Junior High Youth Group Games

Inside:

Alphabet Backwards

Have a contest to see who can write the alphabet backwards and correctly the fastest.

Balloon Relay

hit the balloon down and back with your hand.

kick the balloon down and back with your feet

head-butt the balloon down and back

blow the balloon down and back

hold both between your and someone else’s forehead down and back

hold it between your legs and hop down and back

run it down and pop it

Balloon Catch

Give each student a number. Throw balloon up, call out a number. Student must catch balloon before it hits the floor.

Bean Bag Toss

Divide students into two teams and give them an even number of bean bags. Hold up two hula hoops. When you say go, teams try to throw the beanbags through the hoops. Each bag through is a point for that team. Play as many rounds as you want.

Eat It

Various objects are hidden in a brown paper bag. Two contestants, one from each team comes up. They brag about how fast they can eat what’s in the bag. Finally one of them tells the other to “eat it”. The person eating gets a point for their team if they do eat it. The other team gets a point if they can’t eat it in the time limit.

Group Impressions

Divide into two teams. Teams face each other. Call out scenes (Teens at a rock concert, watching a scary movie, getting food poisoning, getting hit with laughing gas, etc.). Teams have ten seconds to act out the scene. Best acting gets a point.

Group Karaoke

Students pick a song together. The goal is for them to sing the song, one word at a time, switching singers into the microphone, so that there are no missed words.

Foot Volleyball

Divide into two teams. Place a net or some sort of barrier between the two teams (lining up chairs would work). Students must crabwalk, kicking a balloon back and forth over the net. If the balloon hits the ground, the other team gets a point. Introduce multiple balloons to create more chaotic fun.

Judge

Each student puts something in the pile. The Judge sits, facing away from the pile. The Guard (a leader) holds one thing up, not letting the Judge see what it is, and asks the Judge what the owner of that item must do to retrieve their item. The Judge makes something up, passes sentence, the owner carries out their sentence, and then the owner becomes the new Judge. Game stops when everyone has gotten their items back out of the pile.

Move Over, Van Gogh! (pg. 27-28)

Overview: Teenagers will work together to create “masterpieces”.

Time Involved: 10 to 15 minutes

Supplies: paper, markers in four different colors

Preparation: none

            Have teenagers form groups of four, and give each person a piece of paper and a different colored marker. Have the members of each group sit with their backs to each other, and tell them that they cannot talk to each other for the remainder of this activity.

            Explain that teenagers in each group will be working together to create four different masterpieces. Tell teenagers that when you tell them to start, they’ll have thirty seconds to begin drawing a picture. It can be a picture of anything they’d like – even just an abstract picture. Tell them to start drawing, and after thirty seconds, have them stop and pass each paper to the person on the right. Instruct them to try to continue the drawings just as the original artists might have, and remind teenagers that they can’t speak to each other. Give them another thirty seconds to continue the masterpieces.

            Continue in this manner until each group member has contributed to all four drawings. Then have teenagers turn around and share their completed “masterpieces”. Ask a few volunteers to share their pictures with the whole group. Ask:

• Does your finished picture look like you originally envisioned it? If not, what’s different about it?
• Did you find it easy or difficult to follow someone else’s vision without any guidance? Explain.
• What does this activity tell us about the importance of communication?

Musical Madness

Play musical chairs. On some chairs are written special instructions (Sing happy birthday in duck voice, do jumping jacks while singing a silly song, shout as loud as you can for 30 seconds, etc.) Students who land on those chairs must carry out those instructions.

 

Name Word Find

Have students write names in rows.  Individuals or teams then try to find words using the letters of their names.  Any letter can be used as long as it is touching the previous letter. Person or team to find the most words in a given amount of time wins.

Penny Balance

Students stand, tilt their heads back, and place a penny on the end of their nose. Whoever keeps penny balanced the longest, wins.

Spoon Free-for-All

Players start with four playing cards. Dealer passes individual cards. As soon as one person has four of a kind, they get up and make a mad dash to find a spoon. Everyone else follows. The spoons have been hidden around the room or in another room. The one person that doesn’t find a spoon is out. Players who are out hide the spoons for the next round.

