The Source: Games With a Point

"Body" gets into the sweat pants and shirt together (then blindfold them).
The "Brain" stands behind the "Body" and is blindfolded (may hold on to back of sweat shirt.)

The "eyes & mouth" stands next to the "Brain."

How to play:

The "Eyes and mouth" whispers to the "brain" what to tell the "Body" to do.

The body tries to get the pre-designated objects into their own basket.

When all objects are found and in their basket, Team sits down.

"Eyes & mouth" yells "DONE!"

First team to sit wins!

Rules:

No peeking!

"Eyes & mouth" must only "whisper" to the "Brain."

"Brain is the only one who can "talk."

Body may not use their arm or hand that is inside of the sweat shirt.

Object ideas:

Gallon size food cans

Twisted pipe cleaners "on" each basket

Large ball

This game works best if the objects cannot be picked up with one hand. Have the same kind of object for each team to pick up.

Variation: When all objects are found and in team baskets...Leader yells "Done!" Each team sits and the team with the most objects in their basket wins. This way does not require identical objects for each team.

The Point/Discussion Idea: Ask what they learned about the Church being "One Body" through this game.

Added by Vonnie Waldrop

One-Footed, Blindfolded, Peanut Butter...
You gotta try game out!

One volunteer hops around on one foot while blindfolded, picking up at least one of each flavor of lifesaver in the area. To begin, they must dip their foot in peanut-butter, then hop around an area where three different stations of different colored lifesavers are set up.

Meanwhile, the rest of the audience, or several dozen members, surround the chosen one, but do not touch him/her. For the first round, the audience insults and deceives the blind-folded volunteer to keep them from completing their task. For the second round, the audience encourages and helps the volunteer successfully pick up at least one of each flavor.

The Point: This was specifically designed for a class on encouragement.

Added by Jason Eppink, Jenna Eppink, Natalie Maddux

Organized Mingling Mixer
Get an even amount of students and staff in the room. You can add staff as needed to make the number even.

Students and staff mingle to music and shake hands. When the music stops, everyone must find another person and shake hands. The leader calls out a question they must ask of whomever they are shaking hands. Use both fun and serious questions.

Sample Questions:

What is your favorite pizza?

What is your favorite kind of weather and why?

If you could go anywhere on a vacation for a week, where would you go?

What would you do with $1,000 dollars cash right now?

Share a moment in your life where you remember being the most happy.

Share a moment in your life where you were really sad.

Hint: You can use questions that will kick off that night's discussion.

Submitted by Young Life

The Point: Getting to know you

Also see Getting To Know You (Click Here) and Appointment Clock (Click Here).

Play Doh Pictionary
Just like it sounds! Pictionary, but with Play-doh. Divide into teams. Have a representative come up front from each group. Whisper a Pictionary word (like "dog") to the group and they must run back to their group and, without talking, mold that word with Play-doh.

The Point: You can use words from your topic or lesson to introduce the subject.

Put a staff member on each team cuz kids might cheat (so do some staff members!)

Also see Play Doh Snowman (Click Here) and Pictionary Mania (Click Here).

Questionnaire Game
For this game you'll need as many pens as students and a pre-typed/copied questionnaire.

Have all your students fill out an anonymous questionnaire when they come in, with questions/statements like, "My favorite band is.." "My dream car is...". Once finished, pass the questionnaires out randomly (to someone different than the person who filled it out) and yell "Go!" Students have to walk around asking each other questions, trying to find whose questionnaire they have.

The Point: Getting to know you

See also Getting to Know It (Click Here), Getting to Know You (Click Here), and Getting to Know You Better (Click Here).

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

What did Jesus call His followers? (Disciples)

How many lives do cats have? (1)

What letter comes after V? (W)

Is a snake a reptile or amphibian? (Reptile)

How many ounces in a gallon? (128)

What is the name of this Youth group?

How many stripes on the US flag? (13)

What shape is the earth? (Round/sphere)

What color are your eyes?

What is your neighbor’s address on the left?

What color is good milk? (White)

How many appendages do you have? (4-arms/legs)

What is Garfield’s owner’s name? (John)

What do you put on popcorn?

2nd contestant

How many ounces in a half gallon? (64)

How many disciples did Jesus have? (12)

What is 37 - 24 + 19? (32)

What is your mom’s middle name?

How many phalange’s do you have? (20-fingers/toes)

What is your or your friend’s cell phone number?

What branch of military service mans submarines? (Navy)

What color is blue? (Blue)

How many stars are on the US flag? (50)

How do you make a tuna sandwich?(Any combination: bread, tuna, knife, mayo, relish)

When Moses parted the Red Sea, who were
the Israelites escaping from? (Egyptian Army)

What US president died in June 2004? (Ronald Reagan)

How many wheels on a car? (4 - or 5 if including the spare)

On what does a rolling chair move? (Wheels)

3rd contestant

Say hello in Spanish. (Hola)

Which candle burns longer – pink or blue? (Neither; they both burn "shorter"-like all candles do)

How many megabytes does your computer have?

