Complete Group Programs and Ideas for Youth Group Meetings

Casino evening: All players and members of staff dress in smart clothes. The room is stylishly and nobly decorated as a casino.

The vagabond evening: One week beforehand all kids are told to come in ripped and in the most scruffy clothes possible.

The Muftis from a suburb of Baghdad have decided to have a big camel rally event together.

We call them rowing regattas, chaos games or scavenger hunts. What is it actually? In short: the kids have to look for something which is specified. This might be a theme, simply an object or a number of objects.

Cocktail party in the Youth Group with some games and cocktails

A fishy evening with fishy games and questions. Have fun!

This group game is a mixture between a treasure hunt and scavenger hunt and is suitable for small groups (described here for groups of 5 children) and is an indoor alternative to a scavenger hunt.

Build a wall made from biscuits and chocolate with brilliant tasks, you’re sure to have a tasty evening.

Action-Memory is a mixture of Memory, Sagaland and Cluedo and can be played with 5-10 children.

The "lively board game" is a combination of dice games, movement games, action games and a quiz.

The boys must find “gold” and “coal” hidden within the house (hide enough at the beginning of the game or keep hiding new supplies during the “train stations games”). They can buy “railway tracks” with this.

This is a cooperation game for a small group with max. 8-10 players.

It is a crazy evening. The aim is to find out who the craziest boys are.

Everyone receives a written invitation for entry to the party: A list of requirements is given (e.g. Hawaiian shirt, bathing suit, shorts, flip flops, beach mat, diving mask, beach hat, sunglasses)

In winter: The room should be decorated for summer with sun, beach, Caribbean palms, sand, deck chairs, straw mats etc.

Games based on football themes but all games are indoor games.

Trailer trash evening: some situations („Bring me a beer!“), some games (burping performance and others)

Bird flu ahoy - group games around bird flu, chickens and eggs

The games involving toilets, toilet paper, farting and other themes can be varied. A little bit crazy.

Management through socio-cultural dynamics

Youth Research: The motto of the whole evening is: What happens when...? This motto is presented with different experiments and presentations.

20 crazy action games in the jungle

When the nuts and almonds are ripe in autumn, you can easily turn them into a group session with nuts, almonds and even chestnuts.

The kids are welcomed to the first group session of the year. You can make reference to the previous year as well as coming year.

Second Life: The aim of the game is to achieve fame, wealth and to gain honour.

On the Harry Potter Day the children will be transported into a fantasy world which should be similar to the world in which „Harry Potter“ lives.

Cloth Olympics with various blankets, cloth, bed sheets or a parachute.

Vivaldis Four Seasons: some parachute games. The respective music is played for the individual seasons/games. The players try to incorporate the melody and rhythm in the game with the cloth / parachute.

A fairytale evening: fantastic and exciting. Of course you are able to change some elements. After each game another part of the fairytale is read out.

Themed day: fairytales: The obstacle course has 10 stations. If there are 5 groups a group can begin at each second station.

The entire evening should be set up in Mafia style. Each participant and the group leaders should dress like Mafia; in such a way that you can see from afar that this can only be the Mafia i.e. dark sunglasses, dark baggy (because of the holster) jacket and a Mafia hat.

As a basis for the following games one can use the theme of ‘Pippi Long-stockings’ or ‘Villa Villekulla’.

Here you will find predominantly short games and tasks that are wonderful for a games evening or to end a day of recreation.

A winter beach party in the group hall. Set up the evening as if it were peak summertime.

A games evening in the form of a show; battle of the sexes – boys against girls, girls against boys.

In autumn during the apple harvest, an evening of apple-related games.

The room is decorated with various animals and balls of straw, and games that match the themes of the ‘Farm yard and animals’ are played on the farm.

The Italian evening is suitable for before of after the holidays.

A games evening centred on James Bond, agents and exciting agent training.

