I been on over 30 Christian camps over the years, and on many of these camps I have experienced some very annoying games.
This post is somewhat of a break from the usual youth group games that I write about as I actually recommend that you don’t play these. However, if you do want to play them, whether to fill time or annoy some campers, please understand that once you start them, they cannot be stopped! Here they are… (All of these games are designed to be played in a camp environment, but may work at other times, they will all work with anywhere from 2-100s of people)
- The Game
- Moose
- Any Form Of Rhythmical Clapping
- Cup Rhythms
- Little Bobby Stories
- I’m going on a train, and I’m taking…
- Riddles
- Random Handoff
- The Man In The Moon
Continue reading below for an explanation of the 9 annoying youth group games never to play on a camp.
1. The Game
You just lost The Game. In order to lose The Game, all you need to do is think about it, if you think about The Game then you lose it. The Game is an ongoing game, the idea is not to lose, but if you do lose then you must tell everyone else as quickly as you can so that they lose as well. The game is then reset after 30 minutes and goes on until some loses again. Truly pointless.
2. Moose
I personally hate this game, this game was the reason that I got a bucket of spaghetti/baked beans/tomato sauce/who knows what poured on me on a camp earlier this year.
To play it you call out someones name, while you have your hands on your head like moose antlers. If they look at you then they have to get on the ground and act like a dead ant. However, if they look at you with their hands on their head like goggles, then you have to dead ant. But, if you call out their name, and they look at you with goggles on, but you don’t have moose antlers on then they have to dead ant. Simple really.
Bound to annoy campers and leaders alike for days.
3. Any Form Of Rhythmical Clapping
Sometimes rhythmical clapping can be great to get a whole camps attention, but sometimes it can be annoying and overtake the camp. Be careful when using it.
4. Cup Rhythm Games At Dinner
I have a friend (the same friend who poured the bucket on me) who once landed a glass cup on on a knife while doing a cup rhythm game, broke the glass and got glass stuck in his hand. Ouch.
Cup Rhythm games are annoying because they break things if played with glass and are really loud when combined with cutlery on tables.
5. Little Bobby Stories
Little Bobby Stories are great time fillers, the basic idea is that you make up a really long and involved story line with a character called little Bobby, now little Bobby is always a sad and sorry soul, and has a long and tough life
The end of each and every single little Bobby stories has to end with either no punchline, or a really really bad one. Ask me and I’ll tell you one one day.
6. I’m going on a train, and I’m taking…
This game requires you to say “I’m going on a train, and I’m taking a…” You then finish this sentence with a word with a double vowel, such as a balloon. You then ask the campers to see if they can take something on the train, so they say “I’m going on a train, and I’m taking…”, if what they are taking has a double vowel, then they can bring it.
The campers basically have to guess what they can take on a train, and figure out the clue. It will be lots of fun for some, and frustrating for the rest.
7. The Man In The Moon
This is very similar to the last game. For this to work you need to ask somebody to give you a stick, when they hand it to you, say thank you. Then say “The man in the moon has two eyes, a nose, and a mouth”, while drawing a man in the moon with your stick.
You then ask campers to do exactly what you said, and if they get it right, then they win. The only thing that matters however, is them saying thank you when they are handed a stick.
It is great to see how many people lose their manners when engrossed in a game.
8. Riddles
This is just to say that there should basically be a ban on all riddles on camp. The last two games have been examples of riddles that can be played, if you really want to. But otherwise, leave them out.
There is however one exception to not using riddles, and that is if you are a psycho path trying to kill John Mclean.
9. Random Handoff
I have never played this game but have heard great stories about it. The idea of the game is that you offer an object to someone, as if you were just asking them to hold it for a second, and as they grab it, you say random handoff. They then must hold the object until they can hand if off to somebody else. Hilarious…
My sister told a story of somebody being left holding two chairs (one in each hand) as a result of a random handoff.
Conclusion
Well that is the end of another 9 youth group games that you can (but should not) play. Hope you enjoyed them, and as always, please leave you favourite youth group game to play on a camp in the comments.
After I get enough of your games I will make another list of 9 youth group games suggested by you.
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