up front and have each get down on all fours (like a dog) facing audience (or sitting on knees on chairs behind a table if you have a large crowd). Give each player a pinch-type clothespin to put in their mouth so the clothespin can be opened and closed with their teeth. Put bowls with 10 to 12 dog biscuits in each on the floor (or table) in front of them. Put an empty bowl or brown paper bag beside it. The first person to transfer the dog biscuits out of the bowl to the other container, one at a time, using the clothespin in his or her mouth, is the winner. If a biscuit is dropped, the person who dropped it must pick it up with the clothespin. No hands are allowed at any time. Crazy Variation: Forget the clothespins; make them use their mouths to move the dog biscuits.
Dollar JumpHold 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. (One year I had a kid do it by jumping backwards over it- but that was one in a thousand).
Donut LineThread several donuts onto a string. Three students must try to eat them without their hands. People holding either end of string bounce and swing it to make it difficult. Idea from Young Life Also see Donut on a String (Click Here) and Powdered Donut Lips (Click Here).
Donut On A StringThis game is played with 4 people. 2 kids sit in chairs. The other 2 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/white powdered 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/white powder mark. Added by Cheez Denard Variation: Before beginning the game, cover the donuts with chocolate syrup. Also see Donut Line (Click Here) and Powdered Donut Lips (Click Here)
Donuts on a StringDonuts On A String This is an upfront game that is a lot of fun for the competitors and the crowd that watches. Here is what you do. You’ll need at least 5 jelly-filled donuts, a long piece of string, and some Ready Whip Cream. To set up the game, tie the donuts to the piece of string, about 2 feet apart from one another, and have an adult leader hold each end of the string. Invite 5 contestants (who are close in height to one another) to come forward to participate. Their objective is to eat the donut off the string WITHOUT USING THEIR HANDS. If their donut falls off the string and hits the floor, they are out of the competition. When everyone is in place, have the leader say, “Ready, Set, wait a second! We need to up the ante a little bit.” Break out the can of spray cream, and hose down each of the donuts with it. Now, say “Go!” NOTE: You will probably want to put down some sort of drop cloth to catch the whip cream and falling donuts. Further, if you want to make this game even more difficult, tell the adult leaders who are holding the string to wiggle it around a little bit. You can also blindfold the students. Both of these tricks make this game VERY hard, though. Idea by Jon N.
Duct Tape ChallengeYou can either run this game as an UPFRONT GAME, entertaining the audience, or divide your whole group 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! Added by Michael Holt
Dueling CandlesFigure out a way to connect a candleholder (with 1-3 candles in it) onto some type of helmet. Choose four kids and have them stand 10 feet away from each other. Light the candles, give them squirt guns to try to put out the others’ fire. You may want to hand them bigger and bigger guns (up to a Super-Soaker) until someone wins. Have two semi-final rounds and a final round. Sitting on their knees is best. Music: Billy Joel’s "We Didn’t Start the Fire", "Come on Baby Light my Fire" (Jose Feliciano), “Fire” (Ohio Players), the 70s song, “Burn Baby Burn” from the movie Saturday Night Fever, or maybe even theme song from the movie The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. Have towels, know your water supply, and you will need two good lighters. Also, I'd suggest putting a tarp on the ground, to catch any melted wax that flies off the helmets if the students jerk their heads. Added by Young Life Also see Alka-Seltzer on the Head Duel (Click Here)on Upfront page & Squirt Game (Click Here).
Eat Slime Through PantyhosePrepare 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. Added by Dylan McDaniel Also see Banana Barf (Click Here).
Eat That FoodHave 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. Added by Young Life Also see Blend-O-Rama (Click Here) and Choice Combos (Click Here).
eBay GuessThis is a take on something Jay Leno has done on the Tonight Show: Download pictures of unusual (but not inappropriate) items from eBay. Make note of the price, but don’t show that on the screen. Show a picture of an item for sale and list a price out to one side. Ask the audience to guess if they think the item sold for LESS than or MORE than the price you have listed, or DID NOT SALE. After they’ve guessed, you can reveal the answers over the mic or on a separate “slide”. Here are some to get you going. Wisdom Teeth - $18 Answer: higher, it sold for $20 Rare Mutant M&Ms that are joined like Siamese twins - $5 Answer: lower, it sold for $1 Piece of French Toast partially eaten by Justin Timberlake: $1,000 Answer: higher, it sold for $1,025 Gross Used Dentures - $15 Answer, higher, it sold for $38.99 Shark Fetus - $50 Answer: lower, $32 UFO Detector - $125 Answer, higher, $135 Vampire Killing Kit - $4,000 Answer: higher, $4,550 Serial Killer's Fingernails - $500 Answer: lower, $10 Stuffed Two-Headed Calf - $100 Answer: Did not sell Stuffed Musical Bullfrog - $20 Answer: higher, $27.99 "Absolutely Nothing" - $5 Answer: lower, $1.03 The Soul of My Friend - $10 Answer, lower, $0.77cents Goat Toenail Bracelet - $8 Answer: Did not sell Monkey-shaped peach pit - $10 Answer: lower, it sold for $5.55 A Real Hornets' Nest - $4 Answer: lower, it sold for $2.55
Egg BlowThis game is played up front with a few people while the crowd watches. 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. Safety Note: Use an egg substitute (like Eggbeater's) to avoid bacteria or chance of salmonella. Have moist washcloths and towels handy. Variation: Jello Blow Just like Egg Blow, but with Jell-O. Safer and not as nasty if you get a mouthful! Added by Theresa See also Egg Bop (Click Here).
Egg BopHave at least four teams of two and have the stronger team member wear knee-high pantyhose on their head with an egg inside, held against their head--tight enough so the egg stays up. The member without the egg attached to his head is carried by the one with the egg (piggy back). He carries a rolled-up newspaper or magazine. The member with the egg runs around while his partner tries to smash other people's eggs with the newspaper, without letting their own egg get smashed. Last team with unbroken egg wins. Added by Jennifer See also Egg Swing (Click Here). Note: You can also use those soft Nerf “noodles” and just cut them in half or thirds if you don’t want to use newspaper.
Egg Obstacle CourseOutdoor or Indoor - funny during Easter season. 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. Added by Young Life See also Egg Bop (Click Here) and Egg Roulette (Click Here).
Egg Roulette (Yoke's on You!)Get 2 dozen eggs. Round One: (4 raw, 8 hard-boiled). Two people alternate picking an egg and smashing it on the other person’s head. You may want to choose 4 people and have two rounds and a final round. Final Round: have 6 eggs (5 hard-boiled and 1 raw) and hold them in a bowl above their heads to pick. Variation: Put your finger on the raw egg and before club explain the game to all 4 contestants (because you don’t know who will be in the finals). Play the first round for real (possibly girl versus girl, guy versus guy, and battle of sexes for the final round) and in final round they pick the hard-boiled eggs 5 in a row (because you told them not to pick the one with your finger on it till last). Each time you are really in their faces to nail one another, when the final egg is up in the final round you are going crazy only to have the finalist smash it on your head! Make a kid a hero! Added by Young Life See Egg Bop (Click Here) and Egg Swing (Click Here).
Egg SwingSee Flour Swing (Click Here), only instead of flour, use an egg. Imagine the possibilities! Added by Jennifer Spaeth Also see Egg Bop (Click Here).
Face DecoratingHave guys lie on their backs or sit on a chair with their head leaning back on a table and let girls decorate their faces with icing, candy sprinkles and candles. Have someone hold a big mirror so the audience can see the artwork or use a video camera linked to a big screen. Let the crowd choose the best face. Added by Young Life Also see Beautiful Boys (Click Here) and Beauty Both Ways (Click Here).
Family FeudPass out questionnaires (and collect them) the week before, asking for things like favorite teacher, etc. Plan Family Feud based on the answers. You can also make questions up. Develop a final bonus round with prizes. Make sure the “host” is a fun, high-energy person, and you will want cheesy music and an announcer to "tell them what they can win." Young Life Family Feud Questionnaire 1. The first thing you do when you get up is ______________________________________________. 2. Where do you go on a date? _________________________________________________. 3. What rule do your parents have that you would change? ___________________________________. 4. Name the place you would go on vacation. ______________________________________________. 5. What is your favorite Olympic sport? _______________________________________________. 6. All of a sudden you are given $1000, what is the first thing that you would buy? _______________________________________________. 7. Name the hottest, most with-it MTV video. _____________________________________________. 8. The fastest kind of car is _____________________________________________. 9. Your favorite fast-food place is ______________________________________________. 10. Name an English-speaking country ____________________________________________________. 11. Your favorite flavor of ice cream is ________________________________________________. 12. The #1 video game is ________________________________________________. 13. Your favorite brand of peanut butter is _________________________________________________. 14. The hottest name in car stereo/"tunes" is _______________________________________________. 15. Name a yellow fruit or vegetable _____________________________________________. Idea from Young Life Also see Brother and Sister (Click Here).
Famous Quote Unscramble ChallengePick 1 student from each side of the room to compete against one another. The students in the audience will be given sheets of paper beforehand; and each sheet will have a word printed on it. At the beginning of the game, the audience holds their papers face down. Each competitor will be given the beginning part of a famous quote. Their job is to complete the quote using the words from the audience. Players have to find the word in the audience then tag that audience member who will then come forward to the front of the stage. Once there, the competitor must put the words in proper order so the rest of the audience can read it. The first person with the correct answer in order wins a point. The player with the most points at the end of the game wins! Sample Quotes: 1. To be or… (not to be). 2. It is better to give… (than to receive). 3. To infinity… (and beyond). 4. A penny saved is… (a penny earned). 5. It’s not over til… (the fat lady sings). 6. Early to bed, early to rise…(makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise). 7. Out of the abundance of the heart… (the mouth speaks). NOTE: You will have to print off at least 2 copies of all the needed words (“penny,” “mouth,” etc). You will also probably want to print out words that are not needed at all. Regardless, make sure the words are printed as large as possible. Added by Dan the Man
Fashion DesignerAs an upfront game, pre-select two teams of 3 for this. For small groups, everyone can participate. Materials needed: - Tissue Paper - Tape - Pictures of high fashion models (needless to say, keep 'em appropriate) Divide up into as many groups as you want (at least 3) and give each group a model (preferably youth workers!). Then give each group a picture of a fashion model, some tissue paper, and tape and ten minutes to replicate the dress on the picture of the fashion model. When they're through, have the 'models' walk the runway for everyone to watch. Have the teams vote on who looks the most like the model they were representing. You can do this by showing what pictures they were trying to mimic on powerpoint. Added by Pollyanna Soares
Fear Factor BoxBuild a plexi glass box and frame it out - put legs on it (so it looks like a spider) with a clear lid. The bottom is made so you can put your head through it. Contestants put their head in and are told to put as many bolts and nuts together in 2 min. You have a small table next to them (or a chair or simply the ground, if the box is low enough), and that is what you put the nuts and bolts on (the nuts and bolts are not in the box). However, we dump 300 roaches and 300 crickets in the box with their head. The roaches make the crickets jump all over the place. We bring this game out for our big events or the beginning of the school year. Added by Sterling Lynn Also see Fear Factor, More (Click Here) and Radioactive Spew (Click Here).
Fear Factor CuisineFill a large bowl with your choice of sardines, pigs feet, or frog legs (purchased at most supermarkets). We recommend a certain amount, like 10. Place another empty container at the other side of the stage or the other end of the room. The student has a designated amount of time to grab a sardine (or whatever you choose to use) in their mouth, run across the room or stage and drop it into the empty container. They must transfer as many food items as possible in the amount of time given but can only transfer one at a time. from Fear Factor/Faith Factor on our EVENT IDEAS page (CLICK HERE) Also see Radioactive Spew (Click Here).
Fear Factor, MoreOutdoor or Indoor. More Fear Factor! Have good prizes to motivate the contestants - they'll need it! (We used gift cards from popular restaurants, hang-out spots, and movie theaters.) Set up approx. 10 stations of contest in increasing stages of scariness or grossness. Suggestions: Free Fall: Contestant stands on raised platform and falls backwards into arms of catchers. (eeeaasssy) Proof is in the pudding: Contestants dig sardines out of chocolate pudding with their toes. Use time limit for elimination. (kinda gross) Pickled-Pigs-Feet poker: Make several of each of the following playing cards: 0, 1/4, 1/2, 1, and 2 (i.e. 3 0's, 6 1/4'S, 3 1/2's, 3 1's, and 2 2's). Have the players sit around a card table and play poker. At the end of the play, each contestant adds up the amount on his/her cards- these amounts are the number of pigs’ feet they have to eat. Those who finish theirs advance.(haarrd) Bobbing for Crawdads: Fill a large tub or pail with water and put in crawdads (fresh [with rubber-banded pinchers!] or frozen). A variation would be to put a few live minnows in with the crawdads to make it more interesting. Use time limits again. (pretty darn difficult- the little crustaceans swim!) Supplies to keep in mind:
Added by Liz Harris Also see Fear Factor Box (Click Here) and Radioactive Spew (Click Here).
Feel The ForceYou will need: golf tubes newspaper balls squirt guns Talk up this game with Star Wars music in the background and two people (preferably Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker characters) coming in the room with “light sabers” (golf tubes), engaged in battle. (Yoda is also funny if you can find a mask at a costume store). Make it a battle of the sexes and pull up two girls and two guys to have light saber (golf tube) battles (make sure the tube is not sharp on the end; if so, pad it with foam). Put the guys back to back with 3-4 feet in between them and explain that each guy is fighting their girl. No hitting above the shoulders. Just when they’re about to begin blindfold them. Blindfold the girls first, explaining that they are blindfolded so that they can "feel the force", then blindfold the guys. After the guys are blindfolded, take the blindfolds off the girls and give them a football helmet for protection. The girls end up hitting the guys without taking hits and the guys usually end up hitting each other. Be careful and safety-minded -– especially if you’re on a platform. Play Star Wars music in the background while they are swinging. This same prank can also be done throwing newspaper balls at guys as they furiously try to hit girls that can see them although they are blindfolded. You might try a squirt gun duel with girls un-blindfolded after it starts. Added by Young Life
Flour SwingNeed: 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 they 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. I take no responsibility for the results of this game!!! :) Also see Egg Swing (Click Here).
Flower (Flour) GirlYou begin the game by announcing you're going to have a kissing contest (the looks you get from workers are the best). Have 3 pretty girls come and stand at the front of the room. You tell the guys that they'll walk in one by one and ask each girl, "Are you my flower girl?" If she shakes her head "no", he goes to the next girl. If she nods "yes," he kisses her. The audience will cheer for the best kisser. Select three guys (good self esteem & good sports). Then send the guys outside the room and explain the REAL rules to the audience. The last girl in the group of three will be the one who nods her head "yes." When the guy gets real close, ready to kiss her, she blows a mouth full of flour into his face (put the flour in her mouth and wipe it all off her face so he has no idea). Have towels handy for clean-up. Added by Kevin Maloney Also see Boo! (Click Here) and Cheeky, Cheeky (Click Here).
Foil Face UnscrambleFor this game all that you need are a couple of rolls of aluminum foil and a cool prize for the winner. Before service starts recruit 5-6 people and make molds of their face using aluminum foil – pick a mix of leaders and students. If they wear glasses, a hat, earrings or other peculiar identifiable items ask them to leave them on during the mold making process. Pick 3-4 people to play the game. Have the volunteers who made the molds stand on stage or in front of the audience. Place the masks in random order in front of the volunteers. The players have to try to match the face with the mask. The player with the most correct wins the prize. For a tiebreaker have a speed round to guess one last mask. Make it the youth pastor’s face!