Toilet Paper Roll

Students roll a roll of toilet paper on the ground, trying not to break it. There are tape markers on the floor for point levels. The one who rolls it the longest without breaking it wins. Could play in teams with points added together.

Quizzing

Bible Trivia like jeopardy using seat pads. 

Who Am I?

Paste names or character cards on each student’s back. They then ask questions to find out who is on their back. Use cartoon characters, superheroes, or Bible characters.

Word Association

Leader says a word and passes a ball to someone in the circle. The person catching the ball has to say the first appropriate word that comes to mind in relation to the word the leader said. The person passes the ball to the next person, who associates with what the previous person said. Ball should be passed to people who haven’t had it yet. Round is over when everyone has had the ball.

Inside or Outside:

Affirmation Relay

Divide students into teams, one affirmation per number of players. One leader holds the affirmation slips ten feet in front of their team. Players take turns running up to their leaders and performing the instructions on the card (Run up to an adult leader and shout “God loves you!”, Run up to someone not on your team and give them a hug, tell a member of the opposite gender an encouraging Bible verse, Give each of your team-members a pat on the back saying “Good job!”, Give six people high fives, give someone a compliment, Sing “Jesus Loves Me” to someone substituting “You” for “Me”). The first team to complete all their cards wins.

Alley Tag

Line people up in rows so that they can touch with their hands outstretched. Choose a Chaser and a Runner and start them at opposite sides of the rows. Whenever you blow your whistle, the people in the rows have to turn, thus changing the direction of the alleys.

Alpha-pass

Form a circle. Hand one player a foam ball. Name a category (food, animals, names of people, etc) and begin the timer. First person names an object that starts with ‘A’, then passes the ball to another person who must then name an object that starts with ‘B’. Continue to the end of the alphabet, if possible, before time runs out.

 

Amoeba

Appoint one or two students to be amoebas.  They tag other kids and absorb them into their group.  Amoebas may absorb smaller amoebas.  The last kid to be absorbed wins.

Animal Relay

Crab walk, bunny hop, duck waddle (crouching and grabbing ankles with hands), elephant walk (keeping hands and feet on floor, arms and legs straight, swishing head back and forth), frog jump (hands on floor, jump and land in same position), kangaroo hop (balloon between legs and jumping), parrot fly (running, flapping arms, and repeating, “Polly want a cracker!)

Auto Tag

·        Supplies:     2 soft balls

·        Where?      Open area

·        Time:          However long you want…

Running pairs will have to hold onto one another’s hands.  Each pair chooses a make, model and color of car to be, then makes the appropriate noises associated with their vehicle.

Each member of the IT pair will have one free hand.  Fill IT’s free hands with soft, throwable balls, like fleece balls (something YOU wouldn’t mind getting hit with…)  A “tag” is made if the IT auto-pair hits someone with one of their balls.  When this occurs, the other IT player drops their ball (headlight), which must be retrieved by the hit pair, who are now IT, and the game continues.

Who’s In My Frying Pan?

·        Supplies:     none

·        Where?      Anywhere

·        Time?         5-10 minutes

This is a game where the leader knows the secret, and the rest of the group try and guess how it’s done.  Pick three objects (start with objects in the room and then use objects outside or make-believe objects). Say you have these three objects in your frying pan and then ask, Who is in my frying pan? Students guess.

And just what is the secret?  The person who was actually in the frying pan is the first person to speak after you say, Who is in my frying pan?  Sooner or later, someone will catch on or perhaps the leader will make it a little more obvious, which only baffles the rest of the group more.  It’s fun as well as frustrating.

Big Time Ping Pong

Enlarge the set up for ping-pong.  Use a larger ball.  Students use regular paddles, but hold them with two hands.

 

Bite the Bag

Place a paper bag on the floor.  Students take turns trying to pick up the bag with their teeth without letting anything except their feet touch the floor.  After each round, cut the bag lower.  The last person to be able to pick up the bag with their teeth wins.

