Games that help strangers become a group — perfect for the first ten minutes of any event, camp, class, or team meeting.
Lay out paper on the floor in a grid. On a separate piece of paper, draw a path through this grid that only the game host can see. Teams take turns trying to go through the grid and guessing the correct path. If they step on a square that is not on the path held by the game host, they must start again. First team through wins.
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Make teams. Host of the game says a word. Teams must write down as many songs as possible that have that word in it within the time limit. Once time is up, alternate between teams as they sing songs from their list. Same song cannot be sung twice. Last team standing wins.
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Players get an amount of time to tie a knot. Switch with another player and first to untie the knot wins. Should probably use a thicker rope so that it is actually possible to untie.
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Have teams each stand on their own blanket. Teams must work together to flip over the blanket without having any team member touch the floor. If they touch the floor, the team must start again.
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Lay a line of hula hoops across the ground connecting two teams' home bases. One player from each team starts hopping on one foot, hoop to hoop, toward the other side. Where the two meet face to face, they play rock-paper-scissors: the winner keeps advancing, and the loser peels off while the next teammate immediately launches to intercept. If a player makes it all the way to the opposing team's end, their team scores (or wins). Fast, loud, and endlessly restartable.
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Broken Telephone with Headphones is a game where the players with music in their headphones stand in a line facing the back of the player in front of them. The first player in the line has no music and receives a phrase which he has to say to the player in front of him and the player in front of him passes it on to the next player and so on. The last player has to say the phrase that came to him out loud.
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End of the World, Make a large circle with the rope on the floor, have the group stand in the center of the circle. Now simply pull the ends of the rope thus making the circle grow smaller. The group must try to survive for as long as possible (They will fight for survival) I make a rule of no pushing, however team work is the key, getting people on your back, making a human tower etc. A person is out when they step over the rope.
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Everyone — including the designated tagger — spins in place while looking up for a set time (about a minute works). The moment time is called, the dizzy tagger tries to catch as many equally dizzy players as possible within the playing area. Everyone caught becomes a tagger for the next round, and the game repeats until no one is left standing free. Play on soft ground, well away from anything with corners.
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Players perform scenes or stories on the spot without rehearsal, often with prompts from the audience or a game master.
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First, you split up into groups of 3-5. You should have at least three teams to play. Each team gets a chair and the caller chooses any random tangible-object noun. Each team is given 5 minutes to create that thing/person from the chair and the items given to them. As a bonus, each team gets one random object. It needs to be something that could be wrapped/tied/stuck to the chair, and be able to get un-stuck. (Toilet paper, multi-colored duct tape, yarn, ribbons, a bag of safety pins with cotton balls, magnets, etc.) As more rounds are played, the game gets sillier and crazier every time--due to the fact that the paper has already been drawn and cut out and used, as well as things that have been pinned together, and other objects that might look "used up". It's a blast, and everyone brainstorms and then builds a wacky-looking creation out of a chair! The prep work is definitely worth it.
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Divide your group into even teams. Designate an area for each team to use to build their tower. Provide each team with an even distribution of supplies - packing peanuts and toothpicks. Explain the rules of the challenge to your group - each team will get the same amount of time (5-15 minutes, depending on what suits) to build the tallest freestanding tower they can out of only packing peanuts and toothpicks. When the time runs out, teams must stop building their towers and let them stand freely on their own. If the tower falls down, that's too bad - the height is measured to its tallest vertical point. The team with the tallest tower wins!
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Use tape to create large boxes on the floor or ground. Each of these boxes is a deck. Students gather in one of these decks -- the poopdeck, quarterdeck and halfdeck. The leader calls out a "deck" and all the students move to the deck called out. The last student into the deck is out of the game. The game continues until two students are left. You can yell out commands too instead of moving them to another "deck." -- like "hit the deck" (everyone goes face down, last one down is out)… "swab the deck" (everyone on their knees) … very, very fun. Be creative!
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Based on the game for Kinnect or Wii, this is a simple fun, high energy group game for your students. Think a little of "Follow the Leader" meets the dancing video game..LIVE! You can honestly play in anywhere or any time you just have to have some music and a few students. It is great for an up front challenge, a full group game, or simple a time killer as you wait to get started. Have one person, leader or student stand up in front of the group to be the "dance avatar". Select 2-4 player or up to as many as you want to follow along. Put on a great dance song or beat and have your "avatar" bust out their best or craziest dance moves, while players try to follow along. The winner or winners, if you want to have one is the person/people who keep up the best with the "avatar". If you are doing an up front version you can have the crowd vote or if you doing a bigger group version you can have adult leader walking around "tapping" people out to leave the dance floor, dance marathon-style.
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Connect 4 is a two-player connection board game in which the players first choose a color and then take turns dropping colored discs into a seven-column, six-row vertically suspended grid. The pieces fall straight down, occupying the next available space within the column. The objective of the game is to be the first to form a horizontal, vertical, or diagonal line of four of one's own discs. Connect 4 is a solved game, with the first player being able to always win by playing the right moves. The game is straightforward yet strategic, as players must anticipate their opponent's moves and counter them effectively to win.
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Give each team a packet of spaghetti and marshmallows each. The team that builds the tallest spaghetti and marshmallow tower wins!
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Play the classic card game Spoons with one twist: the spoons aren't in the middle of the group — they're somewhere else entirely. Place them across the room, up a staircase, or (best of all) outside, with obstacles between the cards and the spoons. Play proceeds as normal: pass cards around the circle until someone collects four of a kind, at which point everyone sprints for a spoon. One player comes back empty-handed and is out — remove a spoon and deal again. The farther and messier the route, the better the game.
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Divide a Bible story picture into jigsaw puzzle pieces. Participants race to put the puzzle together as quickly as possible.
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Ships Wreck, Divide the kids into teams of around 10 people. Each team will need a "ship" - this could be a hula hoop or something else of a similar size (small blanket, plank of wood). Each team will start at one end of the playing field and their object is to run to the other end while carrying their ship. When the instructor yells "SHARK", every team needs to immediately drop their ship on the ground and then jump on top/inside of it. The first team with everyone on board of their ship will get a point. Crossing the finish line first could gain the team three points. You can repeat this game as many times as you want.
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Get everyone to take their shoes off. Give two spare socks to anyone not wearing any. Everyone gets down on their hands and knees. When the leader says "Go!", everyone has to try and steal everyone else's socks, while protecting their own. Once both your socks have been taken, you are disqualified, and you must sit out. The last person with at least 1 sock on wins! Alternatively, you can divide into groups, and the team with the most socks wins!
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Tag game where players must avoid being tagged. Once you've been tagged your arms and legs can be used to tag other people, except your bottom must remain on the floor. The last person to be tagged wins!
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Players pair up: one is the camper (usually the smaller partner), the other is the tent. Form a circle with the tents standing arms-raised like a roof and the campers sitting cross-legged in front of them. When the leader shouts "Campers!", every camper crawls through their tent's legs, runs a full lap around the outside of the circle, and crawls back through to their spot — last one back is out, along with their partner. On "Tents!", the tents run the lap instead. No pushing, and overtake only on the outside of a slower runner. Keep calling until one pair remains.
