Our selection of Sunday school games for kids, tweens, and teens provide fun with Bible learning. Children look forward to game time in Sunday school whether the games are short and simple, or more complicated. A good Bible game reinforces learning and makes a lesson memorable. The Sunday school lessons we have chosen work great in children’s church or any other children’s ministry setting.

More awesome games can be found in article Christian Icebreakers

General Guidelines for Playing Sunday School Games

The reason for playing Sunday school games is to help children learn about God and the Christian way of life. To meet this goal successfully, consider the following:

• Be sensitive:
  • To newcomers who do not know the materials.
  • To shy children who may know the material but are too shy to try.
• Rewards, such as candy, are not necessary. Play for points or just for fun.
• Do not allow children to criticize or make fun of a child that does not know the answer,
• Make sure that each game builds the self-confidence and knowledge of each child in the class.

Sunday School Games for Kids

Memory Verse Games

It is important for children to memorize the Word of God.

2 Timothy 3:16 New International Version (NIV)

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness

Repetition works well. Use games that give each child an opportunity to repeat the verse a number of times. Work on the memory verse until all children know it or until all children have taken one turn.

Disappearing Words

Write the memory verse on a chalk or white board. Have the children recite the verse. Then ask a child to erase a word and have the children repeat the verse. Continue until all the words have been erased and the children are saying the verse from memory.

Variation: If do not have a chalk or white board, write each word of the verse on a different piece of paper, post the words of the verse, and ask the children to remove one word paper at a time.

Verse Hunt

Write each word of the memory verse on a separate piece of paper and hide the words around the classroom. Have the children find the words and lay them out in the correct order. Recite the memory verse together. You can hide the words again and repeat the game as many times as you wish.

Bible Lesson Review Games

It is important to know God’s Word. The following games help Sunday school students learn more about the contents of the Bible.

Sword Drill

Ephesians 6:10-17 New International Version (NIV)

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Goal of the Game: Find a Bible passage as quickly as possible.

Materials Required: A Bible for all the students and the teacher

Distribute Bibles to each person. Explain to the students that you will open the Bible and select a random passage. When you say the passage reference, the students are to try to find the passage as quickly as they can. The first person to find the passage reads it out loud and gets one point. The first person to get five points wins.

Variation: This game can be played with partners or teams. You may set the number of points required to win the game at whatever number goal you think is best.

Ring the Bell

Prepare your list of review Bible lesson questions and divide the class into two or three teams.  Give each team a bell. Ask a question. The first team to ring the bell answers the question. Points are awarded for a correct answer and deducted for an incorrect answer. When a team gives an incorrect answer, the other team gets a chance to answer correctly before moving to another question.

Variations:

• You can give teams an opportunity to look up the answer in the Bible, but reduce the number of points awarded.
• If you do not wish to use a bell, you can have the team members clap their hands.

Bible Adventure

A Bible alphabet game, this game works well for younger children who have some Bible knowledge and know their alphabet. The teacher begins by saying, “I took a trip through the Bible and found Abraham.” Then the children take turns, repeating the phrase and adding the name of a person whose name begins with a B, C, etc. Play continues until the whole alphabet is completed.

Variations:

• You can use places in addition to or in place of people.
• For older children, have volunteers tell a fact about the person or place named and give points for each fact.
• If you wish, you can have a race to find the person or place named in the Bible.

Sunday School Games That Teach a Lesson for Tweens and Teens

Protection

This game teaches tweens and teens the importance of surrounding themselves with good influences for protection from temptation.

1 Corinthians 10:13 New International Version (NIV)

13 No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

2 Corinthians 6:14 New International Version (NIV)

Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?

Preparation: Put the following situations on notecards.

1. You are friends shopping.

Tempter: Tries to get the other person to shoplift.

“These tops are too expensive. I’m going to just stick one under my shirt. You make sure no one is watching.”

Tempted: Tries to talk the tempter out of stealing.

2. You are at one of your homes and the parents are out.

Tempter: Tries to get the other person to watch unacceptable videos on the computer.

Tempted: Objects to doing so and tries to talk their friend into doing something else.

3. You are sleeping over at a friend’s house.

Tempter: Tries to talk the other person into sneaking out of the house.

Tempted: Refuses to do so.

4. You are going to a movie with a friend.

Tempter: Wants to meet some unacceptable friends and go somewhere other than the movie.

Tempted: Wants to see the movie instead of spending time with the unacceptable friends.

5. Your friend is making unacceptable choices – associations, drug or alcohol use, etc.

Tempter: Wants you to join in the activities.

Tempted: Resists participating and tries to talk friend out of doing so.

Pair class members and have one person in each pair play “Tempted” and one “Tempter.” Give a notecard to each pair of players. Give the students two to three minutes to attempt to convince each other to either resist or give in.

Follow-up Questions:

1. Have you been tempted this past week? How?
2. Does having Christian friends’ support help you resist temptation?
3. Read each verse and discuss.

Satisfaction

Luke 12:13-21 New International Version (NIV) Parable of the Rich Fool

13 Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” 14 Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?” 15 Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” 16 And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. 17 He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ 18 “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”‘ 20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ 21 “This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God.”

Place a large bowl of small candies across the room from the seated students. Give each player a plastic cup and have them put their name on it. When you give a “Go!” command, students get up, place their bowl on their seat, race to get one piece of candy from the bowl, run back to their seat, and put the candy in their cup. Players continue to do so until a timer goes off or the teacher calls out, “Stop!” Do not tell students ahead of time that they must be touching their cup when the time ends or they lose all of their candy. Play two or three times. Once the students know they must be touching their cups to keep the candy, it is interesting to note who risks all of their candy for more and who simply sits and waits for the timer to go off.

Questions:

1. Do you feel the game is fair?
2. Is it hard to be happy for someone who gets to keep their candy?
3. Discuss the parable.

Suggested closing:

Sometimes life does not seem fair because others have more than you. God wants you to be content with what you have and be more concerned with your relationship towards him than about how much you have. God has promised to be with us at all times. God wants us to be thankful for what we have and to trust Him, instead of trusting in what we have to make us happy.

Seeing God in Everything

Materials needed: Miscellaneous items such as a small basket, measuring cup, sink plug, magnifying glass, key chain, keys, etc. placed in a large basket or bag.

Choose enough items for the number of students in class and the amount of time you have to play the game. Have each student or a few volunteers pick an item without peeking into the bag. Give everyone a few minutes to think about, “How is God like the object?” or “How you can see a Biblical truth in the object?” then allow them to tell their idea to the rest of the group. Example: For the magnifying glass – “God sees everything we do.”

Variation: If students seem to have trouble thinking of a Biblical truth, have them work in pairs or teams.

What Would Jesus Do and Say?

Suggested Memory Verses:

Matthew 7:12 New International Version (NIV)

12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

Philippians 2:3-4 New International Version (NIV)

3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

You have probably heard the slogans WWJD? (What Would Jesus Do?) and WWJS (What Would Jesus Say?). You see them on t-shirts, bumper stickers, backpacks, and many other items. Unfortunately, sometimes the people wearing these slogans are not acting or speaking in a very Christ-like way.

Materials Required: Index cards and rubber bands (one for each person playing), string, and clothespins.

Label the index Cards with W, J, S, and D – enough to complete the phrases “What Would Jesus Do?” and “What Would Jesus Say?” a number of times. On the reverse side of each card write one or the following discussion questions:

1. What does it mean to do to others as you would have them do to you?
2. What is your natural response when you have been treated wrong by others? Explain how you can change your natural response into a more Christ-like response.
3. How can you make your actions and words match your beliefs about God? Explain.
4. Is it easy to follow Jesus when you are with friends that do not believe in God? Why or why not?
5. When might your right actions (kindness, generosity, fairness) give you the opportunity to talk about Jesus?
6. Is it more important for a young person or an adult to do what Jesus would do? Explain.
7. Could someone’s wrong actions or unkind words ever turn someone off from believing in God? Explain.
8. When is a time kids your age might NOT want to love and obey God? Explain.
9. What can kids your age do to help others learn about Jesus?

Tape the index cards to the clothespins (the part that you pinch). Hang the string from one corner to one wall of your room, so that the clothespins can be attached and not hit the wall. Have the letters WWJD and WWJS facing the players with the questions not showing. Designate a “shooting line” about 2-4 feet away from the cards. Players take turns shooting rubber bands at cards and if they hit a card, the class discusses the question.

Variations:

• You can choose different questions.
• You can play as teams with the winning team being the one who hits all the cards and discuss them in a set amount of time or first.

Children face competitive pressures every day in school, sports, and other activities. Children should learn in Sunday school that God loves everyone. Use your time with them to build their love of God, their self-confidence, and their relationship with Jesus.

The post 10 GREAT Sunday School & Bible Games for Kids appeared first on Icebreaker Ideas.

A fun tag game played by children for years, Steal the Bacon continues to be a playground favorite. A number of variations make the game suitable for every age and in many different environments. The object of the game is to steal the “bacon” and take it back to your side of the playing area without being tagged.

Preparing to Play Steal the Bacon

Divide the players into two even teams. Designate a playing area with boundaries on both sides. Line the teams up side-by-side facing each other on the boundary lines. Number the players, so that each team has shared numbers. Place the “bacon” (any object such as a ball, beanbag, etc.) in the center of the playing area, an equal distance from both teams. Explain how the game is played, demonstrating the game play for younger players. Additionally, cover the rules of the game with the players.

How to Play Steal the Bacon

Play begins with all the players chanting, “Bacon, bacon! Who has the bacon?” The referee or leader calls out one number and the players from each team who share the called number race out to the center to retrieve the bacon. The player who gets the “bacon” must race back behind their team’s boundary line without being tagged by their opponent.

Example: The referee calls out the number “5.” Player five from each team runs to the center of the playing area and attempts to “steal the bacon.” The player with the “bacon” runs back to their goal without being tagged by the other number five player.

The referee can decide to call out more numbers to release other pairs of opponents if the original players have difficulty grabbing the bacon or to make the game more exciting.

Scoring the Game of Steal the Bacon

Each team scores a point when a team member manages to race back behind their line with the bacon before an opposing player can tag them. Play continues until one team has the number of points you have determined is required to win the game or when all the players’ numbers have been called.

Steal the Bacon for Pre-K

Before you begin the game, explain the rules and ask the players to repeat the rules of the game back to you. Since younger players may have a difficult time remembering their numbers, use a washable marker to write their numbers on their hands. Have children sit down on the boundary lines while they are waiting for their turn. Begin each team line with the smallest, or youngest, player first, and pair team members by size, height, or maturity.

Before playing, demonstrate how to stand up, run to the center, retrieve the “bacon” (a ball works well for the little ones), and run back to the line.

Steal the Bacon for Older Players

You can make the game more challenging for older players by using addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division to call out the numbers. For example, “Steal the bacon if your number equals 24 divided by 8.” The players with the number three will race to get the bacon.

You can also call out more than one number at a time and/or require players to pass the bacon once before they score.

Variations

• If you have a very large group, you can create a square playing area with teams on each side.
• If you want more players participating, the referee or leader can call more than one number at a time.
• If you wish, players may tag any player on the opposing team.
• Sometimes a player may only tag the player on the other team with whom they share a number.

Playing No-Tag Steal the Bacon

Sometimes you have a group that, because of age or personalities, needs to keep their hands to themselves. In this version of Steal the Bacon, the goal is to retrieve a cloth or handkerchief from the pocket of your opponent(s) as well as steal the bacon.

After the players line up, distribute a cloth or handkerchief to each player and instruct them to put the handkerchief in a back pocket. Of course, this presupposes each player has a pocket. The object of the game is to steal the “bacon” and run back to your goal line without having your hanky pulled out of your pocket.

All of the players are numbered from one to three. The referee calls out a number and everybody with the number called attempts to grab the “bacon” and run back to their team. Players attempt to grab each other’s hankies. The players that get back to their team with the bacon and with the hanky still in their pocket score a point for their team. Play until a team gets five or more points.

Variation: If a handkerchief is grabbed, the other team gets a point.

Steal the Bacon Rules

• Only the players whose numbers have been called are permitted out on the field.
• If someone fakes grabbing the bacon and only touches it, that player can be tagged.
• Players may not touch each other until someone touches the bacon. Once a player touches the bacon however, the other player may tag them, even if they do not pick up the bacon and run with it.

Although Steal the Bacon is a very simple game, it needs some explaining before playing. Remember, the caller can call out more than one number at a time or even all the numbers. This works well if one set of numbers is taking too long to grab the bacon. Sometimes both players walk around the “bacon” waiting for the other person to grab it.

A fast paced, fun game, Steal the Bacon works for large groups and small, for every age group and in many venues – classrooms, camps, retreats – anywhere children gather. Try one of our variations to make the game more stimulating and enjoyable. Have fun!

The post Steal The Bacon Game Rules + VARIATIONS appeared first on Icebreaker Ideas.

A fun-filled and worthwhile activity for both adults and children is playing memory games. Not only do these games sharpen the memory, but they also allow us to socialize and have fun time, which enhances our overall well-being.

There are many great benefits when one plays memory-enhancing games, some of which are:

• Memory games exercise the brain, making it more sharp and alert. If you play memory games at least thirty minutes every day, your concentration and focusing ability will improve.
• Memory games have been shown to help prevent some memory-related illnesses, such as Alzheimer’s disease.
• Memory games enhance other brain functions, such as attention level, and reading and reasoning skills.

There are many different kinds of memory games from which to choose. Our collection includes memory games for every age and ability level. We have short, quick games that need no preparation, games that use a deck of cards, and word memory games. We have games to play alone, in groups, and with teams. Read on for the perfect memory game for every age and occasion.

Memory Card Games

Several games of memory can be played with a regular deck of cards. Any deck of playing cards may be used. Lay out the 52 cards in four rows of thirteen each. If you wish, you may include the jokers in six rows of nine cards each.

Players take turns choosing two cards, placing them face up. If they are of the same rank and color (for example, six of diamonds and six of hearts) that player wins the pair and plays again. If the cards are not of the same rank and color, the player returns the cards to the board face down and play passes to the player on the left. The game ends when a player picks the last pair. The winner is the person with the most pairs. Players may end up in a tie for first place.

The Concentration Game

Concentration is another name for Memory. Concentration is also called by other names, such as Match, Match, or Pairs. Cards are laid face down on a surface and two cards are flipped face up for each turn. The object of the game is to turn over pairs of matching cards. If a player succeeds in matching a pair, they have another turn and continue until they fail to match two cards. The object of the game is to find the most matches.

Concentration is played by one or with any number of people. It is an especially good game for young children. However, adults find it challenging and stimulating as well. The Concentration Game is often used in quiz shows and employed as an educational game.

Some variations of the game include the following:

Colors

A version especially good for young children, as pairs are matched that are the same color, and rank is not necessary.

One Flip

Players who make a successful pair win these cards, but they do not go again until their next turn.

Zebra

Pairs may only be formed by cards of the same rank, but opposite in color, so the five of diamonds would match the five of clubs or spades, but not a five of hearts.

Two Decks

For a much longer game, shuffle together two 52-card decks. Lay them out in eight rows of 13 cards (9 rows of 12 cards if using jokers). Matched pairs must be identical – the same rank and same suit – so the 10 of clubs would have to match the other 10 of clubs.

Two Deck Duel

Duel is a two-player game. Each player shuffles a full 52-card deck and lays it out in front of them in four rows of 13 cards. The players cannot access each other’s cards. Player 1 starts, flipping one card face-up, then player two selects one card from their side. If the pair is a match, cards are removed, if not, they are flipped back. Pairs must be identical, the same rank and same suit. After every turn, roles are exchanged, with player two flipping a card and player one answering.

Double Decker Checkerboard

A slightly easier version of the two-pack game uses decks with different backs. Shuffle the cards separately. Deal them out in a checkerboard pattern, alternating cards from the two decks. The different card backs significantly reduces the possibility of matches and makes this game challenging.