Body Part Musical Chairs

·        Supplies:     One chair per person

·        Where?      Open area

·        Time?         5-10 minutes

Have everyone form a big circle of chairs with the chairs facing outward.  Remove one chair.  Have music ready.  When the music starts, everyone must walk around the chairs.  When the music stops, a caller yells out a body part.  Then everyone races to touch that body part to a chair, one person per chair only.  The one person who doesn’t get a chair is also out.  To speed it up, you can remove more chairs.  We usually start out simple – nose, hair, left elbow, etc. but towards the end we get more complicated – your bare feet (both of them), someone who’s out’s left hand, etc.  The object is to be the last one left.

Caterpillar Relay

·        Supplies:     sleeping bags

·        Where?      Anywhere

·        Time?         Only a few minutes

One at a time, each person on a team gets into a sleeping bag (head first!) and tries to reach a certain point and return.  Obstacles may be placed in the way to make the game a little tougher.

Centipede Race

·        Supplies:     2-3 benches

·        Where?      Outside, Open area

·        Time?         Only a few minutes

Here’s a great game that can be played indoors or outdoors.  Seat as many students on each bench as possible, straddling it like a horse.  When the race starts, everyone must stand up, bend over, and pick up the bench, holding it between their legs.  They then run like a centipede.  The finish line should be forty to fifty feet away.  It’s a lot of fun to watch!

Chasing Your Tail

Students form a line, holding on to the shoulders of the person in front of them. The first person in the line tries to tag the last person in line. Once they do, they go to the end and the person behind them tries to catch them.

Cowboy

Students stand in a circle, looking down at their feet, making their best cowboy pose and pretending to hold their “six-shooters” at their sides in the holsters. When the leader counts three, students look up and shout bang, pointing their finger “guns” at someone else in the circle. If two students are aiming at each other, they’re out. Play until there is only one or two people left.

Decathlon For Fun

Throwing Contests

Measure the distance that contestants throw:

• Colored or labeled pingpong balls-two throws per person.
• Straws -- two throws per person.
• Paper plates -- two throws per person.

Sprints

• Give each contestant a 2-foot piece of red licorice. Have contestants bend at the waist and race to get all the licorice into their mouths without using their hands.
• Contestants race 10 yards and put four saltine crackers in their mouths. The first to chew and whistle wins.

Relays

• Each teammate races 10 yards to a piece of bubble gum, blows a bubble large enough to cover his or her nose when it breaks, and returns to the line.
• Each teammate takes their shoes off and skates with paper plates under their feet around a chair and back to their team
• Swimming motions
• Pulling each other in a sled

• Team members place their shoes in a pile. Then one at a time each teammate races to the shoes, puts his or her shoes on, and returns to the team.

DISCIPLEMAKERS
This is a high-energy game you can use to teach kids how important it is for us to reach others for Jesus.

Using the masking tape, make two “x” shapes on the floor 20 feet apart. Form two teams, and have each team form a line 20 feet away from its “x”—home base—on the floor. Select one “Disciplemaker” from each team, and have that person stand on home base, facing his or her team.

On “go,” the disciplemakers run to their teammates” When they reach the first person, they’ll grab the hand of the first person in line and cry out, “Be Jesus’ disciple!”

Then they’ll lead the teammate by the hand and run back to home base. Once a captive is safe on home base, the disciplemaker and the new disciple runs back to the team and grabs another until all the kids have become disciples. The team that finishes first wins the game.

Disciple Tag

One person is “It”, the disciple. Once the disciple tags someone, that person is a disciple too. Play until everyone is a disciple. Last person to become a disciple becomes “It” for the new round.

Duckball

Kickball with the variation of having to keep a balloon squeezed between your legs.

Egg-And-Armpit Relay

·        Supplies:     Hardboiled eggs, spoons

·        Where?      Anywhere

·        Time?         Only a few minutes

Half of the team lines up on each side of the room.  The first person races to the other side with a spoon in his mouth and an egg on it.  The teammate on the other side takes the egg and puts it in their armpit and runs back across the room.  He drops the egg from his armpit onto the next person’s spoon.

