DIRECTIONS:
* This works best if your teams/groups are 2 to 4 youth each.

1. Give each team/group a building supplies and a bowl of water.

2. Give each group 30 minutes to build a bridge to span across a bowl of water (it must be able to stand on it’s own over the bowl).

3. Have each group demonstrate their bridge when their time is up.

4. Test each bridge for strength by adding pebbles one at a time until the bridge collapses.

5. The team with the strongest bridge wins!

Building Kit

Put a variety of the following building materials in a shoebox.  You don’t have to use all of them and you can use other items.

• Popsicle sticks
• Bluetack
• Paper clips
• String
• Glue
• Q-tips

* Make sure each group has the same amount of materials, just to keep things fair.

GAME TIDBITS:
* Low cost
* Few supplies
* Ice-breaker/Getting to Know Each Other
* Teamwork/Team Building
* All ages
* Any size group
* 30 + minutes

1. Make a bingo card with a long list of characteristics, facts, and qualities like:

_________ has black shoes on

_________ is wearing a green shirt

_________ is the youngest child

_________ has a license to drive

_________ can quote the King James version of John 3:16

_________ is wearing tube socks

and so on…

2. Make sure each player (or team) has a pens or pencils.

3. make enough copies of the cards so there’s enough to give each person (or team) one.

TO PLAY:
As Teams ~
1. Give the teams 5 to 10 minutes to go around their team and find someone else in the group that has that quality/characteristic/etc and write their name next to it.

2. Their goal is to complete the card first and call out “Bingo!” before the other teams. If they cannot fill in all the blanks, the team with the most filled in is the winner.

For Individuals ~
1. Give each player a list and give them 10 to 20 minutes to go around the group and find people that have the qualities/characteristics/etc and write their names next to it.

2. Their goal is the same as if you were working as a team.

* This game works really well as an ice breaker for all ages.
* Make sure the questions suit the age group.
* Make sure there are some easy ones and some hard ones!

GAME TIDBITS:
* Free or low cost
* No equipment needed
* Ice-breaker/Getting to Know Each Other
* Teamwork/Team Building
* All ages
* Any size group
* 5 to 20 minutes
* Works best with 10 to 40 players

* The balloons need to be two different colors, one for each team.

2. Tie two foot long strings to the ends of each balloon.

3. Give each person two balloons (of the same color) and have them tie one to each leg.

4. Separate the teams on either side of the room/area.

5. At the start of the game, the kids race towards the opposite team and try to step on their balloons trying to pop the balloons.

6. When both of their balloons have popped, that player is out of the game and must sit down.

7. The team with the last balloon remaining wins.

VARIATION:
* Add to the fun by dividing the group into three or four teams giving each team their own color balloons. Start the game by having the teams square off (each team in their own corner or on their own side making a square).

GAME TIDBITS:
* Free or low cost
* No equipment needed
* Ice-breaker
* Teamwork
* All ages
* Any size group
* 10 to 30 minutes
* Works best with 10 to 20 players per game

1. Choose someone to be “It”.

2. All other players should grab a chair and make a circle around the player who is “It”.

3. The person who is “It” goes around the circle picking anyone they want.

4. Once they pick someone, they approach that person and say “Honey if you love me, will you please, please smile.” They can sit on the person’s lap, kneel in front of them or make goofy faces and voice as they say this.

5. The player in the chair cannot smile or laugh and must say “Honey you know I love you but I just can’t smile.”

6. If the player sitting says their phrase without smiling or laughing, the other person remains “It” and must try again with someone else.

7. The player who laughs or smiles is now “It”.

* The player who is “It” cannot tickle the players who are seated. They may only caress the persons hand or sit on the person’s lap.

GAME TIDBITS:
* Free or low cost
* No equipment needed
* Ice-breaker
* Teamwork
* All ages
* Any size group
* 10 to 30 minutes
* Works best with 5 to 30 players

DIRECTIONS:
* The aim of the game is for people sitting down to prevent the person that is ‘it’ to take a seat.

1. Arrange chairs in a big circle.

2. Choose someone from the group to be ‘it’, and that person stands in the middle of the circle.

3. Have the rest of the group sit on the chairs, and make sure you have one spare chair (for the person who is it to try to sit in).

4. Those in the chairs shuffle their ‘buns’ left or right to occupy the empty chair before the person who is ‘it’ can sit down. They cannot stand up or push the player who is “it” out of the way.

5. Players are only allowed to move left or right (ie. not run across the circle).

6. Eventually once the person who is ‘it’ gets a seat, the person to their  left or right (whoever was slowest) becomes ‘it’.

