She is a mom, wife, and passionate believer that Jesus changes everything.
- Elbow Tag Youth Group Game - November 12, 2024
- Thanksgiving Prayers and Gratitude Practices for Christians - November 10, 2024
- Sunday Conversation Starters for Youth Groups - November 9, 2024
50 No Prep Youth Group Games
Don’t you absolutely hate it when you’re looking for youth group games, but all you find are games for huge youth groups or ones that take a ton of prep? Well, if you have a small youth group and you didn’t have time to plan out a game for your youth group meeting that starts in an hour, this list is for you! This is the list I always wished I had for my youth groups, but never had. That’s why I made it!
These youth group games are perfect if your group is:
- A small youth group or in a small gathering. Some of our games listed below only need 3 people to play!
- If you have little time to prep for a game.
- If you have little funds to buy items for games.
- If you need a game to play right now.
- If you’re sick of playing the same old games at youth group.
- If you need other ideas than dodgeball 🙂
Don’t forget – if you have a small youth group, make sure you are playing these games with the teens, they might need the extra body to play!
It should be noted that these are just games and not theologically-based. If you’re looking for specifically Christian/Bible games, there are none on this list, well maybe one or two 🙂
Without further ado, here are the 50 no prep youth group games:
Oh and if you are running short on ideas for youth sermons check out our massive, epic, organized list of 450 topics for youth sermons. We also have a big list of small group questions for youth group that can get your students really talking.
50 No Prep Youth Group Games
1. SPUD
Participants needed: 5 or more.
My personal favorite and a standard default game I played with my youth groups.
Equipment: Just need a ball and an open space.
2. Crab Soccer
Participants needed: 10 or more.
Playing soccer in a crab position.
Equipment: Open space, ball, and something to distinguish goals.
3. Zip and Bong
Participants needed: 3 or more.
“An elimination game involving funny noises and not showing one’s teeth.” A note I would change the word bong to something else for obvious connotations.
Equipment: None.
4. Psychiatrist
Participants needed: 5 or more.
“The psychiatrist has to figure out what’s wrong with the group.”
Equipment: None.
5. 21 Football
Participants needed: 6 or more.
“The object of the game is for teams to score 21 points by completing passes in different areas of the field.”
Equipment needed: Football, open space, and something to distinguish boundaries.
6. 60 Second Objects
Participants needed: 6 or more.
Small groups form an object like breakfast, a car, a washing machine, a fire, etc. They have only 60 seconds to work as a team to replicate the item. You modify this game to be like group charades and have the opposite teams write down objects for the other teams to act out.
Equipment needed: none.
7. Who’s In Charge Here?
Participants needed: 5 or more.
“A hilarious copycat game in which people try to imitate one leader’s actions, and the person in the center attempts to identify who is the originator of the actions (the leader).”
Equipment needed: none.
8. Sneak
Participants needed: 10 or more
“The goal of the game is for a team to be the first team to capture 9-10 balls from the other team.” Youth will love the strategy this game brings.
Equipment needed: 2 hula hoops and 10 balls.
9. Walk Together
Participants needed: 5 or more.
Your group will learn to read cues to silently walk and stop together. Could be a great activity for bonding!
Equipment needed: none.
10. Screaming Vikings
Participants needed: 8 or more.
“A stationary game in which players are seated in a circle, and one person points to someone in the circle and instructs them to act out a “screaming viking”, a “fighter jet”, a “quarter-back”, among other humorous things.”
Equipment needed: none.
More No Prep Youth Group Games
11. Defenders of the Cones
Participants needed: 10 or more.
Each team tries to knock over the other team’s cone by throwing a ball.
Equipment needed: hula hoops, cones, and balls.
12. Giants, Wizards, and Elves
Participants needed: 10 or more.
“Giants, Wizards, and Elves is an icebreaker that is similar to Rock, Paper, Scissors — except more hilarious!”
Equipment needed: none.
13. Two Truths and One Not
Participants needed: 3 or more. This can be done in pairs or with the whole group.