Find the Cookie Monster

·        Supplies:     Cookies

·        Where?      Entire building

·        Time:          10+ minutes

A fun twist on “Hide and Seek.”  A leader hides with a bunch of cookies and the kids go looking for him/her.  When they find the leader, they are given a cookie, but should NOT give away where the leader is hidden.  They should hide the cookie until they are away from the hidden leader.  Why?  So that they can show off their cookie to others and slowly eat it, bragging that they have a cookie and not the others.  Game goes until everyone has a cookie, or until the leader is out of cookies.

Fingers Up

Students pair up. On the count of three, each holds up their hands, putting as many fingers up as they choose. First student to say how many total fingers they both have up wins that round.

Freeze Ball

The player who is it takes a ball and throws it into the air. Meanwhile, players run and scatter. When “It” catches the ball and yells “Freeze!”, all runners stop. “It” will take three giant steps toward any player and try to tag them with the ball. The player may duck or swivel to dodge the ball, as long as one foot stays frozen in place. If the ball is caught, they become the next “It”. If tagged, person sits out until next round. Last person tagged is next “It”.

Grab It

Two teams. First from each team runs to the middle to grab a noodle. One who grabs it runs back to their team. Person who did not get it tries to tag the one who did. If the person tags the other, the person tagged becomes a part of the other team. If they are not tagged, the one trying to tag them becomes a part of their team. Once one person runs out, they go to the back of the line.

Green Light Go!

Lay one red, one yellow and one green blanket side by side on the ground, with the yellow blanket in the middle. If you don't have blankets these colors, lay down three blankets and designate red, yellow or green for each blanket. Tell kids the colors represent a traffic light. Have all the children stand on the yellow blanket. When you shout another color, have the children quickly move to the appropriate blanket. The last child to get both feet on the correct blanket is eliminated from the game. To make the game more challenging, occasionally call out the color on which the children are already standing. Anyone who steps off that blanket is eliminated. For a change of pace, call out "traffic accident" and have everyone vacate the blankets. The last child to get off is eliminated. Keep the pace quick and vary the colors called. The last person to remain in the traffic light gets to call out the colors in the next round of play. To make it harder, do not lay down colors but simply say what areas designate what colors. Students will get confused and hesitate more easily.

Grog

·        Supplies:     a flashlight (disassembled)

·        Where?      Entire church

·        Time?         10-60 minutes

In order to prepare for this game, the different pieces of a flashlight are hidden on surfaces throughout the church (i.e. not in drawers, etc)

One person is chosen to be the ‘Grog.’  During the course of the game, if the Grog touches another player, they scream at the top f their lungs and ‘die.’  This lets everyone else know where they are and where the Grog is.  A ‘dead’ player can be brought back to life if another player touches them.  The Grog wins if all the other players are ‘dead’ simultaneously.  The others win f they can find all the pieces of the flashlight, assemble it, and shine the light in the eyes of the Grog.  The Grog is not allowed to touch any of the pieces of the flashlight during the game.

Guzzle Relay

·        Supplies:     2 or 3 gallons of Cider, straws

·        Where?      Anywhere

·        Time?         Only a few minutes

Each person gets a drinking straw.  A gallon of apple cider is placed a certain distance away.  When the whistle is blown, the first person in line runs to the cider and starts guzzling.  When the whistle blows again, he stops and the next person takes over.  (Some people get a short drink, others a long drink, depending on your best judgment.)  The first team to finish their gallon of cider wins.

Ice Cones

Students pair up. Each has a paper cone. They take turns flinging an ice cube to each other with their cones and catching them with their cones. After each successful round, the pair takes a step back from one another. If they drop the ice cube, they’re out.

Ice-Cube Hockey

Four players around a table. Each has a spoon for a stick. An ice-cube is the puck.

Jump Rope

Students stand in a circle around the leader. Leader swings a jump rope around the circle an inch off the ground. Students must jump the rope when it comes to them. If they are hit by the rope, they are out and the last one in wins.

Limbo

Hold a bar between two people. Each student passes under it, bending backward. Lower it for each round. Person is out when they fall or touch the bar. Last one out wins.

