Sunday, August 30, 2009

The Shoe Stretch Game

Materials:
2 pairs of shoes, 4 four ft. pieces of elastic, 2 chairs

Directions:
Get two old pairs of men's shoes, take out the laces, punch holes in the back of each shoe and tie a four foot piece of elastic to each. Place shoes on opposite sides of the room and tie other ends of the elastic to the legs of the chairs.

Two kids get into the shoes - one in each pair - and walk toward each other. Have someone sitting in the chairs to weigh them down, and have them spaced so that the elastic becomes taut just as the two meet each other. The object is, with the shoes stretching the elastic, to exchange shoes in the fastest time possible and return to the other chair.

Rules:
  1. Once one's foot is taken out the shoe, it cannot touch the floor.
  2. Hands must only be used to hold each other up.
  3. If a shoe snaps back to the chair then the person must hop back to get it.

Cup Closer Game

Materials:
3 cups

Directions:
This is done with partners. The three girls lay on the floor with a cup on their foreheads. The guys put their forehead on the other end of the cup. From this position the couple must try to stand - then turn the cup around between their heads without touching the cup with their heads. Then, they must waltz with the cup between their heads. Supply some good waltzing music.

Make Rain Mixer

Materials:
none

Directions:
This may even be a good way to focus attention before a talk. Explain to everyone that you are going to do something once thought impossible. That, with their help, you will make it rain inside.

Divide them into four groups right where they are sitting (left, left middle, right middle, and right sides of the room) and explain that they MUST be absolutely quiet and watch you tell them what to do for this to work. Then, only after they are quiet, point to the left side and have them quietly rub their hands together back and forth, then bring in the next group to the right, and then the next group to their right, until all are doing it (it should get louder as you go).

After the last group has joined in, go back to the first group and get them snapping their fingers, then the next group and so on.

Then back to group one to begin patting their hands on their legs - on to the other groups.

Then back to group one to begin patting harder and stomping their feet on the floor - then on to the other groups.

Then begin to do this process in reverse - back to patting legs, back to snapping, back to rubbing hands, back to silence. If it is done right, you will hear your rainstorm!

Paintin' With Your Noggin Game

Materials:
3 tins, chocolate sauce, 3 large cardboards

Directions:
Three guys with way short hair come to the front and dip heads in tins filled with chocolate sauce. Three girls hold large cardboard for them to to draw or write on. Write words. Draw pictures. You get the idea. Use your imagination.

Oreo From Forehead To Mouth Game

Materials:
Oreos

Directions:
Three or four kids up front twist an Oreo open, moisten the creamier side and stick it to their forehead. Then, without using their hands , they try to slowly contort their faces to maneuver the Oreo down their face and into their mouth. First one wins. Funny faces!

Go Fish Game

Materials:
2 aluminum roasting pans, gummy worms, whipped cream

Directions:
Aluminum roasting pans, filled with a few gummy worms and lots of whipped cream. Using only their face (no hands), three kids go fishing for as many gummy worms as they can locate in a specified amount of time.

Sushi Game

Materials:
Geisha costume, large clear bowl, water, 3 cups, 3 blindfolds, gummy fish

Directions:
Have a girl come into club dressed as a Geisha girl, holding a large clear bowl with water in it. Pick three kids to come to the front of club. Have them blindfolded dip a cup into the large bowl. Tell them all to drink the water, set it up as a contest of something. Right before they put the water to their lips drop a gummy fish in one or two glasses. Watch the reaction when the slimy treat touches their lips.

Whistle and Burp Game

Materials:
Saltine crackers, 3 cokes

Directions:
Select three couples to participate. Feed boys five saltine crackers. Girls drink a bottle of coke. On a signal, boys must eat and whistle. Girls drink coke and burp. First couple to complete both tasks wins.

Will They Drink It Game

Materials:
ice cream, spaghetti sauce, sardine juice, pickle juice, blindfold, camera

Directions:
Mix different concoctions (ice cream, spaghetti sauce, sardine juice, pickle juice, etc.), blindfold kids and ask them if they will dare to drink the concoction. Take pictures of their faces upon contact. Possibly give prizes to the most daring.