Follow The MoonBring 3 people up, one at a time. Put a flashlight behind a sheet held up by 4 people. Your student follows the light with their nose to the beat of music. The light starts out slow, but moves faster until they can’t keep up. Play for 1-2 minutes. Only, the 3rd student has light bring them down and then up to the upper edge of sheet. When he/she gets there, drop the sheet and pie them! Can be done in pairs and make them cross, etc. Be sure the 3rd student is a good sport and have a hand towel ready for them. Idea from Young Life
Foot Signing ContestCrowd Game: Have 5 students come to the front of the room and remove their shoes and socks. Give each a felt-tipped or ball point pen. On the signal, they run out into the crowd and see who can get the most signatures on the bottom of their feet in the time limit. No one person can sign more than three feet. Can use both feet. Signatures must be legible. Added by Young Life
Football Fashion ShowTwo small girls race to put on the biggest guys’ football uniforms. Take all pads out of pockets and include mouth guard. To add more action, have whoever is in the uniform the fastest grab a football and run it to the finish line. They may end up tackling one another to get to the finish. Marching band fight song music will add to atmosphere with kids cheering. Added by Young Life
Four on a CouchDepending on the size of your group, this game could work as an Up Front Game (for a large group—the group watches while a few do the activity in front of the group, entertaining the rest) or as a Mixer (for a small group—in a group of 8-12 kids you could involve almost everyone. 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, while everyone else sits 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 twice in a row). Again, the purpose is for the guys to get the 2 girls off the couch and vice versa. This is a really fun game but it can last a long time. Added by Leah
French CharadesDivide into teams of 5-7 people. Have members of one team leave the room while the others think of a situation which can be acted out without words. Then bring in one person from the team that was sent out. Explain the situation he or she will be acting out. Now bring in the second person from that team. Without saying a word, Person #1 must act out the assigned plot for Person #2. Person #2 may or may not understand the charade, but he or she must subsequently act out the same situation for a third member of the team. Person#3 performs the charade for Person#4, and so on. The last person must guess the original story line. Basically, this is a game of telephone, but using only charades to communicate. Remember, all this is done in complete silence. Even the simplest charade can undergo a thorough metamorphosis after being passed down several times. If the last person cannot guess the charade, person #1 should perform it again and let the last person guess once more. Here are some classic French charade situations to spur your creativity. Charade 1: The original pantomime that you do could include the following: pull the elephant into the room on a rope; tie the rope at a stake; dip a rag in a pail and wash the side of the elephant jumping high to get all the way to the top; crawl underneath, wash his belly and legs; go to the front and wash the trunk inside and out and wash the elephant’s ears as well; and then, wash under his tail (hold your nose). Charade 2: You are a high school beauty pageant contestant, anxiously awaiting the announcement of the winner. Suddenly you hear your name! You now step forward to receive your crown and roses. Then comes you victory walk down the aisle, waving to the crowd, you encounter many misfortunes. First, you are allergic to the roses, so you begin to sneeze, but you keep on going waving and sneezing to the crowd. Then, on the way back up the aisle, your high heel breaks and you finish the walk with one heel missing! Charade 3: You're are a pregnant bird about to give birth. You must fly around the room gathering materials for your nest. Once you make your nest, you lay your egg. Then finish the charade by hatching the egg and finding a worm to feed your new baby. Added by Young Life
Frozen Marbles (or Jellybeans)For this game you'll need: 2-4 large buckets or plastic tubs filled with ice and water. 2-4 bags of marbles (depending on the # of buckets used). Students have 15 (or 30) seconds to fish marbles out of ice water with their toes. Have a youth worker with dry towels close by to dry each player's feet. Added by Joy Tribbey Young Life variation: Students fish jelly beans out of ice water with their toes. Have them eat them?! Also see Cold Toe Dogs (Click Here), Marbles In Jello (Click Here), and Valentine Toe Freezer (Click Here).
Frozen to a TGet 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, the team has to open the shirt and one of the students has to put it on. The team that does this the fastest wins! Added by Sterling Lynn
Fruit Loop RaceTie a 10 foot (or however long) piece of string to a chair or some firm anchor point. Slide 10 Fruit Loops onto the string and tie the remaining loose end to another chair. Pull the string taut. Move all the Fruit Loops to one end. This will make one race course. Have teams of 2 or 5 and use as many courses as needed for the number of teams. Each team member will alternate blowing one fruit loop from one end to the other. The next team member cannot start until the previous team member has his Fruit Loop to the other end. Beware, team members will become short of breath quickly (and possibly become lightheaded), especially if there are only two of them or if the strings are really long. The first team to get all the Fruit Loops to the other end wins. The losers have to eat the Fruit Loops which will have spit all over them. Hint: short bursts of air usually move the Fruit Loops better than continual blowing. Added by Andrew Allen
Funnel Penny GagTake 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 group that no one in the audience can do that three times in a row. Pick a student who is the most eager to prove you wrong (make sure they're a good sport). 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 student'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)!
Gag a NapkinA quick, just for fun game to liven up a banquet. Each person opens up a paper napkin and places a corner of it on his or her tongue. On "Go!", race to see who gets the entire napkin in their mouth first. The Point: You can use this as an opener for a discussion on greed.
Gargle a TuneBring 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.
Gerber GuessWanna expose your students to some really strange tastes? Try Gerber Guess. Here’s how you do it. Before the game begins, rip the labels off of several jars of baby food. The number needed depends on the number of teams and the size of the teams. If you have two teams of 5 students each, you need 10 jars of baby food. The baby food jars do not need to be the same for all groups. When the leader says go, the team members will work together to taste their assigned jars of baby food. The group that guesses the most jars of baby food correctly wins. NOTE: Make sure you rip the labels off BEFORE the game begins! This saves time. Also, make sure you devise a “key” to determine correct answers during and after the game. The easiest way to do that is to use a marker to write a number on the jar that matches a corresponding key sheet with the correct baby food flavor. Finally, do not forget to have every participant their own plastic spoon. A few hand towels and free soft drinks (to clean up and wash away the bad taste) will make you a very popular youth leader with your kids!
Gingerbread FaceThis is best played as an Up Front game, so make sure everyone in the room can see what’s going on! Teams are made up of 3 girls and 1 guy, or the other way around (we don’t want to be sexist). One student lies down on their back (with their head closest to the crowd) and the other 3 students prepare to build. The object of the game is to build a gingerbread house on the student’s face (sides of the house on their cheeks, other sides on their chin and the bridge of their nose, and a roof). The face must first be smeared with frosting so that the crackers will stick well as the goal is for the person to stand up and not have the house fall off their face. Once the house walls are in place on their face, the team adds a completely closed roof. After the building has 4 walls and a roof, the team then decorates the house. (Teams can use as much icing as necessary to make the house stable.) Once it is completed the person with the house on their face stands up…and the house that doesn’t fall off, wins! Variable: You can also play this game by setting a time limit of 5 minutes and then letting the crowd judge which gingerbread house is best. Idea by Jeff Hoch
Girls Arm WrestlingHave two girls come to the front and arm wrestle. Encourage the crowd to root for their favorite. Two out of three wins a prize. Or you can make it a championship-elimination kind of thing either along with other games on an event night or stretched out over a month or so. Added by Young Life
Gladiator FeetGet two of your biggest jocks or two girls with perfect hair and makeup and have them come up to battle each other for this game. This is one on one. Guy vs. guy, or girl vs. girl. Each player removes shoes before starting. The object is that both players have to try and get the others socks off. When one player has successfully removed his opponent’s socks, he/she is allowed to tickle their feet (only) for 15 seconds. Choose another player to challenge the winner (who puts their socks back on), or both players now put on another pair of socks, but the player who won may put on top any remaining socks they have left. Then repeat the game. You can play four rounds of this and then a final. In the final, players have to put socks on their hands and try to remove their opponents socks by using their bare feet. The winner tickles the loser’s feet for 1 minute! Variation: Blindfolding both players Added by “Angel Saint” in the U.K.
Glove & Sock RaceSit two or three guys in chairs blindfolded. Give them a paper sack with heavy men’s gloves and a pair of socks in each. They race to be the first to put on the gloves and then the socks. Becomes hysterical when they can’t even feel if they have the socks in their hand or not. You can use hockey gloves, big winter gloves, or lacrosse gloves. Optional: also add a helmet of some kind. Idea from Young Life
Gold Fish SnagThis game can be played as an upfront game for big groups, or an all-play for smaller groups. Throw about 50 gold fish into a kiddie or regular pool (If indoors, put plastic down and have towels available). 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. Added by Eben in South Africa
Goldfish Gauntlet, TheThis upfront game works best if you choose 2-3 girls, preferably middle school aged. Have them come up front and show them the bag/bowl of goldfish, yes, real live goldfish! Tell them that they are about to walk through the Goldfish Gauntlet. Fastest time wins! On the floor, down front where everyone can see, have a plastic tarp spread out. Explain that the adult leaders are going to place the goldfish on the tarp and they must walk through it without stepping on and killing any of the goldfish. Further explain that the difficulty factor will go up because the adult leaders are going to blindfold the contestants. Because this is a timed event, you need to share with them that for every goldfish they kill, you are going to tack on 10 seconds to their time. Have an adult leader begin to take out goldfish and place them on the tarp. At the very same time, have another adult leader begin to blindfold all three participants. Note: IT IS CRUCIAL THAT THIS HAPPENS VERY CLOSE TOGETHER AND IN THIS ORDER, SO AS TO NOT GIVE THE GAME AWAY, NOR KILL GOLDFISH. As soon as you have the participants blindfolded, SILENTLY direct the crowd’s attention to the power point screen(s). Have instructions pointing out the fact that you are playing a joke on the contestants, AND you need their help. The pre-made screens will prompt them with phrases and directions like, “Whole crowd GASP!” “Oh my gosh!!” “Eeeewwwww!” “Ooooohhhhh!! Ahhhhhhh!!” Etc. While the crowd is being given instructions, adult leaders are placing the live goldfish back in the bowl and replacing them with LOTS of canned mandarin oranges. Have the first contestant step up to the start of the gauntlet. On your command, the participant begins to walk the gauntlet. Have music playing on the sound system. Have the crowd really hamming it up based on your slides. But most importantly, have adult leaders tossing/throwing mandarin oranges at the participants’ feet, simulating jumping goldfish. This is so much fun to watch. A Few Notes:
Goldfish GulpThis is a great upfront game. Supplies needed: gummy fish, 3 REAL LIVE goldfish, 10 glasses half full of water (3 containing real goldfish, 2 with just water and 5 containing gummy fish and water—these 5 are kept hidden from the chosen victims…..er students. Bring three students up front and show them the 5 glasses with water (3 with real goldfish and 2 with just water). Blindfold the students and instruct them to choose a glass to drink. While they are blindfolded switch the glasses to the 5 containing gummy fish and water. Option: Award a prize for the best reaction. NOTE: This would be a great game in which to have a live video feed hooked up. At the very least, you may want to record this one for laughs!
Golf Ball and Nylon RelayThis 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 of people do. Tape two lines on the floor about 15 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
Golf PhwackOutdoor or Indoor. This is a great activity to kill time at the beginning of an event - 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 farthest distance. Added by Rick Hilton Also see Golf Phwack II (Click Here).
Golf Phwack IISame as Golf Phwack (Click Here), but with a few twists. I created an oversized golf green on an overhead. Different areas were 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. Remember that Gold Phwack is with marshmallows. Added by Eric Blauer
Gone FishingThis game works great as an upfront attention getter. Place a large aquarium in the center of the stage and fill it with water and about 100 LIVE gold fish. Get 2-4 students (depending on the size of the aquarium) and hand them hats that have the small dipping nets attached to them. Tell them to put the hats on. When the leader says GO, the students use their hat-nets to dip goldfish out of the aquarium and place them in a bowl that has water in it. Tell them they get to keep all of the fish they catch! NOTE: To make this fun for everyone in the room, make sure all students can see what’s going on. You might also want to “throw out” the goldfish snacks to the crowd to help them feel a part of the excitement. A leader dressed in fisherman’s gear can do this well.
Grab Bag ScarfThis 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. Put together 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: Some kids might vomit after a game like this so give them the bag. Items needed: 2 bags, lots of food items.
Grand Moo MasterPick 3 contestants out of the audience and send them to another room. You'll bring these contestants back in one at a time, after you explain the game to the audience, saying that when the first two contestants come in everyone has to "moo" at them. When the final person comes in, no one in the audience is to moo. So, as you bring up the first contestant, explain to him or her that someone in the audience has been selected to moo louder than anyone else and it is the contestant's job to pick them out. On the count of three, everyone moos and the contestant selects someone. It doesn’t matter who they select, because the contestant then joins the audience as you bring in the second, having told the first that he is now the "loud mooer." Repeat the process for the second, having him join the audience, then call in the third. After explaining it again, count to three, and the only people mooing in the audience will be the two previous contestants. Joke’s on them! This game works best with the smaller crowds. Added by Tim Mayfield
Grape Juice ContestPut 3 pounds of grapes in each of two coolers with plastic underneath. Let two students crush the grapes with their bare feet for two minutes. See who makes the most juice. For a tie-breaker, have them drink the juice. Have a measuring cup and big glasses. Added by Young Life
Green OatmealGet 3 or 4 brave volunteers with strong stomachs 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 your staff ask, "Hey ‘Jonathan,' 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 - Pam - 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. Thanks to Rux down in Southern CA for this idea!
Gross Domestic ProductThis takes quite a bit of setup and some baking skills. Create six desserts: one real, five gross. The key is to make each dessert LOOK appetizing. We made a ketchup smoothie ("berry milkshake"), whipped mayo and strawberries ("strawberries and cream"), avocado pie ("key lime pie"), cookies with LOTS of salt and pepper with sour cream in the middle ("cookie sandwiches"), whipped mayo with sprinkles ("vanilla pudding"), and our real dessert was brownies with Twix in them ("chunky brownies"). The students must choose only ONE to eat by smelling and looking ONLY. They cannot touch the stuff or talk about their choices. Once everyone has reached a decision, they must eat a handful/spoonful and see if they were right. The Point: There are many choices of how to live your life and what gods to follow, but only one is real: Jesus. We also taught that you don't have to taste everything under the sun to know when you have the real answer...the kid who picked the brownies KNOWS he's right without tasting the other gross stuff. Added by Dustin Perkins
Guess the WeightHave several people come up and sit cross legged; the weight guesser lifts each one of them, holds them for a few seconds, then puts them down and guesses. (It goes without saying these should be people secure about themselves.) On about the 3rd person, slip a pan of water under the person being lifted before they get down. Added by Young Life
Gum & FlourThis game is played up front with a few people while the crowd watches. Need: Gum (3-4 pieces) flour 3-4 cake pans 3-4 kids. Bury the gum in the flour. Without using their hands, students find the gum and blow a bubble. Added by Young Life Also see Gum Tag (Click Here).
Gum TagGet 4 students to come to the front of the room. On a table, for each person, have an oversized shirt, 2 oven mitts and a jar full of hard chewing gum (the harder the better, takes more time). Each member is to run from a certain spot up to the table, put on the oversized shirt, then the oven mitts, reach into the bowl and grab a piece of gum. With the oven mitts on, they must unwrap the gum, chew it, and then blow a bubble. After they blow a bubble, they take off the mitts, then the oversized shirt and then tag you (or whoever’s leading the game time). The first tagger wins. Idea by Bo Lane Also see Gum & Flour (Click Here).
Gummy Worms/Chocolate Pudding3 or 4 students each have a pan with chocolate pudding or Reddi Whip 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. Added by Susie Variation: Make huge bowls of chocolate pudding and put regular gummy worms and sour gummy worms in the bowls. Tell the students that there are some “special worms” in the buckets and they will know when they get those special worms. (The kids think they are real worms; when they ask if they’re real, don't answer them!) They get 1 point for every gummy worm they find and 5 points for every “special” (sour) worm they find. Variation added by Angela Nuckles Also see Bobbing For Worms (Click Here) and Worm Fest (Click Here).
Guy's Best Pick-up LineTell a quick disaster date story about asking someone out, telling the crowd that you will need their help. To do this, re-enact your scene by building a couch out of three folding chairs covered by a LARGE sheet or blanket (it must cover all the chairs well--all the way to the ground). After building the couch in front of them, pick a girl to sit on the end chair. Then pull up three guy studs to come give you their best line and move. Demonstrate for them that it all counts here — talk, walk, distance from the girl — that when told to do so they will enter the room one at a time, walk over to the girl, deliver their best line, and sit right next to her with their arm around her. After explaining and demonstrating, briefly send them out of the room. While they are out of the room, pull out and hide the middle chair, replacing it with a pillow on the ground under the sheet. Stand on one end of the sheet while the girl remains on the other end. When the guys deliver their line and begin to sit down, both you and the girl release pressure on the sheet so they will fall right through. Note: The person who takes them out should have three lines ready for the guys in case they can’t think of one. Make sure you build them up afterward! The Point: Great game to precede a talk on dating or sex. Added by Young Life
Guys vs. Girls TriviaHave 5 guys and 5 girls come up. You need 5 of the same prizes to give away to the winning team. Write out a list of about 10 to 15 questions. (Example: How high does a building have to be before it’s required to have a blinking red light for airplanes? Answer: 200 ft.; Where is mascara applied?) Some of the questions can be geared towards males, some to females, and some a bit tough for both. The teams line up facing the audience on both sides of you. When someone on a team knows the answer they have to hit the floor face down. Sometimes one kid goes down, sometimes everyone will. If the person gets the answer wrong, the other team gets a shot at it. If they miss, then it’s “dead,” so you might want to have a few extra questions and a tiebreaker. The first team to 8 or 10 points wins. You can change the points, players, or number of questions to suit your group. Added by Joshua Nelson
Hair Dont'sThis is a quick and fun game you can play if you want to draw some attention to your awesome adult leaders. Unfortunately for them, they’re on the receiving end of a bad hairstyle! Here’s what you do. Make sure you have 4 towels; 4 chairs; 4 containers hair gel/wax, and 4 brushes or combs. It’s pretty simple; the 4 adult leaders pick 4 youth to join them on the stage. The adult leaders then sit down on their own chair (facing the crowd!) and give their student partner 3 minutes to “design” them a new hairstyle. The students can do anything EXCEPT actually cut the leaders’ hair. Let the audience judge the wackiest hair style. The “wackiest” wins a prize. (If you can, have the prize be a free lunch for two so the adult leader and teenager can have some quality time together. If you go this route, make sure you let boys pair up with men and girls pair up with women.) Don’t forget to take plenty of pictures! Idea by Carmel
Hanging ApplesTeamwork counts on this game. Choose 4 or 5 sets of two-person teams. Hang the same number of apples (or caramel apples) as teams that you have 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 the students can't use their hands, so unless they bite at the exact same time the apple can't even be bitten in to. Added by Jennifer Fink An Added Twist by Adam Wormann: 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. Also see Caramel Apples on a String (Click Here).