A game to figure out which of three statements is a lie.
Equipment needed: none.
14. Grandma’s Footsteps
Participants needed: 3 or more.
One person is trying to catch the others before they tap their back.
Equipment needed: none.
15. Dragon Tail
Participants needed: 8 or more.
“Dragon Tag is an action-based game that is like tag, but with a twist! Teams of 4-8 people form “dragons” by linking elbows and attempt to grab the “tail” of another team’s dragon. Last team remaining wins.”
Equipment needed: none.
16. Whoosh Ball
Participants needed: 10 or more.
An imaginary ball is passed around a circle using different words and motions.
Equipment needed: none.
17. Human Knot
Participants needed: 5 or more.
“A good icebreaker or teambuilding activity for new people to learn to work together – in close physical proximity! The goal is to figure out how to untangle the human knot without letting go of hands.”
Equipment needed: none.
18. I Was Walking Down The Street…
Participants needed: 3 or more.
A game where you have one person start by finishing the statement I was walking down the street. The point is for the person to begin crafting an imaginative story of their walk down the street and what the see or experience.
Equipment needed: none.
19. Alligator Swamp
Participants needed: 10 or more.
A game where players try to get across the playing field without touching the lava.
Equipment needed: an open area for playing, potato sacks or towels/sheets or cardboard.
20. Manhunt
Participants needed: 3 or more.
Hide and go seek in reverse. Where everyone goes and hides and there is one seeker. A current favorite of our youth group!
Equipment needed: none.
More No Prep Youth Group Games
21. Human Sculptures
Participants needed: groups of 3, so at least 6 people minimum.
“Human Sculptures (also known as Human Clay) is an icebreaker group game that involves posing people into large human sculptures based on predefined topics. Two versions exist: a competitive version based on a guessing game, and a version that is more about coming up with a creative interpretation.” It should be noted, it would be a good idea to gender-based groups due to the placement of body parts in this game.
Equipment needed: none.
22. Pass The Emotion
Participants needed: 5 or more.
A game where everyone passes the same emotion around the circle.
Equipment needed: none.
23. Wink
Participants needed: 6 or more.
“A secretly-selected player is able to “kill” others by winking at them while surviving players try to identify the killer.”
Equipment needed: none.
24. Ultimate Ninja
Participants needed: 6 or more.
“An action-packed, fast-paced, hilarious game in which the object is to become the “ultimate ninja” — the person with the quickest reflexes! Dodge the other player’s attacks and get the others out.”
Equipment needed: none.
25. Poop Deck
Participants needed: 5 or more.
A fast-paced game where youth run to different parts of the “ship” as fast as they can to avoid elimination.
A personal favorite of mine for middle school youth because they love yelling out poop deck! It’s a good game for high school students too.
Equipment needed: open space and boundaries markers.
26. Change Places If …
Participants needed: 10 or more.
“Test the listening skills of your group while getting to know more about them.”
Equipment needed: none.
27. Trust Walk
Participants needed: 5 or more.
Great game for building unity and trust in a group.
Equipment needed: blindfolds.
28. 4 Square
Participants needed: 4 or more.
Okay, if you’re in youth ministry and have not played this epic game, you have been depriving your students of this beloved game! Not only will you love it, so will they. I think it’s in their DNA or something. All you need is some chalk or tape to make your court and a ball. Get ready to create a new tradition and a game that will be requested all the time!
Equipment needed: open space, boundary markers such as tape or chalk, a ball.
29. Back-to-Back Get Up
Participants needed: 4 or more.
Youth work in groups of two and try to cooperatively sit down together and stand up with their backs pressed together.
Equipment needed: none.
30. Blob
Participants needed: 10 or more.
A massive growing blob is coming and t’s trying to catch every youth in the group!
Equipment needed: open space.
More No Prep Youth Group Games
31. Sardines
Participants needed: 3 or more.