Fancy

The cards are laid out in a strict rectangular grid, but in a circular, triangular, or diamond-shaped formation. The dealer selects any layout they wish.

Spaghetti

A version with the same rules as standard concentration, the cards are not laid out in neat rows, but strewn randomly about on the floor.

Concentration is not limited to playing cards. Many versions of the game are designed and sold for children with different themes. There are even computer versions where the cards may randomly move to increase the difficulty.

Memory Testing Games

Missing Item

In this game, place common things, such as pencil, key, marble, fork, penny, etc. on a tray. Cover the tray with a cloth or paper. Display pencil, key, button, marble, fork, etc. on a tray or one minute (or whatever time is age-appropriate for the players). Cover the tray again and have the players write a list of the items on the tray. The player with the most items correct wins the game. You can also take away one thing and ask what has been removed, a good way to break a tie.

Memory Master

Memory Master quizzes players on what they see. Players stare at a picture in a magazine, catalog, or child’s book for sixty seconds. After the time is up, quiz the player about what they can remember. For example, if the picture was an ad for food, you might ask:

• What foods are in the picture?
• How many of each type?
• What colors did they see? (give a point for each one they name)

The winner is the player with the best memory – the Memory Master.

The Coin Game

A game that parents can use to help their children improve memory and sequencing, kids love this game because it is fun and fast-paced. All you need for this game is a handful of coins, a cloth to cover them, and something to time the players. Choose five coins from the pile and put them into a sequence. For example, line up two pennies, a dime, a quarter, and a nickel. Have the players look at the coins and then cover them up. Instruct the players to take coins from the pile and arrange them in the same order. Use the stopwatch to time their effort. The winner is the one who can complete the sequence in the shortest amount of time.

Trivia

The Trivia game involves choosing a topic, such as movies, songs, books, dogs, etc. and asking questions related to the theme or topic. You can print out facts from the internet, or simply use a portable computer to generate questions. Playing the same topic more than once is really a memory booster for kids.

Story Telling Memory Game

Players sit in a circle and one person begins a story using any sentence they wish. The players take turns repeating the sentences and adding a new one. If someone misses a word, they are out. The kid able to tell the story without a mistake is the winner.

Mismatch Memory Game

A team memory game, one team leaves the room and the other team changes things in the room to make mismatches – the placement of furniture, lamps, rugs, etc. When the second team returns to the room, they find the mismatches and get a point for each. Then the second team takes a turn finding the mismatches. The team with the highest score wins the game.

The Magic Cup Game

A game frequently seen at carnivals, you will need three plastic cups and a small item such as a coin. Invert the three cups and place the item under a cup, making sure those watching know which cup it is under. Move the cups around and ask which cup the item is under. An excellent test of memory and concentration, take turns moving the magic cups and see which player does the best at finding the coin.

Memory Train

Many remember playing the popular Memory Train game in their childhood. The game begins with a player saying the statement: “I am going on a vacation and I am packing my suitcase. I am taking my . . .” The next person repeats the phrase and adds an additional item. The game continues, with each player saying the phrase, all the previously mentioned items, and adding a new one. Players are eliminated if they make a mistake. The person able to repeat the phrase for the longest time wins. You may use any phrase you wish to start the game. For example, you could go shopping and purchase items, or on a picnic and take food.

The Category Game

For this easy memory game suitable for all ages, participants are required to list words that fit into a particular category. For example:

• List all the colors that you know in one minute, in two minutes.
• List all the words that you know that mean small (tiny, little, petite, miniature, nano, micro, elfin).
• List all the breeds of dogs you know.
• List all the words that you know that mean red (scarlet, auburn, crimson, brick, lipstick, cherry).

For an extra challenge, have players clip paperclips together while saying the words in the chosen category.

Memory Word Games

Rhyming Word Game

A fun game that can be played anywhere, this rhyming game is good for vocabulary development and can be played by any age. Frequently, the game begins spontaneously when a person simple says a word that rhymes with one said by another person. For example, someone may say, “Don’t worry. I fed the cat.” A person responds, “Bat!” and other players take turns saying rhyming words. You must say words in order and are “out” if you repeat a word that has already been said. The goal is saying rhyming words with the same vowel sound, so if a person said, “Cat!” following possible words include, bat, rat, flat, sat, etc.

Word List Memory Game

Play this game with any age level by increasing or decreasing the level of difficulty. Use easier words and a shorter list for younger players and a long list of more difficult words for adults. Simply write a list of random words in large letters. Make two copies and cut one into individual words. The player looks at the list for a long enough to get them into their mind. Then they take the cut-apart words and put them in order to see how many they get right. You can keep score and the player with the most correct wins.

Don’t Finish That Word

In this game, players attempt to spell out words without completing the whole word. The first player selects a letter and says it aloud. The other players add letters and try not to finish the word. For example, the first player says the letter “B.” The second player says “O.” The third player does not want to add a Y or a W because those two letters would complete words – boy and bow. If the third player adds an “M,” the word is not completed. The next player can challenge the second player if they think there is no word beginning with “bom.” If the second accepts the challenge, realizing the word “bomb” will work, the second player loses a point. Play continues until a certain predetermined point level is reached.

Memory Games to Play Alone

To improve both memory and concentration, try these quick and easy memory games:

• Say the alphabet backwards
• Spell your full name (first, middle, and last) backwards.
• Recite the pledge of allegiance backwards.

Whatever one’s age or ability level, there is a memory game perfect for strengthening and improving memory. Additionally, these games help children develop their cognitive abilities, necessary for children to do well in school. Have fun while improving your memory with the selection of memory games we have provided.

The post 15 Awesome Memory & Concentration Games for All Ages appeared first on Icebreaker Ideas.

Many people only use dice when playing packaged board games. However, there are some excellent dice games for kids that use only a pair of dice and a piece of paper for score keeping.

Dice games are popular for a number of reasons, among them:

• Dice games are versatile as they can be played with any number of players, on the floor or table, or in the car, and with people of any age.
• Dice games are educational.
• Dice games teach numbers and counting to little kids and mentally adding numbers to older kids.
• Dice games introduce kids to strategic thinking and planning.
• Dice games teach social skills such as taking turns and winning and losing gracefully.
• Dice games are portable as you can always find room for a few dice in the glove box of your car, a handbag, pocket, or backpack.
• Dice are inexpensive because dice are cheap and readily available in old table games and in discount and thrift stores.
• Dice games are fun!

Our collection of dice games for kids includes information about skills developed, just in case you need this information. However, remember that dice games are not usually played to educate, but to have fun!

Dice Game Tips

Before we show you our collection of dice games for kids, we suggest you read the following tips for ways to utilize your dice, store them, and have some control over the games kids play.

• Collect small containers, such as empty spice bottles and pill bottles, and any small plastic food containers with lids for storing dice.
• Use plastic cups and coffee mugs to shake and throw dice.
• Use a piece of felt to cover the playing surface to decrease the noise level during dice games.
• Create individual dice games for traveling or a classroom by placing dice and directions in re-sealable plastic bags or small, lidded containers.

For all of our dice games for kids, you will need pencil and paper for keeping score, a shaker for the dice, and a flat surface.

“Knock Out” Dice Game for Kids

“Knock Out” is a very simple game, using just two dice. As soon as a child can recognize their written numbers, they can play this game.

Skills learned: Adding

Dice needed: 2

Object of the game: To avoid throwing certain scores and being knocked out of the game.

Directions for play:

1. Each player chooses a “knock out number” – either 6, 7, 8, or 9. More than one player can choose the same number.
2. Players take turns throwing both dice, once each turn. Add the number of both dice for the score.
3. If a player throws a 6, 7, or 8, they are knocked out of the game until the next round.

Decide before the game a score to be reached for a win.

“Beat That!” Dice Game

A good game for introducing your kids to the fun of dice games, this easy-to-learn game is one that is very popular with kids. It is sure to become a family favorite!

Skills learned: Number recognition, place value, and strategic thinking.

Dice needed: 2 for younger players and 7 for older players

Directions for play: Each player takes a turn rolling the dice and placing them in order to make the highest number possible. For example, if a player throws a two and a three, they have 23. A player who throws a six and a four would win the round as they have the higher number. After each throw, a player challenges the next player, “Beat that!” Play this game in rounds, assigning a winner to each round.

Variations:

• Try making the smallest number possible.
• Use three dice for play.
• Instead of playing in rounds, set a score, such as 500, players must reach to win the game.

“Catch Up” Dice Game

”Catch Up” is a great game for groups of children as you need at least four and up to eight kids to play. If you have more than eight kids, split them into groups of four to eight players. Large families and teachers will find this game effective. You will need counters or small toys for each child.

Skills learned: Playing patiently, rhythm and chanting

Dice needed: 2

Object of the game: To be the first player to win three counters.

Directions for play:

1. Players sit in a circle around a table or on the floor with the oldest and the youngest players across from one another.
2. Divide the dice so that these two players each have one. Put the counters in the middle of the circle.
3. The children without the dice create a rhythm by first slapping their knees (or the table) once and then clapping their hands once. Then the children begin chanting:

Note: The chant is marked with / showing every two beats.

Are you/ready? /Are you/ready?

If/ so, /let’s/go!

Roll now!/Slap clap!/What have you got?/Slap clap!

Must you pass?/Slap clap!/Hope not!/Slap clap!

4. The chant is repeated as play continues.
5. Begin the play with the command, “Roll now!”
6. The players roll the dice, hoping for anything but a six. If it is six, players must pass the die to the player on their left and take up the chant.

A child wins the round when he is still in possession of a die and receives another from the player on his right. The winner of the round collects a counter and the first to collect 3 counters wins.

Variations:

• For older children, increase the speed of the chant.
• For groups of 6 or 8 players, you may wish to increase the passing roll to two numbers – say a 5 and a 6, as this speeds the game up quite considerably.

“Going to Boston” Dice Game

A well-known and easy to learn dice game, “Going to Boston “gives children plenty of adding practice.

Skill learned: Adding

Dice needed: 3

Directions for play:

1. Roll the dice and keep the highest.
2. Roll the remaining dice and again set aside the highest.
3. Roll the last die, and add up your total. Write down your score.

If a player roils the highest total for a round, they win the round. Keep score and the player who wins the most turns wins the game.

Suggested Variations:

• Keep totaling each player’s score and the player who reaches 500 points first wins.
• Substitute specialty dice with higher numbers.
• Have older children multiply the dice to get their score.
• Use more than three dice.

“Run For It!” Dice Game

Here is a very simple game of sequences or runs.

Skills learned: Recognizing numbers and sequences, early strategic thinking, and counting by in five

Dice needed: 6

Directions for play:

Each player takes a turn rolling the dice and looking for runs starting with (1-2, 1-2-3, and so on). Each dice part of the run scores five points. A player can only have one run in each roll. The first who reaches 100 points is the winner.

Examples of play:

Hand 1:

Player throws six dice and gets the numbers 1, 4, 2, 1, 3, and 2. The following sequences can be scored: 1, 2 (10 points) or 1, 2, 3, 4 (20 points). The hand is worth 30 points.

Hand 2:

Player throws six dice and gets the numbers 1, 4, 6, 6, 3, 3. No sequences can be formed, so no score is recorded.

Variations:

• For older children, substitute specialty dice with higher numbers
• Have players multiply the dice to get their score.

“Stuck in the Mud!” Dice Game

The fun of this dice game is the unpredictability. Some turns end immediately and some seem to go on forever. Players can only score on a roll which does not include the numbers 2 and 5. Any dice, which show a 2 or a 5, become “Stuck in the mud!”

Skills learned: Addition – mental and scoring

Dice needed: 5

Object of the game: To achieve the highest score

Directions for play:

1. The first player rolls all five dice. If any 2s or 5s are rolled, no points are scored for this throw. If no 2s or 5s are rolled, add up the total of the dice and write it down.
2. The player sets aside any 2s and 5s, and throws the remaining dice. Again, if any 2s or 5s are thrown, no points are scored. If there are no 2’s or 5s, add the total to the previous score.
3. Continue in this way until all the dice are “Stuck in the Mud.” After the score is totaled, play passes to the left.

Agree a number of rounds – five works well – and total up the score.

“Three or More” Dice Game

This dice game is simple and fun, which means it is popular.

Skill learned: Adding

Dice needed: 5

Object of the game: To get the highest score

Directions for play:

Players take turns rolling all five dice and scoring for three-of-a-kind or better. If a player only has two-of-a-kind, they may re-throw the remaining dice in an attempt to improve the matching dice values. If no matching numbers are rolled, a player scores 0.

Scoring:

• 3-of-a-kind: 3 points
• 4-of-a-kind: 6 points
• 5-of-a-kind: 12 points

Set the number of rounds for the game and the player with the highest total score at the end of a game is the winner.

Suggested Variations:

• Substitute specialty dice with higher numbers.
• For older children, have them try multiplying the dice together to get their score.

“Round the Clock” Dice Game

This easy game works well for young children as soon as they can recognize the number of spots on dice and count to twelve.

Skill learned: Addition

Dice needed: 2

Object of the game: To be the first player to throw all the numbers from 1 to 12 in order

Directions for play:

1. Choose the first player with a dice throw; the player with the lowest total going first.
2. The first player throws both dice, hoping to throw a 1. Players then take turns (in a clockwise direction) trying to throw a 1.
3. On the next round, those players who threw throw a 1 will try to throw a 2. Any player who did not throw a 1 in the first round will try again this round. Players can do so by throwing a 2 or two 1s.
4. Play continues round-by-round with players trying to throw all the numbers from 1 to 12 in sequence. Players may count the spots on just one die or on both dice added together. For example, throwing a 3 and a 6 could be counted as 3, 6, or 9.
5. The first player to go “Round the Clock” – throw all the numbers from 1 to 12 in order – wins the game.

Variation: A player can keep throwing the dice during their turn until they fail to get the number for which they are trying.

“Pig” Dice Game for Kids

Even though the directions make this game sound easy, unless you are good at throwing 1s, this game may be hard for to play. The game is called “Pig” because the first player “hogs” the dice in an effort to win the game.

Dice needed: 1

Object of the game: To score 100 points or more

Directions for play:

1. Have the players throw the die to determine order of play. The lowest roll goes first.
2. The first player rolls the die and adds up the numbers after each roll. They may stop rolling at any time and end the turn
3. The player loses all points for the turn when a 1 is rolled.
4. If the first player gets to 100 points on their first turn, the other player(s) may take their turn to try to achieve a better score.

Dice games provide fun for everyone, from very young children to the elderly. Additionally, some families enjoy collecting dice, which can be found in old table games at garage sales, at discount stores, and in educational supply catalogues. Try all of our dice games for kids and have fun!

The post 9 Simple Dice Games for Kids for Ultimate FUN appeared first on Icebreaker Ideas.

Party favors are designed for guests to take home from a party. Most parties have a theme, such as a birthday celebration for a boy or a girl, a baby shower or wedding reception, or a holiday party. Party favors do not have to be expensive. They can be edible, functional, or simple something attractive to look at. The purpose is to provide your guests with a token to remind them of your party and express your appreciation for their attendance. Although many party favors are available in party supply stores and online, making your own allows personalization and makes your favors more memorable. Our party favor ideas are not difficult, nor will they break your budget.

Some Simple Guidelines for Party Favors

The easiest way to create a party favor is to take any kind of container, put something in it, and make it look fancy. Containers with lids are easier to work with, but any container can be wrapped in tissue paper or cellophane and tied shut so the contents will not spill. Here are some suggestions for party favor containers:

• small galvanized buckets
• small terra cotta flower pots
• fabric or felt bags with or without a drawstring
• metal food cans (make sure the edges are not sharp)
• small baskets
• plain paper sacks

Many inexpensive containers are available at thrift stores. Additionally, you can create your own containers. Consider the following:

• Use a plain paper sack with a drawing or stickers on the front. Fold the top down and secure with a large sticker or colorful tape.
• Use mini canvas totes – either bought or homemade.
• Use cardboard boxes such as a cereal boxes. Cut them down and either cover with paper or paint and then add a ribbon, string, or wire handle.