Happy ShakeFile this in 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. (Make sure you follow "Jonathan's Seven Sins of Game Leading" tips here- especially #2- being prepared and #7- making 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. Also see Blend-O-Rama (Click Here) and Gross Domestic Product (Click Here).
Hawaiian PunchChoose 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. One person 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 either dumb or good prizes (like a can of bean dip, an old soccer trophy, or a cd or devo from your local Christian bookstore). Tips: Cut the fruit in half before the teams get it because it juices easier. Grapefruits are good because 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 because each piece yields very little juice. Added by Chris Chamberlain
Head PaintBring three guys with really short hair up front. Have them dip their heads in tins filled with chocolate sauce. Others hold large pieces of cardboard for them to draw or write on. Write words. Draw pictures. Use your imagination. You can have the crowd guess what the pictures are, vote on whoever drew the best picture, or turn it into a game of Win, Lose, or Draw. Variation: Use bare feet (standing, sitting, or lying down). Idea from Young Life
Hefalump Game, TheHave 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 and gets 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. Ask for 3 volunteers to come forward. Have them lie on the floor. As you introduce them all and say which position they are in, emphasize one. Then as the hefalump lifts his leg over the one who has been emphasized, the hefalump pours the water all over him/her! Added by Laura Westby
Hobby HoaxSend 3 students out of the room and tell them to think of their favorite hobby, and that you'll interview them onstage so the audience can guess later. While they are out of the room, explain to the crowd that we all know that everyone’s favorite hobby is kissing, so let’s find out about their kissing. When each student enters the room, ask him or her questions about their favorite hobby, e.g. Where do you like to do it? With whom? Why do you like it so much or what’s your favorite part? If you're uncomfortable with the 'kissing' theme, you can say 'frog-kissing' or 'cow-tipping' or something goofy. Idea from Young Life Also see Hobby Pantomime (Click Here) and Toilet Bowl Rollercoaster (Click Here).
Hobby PantomimeTake 3 people out of the room. Bring in the first person and act out detailed, exaggerated actions of your hobby. Bring in the next person and have the first act out the hobby for the second. Have the second person act out he hobby for the third. At the end ask each person what they thought they were acting out. This is basically a big game of telephone through pantomiming. The hobby you pick can even be something that isn't realistic, such as acting out changing a diaper or washing an elephant. Added by Young Life Also see Hobby Hoax (Click Here) and Gossip Tellers (Click Here).
Ho-Ho SlamBring 4-6 students up front. Give them each one (or two) Ho-Ho's and a glass of milk. Let them know that this is a simple contest of "the first one done with the Ho-Ho's and milk WINS!" Yell "Go!" and let the games begin! Also see Baby Bottle Burp (Click Here).
Hose-HeadBring 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. Added by Chuck Linton Also see Flour Swing (Click Here).
Hot Dog Catch (aka Space Alien Dogs)Bring three guys up front and somehow attach 32 oz. cups around their necks. Put three blindfolded girls in the back of the room (or a good distance away if you're in a large room) and give each of them a dozen hot dogs each. The girls throw the dogs to the guys who catch them in their cups without using their hands. If you're playing for points, you can give extra points if they bank the dog off the guy's face. Added by Young Life For another hotdog game, see Cold Toe Dogs (Click Here).
Human BowlingGo to local bowling alleys and ask for 12 old pins (Youth worker John Lord's alternate 'pins' are a stack of small plastic chairs or other large, soft items). Get a "creeper" (sled on wheels used to slide under a car to do maintenance), or an oversized skateboard, and a motorcycle helmet. Put girls on the sled with the helmet on and have them put their hands behind their back and let a guy (or vice versa the guy and girl thing) "bowl" them down into the set of 10 pins (they must be spread out well, you will need to practice to see how far). Usually bowl 3 competitors and let them do a frame a piece. You will need 2 people to set the pins up again quickly and one to catch them so they don’t go through the pins and head first into the wall. Most good sleds can really move up to 20-30 feet or so, so have a good runway. There are great sound effect CDs out there, with bowling sounds for the background. Also, you have the two extra pins -- paint them gold and make into trophies -- and give one to keep and put the names of the winners on the other as your running trophy. For a sell before the “tournament” (to pump the group up), have a "human cannonball" fly in on the sled and smack the pins (helmet, chest protector, goggles, shin guards, elbow pads, etc.). Added by Young Life Also see Pumpkin Bowling (Click Here) and Vacuum Cleaner Bowling (Click Here).
Human Christmas TreeYou can play this as an up front game or, if you have a small group, divide into teams. Have as many teams of 4 as you want. Designate one person "the Christmas tree," and the others "decorators". Each decorator has a bag full of ornaments, lights, etc. (any tree decorations will do). Give each team 5 minutes to decorate their "tree". When finished turn off all the lights and plug in Christmas Trees. Take pictures! Added by Blaine Tarnecki Also see Christmas Wish List (Click Here) and Christmas: Dueling Carolers (Click Here).
Human Ring TossYou have two teams of three. One person is the "thrower" and stands on stage blindfolded. The second person is the "peg", standing on a chair in the middle of the audience. The third person is the "director", and retrieves the rings (hula-hoops) and gives directions to the thrower, (throw higher, more left, etc.). Both teams get 90 seconds. Team with the most ‘ringers’ at the end gets a cool prize.
Human Scrabble For DummiesTwo groups of students line up in the front of the room. Each one gets a letter hung around his or her neck on a card. All the letters in each group spell a word, but it's all scrambled up. At signal, each group must arrange themselves to properly spell the word. The first group to do so wins. Added by Young Life Also see Human Scrabble (Click Here) and Human Typewriters (Click Here).
Human SundaeChoose four contestants to come to the front. The 4 people decide who's bravest amongst them. They will make their brave member into a human ice cream sundae! They'll pour ice cream, chocolate syrup, whip cream, and caramel on that person's head. Make sure the ice cream is slightly melted. Can also be done with two teams up-front; whichever team's human sundae looks messier wins. Added by Bob Also see Cake Head (Click Here).
Human Tic Tac ToeYou can use this game as a small group activity or as an upfront game for a huge group. For this game you need at least 6 students and 9 chairs. Set up 2 teams: one to be x's and the other o's. Divide it how you wish: the guys can be x's and the girls o's, or all the freshman and sophomores (x) vs juniors and seniors (o), etc. When the leader yells, "TIC TAC GO!" students charge toward the chairs.!" (NOTE: be careful, this isn’t a hockey game. No pushing, shoving, scratching, biting, clotheslining, scissors kicking, decapitating, etc.). Their goal is to make a line, horizontal, vertical, or diagonal, just like the tic tac toe played on paper. If you've got a camera and a VPU, you can use a cordless relay system or a really long RCA cable to provide a live feed from above the chairs. That would help the audience cheer on their team. 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)! Added by Marc Hartenberg, Ontario Also see Human Scrabble (Click Here).
Ice BreakerThis is the quintessential ice breaker! Store up empty milk jugs (1 gallon size works best). You will need one jug for every team you plan on having compete in the game. 2-4 teams work great…but only allow 2 people to be on each team! The day before the game is to be played, clean out the milk jugs and fill them with water. Then, using a small piece of string, tie a toy of some sort to the top of the milk jug SO THAT it dangles very close to the center of the INSIDE of the milk jug. Fill it with water and freeze it. What you have is a toy frozen right in the middle of the chunk of ice. Right before the game is to be played, have an adult leader use a razor to cut the plastic jug off of the frozen ice. When it comes time to play the game, bring your 2-4 teams up front. The ice should be sitting on a table where the crowd can see them. Hand all players a pair of gloves, and give each team 1 small brick apiece. When you say go, the teams’ job is to crack the ice open so that they can get to the toy inside. If you have 4 teams, play all the way until the last team finishes. That way, you can award a 1st 2nd 3rd and 4th place finish. RULES: No throwing the chunk of ice onto the floor to smash it. It must stay on the table at all times.
Ice ChestBring up 3 or 4 "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 actual 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. Added by Ian Longtin Also see Ice Cube Race (Click Here), Ice Grab It! (Click Here), and Melt that Ice Cube (Click Here).
Ice Cream FeedLay plastic on the floor for this gross up-front game and set up so every one can see. 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 person's face…and neck…and chest. You may want to make sure you've got live video feed for this one, since it may be hard for the audience to see what's going on. This can be done with a video projector, a video camera, and a really long RCA video cable. Added by Young Life See Ice Cream Stuff (Click Here), Human Sundae (Click Here), and Ice Cream Mayo Surprise (Click Here).
Ice Cream Mayo SurpriseAhead of time 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 couple bowls and scoop some mayo into one bowl. 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. The best part is when that student looks at the other contestants who are eating without any problems, so he continues anyway. Hilarious! Have towels & a small bucket ready. Added by Randy Also see Ice Cream Feed (Click Here).
Ice Cream MeltdownThis UP FRONT GAME makes for a great Summer game. It’s pretty simple; all you need is some ice cream and condiments. Start by asking, “Who wants some ice cream?” When you’ve chosen two students, have them each select a partner. Bring all four of them up to the front of the room. The two contestants stand behind a small table that has ice cream, cones, spoons, and condiments on it. They should be facing the crowd with their hands on their hips. Their partners stand behind them and put their arms through the hole between their partners’ body and arms. (C’mon we’ve all seen this done!) The object of the game is to have the two students race to eat an ice cream cone. But, here’s the catch: the person standing behind them must grab the cone, dip the ice cream – two scoops, add AT LEAST two condiments (like chocolate and nuts), and then feed it to the first student. The first student cannot touch anything at all with his/her hands! The first one to get it all down wins! NOTE: Make sure the ice cream is nice and soft or it will be very difficult for the students in the back to dip out. Have fun…and look out for brain freeze! Idea by Dan Manns.
Ice Cream StuffLay plastic under chairs for this gross up-front game. Get an even number of students and have them pair up. Have them decide who sits and who wants to stand. Blindfold 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. Gross Option: If any ice cream spills, they must eat it off the floor. Whoever eats it all first wins. Added by Sara Sinnard Also see Ice Cream Mayo Surprise (Click Here) and Ice Cream Feed (Click Here).
Impossible Sit-up, TheBefore the game, fill a pie tin with whipped cream (the aerosol kind works well) and hide it somewhere close by. Choose someone athletic and perhaps cocky person and tell them that the object of the game is to try to do a sit up while wearing a blindfold while another person tries, at the same time, to pin the blindfold to the floor. Place the blindfold over their eyes but not over their nose and face. You want as much of their face as possible to get "creamed". Have the person try once and while they try, pretend to try and pin the blindfold to the floor. Try a second time but don't let them sit too far up and hold them down. While this is going on have someone very quietly get the whipped cream pie out and place it directly in front of where the person's face will be when they sit up. On the third attempt you tell them to try really hard. This time let go of the blindfold and the person will sit up directly into the whipped cream pie. Great for laughs. I would reccomend a live video feed for the students sitting in the back of the room. Added by Bill
ImpromptuThis game works great IF YOU BREAK THE TEAMS UP PROPERLY. The objective of this game is to have teams write a very short skit about something silly, and then act it out LIVE in front of the rest of the group. A huge key to this game is to split up your raging extroverts. A team that consists of nothing but social hermits will probably not work very well. Split up the students in such a way that each team gets a few of the outgoing kids in it. Then simply write up a few scenarios for them to develop and act out. Here are a few examples: Scenario #1: A run-by stoning has just occurred. As the detectives (or other “official” people) the group must explain why this man was stoned and then ran over by bears. Scenario #2: A group of archeologists have just discovered the biggest find in history (something goofy like “Homo Donald Trumpicus”). The group must explain why this find will change human history! Scenario #3: The group is a mob of angry town folk who have reached the limit of their patience with Santa's sleigh flying over their town every year. They try to figure out a way of bringing him down…for good! Rules: Every team member must play/act/participate. Skits need to be kept to a very strict 2 minute maximum.
Indoor BobsleddingAll you need is wax paper and a carpeted floor. We use 2-man and 4-man bob sled teams. For 2-man, each team gets a 4 foot piece of wax paper. One person has to remain on the "sled" at all times the other person is the brakeman (pusher). 4-man teams get two 6-foot pieces of wax paper. Two people must remain on the sled at all times while the others push. We use the jogging track around our gym as our "track". Compete head-to-head or individually for the best time. It is a blast Added by Corey Springer Also see Chariot Race (Click Here).
IPod Sing-AlongThis is a poor man's Karaoke. Select a good song. Have a student come up front, put on the I-Pod and do his/her best to sing along. Have the volume on the I-Pod loud enough that your singer can't hear themself. Variation: See how long it takes for the crowd to figure out what the singer is singing and to sing along with them. If they can figure it out in less than 30 seconds, everyone gets candy. If less than 20 seconds, they get a better prize, if less than 10 seconds they get a best prize. You can also have multiple contestants compete for one prize.
IV Bag SuckGet three large ziplock bags filled with Kool Aid (liquid) and surgical tubing coming out of the top. Have three people suck until the Kool-Aid is gone. For added effect, have the "I.V. bags" raised above the contestants' heads. The first one to drink their entire bag wins. Caution: Remember that many of the large ziplock bags are a full gallon. Be aware of how much Kool-Aid you put into the bag. You don't want the game to backfire due to the students not being able to actually finish their I.V. Also see Kool-Aid Taste Off (Click Here).
Jello Belly FlopIn the winter, have a belly flop contest in a baby pool full of Jello. Lay a tarp over a big old mattress under the baby pool. Idea by Young Life Also see Jello Twister (Click Here).
Jello ScullSimilar to Jello Slurp (Click Here), the term "scull" is Australian lingo for drinking something as fast as you can. You will need one straw per player and equal amounts of Jello (that has been set) in a bowl or cup for each player or team. Large straws are best. Each player gets a bowl of Jello and a straw. The aim is to finish sucking the jello through the straw first. Players are judged on the cleanest bowl. This way people are a bit more thorough. If you do this game in teams use a bowl of Jello, but if you are playing individually just use plastic cups for time’s sake. Added by Lisa from Australia Also check out Tim Tam Slurp (Click Here), also added by Lisa!
Jello ShootTwo or more people each rip open a small box of jello powder mix and shoot it down their throats dry. Whoever finishes and swallows all of his/her jello the quickest wins. Added by Steve Hurst Also see Jello Slurp and Spit (Click Here).
Jello SlurpChoose several contestants, and set a a bowl of jello in front of each 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. Also see Jello Scull (Click Here) and Jellow Slurp and Spit (Click Here).
Jello Slurp and SpitHave a huge bowl of Jello up front, 3 students, and 3 small jars. Each student gets a straw. The object is to see which student can get the most Jello into their personal jar by slurping it out of the mother bowl and spitting it into their jar. Give them a certain amount of time, then compare jars to see who has the most. Added by Young Life Also see Jello Slurp (Click Here).
JoustOutdoor or indoor. For this game you'll need 2 five gallon buckets and 2 jousting sticks (4 ft. sticks with foam rubber ends) or two pillows and a soft area to play (grass area or padded floor). Rules:
When judge says "Go!", each player tries to knock the other player off his bucket. Discourage "head shots" and other "cheap shots." Note from Jonathan: This game is great for either a quick 5 minute game between a few player, or for a much longer set with a bunch of competitors. I used to bring out the buckets and sticks at my junior high events and all the kids would beg to be a participant. I could play this game for 20 to 30 minutes at times. Just be sure to watch audience responses and quit while they still want more (as apposed to boring them and running the game into the ground). Also see Joust: Sick & Twisted (Click Here).
Ketchup Covered M & MsPlace a bowl of M&Ms in front of three contestants and explain that all they have to do is eat the most in 60secs (or first one done). Before you say, "Go," tell them you forgot one thing: the ketchup. Pour some ketchup over the M&Ms, and even eat a couple if you've got the stomach for it. The contestants may not use their hands. Have both moist and dry towels ready for clean up. Added by Kevin Brown Also see M & M Scarf (Click Here).
