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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 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).
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 give |