Grouping several items in a bag makes for a generous appearing party favor. Tie your bags together with curling ribbon, raffia, or twist ties. Use the computer to create a special message that can be stuck to the outside or tucked inside. Alternatively, use plain paper folded in half with a hole punched in the corner for a tie. Use tulle, curling gift ribbon, shredded tinsel, or labels to add decoration.

Party Favor Ideas for Adults

If you are looking for a way to make certain your guests remember your party, provide them with a special remembrance. Every time they look at the favor or use it, they will think of your wonderful party. The number of party favor possibilities is only limited by your imagination. We help you get started by providing the following ideas:

Personalized Coupons

Create some personalized coupons for your guests to coincide with what they need most in their life. For example, if they have children, offer free babysitting. If they work long hours, offer a free cooked meal.

For Book Lovers

For your book-loving guests, create a special bookmark. Use heavy duty colored construction paper, write their name with permanent marker, and glue on a ribbon

For Tea Lovers

Purchase inexpensive mugs and fill with a variety of individually wrapped, specialty tea bags. Wrap in cellophane and tie the top with a bow.

For Chocolate Lovers

Purchase high-quality chocolate bars and create your own labels on your computer. Use a saying, Bible verse, or your guests’ names on each.

Food Lovers

Check out the gourmet food area of your local grocers and fine a specialty gourmet food, such as coffee, nuts, pasta, meat rubs, and spices. Create labels with each guest’s name by hand or on your printer.

For Music Lovers

Use cellophane CD envelopes for your guests’ favorite cookies. Add a bow to match your party’s theme, a personal note, and seal with a colorful sticker.

If you are concerned your party guests may forget their favors, place them on a table near the door, and remind guests to pick them up on their way out.

Holiday Party Favor Ideas

Christmas

• Line your party favor containers with tinsel. Decorate bags with ribbon and a small ornament. Fill with colorful Christmas candies, candy canes, or miniature homemade cookies.
• Use individual Christmas ornaments as napkin holders. Simply add a metallic ring to the hanger and stick a paper or cloth napkin through the ring. It is best not to use glass ornaments, just in case.
• Purchase boxes of unique, expensive looking ornaments. Put each in a box with gold tissue paper for rich looking Christmas party favor.

New Year’s Eve

• Fill champagne glasses with black and white jellybeans. Cover in tulle and tie with silver, black, and white curling ribbon.

Patrick’s Day

• Print an Irish blessing and affix to green construction paper. Fringe the edges of the paper or use craft scissors for cutting a decorative edge. Glue a magnet to the back for a fun party favor.

Easter

• Fill miniature Easter baskets with green shredded paper and fill with small candies.
• Purchase small stuffed bunnies at a discount store and tie on a large candy bar with colorful ribbon.

Halloween

• Fill black construction paper cones with candy corn, or make orange cones to hold orange and black gumdrops.
• Paint inverted wine glasses like pumpkins – with the stem of the glass green – and place a votive candle on top. Use as a centerpiece and let guests take one home.

Super Bowl Party

• Fill clear plastic cups with candies in team colors and tie with matching or contrasting ribbon. Label each cup with your guests’ names. After they eat the candy, they can use the cup during the party.

Party Favor Ideas for Teen Birthday Parties

Deciding on teen party favor ideas can be challenging. What they love today, they may hate tomorrow. Generally, anything dealing with make-up and looking “in style” works well for girls and boys love food. Try one of the following:

• Check the discount CD bin at your local thrift store for classic rock CDs – sure to appeal to any teen.
• Find some clever key rings at the discount store for a sixteen-year-old’s birthday party or create custom keychains with rings, ribbons, and beads.
• Most teens love Starbucks so give each guest a gift certificate for their favorite Starbucks treat.
• Purchase plain t-shirts and decorate them with a design to match your party’s theme. You can either create them yourself or have them done professionally.
• Give each teen a gift certificate to the local theatre.

For Teenage Girls

• Check the dollar store for small, purse sized manicure sets. Decorate the exterior by using craft or glitter paint.
• Pocket-sized mirrors for purses are always a good choice for teen girls.
• Give each guest one or more lip balms or other small cosmetics. Check the sample bins in your local discount store.
• Hair ribbons or other hair accessories work well. Just make sure your choice is appropriate for each girl’s hair length
• Cosmetic bags are always useful. Personalize them with names or initials embroidered on or you can use permanent marker. Fill with candy.

For Teenage Boys

• Use boy or theme colored envelopes and insert gift certificates to a local video rental store, mini golf course, bowling alley, or movie theatre depending upon their age and interests. Seal the envelope with a sticker that matches the party’s theme or colors.
• Attach a high-end key chain to a treat bag and fill bag with candy.
• Fill plastic sports bottles with candy.

Baby Shower Party Favor Ideas

Baby showers celebrate the mother and coming of the baby. Our ideas are adaptable to both boys and girls, and even work if the sex of the child is unknown.

• Purchase small picture frames. Print out a meaningful statement, or a Bible verse and fill frame. For an extra touch, put glitter on frames.
• If you know the baby is a girl, give each guest a nail polish bottle with pink polish and a pretty ribbon attached.
• Decorate a votive candle with a ribbon wrap and one large artificial flower in pink, blue, or a neutral color.
• Purchase small vases – usually less than a dollar – and give everyone a cut flower. You can buy them in bunches at the local grocer. Attach a packet of seeds to the vase with a pink or blue bow (if you know the sex of the baby), or with a rainbow ribbon. Ask guests to plant them in honor of the new baby.
• Buy some inexpensive baby socks, fill them with candies, and tie them in pairs with a blue, pink, or yellow ribbon dependent upon whether or not you know the sex of the baby.
• Make “baby” sugar cookies using ginger bread men cookie cutters. Decorate with icing and put in either pink, blue, or yellow small gift bag with your favorite cookie recipe.
• Give each guest a mini houseplant with a tag directing your guests to take care of it in honor of the coming baby.
• Make magnets with the name of the mother-to-be and the date of the shower. Print the information with your computer and adhere a magnet to the back.
• Fill baby food jars with candy. Cut circles of cloth to cover the top and tie thin ribbon in your choice of color around the top.

Party Favor Ideas for Little Girls

Little girls love to dress up. Provide ribbons and beads for partygoers to make their own favors, either a necklace or a bracelet. Choose colorful and unique hair clips and put two or three in a snack-sized plastic bag. Use permanent markers for names and decorate with a bow or one artificial flower. Some other simple ideas are:

• Body glitter
• Colorful emery boards
• Mini soaps
• Mini spiral notebooks
• Novelty pens and pencils
• Paper folding fans
• Pinwheels
• Slap bracelets
• Small craft project, for example, a make-your-own bracelet project
• Small stuffed animals like Webkinz or Beanie Babies
• Stampers and ink pads

Party Favor Ideas for Little Boys

Boys are a bit more difficult to please when it comes to party favors. However, check your local discount store for the following:

• Glow-in-the-dark-slime
• Jacks
• Marbles
• Mini vinyl footballs
• Mini-flashlights
• Small rubber balls
• Water pistols

More Party Favor Ideas for Kids

The following list includes favors that work well for both boys and girls.

• Put primary crayon colors in individual plastic mini bags and decorate bags with party themed stickers. Tie or tape to a coloring book.
• Make beetles for boys and butterflies for girls by putting treats in snack-size food storage bags. Secure with clothespins and add pipe cleaner feelers. Paint or decorate the back of the clothespins.
• Have a basket of small stuffed animals with numbers on each. Have guests draw numbers and retrieve the corresponding stuffed animal.

Kids’ Party Favor Tips

• Use your common sense when deciding on party favors for different ages. Be aware that small objects can present a choking hazard for kids.
• Write each child’s name or initials on every item in a treat bag or basket with a permanent marker to prevent any confusion if items get misplaced.
• Consider having some extra treats available in case some items become lost.
• Take allergies into consideration in food and candy treat bags.
• Give out kids’ treat bags just before the guests leave. Have your child give them out saying, “Thank you for coming.” to each guest.

Wedding Reception and Shower Favor Ideas

• Create table centerpieces by grouping small pots of succulents or houseplants. Encourage guest to take them home.
• Use a large paper cone or florist foam cone. Stick in colorful lollipops and place on tables. After the party, let guests choose a treat.
• For a destination wedding, purchase fancy luggage tags and personalize with guest names.
• Place shot glasses with the name of the couple and the date of the wedding on a small table near the reception’s bar. If you have a steady hand, do them yourself with permanent marker. If not, purchase them online.
• Fill coffee mugs with a bag of specialty coffee, packets or hot chocolate, or tea bags. Tie a pretty bow on the handle.
• Buy gourmet jams, spreads, or teas and personalize them with a tag, ribbon, and bow.

More Party Favor Ideas

Summer Pool Party Favor Ideas

• Provide each guest a pair of sunglasses with first names or initials in colorful permanent markers
• Write your guests’ names on acrylic tumblers or sports bottles.

Office Party Favor Ideas

• Create paperweights by simply filling small, attractive containers with sand and glue shut. Decorate the exterior with your party theme.
• Provide each associate a very good pen decorated with a ribbons and bow.

Woman Party Favor Ideas

• Purchase guest soaps and wrap with colorful paper reflecting your party theme. Tie with a ribbon.
• Purchase scented candles and nestle them in small baskets filled with colored tissue or fake paper grass.

Sportsmen Party Favor Ideas

• Hooks, flies, and small tackle box tools are perfect for those who love fishing.
• Search online for key chains or other trinkets featuring favorite team logos.

Going Away Party Favor Ideas

• Personalize luggage tags with names and initials.
• Provide each guest with a framed photo of the person about to depart.

Wine Tasting Party Favor Ideas

• If you are artistic, take time to create personalized hand-painted wine glasses for each guest. Alternatively, write each guest’s name in cursive with a permanent marker.
• Put glitter on the back of a bottle or can opener or give each guest a bow-bedecked corkscrew.

Parties are always fun. Remember that any favor with a name printed on or inscribed can also be used as a place marker. You might want to read through all of our party favor ideas as some have multiple uses for many different party situations. Whichever party favor you choose, you party will be more memorable with unique and personalized tokens from our comprehensive list of party favor ideas.

The post 50+ Party Favor Ideas for Any Occasion appeared first on Icebreaker Ideas.

Thanksgiving is a truly American holiday. Families get together for dinner and fun. Most people know the origin of Thanksgiving, but most do not know all the facts and trivia associated with Thanksgiving.

This article shares Thanksgiving trivia, facts, and some fun activities for your family get-together. You will find some fun Thanksgiving trivia questions and answers to stump your guests. Additionally, we have a Thanksgiving Quiz to test your knowledge. We close this article with a list of Thanksgiving activities and games.

Thanksgiving Quiz

Our Thanksgiving quiz provides fifty Thanksgiving trivia questions and answers dealing with everything about this holiday. Try using the quiz for a Thanksgiving Day get-together. Divide your party or dinner guests into pairs or teams and see who knows the most Thanksgiving trivia.

Thanksgiving Trivia Quiz Questions

1. According to the Butterball Corporation, it is recommended that you thaw a wrapped turkey in the refrigerator how long per every four pounds of the bird.
2. Back in the early 1600’s, the Pilgrims did not have which eating utensil with which to eat their Thanksgiving meal?
3. Before being harvested and sold, an individual cranberry must bounce at least how many inches high to make sure they are not too ripe?
4. Butterball recommends that you cover the breast and the top of the drumsticks with aluminum foil when?
5. Once a turkey is done, you should let it stand for 15 minutes before serving. Why?
6. Where is the best place to put the meat thermometer in the turkey?
7. Captain John Smith founded which colony in Virginia?
8. Every year the President of the United States pardons a turkey and it goes to a public farm called Frying Pan Park, Herndon, VA. Which president is believed to have been the first to pardon a turkey and start this annual tradition?
9. How long was the voyage from England to the New World?
10. How many Pilgrims were on the Mayflower?
11. In 1943, Norman Rockwell created his famous “Freedom from Want” illustration by using a Thanksgiving dinner as his example. This illustration first appeared on which magazine cover?
12. In what year did the first Macy’s Thanksgiving parade take place?
13. It is believed that how many Pilgrim women survived to celebrate the first Thanksgiving in 1621.
14. Of the original 102 Pilgrims that came, approximately how many survived to celebrate the first Thanksgiving?
15. Thanksgiving became a national holiday thanks to this woman who was an editor of a woman’s magazine called The Godey’s Lady’s Book. Who was she?
16. Which department store was the first to hold a Thanksgiving parade?
17. The first Thanksgiving in 1621 was believed to have lasted how many days?
18. The Indians invited to the Thanksgiving feast were from which tribe?
19. What does the term “cornucopia” mean?
20. The town of Plymouth, Massachusetts has a celebration on December 11 every year. What is it?
21. The word turkey is said to come from the Hebrew word “Tukki.” What does this word mean?
22. What is the name of the book that Governor William Bradford wrote telling of the troubles and experiences of the pilgrims?
23. What is the name of the famous rock credited to be where the pilgrims first landed?
24. What part of the turkey is saved and snapped as a superstitious, good-luck custom?
25. What was the name of the ship the on which the pilgrims came to the New World?
26. What was the original name for the pilgrims?
27. Which balloon was the first balloon in the 1927 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade?
28. Which President moved Thanksgiving up one week to help stimulate the Christmas shopping economy?
29. Which President was the first to establish Thanksgiving as a legal national holiday to be held the 4th Thursday in November?
30. Why the male turkey is often referred to as “Tom Turkey?”

True or False

31. Thanksgiving is celebrated only in the United States.
32. Butterball says that when making your turkey stuffing, you should have all the ingredients already cooked before you put it into the bird.
33. Historians have proven that the pilgrims did not really wear those funny hats and buckles on their shoes.
34. Indian corn is for decoration purposes only and not for cooking.
35. Thanksgiving is a religious holiday.
36. The first meal eaten on the moon by astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin was a roasted turkey dinner with all the trimmings.
37. The pilgrims dressed colorfully.
38. The pilgrims took beer with them on their voyage.
39. The real Plymouth Rock is cracked.
40. Turkeys can drown if they look up in the rain.

Thanksgiving Trivia Quiz Answers

1. One day for every 4 pounds of weight
2. Forks, because they had not been invented yet.
3. Four inches
4. When it is 2/3 cooked, so that these parts of the turkey are not over cooked.
5. The purpose is to let the meat firm up so it does not release all its juices when you cut into it. It also helps to let it cool enough to not burn your fingers when you are carving it.
6. The thigh
7. Jamestown
8. President Harry Truman in 1947
9. 66 days
10. 102
11. The Saturday Evening Post
12. 1924
13. Five survived and all five women served the meal.
14. 50
15. Sarah Hale hand wrote letters to Congress for years to establish Thanksgiving.
16. Gimbels
17. 3 days
18. The Wampanoag tribe
19. Horn of Plenty
20. They celebrate Forefather’s Day, in honor of the people who founded Plymouth colony in 1769.
21. Big Bird or Pheasant Bird
22. Of Plymouth Plantation
23. Plymouth Rock
24. The wishbone
25. Mayflower
26. Puritans
27. Felix the Cat
28. Franklin D. Roosevelt
29. Franklin D. Roosevelt
30. Thomas Jefferson was opposed to the idea of a turkey as our national bird. Hence, the nickname for a male turkey is “Tom Turkey.”

