I scream, you scream, we all scream for ICE CREAM! It doesn't get much better than a whole night centred around the deliciousness that is ice cream. This theme night is a great treat for summer, but works equally well any time of the year.
Start by getting your group into teams, and get them to... See more

Rescue the lost sheep! This simple team game is great to play as an introduction to a session on Psalm 23, The Good Shepherd or the parable of the Lost Sheep.
Put your group into two teams, and number them off. Teams line up and sit on each side of a rectangular area. Place a ‘sheep’ in the... See more

Electric Fence is a great team game! Groups have to use any method possible to move their team over (or through) an ‘electric fence’ using a line or rope (not an actual electric fence!) without touching it. Make it a race if you have two teams and deduct points if people get zapped.
Use... See more

Collect a bunch of old newspapers or magazines, enough for one per team. You will also need scissors. Print out a checklist of scavenger hunt items that the teams are to try to find and cut out from their newspapers. Award a prize for the team that spots the most of these things on the... See more

It's soccer, but not as you know it. Teams play on their hands and feet, using a balloon instead of a soccer ball! See more

Split youth into teams. They must choose someone to be the ‘birds nest’. The birds nest then gets a new hairdo of shaving foam on top of their head. The others are given cheese balls or marshmallows to try and land on their head from a certain distance. Whoever has the most ‘eggs’ when... See more

Teams line up single file at the starting point (point A). Give each team a waiters tray with items such as cups, plates etc.
Players must navigate through an obstacle course to point B without dropping items before returning to tag the next player. See more

Teams line up side by side at point A. At point B, mark out three concentric circles for each team. The outer circle is worth 25 points, the inner circle is worth 50 and the centre circle 100. Players have to bowl three pumpkins into the circle to try and score for their team.
Keep a tally of... See more

Map out a square on the floor with masking tape. Split the group into teams. Each team has a shot at squeezing everyone into the square you have created. No body parts can be touching the ground outside the square, people can piggy-back, stack or be held. The team must hold their positions for 5... See more

Teams number off and stand on each side of a rectangular area. Place 2 different coloured balloons in the middle of the area. When their number is called, players must try to be the first to pop their team's balloon for the point.
Mix it up by having a single balloon ‘first to grab it’... See more

For this relay game, teams line up at point A. At point B is a table with items of food set up for each player. Players run, eat an item, and then run back to tag another player. First team finished wins. Items can be nice... or not so nice! See more

Using masking tape, old boxes and paper, set up a human board game on the floor with humans as pieces. Base it on Trivial pursuit, Ludo, chess, Monopoly (using local street names), or you can make up your own crazy game! See more

Two teams have to try and knock the other team off the court by throwing soft-style balls, without crossing the centre line.
Start the game with teams lined up against their wall with 3-4 soft balls placed on the centre line. A person is out if they are hit A) anywhere or B) below the head or... See more

An extremely messy game for indoors or outdoors. Split your group into teams, lined up single file. Each team chooses someone to be 'The Face’. 'The  Face' has to sit in a chair at the front of their team's line. Players must race into the designated playing area and find items to collect to... See more

Split youth into teams. The aim of this relay is to ‘transport’ whatever is to be transported from a container at point A to a container at point B, filling it to  the marked level first in order to be the winner. Teams must transport using whatever methods or objects you designate.
Teams... See more

Divide your group into two teams within a square playing area. Each team has a table, a stack of paper or plastic cups and a couple of old newspapers.
Each team designates two ‘builders’. The rest of the team become ‘throwers’ or ‘defenders’ within the area. Teams must attempt to... See more

Like an obstacle course, teams have to navigate through a gauntlet style course where each team member has to perform a key task before tagging the next player.
Good tasks inclue sculling, speed eating, shooting a basketball, swimming, dressing up, jumping or climbing through obstacles,... See more

Split youth into teams and give them the same pre-prepared bundle of objects - such as newspapers, paper cups, toothpicks, straws, tape (choose some random and funny objects too).  Their aim is to build the tallest ‘tower’ in a set time limit with whatever objects you have given them. Make... See more

Teams line up on the edge of a large rectangular area. They are each given 3 planks to use. They must navigate from one side to the other fastest without touching the ground. The first team to do so wins.
The trick is to make the planks a length that ensures the teams will find it tricky to... See more

Teams line up single file at point A. At point B there is a small container as a soccer goal for each team.
Using their lung power, players must score a goal by blowing a ping pong ball with a straw. Once they’ve scored, they return and tag the next person. First team to finish is the... See more

