Game Description
In this crowdbreaker, youth will try to guess the identity of a murderer, before they are murdered.

Game Materials
Deck of playing cards, chairs arranged in a circle for 6 to 52 players. Reduce the cards to the number of players available to insure someone gets the “murder” card.

Optimal Group Size
6 or more youth

Game Venue
Open area large enough for the groups to form a circle. This game can also be played as part of a youth camp. Simply decide the boundaries of when challenges/ murders can or cannot occur. One common variation allows challenges and kills only during mealtimes.

Game Preparation
None

Game Play

1. Sit the group in a circle and pass out one card to each person, (they can not show their card to anyone else).
2. In the cards passed out there needs to be a joker. The joker is the murderer, and the murderer’s job is to kill everyone in the game. The murderer does this by winking at the others before he/she gets caught!
3. Group members can jointly issue a challenge to identify the identity of the murder. There must be two challengers. Without discussion or communication between them of any kind, on the count of three they must each point to the person they believe to be the murderer.
4. They should be careful. If they point to different people both challengers are dead and out of the game. This is true, even if one of them is correct about the identity of the murderer. If they both point to the same person, but that person is not the murderer, they are also killed.
5. When a member sees someone wink at them, they have been killed, and they need to count (silently) to 5 and say, “I’m dead” and flip their card over. Alternatively they can liven it up with a dramatic death scene.
6. If you have already been killed or died because you guessed incorrectly you can no longer guess the killer.

Icebreakers Ahead: Take It To the Next Level

This 170 page resource not only provides 52 of the world’s most popular group icebreaker activities and games, but also includes lesson ideas and discussion questions to smoothly transition into conversations about the issues common to most groups.

Click here to find out how to get your hands on this incredible resource!

Game Description
This messy game has no lesson or meaning and is simply an opportunity for youth to have fun while getting a little messy with their dessert.

Game Materials
All the ingredients of an ice-cream Sundae. (A typical sundae may have ice cream, chocolate syrup, strawberry topping, candy sprinkles, banana slices, whip cream and just about anything else you want.)

Optimal Group Size
Any Number (equal number of guys/ girls works best)

Game Venue
Area for participants to lie on thier backs. If indoors, you may wish to line the floor with plastic sheets or newspaper for an easy clean-up afterward.

Game Preparation
Get all the ingredients for your Icecream Sundae.

Game Play

1. Pair up each girl with a guy.
2. The girls must make an ice cream sundae on the boys forehead with all the fixings
3. Have several couples do this at the same time and then have judges choose the best ice cream sundae.
4. If your youth are really brave provide spoons and have a follow-up race of the girls eating the Sunday they have just made.

Game Variation

1. Girls must build the ice-cream Sunday in the guy’s mouth.
2. They must drop the ice-cream and successive ingredients into the guys mouth from a specific height. The greater the distance from the guys mouth, the more messy the game.
3. First girl to successful build a Sunday in the mouth of her partner wins.

Icebreakers Ahead: Take It To the Next Level

This 170 page resource not only provides 52 of the world’s most popular group icebreaker activities and games, but also includes lesson ideas and discussion questions to smoothly transition into conversations about the issues common to most groups.

Click here to find out how to get your hands on this incredible resource!

Game Description
In this classic simulation game, youth learn what it means to stand up for one’s faith and to totally trust God even in situations where they may face incredible adversity.

Game Materials
None

Optimal Group Size
Minimum of 8 youth, preferrably a larger group. (Depending on the size of the group leaders can take the roles as Romans and Angels)

Game Venue
Large facility with many rooms and lots of room for participants to run around.

Game Preparation
As a pre-game brief, read the following scenario to the youth:
“Everybody close your eyes. You are no longer at camp. You have been transported to the first century A.D., where disciples of Christ are being persecuted. You are a Christian, but you are facing opposition from the government. Anyone who publicly acknowledges that they are a Christian is condemned to be thrown to the lions. Guards wander the streets, interrogating common people in order to eliminate unwanted Christians. It is into this atmosphere that you will find yourself when you step out of this room. Today is not an ordinary day, however. There is a secret gathering of Christians in a yet-to-be-disclosed location. Your goal is to find your way to the secret location and join your brothers and sisters in this secret “underground church” meeting. Along the way you may be approached by one of the guards, who will simply ask you, “Roman or Christian?” If you reply, “Roman,” you will not be held any longer and you will be sent on your way. If you reply, “Christian,” you will be taken to a holding cell to await your fate with the lions. Picture yourself in such a society. What will you do?