King /Queen of the North PoleYou can use this game up front during the Christmas Season to have lots of fun seeing if students can remember the basics about Christmas stories. Here’s how you do it. Bring three students up front and put them each in a chair FACING THE AUDIENCE. Tell them that they will each get to answer a question each round, with the questions getting harder as the rounds continue. They are in the game until they miss a question (much like the famous Millionaire show). To spice it up, and more importantly, to keep the crowd interested, you can offer your three contestants these Christmas Presents (life lines). They can use both, but only once each. 1. Sleigh Ride: Everyone in the room has a sheet of paper and writes what they believe the answer to be. They then make a paper plane out of their answer and fly it towards the contestant. The contestant chooses three of the "sleighs" to see what their answers are. 2. Christmas Wish: this is where they can ask any adult in the room what answer they would choose, BUT they have a time limit of 30 seconds to answer. To eliminate confusion, always ask questions in the same order. That way you don’t get confused. Here are the questions: 1. Finish the lyrics of these Christmas tunes: a. You better watch out, you better not cry…(you better not pout, I’m tellin’ you why) b. Frosty the snowman was a jolly happy soul…(with a corncob pipe and a button nose and two eyes made out of coal) c. Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells Jingle all the way…(oh what fun it is to ride in a one horse open sleigh) 2. Name this Christmas object. a. They have four legs, antlers, and can fly. (reindeer) b. It shines in the sky and is also on top of Christmas trees (star) c. It’s red, it glows, and it’s a guiding force. (Rudolf's nose) 3. List ONLY ONE THING EACH that Santa knows about us. a. If we have been bad or good. b. If we are sleeping or awake. c. If we have been naughty or nice. 4. What… a. do children leave for Santa to eat and drink? (milk and cookies) b. is the hanging bush or plant that people stand under to kiss? (mistletoe) c. color are Santa’s boots? (black) 5. What was… a. the animal that didn't stir on the night before Christmas? (a mouse) b. the boy’s most desired gift for Christmas in the movie, "A Christmas Story?" (BB Gun) c. the object that brought Frosty the Snowman to life? (a magic hat) 6. In the “Peanut's Charlie Brown Christmas special,” Charlie Brown... a. is in charge of what? (The Christmas Play) b. goes out to find what for his play? (Christmas tree) c. kills what? (Christmas tree) 7. In the Nativity Story… a. we are told that Joseph is related to which famous king of Israel? (David) b. Joseph sought to do this secretly, but didn’t. What? (divorce Mary) c. Joseph traveled to this city where Jesus was born. (Bethlehem) 8. The Wise men... a. brought these gifts to Jesus. (gold, frankincense, & myrrh) b. went to this king first to find Jesus. (Herod) c. came from which direction? (East) 9. Name the… a. reindeer that is in FIFTH place on Santa’s sleigh. (Comet) b. brand of BB Gun the boy wanted in “A Christmas Carol.” (Red Rider) c. gift that My True Love gave to me on the NINTH day of Christmas (9 Ladies Dancing)
King Bo-BoFor this up-front game, you need a "King", 3 volunteers, a blindfold, and two rings -- preferably large ones like men's class rings or women's rings w/large sets. One person is the King and one is the helper. The King is in the front of the room sitting on a chair. Have him take one shoe off and put one of the rings on the second toe. Have him put the other ring on his regular ring finger. The helper blindfolds the first person and leads them into the room and up to the King. The king says, "You are in the presence of King Bo-Bo. In order to show your respect you must kiss his ring." He holds out the ring on his hand, and after the person kisses it the king lifts up his foot in front of the volunteer's face (not touching). When someone removes the blindfold, it appears as if they have just kissed the king's foot! The point: Things aren't always what they seem! Added by Tracy Sheppard Variation: Actually have them kiss the king's foot. But be careful to choose students who can take a joke.
Kool-Aid Taste OffAsk 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: Use your own judgment - kids could become nauseated. Added by Young Life Also see IV Bag Suck (Click Here).
Lemonade Eating ContestGet 4 volunteers up front and have them sit down on stools, facing the audience. 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 that this is 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.... be creative) and sit down to mix up the ingredients. The first to do this is declared the winner. Also see Lemonade Machine (Click Here).
Lemonade MachineBring at least two volunteers up front. Announce them as, "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. Note: Make sure you've got enough lemons. Students will tend to go through them rather quickly. Added by Michael Boyd Also see Lemonade Eating Contest (Click Here)
Licorice RaceChoose 3 guy/girl couples (see variation below if you don't want to use couples). Tie a Lifesaver in the middle of a long piece of licorice. Guy and girl at each end race to eat the licorice and Lifesaver first without using their hands. If it drops on the floor they must get it without using their hands. Have one of your funny leaders be a Dr. Love or "Antonio Amore" character. Good near dances, homecoming, or Valentine's Day. Any weird love song or song about kissing will do. Variation: Also could be done with kids up front and the Lifesaver at the end of on piece of licorice (with their partner holding it) and race to eat it first. Added by Young Life
Lifesavers On the FaceChoose 3 guy-girl teams. Each girl gets three rolls of lifesavers and 2 minutes to lick, stick, and arrange them on the guy’s face. Have the audience vote for the winning team. You may make a lifesaver hat out of a foam circle, spray-painted to add to the decor. You may also consider having 2 girls per guy decorate. Added by Young Life Also see Attack of the Fish (Click Here) and Cheeto Face (Click Here).
Long John StuffThis game can be played as an all-play in small groups, or as an upfront game with larger groups. Long John Stuff requires several bags of deflated balloons, thermal underwear for each person you bring up front or for each team if you make it an all-play, and teams of 6. The number of teams depends on the number of students present. Once teams are formed, 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, whistle, or yell, "Go!"). 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 Also see T-Shirt Stuff (Click Here).
M & M ScarfSix 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. Also see Jelly Bean Trade (Click Here) and Ketchup Covered M&Ms (Click Here).
Mad Sentence DashUse this up-front game before any holiday (so you have an automatic theme) to promote an upcoming event, or just for fun. Pre-select a theme to give students an idea of what sentence they’re about to come up with. Set up two dry erase boards up front. Get 4 students (2 teams of 2) to come to the front of the room. Give each of them a marker. Have each half of the room be on the team of either two people. Each side of the room can yell out suggestions for their “team”. On “Go!”, one of the students from each team starts a sentence (If your room is big, make them run from half way across the room up to the stage, then back again when they’re done.). The 2nd person continues with another word. It’s up to you whether the contest is a matter of time limit, number of words, sensibility, or creativity. vYou decide how the winning team wins. Buy a couple of those cheap paperback thesauruses or dictionaries to award as prizes. Also see Sentence Game (Click Here).
Marble in Clear TubingWrap 15 feet of clear tubing around a small girl. Have 3 different pairs of guys get 3 marbles from one end and out the other by lifting and spinning the girl. The fastest time wins. If you have the bucks to buy 2 lengths of tube, you can have 2 groups at once racing. Idea from Young Life
Marbles In JelloPut marbles in a roasting type pan (use a dark-colored Jello). Have paper towels handy and some plastic to protect the floor. Have 2 people for each pan of Jello. Using only 1 foot, they race to find the marbles. Added by Young Life Also see Frozen Marbles (Click Here).
Marker FencingDress two contestants in white t-shirts and white sweats. Give students protective eyewear (It will add a lot if you can get 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 one 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! Added by Young Life
Marshmallow DropNeed:
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 lying on the floor. The person on the chair/ladder dips a marshmallow 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. Added by Stan Bell Variation: Use mustard instead of chocolate syrup. Taken from Fear Factor/Faith Factor on our EVENT IDEAS page (CLICK HERE) Also see Banana Splits in the Mouth (Click Here).
Marshmallow Home Run DerbyGreat game to break out at different times during baseball season (i.e. start of the season, playoffs, World Series, All-Star game, etc.). Pick 3 or 4 contestants and have them stand in front of the room or on stage. One at a time, give them a plastic wiffle bat, (the chunky bats are better). Each swing is either an out or a home run. Give them 10 outs and set up a designated home run fence. For more fun make it a human fence of students. You’ve heard of the ‘Green monster’ in Fenway Park? Well this is the ‘Teen Monster’. Have one of your leaders be the official pitcher and have them under-hand toss marshmallows to each batter, (use the bigger marshmallows). Player with most home runs wins. Added by Pastor Dan Also see Marshmallow Pitch (Click Here).
Marshmallow PitchFor this game, have kids get in groups of three and give each trio a sack of miniature marshmallows. Each group should designates one neutral counter, one pitcher, and 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. Added by Young Life See also Shmallow Shooters (Click Here).
Mattress JumpFor this game you need an inflatable mattress that won't fold up on you (one of those big camping mattresses, not some little float around the pool mattress). If you have two, even better. See how long one student at a time can jump w/o losing balance. If you have two, you can have them toss something back and forth with the loser being the one who drops the item (egg, pillow, a goofy soft toy - you get the idea). Added by Matthew Gibbs Also see Mattress Pass (Click Here).
Melt That Ice CubeDivide 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. Added by Young Life Also see Ice Cube Race (Click Here), Ice Grab It! (Click Here), and Ice Chest (Click Here).
Messy PlexiPrep: Buy or get a 4'x8' sheet of plexi glass donated. You will need: Oreos, Cheese in a can, Crackers Call up two teams of two. 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. You will need to pressure wash the glass each time you use it. Added by Sterling Lynn Also see Messy Message (Click Here).
Milk The Latex Glove2-4 students race to see who’s the best at milking rubber gloves. Dangle the gloves from the undersides of saw horses, to give the effect of milking a cow. Make very small pin holes in the tips of the fingers of the gloves. Have a measuring cup to see who wins and a container for each to milk into. Play cow sound effects and country music in the background. Added by Young Life Also see Milk Chug (Click Here).
Mind ReaderFun 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. Added by Michael Knight
Mock Spelling BeeThis 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 at 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" or 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, your time has expired, but thanks for playing" and takes off. Your reactions, facial expressions, and acting ability will make or break this one! Added by Young Life
Money GrabGreat upfront/crowd game that gets everyone involved but without complete chaos! Buy play money or go to http://www.hasbro.com/monopoly/pl/page.treasurechest/dn/default.cfm and print off monopoly money (free). Print off one page then you can use your church's printer for the rest. Give one bill to every person who comes that night, right when they come in. When you’re ready to play, call some people up to the front - suggestion: 3 people for every 100 kids. On, “Go!” your three volunteers run out in the crowd and grab as much money as possible - the crowd lifts up their monopoly money. Set a time limit. The one who runs back to you with the most money wins. Also see Dollar Surprise (Click Here), Mingle for Money (Click Here). Added by J. Smith, Pluse Youth Ministries
Mullet EnvyCrowd 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 mullets 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! Added by Russ Smith
Mummy WrapThis game can be played as either an up-front game or as an audience game. As an Audience game: Throw out 3 rolls of toilet paper to different sections of the crowd and have them do it right there. As an Up-Front: 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". A youth worker named Nick suggests providing sunglasses and hats, etc. You could have the crowd or the staff vote. You need 3 or 6 rolls of toilet paper. Also see Toilet Paper Bride (Click Here).
Mystery BagUpfront and messy, this game can last as long as you want, with as many people playing as you like. You need one bag per contestant, in which ahead of time you’ll put both gross and tasty food items into. Suggestions for gross edibles: sardines, spam, peppers, dry decaffeinated coffee, etc. Suggestions for good edibles: marshmallows, peanuts, M&Ms, Skittles, chocolate Kisses. With all of the contents, cut them up into different sizes so students cannot easily figure out what it is. With you holding the bag so that the student can’t see its contents, volunteers grab a handful of whatever is in the bag, not looking, feeling the bag, or smelling it. They can’t look at what’s in their hand (use a blindfold if you don’t trust your kids!). Not a game for the weak! Added by Monty Lasseter Also see Grab Bag Scarf on Sick & Twisted page.
Nacho Libre Thumb Wrestling ChampionshipIf you've seen the movie Nacho Libre, it's pretty clean and pretty funny - about like Napoleon Dynamite. It also has as the main character, a monk living in a monastery, who has always wanted to be a professional wrestler. This could go along with "Nacho Libre Night", complete with build-your-own-nachos. Have each contestant 'paint' their thumb like a wrestling character (with markers) and then take an old sheet and a box, and some large rubber bands and dowel rods and make a 'ring'. Cut two holes in the floor of the 'ring' so that the contestants can put their hand through it and commence thumb wrestling. This would even make a hilarious photo op or video op, especially if you had a bell to ring and an announcer, and an audience cheering and booing.... NOTE: If you have a big group and decide to play this game, you will need to have a live video feed hooked up so everyone can see. (See Jonathan's 7 Deadly Sins of Game Leading for more tips).
Name That MovieThis game is great because it allows everyone to participate to whatever degree they want to while providing tons of laughs in the process. Here’s what you do. Divide your group up into teams (say, 5 kids per team) if your group is about 25 big all together. Give each team the title of a movie to work with, or let them choose their own. (If they choose their own, make sure you are comfortable with it.) The gist of the game is to have each team “tell” or “show” the movie in 5 minutes or less. They must work together to write up a script (with or without action scenes) that captures the plot of the movie. After they have written their script, several members of the team (or all, if necessary) go up front to act out their short version of the movie. Have a panel of judges, made up of adult leaders, to pick the best movie rendition. They can base their points off of “most accurate portrayal,” “funniest portrayal,” “most creative portrayal,” etc. Here are a couple of titles to get you going: Shrek Pirates of the Caribbean Finding Nemo The Lion King The Incredibles Toy Story Cars Napoleon Dynamite Ironman Batman Begins (or The Dark Knight) High School Musical (1, 2, or 3) Spiderman (1,2, or 3) NOTE: You definitely want to stay away from flicks like American Pie, SuperBad, Pineapple Express, etc. Have fun with this one!
Never Bored AgainI don’t know about you, but when I was a kid, if we said, “I'm Bored,” to our mother we would usually find ourselves cleaning a bathroom or a bedroom soon afterwards. So we found ways to entertain ourselves; this game is one of them. If you have a small group of kids, say 5-12, everyone can play. If you have a bigger group, then pick 6 kids to come up front and form two teams (three on each). Give each team the same 5 household items. (Perhaps a 4-pack of toilet paper, a plastic spoon, a cowboy hat, a bunch of grapes, and a broom.) Tell the teams that they have to use at least 3 items given to them to come up with a game to play. Give them 2 minutes to come up with a game. Here are the rules: 1. They have to have a name for their game. 2. They have to demonstrate their game for the crowd. 3. They must use at least 3 of the items you gave them. Let the crowd determine which team’s game is the most creative. That team wins the prize. Variation: Give each team a different set of household items. This will make it more interesting, but be warned, you may get flack from one team for having items that are “more difficult” to work with. Idea by Malachi M.
Oreo HeadAsk for 3 or 4 volunteers to come up front. On "go" the contestants take an Oreo, twist it open, moisten the creamier side with their tongue, and stick it to their forehead. Then, without using their hands, they try to contort their faces to maneuver the Oreo down their face and into their mouth. The first one to eat their Oreo wins. This is a hilarious game with many funny faces! I would also recommend a live feed video camera if you've got a larger group. Added by Young Life Also see Oreos on Plexiglass (Click Here).
Oreo-PaloozaThis game works best if played as an up front game. Have several teams of two students each line up in front of a table facing the crowd. Make sure your audience can see them! You will need plenty of Oreos and as many glasses of milk as you have teams. Each team of two has one person seated at the table and one person blindfolded behind them. The teammate seated must eat the Oreos but cannot use his hands. The teammate who is blindfolded behind him must dunk the Oreos and feed them to his seated teammate. Choose a certain number of Oreos that must be eaten to win or select a time limit. It makes for a lot of fun when the Oreos are all over the players faces instead of in their mouths.
Oreos on PlexiglassPut Oreos open-faced on separate sheets of plexiglass. Choose 2-4 kids (as many as you have pieces of plexiglass for) and blindfold them. They must race to smash their face up against the glass and lick off the Oreos. A few helpful notes: Have extra open-faced Oreos ready for when they knock them off. It helps to have the plexiglass framed so that it does not wobble too much. Also, be sure to keep the Oreos toward the center of the plexiglass, so that they don't lick the edges and risk cutting their tongues/mouths. Variation: Peanut butter on crackers works as well and may be a little stickier! Added by Young Life Also see Oreo Head (Click Here).
Packed LunchHere is a great game that we did that was perfect for the students going back to school. Before the game remind students about how their Mamas used to pack their lunchs for them and they would never know what they would get until they opened the bag at lunch time. Then tell them that you have packed some school lunches for them in honor of those days. How to Play: Split your kids into two groups and have them form two single-file lines. If you have a large group of students, you can make this an up-front game by selecting two teams of 3-5 students. You will have as many lunch bags as you have students playing. Each lunch bag will contain one piece of food in it. On "go" the first student from each team grabs a lunch bag and eats its contents. The second student must wait until the first has eaten the contents entirely (or until they get sick... use discretion to keep the game going). This goes on until all members of one team have had a turn. The first team to finish wins. Note to Youth Leader: Make sure to have a garbage can close to the tables because it will get nasty fast. The first team to eat all thier bag lunches wins! Some bag lunch ideas that we used were: Sardines Pickled Onions Snickers Candy Bars Peanut Butter Milk (Fomula Kind) Hot Peppers --Of course, possibilities are limitless, so be creative! Just don't forget to have a couple good foods in there too! Advice, don't put too much into the bags. This will avoid the audience and contestants from getting bored. Added by Brandon Swonger Also see Blend-O-Rama (Click Here), Eat That Food (Click Here), and Lemonade Machine (Click Here).
