Here are some games to play in your youth group, or camp. Many of these can be adapted to suit various themes, such as the large team games with various 'treasure' objects and things, with the quiet ones able to give an illustration in a devotion. Either way, have fun!

Quiet Games To Settle The Kids
Rowdy Team Games
Individual Rowdy Games
Working In Pairs Or Threes Games

Squirt

Have either a water pistol or a spray bottle on hand. Have the group either sitting or standing in a circle. The leader thinks of a number between 1 and 20 (adapt this according to the number of children you are playing with). As you go around the circle each player says a number between 1 and 20. If they get the same number that you have chosen, then they get squirted They then become the leader.

This is also a good lodge time game. Where you sit everyone down in a circle, but have a quarter of a of cup water. Have someone in the middle say a topic, eg. 'Car types', then go around until they guess it. So the answer is commodore, and the kids start saying falcon, patrol, commodore - he gets it. The commodore kid.

Alphabet

This is a great quietening down game. The leader names a topic (eg. Animal, people in the Bible, films, songs. musicians, food- product names, plants, books etc.) and calls out the letters of the alphabet. The children name something starting with that letter.

A modification to this is in the same topic, the letter that the last word finished in, the next word has to start with.

No. of body parts touching

Divide the children into twos (three works well also). Call out a number and they are to work out the most creative way of having that number of body parts touching the ground (eg. 4 = Two legs and the other doing a handstand with two hands touching). Hands and feet are one.

Body Alphabet

Have the children get into groups of six. Call out a letter of the alphabet and the first group to form that letter is the winner, either on the ground or standing. (extra points for standing)

Yes/no

The aim of this game is to get your candidate to say yes no or nod their head or yeah, nah, etc� The leader has one minute get their candidate to do this by asking them questions consistently. It is a good idea for the leader to have a whole lot of topics written down either on your hand or on a piece of paper so that the questions can come quickly. If the candidate lasts more than a minute, they get to squirt the leader or vice versa.

A good variation of this is to open up a camp with it, only use match sticks, or something small like that. Get them to mingle around with each other meeting new people, and if the person they are talking to directly says yes/no or then they have to give them one of the item. It also makes it tricky if you they can't repeat answers.

Clusters

Call out a number and people are to get into groups of this number. If they are not in a group, they are out.

I went to the shop

Sit around in a circle. The first one says, "I went to the shop and 1 bought an apple." The next person carries this on and says, "She went to the shop and bought an apple, and I bought a tyre."* Then the next one says,- They went to the and bought an apple, a tyre

and I went to the shop and bought a The game goes on until somebody makes a mistake, or you have been through group.

Story around the circle

Sit around in a circle. The first one starts the story off with, ...Once upon a time there was a young girl named Tori." Then the next one in the circle carries the story on and maybe says' "She lived with her mother and stepfather and she'. Then the next one in the circle carries the story on until you have been around the whole group.

Try this with just one word at a time, even for a skit.

Knots

Have children stand around in a circle. They are all to put their hands into the middle and take the hand of two different people. Then they all try to untangle themselves and make a circle.

Mintie paper ripping

Children see who can make the longest line by ripping paper.

Hey Harry

Need either a lipstick or a saucer of vegemite. Children sit in a circle. Everyone is called Harry. One person starts by turning to the person on their right and saying "Hey Harry", they reply with "Yes Harry", first person says "Tell Harry". That person turns to the person on their right and continues the litany. Words must be said exactly, and without hesitation. If a mistake is made the blunderer receives a mark on their cheek and their name is no longer Harry, but "One spot"

Thus "Hey one Spot ..... Yes Harry `Tell Harry"

"Hey Harry .... .. Yes one Spot . ... .. Tell Harry" Further Blunders invite an extra mark and the title "Two Spot" Still more blunders and you drop out but remain in the circle.

How long is a minute

Have all the children stand. Tell them that they are to be very quiet and when they think a minute is up, then they are to sit down. The leader times it and gives a prize to the one who is closest to the minute.

Spot the Leader

Children sit around in a circle making sure that they can see everybody. Send one person out of the room and choose a leader. That leader starts doing actions while the rest of the circle follow. When the leader changes action, so do the circle. The person who is sent out of the room comes in and has to guess who the leader is.

Count to 20

Have the children go around in a circle. Each one says a number between one and twenty. If they say the same number that someone else has said, they are out.

Celebrity Heads

Have either caps and sticky labels or just sticky labels. Have either an object or a person's name on the sticky label and put these on the head of 4 - 6 contestants. The contestants are to guess who or what is on their head only by asking yes of no questions. When they get a yes, they can ask the question again, when they get a no, the next person gets to ask a question.