A games evening in autumn with a theme of witches, magic and Walpurgis Night

The Olympic Socks Games: A games evening with socks and tights: only suitable for old socks because some of them won’t survive this evening.

Trash can be used to play games, to design instruments or make costumes. You can find everything you need at a recycling centre. Or you can collect everything that might be useful.

This game is principally a water fight - but just principally. After all, there are a few elements added to make the game a bit more interesting and demanding.

Clever running game: skills, speed, creativity, problem solution techniques are required and promoted.

Getting to know you games and surprise games: with and without Kinder eggs

Successively different Haribo games are executed. The participants have to show creativity, knowledge and speed. The group with the most points wins the Haribo evening.

With the show the ‘ice’ should be broken (primarily on the first evening) i.e. the children should get to know one another and the leaders better. In doing so, above anything else, inhibitions should be reduced.

A macho-like games evening during the carnival all about Macho. Who is the coolest Macho?

A game for 16 players; which is based on Ludo.

A volunteer from each group goes out of the room. The group explains what the volunteer has to do. The group then has to guess whether he would do it or not.

Pizza Show: spectacular evening show for children and youth groups in which a pair of candidates have a chance at the main prize at the end such as an invitation to the local pizzeria instead of eating in camp.

Typical woman or typical man: let the kids to think about what makes a typical man or a typical woman and try to show this with photographs.

In this gladiator game used as a group game, 4 teams fight against each other.

The aim of this evening is to get to know the world of film (talk of Hollywood) more closely. Who doesn’t dream of becoming of a big film star, and one day shooting a film in Hollywood or becoming the director? This evening is the first step in the direction of becoming a “Film Star” of the ‘big screen’, and the ‘Oscars’.

This game or these games are based on the well known TV- show e.g. ‘Germany’s next Top Model’ (Pro 7), and are ideal if the youth groups are predominantly comprised of girls.

Game of life gives you the chance to go through a whole life in one day. At each station you are confronted with different life situations, where you have to make a decision. It is important to know that all your decisions have consequences for your “life”.

Roman games: A Roman afternoon (game afternoon) for approx. 100 children

The basic principle of this settlers game is a station run.

We are the wild pirates and are being followed by soldiers for our terrible deeds. A whirlwind took hold of our ship, lifted it from the sea and carried it across space and time to this place. We are stranded and have landed in the middle of Wangener woods. The ship is damaged, the booty is heavy and the soldiers were close. We could not take everything with us. We buried the treasure - you can look for it - it is still there to this day!"

Games centred on St. Nicholas (Santa Claus). Help Santa Claus so that the Christmas celebrations are not cancelled.

What a shock... the radio and television stations have not been talking about anything else for days now. The whole world is holding it’s breath. What has happened? Father Christmas has turned to the press with an explanation. He has said that the Christmas festivities will have to be cancelled this year.

A scavenger hunt with treasure, tasks and super adventures: exactly the right thing for an outdoor children’s birthday party for children between 6-12 years.

The 4 element Olympics with Air – Earth – Water – Fire

4 teams manoeuvre their way around a course with a bike through the surrounding area. On the way around the course the teams must prove their rally skills at the different stations.

The Treasure Hunt Game is focussed on activity where participants move from one point to another other. The aim of all the running around is, aside from each group obtaining the best possible score, a prize that beckons to everyone i.e. treasure.

The unscrupulous pirate Jack Sparrow does not know where he has hidden his treasure. Because of his forgetfulness he made a map to find the treasure. Jack Sparrow has cut the map into pieces, and has distributed the pieces to his seafaring mates.

For the entire forest game approximately 2 hours need to be factored in. Choose suitable spots for the activity stations before hand e.g. stations 5 +9 need spots where many fir/ pine cones can be found.

An evening based around Thanksgiving with nice games and creative tasks.

The Labyrinth of Doom: Before the beginning, the respective players are blindfolded and led to the entrance of the labyrinth.

Pirate game for a large group as an adventure role play

You are members of your club and on the search for a suitable place for the tents for a youth camp.