Cheeky, Cheeky Game

Materials:
lipstick, towel

Directions:
The game is dedicated and sometimes sold by a grandma character. The truth is that we all will be grandmas and grandpas soon so we need to practice. Bring up 6-7 kids (guy-girl alternating with a girl at the end, all who are in on it before club except for the last guy before the last girl). Standing in line always facing the audience, they quickly relay down the line a "cheeky, cheeky" (they say it as they squeeze some part of the other person's face between their forefinger and thumb). When receiving the "cheeky, cheeky," the kid must close their eyes like they would if grandma was doing it and then you must relay it quickly to the next person.

Do it over and over, faster and faster, but the last girl each time has lipstick on her fingers and is decorating the face of the guy next to her without him knowing it! He looks goofier and goofier each time. This must be a kid that can handle it. The girl may need to practice, if it doesn't work it is usually because the guy sees stuff on her hand and she leaves a big glob. Have a towel for him to clean up.

Whipped Cream Pie Search Game

Materials:
whipped cream, paper plates, M&M's

Directions:
Have a whipped cream pie in front of each kid. Tell them that there are 5 M&M's in each pie. The first ones to find all five using only their face will win. But only put 4 M&M's in each pie.

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Pantomime A Dump Game

Materials:
none

Directions:
Take three kids out of the room. Tell them they will pantomime a motor cross rider, a fan at an exciting game, a roller coaster ride (or possibly also a bucking bronco) using sounds, no words, and a chair. Whoever is with these kids must show them how to do it, give them ideas, get them fired up (this time out of the room and the right kids will make or break this game). You may want to pull them out and sing one more song just to buy time to teach them how to go for it!

Before they come in one at a time, tell the crowd you have actually asked them to pantomime themselves during their best episode on the toilet. Crowd must cheer them on! For a sell on this one you may consider someone trying to learn the fine art of "mime."

The Dating Game

Materials:
4 chairs, sheet, set of questions, set of personalities

Directions:
Call up three guys and one girl. First call up the girl and let your assistant take her out of the room. Then call up the guys and give them each a personality on card to act out. Separate the three chairs for the guys from the chair for the girl by a sheet. Get the girl back to the room and give her questions to ask each contestant. The guys answer the questions as their personality would. Girl chooses her date.

Video Dates Game

Materials:
video camera, questions, creative way to chauffeur

Directions:
Have kids put names in a hat the week before and pick three girls and three guys. Line up one guy and girl to form three dates. Go over the questions ahead of time to eliminate marginal ones.

Video tape the date to show in club. Campaigners and student leaders plan and execute the date like a progressive dinner in public places. Have a creative way to chauffeur them around. Interrupt with funny things and won't leave them alone much since it can be very awkward for the kids. You may also incorporate commercials throughout your show.

Do As I Do, Not As I Say Game

Materials:
none

Directions:
Pick three kids and send them out of the room. Explain to the crowd that you will be acting something out for the first person. Bring in the first person. Act something out for them and don't tell them what it is. They do it for the second person and the second person does it for the third. Go back and ask what each person thought they were doing. It's kind of like a mime telephone game.

What Did You Say Game

Materials:
none

Directions:
Send three kids out of the room (choose kids carefully) explain to the crowd that it was recently learned that when someone is placed in front of a crowd in complete silence, that they will revert back to the experience of their first kiss. As a matter of fact the first thing they will say are the things they said after their first kiss! Therefore, the crowd must be completely silent and stare at the person. Don't leave the poor kid up there for too long.

You've Got Something On Your Forehead Game

Materials:
dime

Directions:
Take three kids out of the room and bring them in one at a time. The leader demonstrates that there is a special skill of facial movements allowing someone to get a dime off their forehead without jumping or shaking. Place a dime on your forehead so it sticks and get the dime to fall off.

Then, as you go to press this same dime on their forehead, press hard for 10 seconds and gently take off the coin so it feel to them like its still there. Have them open their eyes and try to get off the coin that isn't there. Practice.