20 Questions

Think of something eg, the empire state building and give the campers 20 questions to guess what you have thought of.

Make it really difficult, so instead of the empire state building, make it to 'the third floor button on the west side elevator in the empire state building'.

Encore

Divide the children into two teams. Think of a topic, eg. love. Each group is given one minute to think of a song and sing at least the 6 words in it. Only one song can be sung each time. When that group has sung, the other group goes. You can not sing a song twice. The group that can't think of another song allows the other group to get a point.

Be A�..

Play music and when it stops you call out," You have to be a ........ " Children make themselves into that thing.

Dead Fish

Make all the kids lie down, when they move they are out. Last one in wins.

Murder

Have a normal pack of cards. Take out the same number of cards according to the number in your group, with one of these being the joker. Have the children sitting in a circle making sure that they can all see each other. Hand the cards around so that each child has one and they are the only ones to look at these cards. The one who receives the joker is the murderer. They are to wink at a person. That person then dies a noisy death. The aim is for those in the circle to guess who the murderer is without being killed themselves. If a child does not die when they are supposed to, when the game is finished, they sit out the next one.

Mafia

The Mafia has just moved in to your town and are killing everyone off! The citizens have to come together to try and stop them from taking over. The doctor is also working hard trying to save people who are being targeted. The local sheriff is also building up his knowledge of who really is Mafia. Can you solve the mystery and stop the Mafia from taking over this little town?

Items needed: 1 Deck of cards.

Depending on the amount of people you have you will need the following amount of cards.

Give the cards out. Don't have anyone know what each other has.

You must have one person without a card to run the game.

To start the game off.

Have everyone close their eyes. Have the Mafia put heads up(those with black cards). This is so they can see who each other are, as they will need to work together. Heads down.

Sheriff, head up. (So the person running knows). Head down.

Doctor, heap up. (So the person running knows). Head down.

All heads up. The accusing starts from here.

Someone speaks up and says 'I think Jo Blo is Mafia' and someone might second that.

'Do we want to hear why Jo isn't Mafia?' Then take a quick vote as to hear from him or not. If Yes, then he gives his quick testimony as to why he's not Mafia (regardless of whether or not he is), then another vote. 'Should he live? Yes or no' If he dies, then he's out. And He shows his card. Depending on what it is you say 'you've killed a citizen or Mafia or sheriff or doctor.

When enough accusing has been done, 'heads down. Mafia heads up. Could the Mafia please choose someone.' They all point at some poor victim. 'Heads down. Doctor head up. Please choose someone to save'. They point to someone to save that they may think the Mafia may be targeting. 'Head down. Could the Sheriff put your head up, choose someone'. They choose someone and the person running it nods yes or no to whether or not the person they pointed at is Mafia. 'Head down. Okay, heads up.' If the Mafia killed someone then you would say 'Well, I'm sorry everyone, but the Mafia struck. Fred, you have been killed by the Mafia'. But, if the doctor chose the correct person, then you wouldn't mention who died, or who the doctor is, just that 'The Mafia struck, but the doctor was able to save them.' This accusing and killing and saving keeps going until there is no more Mafia left, or there are more Mafia than citizens.

Trains

Sit the children in a circle and they are to hold hands. Pick four people to be stations and when the train goes past them they are to toot. One person is picked to be in the middle and they have to guess who has the train and they can have three guesses. The rest pass the train along by squeezing the hand of the person next to them. The person with the train can change direction anytime they like.

The Sword Drill

Put a Bible verse reference on a piece of paper. The competitor is to run down to the front of the hall, pick up the balloon blow it up, pop it and look up the Bible verse in the Bible. The first one to find it and start reading it is the winner.

Books of the Bible

Call out a book of the Bible and have the children find the book. The first to find it is the winner. You may need to teach them how to use the Bible first as some will not have had much experience with the Bible sadly.

Who am I?

Children's general knowledge of the Bible is not so good these days. Think up some questions about characters in the Bible or places in the Bible to ask them.

Crossed or uncrossed

You will need two spoons. The leader passes the spoons either crossed of uncrossed to the first person sitting in the circle and says either crossed or uncrossed. You say crossed if a part of your body is crossed eg. legs or arms or uncrossed if no part of your body is crossed. The children have to guess that last clue.

Chinese Whispers

Have the children sit in a circle and whisper into the first ones ear a saying or a sentence. That person is to pass it on to the next one and so on. When it gets to the last person see how close it is to the original clue.

