APPENDIX
YOUTH MINISTRY GAMES
I. Gorilla, Man, Gun
A. Setup:
1. Each character has a motion. Make your own up, but make sure they’re distinct.
2. Gorilla // Hands over your head like a monkey.
3. Man // Scratching your chin in a thought-provoking manner.
4. Gun // Hand-Pistols.
B. How to play:
1. This is an all inclusive game. Have everyone find a partner.
2. Students stand back to back with their partner.
3. Everyone screams this together, “Gorilla beats the man. Man beats the gun. Guns
beats the gorilla. You tie, you die. Shoot!” and they jump around, striking a pose.
4. If they die, they sit down, re-partner up.
II. I Have, I Have Never
A. Setup
1. Have everyone sit in a circle except one person who stands in the middle.
B. How to play
1. Everyone in the circle has to be sitting in a chair with no empty ones in the circle.
2. The game begins with the person in the middle saying something that “they have,” or
“have never” done (ie: “I have two sisters”, or “I have never worn a dress.”)
3. All the people who can identify with the statement (they “have two sisters” or “haven’t
worn a dress”) must get up and find an empty seat other than the one they just
vacated.
4. The person stuck without a seat is now in the middle.
III. Two Truths & A Lie
A. Setup
1. Have blank sheets of paper ready to hand to all the group members.
2. Instruct everyone to write down two truthful statements about themselves and one
lie.
3. Then get the game started.
B. How to play
1. Starting with whomever you decide have them read off the three statements about
themselves. (Make sure they mix up the order, so that the order is not necessarily
two truths and then one lie.)
2. Once they have read the statements then have the group vote on which statement
they believe is a lie.
3. After the vote has been cast, the reader then reveals which statements were truthful
and which statement was the lie.
4. It is a great way to get to know everyone, this icebreaker also can produce some
interesting conversations.
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APPENDIX
YOUTH MINISTRY GAMES
IV. The Whisper Game
A. Setup
1. You will need headphones and a music player to play LOUD music.
2. Write down funny or difficult words and/or phrases on some pieces of paper
3. Pick two students at a time to play
B. How to Play
1. One student puts on the headphones that are playing loud music
2. The other student whispers word/phrase that is written on the card.
3. The student with the headphones then has to guess what the other student is saying.
V. Extreme Rock, Paper, Scissors
A. Setup
1. Split the group into two teams. Make sure there is a halfway point that is
recognizable.
2. In the back of each team's side, make sure there is another "end zone" area that is
recognizable.
B. How to Play
1. Teams will huddle up and decide which of the rock, paper scissors moves they will
do.
2. When both teams have decided, they approach the center line and with the help of
the facilitator, they all say "Rock... Paper... Scissors... shoot" together and perform
their action (it can be fun to have the actions much bigger than normal - such as their
whole bodies turning into rocks, or giant scissors, or big pieces of paper).
3. Whatever team wins can immediately begin chasing the other team, attempting to
tag them.
4. The team that lost tries to run back to their "end zone" as quickly as possible. If they
make it there without being tagged, they are safe. If they get tagged, they must join
the other team.
5. The game usually does not end up with one team having everyone and so the
facilitator must use his or her discretion of when to end the game.
C. The 3 rock, paper, scissors moves are:
1. Rock beats scissors.
2. Scissors beats paper.
3. Paper beats rock.
VI. Ninja
A. Setup
1. Players stand in a circle. Players take turns, going around the circle.
B. How to play
1. The player who is up can make one quick motion in order to slap the hand of another
player. The player freezes in the position he or she ends in.
2. The player being attacked must try, also with one quick move, to evade being handslapped. The player then freezes in whatever position he or she ends in.
3. If a player’s hand is slapped, they place that hand behind their back. If a player’s
second hand is slapped they are eliminated from the circle.
4. If a player’s move is not swift and quick, they are eliminated from the circle. they
must place one hand behind their back.
5. Play until only one player remains.
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APPENDIX
YOUTH MINISTRY GAMES
VII.
Oshka
A. Setup
1. Players stand in a circle and place one foot in the middle of the circle so that all the
players feet are touching one another
B. How to play
1. One person will yell “1, 2, 3, OSHKA!!!” On “OSHKA” all players jump backwards into
a circle.
2. Starting with the player that yelled “OSHKA,” the players take turns, going around the
circle.
3. The player who’s turn it is must jump with both feet towards another player of their
choice in order to touch the foot of another player.
4. All other players can try to avoid the attack by jumping with both feet away from the
attack, without the attacker touching one of his/her feet.
5. If a player’s foot, who is being attacked, is touched by the attacking player’s foot, that
player is eliminated
C. Other ways to be eliminated
1. By falling over or touching a hand to an object to help keep balance
2. By NOT jumping or landing with both feet at the same time
3. By jumping more than once per attack
VIII. Human Knot
A. Setup
1. Everyone squeezes together and grabs the hands of two people who are not
standing next to them.