True or False

31. False. Canada also celebrates Thanksgiving
32. True. You should make it right before stuffing the bird, not hours or days earlier.
33. True. No one knows how this Pilgrim image began.
34. True. It is very a very hard variety of corn.
35. False. Thanksgiving is a harvest celebration with no religious ties.
36. True.
37. True. The Puritans wore black and white, but the Pilgrims wore colorful clothing.
38. True. In fact, John Alden was a cooper who made the barrels.
39. True. It was cracked during the Revolutionary War.
40. True

Start a new Thanksgiving tradition by having fun with these Thanksgiving trivia questions and answers. Simply cut them out, and place them in a basket or bag. Have your family members and guests divide into pairs or teams and see who can answer the most questions correctly.

Thanksgiving Trivia and Facts

There are so many interesting facts associated with Thanksgiving, most of which are new to people. Read through are list to know everything and everybody associated with this American holiday.

1. Puritans used to love drinking beer.
2. Californians are the largest consumers of turkey in the United States.
3. Abraham Lincoln signed the official Thanksgiving Proclamation on October 3, 1863. According to this proclamation, the last Thursday of November was to be celebrated as Thanksgiving.
4. In 1941, the Congress passed an official proclamation and made Thanksgiving a national holiday, which would be observed on the 4th Thursday of November every year.
5. The Pilgrims crossed the Atlantic Ocean to reach North America.
6. The great Benjamin Franklin wanted turkey to be the national bird of the United States.
7. Thanksgiving is the busiest travel day in the United States.
8. Thanksgiving Day is celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November in the United States, but on the second Monday in October in Canada.
9. The Pilgrims arrived in North America in December 1620.
10. The Pilgrims celebrated the first Thanksgiving Day in the fall of 1621.
11. The Wampanoag Indians were the people who taught the Pilgrims how to cultivate the land.
12. The Pilgrim leader, Governor William Bradford, had organized the first Thanksgiving feast in the year 1621 and invited the neighboring Wampanoag Indians to the feast.
13. President George Washington issued the first national Thanksgiving Day Proclamation in the year 1789 and again in 1795.
14. President Franklin D. Roosevelt proclaimed the third Thursday in November as Thanksgiving Day in the year 1939. He did so to make the Christmas shopping season longer and thus stimulate the economy.
15. When the Pilgrims arrived in North America, the clothing of the Native Americans was made of animal skins (mainly deerskin).
16. Thanksgiving is not a new, exclusively American tradition. Most of the countries around the world already had thanksgiving celebrations. Most cultures celebrated thanksgiving after the autumn or fall harvest and neighbors shared a feast together.
17. The reason the original Pilgrims held a feast was because only half of those who sailed on the Mayflower across the Atlantic to North America in 1620 had survived the year and they were celebrating their own survival by holding a feast.
18. George Washington, John Adams, and James Madison all declared a Thanksgiving holiday in their presidential terms, but it was not a national holiday. Abraham Lincoln declared Thanksgiving a national holiday to be held the last Thursday in November, but his declaration was never signed into law. It was not a national holiday until President Roosevelt signed a bill in 1941 declaring Thanksgiving as the fourth Thursday of every November as a national public holiday.
19. Turkey is the traditional dish served because in the 1600s, turkeys were plentiful.
20. An astonishing 92% of Americans eat turkey at their Thanksgiving feast.
21. Fifty percent of people still cook their stuffing inside the turkey even though this increases the chances of food poisoning.
22. The reason that the Native Americans are called Indians is because Christopher Columbus believed that he had discovered a land connected to India. He also thought that the turkey was a type of peacock.
23. Only male turkeys gobble. They use it as a mating call.
24. A “fryer” is a turkey that is 16 weeks of age or under. A “roaster” is a 5 to 7 month old turkey.
25. The average amount of calories eaten on Thanksgiving Day is about 4,500 calories.
26. Turkey contains tryptophan, which has a tendency to make one sleepy. However, it is likely that if you feel really tired, you probably ate too much.
27. The National Turkey Federation reports that more than 46 million turkeys are sold at Thanksgiving and another 22 million at Christmas.
28. Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade began in 1924, when 400 Macy’s employees took to the streets to march through New York City to celebrate the Christmas season. The festivities were rooted in many European immigrants’ homeland traditions.
29. Big balloons were not always part of the Macy’s parade. Originally, live animals borrowed from the Central Park Zoo accompanied the marchers.

Thanksgiving Activities

Many of us celebrate Thanksgiving with family get-togethers that may include grandparents, uncles, aunts, and any number of cousins. Our collection of seasonally appropriate Thanksgiving games and activities add an element of fun to your gathering.

Pin the Tail Feather on the Turkey

This game is the same as Pin the Tail on the Donkey.

1. Simply draw a turkey on a large, rectangular piece of paper.
2. Create craft paper tail feathers.
3. Blindfold players in turn and spin them around a few times before letting them go facing the turkey drawing.
4. Write names on the back of the feathers and see who can get closest to the tail end of the turkey.

A Thanksgiving “Boat” Game

Keep the youngest kids busy with this fun non-competitive game.

1. Give each child a small milk carton and a balloon. If you stretch out the tops a few times, the balloons will be easier to blow up.
2. Have each child insert the balloon into the milk carton and blow it up.
3. When they let the balloon go, the escaping air propels the boats.
4. Once they understand how to do it, propelling boats will keep young children entertained for hours.
5. Try doing this before explaining it to the kids to avoid any problems.

“Pick Two” Scrabble

You will need a bag of Scrabble tiles for every four players.

1. Begin by dealing out seven tiles to each player.
2. Place the remaining tiles in the middle of the table, face-side down.
3. Each player arranges their tiles in front of them and forms them into words.
4. When a player runs out of extra tiles, they shout out, “Pick two!” and every player takes two new tiles from the center pile.
5. The person who uses up all the tiles first making words wins the game.

Turkey Hunt

This Thanksgiving version of hide-and-go-see works well with a larger group of mixed ages, especially if the weather outside is mild.

1. Create a turkey feather adjustable headband using construction paper.
2. Have players take turns being “it” and wearing the headband.
3. Very young children can pair up with a parent or other adult for this fun Thanksgiving game.

Watch a Thanksgiving Day or Football Game

Frequently, everyone is too full after Thanksgiving dinner to engage in much activity. Sometimes even dessert must wait until later in the day. If you have two televisions available, set one to a football game for the adults and have the majority rule when it comes to which game to watch. Set the other television to one of the Thanksgiving Day parades for the kids. Make coffee for the adults, and ice tea or lemonade for the kids, and serve dessert and popcorn or other treats during television time.

Thanksgiving is one of our oldest traditions in the United States. Canada also celebrates Thanksgiving and many other countries set aside a day of thanksgiving in the fall of the year. Our Thanksgiving facts and trivia will enhance your knowledge about the US celebration of Thanksgiving Day. Our activities and games add run to any holiday party or dinner. Add enjoyment to your celebration as you have a happy day of thanksgiving wherever you live.

The post Thanksgiving Trivia Questions & Answers + FUN Facts! appeared first on Icebreaker Ideas.

It is time for Christmas and everything associated with the holiday – gift shopping, great food, and family gatherings. Make your festivities more fun with a game of Christmas trivia questions and answers or use our trivia lists for a Christmas trivia quiz. You can also become a Christmas expert with our selection of Christmas trivia. Start at the beginning of the article or choose a section covering your favorite Christmas trivia. We have also included some guidelines for using Christmas trivia games.

Christmas Trivia Questions and Answers

Questions

1. After leaving Bethlehem, to which country did Joseph, Mary, and Jesus travel?
2. Christmas is celebrated on the 25th of December. Who is the patron saint remembered on the 26th of December?
3. Every elf has this ornament on the tip of their shoes. Which ornament are we talking about?
4. Everyone is familiar with the mistletoe tradition. What is the color of the berries of the plant?
5. How does Santa Claus go back up the chimney to continue his journey of delivering gifts?
6. How many points does a snowflake traditionally have?
7. Name the eight original Reindeer.
8. One of the most famous Cola companies in the world used to have advertisements featuring a happy, smiling Santa Claus. Name the company
9. Red and green are the two colors most associated with Christmas. Which are the two other colors, according to Christmas holiday trivia, that are also extremely popular in this season?
10. Traditionally, kids leave out snacks for Santa Claus. What are these snacks?
11. Traditions of Christmas around the world will tell you that Santa Claus is known by many names. What is the French name for Santa Claus?
12. Two of the reindeers are named after weather phenomenon. Name the reindeer.
13. What are the gifts that the Three Wise Men gave baby Jesus, according to Christmas history?
14. What is the name of Ebenezer Scrooge’s partner, from the play, A Christmas Carol?
15. What two phrases will you almost always find on Christmas gift tags?
16. When does the Russian Orthodox Church celebrate Christmas?
17. Which country can be credited with the creation of the Christmas beverage, eggnog?
18. Which country does St. Nicholas originally belong to?
19. Which country gifts the Christmas tree that is placed at the Trafalgar Square in London, according to Christmas tradition?
20. Which is the most popular ornament used to place at the top of the Christmas tree?
21. Which was the first state in the United States to recognize Christmas as an official holiday?
22. Which was the last state in the United States that declared Christmas a legal holiday?

Answers

1. Egypt
2. Stephen
3. Bells
4. White
5. He places his finger on the side of his nose, gives a smile and a nod.
6. Six
7. Blitzen, Comet, Cupid, Dasher, Prancer, Vixen, Dancer, and Donner
8. Coca Cola
9. Gold and Silver
10. Cookies and milk
11. Pere Noel
12. Donner, which means thunder in German, and Blitzen, which means lightning
13. Gold, Myrrh, and Frankincense
14. Jacob Marley
15. To and From
16. January 7^th
17. England
18. Turkey
19. Norway
20. Angel
21. Alabama
22. Oklahoma

Christmas Trivia Games

This holiday, challenge your friends and family to a few good-natured Christmas games of trivia. We give you the rules and fun variations for this holiday gathering favorite.

Christmas Trivia Game Rules

Use our Trivia Questions and Answers to play a trivia game. The easiest way to play is to divide your group into pairs or teams of three or more players. Have one person designated to call out questions. The caller can either ask a question letting teams or pairs take turns answering or call out a question and let the first person to respond answer. If you have a small group and people are playing individually, you can give each person a question in turn. Every right answer gets a point. You can set a predetermined number of points necessary for winning the game or simply play until you run out of questions and whoever has the most points wins the game.

Christmas Trivia Questions

Christmas Movies and Books

1. Who was the star of the Christmas movie Jingle All the Way?

Answer: Arnold Schwarzenegger

2. Who tries to stop Christmas from coming, by stealing all things of Christmas from “the Who’s”?

Answer: The Grinch

3. Who was the star of the movie titled White Christmas?

Answer: Bing Crosby

4. What is the first name of Scrooge, the principal character of the novel, A Christmas Carol?

Answer: Ebenezer

5. Who was the author of A Christmas Carol?

Answer: Charles Dickens

6. How many ghosts are there in A Christmas Carol?

Answer: Four

7. What was the name of the animated Christmas movie featuring Tom Hanks?

Answer: The Polar Express

Christmas Foods

1. Which milk-based beverage is available around the Christmas holidays and comes in both alcoholic and non-alcoholic versions?

Answer: Eggnog

2. Stollen is the traditional fruit cake of which country?

Answer: Germany

3. What name is given to small sausages wrapped in bacon, a staple at a British Christmas dinner?

Answer: Pigs in blankets

4. The red and white costume of Father Christmas was allegedly first introduced by which drinks manufacturer?

Answer: Coca-Cola

5. In which direction should you stir mincemeat for good luck; clockwise or anti-clockwise?

Answer: Clockwise

6. What would you stick into an onion, when following a traditional bread sauce recipe?

Answer: Cloves

7. A swede is a cross between which two vegetables?

Answer: A cabbage and a turnip

8. What is a female turkey called?

Answer: A hen

9. What is the name of the skin that hangs from a turkey’s neck?

Answer: Wattle

10. Which spirit is traditionally added to butter and served with Christmas pudding?

Answer: Brandy

11. True or False: Before turkey, the traditional English Christmas dinner included a pig’s head smothered in mustard.

Answer: True

12. Visions of which sweet foodstuff danced in children’s heads as they slept, according to Clement Clarke Moore’s poem “‘Twas the Night before Christmas”?

Answer: Sugar-plums

13. In Oaxaca City, Mexico, Noche de rábanos is celebrated every 23rd December. Which food gives this festival its name?

Answer: Radish; Noche de rábanos is Night of the Radishes when Mexican craftsmen create carvings from root vegetables.

14. Approximately how many turkeys were purchased at Christmas 2013 in the UK; 1 million, 10 million, or 20 million?

Answer: 10 million

15. What is a ‘Bûche de Noël’, commonly eaten in France at Christmas?

Answer: Yule log (cake/chocolate log or similar acceptable)

16. What would you be drinking if you had ‘Glühwein’?

Answer: Mulled wine

17. Which type of sweet bread loaf, which originated in Milan, is traditionally eaten at Christmas in Italy and many other European countries?

Answer: Panettone ( a type of sweet bread)

18. Which Christmas food is it considered good luck to eat one of on each of the 12 days of Christmas?

Answer: Mince Pies

19. As the clock chimes midnight to ring in the New Year, a Spanish tradition involves eating twelve of what – one for each chime?

Answer: Grapes

20. Which type of tree was the partridge sitting in, according to a well-known Christmas song?

Answer: Pear

Christmas Traditions

1. When was the first Christmas card sent? Who designed it?

Answer: The first Christmas card was sent in 1843 and was designed by John Horsley.

2. Canada, The U.K., and most other Commonwealth countries officially celebrate the day after Christmas as what holiday?

Answer: Boxing Day

3. How do you say “Merry Christmas” in Spanish?

Answer: Feliz Navidad

4. Similar to tinsel, these long strips of shiny foil are used to decorate a Christmas tree. What are they called?

Answer: Icicles

5. What are two other names for Santa Claus?

Answer: Saint Nick and Kris Kringle

6. True or False: The first Christmas tree appeared in the United States.

Answer: False

7. What country has the tradition of filling children’s clogs with candy and treats on December 5?

Answer: The Netherlands

8. Who created Rudolph, the most popular reindeer of Santa Claus?

Answer: Robert L. May created Rudolph in 1939, when he wrote a Christmas-themed story-poem to attract customers in his department store.

9. How many reindeer drive Santa Claus’ sleigh (counting Rudolph)?

Answer: Nine

10. Who once stole Christmas?

Answer: The Grinch

11. Which country was the first to use the tradition of Christmas trees?

Answer: Germany

12. Who invented electric Christmas lights?

Answer: Thomas Edison in 1880

13. The legend of Santa Claus is associated with which saint or monk?

Answer: Saint Nicholas

14. Which was the last US state to declare an official holiday for Christmas?

Answer: Oklahoma

15. Which was the first country to issue a Christmas postage stamp?

Answer: Canada

16. When was Christmas declared as a federal holiday in the United States?

Answer: 1870

17. Which country has a tradition of a witch dropping gifts for children through the chimney at Christmas?

Answer: Italy

18. What is Santa Claus called in France?

Answer: Père Noël

19. Which country is the largest exporter of Christmas trees?

Answer: Denmark

20. Which American President banned Christmas trees in the White House?

Answer: Theodore Roosevelt

21. How many days do we have between Christmas and the Epiphany?

Answer: Twelve

22. Which country follows the tradition to light candles on the graves of relatives on Christmas Eve?

Answer: Finland

23. Where did the Nativity take place?

Answer: Bethlehem

24. Which of these was not a gift given by the ‘Wise Men’ to Baby Jesus – gold, silver, myrrh, or frankincense?

Answer: Silver

25. Which company made the concept of Santa Claus popular worldwide?

Answer: Coca-Cola

26. Which of Santa’s reindeer is named after another animal?

Answer: Vixen (a fox)

27. Who was the first person to wear a tailored Santa costume and walk around the store, distributing gifts?

Answer: James Edgar, in 1890.

28. Is there a Mrs. Santa Claus?

Answer: Yes

29. December 26th, the day after Christmas is celebrated as ___________?

Answer: Boxing day, where gifts are given to employees by their bosses.

