Hobbies And Interests
Who Are You?
Encourage the teens to open up with a game of questions and answers that sometimes garner laughs and other times allow them to reflect. In a large bowl or hat place dozens of questions that are written on folded pieces of paper. The teens, who sit in a circle, pass the hat around, drawing a single question from it. Sample questions are, "What was your most embarrassing moment," "What is your favorite Christmas memory," "Who do you admire most in the world," "If you were a car, what would you be" and "What is the absolute worst chore for teens?"
Water Balloons
Allow the group to release some of their aggression with a harmless water balloon fight. There are no rewards for tagging someone with the balloon and no penalties for getting hit. It's just a wet game that requires no analyzation, no conversation -- just old-fashioned play.
You can also divide them into pairs for a game of toss. The pairs begin tossing the water balloons back and forth from a distance of 3 feet. Each time they successfully toss it to each other they take one step backward and repeat. See how many steps it takes before the balloon bursts.
Old-Fashioned Play
Invite the group to participate in a game their grandparents may have played at their age. Many delinquent teens lack interaction with peers, family members and adults that doesn't include the distraction of television or other electronic gadgets. An old-fashioned game of charades introduces them to a new way of expressing themselves and making themselves heard, even if it's just for the game. Charade prompts include popular movies, television shows, songs and celebrities.
Bowling
Put a new spin on an old game. Rather than driving the teens to your local bowling alley, pick up a couple of frozen turkeys and 10 recycled 2-liter soda bottles. Divide the group into two teams, each with their own turkey. If they voice disdain or imply the game is "lame," make it a true challenge by blindfolding the bowler.
Outdoor Winter Fun
Gather everyone at the park or to a field when the snow is at least 6 inches high. Have the teenagers separate into two groups. On your mark, each group begins rolling a small snowball until it's too large to roll anymore. See which team makes the largest snowball. The teams can also use sand buckets to make two fortresses that provide safety in an organized snowball fight.