Pantyhose Jello SlurpThis gross game is played up front with 3-5 people while the crowd watches. Place a drop cloth or tarp down. Each contestant places a knee high pantyhose over their head, which is funny in its own right. Have them kneel on the tarp. Give each one a bowl of especially runny Jello in the most seasonal color (green around 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. Also, the crowd and contestants will have an added surprise when you pull the pantyhose off the contestants' heads, and it smears the Jello up their faces! Added by Benny Also see Jello Slurp (Click Here) and Pantyhose Stuff (Click Here).
Pass the WormsWhat you need: 3 pots of live fishing worms one bucket How to play: For this nasty game you need to recruit six volunteers and have them remove their shoes and socks. Place them in pairs and have them seated. There is one live worm pot for each pair. The first person in the pair is to dunk their bare feet into the live worm pot and grab as many worms with their toes as possible. They must then spin carefully around and hold the worms up for their partner to take them. The partner now must grab the worms with his toes and place the worms in the bucket. The first pair to complete the process is the winning pair. Added by Stephen Max Also see Bobbing for Worms (Click Here).
Phone a FriendFor this game you need a cell phone (preferably w/a speakerphone) and a sound system. Bring a student upfront. Have them use 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 student 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:
Or something embarrassing like: 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 and work your way up to CDs, tickets to a concert, amusement park, money, whatever! Added by Eric Brown
Pick Your Friend’s NoseUse a huge piece of paper or a sheet and draw three people on it. Cut out the space for their nose. Three people are chosen from the audience to stick their noses through the holes. The paper has to be big enough to hide their bodies. The rest of the kids try to see if they can "pick" (identify) their friend's nose. Added by Young Life
Pickle Spitting ContestBuy 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 the floor! Categorize your 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. Added by Dean Bohl
Pictionary Mania (How many ways can you play?)Play with teams, having them draw with toes or mouth. Variations:
Added by Young Life/Fruit Loop Pictionary added by Marc Wilkinson Also see Win, Lose, or Draw (Click Here).
Pie Eating ContestThis game is played up front with 2-4 students (who won't mind getting messy) while the crowd watches. The students race, sitting at a table with a pie and a fork. Say, "On your marks, get set…" then stop and take away the forks. Repeat and add whipped cream. The last time, have them put their hands behind their back. Have a drop cloth and towels to clean up. Upbeat "pie-eating" music in background is a must! Idea from Young Life Also see Chocolate Tower (Click Here) and Pie Roulette (Click Here).
Pie Pan Bubble BlowBring three people up front to sit in chairs at a table. Put three pie pans that are full of whip cream in front of them. 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. They can stand or sit, but can't use their hands Added by Stephanie See Pie Eating Contest (Click Here) and Gum in Flour (Click Here).
Pie RouletteSix 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. Added by Young Life See also Pie Pan Bubble Blow (Click Here).
Pillow BattleJust like it sounds. Have a girl take on a guy in a pillow battle. Give them each a pillow and explain that they will each get three chances to hit each other. Blindfold them both and tell them they must keep one foot still, although they may dodge the hit however else they want. First, they must ask the question, "Are you there?" The other answers, "I am here." When it is all explained, un-blindfold the girl, but leave the guy blindfolded, so the girl can dodge the hits, but the guy can’t. After the guy misses once, put the blindfold back on the girl, and show the guy that she is still right there. Then unblindfold her and do the same thing again. Mean? You betcha! Added by Young Life
Pin The TailThis gross game is played up front with a few people while the crowd watches. Announce that you're playing "Pin The Tail On the Donkey" but you forgot the tails, so students will use their finger. Play as normal, only after a few seconds hold a jar of peanut butter in front of wherever the student puts his/her finger. Added by Young Life
Ping Pong Ball BlowUse one or more pairs of one boy and one girl and place a cookie sheet with a ping-pong ball on it between them. Explain that the object is to blow the ball to the other side while blindfolded. After they are blindfolded, place the ball on a mound of flour on the cookie sheet. Added by Young Life Also see Ping Pong Ball Party Blower (Click Here).
Ping Pong Ball Party BlowerThis is a great game to do through the middle of the crowd while the crowd watches. Bring several students up front and give them a party blower and a ping pong ball each. Have them 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. Also see Ping Pong Ball Blow (Click Here).
Plead For MercyBring 2 or 3 guy/girl teams up front (works great with dating couples). Have each guy kneel in front of a girl and try to talk her out of putting a pie in his face. Clue each girl ahead of time to let him go for a while. Get the audience to egg each girl on. Also see Pie Roulette (Click Here).
Plunger HeadIn 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. Pull up either 4 or six students, in order to make two or three pairs. On "go", each pair has to hold the plunger between, with the ends on their foreheads 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). The first team to wind the tennis ball all the way to the top wins. Added by Robin Thornett & Johnna Maddox Also see Toilet Seat Toss (Click Here).
Poor Man's Sumo Wrestling(aka 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. Also see Tubemania (Click Here).
Popsicle SurpriseTake plastic Popsicle trays you can put in a freezer and fill them with your own type of Popsicle flavors. (Some examples are soda, punch, mayo, ketchup, barbeque sauce, and even chili.) Pull three students up front and blindfold them. Next, hand them each a Popsicle made of the same flavor (3 sodas, 3 mayo’s, etc.) The first one to guess the correct flavor wins. Proceed to the next round using a different flavor. Play as many rounds as you like.
Porridge PantsThis game can either be played as an up-front game or as an all-play game. Either bring 4 people up front or break your group up into even teams of 4-6. Each team nominates one volunteer. Each volunteer puts on a very large pair of overalls or pants (way too big for them). Duct tape the bottom of the pant legs to their ankles. The remaining group members are given a quiz. For each correct answer, nothing happens. Each incorrect answer results in the volunteers getting a bowl full of cold porridge (or oatmeal) poured down their pants. When all the quiz questions are finished or all the porridge is poured, have the volunteers run around an obstacle course with their squelching porridge filled pants on. You may like to include things like “star jumps” to make it even more fun. Memories. Added by Jono Bleakley, Cairns, Australia
Powdered Donut LipsSee who can eat the most powdered sugar donuts without licking their lips. There is no time limit, but as soon as a person licks his/her lips, they’re eliminated. (8 is the most we had one night!) Added by Angela Nuckles Also see Donut Line (Click Here), Donut on a String (Click Here).
Pudding FlingThis gross game is played up front with a few people while the crowd watches. Make a "Bulls Eye" hole in a large (door size) piece of cardboard or plywood (think refrigerator box). Provide sungglasses for the one who volunteers to stick their head in the "Bulls Eye" 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. Added by Elise Hawke
Pumpkin BowlingSet up a single "bowling alley" in your room. This can be as simple as using masking tape lines for gutters. Then set up empty (or full, if you’re brave) two liter soda bottles for bowling pins. If you want Halloween colors, use orange soda, and a cola, and tear the labels off. Test out a few pumpkins and select a few good rollers. Depending on the size of your group, either select a few "bowlers" or line up your whole group. (If you line up your group, line them up along the edge of the alley so they can see). With fewer bowlers, allow several tries. With a large group, allow one each. Hand them a pumpkin and let er’ rip! Have a few staff people be pumpkin fetchers to keep the game moving along. Provide a prize for the best bowler (do a play-off if needed). See also Human Bowling (Click Here), Vacuum Cleaner Bowling (Click Here), and Pumpkin Puzzle (Click Here).
Push OverHave 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:
Put Your Money Where Your Mouth IsTwo 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. Added by Young Life
Putt Putt Prank!!This game works well as an up front game. Grab 2 boys and 2 girls from the audience and have them come forward. Have a practice putting green already spread out in front of the crowd (or in the middle of the room). This can be purchased at Walmart. Have two legit golf balls (or more in case one gets “lost” in the crowd). Girl “A” competes against Girl “B”. Girl “A” has two chances to sink a putt. If she misses on both shots, she is at risk of being “pranked.” Girl “B” then attempts her putts. If she misses on both shots, she is ALSO at risk of getting pranked. However, if Girl “A” misses both putts and Girl “B” makes at least one, Girl “B” is totally safe and gets to wreak havoc on Girl “A”. You may think, well, if both miss, they should simply cancel one another out. Ask the crowd what they think, though! The masses demand PRANK!!! The more prank the better. Have a couple of options available for the contestants to choose from when it comes to pranking. We suggest: drink something gross; pie in the face; having to wear those silly, plaid golf pants from the 70’s; etc. Simply repeat the process for the guys.
Questions Under Fire!Loud, fast, funny game w/a point! Choose 4 volunteers from 4 different grades. Bring them up one at a time to ask 14 questions (see below). Whichever contestant can answer 10 of them in 90 seconds wins (candy, pop, $1-5). They may “pass” as many times as they want and come back to a question later. Where the audience comes in is as soon as you begin the questions, they can distract the contestant by yelling out random statements, answers, or noises. They can even get out of their seats and do goofy things as long as they don’t get in the person’s face or touch them. Below are 4 sets of questions. You may switch questions around or make up your own. We suggest having easier questions for younger students on at least one list. Some of the questions have definite answers; some are random or silly. The point: It’s hard to focus on what matters when we surround ourselves with distractions. 1st contestant
2nd contestant
3rd contestant
4th contestant
Alternate Questions:
Added by Amos Self
Quick ChangePrepare 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 (my friend's 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. Set the costume in front of each participant, hand them each a balloon, explain the object of the game, and yell, "Go!" Each person blows up the balloon and starts bopping it into the air. The object is 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! Also see Balloon & Elastic Tangle (Click Here) and Balloon Pass Smash (Click Here).
Quick Draw Challenge, TheThis is a simple game that puts teen's drawing skills to the test in front of an audience. Supplies Needed: 2 markers, 2 clipboards, some paper/poster board, powerpoint or overhead and a stereo with western music (stereo optional). Before the Game: I do up a Powerpoint presentation depicting a cowboy (clipart or photo) with a speech bubble. Then I think up several different things the students can draw (for example: a schoolbus, a self-portrait, a monkey, a stick-figure...basically anything). In the speech bubble I'll usually put something like this "Howdy Pardners, I dare you to draw me a monkey!" or "Ok, Lil' Doggies, draw me a flying fish." I'll have 3 slides with the cowboy presenting the different drawing challenges (one challenge per slide). Also, to help with the theme, I have some old western gun-slinging music to play during the game (the theme to "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly" works best). At the Beginning of the Game: I choose 4 volunteers from the crowd to come up front and I explain that the winner of the game will take home a prize. I then tell them that they're going to compete in the "Quick Draw Challenge." The object is to draw the best/most realistic picture (as judged by the audience) in 60 seconds. I split them into pairs and have the second pair sit off to the side. The first two "contestants" are each given a clipboard with some paper and a marker. I have them back to back and explain that it's like an Old West shootout. I start the western music and have them take 3 paces away from each other. When I say "Draw" they have to spin around to face each other, take the caps off their markers and draw whatever the cowboy tells them to. At the end of 60 seconds, I hold up both drawings and get the audience to cheer for the best. The winner moves on to the final round. I then repeat the game with the next two contestants--with a different drawing challenge! And then the two winners face off once again for a final Quick Draw challenge, the winner of which gets the prize. I encourage the "contestants" to really get into it--to walk like cowboys and draw as if their life was on the line! The audience always has a blast--especially when they see some rather poor works of art. NOTE: In addition to using paper/posterboard to draw on, you can also use two overhead projectors pointing on the wall. This will help everyone see if you have a really large group.
Radioactive SpewThis "Fear Factor" type game is played up front with a few people while the crowd watches. Set up a drinking area with black lights ahead of time. Use Tonic Water (not 7-UP. (Tonic glows in a black light!) For added Fear Factor effect, rim the glass with clam juice and garlic powder (I think we used fish oil in there somewhere too)! Added by Brett Also see Fear Factor Cuisine (Click Here).
Rations RouletteThis upfront game is a little gross. It is a cross between Musical Chairs and Fear Factor. Bring up 8 chairs onto the stage and choose 8 students from the crowd. The chairs need to be in a straight line, all facing the crowd. Have students sit in the chairs facing the crowd. Hand one of the students a jar of some sort of gross baby food, a can of sardines, or canned octopus…anything gross. Explain that when the music starts, the students must pass the gross food product down the line. When the gross food gets to the last seated student, he/she must run around to the other end of the line of chairs. As he/she is running, the other 7 students have slid down 1 chair to fill in the empty seat. He/she then takes a seat on the empty chair, and hands the gross food to the next participant. When the music stops, whoever is holding the gross food has to eat it all, or take a bite of it, depending on what you have picked. You do not eliminate the players in this game, though! You just make them swallow the gross food, and keep playing. After 2 or 3 rounds, increase the gross factor with even grosser foods AND more of them. For instance, instead of just 1 gross food container, have 3 cans/jars being passed around. Things to Remember:
ReactionThis game is a killer upfront game! Ask for 2 volunteers. Have each volunteer pick 3 friends who they believe to be “quick thinkers” or someone who “thinks fast on their feet.” Have 2 chairs in the room facing the crowd. Have each team line up behind a chair, with one person from each team sitting in a chair. (During the game, players will rotate sitting in the chair.) The game is a competition between the 2 teams to see who has the fastest “reactions” when it comes to providing correct answers. Only the players sitting in the chairs compete against each other. (Those standing in line must be quiet.) After each question is asked (and answered), the two contestants rotate to the back of the line, and the persons who were first in line now take their seat in the chair to compete. The host will have a stack of cards, (8 ½ x 11 sized). On each card is written a question. When the game begins, the host will flip a card revealing a question to the players sitting in the chair. The first player to answer correctly wins. If a player answers incorrectly, he or she cannot answer again. Either the other player gets it, or the question is missed. Either way, both players would then rotate to the back of the line. The team with the most points at the end of the game wins. Here are some great sample Reaction Questions: Round 1 (1000 points) 1. What is the square root of 144? (12) 2. Name the capital of New York (or your home state). (Albany) 3. What is the tallest mountain in the world? (Mt. Everest) 4. What’s smaller, a tablespoon or a teaspoon? (teaspoon) 5. What is the biggest continent in the world? (Asia) Round 2 (2000 points) 1. The South Pole is located on which continent? (Antarctica) 2. Name the President of the United States during the Civil War. (Lincoln) 3. Who is the current US Secretary of State, (hint: it’s a lady!) (Condoleezza Rice) 4. What is the most expensive property on a Monopoly board game? (Boardwalk) 5. What is the largest land animal? (elephant) Round 3 (3000 points) 1. How many legs does an arachnid have? (8) 2. What city do the Red Sox call home? (Boston) 3. The Mississippi river flows into what body of water? (Gulf of Mexico) 4. What ingredient makes up the biggest portion of a cake? (flour) 5. The easternmost point in the US is located in what state? (Maine) Round 4 (4000 points) 1. A region of land that receives less than 10 inches of rain in a year is called what? (desert) 2. What is the most prevalent chemical compound on earth. (H2O – water!) 3. What classification of animal has the following characteristics: vertebrate, cold-blooded, lays eggs, and scaly skin? (reptile) 4. On a map, lines that go north to south are called lines of what? (longitude) 5. What planet in our solar system orbits closest to the earth? (Venus) NOTE: If you have the capability, you may want to project the questions onto a screen using a video projector. This goes a long way towards keeping the crowd involved in the game.
Ready, Aim, Eat!This game works great as an up front game. Have an adult leader quickly build a pyramid of empty soda cans out in the middle of the floor/stage. Using 4 different kinds of soda cans--4 of one kind on the bottom, 3 of a different kind on the second row, 2 of yet another soft drink on the third row, and then 1 lone, different drink can for the top row. For example, we used 4 Cokes, 3 Mountain Dews, 2 Doctor Peppers and 1 Pepsi. (Whichever drink you choose is fine, JUST MAKE SURE EACH ROW IS DIFFERENT FROM THE OTHER ROWS.) The student’s objective of the game is to knock down all the cans by pitching a ball (golf ball works fine) at the pyramid. Each student gets 2 tosses. Each “brand” of soda is given a “gross” food value that the student must eat, IF there are cans left standing. For instance, the 4 Coke cans equal 2 cupcakes (kinda fun). The 3 Mountain Dew cans equal 1 jar of some weird baby food (not so fun). The 2 cans of Doctor Pepper equal 1 “spam hot dog” (really bad). Finally, the 1 Pepsi can equals 2 sardines (youth workers’ revenge on teens). The student ONLY needs to eat the “gross” food that is assigned to the top-most can left standing after their 2 tosses. For instance, if after the girl’s two tosses, only 2-3 Cokes are standing, PLUS 1 Mountain Dew can, she ONLY needs to eat the Mountain Dew’s “gross” food which is 1 jar of baby food. Obviously, the student is going to want to make sure the top can falls down, so as to avoid eating the grossest food. Feel free to change the soda equivalents. If this is not gross enough for you, make it fit your group! And if eating this gross stuff is not enough, we added a time element to it. The student had to eat the assigned food in 1 minute or less, OR GET A PIE IN THE FACE! Notes: You will need an adult leader to re-stack the pyramid between students. We only used 2 students to make sure the game did not last too long.