Life-size memory match

Divide into two teams. Have several pairs of covered items spread out in a large area. One person at a time, alternating teams, uncovers two items. The goal is to be the team who finds the most matching items.

Lost Sheep

Choose players to be either sheep or the shepherd. Blindfold the shepherds. Sheep crawl on hands and knees while shepherds try to find them. Play until each sheep has been found. Play until everyone has been a shepherd.

Mad Relay

·        Supplies:     Folding chairs, bags with instructions on the inside

·        Where?      Anywhere

·        Time:          5-10 Minutes

In this relay, each player does something different.  At the beginning of the race, each team is lined up single file.  At a signal, the first person on each team runs to the other end of the course to a chair.  On the chair is a bag containing instructions written on separate pieces of paper.  The player draws one of the instructions, reads it, and follows it as quickly as possible.  Before returning to the team, the player must tag the chair and then run back and tag the next runner.  The team that uses all of its instructions first is the winner.  Here are a few sample directions:

1.      Run around the chair five times while continuously yelling “The Americans are coming, the Americans are coming!”

2.      Run to the nearest person on another team and scratch their head.

3.      Run to the nearest adult in the room and whisper, “You’re no spring chicken!”

4.      Stand on one foot while holding the other in your hand, tilt your head back and count, “10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, Blast Off!”

5.      Take your shoes off, put them on the wrong feet, and then tag your nearest opponent.

6.      Sit on the floor, cross your legs, and sing the following: “Mary had a little lamb, little lamb, little lamb.  Mary had a little lamb, its fleece was white as snow.”

7.      Go to the last person on your team and make three different funny-face expressions, then return to the chair before tagging your next runner.

8.      Put your hands over your eyes and snort like a pig five times and meow like a cat five times.

9.      Sit in the chair, fold your arms, and laugh hard and loud for five seconds.

10.  Go to a blonde and keep asking, “Do blondes really have more fun?” until they answer.

11.  Run around the chair backward five times while clapping your hands.

12.  Run to someone not on your team and kiss their hand and gently pinch their cheek.

Marble Sucking Relay

·        Supplies:     straws, marbles, paper cups

·        Where?      Anywhere

·        Time:          Only a few minutes

Divide your group into several teams.  Give each person a plastic straw and a paper cup.  The first person on each team gets a marble in their cup.  The object is to suck the marble up with the straw and drop it into the next person’s cup.  If the marble drops on the floor, the team must start over at the beginning.  The first team to get the marble to the last person wins!

Maze

Make a grid on a tarp on or floor or buy one from praxistraining.com or teamworkandteamplay.com. Map out a path, from square to square, in sequence.  Students then must work together to discover the right path across the grid.

 

Minefield

Establish start and finish lines using a jump-rope and the bandannas. Invite kids to scatter items between the lines as make-believe explosive mines. When the obstacles are all “planted”, have kids find partners and decide who’ll be the Guide and who’ll be the Creeper. Say: There are pretend mines planted all over the course. Creepers, your mission is to make it safely through the minefield by listening carefully to the directions your Guide gives you. There’s one rule: Creepers must keep their eyes closed at all times! When you cross the finish line, Creepers and Guides will switch places and return to the starting line. If you bump into a mine, you and your partner must freeze in place and count to 10 out loud before continuing.

Musical Sponge

Kids play musical chairs blindfolded, while leaders place a wet sponge on one chair every round.  Every round, the kid and the chair with the sponge is out.  The last kid not to have a wet bottom wins.

Mystery Volleyball

Put blankets or tarps over net so students can’t see when the ball is coming.

Obstacle Relay

Have to jump over pieces of paper

Have to figure eight around pieces of paper

Telephone

Pat the Cat

Place a chair in front of the group. Choose one player to be the Cat and sit in the chair. Blindfold the Cat, and place another piece of cloth on the Cat’s head. Other players sit a few feet in front of Cat. Each player takes turns trying to sneak up and take cloth without being tagged by the Cat. If unsuccessful, sit on the sidelines in the “mouse hole”. If successful, they become the next Cat.

