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Have your youth search for Bible Trivia and the first to find it
will win a Blow Pop or some other type of reward. For example you
can have them find the first mentioning of a rainbow in the Bible
or they can find the creation of man in the Bible, have them find
a story about a big fish etc.. The kids love it and really get into
it. Also, it makes them want to bring their Bibles. The game can have
all play questions where both guys and girls would participate or
it could have single play "just for girls/guys". The game
can be however long you make it and it can be however difficult you
make it. Enjoy. |
Set up a number of nativity scenes using kids from your group as
well as live animals if possible. Held in your church parking lot,
make the scenes as authentic as possible, each one with a sign with
appropriate scriptures. Colored lights really add a nice touch. The
scenes are viewed from cars, and at the starting point a program is
handed out explaining the scenes. Cars lights should be out (as long
as the lot is well lit). At the exit point, they are thanked for coming
out and reminded to turn on their lights. Kids can work one hour shifts.
The event should be publicized in the community through community
access TV, newspapers, radio, etc. If you're going to make a big production
out of it, go all out with the advertising! |
Divide into appropriate number of groups
(we used 4 groups of 9 people each). Give each group a paper sack
filled with the following: newspaper, 1 pr. pantyhose, 4 sheets tissue
paper, 1 roll toilet paper, scissors and tape. Each team has 10 minutes
to select and dress one member of their team as a turkey. We did
this at our Wednesday Night youth meeting. The kids had a great time
and the creativity was unbelievable!
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We just held a picture scavenger hunt at the Mall. We bought a
couple disposable cameras and the kids had to get someone else to
take a picture of the whole team with the item on the list. We used
things like landmarks, specialty stores, getting demonstration on
certain products, etc. The kids had a blast and then we got the pictures
developed at the 1 hour shop and we have pictures of the groups for
our scrapbooks too. We put different point values on more difficult
or weird shots like stomach painting on the guys, etc. |
Well...this may be a little corny...but I've done a home-grown
"Where In The Mall Is Carmen San-Diego?"
I made up a series of clues which lead to more clues...etc...a
different set of clues for how many teams there were. These clues
were then placed around the mall in various objects. For example...."Carmen's
been leaving messages...and clues"--which leads (hopefully) to answering
machines (at Radio Shack...etc). Inside one of these machines, I'd
placed another clue like "Carmen's got a real sweet tooth"--leading
to another clue in a sugar jar at a kitchen shop. And so on....
The last clue leads to where Carmen is (all team's sets of clues
should lead to the same place) and this could either be the board
game or video game in a toy store. We placed "I was here first"
"second" etc cards there so we knew who won. In case clues were
missing from their original places, the teams could come see us,
tell us where they looked, and get a copy of the next clue if they
looked in the right place.
We taped clues under benches and restaurant tables too...which
made it really hilarious to watch these kids ask people if they
could look under their bench/table.
CAUTION: Might want to check with the mall and/or stores where
you hide clues.
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I've also done sound scavenger hunts at the mall. Make a list of
sounds to be recorded such as elevator door bell, someone ordering
food, a kid crying, answers to stupid questions from sales clerks.
Then send out the teams with recorders in hand. Play the results back
at the end .... it's usually pretty funny. |
AND...we've done the BLUE SHMOO game. Have someone you know (and
the kids don't) go to the mall wearing something blue (or any color).
Kids have to go around asking people with blue on (maybe excluding
jeans) if they are the BLUE SHMOO. The real BLUE SHMOO has a gift
certificate to a cookie place or something for the first group to
find him/her. (This works pretty well with a specific color hat at
an amusement park). |
One of the most memorable thing I ever did when I was in a high
school youth group is when we went to the mall for the annual "Leader
Hunt". All the adult leaders would dress up in disguises and get to
the mall ahead of time and we would get in groups and try and find
them. If we did, we had to say a certain code to them. If they were
one of the leaders, they had to respond a certain code back and then
they would sign our sheets of all the leaders names. It was awesome!
The head youth guy, a usually very conservative dressed and acting
guy, was a punker hanging out by the exit. We were scared to go up
to him. One of the leaders put shoe polish on his face and went around
cleaning windows. Invariably some youth would go up to someone who
was not one of leaders and say the embarrassing code words. Tell me
if you try this and how it goes. |
Our group has done a Where's Waldo at the mall. Get someone the
kids all know to dress in a way they normally wouldn't and then just
walk around the mall. (they can do their shopping as well!) Then,
as the kids are doing their shopping, they watch for "Waldo". The
winner can get something like a $5 gift certificate to a store in
the mall. |
We do a progressive Mall hunt in December to coincide with our
Christmas Shopping Extravaganza. It works out fun. We have 10 leaders
who dress up as something (nun, old lady, security guard) stuff like
that and then our kids have to find them. For each person they find
we give them a $1 gift certificate in that mall. It gets expensive.
We usually hit about 4 of the big malls here in Seattle. We have also
done a scavenger hunt in the malls, where we give them the clues and
they have to find what the item is we are describing. You give them
details like, drug store, isle 7, bottom row, on sale for 1.24. Just
corny things like that. God Luck with your activity! This can be time
consuming and take a lot of planning. |
We have done PEOPLE scavenger hunts in malls. You give a description
of a person to find and then let them go. The people they are looking
for know they are being sought. When found, the sought simply signs
a card the seeker carries and then goes about their business. This
works well if you are in town...on a trip to a mall out of town may
present some interesting possibilities. Perhaps hooking up with another
church in the town to be visited and have them plant the people? Have
fun... |
Basically a take off on the old game show by the same name. You
will need a stereo system of some sort as well as numerous CD's and/or
tapes - the kids also enjoy being able to bring their own music (make
sure they mark their own stuff because the music will likely get mixed
up). Divide the group into two teams and have each team select a "captain."
