Meeting new friends can be stressful for teens. When they come into your Youth Ministry, make sure you plan ways to make them feel welcome. Here are some great games!
Youth Ministry ice breaker games are actually play a vital role in your Youth Ministry. They provide a way for new teens to get to know each other. After playing several games together, they usually start to warm up to the group and feel at home. Here are some really cool games that teens love to play!
Pyramid Race
Directions: Select 10 players for each team. If you have a group of about 30 kids, divide your group in half, and let all the kids play. The first team to build a pyramid using all their players, (without falling over) wins. Start with the first four or five players on their hands and knees. Put the next three or four in the same position, only on the first layer of people. Continue until all the players are in the pyramid. Play upbeat, energetic music while game is played. The music starts on "Go" and stops when a team wins.
Build a Snowman
Directions: You will need one cup of icing for each pair of players. You will also need a small handful of colored candies for each pair of players. Teams play as partners. On "Go," one of the partners puts icing all over the face of the other partner. They are to put the colored candies on their face to decorate. The object of the game is to see how nice they can make their snowman look, not how fast can they decorate them. You can set a time limit, especially if you have a big group of teens. The winning team is the one who gets the loudest cheers! Play upbeat, energetic music while the game is being played. The music starts on "Go" and stops when the time is up.
On a Roll
Directions: Pass around a roll of toilet paper with this instruction: "Each person should take as much as he/she thinks he/she needs." Do not give any more direction than that. After every person has taken whatever amount of toilet paper they think they might need, the game goes on. For every sheet of toilet paper that a person took, that person must relate one fact about themselves (i.e. I have a sister named Sue). For example, if a teen takes two sheets of toilet paper, they must tell two facts about themselves. It is really funny when someone takes a lot of toilet paper.
Real Identity
Directions: This is a great ice breaker and memory game combined. Everybody is in a circle. Everyone takes a turn saying their name and something about themselves. The next person needs to say the previous person's name and item of interest before saying their own name and fact. As this game moves on, people need to remember more and more information. You can tailor the game as needed for very large groups of people or split them into groups so everyone has a chance to play.