30. Why are Christmas candy canes red and white in color?

Answer: The color white symbolizes the purity of Jesus, and the color red symbolizes the blood that Jesus shed for us.

31. Who helps Santa Claus in making his gifts?

Answer: Elves and Mrs. Claus!

32. According to the Holy Bible, Jesus Christ was born in a ___________.

Answer: Stable

33. Should you believe us when we say that once upon a time, Christmas celebrations were banned in England?

Answer: Yes

34. According to the Italian tradition, who delivers gifts to good children on the eve of Epiphany?

Answer: An old lady/witch named Befana

Christmas Carols

Christmas memories frequently are choreographed with remembered music. Not everyone will remember all of these songs – this Christmas trivia category may be best for adults. We have divided this selection into “Easy” – those that almost everyone knows, “Harder” – some songs are a bit more obscure, and “Hard” – a category only for experts on Christmas songs and music.

Easy

1. In the carol, “Jingle Bells,” what kind of a sleigh is mentioned?

Answer: “A one-horse open sleigh”

2. In “O little town of Bethlehem” where do the silent stars go by?

Answer: “Above the deep and dreamless sleep”.

3. On the tenth day of Christmas, what does my true love give to me?

Answer: Lords a-leaping

4. Which is the most famous Christmas ballet of all time?

Answer: The Nutcracker

5. Which song begins with “Joy to the World, the Savior reigns!”?

Answer: “Joy to the World”

6. Which Christmas song’s second verse begins with “The cattle are lowing”?

Answer: “Away In a Manger”

7. In 1949, Gene Autry recorded a song about a famous reindeer. What is the name of this song?

Answer: “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer”

8. What song does Lucy ask Schroeder to play on his piano in “A Charlie Brown Christmas”?

Answer: “Jingle Bells”

Harder

9. Which popular Christmas carol also moonlights as a lullaby?

Answer: “Away in a Manger”

10. Which carol, other than “Rudolf the Red-nosed Reindeer,” is based on children?

Answer: “Frosty the Snowman”

11. What color was the Christmas that Elvis “The King” Presley had?

Answer: “Blue Christmas”

12. What song does Lucy ask Schroeder to play on his piano in “A Charlie Brown Christmas”?

Answer: “Jingle Bells”

13. Of all the popular Christmas songs, which is the best-selling single of all time?

Answer: “White Christmas”

14. Which hymn’s second verse begins with “Christ by highest heaven adored”?

Answer: “Hark the Herald Angels Sing”

15. Which Christmas song’s second verse begins with “Still through the cloven skies they come”?

Answer: “It Came Upon the Midnight Clear”

16. Which Christmas hymn’s second verse begins with “O sing, choirs of angels”?

Answer: “O Come All Ye Faithful”

17. Which Christmas hymn’s second verse begins with “For Christ is born of Mary”?

Answer: “O Little Town Of Bethlehem”

18. Which Christmas hymn’s second verse begins with “Born a king on Bethlehem’s plain”?

Answer: “We Three Kings”

19. Which song’s second line begins with, “They looked up and saw a star”?

Answer: “The First Noel”

20. What is the name of the song was recorded by Vaughn Monroe in 1945 that opens with the lines

“Oh the weather outside is frightful,

But the fire is so delightful,

And since we’ve no place to go. . .”?

Answer: “Let It Snow”

Hard

21. In the carol, “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot like Christmas”, what is the prettiest sight to see?

Answer: “The holly that will be on your front door”.

22. In the song “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” underneath the mistletoe, where did mommy tickle Santa Claus?

Answer: “Underneath his beard so snowy white”.

23. In the carol, “We three Kings,” which way is the star of wonder and star of light leading them?

Answer: “Westward leading, still proceeding”.

24. What Christmas song has the line, “I don’t know if there’ll be snow, but have a cup of cheer?”

Answer: “Holly Jolly Christmas”

25. Which Christmas song’s second verse begins with, “See the blazing Yule before us”?

Answer: “Deck the Halls”

26. Which song’s second line begins with, “Led by the light of faith serenely beaming”?

Answer: “O Holy Night”

27. In the animated TV special, “Twas the Night before Christmas”, the townsfolk create a song to attract Santa back. According to the song, what is calling Santa?

Answer: Christmas Bells

28. In the song “The Little Drummer Boy” kept time. Who accompanied him?

Answer: The ox and the lamb

29. In 1953, this Christmas song was Eartha Kitt’s biggest hit of her career.

Answer: “Santa Baby”

30. In 1946, Nat King Cole recorded a hit with a song about “chestnuts roasting over an open fire.” What is the name of this song?

Answer: “The Christmas Song”

31. In 1947, Gene Autry recorded a song in which he told listeners to “Hang your stockings and say your prayers ’cause Santa Claus comes tonight. What is the name of this song?

Answer: “Here Comes Santa Claus”

32. Jimmy Boyd was 12 years old in 1952 when he scored a hit with a song about something that happened under the mistletoe. What is the name of this song?

Answer: “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus”

33. In 1953, Bing Crosby had a huge hit with a song that is originally called “Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht” in German. What is the name of this song?

Answer: “Silent Night”

34. In 1946, the Andrews Sister and Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadian Orchestra released a song in which they asked listeners if they would like to spend Christmas in this special location. What is the name of this special place?

Answer: “Christmas Island”

35. In 1948, what song was released by Spike Jones and the City Slickers?

Answer: “All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth”

36. On which ‘feast’ did Good King Wenceslas step out, according to the well-known hymn?

Answer: Feast of Stephen (St. Stephen’s Day/26th December in UK)

This Christmas, add fun to your holiday gathering with Christmas trivia. When you plan a trivia game, it is fun to play in teams, because what one team member does not know, another one may. Have a fun and memorable holiday with our collection of Christmas trivia games, quizzes, and questions!

The post 120 Christmas Trivia Questions & Answers, Games + Carols appeared first on Icebreaker Ideas.

The Human Knot game is a get-to-know-you icebreaker involving physical closeness.

No equipment is needed for this game. The approximate playing time is 15 to 20 minutes. However, the length is somewhat dependent upon the number of players. Players stand in a circle and reach out to shake hands with other players, with each hand connecting to a different person, creating a “human knot.” Then the players attempt to unthread their bodies without letting go of each other’s hands.

Some benefits of playing Human Knot game are:

• Builds teamwork by helping a group learn how to work together
• Focuses communication skills
• Develops leaders
• Teaches problem solving
• Builds trust
• Encourages persistence

Preparation for Playing Human Knot

Since this game involves potentially touching sensitive places, use discretion in when and with what age group this game is played. It helps if the group knows one another. Therefore, if for cultural or other reasons you question the suitability of this game, it is probably best not to play it. It is, however, a great deal of fun for players who are comfortable with it.

The ideal group size is around ten players, but the game works well with from seven to twenty players. The more people playing the game, the more difficult it is to unravel the Human Knot due to complexity and physical proximity. If your group is larger than twenty, divide the players into two groups to form the knots. Make sure there is plenty of space between the two groupings.

When the group(s) have been formed, ask players to form a circle, shoulder-to-shoulder, urging them to stand as close as possible to subtle prepare them for close contact during the game. Have each player extend their left hand and take the left hand of another player in the group. It helps to have players introduce themselves to the person whose hand they are holding. Then have each player extend their right hand and take a different person’s hand. Have everyone introduce themselves to those whose hands they are holding.

Playing Human Knot

Explain to the players that they are not to let go of each other’s hands while they remain in the circle and untangle themselves. Players may change their grip to be able to move comfortably, but they are not to unclasp and re-clasp their hands, because then the circle would be broken.

Initially, there may be very little progress. However, after ten minutes or so, the initial unfolding begins and then the pace speeds up. However, each game is unique, so there are also times when a very fast solution is discovered right away. If this happens, play another game as the second one should be harder. If the task seems too hard and participants seem to make almost no progress, let them struggle for about 10 minutes, and then you can allow two players only to unclasp and re-clasp. Remind the players that they need to discuss and decide what unclasp-re-clasp would be most useful.

Reactions of the Players

Players may be amused and laugh nervously. They may also express suspicion that untying the Human Knot is impossible. Whatever the reaction, they will at some point express amused fun. Some may view the task as embarrassing because of the close bodily contact involved.  Often some group members will have done the task before, but this doesn’t really matter, because each time the task is unique.

Using the Human Knot as a Name Game

The Human Knot works well as a name-learning game. Explain that whenever the group is talking to or about someone, the person’s first name must be used. Although this usually requires supervision and reinforcement by the instructor, once enforced, this game is excellent for learning names.  Additionally, it helps the group to work together and find solutions, because communication becomes more accurate when names are used.

Notes for Human Knot Game Facilitators

An enthusiastic and encouraging facilitator adds to the fun of this activity. They are also able to get a great deal of information about participants in a short space of time. Follow these tips to be an excellent facilitator:

• Stay at a moderate distance, allowing the group to handle the activity without feeling as if they are being too closely observed.
• Be ready to step in to answer questions or change the direction of the activity quickly when appropriate.
• Wander around the circle offering suggestions as appropriate.
• If you want players to use names in every communication, this may need to be reinforced.

As you work with the group, there are some behaviors you may observe from the players. Some may take the lead and begin giving directions to others. You will also note that some players are not comfortable with the game. Some people find the game more difficultly due to their physical ability or body type – those who are overweight, very tall or short, or those who are not flexible. You will want to do your best to make all the players comfortable by encouraging them and helping with the solution when necessary.

As the facilitator, you must do a balancing act, monitoring confidence and momentum and even allowing clasping and re-clasping when appropriate. Remember, you want the activity to be not only challenging, but fun.

If this activity is used purposefully, it is good to debrief after the game by asking questions like:

• How well do you think the group worked together?
• What do you think you should have done differently?
• What did you learn from this activity that can be applied in other activities?

Often the Human Knot activity is used only as an icebreaker. However, because it can be quite challenging, it also works well to find out how a group is able to work together. Additionally, it can be used as a team game at a party or social event. The Human Knot game provides fun for both players and observers.

The post The Human Knot Game appeared first on Icebreaker Ideas.

Spending family time together creates important bonds and memories, which is why experts recommend scheduling family time at least once per week. When children are young, family time can create feelings of love and security. Our list of family game night ideas will provide everything you need to have fun, whatever the age composition of your children. Mix fun and creativity into your family time with the following ideas.

Play Board and Card Games

Games for Families with Very Young Children

Your preschooler may resist playing a table game at first. It is best to wait until they are ready. Some of the following games get boring quickly, so be prepared by having more than one game for your very young child, so that you can provide a new game when their interest wanes.

Candyland

A classic game that is the first played by many very young children, this game does not require little ones to read. Your preschooler learns colors and how to match them. Additionally, it teaches beginning counting skills. Players choose a card and move to the next space with the matching colors. This game gets boring very quickly, but is a great first table game for very young children.

Memory

Memory games are easy to adapt for the age and attention span of your child. You can reduce the number of pairs of cards requiring for matching for younger children. Additionally, some games use letters and numbers, an excellent reinforcement for children learning number and letter recognition. Games also come with themes, for example, Disney princesses, animals, or foods. Just be careful as kids get really good at this and often beat their parents. This makes it a good choice for a family fun night as you can alternate Memory with a game that is more of a challenge.

More about memory games

Cranium Hullabaloo

Part of the Cranium game family, Cranium Hullabloo is intended for children ages 4 and up. However, some four year olds may not be ready for this game; try pairing them with older children. Players bounce, spin, and jump between colorful pads, listening closely for the next directions from a talking console.

Best Games for Families with Children Ages Seven and Up

Game choice is dependent upon not only the age, but also the mental and emotional maturity of your children. When you begin playing games with your children, be prepared if a child to wants to go first, cries if they lose, or tries to peek at other players cards. Some children can handle losing, but others initially find this experience traumatizing. Of course, part of playing games with your children is teaching them social skills, such as losing gracefully, taking turns, and sharing. Explain the rules thoroughly and then make sure all players follow them. Be patient with a child when they initially display inappropriate game playing behavior. Explain what behavior is expected and make sure you model what you say.

The following games are excellent for mature preschoolers and kindergarten kids. However, even elementary school-age children, tweens, and teens will find enough competition to keep them involved.

Connect 4

This two-person game is a great choice for a single parent with one child. For a larger family, buy two or more sets and set the game up tournament style. Young kids love dropping the checkers into the grid and older children can compete to see who takes the fewest number of turns to finish a row.

Bananagrams

A fun take on Scrabble, this game is for two or more players. The game is recommended for ages 7 and up. Players draw letter tiles and build off the words that have already been played. The tiles zip up in a clever banana pouch. Since a game board is not needed, this game is the perfect travel game for visiting grandparents or waiting in restaurants.

Racko Card Game

Racko lasts the perfect amount of time – 30 minutes – for a quick game that never gets boring. As soon as kids can count to 50 and know how to arrange numbers in order, they are old enough to play. The game consists of fifty Racko cards, card racks for each player, and trays for the Racko cards. Two to four players compete to fill their racks with cards and order their 10 card hands from lowest to highest. The first person to do so wins the round and yells, “Racko!”

Skip-Bo Card Game

Skip-Bo is a simple and entertaining classic card game for two to six players. The game comes with a 162-card deck consisting with 144 numerical cards, numbered 1-12, and 18 Skip-Bo (wild) cards. Each player is dealt 30 cards – 20 each if there are five or more players. The goal of the game is to get rid of all of your cards, by creating stacks of cards in numerical order from one to twelve, while preventing your opponents from discarding their cards. If you are the first player to use all the cards in your stockpile, you win the game.

Yahtzee Jr.

Yahtzee Jr. brings this classic game down to a kid’s level using pictures instead of numbers on the dice. Even though the game is perfect for very young children, it is still fun for older children and adults. There are many versions of Yahtzee Jr. available, including Animal Yahtzee and the Disney Edition. Yahtzee Jr. prepares your children for playing traditional Yahtzee when they are older.

Monopoly

Monopoly is best for ages 8 and older and is for two to eight players. The game has an educational value as it reinforce counting and teaches money denominations. There are several versions available. In addition to Classic Monopoly, a Here and Now edition has airports instead of railroads and features properties such as Times Square and Fenway Park. Younger players will love the Monopoly Disney Pixar Edition.

Lego Creationary

Players roll the Lego Creationary dice and select one of four building categories – nature, vehicles, buildings, or things. Three levels of difficulty allow a player to show off their building skills, while the other players guess what the builder is creating. Although designed for players ages 7 and up, every age group will find this game fun and challenging. Lego also has some small games – great for traveling or waiting in restaurants – based upon popular movies and TV shows. One game, Shaun the Sheep, challenges players to build their sheep, while the other players try to “shear” it. The players who uses the most Legos by the end of the game, wins.

Games for Tweens and Teens

Entertaining teenagers may not be easy, but these games requiring strategy or debate keep your teens interested from start to finish.

Sequence

Sequence is a both a board and card game. The board shows all the cards, except for Jacks) of two standard 52-card decks, laid out in a 10 x 10 pattern. The four corners of the board are free spaces and count for all players equally. Players compete to create rows, columns, or diagonals of 5 connected checkers placed on the cards a player has laid down. Two-eyed Jacks are wild, while one-eyed Jacks allow an opponent’s checker to be removed. The game ends when a player has reached a specified number of connections. Play with two or three players competing against each other or play in teams if you have from four to twelve players. This is a fun game for teams composed of a parent and child.

Catch Phrase

This electronic, two-team, guessing game provides hours of fun for the whole family. The goal is for a player to get their team to say the word or word phrase displayed on the disc when given clues. Clues cannot include a physical gesture, a rhyming word, the first letter of a word, the number of syllables, or any part of the displayed phrase. When the team guesses correctly, the other team takes its turn. Play continues until the timer runs out. The team not holding the disc when time runs out scores a point. They also have one chance to guess the word or phrase after team members confer; a correct answer earns a bonus point. The first team to score 7 points wins.