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Kazoo Band Game

Materials:
12 kazoos, 4 copies of 3 carol song sheets

Directions:
Pick three teams of four kids. Send them out to choreograph and practice a Christmas carol on kazoo. Give each group a different song and make sure there is a leader in each group.

Identify Your Friends Game

Materials:
paper bags, flour

Directions:
Pull two kids up front and tell them that they will be brought in to identify people in the room, then send them out of the room. While they are out of the room, hand out paper grocery bags to everyone, making sure they don't open the bags until you tell them to (have them hide it behind their backs from the kids upfront).

Explain to the crowd that you will bring in the contestants, give them one last look at the crowd, and then will spin them around so that they can't see the crowd. Then, on your instructions the crowd quickly puts on the bags at once (with a quarter inch of flour in each one). Think through the mess.

Sponge On The Chair Game

Materials:
wig, uniform, pom-poms, 2 chairs, sponge, pie tin

Directions:
Leader dressed as a cheerleader (wig, uniform, pom-poms) sitting on chair facing kid in another chair. Do follow the leader including several stand up and sit down things. You must get them going very fast and be 10 times more enthusiastic than you want them to be. Do three kids one at a time with the others watching. For the last kid, the last time he/she stands, someone else slips a wet sponge in a pie tin on the chair for them to sit on.

Speed Kissing Game

Materials:
paper plate, whipped cream

Directions:
Seven kids, girl then guy then girl, etc. Line up with a sharp girl (your hero) at the end. Kids face sideways and turn to next kid passing a kiss on the cheek to the next person after they have received their kiss on the cheek. The third time the leader behind the last girl give her a pie behind her back. She pie the guy in front of her when he wheel around to plant one on her cheek. You can have a "love" counselor with theme music to sell the game.

Belly Flop Into Jell-O Game

Materials:
plastic sheets, 2 mattresses, baby pool, Jell-O, table or high stool

Directions:
This makes a historical winter time game and a huge mess as well. Sell for a belly flop contest. Bring out a couple of bed mattresses, cover as much as possible with plastic, and then on top of the mattresses have a baby pool with Jell-O. Then, off a table or high stool, have kids do their best belly flop for points. Be careful where you do this one.

Jell-O Twister Game

Materials:
plastic sheet (or tarp), pin tins, pans, Jell-O, twister spinner, hose, (twister plaque)

Directions:
Best done when it's warm outside so that when it's over kids can hose down. This one is very messy. Get a square of cheap plastic sheet or tarp and attach pin tins in a 4 x 4 grid by pushing a pull clip through the bottom of the pans and plastic, and then spreading out the clips under the plastic to hold them down. You then may fill them with Jell-O (already made right before club). Have a regular twister spinner and six kids who will go for it. Play in bare feet. You can have a trophy plaque that looks like a twister board with a past winner in each circle.

Turkey Bowling Game

Materials:
10 pins, 14-16 lbs. frozen turkey, drill, black plastic sheet, (bowling ball, extra pin, feathers, red sock)

Directions:
This can be a great thanksgiving tradition. Get old pins from a bowling alley. Also get a 14-16 pound frozen turkey and drill 3 holes in it where they would be placed in a ball.

Have 3 kids bowl a frame. You may want to put down cheap black plastic sheet (from any hardware store) for an alley. Also have someone at the end of the pins to catch the turkey or you may put a nice hole in a wall. Play chicken dance songs as background music or even a kid who hunts may be able to make turkey calls.

For a trophy, you may be able to make a turkey out of an old bowling ball (body) and pin (as the head). Use feathers and a red sock as a goblet and paint the ball with winners names.

Hobby Hoax Game

Materials:
none

Directions:
Send three kids out of the room and tell them to think of their favorite hobby. While they are out of the room, explain to the crowd that we all know that everyone's favorite hobby is kissing, so let's find out about their kissing. When the kid enters the room ask him/her questions about their favorite hobby:
  • Where do you like to do it?
  • With whom?
  • Why do you like it so much?
  • What's your favorite part?

