8 Last Minute Games for Youth Group
If you've been to a TEAMeffort Missions chapel, you know that we’re a pretty energetic and goofy bunch. We love games, especially the ones that don’t require a lot of preparation.
So save yourself the Google search: Last minute youth group game ideas that don’t make a mess or require a lot of props.
We've got you covered…
So save yourself the Google search: Last minute youth group game ideas that don’t make a mess or require a lot of props.
We've got you covered…
1. FACE THE COOKIE
To play, you need:
Directions:
When the music starts, contestants take one cookie and place it on their forehead.
The goal is to move the cookie to the mouth without touching it (this results in a ton of hilarious facial expressions and squirming). If the player drops the cookie, they take another one and keep trying until one player wins.
If your students are surprisingly skilled at this, play best 2 out of 3!
- Cookies
- A few faces
- Music
Directions:
When the music starts, contestants take one cookie and place it on their forehead.
The goal is to move the cookie to the mouth without touching it (this results in a ton of hilarious facial expressions and squirming). If the player drops the cookie, they take another one and keep trying until one player wins.
If your students are surprisingly skilled at this, play best 2 out of 3!
2. COTTON-HEADED NINNY MUGGINS!
To play, you need:
Directions:
Give an empty bowl to Player 1 and a bowl full of cotton balls to Player 2.
Player 3 puts a big glob of petroleum jelly on their nose.
Place player 1 and 2 on opposite sides of the room.
When the music starts, player 3 must transport as many cotton balls from one side of the room/stage to the other by sticking their face in the cotton balls, running to the other side of the room, and shaking them into the empty bowl. Hands may not be used.
The team with the most cotton balls transported when the music stops, wins!
- 4-6 bowls
- Petroleum jelly
- A bag of cotton balls.
- 2-3 teams of 3 people each
- Music
Directions:
Give an empty bowl to Player 1 and a bowl full of cotton balls to Player 2.
Player 3 puts a big glob of petroleum jelly on their nose.
Place player 1 and 2 on opposite sides of the room.
When the music starts, player 3 must transport as many cotton balls from one side of the room/stage to the other by sticking their face in the cotton balls, running to the other side of the room, and shaking them into the empty bowl. Hands may not be used.
The team with the most cotton balls transported when the music stops, wins!
3. FINGER JOUSTING
To play, you’ll need:
Directions:
Tell everyone to pair up with the person next to them.
SPREAD OUT. It’s about to get rowdy.
Everyone locks hands and when the music starts, players begin the joust. The goal is to touch the other person with your pointer finger first. (Players can only use their jousting hand) Winners play each other.
Stop the music when there are only a few people left and bring them to the front. Cheer for the last few battles!
- Everyone in the room who has hands
- Music
Directions:
Tell everyone to pair up with the person next to them.
SPREAD OUT. It’s about to get rowdy.
Everyone locks hands and when the music starts, players begin the joust. The goal is to touch the other person with your pointer finger first. (Players can only use their jousting hand) Winners play each other.
Stop the music when there are only a few people left and bring them to the front. Cheer for the last few battles!
4. MOVIN’ ON UP
To play, you’ll need:
Directions:
Place the different color cup on the bottom of each stack.
Bring 2-4 contestants up the front and give them a stack of cups.
When the music starts, contestants must transfer the cup on top to the bottom of the stack to get the colored cup to the top. If cups drop or more than one cup is transferred, the player must start over.
The first player to get their colored cup to the top wins!
Alternative Option: If you do not have a cup that is a different color, you can mark one cup.
- 2-4 stacks of 15+ cups All cups should be the same color except one.
- Music
Directions:
Place the different color cup on the bottom of each stack.
Bring 2-4 contestants up the front and give them a stack of cups.
When the music starts, contestants must transfer the cup on top to the bottom of the stack to get the colored cup to the top. If cups drop or more than one cup is transferred, the player must start over.