2. They may not let go of the other persons’ hands.
B. How to Play
1. They must untangle the “human knot” without letting go of hands
2. So in order to untangle they must go over and under people's arms to get untangled.
Sometimes you will end up with two circles.
C. Variation
1. Split your group into two or more smaller teams.
2. First team to untangle the “human knot” wins.
IX. Body Parts
A. Setup
1. For this game you only need a boom box (sound system) and a fun, upbeat song. It's
kind of like Musical Chairs, only more fun to MC.
2. It works best with an even # of people. Have any "extra" be a judge, who stands on a
chair for a better view.
3. Students pair up with one standing in a circle and the other standing next to their
partner outside of the circle.
B. How to Play
1. When the music starts, have the inner circle walk clockwise and the outer circle walk
counter-clockwise.
2. When the music stops the leader yells out two body parts (e.g. "Foot to ear!" "Nose
to the inside of the elbow!" "Top of the head to the back of the knee!").
3. Partners scramble to get to each other and put those designated body parts
together.
4. The last team to put those designated body parts together is eliminated.
C. Fun & funny game . . . just think before you yell, (e.g. don't yell "chest to head!”).
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APPENDIX
YOUTH MINISTRY GAMES
X. Sit Down If
A. How to Play
1. Ask the entire group to stand.
2. Tell them to sit down when the statement characterizes them. Once seated, they
must remain seated.
3. Encourage them to be honest. If you have trouble because most are not sitting down,
give them general characteristics ("Sit down if you are under 15, if you have on white
socks, if you are in love," etc.).
4. Examples:
a) Sit down if:
(1) You haven't used deodorant in a week ... two days.
(2) You have never worn the same socks two days in a row.
(3) You sing in the shower.
(4) You haven't taken a shower in a week.
(5) You didn't use mouthwash today.
(6) You are a girl and you didn't shave your legs today.
(7) You are a guy and you didn't shave your legs today.
(8) Your socks don't match.
(9) You are ticklish.
(10) You weigh less than 100 pounds.
(11) You have a hole in your sock.
(12) Your zipper is open.
(13) You are really good looking.
XI. Simon Says
A. How to Play
1. One person is designated Simon, the others are the players.
2. Standing in front of the group, Simon tells players what they must do.
3. However, the players must only obey commands that begin with the words "Simon
Says."
4. If Simon says, "Simon says touch your nose," then players must touch their nose.
XII.
Birdie on a Perch
A. Setup
1. For this game you only need a boom box (sound system) and a fun, upbeat song. It's
kind of like Musical Chairs.
2. It works best with an even # of people. Have any "extra" be a judge, who stands on a
chair for a better view.
3. Students pair up with one standing in a circle and the other standing next to their
partner outside of the circle.
4. The outside circle is the “birdies.” The inside circle is the “perches”
B. How to Play
1. When the music starts, have the inner circle walk clockwise and the outer circle walk
counter-clockwise.
2. When the music stops the "birdies" and "perches" need to find their corresponding
partner as fast as possible.
3. The "perch" should get down on one knee and the "birdie" should sit on the "perch's"
raised knee.
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APPENDIX
YOUTH MINISTRY GAMES
XIII. Clump
A. Setup
1. Have all of your students stand up and start mingling
2. Play some music as they mingle
B. How to play
1. A facilitator stops the music and calls out a number.
2. The players must get in groups of however many people the facilitator calls.
3. Players who cannot successfully find a group are eliminated.
XIV. The Psychiatrist
A. Setup
1. Have your group sit in a circle with one person, "the psychiatrist", questioning them
while standing in the middle (it helps if the person playing the psychiatrist has never
played before). They are briefed separately on the rules of the game.
B. How to Play
1. The psychiatrist's goal is to try and diagnose everyone's problem. He/she should do
this by asking questions and analyzing their answers to discover the true nature of
their problem.
a) For the sake of his patient's confidentiality and anonymity, he is NOT allowed to
ask them their names. Nor may he ask them what their symptoms are. If they
knew what was wrong with them, they wouldn't be coming to him for help! Be
sure to let the Psychiatrist know, that the same problem is shared by all the
patients, and that the problem is NOT a clinical one (i.e.: schizophrenia,
kleptomania etc.)
2. The patients' goals are to answer questions as truthfully as possible, without
revealing the true nature of their problems.
a) Their problem is simple. They believe that they are THE PERSON SITTING
NEXT TO THEM ON THEIR LEFT. So when the psychiatrist asks them a
question, they must answer as if they were the person on their left.
b) If they answer incorrectly, someone who catches their mistake, must yell
"PSYCHIATRIST" and then they all must stand up and switch seats with
someone else. When this happens they take on the characteristics of the new
person they are sitting next to.
3. To win, the psychiatrist must diagnose that everyone believes that they are the
person sitting on their left, and then he must diagnose why they are saying
Psychiatrist and switching seats.
C. Variations
1. Act like the person across from them
2. Act like Bible characters
3. Act like the youth pastor
4. Act like the person who is the psychiatrist
5. Get creative
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