What does the acronym ASAP mean? (As soon as possible)

Eat a what a day to keep the doctor away? (Apple)

Rendezvous is French for what? (To meet)

Who sewed the first US flag? (Betsy Ross)

When King David danced in the buff, who got ticked? (Michael, his wife)

What size shoe do you wear?

What is the exact time?

What is perfect vision? (20/20)

Count from 10 backwards.

Who is the lead (senior) pastor at this church?

Give me a prime number between 1 and 10. (2, 3, 5, 7)

4th contestant

What show says, “Won’t you be my neighbor?” (Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood)

Count to 10 in any foreign language.

How many books in the Bible? (66)

What 3 colors are on the US flag? (Red, white, & blue)

What color is the stem of a red rose? (Green)

How do you get skunk smell off? (Tomato Juice)

How do you spell Mississippi without “i’s”? ("Mss ss pp" - also counts if they cover their eyes and spell it!)

Which is bigger – a deer tick or a wood tick? (Wood tick)

Say the alphabet backward. (Z..y..x.. - also counts if they turn around a recite the alphabet!)

Who is your favorite youth pastor (leader)?

Which way do hands turn on a clock? (Clockwise)

What is 1800 in civilian time? (6:00 p.m.)

What is JVC? (a name brand of electronics or stereos; not junior varsity cheerleaders)

What is a Hemi? (Engine - high performance)

Alternate Questions:

What disease can you get from a deer tick? (Lime disease)

What size shoe do you wear?

Added by Amos Self

Rain Maker
This game involves a large crowd. Explain that you are going to do something once thought impossible: with their help you will make it rain inside.

Divide into 3-4 groups where they are sitting (left, left middle, right middle, and right…sides of the room). Explain that they MUST be absolutely quiet and watch you tell them what to do for this to work. Point to the left side and have them quietly rub their hands together back and forth. Then bring in the next group, and the next, until all are doing it (gets louder as you go).

After the last group has joined in, go back to the first group and get them snapping their fingers, then the next group and so on. Then back to group one to begin patting their hands on their legs…on to the other groups.

Then back to group one to begin patting harder and stomping their feet on the floor…on then to the other groups.

You can do this process in reverse…back to patting legs, then back to snapping, back to rubbing hands, then back to silence. If it is done right, you will hear your rainstorm!

The Point(s):

Things aren't always what they seem (see related trivia below).

Gets their attention before you speak.

Added by Young Life

Related Trivia: Peter Jackson used an entire stadium of people to create the sounds of the Orc Wars in The Lord of The Rings movies.

Recognize!
Get audio clips of different people that youth may know, such as singers, actors, entertainers, etc. For example, play an audio clip of George Bush and then ask the audience "Do you recognize this voice?" Play a few more audio clips then ask the final guestion: "Do you recognize God's voice when he speaks?"

Added by Luis Sandoval

Also see Name That Tune (Click Here) and Movie Game (Click Here).

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

The Point: Team building; a good game for a leadership event.

Added by Scott Street

River Crossing (Pool)
ONLY DO THIS if you have a pool wide enough that someone falling in CAN’T hit the edge! Play this with guys in the pool and girls on the side. Guys stand back to back as girls try to walk across their shoulders - holding guys outstretched arms for balance - to the opposite side of the pool without falling in.

If there are not enough guys to cross the pool, they have to slowly move from back to front of line in pool to form a "moving" bridge. You can play two teams against each other or one group which is required to get all the girls to cross safely to complete game.

Safety Note: Have adults near edges of pool for safety as well.

The Point: Use this activity prior to a discussion with the guys about being gentlemen.

Added by Eric Smith

Also see Pool Bronco Busting (Click Here).

Sentence Game
Great game for Jr. Highers, travel, or creative kids. Can be played with just two people or up to 50. The game is simple, but can get crazy and fun. The first person says a word...for example, "The." The second person says the first word and ADDS a word... "The clown." And so on. At the end you might have a complete sentence, something like, "The clown was in the pool when an ant bit his toe and made chocolate pudding squirt from his eye." It has to make sense, but not GOOD sense. The really fun thing is putting twists in the sentence on your turn so that other people have a hard time coming up with a word that fits.

The Point: It really shows that everyone thinks differently and uniquely.

Added by Jessica Robinson

Also see Build a Word (Click Here) and Mad Sentence Dash (Click Here).

Soap Shrink
Good camp game. Divide into teams. Give each a large, new bar of soap. Provide one or more kiddy pools filled with water. On "Go!" have teams race to shrink their bars without breaking them. Call time after 5 minutes.