* For bigger groups, you may need to have two or three empty seats

GAME TIDBITS:
* Free or low cost
* No equipment needed
* Ice-breaker
* Teamwork
* All ages
* Any size group
* 10 to 30 minutes
* Works best with 5 to 30 players

WHAT YOU NEED:
Bible For Each Teen (or one they can share)
A List Of Choices
Paper and Pencils (optional)

Most of you have heard of the “Would You Rather…” Discussion Starter. This is done just like that only you have choices from the Bible.

Ex. Would you rather be thrown in a Lions Den or tossed in a Fiery Furnace?

Before they answer, have them tell you something about their choice.

Ex. “There were a lot of starving lions wanting to eat you, so I’d rather take my chances with the fire.”

1. You can have them write their answer down on paper, numbering 1 to 10, and at the end collect the papers and read only their answers. Have the students guess who they think the paper belongs to based on the answers. My teens enjoyed this way unless they had a guy/girl there they liked. This way also keeps them from choosing out loud in front of everyone.

2. Another option is to have the number “1” and the number “2” written on pieces of construction paper. Put the “1” on one side of the room and the “2” on the other side of the room. Explain that the first option is “1” and the second option is “2”. When you call out the choice (Ex. Would you rather be thrown in a Lions Den or tossed in a Fiery Furnace?), they go to the number they would choose. Then randomly choose someone from each number to tell you something about their choice. This should be something actually about the choice and not why they chose it unless they go together (Ex. “There were a lot of starving lions wanting to eat you, so I’d rather take my chances with the fire.” – the fact is there were starving lions – it‘s a small fact but it‘s something).

3. Make it a relay. Divide into two or three even teams (if possible). Give the choice (Ex. Would you rather be thrown in a Lions Den or tossed in a Fiery Furnace?), then give your teens 5 minutes to write down as many facts as they can remember for the one they choose. They should work in a group so they can learn new facts about their choice. It’s o.k. if they only chose the lion’s den because they knew more about it.

* The important thing is to make it fun. You might be surprised at how much they know about stories in the Bible.

MORE EXAMPLES:

1. Would you rather be stuck on Noah’s Ark or swallowed by a whale?
2. Would you rather fight a giant or be killed by your brother?
3. Would you rather be Job or Samson?
4. Would you rather be Esther or Mary, mother of Jesus?
5. Would you rather be King David or King Solomon?

Getting teens to open up and express themselves isn’t always as easy as most people think. We’ve all heard people say that teens over-express themselves but are they really expressing “their” own ideas and expression? Or are they showing the image others have of them?

SUPPLIES NEEDED:

Large boxes that teenagers can fit into (at least 2)

1. Divide into two teams evenly.

2. Place the box about 10 to 20 feet away from each team (relay style).

3. When you say “go!” the first person on each team runs to the box and tries to fit as much of their body into the box.

4. Once the player has squeezed into the box, they get out and run back to their team. The second person then follows suit.

5. The team that finishes first, wins.

* Before a “fit” in the box to count, the box bottom must be flat on the floor. Adult volunteers can help oversee this.

* Extra boxes are helpful incase boxes get damaged while teens are climbing in and out of them.

DISCUSSION:

1. What are some “boxes” you’re expected to fit into in your surroundings and culture?

2. Have you ever had to fit into a “box” that was a painful fit? Explain.

3. In what ways do people change themselves to be accepted?

4. Why is being accepted more important than being ourselves?

5. What happens when someone doesn’t fit in?

SCRIPTURES:

Romans 12:2 – Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Mark 8:35-37 – For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?

Matthew 6:24 – No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate one and love the other or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

Exodus 23:2 – Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong. When you give testimony in a lawsuit, do not pervert justice by siding with the crowd…

* Encourage your teens to step out of the “box” and be all that God calls them to be. Remind your teens that none of them were made from the same mold. If God took the time to place each hair on their head, the least they could do is find their own path and follow the crowd.

This game is a great way to get your teens to share their thoughts on fairness and justice.

SUPPLIES:

Beach ball; Masking tape; Large empty trash can

1. Using the masking tape, make a line for your participants to stand behind.

2. Several feet in front of the line, put your empty trash can.

3. Divide your teens into two teams.

4. Each participant will stand behind the line and try to make baskets by bouncing the beach ball off their bellies (stomachs).  The team with the most points win.

5. Once they finish the first game, tell the teens they are going to play again. This time, the girls will be able to make baskets shooting normally while the boys must continue to make baskets by bouncing the balls off of their bellies.