Pet Store

Students each pick a type of animal to be and line up in a row, facing the leader. Leader is the Shopkeeper of the Pet Store. Leader picks one student to come up to be the Buyer. Buyer tells Shopkeeper what type of animal they’d like to be and Shopkeeper and Buyer run to catch that “animal.” As soon as “animal” hears its names, it runs to the far wall. If “animal” gets there, they are free and Buyer must choose again. If Buyer and Shopkeeper catch “animal”, the “animal” becomes the new Buyer and the Buyer takes their spot on the line as their “animal” again.

 

Ping-Bag

Students stand in a circle and pass a bean bag randomly.  Students catch and pass the bean bag with ping-pong paddles.  If someone misses the bag, they’re out.  If the pass is ruled to be uncatchable, the thrower is out.

Ping-Pong Blow

Two teams try to blow the ping-pong across the table and off the edge of the other team’s side.

Prui

All players close their eyes or are blindfolded. Leader picks one person to be the prui. Everyone except the prui mingles around. When they touch someone, they ask, “Prui?” The prui does not ask back. When someone finds the prui, they grab hands and join it. Game ends when everyone is part of the prui.

Sardines

Reverse of Hide and Go Seek. One person (or team) hides, and the rest go to find them. When someone finds the hiding person or team, they quietly hide with them. The last person or team to find the hiding group is the one who hides in the next round. This game works best when played in a large, dark area, such as a woods or church.

Shooting Gallery

Blindfold a leader and let students take turns throwing a ball at them while they walk back and forth or bob up and down.  The kid with the most hits wins.  Give leader a noisemaker or something to increase the hilarity.  Possible variation is a straw loaded with q-tips as a makeshift blowgun.

Shooting Ice-Stars

Students try to shoot an ice cube through their hands into a bucket. They do this by holding the ice cube until it melts and then squeezing it.

Simon Says

Leader tells students to do something and then does it themselves. Must preface order with “Simon (or Leader’s name) says”. If they don’t and a student does something, they’re out.

Squirrel

Students form groups of three. One person is not in a group. They are an extra Squirrel. Two in the group form a tree, holding hands. The third is the squirrel. Trees spread out and stay in one spot. Squirrels move from tree to tree. One leader is the Whacker. Squirrels run from tree to tree, trying to avoid the Whacker. The Whacker has a pool noodle and is trying to clobber the Squirrels. Extra Squirrel runs to an occupied tree, forcing that Squirrel out. The ousted squirrel runs to another tree, ousting that Squirrel and so on. May add extra Squirrels or extra Whackers.

Surrounded By Love
A game for children's ministry

Scripture: Psalm 32:10
Game Overview: Kids will pass a hula hoop around a circle without letting go of one another's hands.
Supplies: Bible, two hula hoops
Preparation: None needed
Leader Tip: This game works best if you have no more than ten or fifteen kids in a circle. No hula hoop? Substitute several clean pieces of pantyhose tied together.

Ask kids to form a large circle with the hula hoop resting on a child's arm. Say: The goal of this game is to work the hula hoop around the circle without letting go of one another's hands. You'll need to figure out how to get it over your head, climb through it, and pass it on—without breaking the circle. Ready? Go!

Play again, but this time pass another hula hoop in the opposite direction, so you have two hula hoops going around the circle. At the end of the game, discuss this question:

• How did you pass the hula hoop around the circle?
• Say: At times in this game, you were surrounded by the hula hoop. It covered you from your head to your toes! Read Psalm 32:10, then ask:
• What does this verse say about God's love?
• How have you seen God's love in yuour life? in someone else's life?
• Say: Just as we experienced with our hula hoops, God surrounds us with His love. God's love covers us from our head to our toes!

Tank

Divide students into two teams. Each team picks one or more “tanks”. The tanks are blindfolded. Spread balls on the floor. The tanks must find the balls and throw them at the enemy tanks to win. Once a tank is hit, it is out. The tank’s team can call out where the balls and where the enemy tanks are, but they can’t otherwise enter the game. They are called Central Intelligence. When one team wins, the losing team gets to send out more tanks than the winning team the next round.