Rubber Band HeadPut an extra large rubber band around the heads of several people (use common sense here; be sure it’s snug but not tight enough to snap - ouch!). Place it so it 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. Hilarious facial expressions as they work it down. Added by Young Life
Sales JobTake 3 people out of the room. Tell the crowd to ask questions to them to figure out what’s in the bag when they return. Bring one kid in and tell him/her to try to really sell what’s in the bag without giving away what it is. Crowd knows it’s toilet paper (or 3X underwear). Backstage, you’ve told your “salesperson” that there is gum in the bag. Fire him/her up for the hard sell, maybe providing a sport coat and hat. Announce him like he is a 60-second info-mercial. Added by Young Life Also see Best Pick-Up Line Challenge (Click Here).
Saran InchwormWrap up two or more people in Saran Wrap so they can't move their legs at all. You can wrap loosely all the way up to their shoulders but leave their arms free. (Leaving their arms free is the safest way but some groups have wrapped arms too. These groups had extra staff asigned to watch and spot the wrapped kid so they don't fall. They could get hurt if they fell since they don't have arms free to catch themselves.) Instruct the students not to use their arms but keep them behind their backs. Carefully lie them down on the floor. When you say "go," they must "inch" down to a designated point and have a banana fed to them by a friend (no hands of course). Hilarious to watch. Also see Saran Wrap Body Pass (Click Here) and Saran Wrap Race (Click Here).
Saran Wrap RaceSupplies Needed: As many boxes of 100 ft. plastic wrap as you plan teams for Masking tape (for finishing line) Trash can Stop-watch (optional) Preparation: 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 (not too tight), including arms, with the entire roll. SAFETY NOTE: You can tell them to wrap them just up to their shoulders. Leaving their arms free is the safest way but some groups have wrapped arms too. These groups had extra staff assigned to watch and spot the wrapped students so they don't fall. They could get hurt if they fall since they don't have arms free to catch themselves. 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 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. Added by Michael Kirschner Also see Saran Wrap Body Pass (Click Here) and Saran Wrap Inchworm (Click Here).
Saran Wrap SandwichDivide into teams of three. Each team selects the lightest person to be the “sandwich.” He/she stands with feet together, arms down at their side. Give each team a roll of Saran Wrap to wrap their “sandwich” from feet to shoulders until the roll is gone. The wrapped sandwich is carried to the end of the room, set on the ground in a sitting position, and cheered on as they try to escape. The first person to unwrap themselves and run back to the original starting place wins. SAFETY NOTE: Do not leave the wrapped person in a standing position at any time! If they lose their balance and fall they don't have free hands to brace themselves and could really get hurt. Play funny game show music and award a new box of Saran Wrap for the winner to take home to their mother. Also see Saran Inchworm (Click Here), Saran Wrap Body Pass (Click Here), & Saran Wrap Race (Click Here). Added by Big Daddy
Sardine SlidersOK…this one is gross and messy! That should have gotten the Junior High pastors’ attention. First, get a LONG (rectangle) folding table and cover it with paper or plastic. Then, put a tarp or plastic sheet under the table because it will definitely get messy! Next, put two lines of tape at both ends of the table for a Start and Finish line. Finally, squirt every kind of condiment on the table that your heart desires. Just go to the church fridge and get the stuff that’s almost empty or out of date and use that. (Mustard, ketchup, mayonnaise, chocolate syrup, maple syrup, ranch dressing, salsa, jelly, peanut butter, butter, etc.) Make sure there isn’t a clean spot on the table. Pick two (brave) contestants to come up front. When they get there, give each of them a sardine. The object of the game is for each of them to push the sardine from the Start line to the Finish line (on the table) using nothing but their noses! (Have plenty of sardines because they will break and blend in with all the junk on the table!) The first one across the Finish line wins! You better give them a GREAT prize for this! NOTE: If you really want to provide your students with a memorable moment, you might think about allowing a couple of adult leaders to do this after the students have done it. The kids won’t forget it. Idea by Chad D.
Screaming ContestHold a screaming contest with prizes for: the loudest, most girly-man, longest, weirdest sounding, and shyest person to scream. Added by Young Life
Shaving Cream Hair-doThis gross game is played up front with a few people while the crowd watches. Have several guys come up and have each of them 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 guy's hair and try to beautify him as much as possible. You may want to give some hints to a few kids ahead of time in secret, such as:
Punk rocker spiked do Mickey Mouse ears Roman headgear Background hair-doing music is a must! Have the crowd applaud for the best job to determine the winner. Also see Beauty Both Ways (Click Here) and Spaghetti Hair-do (Click Here).
Shaving Cream ShootoutBring 2-6 volunteers up front and put a glob of shaving or whipped cream on their noses. Place them strategically around the room. With squirt guns, they must try to shoot the shaving cream off the nose of the person on their right. Clearly explain that if they start shooting the crowd on purpose, they will be eliminated. You can use "Wild West" songs for this one. Have towels handy and remember that things will get wet. The first person to shoot off all the cream wins. Civilized Shaving Cream Shoot-out: Pick six students. Put a dollop of shaving cream on the nose of each of 3 contestants and give their partner a squirt gun. Spread the gunner from "Cream Nose" at least 10 feet. First one to clean their partner's nose is the winner. Added by Young Life Also see Shaving Cream Hair-do (Click Here).
Shmallow ShootersFor this game you’ll need marshmallow blowguns made from 1-foot sections of 1-inch diameter pvc pipe (buy big lengths of it at a hardware store, not the small ones you can buy at carnivals and festivals), and plenty of s'more-sized marshmallows. Load the marshmallow into the end of the pipe (the drier the marshmallow, the better - they'll stick to the pipe if they're soft) and blow. The trick is to blow on the end the marshmallow is on - let it travel the length of the tube - we had shots spanning upwards of 30 feet! Beware: after 2-3 shots they get pretty gross. We did a variety of target-related games and then a few moments of all-out marshmallow war. Good times! Beware of choking. Before starting you may want to warn your students about choking hazards and that they need to be careful. They should inhale air before they put their mouth up to the gun. Added by Owen Sallee Also see Marshmallow Splat Ball (Click Here).
Shoe StretchGet two old pairs of men’s shoes, take out the strings, punch holes in the back of each shoe and tie a four-foot piece of elastic to each. Place shoes on opposite sides of the room and tie other ends of the elastic to the legs of a chair. Two people get into the shoes — one in each pair — and walk toward each other. (Have someone sitting in the chairs to weight them down, and have them spaced so that the elastic becomes taut just as the two meet each other.) The object is, with the shoes stretching the elastic, to exchange shoes in the fastest time possible and return to the other chair. Rules:
Idea from Young Life
Shoelace Licorice RaceGive 4 kids a piece of shoelace licorice with a marshmallow tied to one end of it. On a signal, each person puts the loose end of the licorice in his mouth and "eats" his way to the marshmallow. The first two to reach it go on to the finals. Added by Jesse Daniels Also see Donut on a String (Click Here).
Siamese Gift WrapIn this game, get 4 pairs of students upfront, sitting behind a table FACING THE CROWD with a package box, scissors, wrapping paper, tape, and a bow in front of them. When the game leader says GO, each pair will have to gift wrap a present…using only one arm each! Specifically, one student must use only his left arm, and the other student must use only her right arm. Have them hold their “unusable” arms behind them while seated at the table. The first couple to finish their gift wrapping, wins. If it is a tie, include the quality of the wrapping job to decide the winners. NOTE: To ensure that everyone in the audience can see this game, you may want to use a live video feed.
Silent CharadesDivide into teams of 5 to 7 people. Have the members of one team leave the room while the others think of a situation which can be acted out without words (see below for ideas). Then bring in one person from the team that was sent out of the room. Explain the situation he or she will be acting out. Now bring in the second person from that team. Without saying a word, Person #1 must act out the assigned plot for Person #2. Person #2 may or may not understand the charade, but he or she must subsequently act out the same situation for a third member of the team. Person #3 performs the charade for Person #4, and so on. The last person must guess the original story line. Remember, all this is done in complete silence. Even the simplest charade can undergo a thorough metamorphosis after being passed down several times. If the lost person cannot guess the charade, person #1 should perform it again and let the last person guess once more. Here are some classic French charade situations to spur your creativity. Charade 1: The original pantomime that you do could include the following: pull the elephant into the room on a rope; tie the rope at a stake; dip a rag in a pail and wash the side of the elephant jumping high to get all the way to the top; crawl underneath, wash his belly and legs; go to the front and wash the trunk inside and out and wash the elephant’s ears as well; and then, wash under his tail (hold your nose). Charade 2: You are a high school beauty pageant contestant, anxiously awaiting the announcement of the winner. Suddenly you hear your name! You now step forward to receive your crown and roses. Then comes your victory walk down the aisle, waving to the crowd, you encounter many misfortunes. First, you are allergic to the roses, so you begin to sneeze, but you keep on going waving and sneezing to the crowd. Then, on the way back up the aisle, your high heel breaks and you finish the walk with one heel missing! Charade 3: You are a pregnant mama bird about to give birth. You must fly around the room gathering materials for your nest. Once you make your nest, you lay your egg. Then finish the charade by hatching the egg and finding a worm to feed your new baby. You can also act out a hobby, changing a diaper, or washing an elephant. Added by Young Life Also see Improv (Click Here).
Silent CrowdSend 3 secure students out of the room. Explain to the crowd that it was recently learned that when someone is placed in front of a crowd in complete silence, they will revert back to the experience of their first kiss. As a matter of fact the first things they will say are the things they said after their first kiss! Therefore, the crowd must be completely silent and stare at the person. Don’t leave the poor kid up there for too long. Idea from Young Life
Skateboard and Plunger RaceRacers sit on skateboards and use plungers as oars in a race. Play fun music in the background. Added by Young Life
Skateboard JoustEven though this is an "upfront game" by our definition, meaning everyone else watches the action, don't be confused about how to maximize this game's potential. This game will probably be played outside, in a gym, or in the middle of a big room. Here is how you can do it best. Begin by making sure everyone can see since the contestants will be seated! You will need two skateboards and two pool noodles. If you are not familiar with a pool noodle it is approximately a 5 ft long cylindrical foam device used for flotation in the water. Choose two teams of two players each. One player on each team will sit on their skateboard. In opposing directions, each seated player will be pushed by their teammate towards their opponent. They are armed only with their pool noodle. The object is to force your opponent off of their skateboard with your pool noodle. Instruct each team’s “pushers” to be careful when pushing their partner towards their opponents. The last thing you want is a collision.
Ski LessonHave 3 kids with ski poles jump side to side over a pillow that is on the ground. Behind them is a chair. When the crowd yells "Bump!" on cue from leader, they must sit down on the chair and burst the balloon. Say it’s a 5-bump course to be done for time, and be sure to have a leader standing behind the chair, in order to place the balloons for the students to pop. For the last balloon on the last student use a water balloon. Play fast music to build suspense. An enthusiastic "ski instructor" adds to the fun. Added by Young Life
Sleeping Bag Straight JacketPick 2 volunteers. Place sleeping bag upside down and over their heads. On "Go!," contestants try to get out of the bag. The first one to wiggle completely out wins. The only rule is that they must keep their hands inside their pockets at all times or they will be disqualified. Winner gets a prize. Added by Dan Manns See also Sleeping Bag Wrestling (Click Here).
Sleeping Bag WrestlingHave 4 people come up front. Put sleeping bags over 2 of them as they stand on their knees facing each other. They have to wrestle each other to the floor. Next have the next two go, and finally have a championship round. Usually the heaviest person wins so try and pick people that weigh about the same. Added by Young Life See Sleeping Bag Straight Jacket on Upfront page.
Slime TwisterThis is a MESSY twist (pun intended) on the classic board game Twister. Play this version using pea soup, blue pudding, ketchup, and mustard. Added by Elise Hawke Also see Messy Message & Messy Mix, both on Sick & Twisted page.
SnickerDew RaceCAUTION: This is a timed challenge, to see how quickly a normal amount of soda can be consumed, NOT a contest to see how much more liquid can be consumed. We strongly discourage the latter, as it can cause severe sickness when too much liquid is consumed! Choose a number of contestants based on the size of your group, 2 - 6 works best. Give each contestant a King Size Snickers bar and a can or bottle of Mountain Dew. The contestants race to see who can finish their feast first. If you are extra sneaky, add yourself to the game and give a 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. If you are in a nice place, or a living room, you may want to lay down a tarp in case of spills. Added by Jeff Gunhus See Soda Slam on Sick & Twisted page.
Snoot ShootThis game is played up front with 3 or 4 people while the crowd watches. Give them each a certain number of Jelly Bellies; 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. Contestants shoot the Jelly Bellys candies (or Cheerios) from their NOSE into the bucket. A riot to watch - and not much fun to count the candy in the bucket. If you want to stretch the game out, and kill some time, have the contestants compete one at a time. If you want the game to be very short, have the contestants compete all at once. Also see Cereal Mania on Upfront page.
Snow Ball Firing SquadWe basically had a disgruntled, elf-hating Santa come out and tell a couple of elf jokes (all totally clean, of course) about a runaway elf from the North Pole. All the while, there was an adult leader dressed in the goofiest elf costume available, out in the crowd. At the end of the upfront jokes, Santa spots the elf and pronounces judgment: the elf must be snowballed! Bring out a big bowl of REALLY recently crushed ice (we have a snow cone machine which worked fine). Have a few students come up front (about 4 girls work really well for this). Allow them to reach into the shaved ice and make two snowballs each. THIS IS IMPORTANT: DO NOT ALLOW THE SHAVED ICE SNOWBALLS TO STAY IN THE “BALL” FORM TOO LONG BECAUSE THEY BECOME TOO HARD! As soon as the snowballs are formed and packed, they need to be thrown fairly quickly. Make sure to have chosen a “tough” adult leader to take on the firing squad. Give prizes to the students who hit the elf.
Snow Suit Put OnBring 3 people up front. Position each of them in front of their own pile of snow gear. Have them take off their shoes. Say, Ready, set...wait!” Have them put on a ski mask and blind fold them, then say, “Go!”. Have them put all the gear on. Provide: a pair of gloves a one-piece snow suit (you can find them at Goodwill or Wal-mart) wool socks a pair of boots a coat a pair of snow pant bibs First one fully dressed wins! Added by Mic
Snowmen on the SoleThis game is for those of you who lead youth ministry in Florida, Mexico, and any other place that never snows! It’s an UPFRONT GAME that requires nothing more than 3 cans of marshmallow cream and some raisins. Here’s what you do. Invite six volunteers from the crowd to join you on the stage. Pair them up into three different teams of two. Tell the teams that they must build two (2) snowmen…on their feet! One person will take off their socks and shoes, and the other will use the “ingredients” to construct two (2) different snowmen on the other person’s feet. The first team to create two snowmen on their partner’s soles wins. Be sure to have prizes for the winners! Idea by Steve
Soda Shoot-OutYou need as many pairs as you have supplies for, which are soda, squirt guns, and optional protective gear. The goal is for each pair to have a squirt gun filled with a soda. One person tries to unload the entire contents of their squirt gun into the open mouth of their partner standing 10 feet away. Have three or four pairs competing against one another. Option: Give gear to the one taking 'fire'…swimming goggles for their eyes and a rain poncho to cover their clothes. If you are worried about a sticky situation, use diet pop because it isn't sticky. You could put different liquids in the guns depending on how daring your students are. You could do it as a relay with one person filling the gun, another shooting and another swallowing and burping. Added by Mark Janzen See Alka-Seltzer On The Head Duel on Upfront page.
Soda SlamCAUTION: This is a timed challenge, to see how quickly a normal amount of soda can be consumed, NOT a contest to see how much more liquid can be consumed. We strongly discourage the latter, as it can cause severe sickness when too much liquid is consumed! This game is played up front with a few people while the crowd watches. Bring up a few contestants, give them each a soda, and tell them the first one to empty the can wins. Option 1: Have them belch when they're done to complete the contest. Option 2: 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.) Variation: Have contestants stand up front, Coke can in hand. A split second before you say "Go!" say, "Wait, take off your sock and put it over the can and drink out of that." Then, just as you're saying "go" again, make them pass their can (with their sock on it) to the player beside them! Have paper towels and a paper (barf) bag handy, if necessary. Added by Lori Zenker See Snickerdew Race & Water Challenge, both on Upfront page.
