11 Youth Group Games That Are Super Fun & Inclusive
Are you looking for some exciting and inclusive games to play with your youth group? You’re in luck! – WoW is a New Zealand community that helps youths stay on the right track, check out our website for events and list your event, and add a youth group in our directory, it’s free!
We’ve compiled a list of 11 super fun games that are perfect for bringing everyone together, breaking the ice, and creating lasting memories. From classic party favourites to unique twists on old classics, there’s something here for every group dynamic. Get ready to laugh, bond, and have a blast with these awesome outdoor and indoor youth group games!
Intro: Fun Youth Group Games & Activities
1. Introduction to Youth Group Games
Most youth groups meet on a weekly basis and use games as a way to break the ice, get to know each other better, and have some fun. But not all games are created equal! Some games can be exclusive and leave certain members of the group feeling left out. That’s why it’s important to choose youth group games that are inclusive and super fun for everyone involved.
Here are a few of our favorite inclusive youth group games:
Game #1: Human Knot
To start playing Human Knot, you will need at least six people. If you have more people, that’s fine, but you will need to make sure that there are an equal number of boys and girls.
- Once you have your group, have everyone stand in a circle and put their right hand out in the middle of the circle.
- Then, each person should grab the hand of someone who is not next to them
- Once everyone has a hand grabbed, no one should let go!
- The object of the game is for the group to untangle themselves without letting go of each other’s hands.
- The catch is that you can only use one hand at a time! So if you have someone’s left hand in yours, your right hand must be holding someone else’s.
This game is really fun and can get pretty chaotic to say the least, but it’s a great way to break the ice and get everyone laughing and interacting with each other. Remember to take the sanitiser though, as some parents might feel anxious about all the human contact.
Game #2: Two Truths and a Lie
In this game, each player takes turns telling three statements about themselves, two of which are true and one of which is a lie. The other players then have to guess which statement is the lie. This game is great for getting everyone to share something about themselves and for breaking the ice in a group.
Again it’s a wonderful icebreaker. In this day and age, you may also want to call it “Two truths and a story”, just in case you’re seen as encouraging kids to lie.
If you want to take it even further, you can make it a memory challenge. Each youth is given the task of remembering at least one fact about each person, accurately, and there’s a small prize for doing so. This will create a lot of sillyness, and laughs helping the participants relate to each other.
Game #3: Telephone
Looking for a game that will get everyone in your youth group laughing? Telephone is a classic choice that is sure to please. Here’s how to play:
1. Get everyone in your group to sit in a circle.
2. One person starts by whispering a message to the person next to them.
3. The next person then whispers what they heard to the person next to them, and so on until everyone in the circle has heard the message.
4. The last person then announces out loud what the message was, and you can all have a good laugh at how it has changed!
This game is great for getting everyone involved and breaking the ice if people are feeling shy. It’s also a great way to encourage listening skills and paying attention to detail.
Game #4: Freeze Dance
Once the music starts, everyone dances! When the music stops, everyone has to freeze in place. The last person to freeze is out and the game continues until there is only one person left. To make it more challenging, you can add in different movements that have to be done when the music stops, like touching your nose or hopping on one foot.
Game #5: Scavenger Hunt
In this youth group game, each player is given a list of items to find. You can even have fun prop items like microscopes, investigator hats, and binoculars, just to create a roleplaying theme and atmosphere. The first person to find all the items on their list wins the game! This is a great way to get everyone moving and searching for things, and it’s also a good opportunity to incorporate some teamwork.
Here are the steps you’ll need to take, to make it an unforgettable experience.
- Theme the hunt, with dress ups and props. Make them feel like Sherlock Holmes.
- Team people up, bring kids together that are opposites and get them to understand their individual strengths and roles within the team.
- Make clues. For younger participants, use pictures or simple descriptions. For older participants, you can make it more challenging by using riddles or puzzles.
- Make sure the hunt location is safe and age appropriate. Make sure you’re able to see all kids at all times.
- Make a big deal about the prize. Make a podium for the winners to stand on, and give several teams some kind of small prize for being the best at…
- Hide the clues. Make sure they’re not too hard to find & easily accessible.
- Give everybody the understanding they’re working to a stop watch, or deadline. Get them to hustle.
