I'm looking for fresh ideas for games to play with groups of between 40-60 kids. Age wise, we have groups 5-7 and 8-12. Thanks for your help!
What are your favorite large group games?
(22 posts) (10 voices)-
stocksohio
offlineNinja Master
Moderator
Score: 248Posted 11 months ago # -
TonyKummer
offlineNinja Warrior
Score: 192North - South - Central: it's basically a wind sprint game. You need three lines, about the length of a basketball court. The kids race to each line as you call out the direction. After a few warm-up, then you eliminate one kids each round. I usually give them a high-5 to encourage them once they're out. With a large group I would divide lower and upper elementary.
IT's a competitive high energy game, but the kids love it.
You can also check out posts on kids ministry games. Most of these are smaller groups, but you might get an idea.
Posted 11 months ago # -
stocksohio
offlineNinja Master
Moderator
Score: 248Thanks Tony. I actually read about that game last week in a book of games. I didn't mark it as one that looked like fun to me. When I got to AWANA last Wednesday, the former game guy told me it was one of the favorites of the older elementary girls of all things, so we gave it a shot. I was sure they would be border with it after 5 minutes, but we played for 30 minutes solid, and they wanted to keep going!
Posted 11 months ago # -
Joy
offlineBeginner
Score: 3When we were studying Psalms 23, I found an idea and then elaborated on a bit.
We played a game of Run Sheep Run. I used each of the verses and then at the end of the verse I said Run Sheep Run.Later we played Follow the Leader. I read the scripture of Goodness and Mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. I was the 1st leader and everyone followed. We went walking through the field close to church singing Walking with Jesus everyday. Later each student got to takes turns being the leader.
Young children at this age, love the simplest of games.
Posted 11 months ago # -
Linda
offlineBeginner
Score: 3We live where it rarely snows or at least sticks to the ground-any way we have "snowball" fights. You take white panty hose and stuff them with fiberfill (in the toe). Make it as big as you want to and then cut the pantyhose off and tie a knot. Where you cut the pantyhose on the other piece you tie a knot and stuff with fiberfill, cut off the hose again and again tie a knot so you have "snowballs". If you use knee high pantyhose you get about three per leg (depends on how big you make them). I don't know about regular panty hose as I have never used them. I looked for "dollar tree or store" or clearance sale hose for this project. The kids love it and no one gets hurt! Our Pastor and his family get them when their kids/grandkids come home for Christmas and they all play with them together. We used them for VBS The Arctic Edge for one of our games. Our youth pastor needed another game and used them. He didn't think they would like it but he said after they played when it was time to go he couldn't get them to leave. I play with my two year old class at work every year and they love it! It's a very high energy game and you can store them from year to year. They are worth the money and time. If you can't find white ones you can always make "dirty" snowballs out of regular color panty hose.
Posted 11 months ago # -
TonyKummer
offlineNinja Warrior
Score: 192Just wanted to include a link to our new page listing games for Sunday School. There are several links there that might help too.
Posted 11 months ago # -
TonyKummer
offlineNinja Warrior
Score: 192Here is an update on this topic, I've posted a video where I explain how to play North-South-Central.
Posted 8 months ago # -
stocksohio
offlineNinja Master
Moderator
Score: 248North-South-Central (or a slight variation of it) is one of the favorite games of our Awana clubs. We play it at least once every-other month or so if not more. No set up, and the kids love it! It doesn't get much better than that!
Posted 7 months ago # -
rae529
offlineMember
Score: 0We play a version of this game at our Wednesday night group. We use the books of the Old and New Testament. The game leader calls out a book and the kids have to choose which side to run. Last one past the line is out, or anyone on the wrong end is out. Kids love it! We used to play North/South, but a few years ago had this idea and the kids love want to play all the time. They all return to the center after each "round"
Posted 6 months ago # -
Commander Bill
offlineDistinguished
Moderator
Score: 76Yep, I've played "Shipwreck" where basically (with the Awana Game Floor) you yell out a color and the kids run to the color. The last one there is out and they always start in the center.
Kids I've had have loved that game. I even started telling a story with it to keep their interest so they have to listen to the color come out in the story somewhere. I generally do not have a scripted story, just make it up as I go along.
The story adds to the game a little.
Posted 6 months ago # -
LinPearson
offlineDistinguished
Moderator
Score: 88With elimination games there are always children doing nothing.So we like to mix in some other games where all participate.
Races are always fun and have the advantage that all the children are participating all the time.With 60 kids and a large gym or hall you can have 6 teams of 10. Relays work well. Because all the kids get a turn. Several different races can be run, just a few minutes each. It could simply be running to a point and back to touch the hand of the next runner.
Variations:
Backwards running (great fun!)
Hopping
Shuffling on your bottom
In twos doing wheelbarrow races (are you familiar with that in the US?)