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In stuck in the mud, one person is "it". When they touch someone, that person is "frozen" in place. The frozen person cannot move and must stand with their feet apart. The only way they can become unfrozen is if a person crawls under their legs. Play continues until all the players are frozen. Then the last person to be frozen is "it" for the next game.
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Basically, all students stand in one straight row. According to if they are right or left handed, that's the shoe they'll slip off a bit. Example: Keira is right handed. So Keira will slip off her right shoe a bit. One of the teachers will say '1...2...3...GO!' When the teacher says 'GO!' all the students will step forward a bit and kick off their 'slipped off a bit' shoe. The student with the shoe kick that's farthest wins.
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Give the kids either in pairs or as individuals a plate and a tube of toothpaste. The bigger tubes work best. Tell them the challenge is to get all the toothpaste out of the tube as quick as possible. Watch and see how quickly the squirt it onto the plate. Then once the toothpaste it out let them in on the secret. The actual challenge is to see how much toothpaste they can get back in the tube. Almost impossible. Gets really messy really fast. For the most part the toothpaste stays on the plate and all over their hands. Some try to blow into the empty tube of toothpaste to open it back up again. Doesn't work but worth suggesting to see them try. Point of the game is to be careful with your words. They can come out super fast but don't always go back in so easily and can get messy if said in the wrong way.
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Start off the game by choosing 1 person to be 'it' and have a designated tag area for the game to run in, preferably a large open area (so the other youth can't hide behind, or run between small objects to evade). This 'it' person must run around and tag people, and every-time the amoeba tags somebody they must hold hands to become 'part of the amoeba'. Now both of these people are 'it' and must remain connected at all times by holding hands, progressively more and more people will become part of the amoeba. In order to tag the next person, they must form a circle around them by holding hands (like a group hug). If anybody gets caught in the completed amoeba circle they must become part of it. The trick is, the amoeba is allowed to run around as a chain (not a circle) in order to trap people in a corner. The other people are allowed to run through gaps in the chain, but if the amoeba is quick enough at forming a circle again around the player then he/she is caught. The smaller amoebas are faster, but as it gets bigger it requires more teamwork and communication to work as a group to catch another person. Everybody in an amoeba must be holding hands and remain in a chain/circle at ALL TIMES.
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Players pair up with someone of similar size and decide who is the horse and who is the jockey. The horses walk in a small circle in the middle, one behind the other; the jockeys form a larger circle around them, facing the opposite direction. The leader calls "Horses, go!" and the inner circle starts moving, then "Jockeys, go!" and the outer circle runs the other way. On "Jockeys up!", every jockey sprints to find their horse and jump on for a piggyback — the last pair up is eliminated. Call direction changes to keep everyone guessing, and play on soft ground.
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1. You'll need to play in a room with four corners, so it can't be circular. 2. Each corner must be labelled with a number, from 1-4. 3. The person who is blindfolded (preferably some type of facilitator) will go into the middle of the room and begin counting to ten. All of the other players must scramble for one of the four corners. If anybody cannot make it to a corner in time, they must be eliminated for the round. 4. When the countdown is done, the facilitator will yell out a number between 1 and 4. Anybody in the corner of that number is eliminated for the round. 5. This pattern goes on until there is only one other person standing. They win!
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It's similar to "Doggy doggy who's got your bone" but a little different. Get to group to sit in a circle. Put a chair in the middle. Choose one person to sit in the chair and blindfold them. Place a set of keys or an object under the chair in the middle. Then the game begins. One of the leaders who isn't playing will select a player sitting in the circle group to sneak into the middle and try to steal the keys. Meanwhile, the blindfolded player on the chair has to listen carefully to try to hear where the stealing person is. When they think they know where the stealer is, they must quickly point. If they point at the player, the player is now out and they swap around. However, they are only allowed to point 3 times. If the stealer manages to take the keys without being caught, they must return to their position and then the whole group chants "Man diddy watcher someone's got your keys." The middle player takes their blindfold off and gets three guesses as to who has their keys.
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1. Get a large group of youth together and split them into two teams. 2. Give the members of each team a colored cloth to use as an armband so that they can easily identify friends and foes. (You can also use different colors of water-guns to identify teams.) 3. Give each person a water-gun, a string, and an alka-seltzer tablet. Note: If you allow youth to bring their own water guns, specify a maximum size in order to prevent one person with a large super soaker from dominating the game. 4. Have each youth tie the tablet around their neck with the string. It must hang down the front of the shirt and be visible. 5. Have a designated refill point for each team. A couple buckets of water will do the trick. 6. Have kids wear old clothes as this can get a little messy. Rule out white t-shirts to prevent embarrassment when they get wet. Let everyone run around in a large area squirting each other with the squirt guns. If a person's tablet dissolves, he's out. First team to eliminate all the opponents wins.
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The Mafia Game is a social deduction game where players are secretly assigned roles as either Mafia members or Townspeople. The Mafia's goal is to eliminate the Townspeople without revealing their identities, while the Townspeople aim to identify and eliminate the Mafia. Through alternating Night and Day phases, players discuss, accuse, and vote on who they believe is part of the Mafia until one team achieves its win condition. It's a game of strategy, deception, and deduction that requires players to bluff and outsmart their opponents.
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This game can either be done using a video camera and a TV, or just acted out on the spot. Split your group up into teams and give each team a random object which they will need to advertise and maybe something like a theme (i.e. "school" or "hospital") that they will need to run with. Send each team off to prepare their commercial then either get each team to individually film their ad, or just bring them all back to the hall and get them to act it out in front of each other. Maybe have some light-hearted judges on the side also?
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Discover Avalon, an immersive social deduction game set in Arthurian legend. Use strategy and deception as loyal servants of Arthur or minions of Mordred to complete quests and shape Avalon's fate.
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A mash-up of Pictionary, charades, and sculpting. Prepare a list of guessable words, split the group into teams, and give each team paper, pens, and a tray of modeling clay. Each round, one player per team comes to the leader, rolls a die, and learns the word plus how it must be communicated: 1–2 act it out, 3–4 draw it, 5–6 sculpt it. They race back and perform for their own team, and the first team to shout the correct word scores a point. Rotate performers each round; highest score wins.
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A simple bible quiz is a great way to help kids comprehend bible passages and stories. It can be used a tool for learning in small groups, an ice breaker for a big group or maybe as a round in a quiz night. The questions in the quiz could be general questions from all over the bible, or could be restricted to a particular bible story or passage. This is up to you to work out what will serve your youth group best. It works really well in the setting on an "introduction night" for the series/book you're about to start working through. It can be done at the end of the session to test and remind the kids of what has been discussed. The questions used in the bible quiz can be simple answer questions, multiple choice and true or false. Or you can get creative - maybe use a PowerPoint presentation to display some graphical questions as well. You could do the quiz as an "open bible" quiz which will encourage kids to be using their bibles to find answers as you go and is a good way to help kids "get to know" their bibles.
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Teams build and hold a system of pipes so that water poured into one end can flow into a bucket on the other.