DISCUSSION:

1. How did it feel to play the game when the rules were different for each team?

2. What are some things that you feel are unfair in your life?

3. Read Matthew 20:1-16. What way does God demonstrate He is fair and just?

4. Have you ever felt frustrated with God for things that feel unfair in your life?

5. Has God ever shown you grace by giving you something you didn’t deserve?

Things Needed:

A Bible
At least 16 Foam Balls of any size
Aluminum Foil
Transparent Tape
Masking Tape
A Strobe Light (optional)
Black Light (optional)
Glow-In-The-Dark Paint (optional)

To begin this Discussion Starter, Have someone read Philippians 2:12-18.

Cover the foam balls with aluminum foil and secure the foil with transparent tape. Divide your playing area with your masking tape.

Divide your teams into two groups. Evenly divide the foil covered foam balls between the two teams. Point out the dividing line in the middle of the playing field. Be sure to point out any boundaries.

The object of the game is for teams to throw the foam balls at each other. As they are hit, they must sit down without moving from that spot. The game ends when one team has someone still standing.

Turn off the lights and turn on the strobe light. Anyone who has played dodge ball knows it’s not easy to hit a moving target. With the added challenge of the strobe light and foil on the balls, your teens will enjoy this form of dodge ball even more.

VARIATION:

To add to the fun more, use a black light and glow-in-the-dark paint on some of the balls. Have all of the participants wear black clothes and white gloves.

DISCUSSION:

1. Was it hard to be a target in this game with limited vision?

2. Was it hard trying to hit a moving target with limited vision?

3. Does this game relate to the violence in today’s world? How or how not?

4. What are some causes of the violence we see around us?

5. What are some consequences of violence?

CAUTION:

Strobe lights have been linked with triggering seizures in people with epilepsy. If this may cause a problem for one of your teens, skip the strobe light and use the black light instead.

God doesn’t want use to be victims of violence. He doesn’t call us to be violent. So how can we teach our teens that life doesn’t have to be filled with violence in a violent world? Let’s turn to “the Way, the Truth and the Life”.

1. In a world of complainers…

Philippians 2:14-15 ~ Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe.

* Have you have ever heard someone complain about a gift they were given? Did it hurt when someone didn’t appreciate the time and effort you put into choosing the right gift for them? That’s how God feels when we complain about life. Every part of life is a gift from God, our Heavenly Father. We are telling God we don’t appreciate what He has given us. Complainers aren’t fun to be around. They bring themselves down and they bring everyone around them down.

2. In a world where damage happens…

Psalm 18:18-20 ~ They confronted me in the day of  my disaster, but the Lord was my support. He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me. The Lord has dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he has rewarded me.

* Even when others damage your belongings and you want to retaliate by damaging their belongings or hurting them, we are called to forgive. It is God’s place to punish if He chooses.

3. In a world of revenge…

Ezekiel 45:9 ~ This is what the Sovereign Lord says: “You have gone far enough, O princes of Israel! Give up your violence and oppression and do what is just and right. Stop dispossessing my people,” declares the Sovereign Lord.

* When push comes to shove, God wants us to step back. Count to ten. Take deep breathes. We are called to rise above revenge. Vengeance is the Lords. We are called to be peacemakers. To love one another as He loves us.

4. In a world of vicious gossip and lies…

Proverbs 4:14-17 ~ Do not set foot on the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evil men. Avoid it, do not travel on it; turn from it and go on your way. For they cannot sleep till they do evil; they are robbed of slumber till they make someone fall. They eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence.

* Words can cut deeper than any knife. With a few carefully chosen words, a person can be reduced to tears, overcome with grief and pain or even pushed into depression. As we gossip we are inflicting wounds that may never fully heal. A life can be destroyed with the vicious words that come from anger, jealousy and pain. Who are you inflicting pain on because of careless words?

5. In a world full of anger…

Ephesians 4:31-32 ~ Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other just as in Christ God forgave you.

* It’s so easy to get angry. Someone cuts you off while driving. Another person pushing in front of you at the grocery store. And how about the person who took the last muffin at work on the one morning you were too late to eat breakfast at home? These may all seem silly compared to the big things in this world that causes so much anger but it isn’t any less wrong to get angry over the little things. Anger is real, no matter the size. We all experience it at some point. Because anger is a strong emotion, it isn’t easy to control it. We are called to be slow to anger and to put away our bitter, rage and anger. The next time you feel anger, take a deep breath and slowly release it. Count to ten. Walk away if all else fails. Nothing will be solved by giving into your anger. Trust in the power of God instead of the power of violence.

6. In a world full of evil…

Psalm 37:1-4 ~ Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away. Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.eful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody

Romans 12:17-18 ~ Do repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.

* Yes, there is evil in the world. Our enemy is not of this world. If we choose to be triumphant over evil, we must not give into evil ways. We must stand strong on what God says is good and pleasing. Evil doesn’t have to be murder, or blowing buildings up with people in them. Evil can be anything that goes against God and His teachings.