Split youth into teams and assemble them side by side at the edge of the playing area. The object of the game is for each team to send out 2-3 people at a time  into the playing area to retrieve (in order) items assigned for making pudding. Make sure you have at least 5 or more ingredients (such... See more

Set up an obstacle course with unique situations for players to navigate through. Include challenges such as over under, climbing, speed eating station, jelly bath tub, rope net, car push, spread the toast, monkey bars and can scull. Teams can either race side by side or you can time each team as... See more

In this relay game, teams must line up single file behind a dressing station. At each station have some pre organised ‘grandma’ clothes, wigs etc, and sets of lolly false teeth (found in most dairies or supermarkets).
Players have to get dressed at point A, insert the false teeth into... See more

Create a mock tennis court inside a hall or use a court outside and play team tennis... with a giant ‘Swiss’ ball!
It is heaps of fun. You can add 2 balls for even more carnage.
Also works with volleyball, soccer and rugby. See more

This game is just like Rob the Nest except it uses rolled up old socks!
Teams set up in a circular pattern spread around evenly with a basket in front of their group. Each player gets a turn to be the ‘thief’ and must try and steal socks from other teams to put in their basket. Start... See more

Teams stand on the outside of a marked off playing area. Each team is given a mass of old paper to form into balls. Within the playing area is a bin for their team. They must throw the most paper balls into their bin after time to win.
This game also works with paper darts. Or try it with... See more

Teams line up side by side and must choose a member to be the ‘catcher’. The catcher's job is to lie on the ground and place a small cup on their forehead. The team must then take turns to race and fill the cup by standing on a high chair and releasing the toothpaste over their... See more

A life-sized, fast paced twist on an old favourite - tic tac toe (aka naughts and crosses). This was a hit with Phil's youth group!
Watch the clip below to see how to play. Since you can play with just six players, this one's perfect if you've got a small group.
Note: If you don't... See more

Split your youth into teams. Prepare the playing area to resemble a grid - ‘the grass’ - using masking tape and pieces of paper (A3 or newspaper squares).
The leader makes up a map of the grid on a piece of paper to refer to and marks in squares that contain ‘tigers’. Youth have to... See more

The soft toy version of ultimate Frisbee. 2 teams, 1 old teddy.
Mark out a rectangular playing area either inside or outdoors, with a goal line at each long end.
Teams must throw and pass the teddy to other team mates with the intention of passing it to a team mate behind... See more

Play with multiple teams in a large outdoor setting. Each team creates a nest (using a rope circle 3m in diameter) with 3 eggs in it (use larger balls) which they must guard.
They are not allowed within their own nests circle but to the opposition this is the ‘safe zone’. Teams must... See more

Split your youth into teams and hand them each a sheet of items they must collect and bring back to the youth area after time. You can either use vehicles or walk on foot.
Items are worth various points based on difficulty and can include things like: cafe cards, fast food wrappers,... See more

Crank up the stereo and ask youth to walk at random around the room to a certain style, homie, robotic, animalistic, slow motion, speed walker etc...
When the music stops, yell a number and the youth must group together with that amount in their group.
Play this either as an elimination... See more

Arrange your youth in two lines so that they are standing facing each other. Give each person a new toothpick.
Challenge them to see which line can transport whatever item you present the quickest using only their toothpick in their mouth - no other assistance.
Great items to use... See more

Explain to the youth that you’re fresh out of ideas and need to design a new game.
Split them into groups and give them a list of what they can use to design the world's next best new game — as well as a few safety guidelines.
Set a time limit and see what they come up with. They... See more

This game is best played in a hall with a halfway mark. Divide your group into 2 teams. Each team has a certain number of cones or plastic buckets set up at their end of the playing area in a straight line, evenly spaced apart (5 works well).
By throwing soft balls, teams have to try and knock... See more

Divide your group into two teams, and set up play within a rectangular area, and include some obstacles around the space.
Give each team 3-4 sturdy chairs that they must use to stay off the ground in order to collect or ’rescue’ items around the area. Items could include random... See more

Play this game with multiple teams. Give each team a bucket and gather in a circular playing area with a cabbage positioned in the middle.
Each team numbers off and gathers behind their bucket awaiting to be called in. Call in numbers, or ‘all in’ if you’re bold.
Once called in,... See more

Youth are split into multiple teams depending on numbers. The object of the game is to seek out stations and bring to home base different coloured pieces of wool from each station.
Assign a leader to each station with a ball of wool. Each different coloured piece of wool is worth a certain... See more

To play Splat Volley, you'll need two teams on each side of a marked out court area separated by a volleyball net. Instead of a ball, teams must lob water filled balloons of various sizes over the net to the other team.
Lobs must be underarm. If the other team catches the balloon, they... See more