Piggy-backThere are also race games when the team is standing in line behind each other.
In Under-and-Over with a big ball, the first in line passes it backwards over their head, the next passes it under their legs, and so on alternately right to the last in loine, who then runs to the front and the process is repeated, until the first leader is back in place. First team to do that wins.Then there are quiet games with paper and pencil, again, divide into teams, maybe 5 or 6 is a good number, though up to 10 would do. Give each team a pencil and a paper with various things on it. Eg. City, Boy's name, Girl's name, animal, plant, object in the street, object in the home, etc, etc.
Now you shout out a letter of the alphabet and they have to fill in the list with as many words as begin with that letter.Posted 6 months ago # -
stocksohio
offlineNinja Master
Moderator
Score: 248Commander Bill,
We have a script that someone wrote up that I was given for the shipwrecked game. It is one of the kids' favorites for all ages. The story is about a pirate ship that gets, surprise surprise, shipwrecked on a desert island. I followed it the 1st time I played the game with the kids. Since then, I ad lib a lot more!
Posted 6 months ago # -
Commander Bill
offlineDistinguished
Moderator
Score: 76Wayne, that was probably written by Chris Solaas. He wrote a few of them after he heard about my ad lib. I'll be putting them on my web site in the near future.
Posted 6 months ago # -
stocksohio
offlineNinja Master
Moderator
Score: 248Cool, let us know when you get them posted. I love to have some new ideas for the game. Like I say, it's one of their favorites! BTW, the new site looks great!
Posted 6 months ago # -
Commander Bill
offlineDistinguished
Moderator
Score: 76I'm glad that people are liking the new site :-)
I just added Shipwreck and the stories that Chris wrote to the games area.
Posted 6 months ago # -
stocksohio
offlineNinja Master
Moderator
Score: 248Thanks! Those are great and will allow me more variety with the game. Plus I like the idea of the more complex game with older kids. I was trying to think of what visual signs I could make to help them learn all the rules.
You were right about the one I have being written by Chris. It was Red Beard and the Cabbages. I wonder if anyone else written variations that they would like to share.
Anyhow, your sight in general is a great resource. As game leader for about 200 kids, I love it and check for new stuff frequently!
Thanks again for all your hard work.
Posted 6 months ago # -
stocksohio
offlineNinja Master
Moderator
Score: 248A couple more favorites in our group are American Eagle (where the kids try to catch one another as they run across the gym) and crab soccer. Dodge Ball is, of course, always a favorite!
Wayne
aka Dad in the Middle---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. – Romans 12:12Posted 6 months ago # -
This is a fun and tiring game called "Cloths Pin Pick-up. I found it on Kids Ministry Resources.com
Divide the class into two or more teams. Give one person from each team a wooden clothes pin. Give the other team-mates each a clean plastic bowl. Spread several pieces of individually wrapped candies on the floor. The kids with the clothes pins must put them between their teeth. The kids with the bowls must hold them with their mouth. All players must get on the floor. When the leader says “GO”, they must crawl around and pick up the candy, using the clothes pins and drop the candy in their team-mate’s bowl. They must NOT use their hands! Give them two minutes to collect as many pieces of candy as they can or until the candy is all picked up. The team with the most candy is the winner. Winners get a prize.
Posted 5 months ago # -
stocksohio
offlineNinja Master
Moderator
Score: 248Veronica,
Glad to see you are finding the forums useful. As we get more and more people posting questions, answers and ideas to them, they will continue to improve. I hope you will continue to frequent the forums with your questions and replies. We are glad to have you here!
Posted 4 months ago # -
I was browsing around the forum and got to this thread , Cleveland Hybrid Launcher Review
its feels great when People are sharing information with eachother so that others can learn. Keep this going ever.Posted 3 months ago # -
TOSS BALL
MATERIALS: A small soft ball
REC PREP
• Lay out a playing field – either inside or out.
o The larger the area the better.
• Be ready to observe the kids as they play so you can adequately lead the Debriefing.RECREATION
• The object of the game is to get the ball into your end zone.
• This is a fun game of total chaos, as well as the potential for strategy – reasoning.
• Everyone gathers in the center of the playing field.
• The ball is given to the player of one team.
• When the leader says “Go,” the player with the ball throws the ball to a player on his/her team.
• The person with the ball cannot move.
o S/he has to throw the ball within 2 or 3 seconds of receiving it or the other team gets the ball.
• When the ball is thrown, the players on the other team try to intercept the ball.
• If a team gets the ball past their end zone, they get a point.
• The winning team is the team with the most points at the end of the game.
If you have a large group you can have more than one ball being thrown - adds to the chaos and fun.Posted 3 months ago # -
stocksohio
offlineNinja Master
Moderator
Score: 248Wanda,
That sounds like fun. I'm going to have to try that one sometime.
Posted 3 months ago #
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