*VIOLENCE may be unavoidably around us and maybe you are stuck in a no win situation, but rise above the violence. Trust God to be your strength and protector. Live the best life you can through Jesus and follow God’s calling. He didn’t create you with such love that He knows each hair on your head, just so you could fall short of extraordinary. He has plans for you (Isaiah 44:2; Jeremiah 1:5-8; Jeremiah 29:11)

MORE SCRIPTURE:

Psalm 99:8 ~

1 Samuel 24:1-13 ~

Matthew 26:47-54 ~

Psalm 34:13-14 ~

Psalm 101:3-4 ~

Proverbs 16:6 ~

Habakkuk 1:13 ~

What you will need:

Pens or Pencils; Paper; Bibles

Scripture References:

Romans 5:1-5; 2Corinthians 4:18

A Little Better All The Time

As your youth group comes in, have them sit in a circle. If you have round tables available to you, these might be helpful. If you have a large youth group, break them into groups of 8 to 10 players per circle.

Give each participant a piece of paper and a pen or pencil. At the top of the paper, have the participants secretly (no one else can see) write a sentence about someone in high school. They should give their characters names (not real names) and their sentence should be about something lousy that happened to that person during the day. Examples would be “Billy lost his car keys”, “Susan failed her History Test”, “Mitch hurt his arm in gym today” etc.

Once they finish writing their sentences, have them pass their paper one place to their right. That person reads the sentence and writes another one to further the story. Once they finish their sentence, they fold the paper under the first sentence so only the second sentence shows. Now pass it to the next person on the right.

The third person reads only the second sentence then adds a third sentence. They then fold the paper so the second sentence is hidden and pass the paper to the fourth person. This continues until the paper reaches the original writer.

When the original writer receives their story back, they unfold the story and take turns reading their story out loud to the group. Hopefully some of them will have happy endings. Once the stories are read, ask the follow-up questions below.

Follow-Up Questions:

1. What does the old saying “When it rains it pours” mean?

2. What makes a bad day better?

3. Have you ever given up hope just before things get better? (encourage them to share their experiences)

4. Where does hope come from?

5. Can hope change our lives? (encourage them to answer more than yes or no)

Read the Scriptures again.

Close with prayer: (example)

Father, thank you for being with us through the tough times in our lives. Help us, Father, to remember You when we are faced with hardships. Keep Your hope strong inside of us as we go into this world. Let us be a shining example of You. In Jesus precious Name we pray, Amen.

* If you have a small group, say a line of prayer for each of them by name. Even if it is just “Thank you, Jesus for bringing Toni to our group” or “Be with Sam as he goes to the Orthodontist Tuesday”.

You will need the following items to play Trash Can Ball: 2 Trash Cans (any size will work but a 13 gallon or larger works best); 2 Nerf-like balls (more if you play one of the variations); 2 Trash bags (optional ~ this is for inside the trash cans to keep the balls clean) that fit your size trash can.

Your play area needs to be divided in half, putting one trash can (I like Rubbermaid because they are flexible and kids won’t get hurt while guarding the trash cans) at the back of each play area.  Mark a line three feet in front of the trash can. This marks the goalie area and should look similar to a basket ball court or soccer field).

You can use one or more Nerf balls, depending on your group and funds as well as the variation you want to play. Using different colors really adds to the fun.

This game works best with three or more players on each team and teams should be even if possible.  You need one person from each team to start by taking the Nerf-like ball and trying to make a “basket” (tossing the ball into the opponents trash can)  while the opposing team tries to keep the ball from going into their trash can.

The players not shooting a basket (the ones without the ball) should be guarding their basket or blocking the shots (much like basketball without the dribbling). The goalie stands behind the line (marked three feet infront of the trash can for that team) and cannot step in front of the three foot line in front of the trash can.

If you have more than three player per team, one player should be on the sidelines keeping track of their points by watching to see how many baskets are made for each team. Baskets only count if they don’t bounce out of the trash can.

The goalie must toss the ball back into play immediately where either team can get the ball and try to make a basket.

If you have more than 4 player for a team, it may be best to have more than two teams and have a tournament.

The game can play for a set time of 10 minutes and then they can switch possitions  so the counter gets a turn to play.  Each basket is a point and you can set a score they must reach to be the winning team or set a time limit and see who has the most points..

Keep in mind, the smaller the Rubbermaid trash can, the harder it is to make a basket.

