There are plenty of kids at youth camp who don’t know each other, and the best way to break the ice is to have some fun and exciting youth camp games for them to play once they get settled.
Play these 7 youth camp games for excitement and to get acquainted:
1. Capture the Flag
Separate into two or more groups and place a flag for each team a good distance apart. Each team has a territory, and the middle of the playing field is the dividing line.
Each team must try to get the other team’s flag, which is out of their territory. If a player gets tagged out of their territory, they are either frozen, out of the game, or have to go to jail.
The first team to get the other team’s flag back to their own base is the winner. Kids love this game, and it allows them to make friends by working as a team to achieve a common goal.
Want to take it up a notch? Check out our review of a glow-in-the-dark game called Capture the Flag REDUX.
2. Minute to Win It
Based on the hit game show on NBC, these youth camp games are a set of fast-paced mini-challenges that have to be completed within one minute. You can pick from plenty of challenges, as at least 50 are listed for you to choose from on the website.
Be sure to watch an episode so you know how the game works. You can choose as many challenges as you want and have different stations for the kids to visit. Feel free to get creative and make up a few one-minute games that fit your youth camp theme.
Playing close to the holidays? Here are holiday-specific versions:
3. Tug of War
This age-old game will be a hit for your youth camp game arsenal. You can separate according to ages to make the teams fair and let them go at it. For extra fun, create a mud pit in the middle so the losing team will fall into the mud.
No rope? No worries! Try this unique version of Ropeless Tug of War.
4. Mega Duck, Duck, Goose
Few kids really outgrow this game. If you have a lot of kids, you can still play it. Have the kids form a large circle, and when someone gets caught have them go to the middle of the circle.
Once six kids get in the middle, have them start their own mini-game of Duck, Duck, Goose. Then once six more are tagged, have them begin another game just outside the middle game, and so on.
If you have a lot of kids, game after game will get going and the kids will have a blast. This is also a great way to randomly select groups of six and form groups for the rest of the youth camp.
5. Water Balloon Toss
For this youth camp game, fill up plenty of water balloons and split the kids up into pairs facing each other. Let them begin close in proximity and have them play catch with the water balloon.
The object of the game is to keep the water balloon from breaking. After each person catches the balloon, have each person take one big step backward. When only one kid is left from each pair, pair those kids up together and let them play catch.
Repeat this until you have one player left, who’s the winner.
6. Scavenger Hunt
Create teams and send them off on a scavenger hunt. This activity works great because the kids are in smaller groups and get acquainted nicely while looking for items.
Need awesome photos of your event? Try The Photo Scavenger Hunt Game!
7. SPUD
You’ll need one ball for this youth camp game. The person with the ball throws it up very high in the air and calls out someone’s name. That person must catch the ball.
As soon as the ball is in the air, everyone except that person needs to run away from the ball. When the designated person catches the ball, he or she yells, “SPUD!” very loudly.
Everyone must stop immediately. The person with the ball gets to take three large steps toward someone and throw the ball in an attempt to hit him or her. If it does, that person is out.
Repeat until one person is left. If you have a lot of kids, split them up and have multiple games going on at one time.
Youth camp games are exciting for kids at Christian summer camp. Choose one or more to get your kids acquainted in no time!
This article originally appeared here.