WHAT THE KIDS DON’T KNOW (but you do) 

1. The location of the secret meeting (make sure it’s big enough for everybody)
2. Some of the guards (perhaps one out of five) are actually Christians and will not only set you free if you admit you are a Christian, but they will give you a hint as to where the secret meeting is.
3. Some of those who stand up for their faith and are sent to the holding cell (early in the game) will be broken free by an amazing work of the Holy Spirit (angels come and hold the guards, allowing the prisoners to go free). Those who are caught much later in the game will not be released and will be told of their untimely demise at the hands of the lions (there were martyrs, you know).

OTHER NOTES:

1. There should be at least one guard for every 5 people or so, or nobody will ever get caught.
2. The secret meeting place needs to be hidden well enough that everybody won’t find it within five minutes. Once people find the secret church, they MAY NOT LEAVE to bring others in; it is simply too dangerous.
3. The larger the playing area, the better.

Game Debrief
This is the most important part of the entire game, and it must be done in a very sensitive way:

1. Some kids will have denied their faith and might feel bad about it.
2. Others will think it was no big deal to lie about not being a Christian so they could reach their goal.
3. Others might be afraid of what might happen to them if they stand up for their faith in real life.

The debrief is an opportunity for you to really reach the kids on what it means to stand up for one’s faith and to totally trust God even in situations where they may face incredible adversity.

Optional Conclusion
In some places, peoples lives are in jeopardy today as Christians. Our lives may not be in jeopardy, but there are still pressures for us to deny our faith. If you admit you are a Christian, friends might ridicule you, You might not get that job promotion. You might be deemed as old fashioned and out of touch with today’s reality. The threats are more subtle and the consequences may seem less severe, but there are still pressures. Are you bold enough to stand up for your faith regardless of the circumstances?

Application
What is one situation that if you face this week, you will commit to take a stand for Christ?

Scripture
Mark 13:9-13, 1 Corinthians 15:58, 1 Corinthians 16:13,

200 page e-book that explains everything you need to know when planning your very own object lessons. It contains 90 fully developed object lesson ideas and another 200 object lesson starter ideas based on Biblical idioms and Names / Descriptions of God.

Learn More…

Game Description
In this group builder, youth will learn to trust one another.

Game Materials
Blindfold (optional)

Optimal Group Size
8-12 youth. For large groups, break the group up into smaller ones of 8-12 people.

Game Venue
Open area large enough for the groups to form two lines facing each other.

Game Preparation
Preclude this game with a reminder that there should be no funny business in this game. Each person must be able to trust the group explicitely. Everything said and done must be towrd building this trust.

Game Play

1. A group of 8-12 youth line up in two lines facing each other about a body’s width apart.
2. A blindfolded volunteer lies face-up on the floor between the two lines. (Alternatively you can ask the person simply to keep thier eyes shut.)
3. The two lines then lean over and placing their hands palms up, carefully position them beneath the volunteer. Hands should be gently placed from head to foot in order to fully support the person’s body.
4. Slowly and gently raise the volunteer off the floor while gently rocking back and forth lengthwise. Imagine a “falling leaf” gently rocking back and forth as it falls from a tree.
5. The group continues to raise and rock the volunteer until he/she is lifted above their heads and then proceed to lower them back to the floor in the same manner. Repeat the activity with each member of the group.

Optional Debrief

• How did it feel as you were lifted and lowered back to the ground?
• How did you feel, placing yourself under the control of the group?
• Did you have doubts, when you began?
• What things allowed you to trust the group?
• Is trust important in a youth group?
• What are some areas that you have difficulty trusting others?

