No-Prep Games for Youth Groups

 

No-Prep Games for Youth Groups

1. Psychiatrist – Everyone sits in a circle. One player leaves the room while the group agrees on a “problem” (e.g., “Everyone thinks they’re a superhero”). The psychiatrist returns and asks questions to figure it out. Players must answer according to the rule. The psychiatrist wins by correctly guessing the condition.

2. Non Stop Tag – Everyone is “it.” Tag someone, they sit down. If the tagger later gets tagged, anyone they tagged is freed. Two people tag each other? Play Rock–Paper–Scissors; the loser sits. Last person standing wins.

3. Ninja – Players stand in a circle and strike frozen poses. Take turns making one swift move to hit another player’s hand. Defenders can dodge once per turn. Last ninja standing wins.

4. Extreme Ninja – Same as Ninja, but small movements allowed. Light contact is okay. Try to unbalance opponents. Can add music or timed rounds for extra chaos.

5. I’m an Egg – Everyone crouches down chanting “I’m an egg.” Win Rock–Paper–Scissors rounds to “evolve” into a chicken, then farmer, etc. Each level has its own movements/sounds. Goal: reach the final level.

6. Rock–Paper–Scissors Hoop – Lay a line of hula hoops. Two teams start at opposite ends. Hop through hoops, then play Rock–Paper–Scissors against the opposing player. Winner moves forward; loser goes back. First team to reach the other end wins.

7. Rock–Paper–“Cone Move” – Two teams on opposite ends of five hula hoops with a cone in the center. Play Rock–Paper–Scissors; winner moves the cone one hoop closer. First team to get the cone across wins.

8. Death Ball – Everyone runs from one side of the room to the other without being hit by two throwers with soft balls. Hit players are out (or join throwers). Last runner remaining wins.

9. Dodgeball – Two teams behind baseline. Collect balls and throw at opponents. Hit players are out. Catch a ball, thrower is out and one teammate returns. Eliminate the other team to win.

10. Elephant Football – Players stand in a circle, feet touching. Push a soft ball through other players’ legs. If ball goes through your legs: lose an “arm” (hands cannot be used). Last player/team with hands remaining wins.

11. Consequence – Everyone contributes to a story in a structured sequence: boy’s name, girl’s name, how they met, what he said, what she said, what they did, consequence. Fold paper between contributions so the next player cannot see previous answers. Reveal the full story at the end.

12. Simon Says – One player is Simon, giving commands that must start with “Simon says.” Mistakes or following commands without “Simon says” result in elimination. Last player standing wins.

13. Doggy Doggy Where’s Your Bone – Players sit in a circle. One person walks around secretly dropping a small object (“bone”) behind someone’s back. Players guess who has it. Correct guesser becomes the next doggy.

14. Human Tic Tac Toe – Teams of 3+ use players to physically stand in a 3×3 grid as Xs and Os. Teams take turns placing players in empty squares. First team to get three in a row wins.

15. Shark Infested Custard – Split players into teams. Each team has a few “safe spots” (hoops, paper, cardboard). Move across the floor without touching it or leaving anyone behind. Safe spots can be moved strategically. Goal: get the whole team safely across.

16. Freeze Dance – Players dance while music plays. When the music stops, everyone freezes. Anyone moving is out. Last player remaining wins.

17. Octopus Tag – One player is the octopus in the middle. Everyone else lines up on one side. On “Go!”, everyone runs across. Tagged players become “seaweed” and can only tag with arms. Last person not tagged becomes the next octopus.

18. Toilet Tag – Players tagged kneel and raise one arm like a toilet handle. Others can “flush” them by pressing their hand and making a flushing sound. Keep moving and avoid being flushed out.

19. Blob Tag – Start with 1–2 taggers. When a tagger tags someone, they join hands forming a blob. Blob grows with each tag, can only tag when joined. Last free player wins.

20. Four Corners – Label corners 1–4. One person in the middle calls out a number. Everyone in that corner is out. Last player standing wins. Can add music between rounds.

21. Sardines – Reverse hide-and-seek. One person hides, others count. When someone finds the hider, they quietly hide with them. Last person searching becomes next hider.

22. Dragon Tag – Each player starts as their own dragon (hand on shoulder as tail). Pair off, play Rock–Paper–Scissors. Winner attaches to loser, forming longer dragons. Continue until one giant dragon remains.

23. Clump – Players walk/dance around. Leader calls a number (e.g., “five!”). Players must quickly form groups of that size. Anyone left out is eliminated. Last clump remaining wins.

24. Alphabet Challenge – Teams find or name objects starting with each letter of the alphabet (e.g., “A for apple, B for ball”). Complete the full alphabet first. Can be themed.

25. Name & Action – Each player says their name and does an action. Group repeats names and actions in order. Optional memory round. Goal: learn everyone’s names.

26. Coke / Fanta (Bank of the Bank Style) – Players split into two lines: one side is “Coke,” the other “Fanta.” The leader shouts a drink, and players must run to the correct side. Last person to reach the correct side is out or loses a point. Variation: make it a team game for larger groups.

27. Chinese Whispers – Players sit or stand in a line or circle. The first person whispers a message to the next, continuing down the line. The last person says it out loud – usually it’s hilariously different from the original.

28. Simon Says – One player is Simon and gives instructions. Players only follow commands that start with “Simon says.” Mistakes result in elimination.

29. Freeze Dance – Players dance while music plays. When the music stops, everyone freezes. Anyone caught moving is out.

30. Zip Zap – Players stand in a circle. One points at someone saying “Zip,” and that person points at another saying “Zap.” Hesitations or mistakes get players out.

31. Rock–Paper–Scissors Hoop – Players hop through a line of hula hoops and play Rock–Paper–Scissors in the middle. Winner moves forward; loser returns.

32. Ninja – Players stand in a circle striking frozen poses. Take turns trying to tap each other’s hands. One motion per turn; last player standing wins.

33. Extreme Ninja – Same as Ninja, but players can move slightly to unbalance opponents. Add music or timed rounds for more excitement.

34. Octopus Tag – One player is the octopus in the middle. Players run across the room while the octopus tries to tag them. Tagged players become “seaweed” and can only tag others with their arms.

35. Tower of Cups – Players stack and unstack cups in a relay. First team to complete the pyramid wins.

36. Clump – Players move around freely. When a number is called, they must quickly form groups of that size. Anyone left out is eliminated.