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This team-building activity starts by splitting participants into pairs. Each pair stands back-to-back with hands raised and attempts to sit on the floor without falling. Once seated, they must stand back up, still with hands in the air. This exercise encourages teamwork and coordination. After successfully completing the task, teams are shuffled and expanded to groups of three, repeating the same sit-and-stand process. Following this, groups are further increased to four members, continuing the challenge. This versatile game is effective for groups of various sizes, ranging from four to twenty participants, making it an excellent icebreaker. It fosters collaboration, communication, and trust among participants, setting a positive tone for any group activity or event.
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All players stand in a large circle. One player is chosen as the detective. Detective leaves the circle as the rest of the players decide who the murderer will be. Detective rejoins the circle. Everyone in the circle can carry on having discussions, etc. If the player has the murderer wink at them, they die (and can do so dramatically for effect). Detective must identify who the murderer is within 3 guesses.
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Set up one log or thick piece of lumber per team on a stable sawhorse, with one handsaw per team. Teams line up, and on "Go!" the first player saws until the leader calls "Switch!" (every 20–30 seconds works well), then hands the saw to the next teammate. The first team to cut clean through their log wins. An adult supervises each saw at all times: one sawyer per log, everyone else behind a marked line, and gloves and safety glasses for the person sawing.
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Escape the monster is one of the interesting birthday party games for kids. Where all the children are supposed to be lined up on one side of the room. Then, one or two other children will be made to pretend monsters in the middle of a forest. The children then have to run across the forest without getting caught by the monster. If the monster manages to catch them, they become monsters as well. This fun and frolic will continue until one child gets caught. The last child who has not gotten caught at all is then the winner.
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Get the whole group together. The leader running the game calls out a category question (for example - what is your favorite color?). Everyone in the group would then have to start calling out their favorite color to each other and find the others in the group who have the same favorite color as them. When a player finds another player who has the same answer as them they then join together (by linking arms) and continue to go round the group looking for more people with the same answer. After a minute or so (completely up to the leader running the game) the leader can call "STOP". Each group needs to call out their answer. If there are two people/groups who have the same answer but are not linked together then they are eliminated from the next round. Or alternatively, to keep everyone involved, you can give each kid five wrapped lollies or popsticks to start with and they lose one each time this happens. Be creative with the questions you ask: - Favorite pizza topping - Favorite ice cream flavour - Favorite TV show - Favorite band - Favorite book of the Bible, etc.
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A game of social deduction where players are divided into two teams, the Resistance and the Spies. The Resistance's goal is to complete missions, while the Spies' goal is to sabotage the missions.
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Get the group to stand in the middle of a hall area. The leader of the game will stand at the front of the hall, facing towards the group of people. The game leader will call out a choice to the group, pointing to opposite sides of the room for each option. For example, the first choice could be "inside vs outside". When the game leader says "inside" they would point to the left side of the room, when they say "outside" they would point to the right side of the room. Each of the players then run or walk to the side of the room which they prefer. For example, if I like "outside" more than "inside" then I would go to the right. It's good to do a whole variety of choices and some will provide laughter and some might be more serious. I find it helpful to stop (maybe after a more interesting choice) and get the players to turn to someone next to them and ask them why they chose what they chose. Here are some examples of choices: Nature vs City, Casual vs Dress-up, Inside vs Outside
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Two Rooms and Boom! is a social deduction game where players are divided into two rooms, and a "bomber" must be found before time runs out. Players are divided into two groups, with each group assigned a different room. One room represents the Red Team, while the other represents the Blue Team. Each player is secretly assigned a role card, which indicates their team affiliation and role within the game. Roles may include members of the Red Team, members of the Blue Team, and special roles such as the President, the Bomber, and various other characters with unique abilities. The President is revealed in each room, while the Bomber remains hidden. The objective of the Red Team is to keep their President safe, while the Blue Team's goal is to find and identify the Bomber before time runs out. The game is played in a series of rounds, with each round consisting of a negotiation phase and an action phase. During the negotiation phase, players within each room interact, exchange information, and make deals to try to achieve their team's objectives. Players may share their roles, form alliances, bluff, and strategize to gain information about other players' roles. After the negotiation phase, players vote on which players to send to the other room during the action phase. The goal is to gather information and potentially swap players to gain an advantage or disrupt the opposing team's plans. Throughout the game, players must carefully consider the information they receive, the actions of other players, and the timing of their decisions to achieve their team's goals. The game ends when the timer runs out, at which point the players reveal their roles and determine the outcome based on the success or failure of their team's objectives.
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One person is "it" and tries to tag the other players. When someone is tagged, they must freeze in place until another player tags them to "unfreeze" them. The game continues until everyone is frozen.
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You get all the chairs in a circle and have the people playing sit on them. Make sure there are no empty chairs. Then pick someone to stand in the middle of the circle. The aim for him/her is to take a seat. Chits are made with certain details for example "Everyone wearing black clothing". The person in the middle reads the chit from the pile of chits and begins to find a seat. The aim for the people sitting is to not let the player in the middle take a seat from them. To stop them from sitting down the players that are sitting down shuffle from chair to chair. Players can change the direction at any time. There should be one less chair than the number of people playing the game so that there will always be one person who does not have a seat and that person can stand in the middle and read the next chit.
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Each person writes down a random word on a piece of paper. The papers are collected and redistributed randomly. Each person must then tell a story that incorporates all the words they received.
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One person thinks of an object, and the others have 20 questions to guess what it is. Everyone ask the person a series of questions to which he or she can answer with a 'yes' or 'no'.
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Freeze Dance is dance game where a song is played and everyone has to dance, but when the music stops, everyone must freeze in place. Those who don't freeze in time are out, and the last person dancing wins. Alternatively, you can also play a Freeze dance YouTube video and copy the dance moves shown in that video. One person can be assigned responsibility to start and stop the music. When the music stops, everyone must freeze. If anyone moves after the music has stopped, then the person is eliminated. Game ends, when there is only one player remaining.
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Each player writes down the name of a movie on a piece of paper and places it in a bowl. Players take turns drawing a movie title out of a bowl and acting out a scene from that movie while the others try to guess what is the name of the movie.
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Players should pair off into partners (girls with girls and guys with guys is usually better). One player will be the birdie and the other will be the perch. All of the perches make a circle and walk counter-clockwise. While all of the birdies make a larger circle around the perches and walk clockwise. After a few seconds call out "Birdie on a Perch!" and the partners must find each other and the birdie must jump onto the back of the perch. The last pair to find each other is out. Continue until there is only one pair left. For a bit of your own entertainment, call out different walks for the players to do. Such as: walk like a bird, a ballerina, run way model, ninja, etc.
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Pass the package = the package (a prize/gift) is passed around the circle and when the music stops, the person left holding the package unwraps a cape. In each layer there is a word from a sentence, which they have to memorize to put them together at the end of the game and discover the hidden phrase. Continue doing this until the end of the packet.
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Everyone stands in a big circle and then grabs onto two different peoples hands (not the people standing on either side of them). Once everyone is holding onto two other peoples hands then the aim is to work together to untangle the circle. Depending on how many people you have this can take a long time or can be completed very quickly.
