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This discussion starter has a wide mix of questions from goofy to generic to personal to spiritual. Have all the following questions written down on a sheet of paper and pass it around the circle. You can either have everyone answer the next question on the list (ie. Person one answers question one, person two answers question two…) or you can have them pick and choose which questions they want to answer. If you choose the latter, send a pen around with the paper and have them mark off what questions have already been answered. Either way, be sure to have them read the question aloud before they answer so everyone else knows what the question is. Continue reading »

If you thought three-legged races were fun, try this game! It’s a very simple variation of soccer, but it is tons of fun. All you do it to tie each person’s legs together just above the knees. The positioning of the tie is important - below the knees and they won’t be able to move at all. Too far above the knees and they won’t be restricted at all. The result is everyone waddling around - looking very much like penguins. You’ll probably want to play this in a gym or else have untied people free to retrieve balls that end up out of bounds.

Notes:

Be sure that you do not use thin rope or the like that would cut into kid’s legs. I use triple-thick strips of rags that my wife sewed (About four inches wide and four feet long. They also double as blindfolds in other games.)

You can play just about any game “penguin style” - baseball, kickball, football, tag - you name it. You can do a penguin theme event where you play all your regular games penguin style.

The first time you are asked to run games for a bunch of youth - be it at a youth group, a camp, or anywhere else, you are going to make mistakes. Not because you lack effort, not because you lack natural ability - but simply because you lack the experience of having done it earlier.

They say “there’s no teacher like experience”, but they never said the experience had to be your own. So from my experience, here are 3 blunders of game leaders - in hopes you can avoid the experience yourself. Continue reading »

This game appeals to all types of players. There is sneaking through the bush, running full-tilt from pursuers, guarding the home base, scattering from the approaching super soakers. Whatever their style, this game has it.

Setup

You will need a large playing area including both field and bush. This area will be divided into two equal halves with pylons. Within each half, you will mark off two squares about 20 ft. sq. each. One square should be in the field, the other in the bush. Within each square there will be a bucket of gold (yellow painted rocks) - enough for about 1 per player per bucket. You will also need super soakers (or some other type of water shooting device) and bucket of water for refilling. Continue reading »

If you want a wide game that’s easy to play and doesn’t require half an hour to explain the rules, try team handball. It’s really simple and anyone can play.

Setup

All you need is two soccer nets and a ball. (You may also want pylons to mark the goalie’s crease.) A ‘gator skin’ ball works best: it’s soft and squishy so head shots don’t hurt so much, but it has enough weight that you can throw it with power. The distance you place the nets apart depend on the size of your group. Try 75 feet for 20 people and 200 feet for 100 people. The goalie’s crease should be a half-circle around the net with 15 foot radius - maybe a bit smaller if you have younger players. You will need two teams - each with a goalie. Continue reading »

Most camps and youth groups I know of play some version of Mission Impossible. Kids love it. It’s arguable the most popular night game for large groups. The game I’d like to introduce you to is Mission Really Difficult - since it actually isn’t impossible. Continue reading »