Clue

This classic mystery game requires focus and strategy, making it perfect for older players. Players move from room to room in a mansion to solve the mystery of who committed a murder, with what, and where. Players are dealt character, weapon, and location cards after placing the top card of each card type in the confidential file in the middle of the board. Players must move to a room, after which they make an accusation against a character saying they did it in that room with a specific weapon. The player to the left must show one of any cards the accuser guessed if in that player’s hand. Through deductive reasoning, players must determine which character, weapon, and location are in the secret file. The first player to guess correctly wins the game. There are many variations of the game including a junior version, as well as a Harry Potter, and Clue the Office edition.

Apples to Apples

Apples to Apples, a card game for up to four players, involve outrageous comparisons of people, events, places, and things. You can buy different versions for different age groups, and booster packs of cards. The game has two sets of cards – red apple cards and green apple cards. Players choose a red apple card they believe is the best match to a played green apple card hoping the person playing the green card will choose theirs as the match they think is best. The green card is read by the Judge, frequently causing laughter. This is an excellent family game night addition. However, if you have younger children, try Apples to Apples Junior. You may also wish to pick cards that do not deal with obscure people, places, things, and events to make sure younger players can experience success when playing.

Other Activities for Family Game Night

You do not have to play board games on family game night. Other suggestions include:

• A game of hide-and-go-seek outside on a warm summer night
• Charades
• A evening game of kick the can
• Color a mural together
• Tell stories – kids love stories about their parents’ childhood

Foods for Family Game Night

Food is an excellent addition to your family game night. You might even wish to have a simple supper while playing. Choose foods that are easy to prepare ahead or that the family can “create” on their own so no one misses the game fun making food. Try one of the following suggestions:

• Make up a tray with meats and cheeses, set out condiments and a few different types of bread and let everyone can make their own sandwich. Add a plate of sliced lettuce and tomato for the grownups if you wish to do so.
• Purchase a pre-made veggie platter and several dips.
• Make popcorn – air popped so that fingers will not be greasy.
• Have bowls of pretzels, nuts, and “clean” chips with dips set out for snaking.
• Purchase pre-cut fruit and string pieces on wood skewers for fruit kabobs. Serve with yogurt for dipping.
• For cold winter nights, make a big pot of homemade vegetable beef or chicken noodle soup, or chili and serve with oyster crackers.
• If your family is playing after dinner, serve a quick and easy dessert, such as store-bought cookies or cupcakes, or cups or cones of ice cream.

Families remain busy with homework, afterschool activities, sports practice and games, and many other activities. If families are not careful, they spend very little time together. Having one night each week set aside as family game night creates memories that will last a lifetime.

The post 15 Family Game Night Ideas appeared first on Icebreaker Ideas.

Games are fun, especially backyard games. And they provide healthy activity so important for both children and adults. Each of our chosen activities is easy to play and will provide hours of fun during warm summer days. Even in winter, many places have a stretch of warm days when kids can get outside and play. This article provides some easy, do-it-yourself game suggestions, and some that require some equipment and preparation. Whichever game or activity you choose, we guarantee you will have more fun in your backyard than ever before!

Backyard Games for Kids

In the age of electronics, kids need motivation to get them to go outside and play. Experts in child health tell us the kids are not getting enough exercise and that many of our children are obese. Backyard games provide both fun and healthy exercise. Our selection provides fun for kids of every age.

Water Balloon Catch

Although a bit messy, this game is fun, especially on a hot day! Simply fill balloons with water and play catch. Play in pairs or teams with the participants moving one step farther apart for each throw. Determine the winner in one of the following ways:

• Whichever pair or team misses three catches first loses.
• When participants get wet, they are out.
• The team that manages to get farthest from each other without missing a catch wins.

Lawn “Bowling”

• Simple to set up and fun to play, create bowling pins from empty, 2 litre soda bottles.
• Fill the bottom fourth with water to stabilise the pins and use a plastic ball heavy enough to knock them over.
• An easy way to keep score is to give one point per pin knocked over and the person with the most points after a certain number of turns – ten works well – wins the game.

Word Basketball

Use the backyard basketball hoop or a large trash can for this fun game. Choose a word – a name of an animal works well. The goal of the game is to not miss the basket. Players take turns and each time a player misses, they receive a letter from the chosen word. When a player earns all the letters in the word they are out. This game works for any number of players. You can allow other players to attempt to block or knock the ball of the player attempting to make a basket if you wish.

Chalk Artist

Chalk is inexpensive and provides hours of fun. Your little kids will enjoy drawing stick figures and simple animals. Your older children can create murals or play areas such as houses, streets, or farms on which they can arrange small toys. If you hate the look of chalk, washable varieties are available. Your kids can also use chalk for hopscotch, tic-tac-toe, or to draw a checker game.

Outdoor Checkers

A game fun to set up and play, outdoor checkers is played on a giant checker board with colored paper plates for checkers.

• Begin by marking off a giant square with sidewalk chalk on a paved surface such as a driveway or patio, or with spray paint on the grass.
• Continue completing the board with 64 squares.
• Use the chalk or paint to color alternating boxes.
• Have the kids color paper plates – twelve for each player to use as checkers.

Hopscotch

Draw a hopscotch design on cement or the asphalt driveway. A popular design is three vertical squares, two horizontal squares, one vertical square, two more horizontal squares, another vertical square, and a final square. Number the squares one through ten. The last square is where a player pauses before starting back to square one. The squares need to be large enough for a player to hop from one foot to the other without trouble.

• To begin playing, players take turns throwing a marker into the first square. If the marker does not land in the square, a player loses a turn. Stones are most often used as markers, but any small object will work.
• A player begins hoping on the square with the marker. They may use either their left or right foot.
• When there are two horizontal squares, both feet may be used. However, when there is only one vertical square, the player must hop.
• If a player puts two feet on the ground when they should be hopping, they are “out.”
• If a player steps on a line, hops on the wrong square, or steps outside the square, they lose a turn.
• When a player gets to square number ten, they turn around and hop and step back to the beginning, picking up the marker on the way. They do so while on the square right before where the marker is.
• The player must skip over the square where the marker is and go back to square one. E
• very time a player has a turn, they begin on the next numbered square.
• The first person who finishes and has placed a marker on each square wins the game.

Sandbox Fun

All children love to play in sand. If you have pets or wild critters, construct or buy a covered sand box. If you live somewhere fenced or where animals are not a problem, a kid’s wading pool or a large pile of sand works well. Children can play with toy cars and trucks, creating roads and other scenarios for hours of fun. Younger children will enjoy pails, shovels, and simple molds. Old food storage containers work well. If you have a small sandbox, consider purchasing brightly colored sand specially designed for sandboxes.

Bean Bag Toss

All you need for a bean bag toss game is a large, sturdy, cardboard box.

• On one side, make one or more holes through which the beanbags will be tossed.
• Players start out about four feet away from the box and move farther back on each turn.
• The player making the most successful tosses wins the game.

Backyard Games for Adults

Picnics, barbeques, and outdoor birthday parties all provide fun for adults. Adding an outdoor game increases the enjoyment and adds to the memory of such events. Our selection of backyard games for adults also works well with older teens.

Croquet

Players of this enjoyable lawn game attempt to hit small colored wood or plastic balls through wire “wickets,” curved metal hoops in a set sequence and course. The player who finishes the course first wins the game.

Kan Jam Game

Kan Jam originated in New York and has spread to the rest of the country. The only equipment required is a Frisbee or some other type of disc, and a large container, such as a clean garbage can. A slot is cut in the side of the container. The goal of the game is to get your disc into the container. If a disc is thrown into the slot on the side, there is an instant win. This game can be played individually or with teams depending on the number of players.

Corn Hole

A variation of a bean bag toss, players or teams take turns attempting to throw bean bags into a hole at the far end of a tilted platform. You can find directions on-line for making your own corn hole game, or purchase one for $60 and up. Boards are set up facing each other 27 feet apart. Players take turns with a bag going through the hole worth 3 points and a bag on the platform worth one point. To win, a player must get exactly 21 points. If a player goes over 21, they lose ten points and begin again at 11 points. The first player to get exactly 21 points win. Rules for winning can vary – some prefer a set number of rounds after which the player with the most points wins.

Horseshoes

Another fun lawn game involving throwing is horseshoes. The goal is to toss horseshoes at a stake, seeing how close you can get. The closer the horseshoe is to the stake, the more points a player gets. Each player takes two tosses. If a horseshoe completely encircles the stake – called a ringer – the player earns three point. If a horseshoe ends up leaning against a stake – referred to as a leaner – the player gets one point. If both horseshoes thrown land closer to the stake than the other players, the player with the closer horseshoes gets two points. You can either set a number of points required to win, or the number of rounds to be played and then declare a winner.

Volleyball

You will need between 12 and 16 people, a volleyball, a 40 inch wide net that stretches 30 feet across the court, and two poles for hanging the net. Mark out a volleyball court 60 feet long and thirty feet wide and place the net about eight feet above the center of the court. The goal of the game is to get the most points by hitting the volleyball over the net and to the other side. Teams try to keep the ball going back and forth without any fault. A fault occurs when a ball is:

• Hit out of bounds
• Hit more than three times on an attempt to get it over the net
• Hit two times in a row by a single player
• Caught by a player

Additionally, a fault occurs if a player touches the net while making a play or takes more than eight seconds to serve. The team that scores twenty-five points first wins a set and a match consists of either winning best in five or best in three sets.

Backyard Party Games

Blowing Bubbles

You do not need to buy bubble blowing solution to enjoy blowing bubbles. Simply give each person a paper plate and a straw. Fill the plate with a bit of dish detergent and some water. Mix the water and soap until suds start to form. Blow bubbles by putting the end of the straw in the plate and blowing very carefully. Very large bubbles will start to form and the straw can be held up and the bubbles blown into the air. Color the solution if you want colored bubbles. If you wish, you can have a competition to see who blows the biggest bubble.

Relay Races

Relay races work well for any age or type of gathering. You will need to divide players into teams of six to eight players. Designate a starting and ending line and have teams line up behind the starting line. When the “Go!” command is given, the front person runs to the finish line and back again, tagging the next person on their team. This continues and the first team to have all their players back at the starting line wins. Of course, you have to add some fun by telling players how to run the race. Some fun examples are:

• Pushing a tennis ball with one’s nose
• Carrying pails of water to fill a large bucket at the finish line
• Balancing a raw egg on a spoon
• Running with a balloon between the knees

Read more 20+ Best Relay Race Games and Ideas

Scavenger Hunt

Although it takes a bit of preparation, a scavenger hunt can be great fun at parties. For very young children, hide objects before the party. You can use small colored toys related to the party theme. Provide each child a bag for storing what they find. For older children, make a list of backyard items for them to find. For example, a pinecone, small rock, a specific type of leaf, and a small piece of wire. Your list will be somewhat dependent on the nature of your backyard. Adults may enjoy a community scavenger hunt. Provide teams of adults or individuals with cameras to take pictures of their finds. Another variation of this game described in article Mall Scavenger Hunt Lists and Ideas.

When it comes to backyard games, there are many options for every age and skill level. Many traditional games like hopscotch, horseshoes, or jump rope may be new for your kids. These games have stood the test of generations and provide hours of fun. Adults will love some of the new games such as kan jam and corn hole. And, of course, backyard parties are so much more fun with games. Have fun!

The post 16 Awesome Backyard Games for Kids & Adults appeared first on Icebreaker Ideas.

Sometimes it is too hot or too cold to play outside. Additionally, most activities that take place away from home require spending money. Games played at home provide an alternative source of entertainment. Our list of fun games to play at home includes suggestions for every age and level of capability. Most require simple materials easily found around your home. We also provide easy to follow directions for each game.

Pencil and Paper Games

The great thing about pencil and paper games is their simplicity. They can be played anywhere and at any time. When kids get bored at home, simply give them a piece of paper and pencils or pens, and they can entertain themselves for at least an hour. Our selection of pencil and paper games includes several old favorites

Dots and Boxes

A pencil and paper game for two players, Dots and Boxes begins with an empty grid of dots. Players take turns adding a single horizontal or vertical line between two un-joined adjacent dots. The player who completes the fourth side of a 1×1 box earns one point and gets another turn. Players write their initials in the boxes to indicate who completed each. The drawn “board” can be of any size. If you have little time to play or are just learning how to play, try a 2×2 box. A 5×5 box works well for experts. Dots and Boxes ends when there are not more lines that can be placed. The winner is the player with the most boxes completed.

Cootie

The object of this game is to draw a completed cootie bug before the other players. Provide each player with a piece of paper and a pencil. Players roll a die to complete their bug. Every time, the number of dots on the die represents a different body part:

• 1 = body
• 2 = head
• 3 = antennae, hat, or bow
• 4 = eye,
• 5 = tongue, teeth, or lips
• 6 = a leg

Have each player roll the die and the player with the highest roll goes first. A player must start by throwing a one for the body and then a two for the head. If a player cannot roll the required numbers, they lose their turn and must try again on their next turn. After a player gets the body and head, cootie parts can be added in any order a player desires. However, if a player rolls a number of a cootie body part they already have, their turn is over. When a player successfully rolls a needed number, they get a free roll to attempt to get another body part. The winner of the game is the first to finish their cootie.

Hangman

A challenging two-player word game, Hangman challenges players to complete the spelling of a word before a drawing of a hangman is finished. The first player thinks of a word or phrase and writes a blank for every letter below a drawing of a gallows with an empty rope. The second player attempts to spell the word by guessing letters. Each wrong guess gives the guessing player a body part added to the swinging rope – a head, torso, two arms, and two legs. If the hangman is completed before guesses provide the correct word or phrase, the player who chose the word wins. To stump an opponent, use short words or words with repeated letters.

Tic-Tac-Toe

Tic-Tac-Toe is one of the first pencil and paper games a child learns. To begin playing, draw a grid of two horizontal lines dissecting two vertical lines. Players take turns choosing a box and placing either the letter 0 or the letter X to mark their box. The goal of the game is to fill in three marks in a row or block your opponent from doing so.

Building

Have fun building castles, homes, construction sites, and forts with anything available. Provide the kids with building blocks, empty cardboard or plastic containers, toilet tissue and paper towel cardboard tubes. Alternatively, build a fort with boxes, blankets, and pillows.

Puzzles

Puzzles are not only fun, but also build problem-solving and cognitive abilities. Choose from one or more of the following:

• For a real challenge, pull out a 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle.
• If children are of different ages, set up several jigsaw puzzles for different skill levels.
• Have your children make their own puzzles by drawing a picture on the cardboard. Outline puzzle pieces on the finished pictures, cut them out, and have each child put together either their own or another child’s puzzle.
• Purchase inexpensive puzzle books – crosswords, word search, and Sudoku – for kids to work through.

Hide and Seek

Hide and Seek works with children of any age. For indoor hide and seek, you may wish to set a limit on the areas in which they hide. Older children will enjoy an evening game played outside in the dark – have the person playing “It” carry a flashlight for safety. Vary the time “It” counts depending on the age level of players and the size of the playing area. The last person found becomes the new “It.”

Treasure Hunt

Kids love finding hidden objects and although this fun game to play at home does take a bit of preparation, the fun it provides is worth it. Begin by writing clues on small folded slips of paper. Each clue leads kids to the next place with an additional note. When the kids reach the end, they find a prize. Alternatively, leave coins in each spot, beginning with pennies and working up to the end and a larger amount of money.

Indoor Bowling

• Collect ten empty plastic water bottles and fill them part way with water for stability.
• Arrange them the way bowling pins are usually set up.
• Use a medium sized ball for knocking the pins down.
• Set a starting line and have kids take turns attempting to knock all the pins down.
• The easiest way to keep score is to give out one point for each pin knocked down.
• Give a reward to the winner with the most points.

