Christian Games for Youth Camp

Banana Lesson

• Split the group up in teams and give each team a banana. The teens should cut the banana up in small pieces. Then each team receives thumbtacks and glue to put the banana back together again. It will be entertaining to watch the youth struggle with this task. Lead a discussion after the game about how difficult it is to undo mistakes in life. The moral is that kids must think carefully about the consequences before they act.

Bombs Away

• Find an empty space that is 4 feet wide by 20 feet long. Mark the area off with tape. Use seven pieces of construction paper and scatter them randomly in the marked-off area. Break the youth group up into teams with one "guide" in each group. The "guide" will direct teammates to walk blindfolded from one end of the marked-off area to the other. The person cannot step on the boundaries or the bombs (pieces of construction paper). If a teen steps on a boundary or bomb, hit a pot with a spoon or make a very loud noise to sound like a bomb going off. Give each team a certain amount of time to play and record how many times a bomb goes off. Scatter the bombs again before the next team's turn so nobody remembers where they are. The team with the least amount of bomb explosions wins. Follow the game with a lesson on trusting God's direction.

Who Are You?

• Write the name of a Bible character on each index card. Make enough cards for every teen in the group. Tape the index card to each teen's back without them knowing the character written on it. Instruct the teens to walk around the room and ask each other "yes" or "no" questions about their Bible character to figure out who it is. The winner figures out his Bible character first by shouting it out. Follow the game with a lesson on identity and what makes people unique.

Take a Hike

• This game encourages teens to open up and get to know others. Place tape marks on the floor in a circle. Leave one less mark than the number of people in the group. One person stands in the middle and the rest of the youths find a piece of tape to stand on. The volunteer in the middle states something wacky or unique about herself. The other youths who can identify with the statement "take a hike" and scramble to find a new marking on the ground. One person is left without a spot and will have to be the volunteer in the middle. Repeat the cycle until everyone has shared something about himself. Discuss what surprising things the youths learned about each other and how people have many similarities.