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One person describes an object, and everyone else draws what they think it looks like based on the description. The person who described the object then reveals the actual object, and the group compares their drawings to see who came closest.
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One person starts by saying "I went to the store and bought..." and names an item. The next person repeats the first item and adds a second item. Each person must remember all the items mentioned before their turn and add a new one. The round ends when the player fails to list an item in the correct order.
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Pick a category (e.g., animals, countries, foods) and start with the letter 'A.' Each person must name something in that category that starts with the next letter of the alphabet. The game continues until you reach 'Z.'
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Write out sentences or dialogues of a book, movie, song, etc. on different pieces of paper and scramble them up. Teams or individuals race to unscramble the sentences or dialogues and put them in the correct order.
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One person selects a word from the dictionary, and everyone else must come up with a definition for it. The person who chose the word reads out the real definition, and the person with the most creative or funny definition wins a point.
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Sing Along or Karaoke is a singing activity where we can create a playlist of popular songs and let participants take turns singing along.
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1. Get players to sit in a circle facing inwards. 2. Pick a player to start. Tell this player to come up with a sentence or phrase and then whisper (or "pass it on") to the person next to them. 3. They must only whisper it once, even if the player next to them asks to hear it again. 4. Each player will then whisper it to the next player around the circle. 5. When the final player receives the whisper they must say what they heard out loud to the whole group. The starting player can then say what the initial phrase was and the group can marvel at how well they did in keeping the phrase correct, or laugh at how much it changed!
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1. If I went to Mars is a fun memory game where the game starts by one person saying their name and the sentence 'If I go to Mars I would take a', and end the sentence with object. 2. The next person begins their sentence by saying their name and then the following sentence, 'If I go to Mars, I would take (the first person's name and object) and name of second object. 3. Then, the third person then continues and says their name and includes the name and object of the first 2 people in their sentence and gives a third object. 4. This goes on till a player does not say the name and object in the right sequence. The player is then eliminated. 5. Game ends where there is only one player remaining.
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Pictionary is a couch game where we can create cards with scenes, characters, or stories for participants to draw while their team guesses within a time limit.
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Improv Storytelling is a couch game where one person starts a story with a sentence, and each person adds a sentence to continue the story. The story can go in any direction, and it's up to the group to keep it going.
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Commando is basically hide and seek meets red light green light. Choose a counter (preferably a leader/staff member). Their job is to regulate the game and call people out. Pick 5-7 checkpoints in a circular shape spread out around the start/finish zone. These points can be cones laid out or 'that garbage can near the light post' or 'that large tree'. The goal of the runners is to tag all the points and get back to the start zone without being seen by the counter. The counter must remain firmly in the same spot. The runners start running when the counter yells out a number. The counter will choose a number in their head (never less than five, usually never more than ten). He/she will then close his/her eyes and yell out that number very loudly followed by either 'fast', 'medium', or 'slow'. This dictates how many times the counter will say the word 'DOT' in between numbers. Fast = one DOT, Medium = two DOTS, Slow = three DOTS. For example, if the counter yells 'SIX MEDIUM', they will then yell out 'SIX DOT DOT FIVE DOT DOT FOUR DOT DOT THREE DOT DOT TWO DOT DOT ONE DOT DOT UP'
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A team sport played with a small ball and a circular net, where players try to hit the ball onto the net so that it bounces off and can't be returned by the opposing team.
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Players take turns throwing bolas (two balls connected by a string) at a ladder-shaped target, trying to wrap the bolas around the rungs to score points.
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A variation of dodgeball played in a pit or arena, where players try to hit each other below the waist with a ball while avoiding being hit themselves.
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Have a group sit in a circle. Every player is secretly given an action they must do on a "trigger". For example, the action might be to cough whenever a certain player in the circle talks. The goal is for someone in the middle to guess all of the triggers.
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Kubb, a traditional Swedish lawn game, involves players alternately throwing wooden batons to knock over wooden blocks (kubbs) before aiming to knock over the king. Elements of bowling and horseshoes are combined in this game, which is played on grass or sand.
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Large group forming a circle. One participant stands in the center in a quadripedal position. The participants who make up the circle shake hands and squat. The one in the center will try to get out, through those in the circle, who will move in all directions without letting go to avoid it. Anyone who "lets" it out or lets it escape should go to the center. There can be more than one person in the middle, to make it more fun.
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Create a life-size version of the classic foosball game by setting up a large rectangular area with ropes or poles dividing it into sections. Players hold onto the ropes and can only move side to side, like the players on a foosball table.
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The Fruits is an exciting game where each participant joins a group and embodies a fruit. They either stand in a straight line or lie down. When the announcer calls out a fruit, the corresponding participants run around the group. The first participant to reach the starting point earns points for their group, while the last to reach the starting point gets eliminated.
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Have everyone stand in a circle. First person says "Ha", person beside them says "Ha Ha", person beside them says "Ha Ha Ha" and so on. If you start laughing, you are out.
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Person stands in middle of a circle and points at people in the circle one by one. The person pointing has a pattern in mind. They answer either yes or no to whatever the people in the circle say, according to their pattern. People in the circle need to figure out what the pattern is. (Example: Only says "yes" if the guess is a food, only says "yes" if the answerer pauses before guessing, etc.)
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Purchase a pack of stickers. Each person must discreetly place all their stickers on other party guests; the first to use all their stickers wins. If they get caught stickering someone, they must accept a sticker. At the end of the evening, you can laugh about how sneaky some people are—and wonder how you ended up with stickers all over your back without even noticing.
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In the game "Sherlock," participants gather, and one person is chosen as the detective, called "Sherlock," for each round. The detective has 30 seconds to examine everyone before leaving the area. During their absence, a noticeable change occurs within the group, such as someone putting on or taking off a jacket, two people swapping places, or someone styling or undoing their ponytail. The key is that the change is easily noticeable. It can involve one person or multiple people in the group. For instance, everyone might untie their shoes for a round. Upon returning, the detective tries to guess the change within a minute. If they lack significant clues, the group can decide whether to provide a hint.
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Most Likely To is a game where we gather in a circle. Begin with one person asking, "Who's most likely to trip over their own feet?" (Or another scenario, attribute, deed, etc.) Count down from three (performing a drumroll with your hands is encouraged) and then have everyone point at who they think would be most likely to do said activity. Whoever has the most fingers pointed at them is out. Go around the circle asking a question until all but one person is out. You can skip the eliminations to make the game last longer. This fun party game is perfect for breaking the ice and getting to know each other better. Whether you're with friends or family, asking "Who's most likely to..." questions can reveal amusing insights and create lasting memories.
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This is a traditional Indian street game, consists of two main components: the "gilli" and the "danda." The gilli is a small wooden stick or spindle, while the danda is a larger stick or bat. The game involves one player from the hitting team placing the gilli on the ground, and then striking it with the danda, aiming to hit it as far as possible. While the gilli is in the air, players from the opposing team try to catch it or retrieve it before it hits the ground. Points are scored based on the distance the gilli travels before being caught or retrieved. The team with the most points at the end of the game wins.