The basic premise of the game is to have the two teams bid on who
can name the song and artist played in the least amount of time. Before
the bidding, I usually give them a couple of categories such as, for
example, the type: Christian/Secular/Country/Etc., and skill level:
Easy/Medium/Hard, and occasionally, the time frame: year/decade/etc.
One team starts the bidding, through their captain, by saying they
can name it in, for example, 45 seconds. The other team then has the
opportunity to bid below that time, and so on until one team is not
willing to bid below the other. I set a bottom bid limit of 2 seconds
(which they still usually get). I found it works best to have all
bids/answers come through the “captain” so no confusion
is created by someone blurting something out. I also require that
there is a team majority to bid below 5 seconds so one person doesn’t
get the whole team into trouble.
Once a final bid is made, I play the song from the beginning for the
bid time. At that time, the team who has the bid has 20 seconds or
so to submit their guess through the captain. If they guess correctly,
they get 3 points. If they cannot guess it or guess incorrectly, the
other team has a chance to steal for 2 points if they can guess correctly
at that time. If neither team gets it, I play the song for 30 seconds
more (or longer if needed) and take the first hand I see during that
time for an answer. If guessed correctly, that team is awarded 1 point.
You can play for a certain amount of time or up to a certain point
level. The rules can obviously be changed as necessary for your group.
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You will need seven stones or shoes or other small objects.
The kids are divided into 4 equal groups, with one group in
each corner of the area you are in. the seven objects are put into
the middle of the room, with a square drawn round them and a small
square in front of each team. The team members are numbered from
one to whatever. you then call out a number, one for example the
four people numbered one then fly out of their space like they have
a bee in their pants and grabs an object from the center and places,
not throws, it in their team square they then run back and get another
object and so on until all the objects are got. The team with three
or more in their team square gains 1 point.
The game now moves into phase 2 where the teams now go get an
object from another teams square when the number is called. So number
2 is called, all number 2's fly out and grab 1 object from another
teams square and sits down if there is a team with three or more
in the square give em a point.
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This is a fun game to play if you like having
snowball fights, but do not have any snow. You'll need white pantyhose
and flour to make the snowballs and how many depends on your group
size (about 1 to 1.5 per person). You take the pantyhose and cut
the two legs apart from each other. You take an 8oz paper cup, fill
it with flour and put it into the bottom of the pantyhose leg. Then
you tie off the pantyhose with two square knots on top off each other,
cut the pantyhose in between the knots and you have a snowless snowball.
Repeat the process where the knot is still in the leg until you have
used it all. You should get about 8 per leg from "queen size" hose.
Now you have snowballs that do not hurt too bad when they hit you and you can
use throw them over and over again. With these snowballs you can play any number
of games.
One is to have the group break up into two teams with a brave youth leader as
the leader, or should I say target for each team. Split the area of play in half
and have the leaders positioned a good ways away from each other in a designated
place with only a little room to move around (a circle 4ft across is good). Then
have the teams try and hit the other team's leader. If a person is hit with a
snowball while on the enemies side, they have to drop their snowball and return
to their territory. The team that ends up with the leader that has less flour
on them is the winner. To make the game a little more interesting, suprise everyone
by entering waterballons in as ammunition half-way through the game. |
Assign as many stations as games and leaders available. Put one
game at each station and "tweak it" as to create an aggressive
4 minute point earning encounter. Ex. Guesstures: everyone takes a
turn acting an item from a card. You get 1 point for a correct answer
and minus 2 for a pass. Jenga: as soon as a team arrives at the station
they must erect the tower. then each person takes a turn at pulling
a piece out. 1 point for each piece taken out, minus 5 for knocking
the tower over. (You have to figure out how to score each station
w/ each game. Make it your own) Break group into even numbered teams.
each team starts at one station, then has 4 minutes to accumulate
as many points as possible. at 4 minutes a timekeeper yells, "Switch!!!"
then they must move to next station. when all the teams have done
each station, you add up all the points from each station and then
you have your winner. It involves some set-up work, but once the game
is going everyone has a great time. KEYS: "Don't lose time in
between stations, your next 4 minutes starts at "Switch"
/ "Get to the next station quick and quiet so that the station
can be explained to you as quick as possible" "Don't be
to loud or another team may eavesdrop some answers from you".
This was a game i started doing on retreats, but have found that you
can do it anywhere and add or subtract different stations as you want.
For example, once i had a stillness & silence station where for
4 minutes the group had to sit completely still and silent while the
station leader yelled screamed, picked his nose to try and get them
to move. the team started with 20 points in the beginning and then
lost a point each time someone moved or laughed. You can put in a
bigger station like a free throw station if you have the equipment.
OTHER GAMES USED: Scrabble: Take a handful of scrabble letters, each
group gets point for words formed of 3 letters or more with bonus
for bigger words. Bunko: Get a handful of dice, each person takes
a turn rolling until 4 minutes is up, i point for each 5 rolled, bonus
for four 5's rolled etc. the list goes on and on, that's the great
thing about it, there all the room you could want to make it how you
want it to look.
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