Home >> Games & Cards >> Games

Inside Youth Group Activities for Small Groups

Small group activities for organizational or religious youth groups are key components for each weekly meeting. In addition to being a way to lighten up the group atmosphere and bring some fun into the evening, small group activities can be excellent ice breakers to lead into more serious discussion time. Small group activities can also be a way to team-build and encourage trust between the members of the group.

Minefield
- You'll need enough blindfolds for each of your two-person teams to have just one.
  
  Divide your small group up into teams of two. Put a blindfold on one of the two partners. Spread small objects out on the floor between the group and the wall. When the leader calls "go," have the unblindfolded partner use their words to direct their partner through the minefield of objects to the opposite wall without stepping on any of the objects. The winner is the first team to have its blindfolded partner safely reach the wall. The activity builds communication skills.
Name Game
- The name game requires one balloon, inflated with air, not helium.
  
  Arrange your small group in a circle and inflate a single balloon. Go around the circle and have each small group member introduce themself by name. Have the group leader start the game by tossing the balloon into the air and calling the name of one the group members. That group member should rush into the center of the circle to catch the balloon before it hits the floor. Then they return to their spot in the circle and repeat the process by calling out the name of someone else in the group. This activity will help the group members memorize each other's names.
All Aboard
- Select a loose piece of rope, string, yard or cord for this activity.
  
  Take a rope about 10 feet long and make a circle on the floor. Have everyone in the group remove their shoes and any jewelry. Then ask the group to work together to fit into the rope-circle on the floor. Once they succeed, decrease the circumference of the circle by a foot and ask them to try again. Keep reducing the size of the circle to see how small a space they can successfully fit into. This game is a great icebreaker and stretches the boundaries of personal space.
Tell-the-story
- Gather all group members into a circle before beginning this activity.
  
  Have the team leader create a random story of their own with just three sentences. This is the beginning of a group story. Then have the person on their right continue the story by adding just two more sentences. Keep going around the circle to the right in the same manner until you reach the last person. The last person is responsible for making the ending of the story with just two sentences also. Make this activity even more interesting by having the group pick the topic of the story before the group leader starts it.

Games