The sitting game

Everybody stands in a tight circle then turns to the side, so everybody is facing the same direction. At the same time, everybody tries to sit down on the knees of the person behind them. It's possible but usually takes a few attempts, especially if your group members are as clumsy as myself.

Giants, elves and wizards

Stolen from: A Network for Jewish Youth

The idea is based on rock, paper scissors but played in teams. Giants beat wizards, wizards beat elves and elves beat giants. Each team goes to their side of the room and chooses what they're going to play, then both teams come to the centre of the room and stand in lines facing each other.

Everybody shouts "Giants, elves, wizards!" and does the appropriate action for each one. For giants, you stand on your tip toes and put your hands in the air. For elves, you crouch down and use your hands as pretend pointy ears. For wizards, point your arm forward as if it's a wand. Each team then shouts out their chosen fantasy creature and does the appropriate action.

The winning team then has to chase the losers back to their side of the room; anyone they catch becomes part of the winning team. If the teams do the same action, they hug then start again.

I played a similar game in the Philippines, but instead of giants, elves and wizards it was called Bunny, hunter, wall. If you have a particular theme for the night, change the game to fit in with it.

Buzz and Fizz

Stolen from: A Network for Jewish Youth

Everybody sits or stands in a circle. Going clockwise, everybody takes it in turn to say a number, starting from one. When they get to a multiple of 5, they have to say "fizz" instead. When they get to a multiple of 7, they say "buzz" instead. If players make a mistake they're out.

To make it even more complicated, try changing direction whenever people say buzz or fizz. And if you manage to get to a number that's a multiple of both 5 and 7, shout "Shizzle!" and make everybody run round the room or something.

Pass the squeeze

Stolen from: A Network for Jewish Youth

Everybody stands in a circle holding hands, except for one person who stands in the middle. The leader starts by "passing a squeeze" round the circle. The person in the middle has to guess where the squeeze is in three goes.

To make the game more complicated, have several squeezes on the go at once.

Guess a minute

Stolen from: A Network for Jewish Youth

Everybody stands with their hands behind their backs, facing away from any clocks. The leader says when to start, and then the players have count to 60 in their heads and sit down when they think a minute has passed. The person who is the closest wins.

Head and catch

Stolen from: A Network for Jewish Youth

Players stand in a circle with a leader in the middle. The leader throws the ball towards a young person and says either "catch" or "head." If the leader says "catch" they have to head the ball and if the leader says "head" they have to catch the ball. If anybody does it wrong they're out.

If you want to make it more difficult, tell the players to run round the circle after every go; it breaks their concentration.

I love you baby, but I just can't smile.

Everybody sits down. One person is chosen to be "it." They have to approach other players and say "I love you, baby" and they have to respond with "I love you baby, but I just can't smile." If they smile while replying, they lose and become it. If they manage to keep a straight face, "it" has to move onto new prey. "It" isn't allowed to touch anyone, but anything else is fair game.

I've played this as an up front game before; some young people sat at the front and one of the more dramatic leaders had to try and make them smile. It works well as long as the audience can see their faces.

Copy cat

Everybody sits in a circle, and one person is chosen to leave the room and stand outside.

Another person is (quietly!) chosen to be the leader. The leader does things like clap their hands or wave their arms, and everybody else has to copy them.

The person who's left the room comes back in and has to try and guess who the leader is. After they've guessed, another person has a go, and so on.

This is my friend

Stolen from: A Network for Jewish Youth

Everybody sits in a circle. Somebody starts up a beat; hitting their knees twice then clapping their hands twice. Everybody joins in and gets used to the beat.

As everybody claps away, the first person says their own name once in time to the beat, in time to the first hand clap. On the second set of claps, they would say someone else's name, who would say their own name again, and then someone else's name, and so on.

Players are "out" if they mess up the rhythm or say names at the wrong time. Obviously, you might want to be more patient with younger players, or people as rhythmically challenged as myself.

Teeth!

Teeth is a great game because you can play it anywhere, you don't need any materials to play and it's bound to make people laugh!

To start with, everyone chooses a vegetable to be their name; odd sounding ones are best. Say them out loud a few times so everyone remembers who's who.

Play goes from player to play by repeating your own vegetable name twice, then another player's vegetable name twice. The other player would then say their vegetable name twice, then the vegetable name of another player, like this.

Artichoke: Artichoke artichoke, sprouts sprouts!
Sprouts: Sprouts sprouts, carrot carrot!
Carrot: Carrot carrot, cucumber cucumber!

... and so on. The game is made difficult (and fun) because players aren't allowed to show their teeth at all, so have to speak with their lips covering their teeth at all times. If someone makes a mistake (not noticing that it's their turn, or forgetting the names of other players left in the game) or shows their teeth at all, the other players put their hands behind their head and flap their elbows about shouting "Teeth! Teeth!" The person would then be out of the game.

Obviously, players aren't allowed to cover or hide their mouth at all, because that wouldn't be as fun.

One spot

Equipment:
One pen, hopefully not permanent. Felt tips are best.
Some kids.

Everybody sits in a circle. The aim of the game is to get the least number of spots on their forehead. They get spots by making mistakes or being too slow.

Players get referred to by the amount of spots on their forehead, eg No Spot, One Spot, Four Spot or 12 Spot. Play goes round in a clockwise direction with players talking to each other with a set dialogue, eg

Player 1: Hi One Spot!
Player 2: Hi No Spot!
Player 1: Tell Three Spots (the player after player 2) that Five Spots (the player before player 1) said hi!