Optional Conclusion
Life is full of opportunities requiring trust. We don’t have to face life alone. Unfortunately certain experiences in our past may make it difficult to trust people. We keenly remember when trust was violated and may find it difficult to trust again. Yet, when we are in a group where we feel loveand trust, it empowers us to take risks and push ourselves beyond our comfort zone. When we know we can count on the support of others, we can try new things and test our abilities. It is this support group that is one of the most important aspects of church life. With the support of the group we can “rise to greater heights than we could on our own.”

Application
Choose one way you can be more supportive of others in the youth group this week.

Scripture
Ephesians 4:1-3; Galatians 6:2

Icebreakers Ahead: Take It To the Next Level

This 170 page resource not only provides 52 of the world’s most popular group icebreaker activities and games, but also includes lesson ideas and discussion questions to smoothly transition into conversations about the issues common to most groups.

Click here to find out how to get your hands on this incredible resource!

Materials
List of items related to the word “Blue”

Preparation
Make a list of words that are somehow related to the color blue / or the word ‘blue’

Scavenger Hunt Desription
Are you “Singing the Blues?” In this scavenger hunt you will need to find and retrieve objects that are “Blue!” Be sure to be back at the designated time singing the blues. The team which collects the most items in the list within the designated time limit wins!

Example items you could choose
“Blues Brothers” Movie, Blue balloon, Blue bandana, Blue birthday candle, Blue block, Blue boat, Blue book, Blue bottle, Blue button, Blue candle, Blue cap, Blue car, Blue cheese, Blue collar, Blue comb, Blue crayon, Blue dish, Blue feather Boa, Blue fingernail polish on a team member’s finger, Blue fish, Blue flag, Blue food coloring, Blue game piece, Blue ginger, Blue hair, Blue hyacinth, Blue ink, Blue iris, Blue jacket, Blue jay, Blue jeans, Blue Lego piece, Blue lillipop, Blue M&M, Blue marble, Blue matchbook, Blue neon sign, Blue ocean, Blue paper, Blue party hat, Blue pasta, Blue pencil, Blue plastic fork, Blue plate, Blue primrose, Blue quilt, Blue ribbon, Blue shoelace, Blue sky, Blue soap, Blue socks, Blue spruce twig, Blue stone / gem, Blue string, Blue ticket stub, Blue toothbrush, Blue tortilla chips, Blue truck, Blue water, Bluebeard the Pirate’s picture, Blueberries, Blueberry yogurt, Bluebird, Bluebonnet wildflower, Bluefin tuna, Bluegrass music, Blueing, Bluejeans, Blueprint, Bruise, Candy wrapped in blue Foil, Someone in blue pajamas, Guy wearing blue eyeshadow, Little Boy Blue, Something with NYPD Blue on it, policeman’s autograph, Someone singing the blues

Sign up for the newsletter (Top right of webpage) to receive notification when the book is released and receive it at a special price.

See Conducting Scavenger Hunts for help, Hints, Safety Considerations, Rules, and other useful information to make your scavenger hunt a wild success!

is a 160 page e-book that explains everything you need to know to easily plan your very own scavenger hunt: Item Lists, Rules, Riddles, Safety Tips, Guidelines, Scoring, Tips for Facilitators and MORE! There are more than 50 complete ideas (scavenger hunts, photo hunts, video hunts, amazing race, etc.) to use at home, around the neighborhood, at the mall, in the park, on the beach, at church, and around town!

=> Tell me more about the Creative Scavenger Hunts

Scavenger hunts have been popular with youth, adults, and children throughout the ages. With the recent popularity of “The Amazing Race” and reality TV shows, scavenger hunts are just as popular today as they have ever been. They can take a variety of forms, be modified with different rules, and be tailored to a variety of themes, locations, and age groups. They are great for building community, fostering team work, and generating lots of fun and excitement.

Here are some of the more common types of Scavenger Hunts.

Classic Scavenger Hunt
This is the traditional scavenger hunt where participants are given a list of items to retrieve and bring back within a designated time limit. Examples include both common and hard to find items like: a basketball, an 8 track tape, a spork, a coin with a specific date, or a postage stamp. The scavenger hunt consists of a list of the selected objects and some rules. Variations may allow photos of an object to replace the actual object or creative substitutions. The rules may forbid the purchase of items or restrict the participants from going to their own homes or malls to collect items. Various points are assigned to the objects based upon the difficulty necessary to obtain them. Themes can focus the items and add fun to the hunt. For example, a superhero scavenger hunt may require them to bring costumes, comics and other collectibles related to specific superheroes.

