Activities for a Church Lock-In

Icebreakers

• Create icebreaker activities to put people at ease and give everyone a chance to get acquainted. Ask the group to sit in a circle and give each person a sheet of paper. Hand out pens and have everyone write the others' names on the paper as they are introduced. Players must write one positive thing about each person in the circle. After everyone finishes, ask them to stand and read the positive attribute they wrote about each person. For another icebreaker activity, ask each player in the circle to share three interesting facts about himself with the group.

Messy Games

• If the youth group is willing, plan a few games where they can get a little messy. Place a plastic whistle on a plate in front of each player. Cover each whistle with whipped cream. When you say "Go," the players must keep their hands behind their backs and try to find the whistle. The first player to find the whistle and blow it wins the game. For a variation, try the same thing with bubble gum. The first player to find the gum and blow a bubble wins the game.

Memory Games

• Test the memory of your youth group with memory games. Put several random items, such as a Bible, a cross necklace, an apple, a key chain and a key, on a tray. Bring the tray into the room and give everyone one minute to look at the items. Take the tray away and remove one item. When you bring the tray back, the first player to tell you what item is missing wins a prize. For a variation, instead of bringing the tray back, give each player a sheet of paper and see who can remember the most items from the tray. The player who writes down the most items correctly wins the game.

Balloon Games

• Tie an inflated balloon around each player's ankle. When you say "Go," all players must try to stomp on the balloons around the other players' ankles to pop the balloons. When both of a player's balloons are popped, they are out of the game. The last player standing with an unpopped balloon wins the game. For a variation, play this game in teams. Have each team wear same-colored balloons around their ankles. The last player with a balloon wins the game for her team.