To make it more interesting, change things up a little and provide 20 small Nerf balls. Each team starts with 10 Nerf balls. They shoot until time is up or until they run out of balls. If the opponent’s ball goes into your section, you can shoot it as your ball. It is possible that one team could have more than 10 balls in their basket.

Use a Spongee ball instead of a Nerf ball to give the game a different look. You can find the directions for making a Spongee at the following link: http: Spongee Ball

Using Fiskars Scissors, cut each sponge into thirds lengthwise. Stack the cut sponges into three rows of three sponges each.  Grab the stack of sponges at the middle and twist once (this should be all of your sponge strips).  Secure a plastic cable tie around the center of the twisted stack, pulling it as tightly as possible.  Trim the plastic cable tie down as close to the eye as possible.

GAMES TO PLAY WITH YOUR SPONGEE BALL:
1. Play Hot Potato ~ Toss the Spongee BALL around in a group until the music stops. Whoever has the ball when the music stops is out. Continue until there’s one player left.

2. Play Keep Away ~ Put one person in the middle and have everyone else form a circle around that person. Toss the Spongee around the circle (ball must go through the middle of the circle). Person in the middle tries to catch the ball. If they do, the person who threw the ball is in the middle.

3. Play Volleyball ~ Use Volleyball rules. With the ball being so light, this can be challenging but fun. Your teens will enjoy the challenge.

4. Basketball – Use a net that is solid instead of netting so the ball will go through freely and not get stuck. This works best in water since a spongee ball doesn’t bounce well enough to dribble. We play by adding a rule that no one can hold the ball longer than 3 seconds. Since they can’t dribble, this keeps the ball moving and makes it more challenging. Teens love the fast pace.

Tips & Warnings
* Nylon sponges stay soft, cost less and come in many different colors.

* For fun on a hot day, wet your Spongee BALL and play a game of toss.

* Make a splash by planning pool games with your Spongee ball. You can play the same games as above only play them in the water.

Planning a Youth Group Scavenger Hunt can be as simple or as elaborate as you want. You can let your imagination go wild. Try to get a count of how many teens will be there before you plan your Hunt so you can know how big it needs to be. Knowing the number of teens that will be participating will help you determine how many teams you’ll have. The number of teams will determine the number of chaperons you need, how many Kodak disposable cameras you need, how many prizes, etc. If you can’t know a head of time how many teens you will have, make an educated guess and then plan for one extra team if possible.

Now that you have the number of teams figured out and some chaperons in place, it’s time to figure out what kind of Scavenger Hunt to have (yes there is more than one type).

The first type is a Riddle Scavenger Hunt. This is where you give every team a list of riddles. The riddles can lead you to a place, an object, a person or another riddle (much like the “Wild Goose Chase” described in one of my other posts). If you decide on a Riddle Scavenger Hunt, you must then decide if the teams need to go to different places or people to get the next clue or if they are collecting the objects described in the riddle. If you don’t have one volunteer chaperon per team, this may not be the best type of Scavenger Hunt and you should choose one of the other hunts.

The next type of Scavenger Hunt is an item hunt. This is where you have a list of things with their point value (this is determined by how difficult the item is to find). Basically, you give the list of items to your teams (like Colgate toothpaste, Dial Soap, Green Giant can of corn, etc.) and they find the items. Your chaperon for each team drives your teams to their destinations. Your teams can then find the items and bring them back to where you are waiting (if you are collecting things for missions or for a needy family) or they can use Kodak disposable cameras to take pictures of the items. Using the cameras then gives you photos for a church photo album or for a gift to the parents for allowing their youth to join you.

A Store Scavenger Hunt is also fun. You must get permission before doing this type of Scavenger Hunt. You can check with Wal-mart, K-mart, Target, Kroger, etc. Ask them if your youth group can search for things from your list (show them the list if it helps) and take pictures for a Scavenger Hunt. If they say no, still thank them for their time. If they say yes, make sure your teams know to clean up behind themselves and not just dump the items where ever and move on. The day of the hunt, send your teams in different directions with a chaperon and a disposable camera. Let them take their pictures and turn in the cameras where you drop them at a 1 hour photo to finish your prints. While you wait, treat the teens to pizza or burgers.

If you use the photo method of collecting items, you can have the teams look through the photos and calculate, on a big board or paper, their points. Have one youth keep track of the points while one or two find the items in the pictures. Another teen can find the point value for each item. Have the chaperon working with that group, to keep order with their group. Have a prize for the team that has the most points or take them all to the batting cages or putt-putt and the winning team gets to go first. Treat them to Pizza Hut Pizza if it’s in the budget.

If you don’t have enough chaperons, you can make up packets and have them fill out the packet of riddles. The first team to finish the packet wins. This works well for Bible Studies. You can have them use their Bibles to figure out the riddles and take them through a story in the Bible (you will not need cameras for this type). You can also use the Bible verses to come up with clues to the next riddle or clue.