Hot Potato

An old favorite, play begins with everyone sitting in a circle on the floor. Turn on music while players pass the “hot potato” – a bean bag or small soft ball – around the circle as quickly as they can. When the music stops, the player holding the hot potato is out. When only one player is left, you have a winner of the game.

Guess the Sound

Gather several items that produce some sort of sound. Blindfold players and have them guess the item from the sound it makes. You can show the items to younger children at the beginning of the game. For older children, make them guess without seeing the items. Some items to include are:

• A stapler – staple a paper
• A glass – hit the side with a spoon
• A pill bottle – shake it
• A piece of paper – tear it
• A comb – rub your fingers along the teeth
• Wood blocks – bang them together
• A pot with a lid – place the lid on top noisily

Touchy Feely

Although this game has its origin as a classroom sensory table experience for pre-schoolers, children of any age find joy in this touchy feely game. Find a heavy box with a lid you can close. Cut a hole in the side large enough for a hand to fit through. For younger children, a decorated shoebox is fun. Put your item inside the box and have each child guess what it is. Players can ask questions and you can offer a clue if you wish. The “winner” is the player who identifies the most substances and objects. Try one or more of the following:

• Cooked rice or spaghetti
• Seeds from a fresh pumpkin
• A piece of fruit – apple, orange, grapes, or cherries
• A toy – child must specify what it is
• Gelatine dessert
• Feathers
• Real and fake flowers
• Dehydrated potatoes
• Cereal

Artistic Antics

Choose the oldest or youngest to start this drawing game and then have players draw in order of their birth date. Find a fairly large piece of paper and get out colored pencils, crayons, or markers. The first player begins by drawing a line, circle, or other piece of a picture. Each player adds to it. Keep having players add to the picture until everyone has a turn, if you have many players, or until the players have had a predetermined number of turns. See what type of interesting drawing results.

Domino Run

Set up dominoes to make a domino run by standing them on end in long lines so that when the first tile topples, it topples the second, which topples the third, then the fourth, until all of the tiles fall. Begin with relatively few dominos and increase the number and difficulty of the design with each subsequent run. Kids will spend a great deal of time with this exercise.

Freeze!

Choose some of your kids’ favorite music and have them dance until the music stops, at which point they must freeze. You can have them freeze in whatever position they are in when the music stops or specify a position. Some good choices are the shapes of:

• Animals
• Expressing an emotion
• Letter
• Plants – trees or flowers
• Yoga positions

Dance Party

Another fun musical game is to have a dance party. Try some fun genres such as a square dance or some classical music along with your kids’ favorites. If you wish, kids can dress up for some of the music. Dance party time is great way to work off some extra energy, so try it before naptime for your little ones.

Categories

You may need to help your youngest children begin this game, but older children can play it without assistance. To begin, choose between five and ten categories and write them across the top of a piece of paper. Some suggestions are:

• Birds
• Animals
• Countries
• Games that use a ball
• States
• Television shows
• Things with wheels
• S. Presidents
• Vegetables

The first player chooses any random letter of the alphabet. All the players have one minute to come up with something for each category listed that begins with that letter. At the end of each round scores are totalled. However, you only get a point if no one else came up with the same thing or name. The more obscure the words chosen for each category usually earn the most points.

Word Whiz

A dictionary game for older children, word whiz can be played indefinitely. Provide each player with a piece of paper and a pen or pencil. Pass around a dictionary and each player in turn chooses a word the meaning of which they believe the other players do not know. Players read words aloud and spell them if necessary. The players who have not chosen the word write down what they believe the word means. All the definitions are read and the players vote for which one they think is correct. The player with the word gets one point for each vote and then reveals the real definition. The player with the most points at the end of a set number of rounds wins the game.

Whether you have a family of all ages or just one child, our selection of fun games to play at home has a game perfect for you. When you want to play games at home, you want something with quick and easy directions and set up. Very few of the games in this article require any outlay of funds or extra equipment. Additionally, many can be modified for different ages and group sizes. Fun games to play at home can be quick, such as a few games of tic-tac-toe, or take a great amount of time, like a 1000 word puzzle. For rainy or hot summer days, our games provide enjoyment and many, such as the puzzles and word games, are also educational and build thinking skills. Choose a game and have fun!

The post 18 Fun Games to Play at Home appeared first on Icebreaker Ideas.

The Newlywed Game, a popular TV show, is great to duplicate for wedding showers, anniversary parties, and any time you want to add fun to a celebration involving married or about-to-be married couples. We have divided out list of newlywed game questions into easy-to-use categories. With 150 questions, our list provides everything you need for playing this entertaining game.

How to Play

The Newlywed Game provides insight into a couple’s relationship, not only for the observers, but also for those answering the questions. Questions range from simple questions about personalities and preferences, to personal questions about their love life. We have provided questions in categories to make choosing those you wish to ask easier for you. However, it is a good idea to mix the question up so those watching and playing stay interested. Knowing something about the couple in advance will help the questioner pick the best questions to ask.

Dating

Most relationships begin with dating. Dating relationships have their ups and downs and many interesting facets, ripe for newlywed game questions.

1. Describe your spouse on your first date?
2. How did you meet your spouse?
3. When and where did you first kiss?
4. My spouse’s first kiss made me think ________________.
5. What color did your spouse wear on your first date?
6. What did your spouse think about you after your first date?
7. What was it your spouse that made you realize that they were “the one”?
8. What was your worst date with your spouse?
9. What would be your spouse’s ideal date?
10. Where did you go on your first date?
11. Where did you go on your most recent date with your spouse?
12. Whom did your spouse last date before you met?

Engagement and the Wedding

Weddings often proof hectic and seem not to go as planned. Couples seem to have selective memory when it comes to the actual occasion. These fun questions may stump your couple.

1. How did your family react when you told them you were getting married?
2. How long had you been dating when you became engaged? How long after you were engaged did you get married?
3. How many guests do you invited to the wedding? Which of you had more guests at the wedding, you or your spouse?
4. What adjective best describes your spouse on your wedding day?
5. What did guests eat at the reception?
6. What flavor of cake did you have at your wedding? How many tiers did the cake have?
7. What is the worst thing that happened on your wedding day, and the best thing that happened?
8. Who caught the bridal bouquet?
9. Who caught the garter at your wedding?
10. Who decided on the wedding song for walking down the aisle?

Firsts

Remembering relationship firsts can be difficult, especially if opinions were involved. This category is sure to draw some interesting and contradictory answers.

1. What did your spouse get you for your first Christmas together? For your first birthday?
2. What is the first thing your spouse would buy if they won the lottery?
3. What was the first car your spouse ever owned?
4. What was the first meal that your spouse ever cooked for you? Was it good?
5. What was the first movie that you both watched together in a theater? At home?
6. What was your first impression of your spouse?
7. When and where was your first kiss?
8. When did you and our spouse dance first and to what song?
9. When did you have your first fight and what was it about?
10. Which one of your said, “I love you” first?

Friends and Family

When a couple marries, they establish a relationship not only with their spouse, but also with their spouse’s family and friends. These questions expose how much a couple knows about each other’s family and friends.

1. Did your spouse have any pets growing up? What were their names?
2. How many cousins does your spouse have?
3. If you could send your mother-in-law or father-in-law on a trip, which would you choose, where would you send them and for how long?
4. What adjective best describes your spouse’s family?
5. What is the name of your spouse’s best friend?
6. On what street did your spouse live on as a child?
7. When is your mother-in-law’s birthday? What is your father-in-law’s birthday?
8. Which of your spouse’s family members do you find most annoying?
9. Which one of your spouse’s friends do you find the most attractive?
10. Who would you say is the most unusual family member that you have met?

Favorites

Although one would think it easy to remember one’s spouse’s favorite, some of the simplest questions can prove to stump your couple. Try the following:

1. What is your spouse’s favorite color?
2. What is your spouse’s favorite junk food?
3. What is your spouse’s favorite candy bar?
4. What is your spouse’s favorite flavor of ice cream?
5. What is your spouse’s favorite movie snack?
6. What is your spouse’s favorite movie?
7. What is your spouse’s favorite restaurant?
8. What is your spouse’s favorite TV show?
9. What is your spouse’s favorite vehicle?
10. What meal is your spouse’s favorite?

Best and Worst, Most and Least

Superlatives provide clues to not only what one is like, but what others think. The following questions unveil some opinions that may prove surprising.

1. What clothing does your spouse wear that looks best on him/her?
2. What do you like best about your spouse?
3. What do you think is the one thing that your spouse likes best about you?
4. What frightens your spouse the most?
5. What is the most embarrassing thing your spouse has said or done around you?
6. What is your spouse’s most irritating habit?
7. What is your spouse’s most irritating habit in the bedroom?
8. What is your spouse’s most-repeated sentence or phrase? Do you find this irritating?
9. What one item of clothing does your spouse wear that you just cannot stand?
10. What word best describes your spouse first thing in the morning?
11. What would your spouse say is his/her best and worst features?
12. Where will your spouse say they had the best vacation with you?
13. Which of you eats the most junk food?
14. Who is the best cook?
15. Who would you say has the better in-laws, you or your spouse?

Finances

One of the most difficult areas many couples face is handling the family finances. These questions may lead to some contradicting answers. If tension rises, you may wish choose questions from another topic.

1. Have you ever bought anything and kept the purchase a secret from your spouse?
2. Have you ever fought over finances?
3. If your spouse won the lottery, what would be the first thing they buy?
4. What bill does your spouse complain about most?
5. What bill would you like to keep a secret from your spouse?
6. To which charity is your spouse most likely to donate?
7. Who actually controls the money in the family?
8. Who is better at managing finances?
9. Who makes the most money?
10. Who spends the most money on personal items?

Preferences

Couples have things they like and things they hate – about each other, life, and habits. This fun category explores how much couples know about each other and what they like and dislike.

1. Does your spouse prefer a bikini or one-piece swimsuit? Which do you prefer?
2. How does your spouse like their steak cooked?
3. How would you describe the perfect weekend?
4. If today were the last day before the end of the world, how would you spend it? How would your spouse spend it?
5. If you could change anything about your spouse, what would it be?
6. If your house caught on fire, what one thing would your spouse grab before leaving?
7. If your spouse could be any famous person, either living or dead, who would they choose to be?
8. What is one item you like that your spouse would love to get rid of?
9. What is one thing that your spouse does for you that they hate, but does because you love it?
10. What is one trait of yours that annoys your spouse the most?
11. What is the one bad habit you have that your spouse hates?
12. What would your spouse request as a last meal?
13. Which room in your house would your spouse like to makeover?

Making Love

A very personal subject, make sure your players have a sense of humor before using this set of questions.

1. Do you make love as often as you would like?
2. How do you know your spouse is in the mood for making love?
3. How long does your love making usually last?
4. How would you describe your spouse on your wedding night?
5. What adjective describes your spouse in the bedroom?
6. What do you find most physically attractive about your spouse?
7. What does your partner wear to bed?
8. What does your spouse’s sexiest pajamas look like?
9. What grade would you give your spouse for their lovemaking?
10. What is your spouse’s favorite time of day for making love?
11. What song describes your spouse in the bedroom?
12. When is your spouse least appealing to you? The most appealing?
13. Where is the strangest place you have made love?
14. Who is the dominating partner in the bedroom?
15. Who would you say is better when it comes to making love, you or your spouse?

Fun Facts

The little things about a person in combination prove an important part of whom they are. This category of newlywed questions explores how much a couple actually knows about one another.

1. How many pairs of shoes does your spouse own?
2. I wish my spouse would stop __________________.
3. What color are your spouse’s eyes?
4. What is the last movie you saw together?
5. What is the most embarrassing thing you have done around your spouse?
6. What is your spouse’s favorite clothing color?
7. What is your spouse’s pant size?
8. What is your spouse’s shoe size?
9. Which of their physical features does your spouse like the most? The least?
10. Whom would you cast to play your spouse in a movie?

Love and Marriage

1. Do you have a pet name for your spouse? What is it?
2. How often do you date since your marriage?
3. How would you express your love for your spouse on Valentine’s Day? On your spouse’s birthday?
4. If someone told you that your spouse was an ex-convict, how would you react?
5. Is there any special memory about your spouse that you will never forget?
6. What is your spouse’s idea of romance?
7. When did you first know you were in love?
8. Which one of you makes the final decision on important matters?
9. Which one of you proposed marriage first?
10. Who does the most work around the house?

The Future

Married couples like to dream about their future together. Find out how much the newlywed couple share with each other about their dreams and plans for the future with these questions.

1. How many kids do you want? How many does your spouse want?
2. What is the destination your spouse would most likely choose for a second honeymoon?
3. If you planned your dream vacation, where would you go and what would you do?
4. Where would your spouse choose to go on a dream vacation?
5. What is your spouse’s dream job? What is your dream job?
6. Do you believe that two people can still be madly in love, even when they get old and gray?
7. What is your definition of, “And they lived happily ever after”?
8. If you woke up one day and found out your spouse had lost their memory, what would you do?
9. Many marriages end up in divorce. What do you think is the most important part of the marriage to concentrate on to keep it stable?
10. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be? Where would your spouse like to live if they had a choice?

Funny Newlywed Game Questions

Everyone loves a good laugh. These questions, designed to provoke surprising and unexpected answers, guarantee humorous responses.

1. If you could describe your spouse in one word, what word would it be?
2. If your mother-in-law were an animal, what animal would she be?
3. If your spouse could wear one of your clothing items, what would it be?
4. If your spouse had a superhero power, what would it be?
5. If your spouse were a character from the sitcom ‘Friends’, who would they be?
6. Imitate how your spouse behaves when they get angry.
7. What animal would your spouse choose to be?
8. What is the strangest gift your spouse ever bought for you?
9. Which cartoon character would your spouse choose to be?
10. Which of you controls the TV remote?
11. Which of you is smarter? Which of you has the highest IQ?
12. Which of you spends more time on the computer? Doing what?
13. Who takes longer to get dressed, you or your spouse?
14. Who usually gets their way?
15. Would you reveal a deep, dark secret about your spouse for a million dollars?

The Newlywed game works well with one couple. However, the game also works well as a team game with two or more couples. The couple receiving the most correct answer wins. A great prize is a gift cards for a night out. Whatever the ages of your “newlyweds,” we guarantee our selection of questions will provide insight and fun for those being questioned and those observing. Have fun!

The post 150 Great Newlywed Game Questions! appeared first on Icebreaker Ideas.

Many people with to improve their knowledge of the New Testament. Using Bible trivia is an excellent way to do so. Our collection of New Testament Bible trivia provides something for everyone – those who consider themselves experts, those just beginning their studies of God’s Word, and even kids. Use our list of Bible trivia to play games at get-togethers and test your own Bible knowledge.

You may also like:

• Christian Icebreakers
• 10 GREAT Sunday School & Bible Games for Kids
• Youth Ministry Games

New Testament Bible Trivia Questions and Answers

Our first few selections of Bible trivia are designed for adults. However, teens may well have enough Bible knowledge to know many of the answers. You do not need to use the trivia in the order given. If you wish, you can skip around, using questions at the same level of difficulty. For example, #1, #4, and #5 are all relatively easy. Have fun with our trivia lists!

All answers are hidden by default. If you would like to show them click on the button below.

