9 Superb Youth Group Games That Can Be Played With A Ball (or two)

One of the most common resources that youth groups have are balls, whether it be soccer balls or beach balls or tennis balls or footy balls.

This is the second of my posts about youth group games (first one about games with no resources here), and in this post I will share with you another 9 youth group games, this time, these are all games that can be played with a ball (or two).

Please think through these games before using them with your youth group and consider how the game will look specifically for your youth group. Here is the list of games.

1. Chair Netball
2. Battleships
3. Warbalz
4. Crab Soccer
5. Hide the Truth Poisonball
6. Handball
7. Hand Cricket
8. Catch ‘n Clap
9. Duke Nukem Volleyball

So please continuing reading below for the 2nd post of 9 youth group games to play. Ready for your enjoyment when used in conjunction with a ball (or two).

1. Chair Netball (10-20 people)

This is a game that shares similar rules to netball, however instead of trying to get the ball through a hoop at one end, you are simply trying to get the ball to a teammate that is standing on a chair in place of a net.

Set up a court of whichever size is appropriate for your group and split your group in two. Have one chair at each end of the hall, and ask one volunteer from each team to stand on the opposite chair. The team then has to try and get the ball into the hands of their goal (just catch it to score a point).

The rules are the same as netball, when you catch the ball, you must stop moving. There is no contact. Hope you have fun playing this simple game!

2. Battleships (10-30 people)

Battleships is one of my favourite youth group games! For this game you will require a few balls, and a partition that you cannot see past. Set up the area as a rectangle with a partition down the middle.

Split the group in two and ask for a volunteer from each team. These people will be the “bombers”. Everyone else from their team then lies down on their half of the rectangle (out of view of the other team). One ball is then given to a bomber, and they throw it over the partition. The aim of the game is to hit the people who are lying down, the battleships. When a battleship is hit, they then become a bomber.

The ball is thrown back and forth until all the battleships are destroyed. The team with the last battleship standing wins. For groups with larger numbers, more balls can be used to speed up the game, and involve more children.

This game is really good as it always involves everyone, and it’s really awesome!

3. Warbalz (8-20 people)

Warbalz is a game that was created on a camp that I went on last year. Watch this video to see how to play it

This game does not need to be played on sand, although it is very fun to play.

Basically it is a game where two teams aim to hit the other teams bin. Set up a rectangle with a line down the middle, and set a bin at each end. Split your group in two.

The aim is to either hit the other teams bin, or to get everyone else in the group out. To get somebody on the other team out, you must hit them below the knees. You are also out if somebody catches a ball that you throw on the full. When you are out, you can go behind the other team, and try to throw the balls at them.

To start the game, give each team a ball, and start. The game ends when an aim is met. Fun to be had by all.

4. Crab Soccer (8-22 people)

This is very simply a version of soccer. Played like normal soccer, except that everyone must walk like a crab. That is, with hands and feet on the ground, and with bottoms towards the ground.

This makes it a very fun and very equal playing ground, and also allows for soccer in smaller spaces as big kicks are a lot harder to make.

Note: Be careful when playing with girls in dresses/skirts.

5. Hide the Truth Poisonball (10-20 people)

Everyone has played poisonball and knows the rules. Stand in a square and if you get hit below the knees then you are out. This is a great variation on this.

This game is played in two teams. Split your group into equal teams and explain the game. One group stands outside the circle and tries to get the other group out, and the other group is inside the circle and tries to stay in for as long as possible. The team on the outside gets given a ball or two, and  they get the team in the middle out when they are hit below the knee. When a person is out they just stand to the side. The teams then switch.

The trick to this game is that the team in the middle only actually has one person who matters. This person is called the “truth”. If somebody who is not the truth gets out, it doesn’t really matter, but if the truth gets out, then it is game over. The team must work together to deceive the other team and make sure the “truth” stays in.

Teams can repeat this game and the team that lasts the longest wins.

6. Handball (2-12 people)

A simple game that any youth group leader knows. Bring a bit of primary school back to your youth group by playing handball. Mark some squares out on the ground with masking tape (or use carpark spaces) and play handball.

A word of warning… Make sure that you explain the rules and don’t assume that everyone knows how to play. Each school may have drastically different rules and additions to the game can quickly make some young boys quite sour.

7. Hand Cricket (6-13 people)

Cricket is a simple game that most know how to play. Use a chair for stumps, hands for bats and a tennis ball.

Keep the rules fast, that means hit and run, and encourage people to try to get out after being in for a while.

Perfect for use inside.

8. Catch n’ Clap (5-15 people)

Any ball can be used for this game. Everyone stands in a circle. A ball is tossed around the circle, and caught. Before you catch the ball, you must clap once.

You can get out if you either drop the ball, if you clap when you aren’t meant to, or if you don’t clap before you catch the ball.

When you are out, you go down on one knee, then two knees, then an elbow, then two elbows, then your back, then you are completely out. You can come back up a stage if you catch the ball.

This is a really good game to play naturally at the start or end of your youth group.

9. Duke Nukem Volleyball (10-24 people)

This is another game that requires a partition. Set up a rectangle with the partition down the middle, and ensure that each team cannot see each other. Split your group into two teams, and ask each person to get one chair. Each team then sits on theirs chairs in their half of the rectangle.

The game is a version of volleyball. The aim is to get the ball to hit the ground in the opposite teams half. Each team can throw it between themselves no more than 3 times, before throwing it over the other side. Each team must always be sitting on their chairs.

The team with the most points at the end wins. This is a great game as the element of surprise when a ball is thrown over is something quite different to most games played.

Conclusion

Well there you have it, another 9 games that you can play with your youth group. Please share these posts with your friends if you think that they would be useful.

And please add your favourite youth group game to play with a ball in the comments.

Related posts from calumhenderson.com:

1. 9 Spectacular Youth Group Games To Play In A Gym
2. Youth Group Games | Main Page
3. 9 Contained Youth Group Games That You Can Play In A Classroom
4. 9 Annoying Youth Group Games Never To Play On Camp