Shoeing the horse

Have two chairs at either end of the room, two blindfolds and 8 yoghurt containers or plastic cups. Set the plastic containers in the middle of the room exactly halfway between the chairs. Divide the children into two groups and sit them in a straight line against the opposite walls to where the chairs are. Pick one child from each team and sit them blindfolded on the chair. When you say go, they are to crawl along the floor and take one container at a time and put it onto the leg of the chair. They are to go back three more times until they have put a shoe on the four legs of the horse (chair).

Corner Ball

You will need four chairs in the four corners of the hall and one ball. Divide the kids into four teams and have one of their team standing on the chair. It is the same rules as netball and they are to try and get the ball to their catcher on the chair. They get a point each time they do.

Basketball

You need two chairs, two buckets and two balls. Divide the kids into two teams and pick one person from each team to stand on the chairs which are at either end of the hall. They are to try and get the ball into the bucket. One point is got for each time.

Play the game identically but used screwed up newspaper instead.

Treasure Island

Divide the children into four teams and stand them in their teams at each end of the hall. In the middle there are 12 spoons. When you say go one child goes into the middle and picks up one spoon and takes it back to their pirates treasure Then they tag the next one who does the same. Once they are all taken from the middle they can go and pinch them from the other pirates treasure basket- The winner is the first team with four objects.

Small been bags are good for this also

Danish Rounders

Have four bases set out like soft ball. Form the children into two teams. One team are the batters and the other are the fielders. The first batter gets up and bats a tennis ball or hits a big ball or throws a big ball. Once the ball is thrown the batter runs around the bases as quickly as they can and keeps going until the other team call stop. Meanwhile the fielding team are to catch the ball. When a person has got the ball, the rest of the team form a long line and spread their legs apart and the ball is to pass through everyone's legs. When it has gone through the last persons legs, the end person calls 'stop'.

Arm Link

Divide the children into two groups. Pick two from each team and they are to stand in he middle of the hall. The rest of the team are to link arms across the hall. They are to always move together. The other four have one ball and are to throw the ball below the knees and try and get the ball to the other end of the hall without the linked team kicking it away.

Fox and geese tail

Have the children stand in groups of six in a straight line with their hands on the persons hips in front of them. The person at the front is the fox and they are to try and touch the person on the back of the line who is the goose. The other four in the line are to try and stop them. When they are tug, the goose becomes the fox and the game carries on.

Rats and Rabbits

Divide the children into two teams and they're to stand in a straight line facing each other. One group is the rats and the other is the rabbits. When 1 call rats, the rats are to ran as fast as they can to the wall directly behind them. The rabbits are to chase them. If the rats are tug before they get to the wall, then they become the rabbits.

Towel Volleyball

You will need a volleyball net or equivalent, a ball and one towel between two. Form the children into two teams and then within that team into pairs. The children hold onto each end of the towel in their pair. The ball is thrown over the net and is to he caught by the pair closest to it. They are to with their towel throw it back- A point is awarded when the other team let the ball drop to the ground.

Crab Soccer

Divide children into two teams. Have two chairs at each end to make a goal- All team players are to get down on their feet and hands like a crab (this is back to floor). They have to kick the ball with their feet and are not to touch the ball with their hand and neither are to let their bum touch the floor.

Tunnel ball

Have children divide into two teams and stand in two straight lines facing each other. Each child is to have their legs open with feet touching the next team members. Each team is given a ball and they are to try to get the ball between the legs of the other team by rolling it along the ground.

Gaga bin lid

Have children divide into two teams and stand in two straight lines facing each other. Each child is to have their legs open with feet touching the next team member. The aim is to throw Bin lids through the legs of the other team.

Robots

Form children into groups of six to eight. The first person steps forward and makes one action of a Robot or machine. The next person joins the robot by making another noise and movement to add to the Robot or Machine. Keep adding to your machine until the last person has joined What a great creation!!!!

Keepings off

Form two teams. Play a similar game to Netball. No stepping, stand three feet away from the person with the ball, toss up if both people have the ball and free passes.

Lightning Sock

Children sit in two lines facing each other and holding hands down the line. Have one leader holding sock up one end and another tossing a coin. The leader tosses the coin and if it is heads the front people squeeze the hand of the person sitting next to them and the end person grabs the sock. The winner is the first one to get the sock. If the coin is tails, then they call out lightning.

Helicopter

Tie a beanbag on the end of a fairly long rope. Have the children stand in a circle a fair way away from the middle person who is holding the rope and beanbag. The person in the middle starts spinning the rope around in a circle like a helicopter rotor and the children jump over the string. If someone gets caught, then they are out.