Destination Unknown
In this scavenger hunt, clues lead participants to a specific destination where they find a clue to the next location. Successive clues will ultimately lead them to a specific location where there is a party. Clues may be in the form of riddles or directions to follow and serve to guide participants to famous landmarks and other locations. Sometimes helpers are positioned at the various locations to hand out the next clue. In other places the clues may be hidden under a park bench or other inconspicuous locations where the public is not likely to remove them.

Find the Pieces Scavenger Hunt
Hide pieces of a jigsaw puzzle around the designated game area. This could be a school, a church, or even a local park. Instead of a puzzle you can use any machine or object that has multiple pieces. As an Example, for a Halloween party you could purchase plastic skeletons and disassemble them, hiding the bones before the party starts. Let the participants search for them and then reassemble the skeleton. Hide batteries, a tape recorder, and a cassette tape with a pre-recorded message describing the next clue. Hide chess pieces, ingredients for a meal, or even clothes and accessories. One of the activities may be to dress up as superman, but to do so they must collect several pieces of the costume which have been strategically hidden around the game area.

Information Scavenger Hunt
Instead of retrieving objects, or taking pictures, participants in this scavenger hunt must find information. It could be the date on a tombstone, the last item on a restaurant menu, the inscription on a cornerstone, or any other factual information that requires participants to visit a specific location. Victory goes to the first team to correctly collect the most answers or to the team with the most answers in the time limit.

Mystery Photo Hunt
In this scavenger hunt you scout out the location in advance with a digital camera. Take photos of textures, objects, landmarks, unspecified locations, and items from around the venue. Tightly crop them so that they are not easily identifiable. The images should be tightly cropped to a small square that only shows a portion of the object. Examples: The last few letters on a street sign, a small portion of a painting n the wall, a statue from a local park, the nose of a sculpture, the number 8 from an elevator, the intricately carved frame of a wooden door, the hose of a fire extinguisher, the handle on a cabinet, and others. Participants are then given a printout of all the photos and must identify each object and where it is located within the time limit. Online examples of this can be found at:
Mystery Photos
Close-Up

People Scavenger Hunts
In various incarnations, these scavenger hunts have groups search for people rather than objects. These could be people that participants know or total strangers. Participants can be required to get autographs, business cards, or photographs with the persons in order to prove they found them. Targets may be in disguise, dressed as certain characters from famous books, or simply roaming about a large mall.

Photo Scavenger Hunt
In this scavenger hunt, participants must take photos of their group with objects or in specific situations. The scavenger hunt format is a list of situations and objects to be included in the photos. One common variation is to include an object that must be present in every photograph such as a school mascot, a flag, a teddy bear or even something as outrageous as a couch. Participants may be given an instant 35mm camera or a digital camera. Boundaries and time limits can be used to limit the scope and duration of the game. Pictures are variously awarded points based upon meeting the stipulations of the photos and the creativity of the teams.

Pre-Arranged Scavenger Hunt
This is similar to the classic scavenger hunt, but the items are placed in the designated playing area in advance. A traditional Easter Egg is a common version of this hunt. Participants may be given a general instruction to “Find all the wrapped Christmas packages” or be given a list of specific items to find. In one variation, participants are to leave the item in place and merely note the exact location of the item. Alternatively the first team to locate the item and retrieve it will get the points. There may be more than one item hidden about the play area. You can even hide an item for each team to find. Simply color code the items with a piece of colored yard or thread. Disqualify any team that interferes with another team’s items.

Sound Scavenger Hunt
Instead of retrieving objects, students are given a tape recorder or other audio recording device and given a list of sounds to record. Sounds may include those made by objects, such as a ticking clock, ringing church bell, something announced on the radio or a radio commercial, a message from a person, animal sounds, and many others. The team that collects the most sounds from the list in the designated time is declared the winner.

