Games for Youth

Games for your youth group are a great way to get the youth laughing and creating memories together! Below are a few games your youth group will enjoy.

 Beach Ball Bash


This game is a getting-to-know-you game that only requires a beach ball and a sharpie. Blow up the ball and cover it with fun and silly questions. It can be something like, “If you were an animal what would you be and why?” or “Jello or pudding?” or “Did you like veggies as a kid?” Have the students stand in a circle and toss the ball around. Whichever question the right thumb lands on is the one the catcher has to answer. If they have already answered the question, they can opt for the question under their left thumb. Toss it around a few times then have a lightning round.

 

Do you love your neighbor?


You’ll need a chair for each student in a circle, minus one. There’s a person in the middle and they approach anyone and ask, “Do you love your neighbor?” If they say no, the two people sitting on either side have to switch chairs, while the person standing tries to take one of the seats. But if the person answering says yes, they add, “but I don’t like people…” and they fill in the blank. It can be “people wearing jeans,” “people with brown hair,” “people who play basketball,” anything really. Everyone who fits that description then has to jump up and find an empty seat, while the person in the middle tries to find a vacancy. Once everyone gets the hang of it, it’s lots of fun!

 

Zip Zap Zop


This is a pattern, pass-it-along game. Everyone stands in a circle and puts their hands together, like they were praying (but without interlocking fingers). First you’ll want to explain the motions. If you turn your hands to the right, you say zip. If you turn your hands to the left, you say zap. Zop is when you point your hands in any direction. One person begins with a motion of their choice. If they say Zip and point to the person on their right, that person can respond my saying Zip, Zap, or Zop with the corresponding motion to keep it moving. If they hesitate or say Zip and point to the left, they are eliminated. The key to having fun is to play as fast as you can. You play until you have two or three left, the ZipZapZop champs! It’s usually a good idea to have an example round to get everyone going.
 

 Below are some more resources for great activity ideas.

 

 

More game ideas:

youth ministry resources, games, ideas and articles

I’ve been spending time lately meeting with a youth pastor that works not to far from where I live. We’ve been talking about purpose and aligning all the “stuff” of youth ministry around a guiding purpose.

Last week she told me about a youth group activity she came up with to help reinforce the lesson from their Bible study. It was a simple idea, but I thought it was the best activity ever!
youth group game

There are several applications you can use to tie this into a lesson or just use it for a way to have fun and make a lasting memory with students.
Ice blocking is done by:

1. Buying blocks of ice from the local grocery store
2. Placing a folded towel on the ice
3. Sliding down a grass-covered hill while sitting or laying on the ice and holding on for dear life to the towel
youth group game: dibble dabble

This is a fun, low prep game that will keep the students busy for hours (with or without you).
starting youth ministry

It is hard to believe that I have been working in Youth Ministry for almost 10 years (That is about 1/3 of my life)!...

This weekend, I was talking with one of my former helpers who is now leading the youth group in the town he has moved to. We discussed resources and practices. I gave him suggestions from the point of “If I were starting youth ministry today, what would be the most helpful resources?”
It was my week to bring dessert for my adult small group so I brought Tim Tam Slams. Josh explains in detail what that is. His reaction at the end is an understatement as to the goodness of the Tim Tam Slam.