Ships Wreck
20+ players 15–20 min Minimal materials
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 o…
23 games
Outdoor Games for 30 People
Outdoors with thirty people, the limiting factor is your voice. A field absorbs sound in a way a hall does not, and instructions given at the center of a spread-out group reach roughly the nearest third.
Gather everyone in close to explain, then send them out. It feels like a wasted minute and it saves you repeating yourself four times.
Thirty outdoors is a good number for the games that do not work anywhere else — wide games, hiding and stalking games, anything needing running room and a boundary. Set the boundary before you start and make it something visible rather than something described, because "as far as that tree" produces a different answer from every player.
Weather is the other variable. Several of these work in rain and a few are better in it; the ones that need dry ground say so.
Ordered by fit for a group of around thirty.
Last reviewed:
Slappers
10+ players 5–10 min No equipment needed
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 a…
Sneak
10+ players 50–60 min Minimal materials
We're gonna play "Sneak," a game with two teams competing to steal and possess the most balls. Each team defends one half of the field where members are always SAFE. Each side h…
Giant bowling
8+ players 15–20 min Minimal materials
Set up a giant bowling alley in any large open area — a parking lot works well, with the lane marked out in chalk. Use a large ball and oversized pins (empty 2-liter bottles are…
Countries
6+ players 20–45 min Minimal materials
In this game, you divide a wide field into two halves with a long hose and scatter light, unbreakable objects like empty ice cream containers evenly on both sides. Split players…
Everybody's It
6+ players 5–15 min No equipment needed
The fastest tag game there is: on "Go!", every single player is "it". Tag anyone; anyone can tag you. When you are tagged, you sit down where you are. If two players tag each ot…
Fox and Hounds
6+ players 30–60 min Chalk or flour (for trail marking), Clothes pegs (optional)
A trail-chase across a big outdoor area. One small team — the foxes — gets a five-minute head start and must lay a visible trail as they go: chalk arrows, flour dashes, or cloth…
French vs. English
6+ players 45–60 min Minimal materials
Two teams compete on a field divided into two halves by three lines. Each team places an equal number of objects behind their baseline. The game involves stealing as many object…
Manhunt
6+ players 30–60 min Flashlights
Hide and seek in reverse scale: one or two hunters, everyone else hides across a large agreed area. Hunters count to fifty at base, then search. Tagged players either join the h…
Sharks and Minnows
6+ players 10–20 min No equipment needed
Mark out a large rectangular field. One or two players start as sharks in the middle, everyone else lines up as minnows on one end line. When the sharks shout "Fishy fishy, cros…
Sponge Relay
6+ players 10–20 min Large sponges, Buckets
Each team gets a full bucket of water at the start line, a large sponge, and an empty bucket at the far end. Players relay back and forth: soak the sponge, run it down the cours…
Water Bomber
6+ players 20–30 min Minimal materials
"Water Bomber" is typically a fast-paced, action-packed game played outdoors, especially popular during summer months or at pool parties. In this game, participants use water ba…
Water Pipes
6+ players 20–30 min Minimal materials
Teams build and hold a system of pipes so that water poured into one end can flow into a bucket on the other.
Flashlight Tag
5+ players 20–40 min Flashlights
Played after dark. One player holds a flashlight and counts at base while everyone hides. Instead of tagging by touch, the seeker "tags" a player by catching them in the flashli…
The Alka Seltzer Waterfight
5+ players 45–60 min Minimal materials
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 frie…
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…
Glow-in-the-Dark Games
4+ players 5–10 min Minimal materials
Any game, except played in the dark with players or game objects covered with glow sticks.
Water Bottle Game
4+ players 10–20 min Minimal materials
Place a water bottle somewhere a short distance away from a water source. Teams must fill up the water bottle using any means available (spoons, their hands, etc.)
Blind Artists
2+ players 15–30 min Minimal materials
Tell everyone what they are supposed to draw. Turn the lights off so it is completely dark. After a few minutes, turn the lights on and judge who is the winner.
Bucket Race
2+ players 10–20 min Minimal materials
Have a bucket up on top of a ladder a short distance away from a water source. Teams must run back and forth to fill up the bucket as quickly as possible.
Fill up
2+ players 5–10 min No equipment needed
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.
Holding 2L Water Bottles
2+ players 5–15 min No equipment needed
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.
Mafia
2+ players 60–90 min Mafia role cards
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 with…