Award motel-size bars of soap to the winner.

The Point: Sin, though forgiven, almost always has consequences that aren't usually "shrunk" easily.

Added by Young Life

Spin the Compliment
“Spin the Compliment” is played exactly like that other game “Spin” game…except without the kissing! Every kid in your group can play. All you need is one bottle per 10 kids or so. Here’s what you do.

All the students get in a circle around a bottle. (If you have a big group, do several groups of 10 students each.) One student starts the game by spinning the bottle. When the bottle stops spinning, it will be pointing at another student in the circle. The student who spun the bottle must then give that student a compliment. It can’t be something glib like, “You shirt looks good.” It needs to be genuine, something about their character, faith, disposition, etc. Keep going until everyone in the circle has had an opportunity to be complimented.

Sometimes this can be tough, especially if there are students who do not know one another. But genuine and kind words are worth the effort. NOTE: It’s probably a good idea to place at least one adult leader in each group of students. This makes sure the compliments are genuine, plus it provides a way for students and adults to interact in a fun way.

If you want to, you can couple this fun game with a message about the power of our words and/or biblical encouragement.

Idea by John W.

String Toss Game
Get a spool of string or yarn. Have each person answer a question of some sort when they have the string in their possession. They then hold onto the string and throw the ball/spool to another so they can answer the question. You eventually create a web of some sort. In the end, describe how the web is analogous to the group in that we all play a part in creating the web, and that if one person was gone it would look different. Likewise, it is important that we all take part to make the group what it is, unique and special.

Type up predetermined questions ahead of time. You can find some great ideas for questions or discussion starting statements on this page or this page.

Also see String Tie Mystery on our Upfront page.

The Point: Getting to know you

Sundae Feed
Get enough for your group to make sundaes and any toppings that sound good. Also have lots of plastic trash bags to cover the floor.

Tell the kids to get into groups of two to share a sundae. They can get as much ice cream as they want but they have to share it and eat everything they make.

Once everything is made, tell them the trick is that they will be laying down on their backs head to head. And this is a race to feed each other like this and eat their ice cream before any other twosome.

The Gross Point: Working together to accomplish a goal.

Added by Chris Lyon

Also see Banana Night on our Events page.

The Blind Leading The Blind
This has three levels and works well for smaller groups rather than really large groups.  It also helps a lot if the game can be played in an area like an office space with hallways, walls, multiple rooms, doorways, etc.

Level 1 is the easiest. Draw a map to a simple and short destination and ONLY show it to the student who will be leading the other students.  Then blindfold him/her and have him/her lead the small group of blindfolded students to that destination.  Once they arrive at the destination, have them all remove their blindfolds.

Level 2 is next.  Add a few obstacles (step over a back pack in the doorway - chair in the hallway, etc.) and make sure you give them a new map going to a different destination before they are all blindfolded (with only the leader seeing it prior to starting).  Again, have one blindfolded student lead them.  (Optional:  You may want to repeat Level 2 with another blindfolded student leader.)

Level 3 is last.  Repeat this level with the same rules, providing a new map and destination once again.  Add even more obstacles to the map, but this time, allow the “extra” kids to mess with them on their trip.  (Do not allow anyone to get ruthless, just really distracting and misleading.)

At the end of the “levels” you may want to talk about how difficult it was for the leader to lead while he/she was blindfolded.  You also may want to talk about whether or not the students who were following “really” trusted their blindfolded leader.

The Maze of Life

If you’ve ever been to a church carnival or festival that had a cool cardboard maze, you’ve no doubt seen how much fun the kids had while going through it. But you were also painfully aware of the many hours put into the project. Well, The Maze of Life lets you have just as much fun…with a fraction of the time invested during set up. Here’s what you do.

First, locate a roll of butcher paper. The Children’s Pastor can probably loan you a roll (of an ugly color) from her stash. Next, find as many blindfolds as you have students.

Now, rearrange your youth room a bit, or use a different part of the church, like a multipurpose room perhaps. Roll out the paper on the floor in a “maze-like” pattern that has at least 4-6 T-intersections. (Make sure to tape it down; duct tape works well.) At each intersection, have one of directions leading to a dead end, or a couch, or a wall, while the other direction heads off towards the finish line.

Place an adult leader at each T-intersection. When a blindfolded student comes to that T-intersection, the adult leader asks him/her a True/False question, then says, “If you think it’s false, go left, but if you think it’s true, go right.” (Make sure to connect the correct answer with the correct route!)

Here’s the good thing: if you’ve set the maze up correctly, it won’t be long before a student who guessed wrong will know he/she is wrong, and can go back the way he/she came. Eventually, everyone can make it to the end.