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The IT Game is a game where all participants put their non preferred hand on their head. Then, everyone has to run around in a specific area and get other people out by touching their elbows.
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Located in 4 corners and in front of each cone, four groups with several participants at the signal of the "boss" will pull the rope to reach their cone. The first to achieve it wins. Make sure it is not a rope that cuts your hands. Or do have measurements like gloves, etc.
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Needs two groups, each group lines in on the opposite side of the hall/room. Get each person to take off one shoe and make a pile of their team's shoes. Get each person from one team to come and select a random shoe from the other team's pile and then find the person to whom the shoe belongs. Once they have found their match, have a question ready for them. Get the other team to do the same.
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Players take turns playing cards from their hand that match the color or number of the card on top of the discard pile. The first player who gets rid of all their cards wins.
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Create a bingo grid (4×4 or 5×5) where every square is a personal statement — "has more than five siblings," "has broken a bone," "speaks three languages." Give every player a sheet and a pen, then send them mingling to collect a different name for each square; each person can appear only once per sheet. Play to either finish line: first player to fill their whole grid wins, or, once the grids are full, the leader draws and calls names and the first player to strike out four in a row wins.
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Make teams. Teams stand in a circle and join hands randomly with two different team members across the circle to form a giant knot. On "Go!", teams must unwind so that they are a circle again. Players are not allowed to let go of hands.
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In this game, most players stand in a circle and mimic the changing actions of a predetermined leader while another player in the center attempts to guess who's in charge.
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Players pair up and tie one leg to their partner's leg. They then race to the finish line, hopping together.
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Similar to baseball, but players kick a ball instead of hitting it with a bat. The goal is to run around the bases and score points for your team.
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Players take turns trying to limbo under a bar without touching it or falling over.
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One person is "Simon" and gives commands to the other players. They must only follow the commands if "Simon says" before the command.
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In the game "Psychiatrist," players are divided into two roles: "The Psychiatrist" and "The Patients." The game is played in rounds, with one player as the Psychiatrist and the rest as Patients. The assigned player leaves the room while the Game Leader instructs other players to display a unique symptom, such as pretending there's a smell in the room. The other players maintain the same symptom throughout the round. The assigned player returns, freely questioning the other players to diagnose the shared symptom. Patients must answer truthfully; intentional misleading is corrected by the Game Leader. The round ends when the assigned player accurately diagnoses or gives up. Another Psychiatrist is chosen for the next round, and the game continues until everyone has had a turn or time runs out.
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A gift is wrapped and re-wrapped in layers of newsprint, foil, wax paper, plastic, paper, etc. All guests sit in a circle. Each one removes one layer of wrapping and passes the present on. The guest who removes the last wrap has to do a forfeit and then he gets to keep the gift.
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Zip or Bong is a fast-paced, attention-focused game where players form a circle and pass the turn using the words "Zip" or "Bong." The direction of the turn is determined by the word used. Players must respond quickly to keep the game moving, with any hesitation or mistake leading to elimination. The game continues until one player remains.
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Team game. A player from each team must draw something while the rest of the team tries to guess.
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You'll need blindfolds, a spoon, some pudding (or other semi-gelatinous treat) and possibly some protective gear for this messy game. Have your group split into partners and instruct one partner to sit in a chair while the other stands up, blindfolded. Then instruct the blindfolded partner to attempt to spoon feed the partner the pudding. The seated partner can give direction but can't touch the blindfolded partner at any time. Whichever duo has the least pudding left in their cup after one minute wins.
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Players gather in a circle, with one designated as "It." The game begins as "It" throws the ball in the air, calling out another player's name, prompting everyone to scatter. The newly designated player ("New It") takes possession of the ball, shouting "STOP." Holding the ball, the "New It" advances four steps toward a chosen "Target" without jumping. The objective is to hit the "Target" with the ball without skipping it or aiming for the head. The "Target" cannot jump, but can dodge or catch the ball with feet on the ground. If successful, the "Target" becomes "It." If the "New It" hits the "Target," they become the new "It," and the cycle repeats. The game continues until a final showdown between the last two players determines the winner.
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Bad Bite is a hilarious and challenging team game that tests your agility, coordination, and teamwork. You split into two teams and use only your mouth to pick up and hold onto a large paper bag, reducing its size with each turn. With its simple setup and competitive spirit, Bad Bite guarantees laughter and fun for players of all ages.
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All players stand in a large circle. One player is chosen as the detective. Detective leaves the circle as the rest of the players decide who their leader will be. All players in the circle begin to dance in the same way as the leader. Detective returns to the circle and stands in the middle. Leader will change their dance every so often and all players must copy him/her. Detective must identify who the leader is.
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You'll need several hula hoops or pool floats for this fun challenge. Divide your players into partners and have them stand at least six feet apart. Each partner will try to "ring" the other with the hula hoop or float. Whichever pair has the most rings on each other at the end of one minute wins.
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Scatterball is a fun, energetic game where everyone stands in a close circle, one player throws a ball in the air and calls a player's name. Everyone else scatters. The called player catches the ball and yells "Stop!" Everyone must stop moving or hiding. The player with the ball throws it to hit another player. If hit, that player must sit down. In future rounds, sitting players rejoin the game if they catch or grab the ball and hit another player with it.
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Divide into two teams and have team members line up single file. Give the first person in line a jump rope and instruct each team member to jump rope 10 times before handing the rope to the next person in line and heading to the back. Whichever team has the most members complete the task before the timer goes off wins.
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Each guest has a name of a person, animal or object taped to their forehead or back. Each person gets to ask 20 questions of various guests to figure out who he is.
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Draw a large circle in the dirt and divide it into as many spaces as there are players. This is the Earth. Each player chooses a country name. Players take turns throwing a ball in the air and saying "I declare war on (country name)". The player with that country must grab the ball and yell "stop", while the other players run and hide themselves. Player who caught the ball can take three steps, then throw the ball to hit another player. If the player is hit, the thrower gets to take some of that player's land. Continue until one player has conquered the world.
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All players walk/run around an area while music plays. Put a number of objects in that area that is one less than the number of players. When music stops, players attempt to secure an object for themselves. Each round, the player who does not get an object is out.
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A ball game similar to cricket in concept where you have two teams, 'X' represents one team and the dots 'C' are the opposition. It can be played by an even number of players from four upwards, the more the merrier. The game consists of team X which gathers in a large circle where it is on the offensive. The defending team stands strategic position behind the score line F. Player A then rolls the ball towards team X. A player from X then comes out and kicks the ball as far as possible before the whole team runs towards the score line and back to the home base where they are safe. A player kicks the ball only once for each roll. One completed cycle will be worth 1 point. The defensive team then collect the ball and try to strike a player before he makes it back to the home base. Players can also be eliminated if they kick the ball in the air and the opposition catches it in the air, bounces it and shouts ''Hwishu''. If the player kicks the ball and it fails to go past the score line then he/she is eliminated. Once all have been eliminated the two teams then swap sides. The winners are determined by how many points they had before all the players were eliminated.
