Very Simple but fun game - Ups and Downs

I picked up a free e-book by Ryan Nielson over at Youth Ministry.com called "Rug Burn"  It is a simple e-book filled with 20 indoor simple youth ministry games.  All the games are super-simple... some I had heard and have used before... but some I hadn't.

But tonight, we stumbled on a goodie.  We do a mixture of active (running around kind of) games and media-based table trivia games.  Tonight, we decided to go active since we were sending kids out to after youth group parties called Y.A.C. (youth after church).  And grabbed a quick and easy game called "Ups and Downs." 

The game is simple.  Declare half of the students to be "ups" and the other half "downs."  Put cups either up or down all around the room.  Give the students a time limit and the nature of the game is to turn as many cups in their direction as possible.  Ups turn cups up and downs turn cups down.  You can't hold onto the cups and you can't smash any cups.  At the end, the team with the most up or down, wins!

I thought it sounded like fun.  I couldn't believe how quickly our students took to it.  We cued up some music... gave them 5 minutes and turned them loose! They went nuts! Running around! Screaming! Nearly tackling each other! It as very fun. 

In the end, it came down to one cup difference between the ups and downs.  Ups won!

Good game! I think it shall return!

Sometimes... good ideas are simple ideas!  Feel free to use it if you want a good game!

JC



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Minute to Win It - Youth Ministry ready games!!!

We (those of us in youth ministry) are always trying to come up with cool, new, easy games.

This weekend, NBC handed them to us.

I saw the other day on my buddy's blog (Youth Ministry Geek) about the new NBC show "Minute to Win It." I'm still a little frustrated with NBC over the whole Conan O'Brien thing... but I thought I would check it out.

The game idea is simple and totally youth ministry ready. Contestants take on 10 very simple, yet surprisingly difficult, challenges in hopes of winning a million bucks.

Here's where youth ministry comes in. The games are so simple... and so easy to set up... that they are practically begging to be used. Not only that, NBC's website tells you the rules, provides you with a resource list and shows you how to do it. While we don't have a million bucks to give away and can't give it 60 minutes... you could give away simple prizes (candy bars, iTunes gift cards, donuts...) and play one quickly at the start of your student ministry event.

Many of the games require things like panty hose and pennies, plastic cups, pencils, string and candy. They are simple ready to use games to add to your youth ministry. (We tried one today called "penny hose" where students had to retrieve pennies from the bottom of panty hose without using their hands... pretty funny!!) Add a student or a couple, a 60 second timer and you're ready to go!

HERE is a quick YouTube video that we used to introduce the segment... just in case you aren't familiar with the show.

But if you are looking for quick, ready to use and easy to set up games... "Minute to Win It" is your newest helper!

Just trying to help!

Jim