Tips & Warnings
Make some of the items seem impossible (like the river, a dragon or heaven) and give high points to those items. Give a bonus 10 points (or more) to the team who was the most creative in finding items (a cloud formation of a dragon, a jar with river water, etc.).

Be flexible. A Scavenger Hunt is meant to be fun so don’t quibble over an item. If it’s questionable, award 1/2 of the points.

Things You’ll Need:
At least 4 Players
A List of Famous People or Character

To play Press Conference you need four or more people. One person will be the “Famous Person or Character” giving the Press Conference. You also need three to five “Reporters”.

If this is your groups first time playing, you may need to be prepared to assist them with questions until they catch onto things.

Start with a list of famous people or characters. Remember to take your group into consideration. If you have teenagers among you, Shirley Temple may not be a good choice. Just like adults may not know enough about The Black Eye Peas to play the game.

Your Famous Person does NOT know who they are. They stand behind a podium as though they are giving a Press Conference and answer questions from the “Press”.
Now select three to five reporters. They must take turns asking the first person questions that hint at who the first person is without being too obvious. They should come up with their own questions but you can help them if they get stuck.

The person behind the podium must try to answer the question as best they can listening for the clues as to who they are. If they want to, they may have a tablet to jot down the things they think are clues to their identity.

If you have more teens than you need, the extra players can help guess who is giving the Press Conference (the one behind the podium). The extras can also help be reporters but the game works best with 3 to 5 reporters.

The game is over when the person behind the podium guesses who they are and why they are having a Press Conference.

You can set a limit of ten questions and then they have to guess or you can leave it open until the first person is able to guess correctly.

EXAMPLE:
1. Famous person is Noah and he is trying to explain the ark.
2. Sample questions: What do you plan to do with all this wood? Are you planning to pack umbrellas? Will your family take swimming lessons? Will each of your sons have their own area for their families? Have you thought about the noise and smell?

You will need a chaperon for each team who is at least 21 years old (our church requires them to be at least 25 years old).

First, a Wild Goose Chase is when you give your teens clues (riddles work to add some fun) to get them from the starting point to the next place. You have another clue waiting there that takes them somewhere else. You continue sending them on the “wild goose chase” until they reach the destination where you have something special planned. This can be as simple as ending up at the local pizza joint, to ending back where they started and having a picnic, special dinner, Pizza Hut pizza, etc. waiting for them.

A Wild Goose Chase needs a plan. For this, you need an imagination (ability to write riddles will be helpful but you may be able to find something online). What you need to do is plan out a path. If you have a large group, you can use the same places just in a different order. You should plan out at least three (3) destinations before finally reaching the end. The riddle can be something easy like “Go to the Golden Arches” which everyone knows to be the McDonalds to something harder like “I’m Top Cow” which could be Burger King.

Now that you have the idea down, your next step is to plan a surprise to be waiting for them. This is where you have them end at a pizza place or plan a big party back where they started. Their final destination is up to you.

If you have a small group then you can keep them together in one group but more than 5 or 6 teens should be divided into smaller groups. You should have a special gift for each teen who participates and a special gift for each chaperon. If you want you can give the first team to reach the final destination a bigger prize or let them go through the food/treat line first.

Tips & Warnings
Make sure your chaperons have been approved by your church.
Make sure your drivers are careful and approved by your church.

TREASURE HUNT:

A Treasure Hunt is fun for all ages.The more active the Treasure Hunt the better teens respond.

1. Hide the treasure. Find a place that they would never think to look (this leaves out any place that has food). If it’s a CD they are looking for, think of safe places where the CD won’t be damaged in the process of the hunt or while waiting to be found (you probably should not hide it on top of the refrigerator where the heat could damage the CD).

2. Write clues on Index cards. Riddles work well for teens. If you can make your clues hidden in Bible verses, it’s a great way to help your teens get familiar with their Bibles. An example would be if you hide an index card behind a map of under a globe, the verse could be John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world…” Leaving off at “world” is the clue. Place an index card in a garden and write a line of rhyme about the Garden of Eden like “Roses are red, violets are blue, if you plant here, you can grow too.”

3. Have the teens read the clues from the index cards and figure out where the next clue(index card) is. Let them continue until they find the treasure.

4. Once the treasure is found, celebrate with food (pizza or ice-cream sundeas work great).

5. For a twist on this, make the treasure verses in the Bible. You can call out  a Bible verse, and the first teen to stand and read it out loud wins a point. At the end of the hunt, the teen with the most points wins a prize. A variation of this would be giving them a list of ten clues. Each clue leads to a certain Bible verse. They write the verse they believe to be the right verse beside the clue. At the end, the person with the most right verses wins something (this can be as simple as they get to be the first to go throught the pizza line or again a CD or gift card).