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Players take turns counting up, starting with 1. Each player says either one or two numbers. If you say 10 then you are eliminated. Restart the count at 1. Continue until only one player is left.
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Place pieces of paper at random around the playing area. Each paper has a number on it, from 1 until 21 (or more). The goal is for teams to work together to touch each paper in numerical order as quickly as possible. Each person on the team is allowed to touch the numbers. The winner is the team that accomplishes this in the shortest time.
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In this game, one player is chosen and stands with their back turned away from the group. Everyone else spreads out behind them as far away as possible and attempts to creep up slowly and tap chosen player on the shoulder. However, chosen player can turn around at any moment to look to see who is coming closer. No one can move while chosen player is looking. If the chosen player sees anyone moving, they can point at that person and they have to move to the side until the round is over. If anyone gets close enough to the chosen player to tap them on the shoulder, then the round is over and the person who tapped becomes the new chosen player.
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The game host decides on a certain amount of time. Using a watch, they set a countdown for this time when they say "Go". Players cannot communicate with each other in any way. Each player must decide when they think the amount of time has passed and indicate by raising their hand. The closest to the actual time wins. (Alternative: Have the stopwatch beep when time is up. Last player to put up their hand before time runs out wins)
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In this game small groups form an object like breakfast, a car, a washing machine, a fire, etc. They have only 60 seconds to work as a team to replicate the item. You can modify this game to be like group charades and have the opposite teams write down objects for the other teams to act out.
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The classic gameshow game. If you don't have time to make a giant money wheel, consider rolling dice to determine the value of each guess.
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Classic trivia game where players are asked a question one by one. The difference is that each correct answer means you get to knock one life off of any other player in the game. Each player starts with three lives and the last one standing wins.
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Pair players up and have them toss an egg back and forth to each other. Each time the children both catch it, they must take a step backward and continue. The team that can catch their egg with the furthest distance between them, wins!
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Everyone stands in a circle. First player says "HI" and with joined palms waves from the top of the head down towards someone. That person then says "HA" and does the same movement but down to up. Person to left and right turn towards that person and say "HU", sweeping connected hands to the stomach of the middle person. Then it continues like that. If a person is not attentive and says or does something else that is incorrect, they are eliminated. The more people it is even more interesting. But if it exceeds a number of, for example, 20 in a round, several groups are made that play the same thing at the same time. When the number of people in the rounds decreases, small groups can join together until only one remains.
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Two Truths And A Lie, In each round of this game, participants will share two things about themselves that are true, as well as one thing that is not true. The job of the other participants is to try to guess which item is the untruth.
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Participants are divided into groups, placed in rows and with their legs spread. The first in line throws the ball between the legs of the other teammates to the last one, who runs to the first place and does the same. The group that reaches a certain line first will get a point. Play to ten points. Variation: it can also be thrown over the head. The more people, the more groups will compete or the longer the lines will be through which the ball will pass.
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Teams stand behind a line and take turns tossing something (such as bean bags) at a board, target, etc. A good variation to consider: have a board with different squares to land on, like Connect 4 or tic tac toe, instead of just having one bullseye.
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One blindfolded guest is led to the middle of the circle of guests. When the host shouts, "GO!" the center player must reach out and grab someone from the circle, asking, "Who is it?" That guest answers in a disguised voice. If the center player can guess who it is, the discovered person becomes the blindfolded player in the middle.
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Player is given an item and then has to try to "sell" the item infomercial style and keep talking for a set time limit. Would be funny to do guys vs girls (e.g., a guy is given a purse)
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Two teams are given a challenge (carry a weight or something) and are on an oval course. On "go", they begin chasing each other around the track. First team to catch up to the other team wins.
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Guests work in pairs, back-to-back. Each team is given a paper bag with household items/toys. One team member draws what the other is describing to them, but the name of the item and what it is used for cannot be spoken. If the partner draws/figures out what the item is, the team makes a point. The team with the most points wins.
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Participants sit in a circle and pass an object (the "hot potato") around while music plays. When the music stops, the person holding the hot potato is out. Continue until only one person remains.
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Multiple choice trivia questions. Mark each corner of the room with one of the answers. Players must run to the corner that has the answer they think is correct. Continue until all players are eliminated.
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In one variant of the game, one person wears a blindfold while another player guides them to reach a goal, carefully avoiding obstacles along the way. Another exciting variant requires the blindfolded player to find certain objects arranged in different places and take them back to the starting point. For an added twist, you can line up multiple blindfolded players, each holding the shoulders of the person in front. The last player in the row, who does not wear a blindfold, guides the entire group through the course.
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Multiple teams. Scatter letters all over a given area (can be written on paper, Scrabble pieces, etc.). On "go", players from each team race one at a time to collect letters within the time limit. Must retrieve a letter then bring it back and the next player runs. After the collecting time is up, teams must use their collected letters to form a word or words (depending on the game format). Most or longest word wins.
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Two players stand on a support, chair or pedestal. They are both holding a length of rope that is longer than the distance they are apart, so that there is slack. Players must try to pull the rope strategically to knock the other player off-balance so they fall.
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The participants are divided into two teams and separate pieces of wood are placed on the attack line of each of the groups (as many as they wish). The first team to knock down all the wood wins a point. Players cannot face the wood.
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Rock Paper Scissors tournament with winner decided by best of 3 matches. Losers become cheerleaders for the players who beat them. They continue to follow them and cheer at all matches until the final winner is determined.
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Start with a large collection of paired objects. Objects are arranged into a grid and covered with something (bucket, basket, etc.). Players take turns uncovering two items. If they match, player earns a point and player takes another turn. If not, player must cover up both items again. Player who makes the most matches wins.
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Start with a large, even grid of dots. Players take turns drawing a line from one dot to a horizontally or vertically adjacent dot. Count one point to players who complete a box when they draw their line. Player with most points once there are no moves remaining wins the game.
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A match shall be played between two teams of not more than 11 players. Each team shall play under a captain, who shall toss a coin for the choice of first innings. The game is like hand ball, but 5 members from each team have to stand on top of the chairs and the other 6 members' target is to make sure that the ball reaches the other team members who are standing on the chairs; once they catch the ball they are released and now they can play along with others. The first team to release all their 5 players wins.
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All players stand on a giant board of squares. Players move in turns, stepping from their square to another. They can only move vertically and horizontally. After players move, they flip over the square they were standing on after their turn and that square cannot be used anymore. Continue moving in turns. If a player cannot make any legal moves, they are out of the game. Continue until one player remains.
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Players start in a tight circle, and on a shared countdown everyone leaps backward into a frozen ninja pose. The game is turn-based: on your turn you make one swift movement — a single lunge or arm swing — to strike an opponent's hand, then freeze exactly where you end up. The player under attack may make one dodging movement, then must also freeze. If your hand is struck, that arm is out; lose both and you're eliminated. Play proceeds around the circle until one ninja remains.
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Line up a bunch of candles in a row. Players take turns standing at a certain spot and trying to blow out as many candles as possible (or, they can move and it is timed how long it takes them to blow out the candles).
