Icebreakers/Trust Builders/Time Wasters

I Like People Who
Have everyone grab a chair and form a circle. Stand in the middle to explain the game (you will also be the first “it”). Explain that the person in the middle will say the phrase “I like People Who ______ but I really like people who.” The person in the middle will fill in the blanks (example: I like people who have blonde hair but I really like people who have brown hair). After the person in the middle finishes the sentence everyone who has brown hair must get up and move across the circle to find a new chair. The person in the middle will also try to get a seat. The person left without a chair is the new “it”. Remind all of the players that we are suppose to be positive and say things that won’t single out people or embarrass others.

Suggestions for will in the blanks:

I like people who wear red but I really like people who are wearing blue.
Have dogs                        have cats.                  Have a brother                                    have a sister

Toilet Paper Soccer

Grab several rolls of tp and take the group outside. Divide into two teams and start playing normal soccer. After awhile you can start adding more than one roll to the field. When the game is over (you’re out of tp) have the two teams help with clean up. Hand the groups two trash bags and have them race to see who can fill the bag first or get more in there. If you want to really eat time have the teams try to put the tp back on the cardboard roll.

Number Game

Take index cards and number them 1 to 40 (make the number higher is the group is larger. You want each person to in theory have to call out at least 4 numbers). Place cards on the floor in no order and the more spread out they are the better. Explain that the group is to see how fast they can yell out the numbers in order from 1 to 40. Time the kids as they do it. To call out a number the person yelling the number must be standing on the number. Do it several times and then rearrange the numbers and do it a couple of more times.

Human Knot

Have the group stand in a circle. Tell everyone to put their right hands in the middle and to grab hands with someone across the circle from them. Then have everyone put their left hands in the circle and grab a different person’s hand. The group must now work together to get back into a circle. They may not let go of each other’s hands however they may change grip so they don’t hurt each other. Adults on the first time can offer some guidance but the second time you do it make the group work it out by themselves.

Who’s in the Bucket?

A simple game that can be played anywhere. Have the group just sit somewhere. Name two things, people or objects that you see. Say “The red chair and John are in the bucket. Who’s in the bucket?” The group then guesses who’s in the bucket. You keep playing until the group figures out how you know the person who’s in the bucket. (The person is the bucket is the first person who talks after you finish asking the question “Who’s in the bucket?”)

The Name Game 1

Have everyone sit in a circle. Get a soft ball and have people throw it to different people. When a person catches the ball they need to say their name and then say the name of the person who they’re throwing the ball to. This game is to help people learn names so the children need to say the correct person’s name when they throw the ball.

Human Obstacle Course

Select one person to be it and to go throw the obstacle course. Have them be blind folded. Select another person to be the guide. Have them stand at the end of the obstacle course. Everyone else in the group is to make an obstacle course using their bodies (example the first person lays down so the blind folded person must step over them, one person will stand in the middle of the path and the blind folded person will have to go around them). The guide must talk the person through the course. Adults should be along side the course to make sure the blindfolded person doesn’t fall.

Trust Falls

Have people pair up with a partner. Have the people stand front to back (like they’re making a single file line). The person in the front should cross their arms in front of them. The person in the back should brace themselves to gently catch the person (should put their hands up and should bend their knees. The person will want to put their hands on the person’s shoulder blades) and then gently push them back up to standing. Before the front person falls have them say “ready to fall.” The person in the back should say “ready to catch.” Only after the person in the back says “ready to catch should the front person fall backwards.

Trust Circle

Have one person stand in the center of a circle formed by the group members. The group members should stand as close as possible to each other. Everyone should put their hands up like they’re ready to catch. The person in the circle should cross their arms over their chest and when an adult tells them that the circle is ready have the middle person fall backwards. The middle person should keep their bodies as straight as possible. The circle should try to gently pass the middle person around the circle from person to person. Once that task is accomplished then they can try to pass the person across the circle. Have everyone take a turn, who wants to, be the center person.