An adventure and role play game: Asterix and Obelix and the magic potion

Asterix and the Romans is a game that lasts the whole day. It is split into various sections starting from a chariot race, a run, the construction of a camp, the search for the druid, and finally a big evening meal.

A role play evening for seminars and camps

The Name of the Rose is an exciting action packed fantasy game, with costumes, a medieval atmosphere and no losers.

Because of the magic all Smurfs have become egoistic and do not help each other anymore. The problem is that that they need each other. And so they can not solve their daily problems. The Smurfs become sad and argumentative.

The director tells all those present that somebody was killed in this palace and that they have to solve this crime.

The aim of the game and the group’s job is to find the Greek treasure and to earn enough money for the renovation or new build of Jupiter’s temple.

This game can be played by small and big groups. For each station you need sufficient leaders to play the roles of the castle residents.

Outdoor Adventure games - Samurai game: an organised army of Ninjas has been observed. Ninjas are in actual fact lone warriors. There must be one/several people pulling the strings and organising them. The children go off to investigate.

Games and ideas with bananas. A theme evening with a message for young people.

The aim of this evening is make the children aware of the feelings they experience and to help them keep their feelings under control.

We present the bible to the kids, try to find out what they already know and show them how the bible is still relevant to our lives today. This happens with games, quizzes and "talks".

This chapter deals with games and events which all have something to do with the subject of love and romance. In preparation for this session, you could send each visitor a valentines card with the details about the session.

An evening with lots of games from different countries all surrounding the football world cup and the possibility for an evangelical message.

This quiz game is based on the famous TV show „Jeopardy“. Two teams play against each other.

Bingo-Quiz is a cross between a game of bingo and a quiz with certain categories and is a game for two teams

Bible quiz: 100 biblical quiz questions with 4 difficulty levels

Grand prix: Questions, questions, questions

In the game “Outburst” the aim is to find the 5 words listed below when the clue/keyword is called out. 2 groups play against each other.

Pieces of paper with biblical scenes are stuck to trees or spread out in the rooms. They must find out who is pictured and note down their name next to relevant letter on the answer sheet.

Easter egg hunt and quiz game: Different coloured paper eggs with tasks and quiz questions are hidden in the playing area. These eggs must be found and the tasks must be performed or the questions answered.

Multi Media Rally: Action packed group game, in which the aim is to compile a 14 digit telephone number in the shortest possible time.

A brilliant group game played over a period of time. Detective groups search for the ominous Mister X.

You need: a game plan, questions (and a few replacement questions), pencils in different colours. Target: for each field they get one point. However: if three fields are connected (a bridge) you get five extra points.

Nomad game with camels, sheikhs and many fun

The expedition teams must collect as much Hulaboing as possible. This is a mysterious Extreme- Survival-Food and a dream for every survival fan.

In this night time game, the following goals are the main priorities: Fair play, no violence, knightly and honourable play, team work (extinguishing a fire together, solving questions and tactics)

Colonising the Wild West: Boy’s brigade day, town game or terrain game

This terrain game "The Final Countdown" is a game which has been superbly developed by a ministrant group from Austria. Contents: A bomb is hidden in the quarter. With the help of the "Special Forces" (=armed forces =members of staff) it must be located and defused.

This entry was sent in and is a variation on the original version of the daytime terrain game - The Final Countdown.

This Star Trek terrain game was played with 400 boy scouts.

Salvation was a central theme in the middle ages. The people in those days were scared of purgatory and hell and did their best to make sure they would not land there.

Gruesome game and detective game: Viktor Frankenstein wants to create the perfect human from dead body parts. Eight people disappear without a trace in a small village in Denmark.

The holy house of the early Christians (a cave or grotto) has been discovered by the Romans and robbed. The problem is that they want to celebrate a holy mass on that evening.

The Christians must always keep themselves hidden and must provide the community with supplies.