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In the still feet game we will need a minimum of four people for this game. One of them should start in the center with a ball in hand. That person must kick the ball (as far as possible) shouting the name of a participant. In the period of time that the main person kicks the ball saying a name and that person looks for it, the rest of the participants run as far as possible. When the person who was named manages to reach the ball, she must shout "Steady feet!" and then everyone must stay still, in turn whoever has the ball will take three steps and throw it to someone. On the first hit he is injured, on the second serious and on the third he is dead and is eliminated.
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Get volunteers who are musical. They must sing a song when the host puts the microphone in front of them. Cannot sing the same song as before. The host will move the microphone quickly between players. Too much hesitation or singing the same song means the player is out.
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Each person chooses a song to perform. The person should lip sync and dance to the song.
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The "shoe from behind", among all those who want to play, a draw is drawn to determine who gets the shoe. One comes out and keeps the shoe and the rest, holding hands, form a circle on the floor while sitting. The one who has the shoe begins to go around the circle and sing this song (or another similar one): "To the shoe from behind, tris-tras. You don't see it nor will you see it, tris-tras. Look up, beans are falling. Look down, chickpeas are falling. Go to sleep, go to sleep, the Three Wise Men are coming!" When the song ends everyone must close their eyes and count to a number, ten for example. The person wearing the shoe must leave it in the back for someone. After a few seconds they open their eyes and check who left the shoe. The one who has it must grab it and run after the person who left the shoe to try to touch him with the shoe. If at 3 laps (or as many laps as agreed upon) he cannot catch it, he loses. Then he will be the one to start the game again.
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The participants form a circle, each with brooms standing in reverse (the top of the stick placed on the ground). The participants must move to the next place by releasing their broom and running to the broom that the participant next to them has just released. He who drops his broom loses, and the circle shrinks. When the number of people in the circle is less than 5, they should stand further away than normal so they should run more and be faster. This accompanied by music.
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Each person writes 2-3 facts about themselves on a regular sheet of white paper. Everyone crumples the paper into "snowballs" and has a snowball fight for 30-60 seconds while music plays. When the music stops, everyone grabs the "snowball" closest to them, opens it up and uses the facts to try to find the person who wrote it. Prizes for first 5-10 who find their person.
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Everyone starts standing up. Read through a list of awkward situations that could happen to anyone. Participants sit down if they have not experienced this. The last one standing is the lucky winner (and the most awkward as well).
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The members hold hands and spin as fast as possible counting: 10, 20, 30, 40, until they reach 100. When they let go, each of the people has to reach a base that is located in different areas of the space where they play (it is important that each base has a good distance from the others, NOT TOGETHER). There is always one base less than the number of people (for example, if 5 people are playing there must be 4 bases). The remaining one (without base) remains in the center. The game consists of those on the bases having to exchange them in pairs and whoever is in the center taking advantage of the opportunity to take over a base. Whoever loses the base remains in the center and the situation repeats itself. When one of the people loses their base 3 times, they are eliminated.
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Have a list of random but relatively normal items for people to find in the audience. Two teams compete against each other to see who can return to the stage with the item the fastest. (e.g. $100 bill, Samsung phone, pink sock, someone over 65 etc.).
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One person has to be the "boss" and stand in the middle with a handkerchief. The rest are divided into two teams and each one is assigned a number, so that said number is repeated in both groups. Next, the two groups stand at the same distance from the leader but in opposite places. The boss will say a number out loud and the two people with the same number, but team rivals, must run to pick up the handkerchief. Whoever takes it returns to his place, while the other person is eliminated. The first team to run out of players will lose. The more people there are, the more it spreads too.
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Create a quiz according to the feast theme or audience. Can participate as a team or individually.
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Two people put an elastic band between their ankles, leaving a space between them. The rest jump on and off the elastic, following one of the numerous variations and songs that accompany the jumps. Not only do you jump in and out, but you also cross your legs with the elastic band in different exercises. To increase the difficulty, the height of the elastic is progressively raised. The bigger the elastic, the more people can participate.
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Each table is a team. Each team must build a tower using whatever is available to them on the table. The team with the highest tower wins.
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Divide into two teams. Both teams divide again into two lines and then sit with their feet touching one another. Number each pair. When a number is called, those two must run around their team's "caterpillar", over all the legs of their team members, and back to their original spot. The team back first is the winner.
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Players take turns throwing a hatchet at a wooden target, scoring points for how close to the bull's-eye it sticks. Run it in rounds — three throws per turn — and total the scores, individually or as teams. This one is adults (or older teens with instruction) only, and safety is non-negotiable: a proper target with a clear backstop, one thrower at a time, everyone else well behind a marked line, and a sober, briefed group. A commercial axe-throwing venue handles all of this for you and makes a great team outing.
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Mark a tic-tac-toe grid on the floor with tape and split into two teams — one is X, the other O — each armed with three markers of their own (plastic cups and paper plates work well). Relay-style, one player from each team races out and places one marker, then runs back to tag the next runner. Once all three markers are down, runners move one of their existing markers per turn instead. First team to get three in a row scores the point; reset the grid and race again to a target score.
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Each player on a team gets a letter around their neck or on a printed t-shirt. The group needs to arrange themselves to make as many words as possible. Add difficulties or obstacles, such as having the whole team on a plank of wood and they lose points if a team member falls off.
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The players line up behind a glass. One by one they have to fill the glass little by little and prevent the water from overflowing and the player who overflows the water loses.
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Make some simple codes with numbers, letters or symbols that teams need to solve.
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Split into teams and call out a word — "rain," "love," "fire." Teams take turns singing a real song lyric that contains the word, going back and forth until a team repeats a song, sings a lyric without the word, or stalls past a ten-second countdown. That team drops out of the round, and the survivors get a new word. No instruments needed, and off-key counts — the game rewards memory and nerve, not talent.
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Make a large Jenga game using wood blocks. Teams must remove a block from the Jenga tower and place it on the top without knocking the tower over.
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Prepare 5 to 10 plastic cups and place them in a row on the table. The player will then be given an uninflated balloon. Your task is to inflate the balloon INSIDE the plastic cup so that it inflates enough to lift the cup. Therefore, they will take turns using balloons to stack plastic cups into a stack. Whoever gets the stack in the shortest time will be the winner. Or to make it a little more difficult you can stack the glasses in the shape of a pyramid.
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"Blindfolded Obstacle Course" is a thrilling team-based game where participants navigate a traditional obstacle course, but with a twist: one member of each team is blindfolded. This game emphasizes teamwork, trust, and communication as players guide their blindfolded teammate through the course.
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Arrange teams into a line. They must pass a ping pong ball from one end of their line to the other using only the suction from their straws.
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All sit in a circle facing the center. One person in the middle says for example: "everyone with glasses". Then everyone with glasses gets up, changes seats and the one in the middle sits down. Those who are sitting can move to the seat on the right to prevent those who are standing from sitting down. The one who can't find a seat says something again and the game continues. If the one in the middle says "fruit salad" EVERYONE has to change seats.