The first player to get their colored cup to the top wins!
Alternative Option: If you do not have a cup that is a different color, you can mark one cup.
5. SHAKE, RATTLE, AND ROLL
To play, you’ll need:
Directions:
Loop the string through both sides of the tissue boxes, leaving enough string on the ends to make a “belt”.
Tie the string around contestant’s waist, with the ping pong ball filled tissue box behind them.
When the music starts, contestants turn around and shake it to make the ping pong balls fall out of the box.
The first one to empty their tissue box wins!
- 2 empty tissue boxes
- 20-30 ping pong balls
- String
- Music
Directions:
Loop the string through both sides of the tissue boxes, leaving enough string on the ends to make a “belt”.
Tie the string around contestant’s waist, with the ping pong ball filled tissue box behind them.
When the music starts, contestants turn around and shake it to make the ping pong balls fall out of the box.
The first one to empty their tissue box wins!
6. THUMBLESS STUNTS
To play, you’ll need:
Directions:
Tell contestants to untie one shoe and place it in the back of the room.
Bring them back to the stage and tape their thumb and index finger together on both hands.
When the music starts contestants have to complete challenges without use of their thumbs:
The first one to complete everything wins!
Get creative with other hilarious things they could do without thumbs.
- 2 contestants who have thumbs and shoes with laces
- Painters tape
- 2 Bananas
- A wrapped present (optional)
Directions:
Tell contestants to untie one shoe and place it in the back of the room.
Bring them back to the stage and tape their thumb and index finger together on both hands.
When the music starts contestants have to complete challenges without use of their thumbs:
- Retrieve their shoe, and put it back on and tie it.
- Peel the banana.
- Unwrap the present.
The first one to complete everything wins!
Get creative with other hilarious things they could do without thumbs.
7. GORILLA, MAN, GUN
To play, you need:
Directions:
This is game is a twist on the classic Rock, Paper, Scissors.
Winners play each other until one wins above all.
Twist: Have ever loser follow the winner around the room and cheer obnoxiously loud for them. By the end of the game you’ll have two roaring crowds!
- Everyone in the room
Directions:
This is game is a twist on the classic Rock, Paper, Scissors.
- Gorilla (Hands up like a scared chimp) …beats Man
- Man (Hand resting on chin like the “Thinker” statue. Or get creative) …beans Gun
- Gun (Obvious motion here) …beats Gorilla
Winners play each other until one wins above all.
Twist: Have ever loser follow the winner around the room and cheer obnoxiously loud for them. By the end of the game you’ll have two roaring crowds!
8. PANTOMIME
To play, you need:
Directions:
Have a helper lead the three contestants out of the room.
The game leader explains to the crowd that he/she will be acting out a specific scene while the music plays. (Examples: A zookeeper putting monkeys back in a cage, Washing an elephant)
The helper brings in one contestant to watch the game leader act out the scene without knowing what he/she is doing.
The second contestant watches the first contestant copy the game leader’s acting while the music plays.
The second contestant does the same for the third.
If your game leader is engaging, this can be really funny for everyone.
At the end, the game leader asks each contestant what they thought they were acting. They’ll say some outrageous things, and the game leader will tell them what they were actually doing.
Everyone wins!
- An energetic game leader
- 3 contestants who “like to act”
- Music
Directions:
Have a helper lead the three contestants out of the room.
The game leader explains to the crowd that he/she will be acting out a specific scene while the music plays. (Examples: A zookeeper putting monkeys back in a cage, Washing an elephant)
The helper brings in one contestant to watch the game leader act out the scene without knowing what he/she is doing.
The second contestant watches the first contestant copy the game leader’s acting while the music plays.
The second contestant does the same for the third.
If your game leader is engaging, this can be really funny for everyone.
At the end, the game leader asks each contestant what they thought they were acting. They’ll say some outrageous things, and the game leader will tell them what they were actually doing.
Everyone wins!
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