Amoeba tag
6+ players 25–30 min No equipment needed
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…
219 games
Games That Take 15 to 30 Minutes
The most useful block of time there is. Long enough for a game to develop, short enough to fit twice into an hour, and the length most single-activity sessions actually need.
This is where the majority of the catalog sits, which means the choice is wider and the selection matters more. The useful question is not which game is best but what you want to be true at the end of it — a group that has laughed, a group that has solved something together, or a group that now knows each other's names.
If you are running more than one game in a session, put the shorter one first. A group that has succeeded at something small commits more readily to something longer, and the reverse order loses people in the first ten minutes.
Ordered so the games that use the time well come before the ones that merely fill it.
Last reviewed:
Bible Quiz
4+ players 25–30 min Bibles, Prepared quiz questions, Projector or screen (optional)
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 mayb…
Fruit Salad
15+ players 25–30 min Chairs (one fewer than players)
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 m…
Gilli-Danda
2+ players 25–30 min Minimal materials
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…
Make it out of a chair
8–24 players 25–30 min No equipment needed
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…
Man Diddy Watcher
5+ players 25–30 min Minimal materials
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 b…
Quidditch
14+ players 25–30 min Minimal materials
The game from Harry Potter except without broomsticks and flying. Have three small goals on each side with a keeper guarding them. Three "chasers" from each team play handball,…
Archery
2+ players 20–25 min Minimal materials
Players shoot a set number of arrows at a target, scoring by ring, highest total wins. Run it in small flights with a clear rotation: shoot, wait for the all-clear, then collect…
Bench Ball
10–30 players 20–30 min Ball, Gym bench
Each team defends a court half, with one teammate — the catcher — standing on a bench at the far end behind the opposing team. Players throw the ball over the opposing team, try…
Bible Story Jigsaw Puzzle Race
2+ players 20–30 min No equipment needed
Divide a Bible story picture into jigsaw puzzle pieces. Participants race to put the puzzle together as quickly as possible.
Charades
4+ players 20–30 min Minimal materials
Charades, Players must act out an action or word without talking for their team to guess.
Commando
10+ players 20–30 min No equipment needed
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…
Duck-Duck-Goose
7+ players 20–30 min Minimal materials
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 aro…
Feet still
4+ players 20–30 min Minimal materials
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…
Find a Wordle
6–15 players 20–30 min No equipment needed
1. Use a book to get the text for a larger section of scripture - maybe a whole chapter - that you are studying. 2. Copy that into the Wordle site and let it generate a Wordle f…
Floor is made of Lava Obstacle Course
4+ players 20–30 min Minimal materials
Teams must get from Point A to Point B without touching the ground. Variations include having the team walk on chairs (1 extra chair for the team to use when moving), using plan…
Four on the Couch
8–20 players 20–30 min Minimal materials
Goal is to get 4 from the same team on the couch. There must be one less seat than there are people in the room. Divide into at least two teams and have everyone put their name…
Freeze Tag
2+ players 20–30 min No equipment needed
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 un…
Fruits of the Spirit Relay
2–20 players 20–30 min Station props (varies by challenge, e.g. balance beam, ribbons)
Divide the group into teams and set up stations representing each of the fruits of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-con…
Grouped by Numbers
20+ players 20–30 min No equipment needed
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 elimina…
I Declare War on
4–10 players 20–30 min Minimal materials
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…
If I Went to Mars
6–10 players 20–30 min No equipment needed
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 obje…
Jeopardy
3+ players 20–30 min Minimal materials
The contestant or team with the highest total at the end of Final Jeopardy is declared the winner. The game is known for its unique answer-and-question format, where the host pr…
Ladder Golf
2–4 players 20–30 min Minimal materials
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.
Liquorice Eating Contest
4+ players 20–30 min Minimal materials
In the game Liquorice Eating Contest, we divide players into teams. Relay race to have teams eat liquorice without using their hands.
Mop Head & Hockey Sticks
4+ players 20–30 min Minimal materials
Split into two teams and line them up facing each other, well apart, with a chair at each end and a mop head placed in the middle between them. Scatter hockey sticks in the corn…
Paper Airplanes
2+ players 20–25 min No equipment needed
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.
Paper Telephone
6–14 players 20–30 min Paper, Pens or pencils
Every player writes a phrase at the top of a paper — "a giraffe learning to skateboard" — and passes it left. The next player draws the phrase, folds the writing out of sight, a…
Plate Flipping
6–20 players 20–30 min Minimal materials
Get lots of paper plates. Mark one side with an X. Divide the group into two teams. One team must flip plates over to show the X, the other team must flip to hide the X. Winning…
Poopdeck
6+ players 20–30 min Minimal materials
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…