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The host chooses a word, writes it on paper and gives it to the participants. The twist is, one participant will get a paper that says imposter. Now, the host chooses one player to start drawing. Each participant draws one line at a time, but must try not to make it so obvious. The imposter needs to pretend to know what he/she is drawing. Everyone draws twice (two turns) and then the group gets to vote who they think the imposter is. If the imposter tricks the other participants, he/she wins the game.
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Make teams of two. Blindfold both team members and have one serve yogurt to the other.
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Place an object — a flag, a beanbag, a hat — on top of a tall pole or hang it well out of reach. Each team must work out how to retrieve it using only themselves and whatever materials you allow. Most teams end up engineering a human lift, so set the rules up front: how many spotters, what can be stacked or climbed, and what's off limits. First team to retrieve their object safely wins. Keep the height reasonable and always require spotters for any lifting.
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Call up two people who are close friends. Give each a picture of themselves and their teammate. Ask questions like "who is more likely to...". Teams get points when they answer the same.
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Blindfold a person and have them stand on a chair. Tell them they are going to jump off the chair when it is held high in the air. Two people on the side lift the chair slightly off the ground. The host asks the player on the chair to touch them on the shoulder, then the host ducks so the person thinks they are very high in the air. They then jump and land way sooner than they expect. It's quite funny.
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Arrange players into a line, with all players looking away from the stage so they can't see what is happening. Whisper an action to the first player in line. They act this out for only the second person. The second person then acts out what they saw for the third, etc. The last person has to guess what the action was.
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The player who is "it" faces away from everyone else. When they say "Green Light", all other players can run towards them. When the player who is "it" says "Red Light" and turns, players must stop. If the player who is "it" catches anyone moving when they turn, those players must go back to the starting line.
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Build the tallest tower possible out of uncooked spaghetti, using marshmallows as connectors.
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One member of the team removes their blindfold and directs their blindfolded teammates to perform various tasks. These tasks can include arranging themselves into a specific order or forming a particular shape on the ground using a piece of string.
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Teams must use what they have available (sticks, string, etc.) to build something they can use to reach objects hanging at a distance. They are not allowed to cross a certain line. One point for every object the team collects.
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Slappers, Best played at night. One player is "it". They cover their eyes and count down from 15. All players have to "slap" them and then hide. The player uncovers their eyes and can take three steps. If they can't find anyone, they cover their eyes and start counting down from 14. All players must run out of their hiding places, "slap" the player who is it, then hide again. Every time, the player who is "it" counts down from a smaller number. Continue until everyone is out. WARNING: PEOPLE OFTEN GET HURT BY RUNNING INTO EACH OTHER IN THIS GAME.
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Players make paper airplanes. The airplane that flies the farthest or most accurately wins. Best if airplanes can be thrown off a second story balcony or level.
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Charades, Players must act out an action or word without talking for their team to guess.
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In an open space, a large group moves around. The game leader shouts out a number, and everyone must quickly form groups of that size. Anyone who can't find a group gets eliminated. The game continues until only a few players remain.
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Teams need to arrange themselves in a specific order (age, birthday, etc.). Throw in an extra complication (they are standing on chairs and can't touch the ground, they are blindfolded, etc.)
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Players sit in a circle. One player is "it". They walk around the circle patting people on the head saying "Duck". When they say "Goose", they race the player who was tagged around the circle. Players run opposite directions. Last one back to the spot is "it" for next round. (Variation: Try with multiple people who are "it")
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Players must hold two 2L bottles full of water outstretched and not let their arm fall. A judge can determine if the player is not holding the bottles high enough.
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Team trivia game where getting a wrong answer results in increasingly difficult "punishments" (start with 5 push ups, then 10, then running to somewhere and back, etc.)
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Pea Pipes, Simple relay structure for this game. 4 teams line up at one end. Place a bowl of peas (or whatever you are using) at the other end. The first player from each team has to run to the other end and pick up a pea by sucking it on the end of the straw. Then they must carry it back to their team. If the pea falls off while they are returning, they must pick it up again (with the straw) and continue back. To win, a team must get all of its players to bring back 1 pea each.
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Get everyone to huddle in a group in the middle of the room and join each hand with someone across the circle. Once everyone has joined hands, let them know their task is now to untangle themselves. To make the game interesting, make sure there are some chaotic hand joins going on - get players to weave their hands up and over other arms. This ice breaker game can work really well as a team competition - split the group into a few different even-sized teams and get each group to tangle themselves then make it a race to get completely untangled. It might help to have a leader watching each team so there is no cheating going on!
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Tie balloons around players' ankles by string. Players must pop other players' balloons by stepping on them. A player is out once their balloon is popped.
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The group forms a tight safety circle. Inside it, one blindfolded player is the bat and two or three players are moths. The bat hunts by echolocation: every time the bat calls "Bat!", all moths must instantly answer "Moth!", and the bat homes in on the sound. The circle gently redirects anyone about to walk out of bounds. When a moth is tagged, they join the circle and a new bat or moth rotates in. A brilliant quiet-but-tense game that also sneaks in a science lesson.
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Write twenty short getting-to-know-you questions all over an inflatable beach ball with a marker. Toss the ball around the circle; whoever catches it answers the question closest to their right thumb, then throws it on. Because the ball chooses the question, nobody can prepare and the answers stay spontaneous. Refresh the ball with new questions for repeat groups, or theme it — team goals for a work retreat, favorites for a youth group, story prompts for a classroom.
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Pass a bowl of colorful candy around and tell everyone to take as many pieces as they like — but not to eat them yet. Then reveal the catch: each color is a question category (red = something about your family, green = a dream or goal, yellow = an embarrassing story, and so on), and you must answer one question for every piece you took. The greedy handful someone grabbed becomes ten stories. Finish each answer by eating the candy.
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Pass a toilet paper roll around the group with a single instruction: "Take as much as you think you'll need." No further explanation. Once everyone is holding their wad, reveal the rule — for every square you took, you must share one fact about yourself. The person who grabbed thirty squares becomes the star of the session. Simple, self-inflicted, and reliably funnier than any icebreaker where the facilitator sets the stakes.
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The samurai energy game. Standing in a circle, one player raises both arms and brings them down toward a victim across the circle with a mighty "WAH!" The victim throws their own arms skyward ("WAH!"), and the two players flanking the victim chop sideways toward their belly ("WAH!"). The victim then attacks someone new and the cycle continues at full speed. Wrong move, wrong timing, or feeble battle cry and you're out. The last three warriors share the victory.
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The group stands in a circle and sends a single clap around it: you turn to your neighbor and you both try to clap at exactly the same instant, then they turn and pass it on. Once the group can send it around smoothly, chase speed records with a stopwatch, reverse direction mid-flow when someone claps twice, or send two claps racing opposite ways to collide. It sounds trivial — until you feel a thirty-person circle click into one shared rhythm.
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Write famous pairs on sticky notes — salt/pepper, Batman/Robin, thunder/lightning, peanut butter/jelly — and stick one note on each player's back without letting them see it. Players mingle, asking only yes-or-no questions ("Am I a food?" "Am I fictional?") to work out who they are. Once you know your identity, the real mission begins: find your other half in the crowd. First pair to unite wins, but keep playing until everyone has found their match — it's the perfect way to form random pairs for the next activity.
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