Here are a few of the True/False questions we used:

1. Slugs do not have noses. (False: they actually have four!)
2. The Mona Lisa does not have eyebrows. (True: it was fashionable to shave them off back then!)
3. Most Eskimos have refrigerators. (True: it keeps their food from freezing.)
4. An ostrich’s eye is bigger than its brain. (True.)
5. Taphephobia is the fear of losing your teeth. (False: it’s the fear of being buried alive.)
6. The letter “T” is the second most common letter used in the English language. (True.)
7. Thomas Edison, who invented the light bulb, was afraid of the dark. (True.)

Here are some more things you can do to make the Maze of Life more interesting.

1. Have someone smack a Styrofoam noodle against the floor as kids crawl by…to scare them.
2. Have a stretch of the maze run along a wall where volunteers are positioned to throw balls at kids crawling by.
3. Smear a little peanut butter (or something like it) on the butcher paper. It will horrify the kids at first.
4. Play funky music in the background over the PA system to confuse the kids.
5. Make the maze go around objects or under tables. Use what you have!

Spiritual Application (Optional)

You can use John 10:1-5 as a starting point to discuss how important it is to know the voice of God – the voice of truth. Spend some time asking them if they know how to distinguish God’s voice in a world of lies. Remember, Satan is very tricky. He wants to steer us down the wrong paths in life by lying to us about stuff like image, drugs/alcohol, and sex. To know the voice of truth, you have to be in a relationship with God through His Son Jesus. Remember, life is just like the maze sometimes; you’ll make a wrong turn here and there. When that happens, we must remember to seek God’s truth to get back on the right track.

Idea by Neal T.

Trust Circle
Object of the Game: To hold up the person in the middle and keep him safe from falling.

If you have lots of students, make groups of about 15. One player is chosen to be "it" first. A tight circle of players is formed, alternating physically strong and weak people. The person chosen to be "it" goes into the middle of the circle and crosses his arms across his chest.

The "it" stiffens and falls backwards. The players in the circle work together to catch the person and pass him back and forth around the circle. The player in the middle must keep his feet together and near the middle of the circle for this to work well, and players in the circle generally grab the person who is "it" around the arms and shoulders. Each player is encouraged to have a turn.

Variations:

Players in the circle sit down, placing their feet around the ankles of the person in the middle. Sounds crazy, but it works.

"Courage Camille" is a slight variation of this game in which only 3 players are required. Two of the players face each other and lock hands. The third person stiffens and falls backwards into their arms. This should be done several times, with the person falling farther backwards each time (the players locking their hands should lower them each time). Other players can then try.

"Courage Camille" can also be played with only one person catching.

The person who is "it" wears a blindfold.

Comments: The players who are "catchers" should be careful as they pass the person around and catch him. In the "Courage Camille" variation, care should be taken that the two players who are acting as "catchers" are strong enough to hold the heaviest person participating.

The Point: Trust, faith, team building

See Board Lift & Trust Lift, on both Anywhere & Upfront pages.

Trust Lift
More of a learning exercise than a game, the object of the game is for a small group to lift a person above everyone's head.

One player is chosen to be "it" first. He lies on his back and stiffens himself while everyone else assembles around him. Together everyone lifts him slowly toward the ceiling as he maintains his reclining position. Once he has reached maximum height, the others hold him there for about 30 seconds before slowly lowering him.

The Point: Trust

See Board Lift & Trust Circle, on both Anywhere & Upfront pages.

Twisteopardy
Jeopardy was getting dull and Twister, while physically challenging, wasn't exactly challenging mentally, so I decided to put a little twist in Jeopardy and came up with, TWISTEOPARDY!

For this game you will need:
- Twister Board (w/ point values written on each circle)(100-600)
- 4 bibles
- Point Cards
- Prizes

Split into no more than 4 teams. Each Team chooses one person to represent their team. A leader is the spinner/caller/host. Each color has a different category. Players take their positions and the spinner spins for one player at a time. The player chooses the point value of the category/color, which the spinner spun, that they would like to try for. Caller asks a question (sample questions below); the player can answer immediately or their team has 20-30 seconds to find the answer in the Bible (be sure to give an “address” to the answer), then the team must relay the answer to their representative and the representative answers. If they get it right, the player takes their place on the board and a point card is given to the team. If they get it wrong another team has the opportunity to answer the question. The game continues like so until one of the players is left standing or you run out of point cards/questions.

A category we used was “Quirky Characters,” like the following:

1) Which of the following is most known for being hairy?
Esau (Gen 25:25, 27:11)

2) Which of the following is most known for being a doubter?
Thomas (John 20:25)

3) Which of the following is most known as a reckless driver?
Jehu (2 Kings 9:20)

The Point: Knowing/enjoying God's Word

Added by Rachel

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