On a retreat and running short on games? Make sure this doesn't happen to you by learning and playing some of the games listed below.
Name That Tune:
As a way to bank on your students' love of music, pull four students up front to play a modern version of “Name that Tune.” Explain to the two teams the specific category, such as “duets or bands.” The starting team would then say, “we can name that tune in four mp3 counts.” Play the song for the challenged time. If they are unable to name it, the other team can steal with or without hearing more counts. Since our students are not as enlightened as those of us who have seen the original “Name the Tune,” it would be great for you to locate a short clip from the original show on YouTube in order to introduce the game.
The Color Game:
Start with a color. Go around the room as fast as you can for each person to name something that is that color. Allow no more than three seconds to think. If a person cannot name something s/he is out of that round. Play until you have a winner for each color.
Divide your van into two groups. The object of the game is to see which group can make the longest chain using only what is available to them in the vehicle. They can use belts, shoelaces, things they find on the floor of the van. When ready, have them “step out of the vehicle” to compare lengths.
Have someone think of a famous person (start with John Wayne). The next person has to come up with a famous name that uses either John or Wayne in the first or last place (John Legend or Elton John) The next person can use any of the names the last person did. Keep going until someone gets stuck. Names cannot be repeated. You can establish rules of your own, such as: they must be living persons, or no people from your church or school.
The Round-Robin Question Game
When taking your students on a trip and your mode of transportation is a big bus, intimacy (in a good way!) doessn't happen naturally! Students often group together and stay that way for 14 hours. Shake things up a bit one hour into the trip. Have them locate and claim a seat (not that YOUR students would be wandering around the bus unsafely!) two to a seat–and hand out question sheets to each student. It's important that the questions be numbered. With the bus loud speaker or your built-in load speaker, say “On this trip we want to get to know the REALLY important stuff about each other, so you have 90 seconds to each answer number 21. “What makes you want to vomit?” When the 90 seconds is up, have the outside student move counter clockwise to the next steat–inside kids stay stationary. Once they've gotten the hang of it, you can say things like, “You have 109 seconds to ask and answer two of the odd numbered questions.” Continue until each student is back to his/her original spot.
Write Your Own Novel
For some of your retreats or camps, you may end up traveling for quite some time. For most kids, it's a great ime to connect, but for new students it could be a long time of pondering how they will ever fit in! Try to connect them and have fun by playing the “Write Your Own Novel” game. Simply walk over to the seat of a newer student, lean toward the window and, as a truck with three guys packed into the front seat slowly passes your bus, say something like, “Oh, no doubt these guys are on their way to their fantasty football draft. Chuck, there in the middle, his wife made the chips and dip. but he couldn't wait to eat them, so that's why the guys' windows are rolled down when it's 34 degrees!” Kids may laugh at you and look at you strangely, but just say “You try.” Have the student learn toward the window as another car passes by and have him explain, in detail, the life of the woman in the fake pink fur, driving a Smart Car.
The Question Game
Tell small groups to form a circle. One person will point to someone in the group and ask a question. That person doesn't answer, instead they point to someone else and ask them another question (and so on).
You are out if:
1. You answer the question (that is asked of you)
2. You repeat a questio