Duck duck goose

The children sit in a circle or two circles depending on the number. One child is it and goes around the circle gently tapping the heads of the children saying "Duck duck duck duck goose. The person who is chosen to be the goose must chase 'it' and try to them before 'it' gets back to the gooses seat. The goose then becomes 'it'.

Cut the pie

The children sit in a circle or two circles depending on the number. The leader goes around and in the air cuts a line between two children. The child on the right of that cut, starts running to their right around the circle and the one on the left starts running to their left. The first one back to their original seat is the winner.

Cat and mouse

Form one circle and have the children stand and hold hands. Choose one child to be the cat and they start on the outside of the circle. Choose another child to be the mouse and they start in the middle of the circle. The idea is that the cat catches the mouse. The people holding hands are to favour the mouse and let it through to the outside by raising their arms and stopping the cat by leaving their hands down. Once the mouse is caught, you find a new cat and mouse.

Keep ball balloon off ground

Stand in a group and throw the ball around or hit the balloon and see how many times you can get it between people -without it touching the

Broom off the bucket

Have a bucket with a broom handle on the top parallel with the floor. Have your contestants standing hand in hand in a circle around the bucket. The aim of the game is to be the last person to be the cause of the broom handle falling off the bucket. If the circle happens to break, those two where the break is are out. If you touch the broom and it falls off the bucket then you are also out.

Scarecrow tiggy

One person is it. They go around tigging people. When you are tug, you stand like a scarecrow with your legs open. If someone who has not been tug yet, goes through your legs, then you are can run around again and help others by setting them free.

Blob

One person is it, but then when tags someone they hold hands and run around trying to get other people, when the line gets to be larger than 6 it splits up to become two groups of three.

Octopus

Have one person in the middle and they can run around tagging people as they run past him/her. If they are touched then they become octopus' and have to stay planted feet flat on the ground. Keep going until all are in the middle.

Poison Ball

Form the children into a circle and have one child in the middle. One child in the circle is given the ball and they are to try and hit the person in the middle with the ball below the knees. Once the child is hit, the person who hit them has a go in the middle. If they get to go twice into the middle pick another child to go in instead, so that all children get to have a turn.

Streets and Lanes

Stand all children in straight lines with arms outstretched and finger tips touching the next persons. If you have 16 kids have them in four rows of four, if 36, six rows of six. Pick two people to be cat and mouse. The cat is to chase the mouse between the street and lanes. Have all lines facing the front of the hall and they are streets. When you call out lanes they all turn to face the side wall and cat and mouse change direction. Keep calling out streets or lanes to change direction. As soon as the mouse is caught, pick two more children.

To make it more interesting, call out light posts. The kids arms go down and they stand straight making it easier for the cat.

Days of the week

Have rows of seven pews. Get the children to spread themselves evenly between them. Name each pew as a day of the week. Then call out days of the week like Wednesday. Wednesday pew are to come and be the front pew and the others form themselves after eg. Thursday, Friday, Saturday etc. can be dangerous� :)

Newspaper

Have children in pairs. Give them a piece of newspaper. Every time you say 'Fold' they are to fold the newspaper and stand on the newspaper. People get out when any part of their foot or body are touching the floor.

Giants Treasure

Have one person up one end with a few things to represent the treasure. The person has their back turned to the rest of the children who are at the other end of the hall. While the giant has his back turned- the children can sneak forward to try and get the treasure If the giant sees anyone moving when they turn around then those people have to go back to the start again.

Brandy Tiggy

The person who is it has the ball and they are to try and throw the ball so it touches another person. When that person is got, then they become it. This can hurt, be warned.

Hospital Tiggy

One person is it and they go around trying to tig people. Once a player is touched they have to put their hand on the part of the body that they are touched and keep running around until they are tug again and they use their second hand. When tug the third time, they are out.

Bob down TV Tiggy

One person is it. They go around tigging people. To stop being tug the players have to bob down and call out a TV programme that they watch. They are not allowed to say the same programme that they have already said.

Chain Tiggy

One person is it. They tig a person and they have to join hands with the person who is it. They have to try and make the line as long as possible. They cannot tig anyone when the line is broken.

Wombat Tiggy

This is like scarecrow tiggy, except that when you are tug, you get down on your hands and knees like a wombat. The way to become human again is that somebody leap frogs over the top of you.

Moriarty

Everyone forms into a circle. Pick two people to be Moriarty and the person trying to keep away from him and they are both blindfolded. Moriarty is given club of rolled up newspaper and he/she is to try and get the person keeping away from him/her.