Hula Hoop Relay Game

Have several hula hoops lying in the ground several feet apart. Divide people into groups. When you say go have the first person in line run to the hula hoop and they must hula hoop at least 5 times (it can be around their middle, hand, stomach, whatever works for them) before they run back and tag the next person. When everyone has taken their turn the group must all be seated before you can declare a winner.

Dizzy Bat Relay

Have several baseball bats spaced several feet apart. Divide the group into different teams. When you signal have the first person run to the bat and spin around 10 times. (You may want to have an adult at each bat to count and to keep the kids from hurting themselves). Have the child run back to their team and tag the next person. When everyone has taken their turn the group must all be seated before you can declare a winner.

Two Lies and Truth

Go around the circle and tell everyone that they need to think up two lies and a truth. These should be believable things but the game is more fun when they’re random or kind of weird. (You may choose to have the group write these on a small piece of paper and have them sign their names to it.)  Have each person share their two lies and their one truth. (If you wrote them on paper have one person read them all and say who wrote them.) The rest of the people in the circle will then try to guess which one is the truth. People can share the story behind the truth if it’s something they’d like to share in the group.

Honey if You Love Me, Would You Please Smile?

Sit in a circle and have one person be “it.” Have “It” walk over to a person in the group and they may say the phrase “Honey, if you love me would you please smile?” The object if to get the person they’re talking too to smile. When “It” gets someone to smile they switch chairs and there’s a new “it.” To make the game more interesting “It” can use props but may not touch the person they are trying to get to laugh.

Bible Kickball

This is normal kickball. However, before the batter can hit the ball they must yell you a book of the Bible. To make it harder or for older youth tell them they can’t repeat books of the Bible. There are 66 so repeats shouldn’t be too common.

Words of a Song

Divide the group into small groups. The leader will pick words to call out. Each group will then have 15 seconds to think up a song that has that word in it and to start singing it. (Example: The word is Jesus so a song would be “Jesus Loves Me.”) Start out with words that are easier to think of like Lord, Jesus, God, Father, earth, etc and then progress to harder words like buttercup, brown, etc.

Whistle with Crackers

Get lots of crackers. Have each person put a cracker in their mouth and try to whistle. Keep adding crackers one at a time and whistle after they put a new cracker in their mouths. They may chew the crackers but not swallow. The winner is the person who can put the most crackers in their mouth and still whistle. (If you have several people who cannot whistle you can have the group say a phrase instead of whistle.”

The M&M Game

(supplies 1lbs bag of plain M&M or Skittles) – Before hand assign each color of candy a question or fact that each person will have to answer. Either hand each youth one of each color or let them pick. Let them eat as they go so the candy won’t melt in their hands.

Crossed or Uncrossed

 (need two big kitchen spoons or two items that can be crossed) – Have all of the group sit in a circle. Start out by passing the spoons around the circle telling the youth they have to guess if it’s “crossed” or “uncrossed.” Only the leader will know if they are right or wrong and will tell them. Go around the circle as many times. (It’s not about the spoons being crossed it’s about their legs. Try not to stare at their legs so it will leaving the youth guessing. The spoons can be in combination or pattern.)

This is a Pen

(need a pen and pencil) – start the pen around the circle by saying, “This is a pen.” The next person will respond “A what?” first person says “A pen.” The next person will say “This is a pen.” The next person will respond “A what?” The asker will go back to the person who started and say “A what?” The starter will respond “A pen” and that will get passed back. When the group gets around the circle with the pen start the pen one way and a pencil the other way. If the group does that well use the phrase “A Whoisit and whatisit.”

Who is this?

(Need slips of paper and writing tools) – have each person write out three things about themselves that no one else knows or you can ask the same questions of everyone (person they most admire, favorite color, food, car). Collect them and read them aloud. Have the group try to guess who wrote each paper.

Pile of Shoes

 (relay race) – have the group divide into at least two lines depending on size. Have everyone take off one shoe and place them into a pile away from the lines. Have the group race to see which line can get the shoes back to the right person. The first person will get the second person’s shoe and the second will get the third person’s and so on.