Treasure Hunt
In a treasure hunt there is one final thing to search for rather than a list of items. Successive clues lead to a final destination where the treasure can be found. Teams compete against each other to solve the clues, and follow them to the treasure.

Video Scavenger Hunts
In this scavenger hunt, participants are given a list of actions and situations that must be filmed on video. Teams film video footage of themselves or other people in certain places and performing challenging and sometimes ridiculous tasks. Video is usually 30-45 seconds for each situation otherwise the time to view entries will be too long. This can be combined with community service so that some of the items might include the team raking leaves, helping someone take groceries to their car, etc.

Combination Scavenger Hunts
Combine various types of scavenger hunts together and tailor them to your theme. In this case the list will have situations to video or photograph as well as objects to retrieve, people to find, clues to solve, and facts to discover. Various items will appeal to various personalities so that everyone has fun.

See Conducting Scavenger Hunts for help, Hints, Safety Considerations, Rules, and other useful information to make your scavenger hunt a wild success!

is a 160 page e-book that explains everything you need to know to easily plan your very own scavenger hunt: Item Lists, Rules, Riddles, Safety Tips, Guidelines, Scoring, Tips for Facilitators and MORE! There are more than 50 complete ideas (scavenger hunts, photo hunts, video hunts, amazing race, etc.) to use at home, around the neighborhood, at the mall, in the park, on the beach, at church, and around town!

=> Tell me more about the Creative Scavenger Hunts

Materials
1. A jar filled with Jelly Beans, chocolate Easter Eggs, Easter M&M’s or other holiday candy
2. Slips of paper and a pencil

Game preparation
1. As you fill the jar, count the number of items inside the jar. You may wish to add a gift certificate or money to the jar as an additional incentive.

Game Play
1. Set this up for several weeks in the youth group. Set a series of conditions for the youth. For each condition the youth achieve they will get one chance to guess the contents of the jar. Some examples:

• Attend church service
• Attend Prayer Meeting
• Bring a friend
• Attend Sunday School
• Bring a Bible
• Attend Youth Group

On the slips of paper they can write their name and guess at the number of items in the jar.
2. At the end of the designated period or on Easter Sunday, choose from among the slips of paper the entry that is closest to the actual number without going over. In case of a tie, put all the correct entries in a hat and draw one from among them.
3. Award the jar and its contents to the winner!

Game Purpose
The objective of this game is to encourage youth attendance and specific behaviors in youth.

Easter Collection

Get more than 80 creative ideas for planning a Youth Easter celebration or Easter Party. You can immediately download my best Easter Icebreakers, games, illustrations, Easter activity ideas AND MUCH MORE in a useful ebook!

=> Tell me more about the Easter Collection

Materials
1. Enough eggs for everyone in the group (Most of the eggs should be hard boiled, but include one or more raw eggs to make the game interesting.)
2. A bowl or Basket. Easter baskets work great.

Game Objective
Don’t be the one with a raw egg cracked on your head.

Game Play
1. Put all the eggs into the bowl or basket.
2. One by one students reach into the basket and the first egg they touch they must smash over their own head.
3. Hard boiled or raw there’s sure to be suspense.

The eggs can be dyed for Easter or left natural color.

Easter Collection

Get more than 80 creative ideas for planning a Youth Easter celebration or Easter Party. You can immediately download my best Easter Icebreakers, games, illustrations, Easter activity ideas AND MUCH MORE in a useful ebook!

=> Tell me more about the Easter Collection

Materials
Sheet of construction paper for each participant.

Activity
Participants must rip a sheet of construction paper into the shape of an Easter Rabbit — behind their back. They are not allowed to look at their creation until it is complete. Hang the works of art up for everyone to judge. Give prizes for the best-looking Easter Bunny.

Variation
Use a cross, an easter lily, or an easter Basket as other options to replace the easter rabbit

Easter Collection

Get more than 80 creative ideas for planning a Youth Easter celebration or Easter Party. You can immediately download my best Easter Icebreakers, games, illustrations, Easter activity ideas AND MUCH MORE in a useful ebook!

=> Tell me more about the Easter Collection