* The most important thing to remember is make it fun and active. The more active the hunt the more likely your teens will be to invite a friend to come next time. Using the Bible is a really great way to get teens searching their Bible.

WHO DONE IT?:

This is played similar to Twenty Questions.

1. As your teens arrive, give them a character. On an index card, they should have a name, description of character, how they know the others in the group and any other important information.

2. Explain that one of them ate all of the snacks that was prepared for today. If they can figure out who, they can get a better snack for the group (you can tell them the first snack was cookies but they can have ice-cream sundaes if the person is caught.

3. They have to ask yes or no questions (to you) but the questions can not ask anything that gives the answer away (ex. Did Billy eat all of the cookies). Their questions can be – Is the person here today? Does the person have brown hair? etc.

4. Once they figure out the person, reward the group by letting them make their own ice-cream sundaes. Let the person who figured it out go first. If it goes too fast, have a second mystery ready to provide the toppings for the ice-cream.

PUZZLE MYSTERIES:

Have several different Brain Teasers for the teens to figure out. You can find some great ones online or if you are creative, you can come up with some great ones on your own.

1. Do the picture mysteries ~ Cup+rake-up+n-e= Crank (use pictures if you can – “Crank” would be the correct answer). Give them a time-limit and the one with the most done correctly wins points.

2. Play small parts of songs and have them write down what they think the song is. The one to get the most songs correct would earn points.

3. Have a picture covered. Ask them questions. With every correct answer, unveil a small part of the picture. The first person to guess the picture correctly gets points.

4. Have riddles. The one who gets the most riddles correct in a certain amount of time, wins points.

5. The person with the most points wins a prize.

* You can award points to everyone who participates, just give different points depending on how they did (5 correct=5 points; 3 correct=3 points; etc)

MURDER MYSTERY:

You need a victim. It’s fun to get someone other than a teen to do this so all the teens are involved with solving the mystery. A teen can be used if no adult is willing.

1. As your teens arrive, give them a character. On an index card, they should have a name, description of character, how they know the others in the group and any other important information. They need to wear something (name tag, special clothes, etc.) that tells the group who they are in the story.

2. Once they are all familiar with their character, a chaperon should begin by starting the story (why are they all gathered? Is it a birthday party for one of the guests? Are they on a train or staying at an Inn and  complete strangers? What is the first part of the mystery?)

3. When the scene (or story) has been set, have your victim stumble into the room and fall to the floor (pretending to be dead). They can be one of the chaperons, a key player or someone dressed as someone famous.

4. The teens need to figure out what killed them (was it poison, stabbing, a shooting). Give your teens paper to take notes (I give my teens a small note pad because they come in packs of 3 for a dollar). They can work together or alone. Remember, one of them is GUILTY of the crime but none of them know who (you can tell the guilty person if you think they can play along without giving anything away).

5. About every 15 minutes, something else needs to happen. If it’s a stabbing, the knife can be discovered, blood in the sink can be found, a bloody shirt can be found. All of these things need to be spaced out so the teens have time to do some thinking. Each clue needs to lead them in different possible directions (if possible). Don’t make it too easy to figure out.

6. Throughout the evening, have someone read more of the story if necessary to move the story along. Also have some Brain Teasers to help them along if necessary.

7. When they solve the Murder Mystery, reward them with something small.

* This can be over in an hour or take several hours. We did one that took all night during a lock-in.

Messy Game Day Fun!

1. You need to choose games.

2. Try to get enough chaperons to have one for every five teens.

3. Plan it outside. Things might get really messy (if you’re lucky) and in a big yard or field, it’s easier to clean up by just spraying off.

4. Tell everyone attending to wear their oldest clothes (something they don’t mind ruining).

Favorite Games:

1.  The Egg Toss. Have everyone pair off and each pair gets an egg. The teams (pairs) stand across from their partners in two straight lines. They start about 4 feet apart. Someone says “Toss” and they toss the egg to their partner. If the egg doesn’t break, one side takes a step backwards and someone says “toss” again. This continues until one team (pair) has an uncracked egg and all other teams are out (their eggs cracked). The fun part is when the egg bursts in someone’s hands and the splatter is all over them.

2. Messy Muscle Man. Again you need to divide into 2 or more teams. This time, they choose someone to make into a “Muscle Man” (it works best if you can have the smallest person but we’ve used all sizes). The person chosen puts Fruit of the Loom long johns on over their clothes. Everyone else will be filling the long johns with messy water balloons. Half the fun is when the balloons pop but the goal is to have more unpopped balloons in the long johns than any other team. This can also be done with regular balloons.