I Went To Paris Game

Materials:
none

Directions:
This game works much like "Thar's A Bar." The leader must practice and do a great job of having fun with his/her volunteers. Line up four other people with your leader and explain that one at a time they will pass down the line what you will do.

It begins, "Hey Karina, I went to Paris and brought back a yo-yo" (you move your left arm up and down as if yo-yoing). They will pass to the next person in the same way (have fun with them), make them do it exactly as you do, even moving their arms up and down at you pace.

Then, the second round goes, "Hey Karina, I went to Paris and brought back some scissors." Working your right hand like a pair of scissors, opening and closing your index and middle fingers at a different pace than the yo-yo motion you keep going (very difficult and funny to watch them try to do).

Third round, "Hey Karina, I went to Paris and brought back an arm exerciser." Keep the yo-yo going and the scissor going, you take your scissors arm and move it back and forth across your body. You can keep going with others, even use same type of ending as in "Thar's A Bar" if you want.

Thar's A Bar Game

Materials:
none or costumes

Directions:
The leaders' exaggerated expression is the key to this one. Have a row of five to six kids pass the phrase, "Thar's a bar!" "Whar!" "Over thar!" and a hand motion down the row. Start with one arm point then add second arm, then point with two arms and a leg. End down on one knee with two arms pointing. The leader pushes the kids over domino style at the end.

If you know you are doing this ahead of time, goofy hats and costumes like you are going on a hike will help the atmosphere. Also, heavy backpacks will get students off balance easier. The sell is a Bar Drill instead of a Fire Drill - make them sound the same.

Monday, August 24, 2009

Charcoal Marshmallows Game

Materials:
4 bowls, small marshmallows, charcoal capsules, 2 blindfolds

Directions:
Give two kids a bowl of small marshmallows. They have to feed the other person their marshmallows, blindfolded. As you are blindfolding them, switch the marshmallows with charcoal covered ones (you can get charcoal capsules), have them begin feeding each other the marshmallows. They will cover each other's face.

Sit On Lap Talk Game

Materials:
paper plate, whipped cream, chair

Directions:
Have a guy sit on a girl's lap and try to talk her out of putting a pie in his face. Clue girl in to let him go for a while. This works well with dating couples.

Pin The Tail Game

Materials:
cardboard donkey, jar of peanut butter, blindfolds

Directions:
Say you are playing pin the tail on the donkey but you forgot the tails, so have kids use their finger. Play normally (blindfold them and spin them around), but hold a jar of peanut butter in front of where the kids are going to put their fingers.

Caramel Onion Game

Materials:
5 caramel apples, onion, caramel coating, stick

Directions:
This is great around Halloween. Get an onion and cover it with caramel coating. Pick three students, each will have two caramel coated treats in front of them. They will race to finish both of them. One student will have the caramel coated onion.

Psychological Sit-Up Game

Materials:
paper plates, whipped cream

Directions:
"Hypnotize" three kids so they can't do a blindfolded sit up. The first two are in on it. They strain but don't do a sit-up. The third sits up into a pie. Or, you can challenge them to do 10 sit-ups in 10 seconds, fir of them with their eyes closed. Still pie them towards the end.

Wheelbarrow Eating Race Game

Materials:
M&M's, Jell-O, Spam, (other food), towels

Directions:
Get three couples. Set out lines of food items beginning with small stuff (M&M pile) and get larger (Jell-O or a plate with Spam). The girls wheelbarrow the guys down the row as the guys eat the items. Play music in the background and have towels to clean up with. For a sell you may have a girl wheelbarrow a guy in total crash uniform gear and have him crash and burn into the crowd. You, being the helpful leader, decide to teach them how to do it Young Life style.

Marble In Clear Tubing Game

Materials:
1-2 15 ft. length of clear tubing, 3 or 6 marbles

Directions:
Wrap 15 feet of clear flexible tubing around a small girl. Have three different pairs of guys get three marbles from one end and out the other by lifting and spinning the girl. The fastest time wins. If you have the money to buy two lengths of tube, it may be better to do two groups racing at once. Background song I'm All Shook Up or Twist and Shout. For a sell you may consider a girl coming in with 20 hula hoops talking about how she just love to hula hoop and has a 3-D version of hula hooping.