A twist on hide-and-go seek where one person hides and everyone seeks. When someone finds the hider they then hide with them. This continues until the last one seeking finds the whole youth group hiding in one place. This is a beloved game of many youth!
Equipment needed: none.
32. Penny Chinny
Participants needed: 3 or more.
Everyone gets a penny and they must balance the penny on their chin, but there’s a catch!
Equipment needed: pennies.
33. Grog
Participants needed: 3 or more.
Youth have to find a disassembled flashlight that’s been hidden in various places in the church.
Equipment needed: Flashlight and a dark area.
34. Telephone Game
Participants needed: 5 or more.
Equipment needed: none.
This is a great game for how gossip spreads or how we can often misunderstand or mishear things told to us.
35. Laughing Game
Participants needed: 3 or more.
One person is the jokester and they try to make each person in the circle laugh. They can tell jokes, make funny faces, and so forth. Set a time limit for each person. The winner is the one who made the most people laugh.
Equipment needed: none.
36. Who Am I
Participants needed: at least 5.
A great game for your youth group to know each other better.
Equipment needed: Paper and pens.
37. Boppity-Bop-Bop
Participants needed: 5 or more.
A fun and no prep game where youth will be challenged to be alert and ready to respond!
Equipment needed: none.
38. Faker
Participants needed: 5 or more.
“The objective is for the “faker” to run past the “tagger” and reach the opposite baseline without getting tagged.”
Equipment needed: cones for boundaries and an open space.
39. Charades Relay
Participants needed: 6 or more.
“Teams compete against each other trying to be the first to guess all of the items on the list.”
Equipment needed: none.
40. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John
Participants needed: 4 or more.
A fun follow the leader type game.
Equipment needed: chairs for each person playing.
More No Prep Youth Group Games
41. Red Rover
Participants needed: 10 or more.
A classic game that youth always enjoy!
Equipment needed: an open area.
42. Seven-up
Participants needed: At least 14.
This game is beloved and youth beg to play it. It’s a great guessing game!
Equipment needed: none.
43. Musical Chairs
Participants needed: at least 6.
Okay, I know what you might be thinking, this is too juvenile for youth, but you’d be mistaken. They absolutely love this game. The boys get super into it, trying so hard to get that last seat. It’s a sure winner.
Equipment needed: Music, you could play some contemporary Christian music like Toby Mac and some chairs.
44. Kick The Can
Participants needed: 3 or more.
Not your standard kick the can game!
Equipment needed: open area and a can.
45. Capture The Flag
Participants needed: enough to form two teams.
A great game involving strategy and teamwork.
Equipment needed: two flags and an outdoor play area.
46. The Floor Is Lava
Participants needed: 6 or more.
This is like the game above, alligator swamp, but has a twist.
Equipment needed: none.
47. Split The Difference
Participants needed: at least 4.
Split The Difference is a must-know, need-to-have game in your activity arsenal! This game requires no preparation, no materials, can be played anywhere, and is sure to lead to lots of great conversation, laughter and fun.
Equipment needed: open space.
48. Hit The Door
Participants needed: 3 or more.
This is a version of Ghosts in the Graveyard.
Equipment needed: open area, best played at night.
49. Rock, Paper, Scissors Tournament
Participants needed: 8 or more
Rock Paper Scissors Tournament is a fast-paced game that is easy to pull off, and your youth will want to play this one over and over again!
Equipment needed: none.
50. Sherlock
Participants needed: 5 or more.
Your youth will have a blast playing this detective game that requires no prep, no materials, and can be played anywhere. This is a flexible game that can be used as an ice breaker or in multiple rounds as a full-featured game.
Equipment needed: none.
That’s all of the youth group games I have for you. I hope you found some new games to play with your group. Remember youth love to have fun and they love to be silly, whether they let on or not.
Additional Resources
Are you looking for some great topics for youth sermons? Well, we got your back, check out these 450 ideas for youth sermons. Organized, relevant, and filled with inspiration!
We also have a big list of small group questions for youth group that can get your students really talking.