Spaghetti Hair-doThis gross game is played up front with a few people while the crowd watches. Have 3 guys give 3 girls (or vice versa) a "haircut" by dumping (cooled) spaghetti on their heads. Give them scissors and a comb and let them create a hair-do. You may use a chef's uniforms and have background music (Italian, songs with “Respect” in them, etc.). Added by Young Life Also see Shaving Cream Hair-do & Beauty Both Ways
Spam CarvingAnnounce, "I need two artistic volunteers!" Give each a can of spam and have them make a creative carving. Have the group applaud to judge which one is the winner. Also see Bobbing for Spam on our Sick & Twisted page.
Spam RouletteFor this game you need a can of Spam, a spoon, and fun facts about Spam (Phone # to call on the can.) Bring 3-6 volunteers upfront. Play fun music. When the music stops, the person must choose a person on his right or left. That person must answer a trivia question about Spam (check online). If they cannot answer, they must take a bite of Spam. (For small groups or upfront, you can also use a Twister “spinner” with the colors representing individuals or teams.) Added by Young Life Also see Bobbing for Spam on our Sick & Twisted page.
Spam ScarfThis gross game is played up front with a few people while the crowd watches. Get several volunteers up front who claim to be hungry. Give them each a can of Spam (ew!). Award a prize to the first person to finish the whole thing. ("Winning" music is a nice touch in the background when you announce the winner; think Olympics, etc.) Also see Bobbing for Spam on Sick & Twisted page.
Speed GreetingSeven students, guy then girl then guy, etc. line up with sharp girl at the end. Kids face sideways and turn to next kid passing a random greeting to the next person after they have received their greeting from the person on the other side of them. You can tell them they’re being judged on how creative their communication is the faster the game goes. The third time have someone give the last girl a pie behind her back. She pies the guy in front of her when he wheels around to greet her! Play fast music. Have hand towel ready for your pie victim. Idea based on a Young Life game
Spell My FeetTake 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 an 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:
Spelling BeeThis is designed to get you, the leader. You can use it as an excuse to let the kids have a good laugh at your expense, or offer it as a prize for a fundraiser (e.g., “Only those who raise $50 can challenge me to the Power Spelling Bee!”). Your reactions, facial expressions, and acting ability will make or break this one! Begin by having someone challenge you to a spelling bee. Four students come up front to challenge you one at a time to a power spelling bee. One student at a time steps up and is given an object - for example, an egg. The 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 Student 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, your time has expired, but thanks for playing" and takes off. Idea from Young Life
Stinky Coke SwigThis game is played up front with 8-10 people while the crowd watches. Give each a can of Coke and have them open it. Then say that you forgot that they need to take off their sock and put it over the now open can. (You will usually lose a few kids here.) Whoever drinks it the fastest wins the prize. Added by Jenn Kernya
Stinky TwinkiesThis gross game is played up front with a few people while the crowd watches. Set up as a simple Twinkie eating contest, where the 1st person to down 3 Twinkies wins. However, some special preparation is needed well in advance. You'll need enough Twinkies for each volunteer to have three, not knowing that their 3rd Twinkie is rigged. Cut about a half-inch above the brown covering on the bottom of the Twinkie. Carefully spoon out the cream. Then use your imagination. I've seen sardines, ketchup, mustard, relish, onions, Tabasco, cottage cheese, Vienna sausage, Spam, horseradish, etc. Save some of the cream that you took out so you can stick the bottom piece back on after you've rigged it. When the contest starts, make sure an adult hands the Twinkies to the contestants because they can't start on a new one until they've finished the one in their mouth. By the time they get to the 3rd Twinkie, they're so focused on winning the contest that they could care less what's inside the last one. Facial expressions are priceless at the end of this game!!! Added by Benji Maurer Also see: Twinkie Launch & Twinkie Stuff.
Stocking Blocking RobotsThis is good “medieval times” game. But! No need to program a medieval night for this one, cause EVERYDAY is a good opportunity to pummel someone with a sock filled with flour! The optimal size for this game is 4 teams of 2 against 4 teams of 2 (in other words, 8 on 8). The kids are paired up to make a 3 legged warrior (they each have a leg duct taped to their partner). One person yields a cardboard shield and the other yields a stocking/sock filled with flour at the end of it (about 1/2 cup or so). The object is to eliminate the opposing teams/players by striking either of the pair/team with your stocking while protecting your own pair with the shield. It begins with four pairs versus the other four pair. The group holds a tournament style battle session. Then the survivors of the initial rounds duke it out to determine the ultimate winner. They then must fight the "Stocking Blocking Robot" That is a leader or older teen in a ridiculous cardboard armor outfit yielding two stockings who only has one or two vulnerable spots. You will have a blast with this game. It’s a great idea, especially for rowdy teens. Just make sure you have enough room to play!
Stocking RaceSit two or three guys in chairs blindfolded. Give them a paper sack with heavy men's gloves and a pair of stockings in each. They race to be the first to put on the gloves and then the stockings. Becomes hysterical when they can't even feel if they have the stockings in their hand or not. You can use work gloves, hockey gloves, big winter gloves, or lacrosse gloves. Added by Young Life
Story, Story, DiePick 4 or 5 people to stand in front of the group. The group decides the title of the story those 4 or 5 are going to tell. One leader is in charge of selecting who is going to talk and will keep changing/selecting a new story teller throughout the game. When a new person is pointed at they must pick up the story without stalling or using the words, "and," "or," or "but" and not using the last word spoken. If the new speaker does use any of the "die" words (and, or, but, last word spoken) then they die in the way the group decides. It should be along with the story and the person dying will act it out in front of all. The bigger the acting and more dramatic the funnier the game is. Added by Brad Williams Big Group Variation: Have two teams of 4 or 5 people. The winning team is the group with the last “story teller” standing. Also see Story Time & Story, The - both on Anywhere page.
Straw GameEach contestant receives 2 straws and a cup of water. One straw is to be put in the cup and the other is not. However both straws are to be inserted in their mouth. Then they race to see who can suck the water out the fastest. Idea from Young Life Also see Straw Race
Straw RaceHave 3 or 4 kids put one end of an ordinary drinking straw in their mouths. Have them all start at the same time and try to get their mouth from one end of the straw to the other without using hands, only mouths and tongues. Idea from Young Life Also see Straw Game
Strength TestAll you need is a flat, ordinary bathroom scale. Each person holds the scale with two hands and squeezes it, pressing as hard as possible to register the highest weight on the scale. Or, you could have two people, one holding the scale and the other pushing, attempt to register their highest weight on the scale. Idea from Young Life
String Tie MysteryHang two strings from the ceiling in such a way that they dangle approximately 1 ft. from the floor (both strings should be about the same length). The strings should be far enough apart that, while holding the dangling end of one string, the other string hanging down is a foot or so out of reach. Challenge anyone in your group to tie the dangling ends of the strings together with no help from the audience. The only thing that can be used in this task is an ordinary pair of pliers. How is it done? It’s simple. Tie the pliers to the end of one of the strings and then swing the string back and forth. Then hold the end of the other string, and when the pliers swing close enough grab them. Untie the pliers and tie the two strings together. Idea from Young Life Also see String Toss Game on Games with a Point page.
Stud WalkTake 3 secure 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. Added by Dave Marshall
Stupid Human TricksAnnounce 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. Video record optional. Added by Young Life
Submarine RideA volunteer lies flat on his back on a table with a person at each arm and each leg. The legs are the left and right rudders. The arms are torpedoes one and two. A jacket is put over the volunteer’s head with one sleeve directly over his nose. This is the periscope. The captain (you) yells "Left rudder!" (Person on left raises leg) "Right rudder!" (Raise right leg) "Torpedo one!" "Torpedo two!" (Raise arms). "Up periscope!" (Sleeve is lifted straight up). "Dive! Dive!" (You pour water down sleeve and into the volunteer’s face.) Added by Young Life
Sugar SalesmanFor this game you need two identical bowls with spoons - one filled with salt, the other with sugar, and three students. Send students A and B (both forewarned) and C (unsuspecting) 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 plaid pants and a white belt). Student 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 he/she 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. Added by Young Life
Sunglass Spit-wadPut sunglasses on two people. Give straws and paper to 6-8 other students. Tell the 6-8 kids to try to get spit wads on their glasses. Added by Young Life
Super Soaker Saliva ChallengeThe object of the game is to be the first team to fill a small pitcher/cup up with water (too big of a container makes the game drag too long). Water must be squirted into a volunteer's mouth using super soakers and squirt guns, then spit into the pitcher. Have the squirters stand about 12 feet away from spitter (this person gets really soaked - fun to watch). You can vary this game using different numbers of soakers and spitters, e.g., 3 teams with 3 squirters & 1 spitter per team. Added by Pastor Dan See Super Soaker vs. the Sphere, also on Upfront page.
Super Soaker vs. the SphereGet 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. The 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 studdent gets to blast them with the Super Soaker. It gets better: 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!" Added by Sterling Lynn See Super Soaker Saliva Challenge, also on Upfront page.
Surgical Glove Blow UpGet some surgical (rubber) gloves - 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.
Swinging MarshmallowBring 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 his/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 his/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. Also see Marshmallow Drop on Upfront page and Marshmallow Pass, on Anywhere page.
Taboo on EaselThis is like the board game Taboo, but on an Easel and a lot easier. Divide your audience into teams (if you have the typical audience with an isle down the middle, make one half "west side" and the other half "east side." Teams elect someone to be the stool person. Bring that person up and seat them on a stool in front of everyone. 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 (which is one half of the audience) a certain time (90 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. Do not permit "east side" to distract or yell or shout out anything during 'west side's" turn. If they do try and distract the other team, deduct points from them. Same thing goes for "west side." Rules:
Talk or Get SquirtedGive an outgoing student a topic like belly button lint. He/she must talk about it for 1-2 minutes (your call). If he/she stops or repeats him/herself, he/she gets squirted. Choose a funny kids who can really talk. Added by Young Life
Talking HeadDoes this game ever get old?? Not as long as 6th graders keep getting promoted to youth group! To set up, use a table that extends in the center, or place two card tables 10-12 inches apart and drape with sheets to the floor. Cut a hole in the sheet for a person’s head to come through. Place three buckets upside down on top of the table, one of them over the hole. Have a cream pie hidden and ready to "debut" at the end of the game. Have a guy who will act as the "talking head" position himself under the table with his head sticking up through the sheet and under a bucket. No one should be able to tell that there is anyone under the table. Ask 3 volunteers (preferably girls) to leave the room, and bring them back in one at a time. Explain that they are helping with the (Name of your group) Speed Reading Course and have only two seconds to read the short printed phrase under Bucket #1, only four seconds for Bucket #2 and only six seconds for bucket #3. When they are ready, position them with their faces close to the bucket’s edge, lifting the bucket just long enough for them to see and read the phrase. Lower the bucket and have them tell the group what they read. Repeat for the second bucket amid much praise and encouragement for the fine job they are doing. When they are positioned and ready for the third bucket, lift it much higher and your talking head should scream to scare the volunteer. The first time, your group will scream and react since they were not expecting to see a head under the bucket. Repeat the process for the second victim, making sure that the group has been cued not to give anything away. Cue your third volunteer to pie the guy in the face when the bucket is lifted! Idea from Young Life
Ten Bags of Doom!Outdoor or Indoor. Ten Bags of Doom doesn't take much set up time, just a lot of clean up. This works great as motivation/marketing for a certain event. Pick a staff guy everyone likes to tell the students that if they bring a certain number of their friends to a certain event, they get to give him the "Ten Bags o' Doom!" The "Ten Bags" are 10 messy items they get to dump on his head. Rule of Thumb: Start with something sticky - and everything else sticks to it! Here's a typical order of 10 items we would dump on the poor staff person: 1. Gallon milk 2. Jumbo bottle of syrup 3. Bag of flour 4. Hershey's chocolate syrup 5. Oatmeal 6. Box of Fruity Pebbles 7. Pancake mix 8. Jumbo jar of apple sauce 9. Jar of spaghetti sauce 10. Squeeze bottle of mustard Things to Remember:
*Also see Marshmallow Splat Ball & Slop-stacle Course, both on the Outdoor page and Christmas 12 Bags of Doom on the Sick & Twisted page.
The Adams FamilyThis UPFRONT GAME will require good communication skills to set it up, but it will be worth your effort in rehearsing what you say to the “crowd” and the three “volunteers.” Here’s what you do. Select three students and send them out of the room. Have an adult leader meet them outside and tell them, “Your objective is to entertain the crowd and get them to clap as quickly as possible. You can do whatever you want to do, but you MUST get the crowd to clap! Got it?” Meanwhile, on the inside, you are giving instructions to the crowd. Tell them, “We are playing a bit of a trick on the three volunteers outside the room. Here’s your line: We are the Adams Family, entertain us until we applaud.” (Have them repeat it to make sure they have it memorized.) Now say, “The three volunteers are being told right now that they have to get you guys [the crowd] to clap, and they are probably going to come out and tell you guys a joke, or dance, or whatever to get you to applaud.” Then tell the crowd, “Whatever you do, DO NOT applaud them! Instead, mimic them! If they dance, you guys stand up and dance. If they tell a joke, repeat the joke back to them. If they stand on their head, you guys stand on your heads! However, they will eventually catch on to what you are doing, hopefully anyway, and start to clap. At that point, we have to be fair and clap with them. Got it?” Now bring in the volunteers one at a time and have them “perform” for the crowd. Don’t forget to give the crowd a chance to say their line: “We are the Adams family, entertain us until we applaud.” As soon as the crowd finishes their line, start the timer. The volunteer who gets the crowd to applaud the quickest, wins. Make sure to have them a cool prize for participating. Idea by Katlin D.
Tim Tam SlurpAnother game from our friends in Australia. Lisa says, “I don’t know if you have Tim Tams in America. They are a chocolate biscuit with a cream centre, then covered in chocolate. If you don’t have them, you should. Any biscuit with a cream centre and covered in chocolate should work.” In America, Hostess Ding Dongs or similar goo-filled cupcakes should work. You also need lemon juice or something similar (if you’re in Australia, lemon cordial). The aim of this game is to suck as much lemon cordial/flavor through the Tim Tam (or chocolate covered biscuit of your choice) as possible in the specified time. Added by Lisa from Australia See Jello Scull, also added by Lisa to our Sick & Twisted page.
Tire Tube Sumo WrestlingSimilar to Michelan Man Bumper Tube (under TubeMania) – basically Sumo Wrestling for poor people: Get six large inner-tubes, and tape three together in a stack so a person can fit inside. Take a piece of rope about 32 inches long and cut it into four pieces…tie them into circles, and then tape two at the bottom of each stack of inner-tubes so they can be used as handles. Borrow two football helmets. Then create a ring on the floor with string, tape, chalk, whatever. Have both contestants wear a helmet and step into their three tube protective uniform (holding the handles on the bottom tube). They try to push each other out of the ring. The first person to go outside the ring with both feet or to fall down loses. Added by Young Life
To Tell The TruthLike 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.
ToastFor this game you will need 2 or more teams competing against each other. Each team has 2 people and gets a piece of toast, some butter (the little square slabs are best), and some vegemite; for those outside Australia who don’t have the wonder that is vegemite, you can use any spread. The aim is for the first person to spread on the butter, the second person the vegemite (or other spread) - using only noses. It looks very funny. If you want to be really gross, put a third person on each team who has the job of eating the toast. The first team to finish is the winner! Added by Lisa in Australia
Toilet Bowl RollercoasterGet 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:
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! Added by Dennis Humphrey Also see Toilet Paper Bowling and Hobby Hoax.
Toilet Paper BlowUpfront: Pick a 4-person team from each class. Small group: Break group up into 4-person teams. See how long they can keep one square of toilet paper in the air by blowing it. Or you may have one person stand on a chair and drop the paper to a person standing on the floor who blows the paper up while the top person tries to catch it with a party blow out horn. Added by Young Life Also see Toilet Paper Bowling & Toilet Paper Bride, both on Upfront page and Toilet Paper Firing Squad on Sick & Twisted page.
Toilet Paper BowlingIndoor game for 2 or more players. Object of The Game: Get your toilet paper to roll over the feather that is sticking out of the ground 12 feet away. (If indoors, simply tape the feather so that it will stand up on a small piece of thin cardboard.) The first player must toss the toilet paper while hanging on to the end. The toilet paper will roll and leave a long trail behind. If it hits the feather, then this player wins. If it doesn’t hit the feather, then the player must stand where the toilet paper stopped rolling. The next player will roll up the toilet paper and attempt to toss it as close as they can to the feather. If it hits the feather, then this player wins. If it doesn’t hit the feather, then the player must stand where the toilet paper stopped rolling. Your players keep taking turns until someone finally tosses the toilet paper close enough to hit the feather. Submitted by Kim Schott Also see Toilet Paper Blow, Toilet Paper Bride, both on Upfront page, and Toilet Paper Firing Squad on Sick & Twisted page.