Sunday, August 23, 2009

Talk Or Get Squirted Game

Materials:
squirt gun, (bullhorn or microphone)

Directions:
Give an outgoing kid a top like belly button lint. He/she must talk about it for two minutes. If he/she stops or repeats him/herself or says "um" or "uh," he/she gets squirted. These must be funny kids who can really talk. For a sell on this one you may use a "valley girl" character who just talks and talks non-stop interrupting club. You may consider giving the kid a bullhorn or microphone so kids can hear him/her.

Kix or Trix Blow Out Of Nose Game

Materials:
Kix, tape, (track uniforms, measuring tape)

Directions:
You may use a bunch of kids in this one. The sell will mean a lot as well. Have a take-off of a track event such as the long jump. You could sell it with the Chariots of Fire song and slow motion runners dressed in ridiculous track uniforms.

Each kids steps up to a starting line (you can use tape), places a Kix in one nostril. Then they will run a few feet, stop in front of another line (or long jump board), and blow the Kix as far as possible into the "pit."

The folks you used sell the game can mark the Kix and use a tape measure to give you an immediate reading. The longest blow wins! Any good Rocky song or sporting musics will do great as background music.

Gladiator Sumo Wrestling Game

Materials:
6 inner-tubes, rope, duct tape, 2 football helmets, (chalk)

Directions:
You may have done this one at camp. Get six large inner-tubes, and tape three together in a stack so a person can fit inside. Take a piece of rope about 32 inches long and cut it into four pieces - tie them into circles, and then tape two at the bottom of each stack of inner-tubes so they can be used as handles. Borrow two football helmets. Then create a ring on the floor with string, tape, chalk, whatever.

Have both contestants wear a helmet, step into their inner-tubes (holding the handles on the bottom tube) and they try to push each other out of the ring. The first person to go outside the ring with both feet or to fall down loses.

This is obviously a very aggressive game, but it does blow away kids' stereotypes. You may use sumo type music, salt over the shoulder, the whole bit for the sell. Outside is best.

Marker Fencing Game

Materials:
2 white t-shirts, 2 white sweat pants, 2 black markers, 2 dowel rods, (2 fencing headgears, glow in the dark pens, 2 pairs of white gloves, 2 pairs of white socks)

Directions:
Dress two contestants in white t-shirts and white sweats. It will add a lot if you could get your hands on some fencing headgear as well. Take two big black markers duct-taped to the end of two strong dowel rods (bought at any hardware store) and they duel. The person to make the most marks of at least on half inch long wins.

You can order glow in the dark pens, follow the same directions, and then turn out the lights to determine the winner. Background music will be a must, and white gloves and socks can help highlight the uniforms! Fence away!

Friday, August 21, 2009

Alka-Seltzer On The Head Duel Game

Materials:
2 squirt guns, Alka-Seltzer, double-sided tape (or large rubber bands), 2 goggles, towels

Directions:
You run this game as a four-person tournament. Two contestants, each armed with a squirt gun, will take five paces and turn to duel. On each of their foreheads, you will have attached an Alka-Seltzer tablet with double-sided tape (possibly use big rubber bands if tape doesn't work). They draw and shoot the water at each other, the first one to dissolve the table on the other wins. You will need to use goggles for each to protect their eyes. The table will fizz and foam all over the place. Make sure to have towels for them to clean up with afterward. Obviously, a western song and some cowboys or cowgirls could sell this one.

Egg Drop Game

Materials:
9 eggs, 3 paper cups, tarp, 3 garbage bags, container, measuring cup

Directions:
Three guys lie on the floor with a paper cup in their mouths. Girls sit on another guy's shoulders and crack eggs on his forehead, then drop the eggs into the cup. Each team gets three eggs. The team with the most in their cup wins. You may want a glass measuring cup to pour contents of the cups in to determine who wins.