If player 1 or 2 made any mistakes (calling someone the wrong name, being too slow etc) the leader puts a spot on their forehead with pen and play continues with Player 2 starting the dialogue.

Player 2: Hi Three Spot!
Player 3: Hi One spot!
Player 2: Tell Four Spot that No Spot said hi!

6 frogs on a log

Equipment: 7 chairs/pieces of newspaper/cushions
Stolen from: Mick Blaylock

Choose 3 players to be red frogs and 3 players to be blue frogs and decorate them accordingly, if you so wish.

The 3 blue frogs stand on the chairs on the left side and the red frogs stand on the chairs on the right, facing each other. Tell a perky story about how both the frog families try to cross the river at the same time, balancing precariously on a log, and then explain the rules.

Frogs can only move one space forward at a time, unless they're leapfrogging another player onto an empty chair. (Not literally, unless you happen to lead a youth group of Olympic gymnasts.) Frogs cannot move backwards, and can only leapfrog players that are facing towards them. The aim of the game is to get all the frog familes on opposite sides of the log.

Is quite good as a team building game or an up front game.

Cheerio Race

Equipment: 2 bowls of water, 2 bowls of cheerios and 2 empty bowls.
Stolen from: Rob Tidy

Split players into teams. Give each team an empty bowl to (hopefully) fill with Cheerios. Players get the Cheerios into the bowl by taking it in turns to run to the other end of the room, where they dunk their face in water then straight into the bowl of Cheerios, causing the Cheerios to stick to their faces in a highly attractive way. The players then run back to their team, transfer the Cheerios from their face to the bowl, and the next person runs up to have a go.

The winning team is the team that has the most Cheerios in their bowl after everybody has had a go (or two!).

EDIT: I've been told that Rice Krispies work better than Cheerios. Sugar Puffs also work well.

Spoons and extreme spoons

Equipment: Spoons and a pack of cards

All players sit in a circle with all the spoons in the middle. It's important that there's one less spoon than there are players, and one spoon is taken out the pile whenever someone is out.

The aim of the game is to get 4 cards of the same number and to grab a spoon.

The dealer deals out 4 cards to each player, and puts the rest of the cards in a pile facing down next to themselves. The dealer picks up a card from the pile, decides whether they want it, and put either the new card or one of their old cards face down infront of the next player, who then picks up the card and decides whether they want it. Players cannot keep more than 4 cards. When a player has 4 cards with the same number, they grab a spoon from the pile, at which point the rest of the players also start grabbing spoons. The player left without a spoon is out. Spoons is more fun when it's played fast.

Extreme Spoons
As above, except the spoons are scattered around the room, or in another room altogether.

Getting to know each other...

Equipment: Chairs in a circle, pack of cards for alternate version
Stolen from: Jonny Wineberg and Matt at Emerge

Everybody sits in a circle. The leader says something like "Anyone wearing jeans." Anyone wearing jeans would move one place to the right. If someone else is already sitting there, sit on them! Game continues for as long as it remains fun. Examples of things to say could be:
- Girls/Guys
- Anyone wearing trainers
- Anyone wearing red
- Anyone under 15
- Anyone born in December
- Anyone with a piercing etc

Alternate version
Play is the same, but instead of the leader calling something out, they hand out cards then call out the suit. Anyone with the relevant suit moves to the right. Cards are then handed in and handed out again.

Depending on the child protection policy of where you work, and the weight of the leaders involved, leaders may want to sit out of this game.

Spaghetti Castle

Equipment: (Dry!) spaghetti, marshmallows
Stolen from: Matt at Emerge

Get players into teams. Teams must build the tallest tower possible from their spaghetti and marshmallows in a specified amount of time. No other props allowed! Winning team is team with highest tower.

Wotsit face

Equipment: Shaving foam, Wotsits, towels if you're feeling nice.

Get players into teams with one leader in each team. The leader gets shaving foam wiped all over their face and stands a fixed distance away from their team. For a fixed amount of time, the teams try and throw as many Wotsits as possible onto the face of their leader. The winning team is the team with the most Wotsits that stick.

You might want to line the floor with bin bags if you're worried about making a mess.

Ball in space

Equipment: Ball
Stolen from: Matt at Emerge

Players are split into two teams of even amounts and sit opposite each other. Each player is given a number (So there's a One on Team A and Team B, etc etc). The leader calls a number. The players with this number advance towards the ball. Each player aims to get the ball back to their own side to win. However, as soon as the opponent has picked up the ball the other player can tag them and the point becomes theres. So the aim is to get the ball back to your team without the other player tagging you. More than one number can be called if you want to make it more complicated.

Team move

Equipment: Paper or cushions
Stolen from: Matt at Emerge

Teams start at one end of the room, and have to move the whole team to the other side using only three pieces of paper or cushions. Players are obviously only allowed to stand on the paper/cushions.

Can either be played as a race against another team or as an ice breaker.

Get in order...

Equipment: Chairs or benches
Stolen from: Matt at Emerge, and a Lay Witness team I met a few years ago

If playing with chairs, make sure the chairs are in a circle/line without gaps between them.

Players all stand on their chair or bench and have to get in order of different things without getting off the chairs or bench, causing them to climb around each other. Different things they could get in order of could be:
- height
- date of birth
- colour of the rainbow (what they're wearing)
- shoe size

Can either play as an ice breaker, or in teams as a race.