This is a adventure game based on the story of the calling of Gideon

The kids are now told that they will be split into teams. They will be trained up as detectives at the police academy.

Outdoor terrain game: Island natives and pirates

The plague animomasti is a horror-action scenario for a creepy evening program

The skirmish in 2 PACt Land: The title is just a play on words! It is based on the role play game for PC, “Heroes”! Several weeks of work were put into this program and it was a complete success but very complex!

The aim is to find as many eggs (painted stones) as possible. Each child who goes on the egg hunt needs a number which is attached to their back.

This is a smuggling game at night with glow sticks, soldiers, a king and queen, smugglers and a kingdom which should become larger.

The wild wood“ by Tonke Dragt. Different knight games were integrated into this story.

Biblical adventure game based on “A dead girl and a sick woman”

We find ourselves in the middle ages, to be more precise, we find ourselves in Northern Italy. There has been a heavy earthquake in Assisi and elsewhere and many towns have been destroyed.

Several art thieves have robbed the town’s art museum and have stolen the pictures of various artists.

Four Mafia families rival for supremacy in Liguria. Each of the families holds the monopoly on an illegal commodity: Counterfeit money, drugs, weapons or liquor.

Since his last mission in a fight against a Mafia clan, 007 is missing without a trace and cannot be found.

Chestnuts – an outdoor terrain game for autumn. The aim of the game is to collect as many gold shaving (wood chips) in Bucket as possible.

We are on board of a huge sailing ship, background noise (A sinking ship from an mp3 track, the volume at full blast), the timberwork creaks violently and the storm rages. We hit a reef, the ship sinks and we have to save ourselves with our last ounce of strength.

Someone has stolen uranium from a nuclear reactor. Uranium is a basic product for the construction of an atomic bomb. The goal ist: Catch the smuggler of the uranium and bring it back to safety; expose other groups.

The classic among outdoor games: strategy, movement and group battle together.

“Where is Professor Clueless” is game that deals with speed, fair play, skill and patience. The age of the players may not be too young because they may need to run around the village/town alone. The more players there, the more fun the game is.

Each team get their lanterns, ablaze or not to its destination without losing them to the raid of another team. If it happens to be a handler you can score another lantern (either in the value of 1 or 3 points), however, is it a robber then you will lose 3 points or 1 lantern.

For every time snippet, which time has already passed you receive 1 point. – The bomb has already destroyed everything. For each time snippet which time has yet to come you receive 3 points, this counts for having secured the bomb.

The interesting thing about this murder game is that it can be played over a number of days.

The group is presented with 3 areas of discipline from which they must choose 2, which means that 1 area of discipline can be de-elected or the worst area can be crossed of by the leader at the end. Then they would be tested and judged in all three categories.

The groups must make money to finance the world trip. A little profit should also be made. The game is lost when the world trip can no longer be paid for.

This detective game was sent in and it was played and tested at a children’s birthday party with approx. 10 children (approx. 7 years old).

Large group game – The Connecting Game. We played this game within different youth camps afternoons with between 200 and 2000 participants.

Imagine that you on a journey back in time and you land in the stone ages on a village square with lots of people. You walk around, do not touch anyone but just look around carefully....

„Red Beard the pirate is looking for a new crew“. Some gym exercises with a rope – not just for the sport hour.

Games out in the open using nature and natural materials are always a hit and an afternoon in the woods, in nature is exciting.

Elections are pending. Different parties apply for the position; they present their election manifesto and hold a press conference.

In the context of a work group or a club i.e. within an extended session, build a hut in the forest

Camp towers are camp attractions. An approx. 6-15m high camp tower can be built from long wooden poles in 1-2 days. Building such a tower is not always a safe thing to do and requires special attention throughout the camp period.

Baking and Cooking with the youths

During the Advent season a feature point of the schedule is the „Christmas Bakery”. These are just a few suggestions of many more ideas. Basler Leckerli is one of my favourite biscuit types to make during Christmas.