Peanut Butter Facial

4. Messy Dodge Ball. You play the game the same only the “balls” are actually water balloons filled with water and condiments. Before filling them, squeeze some Hunt’s ketchup, French’s mustard & Hershey choc. syrup in each balloon. Then add the water (this can get messy so be careful when filling the balloons). Put two or more kiddy pools where the line would be dividing the two teams. Fill the pools with the balloons. Put one team on either side of the pools. Blow a whistle or yell “Go” and let them run to the pools and grab balloons. As they throw the balloons, the balloons will either pop causing squeals of joy or bounce off. In this case, they can pick the unpopped balloons up and toss them back at the other team. Everyone wins!

5. Food Fight. Your momma always told you not to throw food but in “Food Fight” all bets are off. If you use two kiddy pools, set them up like the Dodge Ball field. This time, instead of filling balloons, you fill the tubs. Make the instant Idaho potatoes with water only (it’s cheaper and no one cares about the flavor). Make them as thick or creamy as you want. Jell-O is another great food for your fight. It takes at least 2 large boxes of instant potatoes per kiddy pool. Once the potatoes have cooled, so no one gets burned, add prepared Jell-O Instant pudding, Hunt’s ketchup, French’s mustard, Hershey chocolate syrup, Hershey strawberry syrup, Hershey caramel syrup, Maraschino cherries, Cool Whip whipped topping, and any other soft food you want to add. The teams each get a pool. Someone yells “GO” and the kid’s start throwing the food at each other. Every minute or so, someone should blow a whistle signaling the teens to change pools.  Keep them running to add to the fun. The fuller the pools the better. Again there isn’t a “winner” because it’s more for fun than for competition.

Pie In The Face

Tips & Warnings
1. Suggest to all of your guests that they bring a change of clothes. The ride home will be better if everyone is in clean clothes.

2. All of the messy water balloon games can be done with just water in them if you want to have a Water Game Day.

3. You don’t have to use the marshmallow cream in the pie pans. It works great because it is sticky but you can use just cool whip or make choc. pudding and cool whip on top for an even messier game.
Think of fun games your group enjoys and see if there’s a way to make it messy.

4. For the Peanut butter facial, the cheese puff balls can hurt if they get rough in their throwing. If you are working with younger children, you may want to use the marshmallows.

5. Make sure your participants keep their eyes closed when sticking their face in the pie pans.

6. Where ever you chose to host your Messy Game Day, make sure it’s o.k. if something gets messy and/or stained. Things explode and you never know where you might find splatter.

Things You’ll Need:
Chalk Board or Dry Erase Board.
Chalk Or Dry Erase Markers
Eraser
First, divide your group into teams of three to four teens per team. If you have more than two or three teams, make this a tournament. Two teams go up against each other. The other teams can play the same game in another area or room as long as they can’t see or hear the first group.

Next,  the winner from the first group then plays the winner from the second group with new Chain Reaction Boards. Each game should be five to nine links in the Chain Reaction (an odd number). You can have a small prize for the two teams that made it to the final round and then a bigger prize for the final winning team.

Now that you have the teams divided, it’s time to explain the game.  You will start with a word and have three words in between (these are missing and the youth have to guess them) and one last word. The three words connect the two end words together.

An example would be ~ Mountain – Top – Dog – House – Boat ~ They would guess – Top, Dog, and House. Your Chalk Board or Dry Erase Board should have Mountain written at the top and Boat written at the bottom. As you can see, Mountain connects to top (Mountain top), Top connects to Dog (Top dog), Dog connects to House (dog house), House connects to Boat (House boat).

Now draw three lines under Mountain (as though you were listing them one under the other) . They can ask for a letter under Mountain or a letter above Boat. Once the letter is revealed, they have 30 seconds to guess the word. If they get the word right, they receive 100 points and they get to guess again.  If they guess wrong, they do not lose any points but the opponents now get to play. They continue until the Chain is complete. The team who fills in the last word, the one that connects/completes the chain, earns that team 200 points.

If you have more than two teams, play about five rounds and the winners then can play each other. If you want to keep the teams together in one room, have two teams play the first chain reaction and the second team play the next chain reaction. Mix it up and change up which teams play against each other.

Once you have your final winning team, you can play a Bonus Round with all the teams. This round should have a longer chain. Instead of five words, try to make a ten word chain for the bonus round.
This may become a Youth Night Favorite so be prepared to come up with more chain reactions. Check out GSN.com to see the T.V. version.