Would You Like to Play a Game?

I have enjoyed working in youth ministry for most of the last four decades (before that, I was a youth, so I don't know if that counts or not). But one part of being a youth pastor/leader that I have never been able to master is the art of selecting good youth group games.

I've just never enjoyed picking group games. And I don't think I'm very good at it. The ones I think look cool either require a much larger group or a ton of prep work and setup. The others just look lame. Sure, there are a few that have stood the test of time. Every group I've worked with loves Mushroomball - dodge ball adjacent game - or games like Gaga-ball, except there are always a few who are not into the more active games. Same with 9-square in the air (pictured above), which most people like for a while, but not after it gets dominated by the taller athletic senior high guys who get pretty competitive. But if I select a more sedate game, like charades or "murder", there are a few who get antsy because they need to do something more active. 

The funny thing is, when I give the kids a choice, they often pick games that I thought they would find too juvenile, like musical chairs or heads-up seven-up. Or they'll select something simple like "spoons" or "hide and seek".

I guess the moral is that you'll never make everyone happy all the time, so just select games you think the majority will enjoy and do a broad range so eventually everyone's favorite will get picked.

Or... find some one else to choose the games!