Use a tarp under the guys and garbage bags over their clothes. Have a container to collect the shells quickly. Obviously, a sell involving basketball with be a natural (use the Globe Trotter's theme). You can also have a kid calling the play-by-play.

Blindfolded Make Up Game

Materials:
3 eye shadow, 3 cheek powder, 3 lipsticks, 3 towels, (3 wigs, 3 corsages)

Directions:
Blindfolded girls applies make-up to guys (or vice versa). Use three pairs. Have it go in stages: first, you can really save this game with good wigs for the guys (they will look much funnier with them on), eye shadow, cheek powder, lipstick. Have good music in the background (theme from Wonder Woman or Man I Feel Like a Woman). Have kids vote for winner and have towels for guys to wash off. This is a great skit to sell before homecoming or prom (play up the fact that guys get ready in five minutes for dance and do not appreciate all the work the girls do). You may even have the guys hold goofy corsages.

Thursday, August 20, 2009

Egg Roulette Game

Materials:
18 eggs, bowl, tarp, 4 garbage bags

Directions:
Get one dozen eggs (four raw, eight hard-boiled). Two people alternate picking an egg and smashing it on the other person's head. You may want to choose four people and have two round and final round. You'll want to put garbage bags on all contestants.

In the final round, have six eggs (five hard-boiled and one raw) and hold them in a bowl above their heads to pick. Put your finger on the raw egg and before club explain that the skit to all four contestants (because you don't know who will be in the finals).

Play the first round for real (possibly girl versus girl, guy versus guy, and battle of sexes for the final round) and in final round they pick the hard-boiled eggs fine in a row (because you told them not to pick the one with your finger on it until last). Each time you are really in their faces to nail one another, when the final egg is up in the final round you are going crazy only to have the finalist smash it on your head! Make a kid a hero!

Shaving Cream Hairdo Game

Materials:
shaving cream

Directions:
Hand out one can of shaving cream per couple. The guys spray into girl's hair and sculpt a hairdo (or vice versa). The crowd votes on winners. You may want to give a hint to a few kids ahead of time in secret: create an Abe Lincoln look, punk rocker spiked do, Mickey Mouse ears, Roman headgear. A hairdresser or fashion consultant character could sell this event. Background music: You Are So Beautiful or something heart wrenching about beauty.

Girls Arm Wrestling With Pillow Battle Finale Game

Materials:
2 pillows, 2 blindfolds

Directions:
Just like it sounds, have a semifinal and a final round of girls arm wrestling. Then, you may want to have your female champion take on the biggest guy you have, not in arm wrestling, but in a pillow battle. Give them each a pillow and explain that they will each get three chance to hit each other. Blindfold them both and tell them they must keep one foot still, although they may dodge the hit however else they want.

First they must ask the question "are you there?" and the other answers "I am here." When it is all explained, un-blindfold the girl, but leave the guy blindfolded, therefore the girl will be able to dodge the hits, but the guy won't. After the guy misses once, put the blindfold back on the girl, and show the guy that she is still right there. Then re-blindfold him and do the same thing again.

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Spaghetti Hairdo Game

Materials:
spaghetti, 3 child safe scissors, 3 combs

Directions:
Have three guys give three girls (or vice versa) a "haircut" by dumping spaghetti on their heads. Give them scissors (child safe work great) and a comb and let them create a hairdo. You may use chefs uniforms or Italian hair experts to sell the game. Have background music (Italian, etc.).

Marshmallow Necklace Game

Materials:
marshmallows, string

Directions:
Tie marshmallow necklaces around three couples of kids tightly. Then have them eat the marshmallows off each other's neck except for the last one. The last one they must eat off their own neck. The first couple to finish wins.

Find Your Man Game

Materials:
3 blindfolds

Directions:
Pair up 3 guys with three girls. Blindfold the girls and have them feel the legs of the original three plus a couple of extra people to see if they can identify their guy.

Face Decorating Game

Materials:
icing, sprinkles, candy

Directions:
Have guys lie on their back and let girls decorate their faces with icing, sprinkles and candy. Let the crowd choose the best face.