Captains Coming

Each end and side of the hall are port, starboard, bow and stem. When you call these out the children go to the end of the hall that these are. Other instructions to give are: Captain on deck - stand with your hand in salute position Man the lifeboats - Two people sit on the ground with flat of feet touching, and holding hands and they are to rock back and forth. Freeze (Icebergs) - They are to freeze in the position they are in Hit the deck (boom coming over) - Lie down flat on the floor Scrub the deck - down on hands and knees and scrub the floor Climb the rigging - Pretend to climb up a rope Submarines - Lie on your back with one leg sticking up

Tails

Put a tail into the back of each child's pants. The object of the game is that the other players try to pull the tail out without physically touching the person.

Fill the basket

Have a basket full of balls. Choose one child to be the thrower. The thrower is to throw the balls one at a time. The rest are fielders and they are to try and get the balls back in the basket. The winner is either the thrower when he/she has no balls left in the basket, or the throwers when they get all the balls back in the basket.

Sardines

One child goes and hides within a boundary set. The other children set out to find the person hiding. When they find them, they are to stay quietly with them until the whole group have found the person hiding. The next to hide is the person who found the one hiding first.

Spotlight

Children bring torches. One person goes out to hide somewhere in the dark- The others go out to find them with their torches. The first one to find the person hiding is the next one to hide

Spotlight Version: Home Base

You need an area up high to see all around you. The kids have to come to the area under you. When you shine the torch on them, they are out. The first one back wins.

Zoom

Children sit in a circle. The first person holds their right hand over their chest and says 'zoom' which passes the zoom onto the next person. The next person does the same thing and the zoom passes down the line. If a person wants to change direction, they have to hold their left hand over their head and go 'Kapok' When the rhythm is broken, that person sits in the middle and is out.

Limbo

You will need a broom handle and some music playing. Have two people holding the broom handle parallel with the floor. The children are to try and go under it without touching it. Start fairly high and bring it down gradually. See who can go the lowest.

Keys under the chair

Form the children into a circle with a chair in the middle with a set of car keys under it. Choose one child to sit on the chair blindfolded with either a rolled up newspaper. The leader picks one child to try and get the keys without being hit by the newspaper roll. (Another way of playing this is to give the blindfolded person a water pistol and if they think they know where the person is, they call stop. The other player is to stop still and the person fires the water pistol. If they get the player then they are the winner.

Balloons on ankles

Tie a balloon onto each child's ankle. The aim of the game is to stamp on the other persons balloon and pop it. The winner is the last person left with their balloon intact.

Fruit Salad

Have the children sit in a circle and give them all a name of a fruit. Make sure there are at least two of each fruit. One person stands in the middle. When you call out a fruit the people who are that fruit exchange seats before the person in the middle gets their seat. If they lose their seat, then they become the middle person.

Statues of Clouds

Break into threes. When the leader calls out Trees = all three stand up with the arms in the air. Clouds = all three stand with their arms linked Skis = two outside people are flat on the floor, the other is in a skier position with knees bent Motorbike = one is kneeling and is the handlebars, no.2 is the body so is down on hands and knees and the third is the rider who stands behind and leans over to grab the handle bars Toilet = one is on one knee with the other ready for someone to sit on, no.2 sits on no.1's knee, no.3 stands over the back and hangs arm down and is the chain Hammock = two stand on either end and one of these gabs the thirds feet and the other grabs the thirds hands Swing = two people hold each others hands very tightly to form a swing, the third sits on it Ballet Dancer = they stand on tippy toes and do pirouettes

Knights/cavaliers/gentlemen

Children run around the room to the sound of music. The leader calls out a command and children are to get into pairs and do these actions: Knights - Piggy back another person Cavaliers - Pick your partner up in your arms so they are sitting with their legs out Gentlemen - One kneels down on one knee with the other knee up so someone can sit on it. The partner sits on it

TP and Indians

Children are to get into pairs. The pair is to form a circle with the Indian of the pair making an inner circle and the other an outer by standing behind the partner (the TP). The outer circle person is the TP and when you call TPs they are to around the outside of the circle and back to their place. The person on the inside we the Indians When you call Indians, the Indian is to slide through the legs of their TP. run around the circle and back through their legs.

Wink

Have chairs set around in a circle and have a child sitting on these. Have another child stand behind them. One seat is to be vacant but have a person standing behind it. That person is to wink at someone and they are to try and get away from their captor. Then the next captor has a go throwing the ball. The game continues until everyone ends up being on the ball-thrower team, and there is no-one left to dodge the ball.

Follow Me

In pairs choose one person to be A and one person to be B. On the word "go" A chases B to tag them. If they are tagged then B chases A.