The Red Indian (sports hall) game is a catching game for the sports hall or for outdoors.

Each drama team receives a tale and the genre, music, 3 terms and some objects which match their subject matter.

The game leader gives out a task. He now gives the player 4 choices about how well they will perform the task.

Carnival party: It is very important that everybody wears a costume. Olympic Games and other ideas.

A survival training course is perfect as a 24 hour programme during a camp. An initial tip for all “real survivors“: do not take everything too seriously!

James Bond training course: Here are a few ideas for a theme day or a camp. This is a game involving Secret Services, Agents and those who would like to be

Using the rosette picture as a collage, a specific subject can be taken up and highlighted. The picture can be used as an introduction to this subject.

With Tschouko the ‘throwing’ team receives a point if the opposing team fails to catch the rebounding ball before it touches the floor.

Kubb is an old, Scandinavian team game played by the Vikings

Connect 4- making- and Games evening. First the game is made, following this a tournament is started

well known board game “Ludo” played differently.

Make a shuffle board yourself; using it to play in tournaments.

Three opposing teams have two hours to build a raft. In the end, the great pirate battle will take place on a lake.

In this adventure game is about to hunt as much as possible ducks. That is the primary task. However, to win, it is important that you caught the same ducks at least 6 times.

This group meeting as Harry Potter Games should be held in a sports hall. The youth workers dress up like the teachers of Hogwarts (cape etc.).

The basic structure of the game leans heavily on Stratego. After the game starts, both teams swarm out. If two opposing players meet and touch each other, they have to show their cards to one another. The card with the higher letters (A = the greatest value; Z = lowest) beats the lower card.

This game night is not only suitable for the young firefighters but also for fire enthusiasts, as a birthday party or the like.

To make a real Halloween night, it requires the appropriate clothing and decoration. Thus, the children should be asked to dress up as witches in advance, Dracula, ghosts and so on. The space should be pre-decorated.

This group session is for an ordinary day on the slopes, however, without snow and cold, but with quite a lot of games, a lot of fun and a lot of action.

The group lesson "My partner can…." is based on the show with almost the same name "Mein Mann kann" (“My man can”). However, children do not play with casino chips, but with sweets, which then are also their profit.

Youth group water games on dry land - funny games for a gaming night with your youth group.

50 Game Missions as Indoor or Outdoor Games. The implementation of the 50-missions-game is suitable for 80 participants aged 5-70 years.

Extreme Activity is a Prosieben (Pro- Seven) Show that aired on television regularly. The objective is that you guess as many as possible terms for your group. Alternately, always one of the group comes forward and draws or explains the terms using words or pantomime.

This game is based on the popular card game Phase 10th. There are 10 stations. At each station, several games are prepared. IF you can’t resolve one station, you have to go back one station. Ie, if you do not make the 3rd station, you need to go back to station 2.

The young people fight in five teams against each other. The groups will be established with the help of colourful water balloons. In each team contains 5 young people.

These beach party games were played with 90 children.

Some water games at the camp These games makes a lot of fun.

Medieval Day in the camp or in other words: the search for the Holy Grail. At every station, the kids can win a liquid adding to decrypt the magic potion.

For Monopoly Extreme same rules apply as for the classic Monopoly. However, this is played in 4 groups, each owning a city at the beginning. In addition to the classic gamer, there are actions where the group can make money.

This village game (works outdoors as well) is intended for several teams. The size of the group is not so important. If the kids know a bit about the solar system and its planets, they will recognize the characters (planet names).

The game is based on "The Werewolves of Bleak Forest" by Philippe des Phallières and Hervé Marly. Its template was again the well-known game Mafia, to which Andrew Plotkin had given the werewolf theme. Inspired by "murderer" games, the game is extended to be played as an enduring game over a whole leisure time.

Rugby interception is a running-intensive game that is ideal for getting kids, teens, and adults up to speed. It is played with rugby or football, which may be unfamiliar to most and has a high-demand character.