Name That Tune With Squirt Guns Game

Materials:
2 pots, 2 wooden spoons, 2 squirt guns, iPod

Directions:
Four guys versus four girls. Use easy and hard music. One person from each team steps up with a big pot on their head and a big spoon in their hand. When they think they know the answer they beat on their heads for a bell. Each person has a squirt gun and squirts the other person until they get the answer after they ring their bell. Obviously, a great sell is a game show host.

Alka-Seltzer Poem Game

Materials:
Alka-Seltzer, breath mints

Directions:
Guys read a mushy poem to a freshman girl. Place two Alka-Seltzers and a couple of breath mints in his mouth ahead of time. He will foam like a rabid dog.

Pavlov's M&M Training Game

Materials:
M&M's, props in the room

Directions:
Choose two to three couples. Send the guys out of the room and then tell the girls that they will "train" their guys to do a certain action using only M&M's as reward and nothing else. Bring the guys down and explain that they will be rewarded as they move towards the correct action. Give each a different action like getting a guy to sit down and take his shoes off or stand on a chair and bark.

Christmas Carols With Helium Game

Materials:
5 helium balloons, 5 costumes, 5 carol song sheets

Directions:
Five kids dress in choir robes and sing Christmas carols taking hits of helium balloons. You may also do a Little Nemo setup and dress them as elves with Santa. It is funny if they sing both individually at times and together as a punch line.

Keep the biggest kid with the funniest voice for last so the anticipation builds for him/her to sing. Costumes and a good way to suck the helium out of the balloons mean a lot for this one. Have 2 balloons per person in case one breaks or something. Also, be careful, if kids suck a lot too fast they may faint. You may want them sitting down.

The Almost Wed Game

Materials:
list of questions

Directions:
Pick three dating couples. Send the guys out of the room, ask the girls embarrassing questions like, "where did you go on your first date?" or "how would you rate your first kiss 1- 10?" Write down the girls' answers. Bring in the guys ans ask them to answer the way that they think their girlfriends would have answered. Your game show host and music is important. take time to prepare and do it right.

Mock Spelling Bee Game

Materials:
tarp, objects that can be spelled (egg, coke, oatmeal, syrup, banana)

Directions:
This is designed to get you, the leader. It begins by having someone challenge you to a spelling bee. Four kids come up front to challenge you to a Power Young Life Spelling Bee. The game goes as follows: one kid at a time steps up and is given an object (for example an egg) and the leader of the game asks them to spell "egg." If they do it correctly, they get to put the object on you. If incorrectly, they do not (obviously, by now you will have an egg on your head). Then, it is your chace to spell and put something on them, only you are set up each time. For example, the game leader may hold up a can of coke to which you excitedly blurt out, "coke...c-o-k-e...coke" only to have the leader tell you that is not the word instead, they read the toughest ingredient on the can (phenylcarbonhydronate acid or whatever). The next kid steps up and spells another object (oatmeal, syrup, bananas all work). Each time you get drilled and each time you spell back you lose.

Whoever is running the game may trick you in other ways, for example, silent letters, whatever. A good ender is for them to give you one that you can get right, you in disbelief start and take a minute to try to guess the catch... then you slowly spell the easy word... on the second to last letter the leader of the game look at their watch, interrupts saying "whoop, your time has expired, but thanks for playing" and takes off. Your reactions, facial expressions, and acting ability will make or break this one!

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Speed Identification Game 2

Materials:
2 card tables, 3 large sheets, five buckets, baseball bat, basketball, soccer ball, football, large wig, (mannequin)

Directions:
This one is on the crowd. Use the same set-up and concept as the original Speed Identification, but use the following objects in order: baseball bat, basketball, soccer ball, football, person's head with large wig on (not facing the crowd).

The first contestants are the same as the original, however the last person is a plant along with the person under the bucket. The last person, quickly and excitedly (they must act really pumped up) picks up the first bucket and grabs the bat, screams "baseball bat," picks up the next bag, screams "basketball" and hits it hard off the table with the bat (you, the panicked leader, must play it up and yell to stop them but they are not listening and pick up the bucket with the head under it), the person under the bucket has held up a mannequin head or a ball with a wig on it instead, and the kid screams the person's name and then whacks the fake head with the bat. If done right, the crowd will freak.