Snowball Fight

Divide into two teams.  Place teams on opposite sides of a marked line.  Then give each team an equal amount of snow (scrap paper).  The two teams then wad up the paper into “snowballs” and throw them at each other.  At the end of the time limit the team with the least number of the snowballs on their side of the line wins.

Straws & Q-tips

·        Supplies:     Straws, Q-tips, buckets

·        Where?      Anywhere

·        Time:          Only a few minutes

Give each child a straw and several Q-tips.  Put a Q-tip into the straw, and by blowing the straw it will shoot out the Q-tip.  Have a bucket about 10 feet away and see how many they can get into the bucket.

Tails! You’re It!

·        Supplies:     a quarter

·        Where?      Open Area

·        Time?         5-10 minutes

Gather everyone in the front of the sanctuary.  Take a coin and tell everyone to declare heads or tails affiliation by placing one hand either on his or her head or on his or her behind.  Flip the coin.  If the coin comes up heads, heads are “It.”  All the heads then charge about, trying to tag all the tails.

Have all the players maintain their hand positions while running.  Then, if a tail is tagged, s/he indicates a tagged status by putting both hands on their posterior and standing with legs well spread.  Uncaught tails can free tagged tails by crawling through the tagged players’ legs and yelling “Tails Free!”

If a coin comes up tails, tails are “It.”  When a head is tagged, s/he indicated a tagged status by putting both hands on top of his/her head and freezes with legs spread apart.  Uncaught heads can free their frozen teammates by crawling through their legs and yelling, “Heads Free!”

Three-Time Tag

To get out, you have to get tagged three times.  Once you are tagged, place a hand on the place you were tagged.  The second time you are tagged, put your other hand on that spot.  Now you can only play with your feet.  The third time you're tagged, you're out.

 

Tire Bowling

Use two liter pop bottles filled with water as pins and an old tire as the ball.

Todo El Mundo Tag

·        Supplies:     none

·        Where?      Outside, Open area

·        Time?         Only a few minutes

Everyone spreads out and on “Go!” tags everyone that they can.  When a person is tagged, they are to sit down where they were tagged.  If two people tag each other at the same time, they are both out.  The last person standing wins!

TOOTSIE-BALLOON BALL

This is a small twist on an old game that produces funny results.

Put two small Tootsie Roll candies in a balloon and blow it up. (You should probably do a few of these just in case there are casualties.) Then play a regular game of baseball using the balloon as the ball and one of those swimming pool "noodles" as the bat. The game usually goes for three innings.

Ultimate Set-up Volleyball

All students stand on one side of the court. The point is to let everyone hit before the ball is sent over the net. Once a student hits, they run across the net to the other side and wait for the ball to come over. Use a beach ball or balloon instead of a volley ball.

Upside-Downside Relay Race

Lay 2 rulers at one end of the playing area as two starting lines. Place three cups in a row beginning five feet from each starting line. Be sure there are five feet between the cups in each row. Form two groups and have players decide how they’ll travel. (run, walk, hop, crawl) Each person must choose a different way. Line up in single file for relay. First players go and turn their three cups upside down. Next players with go and turn the cups right side up. Continue until every player has gone. (Players sit when finished with their turn)

Vampire Tag

All players close their eyes or are blindfolded. Secretly choose one person to be the vampire. When the vampire bumps into someone, they scream and grab them. That person then becomes a vampire as well. If two vampires meet, they turn back into normal players. Game ends when everyone is vampirized or humanized.

Wheelbarrow Relay Race

Students pair up. One student holds the other’s feet up while the other student walks on their hands to the finish line. At the finish line, students reverse roles and come back.

Outside:

Blanket Volleyball

Divide students into two teams and give each a blanket on opposite sides of the net. Students hold the blanket and bounce a plastic ball back and forth.

Kickball

Whiffle Ball

Noodle Ball

A summer game our church played during VBS was called Noodle Ball. Each child has their own 'pool' noodle; using two colors to recognize teams. A large beach ball is blown up. We used a hula hoop at each end of the playing field. We duct taped the hoops to the back of folding chairs to be used as goals. On the shout of "GO" or a whistle blown the kids begin hitting the ball toward their goals. The children loved the game and was requested several nights.