Posted in Up Front Games

Pictaphone

PictaphoneToday’s game is Pictaphone, the game that combines a couple of serious classics.

Growing up, you probably remember playing telephone, the game where one person whispers something into another person’s ear, who then repeats it to the next and so on. I usually started with something entirely reasonable and ended with something ridiculous.

The other half of Pictaphone is of course, Pictionary. The great game that involves drawing a picture and allowing team members to guess before the little glass of sand expires.

We’re going to show you how the two work together for a great game!

PREP TIME– 2-5 Minutes

ITEMS NEEDED– Paper, Pencil (Crayons or Markers will work as well), List of Phrases

GAME TIME– 10-30 Minutes

PARTICIPANTS– 5-10 Participants per Team

INSTRUCTIONS

This game can be played a couple of different ways. This is a great game for a small group or to play if you want to break a larger group up into small groups to play simultaneously.

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Shake It Off

Shake It OffToday we are sharing one of our messier, some might say, grosser games. The good news, it’s quite simple. Shake It Off is a relatively quick and easy game that lends itself to plenty of picture taking and comments afterward.

PREP TIME– 3-5 Minutes

ITEMS NEEDED– Swim Goggles,  Jar of Vaseline for each Group of 3, Bag of Cotton Balls for each Group

GAME TIME– 5 Minutes

PARTICIPANTS– 4 Groups of 3 (you can have more or less, but have at least 2 teams)

INSTRUCTIONS

As I mentioned before, this is a simple game. Make sure to select at least one person on each team who doesn’t mind getting messy! Once you have four individuals, have them select two people to be in their group.
At this point, you need to explain the process. First off, have the “shaker” (this is the person that will have the Vaseline put all over their face) put on their swim goggles. Make sure to use small, tight goggles so they don’t get Vaseline in their eyes. They can close their eyes, but it’s much messier and no one wants Vaseline jammed in their eye!

After they have the goggles on, instruct one of the remaining two people in their group take the jar of Vaseline and lather it all over the “shakers” face. They have 60-90 seconds to do this. Try not to have it in the hair, as it is really hard to get out!!

Next, the last remaining person in the group will place as many cotton balls on their face as possible in 60-90 seconds. It’s a good idea to have someone who hasn’t been touching Vaseline to do this, otherwise the cotton balls stick to their hands, instead of their face.

Finally, give your “shakers” 60 seconds to shake off as many cotton balls as possible. The winner is the person who shakes the most off, so having more on their face initially is advantageous.

Make sure to take plenty of pictures and record them shaking everything off- it’s awesome!

BONUS TIPS

1. Make sure your “shakers” are in plain view of the audience. Either elevate them or have them standing where everyone can see.

2.Have a trash can, paper towels, and some plastic on the ground. This not only expedites the cleaning process, but it keeps you from wiping up Vaseline from off the floor. If you can play outdoors where there is light, that’s even better.

3. Pick “shakers” who have personality. This game is awesome when you have people who really get into it!

4. Have towels for the “shakers” to put over their clothes when they play- this will keep them a bit cleaner.

5. You don’t have to use Vaseline, but it works best. If you something else that works, do it and tell us how it worked for you!

6. Give away great prizes for everyone who was willing to get messy! Free stuff goes a long way in student ministry!!

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$100,000 Pyramid

The $100,000 PyramidToday we crossed the 100,000 views threshold. To be perfectly honest, the blog has far surpassed what I ever thought it could do. In honor of the mark, we have a special game.

Growing up, I was a huge game show fan. I watched shows like, “Press Your Luck” (no whammies!), “The Price Is Right”, “Win, Lose or Draw”, and the “$100,000 Pyramid“. Actually, I watched reruns of the “$10,000 Pyramid”, and saw it’s mighty climb all the way to the hundred grand.

Dick Clark was my favorite host, though John Davidson & Donny Osmond hosted the latter years of the game show. Each show paired a random contestant with a celebrity (I use that term loosely). Their goal was to give clues to get the other person to say a word. They could use gestures in the initial round, but they were actually restrained in the final round. In addition, they could not say anything that rhymes with the word or any form or part of the word.

PREP TIME– 10-45 Minutes

ITEMS NEEDED– 2 Chairs, 6 Large Sheets of Poster Board (you can use a vide screen too), Dramatic Music & Countdown Clock

GAME TIME– 2-5 Minutes

PARTICIPANTS– 2 Participants per Game

INSTRUCTIONS

First off, you will need to come up with a list of phrases. It might help to watch a video clip or two of the game show if you are not familiar with the show. Here is a list of $100,000 Pyramid Clues, but feel free to make your own.

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Fact or Fiction: Government Gone Crazy

Fact or FictionDid you know that in Utah, birds have the right of way? Me neither. Oddly enough, they actually have a law specifying this. In Fact or Fiction: Government Gone Crazy, we cover some of more crazy laws!

PREP TIME– None

ITEMS NEEDED– Fact or Fiction: Government Gone Crazy Print Out

GAME TIME– 5-10 Minutes

PARTICIPANTS– Everyone

INSTRUCTIONS

Download your Fact or Fiction – Government Gone Crazy print out. Once you have it in hand, simply read it to your group and allow them to make their guesses.

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Shimmy Through The Shirt Relay

Tommy BoyWe are sharing a brand new game with you today called, Shimmy Through The Shirt. For some reason, it just made me think of good ole’ Tommy Boy and his little coat!

The game operates best as a relay between at least two teams. It’s a lot of fun to play, but it’s AWESOME to watch, especially the big guys!

PREP TIME– 3 Minutes

ITEMS NEEDED– 3x Shirts for each team

GAME TIME– 3-5 Minutes

PARTICIPANTS– 2+ Teams of at least 7 people

INSTRUCTIONS

This a great game in that it is incredibly simple, fun and always gets a good laugh. If possible, have your entire group play. The only real pre-requisite is that a person is able to stand and move around slightly.
Once you’ve selected all your teams, have them line up in order of size make sure to be sensitive here! It doesn’t have to be a perfect science, you’re just trying to line them from smallest to tallest. Once they are aligned, hand the person in the front a 3x size shirt and explain that they must “shimmy through the shirt” by putting the shirt on over their head and working it down off their feet. Once they are done, they will need to hand the shirt to the next person in line and sit down.

The real challenge comes not at the beginning, but at the end, when larger guys struggle to work the shirt around their broad shoulders. Explain to them that it’s okay to stretch the shirt out, but they can’t intentionally do it to make the process easier- it must be a function of trying to shimmy!

First team to shimmy through the shirt and sit down in a single-file line wins!

BONUS TIP

1. If you feel like certain people may be offended by having to play the game, simply ask for volunteers to play.

2. If you are able to do so, this is a great game to give a student ministry shirt to each of the winning team members.

3. Use a smaller shirt if you want to make it a little (pun intended) more interesting.

4. Take plenty of pictures for FB & Instagram! You can also video the game and create a short video with some highlights to show the next week at youth group.

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