Examples of clues could be:
- Rhyming Riddle: “I’m round and shiny, you’ll find me up high. Look for me where birds soar in the sky.” (Answer: Helium Balloon)
- Colourful Clue: “I’m the colour of the sun, but I’m not hot. Look for me in a pot.” (Answer: Yellow flower)
- Animal Encounter: “Hop like a bunny to where the carrots grow, and you’ll find your next clue down low.” (Answer: Under a bush or near a garden bed)
- Nature’s Hideout: “I’m tall and green, with branches so wide. Look under my shade, where two paths collide.” (Answer: Tree on a path)
- Sound Clue: “Listen closely to the chirps and tweets, find me where the music of nature is.” (Answer: Near a bird feeder)
- Texture Challenge: “Feel around where the bark is rough, and you might find a clue that’s tough.” (Answer: Underneath a rough-textured tree bark)
- Memory Lane: “Think back to the start, where we gathered at noon. Return to that spot, and find your clue soon.” (Answer: Return to the starting point)
The clues, each link to a word. The words create a phrase. The team that brings you the winning phrase first, wins.
This is a lot of fun if you invest the time into it. It’s rewarding for both you and the participants.
Game #6: Name That Tune
This game is a musical twist on the classic game of charades. To play, divide the group into two teams. One team goes into another room to brainstorm a list of songs while the other team waits outside. Once the song list is complete, one player from the first team comes out and acts out the song for their teammates to guess. The first team to guess correctly gets a point. The team with the most points at the end of the game wins!
This is a great game for large groups because it can be played with as many people as you have! It’s also a lot of fun because it’s musical, so everyone can enjoy listening to the songs while they try to guess what they are.
Game #7: Balloon Pop
Balloon Pop is a great game for kids of all ages and can be played with as few as two people. All you need is a balloon for each player and something to pop the balloons with, like a needle or a rock.
This is a really fun game that gets everyone moving around and interacting with each other. To play, you’ll need two balloons per person (inflated to different sizes), music, and enough space to move around in. Everyone starts by blowing up their smaller balloon and tying it around their ankle like a bracelet. Then, they blow up their larger balloon and hold onto it while they dance around the room to the music. When the music stops, everyone has to pop someone else’s
To start, each player blows up their balloon and ties it off. Then, they take turns trying to pop the other player’s balloon by poking it with their needle or rock. The first person to successfully pop the other player’s balloon wins!
This game is super fun and inclusive because everyone can participate regardless of their physical abilities. Plus, it’s a great way to burn off some energy and get everyone laughing!
Game #8: Charades
In this game, one person acts out a scene from a movie, book, or TV show, while the other players guess what it is. This is a great game for all ages and can be played with large or small groups. It’s also a great way to get everyone involved and laughing.
Game #9: Hot Potato
This game is perfect for a large group of kids. It’s a simple game of passing a “hot potato” around the circle, but with a few added twists to make it more fun.
To play, have the kids sit in a circle. One person starts by holding the “potato” (a small object or ball of paper). They then pass it to the person next to them, and so on around the circle. The goal is to keep the potato from being passed back to you.
If at any point the person holding the potato when the music stops (or when someone yells “hot potato!”) has to do a silly dance, answer a question, or perform some other task. The rest of the group gets to watch and laugh as they try to complete their task without dropping the potato.
Game #10: Bunny-Crab Tag.
This game is great for a large group and is very inclusive! It involves a lot of movement and is great for getting everyone involved.
Players will need to divide into two teams. Each team will need to line up opposite each other, about 10 feet apart. At the front of each line, there should be one person from each team.
The object of the game is to get all of your team to the other side without being tagged by the other team. To do this, players can only move by doing crab walks, bear crawls, or bunny hops. No running!
If a player is tagged by the other team, they become frozen in place and can only be unfrozen by another member of their team crawling under them. The first team to get all of their players to the other side wins!
Game #11: The Name Game
This is a great icebreaker game that helps everyone learn each other’s names. To play, everyone sits in a circle and takes turns saying their name and an interesting fact about themselves. Then, the next person in the circle has to repeat the name and fact of the person before them, and add their own name and fact. This continues until everyone has had a turn. Not only is this game inclusive, but it’s also educational!
Example:
Person 1: Hi, my name is Sarah and I’m a dancer!
Person 2: Hi Sarah, my name is Joe and I love to play basketball.
Person 3: Hi Sarah and Joe, my name is Emily and I love to cook.
Summary – Youth Group Games
When it comes to choosing games for your youth group, it’s important to consider both the fun factor and inclusivity. Everyone needs to feel welcome, bonded, and that’s where the real magic can happen.
If you’ve liked this article about youth group games, please visit the rest of our WoW website for events in New Zealand near you. We’re on a mission to keep youths on the right track, to install great values offer comradery, mates and good vibes. Lastly, don’t forget to register your event and your youth group on our directory.