Toilet Paper BrideBring 3 willing girls up front. Once there, split the rest of your group into teams. Give each team four rolls of toilet paper. The object of this game is to dress up these volunteers in a full wedding gown including veil, train, bouquet, etc., all using toilet paper. Then have them model their new wedding gowns around up front and give points or awards to the teams with the best outfit. (Also a classic bridal shower game.) Twist: For a funny twist, grab 3 of your biggest, toughest guys and do the same thing (use your own discretion on this one). Added by Nate Loper Also see Toilet Paper Blow & Toilet Paper Bowling, both on Upfront page and Toilet Paper Over Under on Anywhere page.
Toilet Paper Gift WrapUpfront or Small Group. Provide a gift (gag, candy, or nice), toilet paper, tape, ribbons, and/or bows. Bring 3 people upfront or divide group into pairs. For any major holiday - Christmas, valentine's day, etc., instruct students that they are wrapping a gift. Give each person/team a roll of toilet paper, tape, ribbons and/or a bow. On your signal, each person/team competes to see who can wrap the fastest. A team is done when all their paper is gone or wrapped, including the ribbon/bow. Award points or prizes for the first team done and the most "skillful" wrapping job. Option: Use gift wrapping paper Added by PGC See Toilet Paper Bride & Toilet Paper Over Under, both on Anywhere page.
Toothpaste DropThis gross game is played up front with several people while the crowd watches. Get tubes of toothpaste, little dixie cups, chairs and blindfolds. Form teams of two. 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 gets messy so have a towel covering the person on the ground (or table) and a drop cloth underneath them. But everyone smells minty fresh! Also, have the person laying on the floor wear some kind of eye protection. The toothpaste really burns eyeballs. Added by Naomi
Top MonkeyA silly game - Simon Says meets Paper, Rock, Scissors. STEP #1: One person is the Top Monkey (they make a motion scratching both armpits like a monkey and encourage the crowd to do the same) and they stand in front of the crowd and explain that they are Top Monkey and that all the animals in the jungle want to be Top Monkey. But, sometimes Top Monkey imitates other animals like the snake (they make a snake motion with their arms and encourage everyone to do the same,) the raccoon (they cup both hands and look through them and encourage others to do the same,) or the bunny (they make two bunny ears with their hands on their head and encourage others to do the same.) STEP #2: The Top Monkey tells the crowd that the way they become Top Monkey is by beating Top Monkey at his imitations. Top Monkey then instructs and leads the crowd to go into the Top Monkey position while they repeat "Top Monkey" over and over again, until Top Monkey yells, "Not a monkey!" Then everyone chooses an animal to be besides the top monkey signified by the symbol (snake, raccoon or bunny.) If they match the top monkey they get to remain in the game and remain standing. If not they sit down. Once this is explained with two or three trials, the game begins, but, everyone in the crowd turns around for the game so that nobody can cheat off the top monkey. After their animal is chosen, they turn around to find out if they advance to the next round. NOTE: Expect most people to beat the Top Monkey during the trials when they face the Top Monkey. That's good because it gets everybody's confidence up. STEP #3: Start and continue rounds until one member of the crowd remains. They become Top Monkey for the next game. BONUS STEP: Even though the last remaining member of the crowd is Top Monkey, they "back to back" challenge the old Top Monkey for the Alpha Monkey position until they beat him or her. Reward the Top Monkey with a banana or banana flavored Laffy Taffy. Idea by Jason Schmock
Tortilla PictionaryChoose your teams and make sure they are visible to the audience. [This is a great time to hook up a live video feed to play on video projector(s).] The point of the game is for a student to bite a tortilla into the word assigned to them so their team gets the most points. Have cards made up before hand with the names of VERY simple objects on them. Shuffle and let one player from team A choose a card. This player will try to get his/her team to guess the word he/she chose by biting the tortilla into the shape of the object on his/her card. The player biting the tortilla CANNOT say anything! Give team A 90 seconds to guess the word. Team B then repeats these same steps to try to earn points. The kids have a blast with this one and it is a lot more challenging than you think so keep the objects VERY simple. You will need tortillas and the cards with the words/objects you have chosen.
T-shirt StuffLike Long John Stuff, except with a T-shirt. Bring up 2 or 3 guys 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. See Long John Stuff, also on Upfront page.
Tug-O-FishJust like tug-o-war, but a one-on-one competition with fish. Buy a bunch of dead fish (at least 6 to 8 inches long) from the local fish market and pair people up (use everyone if your group is small, but 5-10 pairs UP FRONT if you have a large group). At "Go!" everyone starts tugging. The first person to let go (whose hands slip off) is out or if the fish breaks, the person with the smallest half of the fish in their hands is out. Do this until there are only 2 people left. Then break out the largest fish you could find for a finale competition. Safety Note: Have hand sanitizer or a sink close by. Or, use latex gloves which can be purchased 100/box at beauty supply stores. Added by Tony Douglas Also see Mud-O-War on Sick & Twisted page.
Twinkie LaunchBorrow or purchase a clay pigeon thrower. Ours 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!! Eventually 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!-major clean up involved)! SAFETY WARNING: This type of clay pigeon thrower uses EXTREME spring tension. If a student were to play around with it they could literally lose a limb if the catapult arm hit them. COVER THE THROWER until you use it, then remove it from the field/auditorium as soon as you're was done so no one messes with it. POST ADULTS to watch it throughout the event, even when not playing the game. Added by Marc Kidwell
Twinkie StuffTwo people, one at a time or simultaneously, eat as many twinkies as possible in two minutes or less. *Also see Stinky Twinkies
Twirling Long JumpBring 3 volunteers to come forward and try this. Give each a stick about 24 inches long. Tell them to hold it straight out at arm’s length with both hands so that they can watch it while turning around 20 times. They then must drop their stick and jump over it. Whoever jumps the farthest is the winner. Of course, most kids get so dizzy they can’t even see the stick when they drop it, let alone jump over it. Funny to watch. Have the rest of the group count as the person turns around. Idea from Young Life
Ugliest Thing in the WorldYou need one large blanket and 3 informed guys. Announce that you have discovered the ugliest person 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 and running out of the room clutching at his eyes. Finally pick a cute (and 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. Added by Young Life
Un-BananaThis gross game is played up front with two people while the crowd watches. Give each person a banana and a bottle of 7-Up. Tell them they must eat the banana first then drink the bottle of 7-Up as fast as possible. The first one finished wins. Sounds easy. But watch what happens when the 7-Up mixes with the half-chewed banana. Have paper towels and bags handy. Added by Young Life
Unfair Newspaper SmashGet 2 or 3 couples. (If possible, get tall guys and short girls). Tie the guys' right wrists to the girls' left wrists. Blindfold the girls first, then guys. After the guys 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 guys can't understand why they are getting smashed but have a hard time trying to find the target. Added by Young Life
Vacuum Cleaner BowlingTo understand this game you may need to know the history. The other night, my leadership team and I were setting up for our outreach event. One leader (who had just returned from the Florida Gatornationals Speedway) was vacuuming the floor when an idea hit him. He began to do vacuum cleaner drags. Then he "trained" the vacuum cleaner to come to him. (He did this by walking it across the room and pointing it back to where he plugged it in and "called" it to him.) OK, so he wasn't working that hard. Well, anyway, then it struck him to set up targets and try to bowl them over with the vacuum cleaner. And then it was birthed: Vacuum Cleaner Bowling. It's pretty fun. We run competitions across the floor about 40 feet. Whoever knocks over the most pins in two runs wins a prize. Most bowling centers will loan you used pins for this, saving you the investment of buying the ten pins necessary. (And you might want to use old vacuum cleaners that are no longer needed.) See Human Bowling & Pumpkin Bowling, both on Big Room page.
Velcro HeadOn 3 people put stockings over their heads and Velcro or carpet tape over that. Leave room for breathing. Put cotton balls on floor and have students roll around trying to get as many cotton balls stuck to their head as possible. Idea from Young Life Also see Tape Head on Audience page.
Walkman SingPoor man's Kareoki. Select a good song (if possible have lyrics typed out). Have a student come up, put on the walkman and do his/her best to sing along. Have the volume on the walkman loud so your singer can't hear him or herself for best results.
Water Balloon StuffGet two sets of thermal underwear and a bunch of water balloons. Get two volunteers and assign them a team of 2-4 people, 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. Added by Michael Nephew
Water ChallengeCAUTION: This is a timed challenge, to see how quickly a small amount of water can be consumed, NOT a contest to see how much more water can be consumed. We strongly discourage the latter, as it can cause severe sickness when too much liquid is consumed! On "Go!" have two kids drink two glasses of water trying not to spill much. 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! Added by Matt Vanden Heuvel See Soda Slam on Sick & Twisted page.
Wet Diaper HeadThis game is played up front with 4 volunteers while the crowd watches. Before your group or event, place 4 buckets full of water at one end of the room or stage and 4 empty buckets at the other end. Bring your 4 volunteers up front and give one large disposable diaper to each. Have each volunteer stand at the end of the room by his or her full bucket. At the signal, they must soak a diaper with water, then transport it on his or her head to the empty bucket at the other side of the room. Once they’ve reached the empty-bucket, they must squeeze the water from the diaper into the bucket using only their heads. When the diaper is empty, measure how much water got into the originally empty bucket. Can be played as a relay. Added by Young Life
What Are You Doing?This is an improv game that is played up front. To pull this off, you MUST choose 5 volunteers (adults and/or students) that are comfortable being on stage in front of others…and don’t mind acting goofy in public! Here’s what you do. Get all 5 of the volunteers up front. Select one of them to be the first actor. Ask the crowd, “What is he doing?” Let them shout out some kind of funky action or task (like, washing an elephant). That person then has to start acting as though he is washing an elephant, sound effects and all! After 20 seconds or so, the second person steps in and asks the first player who is washing the elephant, “What are you doing?” The first player gets to assign the second player a task to do. It can be anything he wants the second player to do. It does NOT have to correspond to the first action (washing the elephant) at all. When he “assigns” the second player the task to do, he steps off to the side so that player 2 gets 20 seconds to act out his task/action. Repeat this so that all 5 volunteers get to go at least twice. Let the crowd be the judge as to who did the best job acting out the task. Give the winner a really cool prize. NOTES: Again, you really need to choose your players wisely. Also, make a disclaimer BEFORE you start that players MUST keep it clean.
Wheel O' Doom (aka Wheel of Misfortune)The Wheel O’ Doom is a wheel you can make out of a couple of 2x4s on a stand with a round piece of wood spinning on a loose bolt at the top of the 2x4's. Basically a home-made wheel of fortune with enough room on the circle to put about 8 “pie pieces” with different descriptions of activities written on them. Spin the wheel and a little pointer should point to a given pie piece when the wheel stops spinning. "It's time for the Wheel O’ Doom - Who wants to be the first to give it a try? Alright, step right up and what you land on is what you do!" Choices Were: Baby Bottle Suck Raw Egg Baby Food Coke Chug Spam for Snow Trip Hot Pepper Cracker Whistle Fast Food With Staff We’d bring a contestant up, spin the wheel, and they’d do that activity. Sometimes they got to choose someone to do it with them. Great fun and a great way to make students really earn prizes! Young Life Variation: 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 Registration." Contestants get whatever the wheel lands on. Play cheesy game show music. Have the prizes planned out. Have host wear plaid blazer, if possible.
Wheelbarrow Eating RaceGet 2 or 3 couples. Set out 3 lines of food items beginning with small stuff (M&M pile) and get larger (Jello or a plate with Spam). The girls wheelbarrow the guys down the row as the guys eat the items. Play music in the background and have towels to clean up with. For fun, have a girl wheelbarrow in a guy in total crash uniform gear and have him crash and burn into crowd. You, being the helpful leader, decide to teach them how to do it (“Name of Your Youth Ministry”) style. Idea from Young Life
Whipped Cream Pie SearchHave a whipped cream pie in front of three students up front. 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. Added by Young Life
WhiteheadsThis gross game is played up front with 2-4 teams of 3 people each while the crowd watches. You’ll need one large tub of creamy peanut butter and several bags of mini-marshmallows. One team member must smear peanut butter over their entire face. The other two team members will then throw mini-marshmallows at them. The throwers should stand 7-10 feet away and should not begin throwing until all teams are ready and the signal to start is given. After a designated time limit (3-5 minutes is best), teams must stop and have a leader count the number of marshmallows stuck to the peanut butter. The team with the most marshmallows wins. Added by Nate Pena See Attack of the Fish and Cheeto Face for variations of this game, boh on Upfront page.
Who Wants to be a 256ionaire?Just like the 'Millionaire' game, we played it in our youth group with some modifications. Get a bunch of general knowledge Bible questions. The three lifelines were; ask a friend, poll the youth group, and 50/50. The 256ionaire part was in our prizes - we had nine questions and started with a one wrapped sweet prize and doubled it each time: Question 1: 1 Sweet Question 2: 2 Sweets Question 3: 4 Sweets (Safe zone) Question 4: 8 Sweets Question 5: 16 Sweets Question 6: 32 Sweets (Safe zone) Question 7: 64 Sweets Question 8: 128 Sweets Question 9: 256 Sweets It is hilarious to watch students sweat it out over sweets!
Who Wants to Be a Bible Millionaire?This game is a near clone of the T.V. show "Who Wants to be a Millionare?" with a few changes... All contestants know 1 or 2 weeks in advance what portion of the Bible the questions will come from. (We generally give 2 weeks' notice and often cover an entire book, such as one of the Gospels.) The Grand Prize is $50 (You may decide upon less, but I've found the lure of $50 to be a big motivator. You may elect to charge a small fee from contestants and observers.) 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 Obviously the easier questions come at the beginning and gradually become more difficult 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't be so hard that they're 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" to read the questions to contestants. We usually put all the questions on MS PowerPoint, dimmed the lights and showed the questions on a large screen. Added by Aaron Blanco Also see Who Wants to be a Chocolatier? on Upfront page.
Who wants to be a Chocolataire?Same as Who Wants to be a Millionaire, but with different size Chocolate for prizes. Added by Nick Booth Also see Who Wants to be a Bible Millionaire? on Upfront page.
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. Added by Aaron Merritt & Joshua Colburn
Word UpAll you need for this game is a timer of some sort (preferably one that runs for 30 seconds or so). A wristwatch with a beep will also work. Here’s what you do. Ask for three volunteers and have them come up on stage. Get them to face the crowd and then explain the rules to them. You will call out a category of some kind and then the students will have 30 seconds to name items within that category. Items within the category cannot be repeated. The person who gives the last item BEFORE the buzzer goes off wins a point. Most points wins. Possible Category Topics: Kitchen utensils Action Movies Names of States Men's names in the Bible Names of Video Games Etc. Idea by Jonathan C.
Worm FestThis gross game is played up front with a few people while the crowd watches. 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. Added by Brooke Pulling *Also see Gummy Worms/Chocolate Pudding
Worm RaceItems needed: sleeping bags Bring 2-3 people up front – if you have a big group (over 75), use a video feed, if possible. If you have a smaller group, make space in the middle or one side of the room and have them come there. Each player must go headfirst into a sleeping bag and crawl like a worm to the other side of the room. The winner is the first to cross the finish line. Idea taken from Waylon Sears
Worms & PenniesContestants must place their hands in a bucket of live worms and find as many pennies (pre-placed) at the bottom as they can. from Fear Factor/Faith Factor on our EVENT IDEAS page (CLICK HERE)
Wrestling In Creamed CornJust how it sounds! Get a kiddie pool, fill it with can after can after can of creamed corn...and then have a wrestling match. It is now legendary at our church! NOTE: If you do this game inside, make sure to lay down a tarp to protect the carpet. Also have towels ready to give to contestants.
Yoke’s On You, The: Leader vs. StudentOutdoor or indoor, this Upfront game can be used as a motivator for bringing the most friends, raising a certain amount for missions, or just for gross fun. Make sure to do it over a garbage can or a large tarp. Bring a handful of students (ones who are good sports) up front. Once students are up front tell them that they’re going to have a chance to crack a raw egg over the head of any leader they choose (warn leaders before hand) with no repercussions… other than the fact that they also have a chance of being the one egged. You will need 6 raw eggs and 6 hard boiled eggs (or as many as you have students). Separate them and make sure you know which is which. Each student picks a leader to challenge. The MC of the game holds one of each egg in his hands (1 raw, 1 hardboiled) and lets them pick. The leader and student stand face to face and, on the count of three, smack the egg on its side on the forehead of the other person. For a fun ending have two leaders or two married leaders go for it but, without them knowing, give them both raw eggs. Also a great game at a retreat or early in the year as students are trying to get to know their leaders. Have fun and get cracking! SAFETY NOTE: As with any game involving raw eggs, meat, or fish, sent participants to wash their hands right away! Provide towels for yoked up hair. Added by Mark Janzen |
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