Speed Identification Game

Materials:
2 card tables, 3 large sheets, five buckets, 4 random objects (pickles, moist towelette, anti-fungal ointment, etc.), 4 cards, paper plate, whipped cream

Directions:
Put the tables in a row with a space in the middle for a head to fit through. Cover the tables with sheets all the way to the ground. Cut a hole in the middle sheet for a head to fit through. Put cards on the table with a bucket over each and cover the leader's (or kid's) head with a bucket.

Choose two or three kids and send them out of the room. One at a time, the kids lift a bucket and read the cards as fast as possible. The leader or kid screams when their bucket is lifted. The last kid double crosses the leader or kid and piece their head. This could be done with different balls underneath that kids need to identify. You may want to play music as you reset for each kid.

You may consider having the contestant facing the audience and the head under the bucket with the back or the head to the audience for the first one's so that the audience can see the face of the person who gets startled. Then, for the last kid, tell the kid under the bucket to spin and face the audience because you want them to see how great he/she is doing (that way the crowd gets the best of both). Also, coach your last kid to pie him/her from behind or the side so the crowd can see it best. A psychologist character could sell this as a test.

Wheel Of Misfortune Game

Materials:
varies

Directions:
Run this like a game show with a wheel that has things like "pie in the face" and some possible good things like "$25 off camp." Contestants get whatever the wheel lands on. Play music from TV game shows. Have the prizes planned out.

Stupid Human Tricks Game

Materials:
none

Directions:
Announce these ahead of time. Include all the weird things kids can do (roll tongue three times, dislocate body parts, burp the National Anthem). Screen the volunteer before they go on stage and help them be great at what they do.

Sponge On The Back Of The Head Relay Game

Materials:
4 sponges, bandannas, 4 pie tins, 5 gallon bucket

Directions:
Pick four kids. Seat the pie tins on chairs. Tie a sponge to back of the kids' heads with a bandanna (it's even better if you can really attach the sponge to the bandanna - otherwise it slides too easily). Race to see who can get the most water from a five gallon bucket into the tine in two minutes by pressing their sponge into the tin. Kids can only use hands to hold tin on lap. "Spongeman" could sell this game as an absorbent picker upper.

Monday, August 17, 2009

Funnel In Pants Game

Materials:
funnel, penny, water, (blindfold)

Directions:
Have three kids lean their heads back and balance a penny on their noses, then drop the penny into a funnel in their pants. Then do it again with arms out at sides, then on one leg, possibly blindfolded. Let them watch as each does it one by one. But, for the third kid, pour water into the funnel the last time. Only do this to a mature kid. You may want suspense music in the background such as 2001 Space Odyssey theme.

Ice Stuffing Contest Game

Materials:
60 lbs. of ice, scale, cooler

Directions:
Choose three guys and have them weigh in (have a good scale). Two girls stuff each guy's clothes with ice cubes for one minute. The guy with the most weight gain wins. You will need 20 pounds of ice per guy and big coolers to dump ice into afterward. Best done outside.

Neck Passing Relay Mixer

Materials:
orange, frozen vegetable package, water balloon

Directions:
Pass objects chin-to-chin down and back an alternating guy/girl line. Use an orange, frozen vegetable package, and water balloon. You can sell it by teaching people how to "neck."

Girls Sign Guys Feet Game

Materials:
5 (permanent) markers

Directions:
Five guys have three minutes to see how many girls they can get to sign their bare feet. Maybe use permanent markers. Tell the girls that the guys have to earn their signature.

Guys Make Wine Game

Materials:
6 lbs. of grapes, 2 coolers, measuring cup, large glasses

Directions:
Put three pounds of grapes in each of two coolers. Let two guys crush the grapes with their bare feet for two minutes. See who makes the most juice. For a tie-breaker, have the guys drink the juice. Have measuring cup and big glasses.