Everybody is it!

This is a simple game.

1. Ask everyone to spread out evenly on the playing area.

2. Once you say “go”, everyone tries to tag each other. If one person tags another person, the tagged person must sit down for the rest of the game. However, if two people tag each other at the same time, they both have to sit down.

3. The game continues until all but one person is eliminated. The last person standing wins the game.

Balloon Stomp

Summary: Pop! Try to stomp on each other's balloons. Be the only team left with your balloons intact!

Goal: Be the last team with a non-popped balloon.

Preparation:
- You'll need to play in an area where everyone can easily run around.
- At least 40 balloons* equally divided by three different colors (you might want to have extra balloons, in case some become popped before the actual game begins)
- Ribbon/Yarn, cut 1 1/2 feet long (one ribbon/yarn string for every balloon)
- Trash bag (to pick up the balloon pieces after the game)

How to Play Balloon Stomp:
1. Split everyone into equal teams and hand out the balloons, one color per team. Each person needs two balloons.

2. Each person needs to blow up their balloon, knot the balloon's end, and tie a balloon to their each of their ankles/shoes using the ribbon/yarn.

3. Once everyone is done, explain the rules: When you say “go”, the players must stomp and pop other teams’ balloons. The players can only run within the set boundaries. The players cannot use their hands. If both balloons have been popped, the player must sit out of the boundaries and is out of the game. The remaining team with at least one balloon intact wins the game.

Three Pails

This is a good game. What it takes is three containers you can use what ever you like. I personally have three outside garbage cans for this game. They were purchased new just for this game.

You have a line on the floor where the kids will stand and not cross. 15 feet from this line you place a garbage pail. Then another 5 feet away from that one you place the second. Do the same with the last can.

Now you say the first can is worth 5 points. The second is worth 10 points and the third is 15 points. You have 5 tennis balls. The idea is to get as many points as possible by throwing the balls into the cans.

Divide the kids up into teams or if the group is small have them play against each other. Keep track of the scores and add them up and the team or child with the highest score will be declared the winner.

This is a fun game to watch because some kids will always go for the big numbers and tend to miss while others will go for the lesser and most times they are the winners because the other kids will throw and try to get maximum points and end up with little to no score.

You can adjust the distance up or down to make it easier or harder. Each group of children will be different in how they throw. So the standard rule will be adjust it to you group. Change the points awarded for each can. Just do what makes the game fun to play and watch.

Of course balls will be missed and they will go everywhere so this game will get the game leaders tired running around collecting the balls! But it is fun game none the less.

A quiet night

Just want to have a quiet night and watch the kids use their brains instead. How about a building contest!

This one is a good one to use once in a while. You need to purchase some boxes of toothpicks, colors can be fun, and mini marshmallows.

Yes marshmallows. I would suggest buying enough to also have some to eat. The kids usually want to eat as much of the marshmallows as they use to build. They will eat the ones they are using whether they are clean or not so provide them some to eat. Also you might want to tell them to be careful that they don't prick themselves with the toothpicks.

The goal here is to build the tallest standing structure. If it can't stand it does not qualify. You should give it a time limit. How much time depends on how long game time is. You need time to measure and time for the kids to admire each others work.

All that they need to do is to stick the toothpicks into the marshmallows and build. It sounds easy but this game will show you the future building engineers.

Hot Potato With A Twist

This is a great game. The normal way this game is played is whoever gets stuck with the potato is out. Will with this game that is not always the case. This helps with the kids wanting to cheat by passing the potato after the stop command is given  because they don't want to be out. Sometimes in this version it is safer to have the potato. Plus you have one or two potatoes. I use the colored bean bags for awana to play this game. You can also just use one bean bag. You run the game the way it works for your group. A large group two bean bags a small group just use a single bean bag.

Some prep is required. You should print on strips of paper what happens when the stop command is issued.

Behind Red
Front Red
Behind Blue
Front Blue
Red
Blue

Any others you want to think up that you think would make this game fun you can add to the list. Make them match your game how you intend to play it.

Now for the game. Take your strips of directions and place them in a small paper bag and mix them up. Make all the strips of paper he same size so that your hand can't tell them apart. Now hand the bean bag(s) to the kids and have them start passing the bean bags around the circle on your command. I like to not be looking at the kids so you will need another person to watch the kids and make sure they are playing fair. After a while you yell stop and then reach into the bag and pull a single strip of paper out and the person out is what the strip says. So if it says red the child holding the red beanbag is out. If it says blue then the blue. But if it says front of blue then the child that would have had the bean bag next is out. You understand how this game works! Why it has a twist. You keep this up till you have one child left and they are  declared the winner.

Downside Up

Get 30 cups (or more or less depending on group size) and spread them around the room, half the right way up, the other - upside down. Split the youth into to teams, on the word 'Go' - one team has to turn the cups the right way up, the other team has to turn them up side down, after a certain time limit, stop the game and the team with the most cups in their direction (up or down) wins!!!

Doctor Dodge Ball

This is another game the kids like. Its called Doctor Dodge Ball. It is regular dodge ball but with a twist. There is one kid that is the doctor. This kid has the ability to bring kids that are out back in just by touching them. Of course this comes with a big problem for both teams. If the doctor gets out the game is over and the other side wins.

To setup Dr. Dodgeball you make two even or almost even teams. Then the teams make a huddle to choose a doctor. One person from each team will come and tell you who is the doctor. You can use as many dogdeballs as you want, but the minimum should be two.

To play Dr. Dodgeball you throw in the balls and start. If someone gets hit below the head it counts. If someone gets hit they sit cross-legged. The doctor can rescue them by touching them. If the doctor gets hit the opposite team wins.