Need an ice breaker that won’t leave you sweaty, tired, disheveled, soaking wet, covered in feathers or tied to a tree? Hey, you have your ice breakers, I have mine…anyway, I’ve got a great one that’s pretty easy, fun and a little less intense than some of the games out there. This works with any…
Teaching to Everyone in the Room
After reading an article by Thom Schultz called Why Church Doesn’t Fit Most People, which was a pretty good read, I decided to write an entry about one of the statistics he used. Thom states that research suggests that only 30% or less of people are Auditory learners, meaning that they way they learn is primarily through…
Mummy Unwrap
Traditionally, the Mummy Wrap is a Halloween game, and for good reason. But, with this special 2-round Mummy game, it’s best to do in the summer or early fall, so we can be outside and it’s warm (depending on where you are reading this), though you can of course do this inside over plastic or…
Name Duels
This game is one of my favorite activities after confirmation or when there are a number of new people in the group. It’s one of the best name-games I know, and it’s silly and fun and my youth will play it forever if I let them. This takes two volunteers, since I have yet to…
Toe to Nose
This game is a fun, crazy, high-energy partner-based game of musical chairs. It’s a lot of fun and a great ice-breaker opening game. It takes very little or no prep, and no real supplies. Have the youth form two circles, on within the other. When the music plays, the two circles should slowly walk in…
Paint Mine Field
This is a fun new spin on an old favorite. Partner your youth up and give them a blindfold. Each group will work together to traverse a “minefield” to get to the other side unscathed. One will be blindfolded, the other will direct them verbally (meaning no touchie!) through to the other side. This is…
Noodle Balloon Race
If you don’t have a set of pool noodles yet, get some. There are so many applications, for the low, low price of a dozen noodles, your games will get real awesome, real fast. An example of one such game is this: Noodle Balloon Racing. I usually do this as a team relay, so all…
Blind Partner Tag
Looking for a fun, fast-paced game to get your youth riled up AND build some team-work? That’s a tough combo, but look no further… This game is a short-term battle between two partners, blindfolded and holding hands, and the rest of the group in a circle holding hands around them. The partners’ job is to…
Leading the Blind…
This one is an oldie, but I was talking to someone the other day, and they had never heard of it, so here we are. I like to use this activity to lead a group to a prayer session on retreat or into a more serious activity on mission trip. It works well to focus…
Group Lunch
This team-building game is an easy add-on to any retreat or overnight. It’s little prep and low-cost. You will need a bandana per person and a meal to eat. I usually have the teens pack a lunch or if you are in a cafeteria setting, that works too. Ordering pizza is less of a challenge,…
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