This is a Christmas Quiz of epic proportions. See how much you really know about Christmas with this massive series of Christmas quizzes covering Global Traditions, Kiwi Christmas, Most Expensive Toys, Christmas Carols,  All About Jesus, and a good old True & False section as... See more

Divide your group into two teams. In the middle of a rectangular playing area,  set up a makeshift wall that is high enough that the teams can’t see over it (approx 1 metre high). You will need 3-4 soft balls.
Teams lay low on either side of the wall, and attempt to avoid being hit by... See more

Simply announce that you want everyone to line up by birth date. Only catch... no talking.
This provides a way to randomly mix people up. Once they are all lined up, get everyone to call out their birthday in order, starting from the top.
Congratulate them if they have it right, and note... See more

This game is just like netball, except you use a person standing on a chair within a circle instead of a goal. They have to catch the ball for a goal to be scored. If the ball touches the ground it’s a handover. The goalie swaps each time a goal is scored. Players aren’t allowed into the... See more

The simplest game to divide your group into teams is to simply yell "Form a group according to..." (e.g. school year, number of siblings, month born in, shoe colour, etc...)
If you're looking for an exact number of people per team, you can just say, for example "Form a group of 6 people with... See more

Divide your group into 2 teams, and have them stand on opposite sides of a rectangular playing area, with a small goal at each end. Number everyone off and give each person a rolled up paper stick made with newspaper and masking tape. Place a small ball in the centre and call in a... See more

Hand everyone a playing card as they come in. When you are ready to form your teams, call out a poker combination that they have to form a group with:e.g. if you want them in threes, call “Three of a Kind”; in fives, call “Full House” (three of a kind plus a pair) or “A flush” (five of... See more

Instruct your whole group to walk randomly around the room. About every ten seconds or so, call out a number and an (appropriate) part of the body. Players must immediately form a group of the number called, with everyone connected in a circle or a line by that body part, e.g. line up shoulder to... See more

As young people arrive, give them each the piece to a kid’s jigsaw puzzle (min. 10 pieces, max. 25). Have the same number of puzzles as you want teams (e.g. three). If you have extra puzzle pieces left over, place them back into the correct puzzle frames. When it’s time to form teams, lay out... See more

Lolly Scramble is a fun way to quickly get your youth to form teams for games or group activities. 
Bring a few distinctly different types of wrapped sweets (e.g. Minties, Éclairs, Fruit Bursts etc...) and have a lolly scramble. But tell them they can only grab one kind of... See more

Teams gather round a table with 10 pieces of paper each.
In turn, a person from each team is shown one of the Christmas phrases below (or make up others) and has to draw it while the rest of their team try and guess what the phrase is.
With larger groups use two whiteboards back to back... See more

Divide into groups of 3-5. Give each group a few minutes to make a list of as many Christmas Carols as they can think of.
After time is called, each group takes turns singing a few lines of one of the Christmas Carols on their list. No group can sing a Carol already sung by another group. If... See more

For this game, divide your group into teams of four or five: one person will be the 'Christmas tree' and the others will be the decorators.
Our youth group loved it when they got to decorate the leaders. And yes, this is me covered in tinsel in the photo!
Give each team a decorating kit,... See more

Here are two multiple choice quizzes: one is based on the Gospel account of Christmas, the other is based on all the wordly add-ons. See which one people do better in!
All the questions and answers for both quizzes are below, or you can download and print the Question and Answer Sheets... See more

Ask a series of trivia questions about any topic, such as history, science or geography.  Most correct answers wins points for team.
Here's a sample quiz - feel free to download & use this! Countries Quiz (PDF, 73KB) See more

Put a series of math problems on the screen. First team to solve them all correctly wins points. See more

Put a word or phrase on the screen. The team to make the most words in one minute wins. See more

Display a word on the screen and a few definitions to choose from. Correct answer wins points for his or her team. Play a couple of rounds. See more

Show a 2-3 minute clip from a movie or TV show. When it’s finished, ask a series of questions about what the students just saw. The first person to raise their hand and correctly answer the question gets a point for their team.
Be sure to watch the movie ahead of time and come up with plenty... See more

Divide your group into a minimum of three teams. Teams are given a list of subjects e.g. Country, Girls Name, Food, Sport, Job etc… Pick 9-10 categories.
The leader calls out a letter and in 2 minutes the teams have to write down examples of each category that start with that letter. E.g. if... See more

Start out with two people sitting back to back. They have to stand straight up without using their hands.
Add one person every time they stand up successfully. The students will be amazed at how it works! See more