Show All Answers

1. In what city was Jesus born? 
   Show answer
   Bethlehem
2. How many books are in the New Testament? 
   Show Answer
   27
3. What type of insect did John the Baptist eat in the desert? 
   Show answer
   Locusts
4. Who were the first apostles called to follow Jesus? 
   Show answer
   Peter and Andrew
5. How many people did Jesus feed with five loaves of bread and two fish? 
   Show answer
   5000
6. After Jesus was arrested, which apostle disowned him three times? 
   Show answer
   Peter
7. Who recognized Jesus as the Messiah when he was presented at the Temple as a baby? 
   Show answer
   Simeon
8. Who asked Pilate for Jesus’ body after the crucifixion? 
   Show answer
   Joseph of Arimathea
9. Paul was shipwrecked on what island? 
   Show answer
   Malta
10. What is the shortest book in the New Testament? 
    Show answer
    2 John
11. Who is the author of the Book of Revelation? 
    Show answer
    John
12. Matthew was a _________. 
    Show answer
    Tax collector
13. To what city was Saul traveling when he encountered a great and blinding light? 
    Show answer
    Damascus
14. Who was the first person to come upon the injured man in the parable of the Good Samaritan? 
    Show answer
    Priest
15. Finish this verse. “In every battle you will need faith as your ______ to stop the fiery arrows aimed at you by Satan.” 
    Show answer
    Shield
16. Whose example does Paul say Christians should follow in Chapter 5 of Ephesians? 
    Show answer
    Christ’s
17. After Jesus fed 5,000+ people with two fish and five loaves of bread, how many baskets were left over? 
    Show answer
    12
18. What does Paul say may “abound more and more in knowledge and in all judgment?” 
    Show answer
    Love
19. What tribe is Paul from? 
    Show answer
    Benjamin
20. According to the Beatitudes who will be filled? 
    Show answer
    Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness
21. What does Simon Peter do for a living before he becomes an apostle? 
    Show answer
    He was a fisherman.
22. In the Gospel of Mark, how does the Virgin Mary learn of her pregnancy? 
    Show answer
    From the angel Gabriel
23. Who is Stephen in Acts of the Apostles? 
    Show answer
    The first Christian martyr
24. According to the Gospel of Matthew, who visits Jesus at his birth and where does this meeting take place? 
    Show answer
    The three wise men, in a stable
25. By what name is Paul of Tarsus known before he begins his missionary activity? 
    Show answer
    Saul
26. According to Paul’s formulation in 1 Corinthians, which is the greatest of the imperishable qualities? 
    Show answer
    Love
27. Who is the high priest of Jerusalem who put Jesus on trial? 
    Show answer
    Caiaphas
28. In the Gospel According to John, which of the apostles doubts Jesus’s resurrection until he sees Jesus with his own eyes? 
    Show answer
    Thomas
29. According to the Gospel of Matthew, where does Jesus’s first public sermon take place? 
    Show answer
    On the mount
30. In the Gospel of John, for whom does Mary Magdalene mistake Jesus in his first resurrection appearance? 
    Show answer
    Mary Magdalene
31. How does Judas signal Jesus’s identity to the Roman officials? 
    Show answer
    He kisses him.
32. Who murders John the Baptist? 
    Show answer
    Herod Antipas
33. When Christians observe Palm Sunday, what biblical narrative are they celebrating? 
    Show answer
    Jesus’s entry into Jerusalem before his death
34. According to the Gospels, what is the unique literary genre Jesus employs to preach his message? 
    Show answer
    The parable
35. Which Gospel is most concerned with the mystery and identity of the person of Jesus? 
    Show answer
    John
36. Who baptizes Jesus? 
    Show answer
    John the Baptizer
37. Who takes Jesus’s body off the cross? 
    Show answer
    Joseph of Arimathea
38. Who is the first apostle to deny Jesus? 
    Show answer
    Peter
39. Which Gospel is written by a doctor? 
    Show answer
    Luke

New Testament Bible Trivia Quiz

After you have challenged yourself or others with our list of Bible trivia questions and answers, try this quiz to test your knowledge.

Questions:

1. What is the common name given to the first four books of the New Testament?
2. Who wrote most of the books in the New Testament?
3. Who wrote the Acts of the Apostles?
4. Which book comes last in the New Testament?
5. What does the word gospel mean?
6. Who was the king of Judea at the time of Jesus’ birth?
7. Which gospel records the fewest of the miracles performed by Jesus?
8. In what water was Jesus baptized?
9. What miracle did Jesus perform at the marriage in Cana?
10. Who was the tax collector that climbed up a tree so he could see Jesus?
11. Which two Old Testament characters appeared with Jesus at the transfiguration?
12. How did Jesus reveal the one who would betray him?
13. Where was Jesus crucified?
14. For how many days did Jesus appear to his disciples after his resurrection?
15. Who went with Paul on his first missionary journey?
16. Paul and Silas were imprisoned during the second missionary journey, but in what city did this happen?
17. During Paul’s third missionary journey, roughly for how long did he minister in the school of Tyrannus at Ephesus?
18. On what island was Paul shipwrecked as he made his way to Rome?
19. How many churches of Asia Minor were there?
20. On what island was John when he was given the vision of Revelation?
21. In the New Jerusalem described in Revelation, what are the twelve gates made from?
22. Where was Jesus born?
23. Why did Joseph take Mary and Baby Jesus to Egypt?
24. Where did Jesus grow up after returning from Egypt?
25. What was Jesus’ first miracle?
26. As Jesus and His disciples were crossing the Sea of Galilee in a boat, a big storm arose. Jesus rebuked the wind and waves and the storm disappeared. What was Jesus doing when the storm arose?
27. Jesus miraculously broke just a few loaves of bread and fishes and fed 5000 men, along with women and children. How many loaves and fishes did he start with?
28. How did Judas identify Jesus as the one to be arrested?
29. On Good Friday, Jesus was brought before Pontius Pilate for trial. Why did Pontius Pilate condemn Jesus to death?
30. What language was most of the New Testament originally written in?
31. What is the last book of the New Testament?
32. In which Gospel did Jesus say and quote: “Everything is possible for one who believes.”?
33. What is John the baptizer’s father’s name?
34. Who wrote Acts of Apostles?
35. What is the first book of the New Testament?
36. What was the name of first Christian who was stoned to death?
37. For how many days and night was Jesus fasted?
38. Which wood has been used by Noah to build the ark?

Answers:

1. The Gospels
2. Paul
3. Paul
4. Revelation
5. Good news
6. Herod the Great
7. Matthew
8. River Jordan
9. Turning water into wine
10. Zacchaeus
11. Elijah and Moses
12. Dipped a piece of bread and passed it to him
13. Golgotha
14. 40
15. Barnabas
16. Philippi
17. 2 years
18. Malta
19. Seven
20. Patmos
21. Pearl
22. Bethlehem
23. To escape from King Herod, who wanted to kill Jesus
24. Nazareth
25. Turning water into wine
26. Sleeping
27. 5 loaves and 2 fishes
28. He kissed Jesus.
29. The chief priests had persuaded the crowd to demand his execution.
30. Greek
31. Revelation
32. Mark
33. Zacharias
34. Luke
35. Mathew
36. Stephen
37. 40
38. Gopher

New Testament Bible Trivia Questions for Kids

Kids love games, even those with which they learn something. Our list of Bible trivia questions for kids work for ages 7 and up, although they can also be used for younger children familiar with the Bible or older ones with little or no Bible knowledge.

1. Where was Jesus born? 
   Show answer
   Bethlehem
2. How many apostles did Jesus have? 
   Show answer
   12
3. What is the name of the disciple who betrayed Jesus? 
   Show answer
   Judas Iscariot
4. How did Jesus die? 
   Show answer
   He was crucified.
5. Who gave Jesus gifts when he was born? 
   Show answer
   The wise men
6. With what did Jesus feed 5000 people? 
   Show answer
   Loaves and fishes
7. Who are the religious leaders who continually tried to trap Jesus with their questions? 
   Show answer
   Pharisees
8. What is the name of Jesus’ mother? 
   Show answer
   Mary
9. What did Jesus do for Lazarus? 
   Show answer
   Raised him from the dead
10. What job did Jesus’ earthly father, Joseph, do? 
    Show answer
    Carpenter
11. Who wrote many of the letters to churches in the New Testament? 
    Show answer
    Paul
12. What is the collective name of the stories Jesus told? 
    Show answer
    Parables
13. Who wanted to kill Jesus when he was a baby? 
    Show answer
    Herod
14. What did Simon Peter do for a living? 
    Show answer
    He was a fisherman.
15. What happened to Jesus after the resurrection? 
    Show answer
    He ascended into heaven.
16. What did the Holy Spirit look like when the disciples received it? 
    Show answer
    Tongues of fire
17. Who went on missionary journeys to preach to the Gentiles? 
    Show answer
    Paul
18. How did Paul escape from Damascus? 
    Show answer
    In a basket down the city wall
19. What is the last book of the New Testament? 
    Show answer
    Revelation

New Testament Bible Trivia Quiz for Kids

Use this New Testament Bible trivia quiz to test kids in on their biblical knowledge in Bible classes, devotionals, and at Bible camp. The questions are listed first, followed a list of answers.

Questions:

1. How many apostles did Jesus have?
2. Which book tells about the visit of the Wise men to baby Jesus?
3. Who wrote the book of Acts?
4. How many Gospel books are there?
5. Who wrote the book of Revelation?
6. Who said, “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand”?
7. How many times did Peter deny Jesus?
8. Who was shipwrecked in the New Testament?
9. Which New Testament book tells about Paul’s conversion?
10. Where did Jesus grow up?
11. Where was Paul when he went blind?
12. How many wise and foolish girls were in Jesus’ story?
13. Who wrote the most books in the New Testament?
14. Name one book that tells of Jesus’ birth?
15. Who was the governor who tried Jesus?
16. How many loaves of bread did Jesus use to feed five thousand?
17. Who said, “Peace, be still”?
18. Who said, “He is not here; for He is risen”?
19. Who betrayed Jesus?
20. Which apostle was a tax collector?
21. Who lived on locusts and wild honey?
22. Who was a blind man healed by Jesus?
23. How many days was Lazarus dead before Jesus brought him back to life?
24. Who was king of Judea at Jesus’ birth?
25. Who came to Jesus at night?
26. Which angel appeared to Mary?
27. What are the names of the Gospel books?
28. Whom did Jesus call the “Comforter”?
29. What did the rich young ruler not want to give up?
30. What disease did Jesus heal ten men of?

Answers:

1. Twelve
2. Matthew
3. Luke
4. Four
5. John
6. John the Baptist
7. Three
8. Paul
9. Acts
10. Nazareth
11. On the road to Damascus
12. Five of each or ten altogether
13. Paul
14. Matthew or Luke
15. Pilate
16. Five
17. Jesus
18. An angel
19. Judas
20. Matthew
21. John the Baptist
22. Bartimaeus
23. Four
24. Herod
25. Nicodemus
26. Gabriel
27. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John
28. The Holy Spirit
29. His riches
30. Leprosy

We hope you have enjoyed our lists of Bible trivia questions and answers, as well as the Bible trivia quizzes. One is never too young or old to play trivia games, and our collection should make any get-together, Bible class, or devotional more fun.

Old Testament Bible Trivia Questions and Answers

Since there are 39 books in the Old Testament, it contains a tremendous amount of information. Our collection of trivia covers many of the well-known Old Testament people, places, and events. We have a rather extensive list of Bible trivia questions and answers, a trivia quiz to test your knowledge, and Old Testament Bible trivia questions and quiz for kids. Enjoy!

Test your Bible knowledge with this selection of Bible trivia questions and answers.  Many of the questions lend themselves to providing further trivia questions. For example, you could use the first question to ask, “What happened on the fifth day? On the fourth day?” and so on. The second question, leads to asking the names of Adam’s other two sons. Thus, you have an almost in

1. On what day of Creation did God create man?
   Show answer
   Sixth Day
2. What was the name of Adam’s third son?
   Show answer
   Seth
3. What was the first of the Ten Commandments?
   Show answer
   You shall have no other gods before me
4. At the time of the census conducted by Moses in the first chapter of Numbers, which of the twelve tribes of Israel was the smallest?
   Show answer
   Manasseh
5. Who was the mother of Samuel?
   Show answer
   Hannah
6. What kind of bird brought Elijah food while he hid in the Kerith Ravine, east of Jordan?
   Show answer
   Ravens
7. Which of the following is NOT a book of the Old Testament?
   Show answer
   Enoch
8. What is the last word in the Old Testament?
   Show answer
   Curse
9. How many books are there in the Old Testament?
   Show answer
   39
10. In what language was the Old Testament written?
    Show answer
    Hebrew
11. What relation was Jacob to Abraham?
    Show answer
    Grandson
12. How many sons did Jacob (Israel) have?
    Show answer
    12 – They formed the basis for the tribes of Israel.
13. From which country did Moses help the Israelites escape from their lives of slavery?
    Show answer
    Egypt
14. Which tribe of Israel looked after the religious aspects of life?
    Show answer
    Levi
15. On which day of the year could the High Priest enter the Holiest Place, the inner most part of the temple where the covenant box was kept?
    Show answer
    Day of Atonement
16. Which of the following was not a judge?
    Show answer
    Laban
17. Israel split into two kingdoms after the reign of King Solomon, with Israel in the north, but what was the name of the southern kingdom?
    Show answer
    Judah
18. Who was king of the southern kingdom when the northern kingdom of Israel fell to Assyria?
    Show answer
    Hezekiah
19. The southern kingdom eventually fell also, but to which great power?
    Show answer
    Babylon
20. After the exile, the Israelites returned and started to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem, but which other prophet along with Zechariah was sent to encourage the completion of the partly built temple?
    Show answer
    Haggai
21. One title of God is El Shaddai, which means what?
    Show answer
    Almighty God
22. Which king had the longest reign over the Kingdom of Israel?
    Show answer
    Jeroboam II
23. What does Israel mean?
    Show answer
    Prevails with God
24. In which prophecy do we read about the valley of dry bones?
    Show answer
    Ezekiel
25. Which one of these books is not classed as a book of history?
    Show answer
    Psalms
26. Which of these Old Testament prophets lived during the reign of King Josiah?
    Show answer
    Jeremiah
27. How were sins forgiven in the Old Testament?
    Show answer
    Animal sacrifice
28. How many ‘minor prophets’ are there?
    Show answer
    12
29. What is the name commonly given to the first five books of the Old Testament?
    Show answer
    Pentateuch
30. Who wrote the first five books of the Old Testament?
    Show answer
    Moses
31. What time period does the Old Testament cover?
    Show answer
    The beginning of man to the time of the Messiah
32. From which part of Adam’s body did God create Eve?
    Show answer
    Rib
33. What was the first bird that Noah let out of the ark?
    Show answer
    Raven
34. What was the name of Abraham’s nephew?
    Show answer
    Lot
35. What did God ask Abraham to sacrifice to him on Mount Moriah?
    Show answer
    His only son
36. What did Rachel steal from her father, Laban, when she left home with her husband Jacob?
    Show answer
    Laban’s household gods
37. What was the name of Joseph’s youngest brother?
    Show answer
    Benjamin
38. When Joseph was in prison, whose dream did he correctly interpret to mean he would be restored to his job?
    Show answer
    Butler
39. In what was baby Moses hidden?
    Show answer
    An ark of bulrushes
40. What was the first plague the Lord sent on Egypt?
    Show answer
    Water turned into blood
41. On what mountain did Moses receive the law from God?
    Show answer
    Mount Sinai
42. What was the ‘tabernacle’ for?
    Show answer
    To worship God in
43. How did Rahab let the invading Israelites identify her house?
    Show answer
    She tied a red cord in the window
44. What weapons did Gideon use to defeat the Midianites?
    Show answer
    Trumpets, pitchers, and lamps
45. Which judge was betrayed to the Philistines by a woman?
    Show answer
    Samson
46. Who did Samuel anoint as the first King of Israel?
    Show answer
    Saul
47. How did David defeat Goliath?
    Show answer
    He threw a stone from his sling
48. How did Uriah die?
    Show answer
    David had him placed in the most dangerous spot in the battle.
49. What was Cain’s punishment for the murder of Abel?
    Show answer
    He was banned from his occupation and made a restless wanderer on the earth.
50. What was the secret of Samson’s great strength?
    Show answer
    He would lose his strength if his hair were cut.
51. What did Joseph’s brothers do to Joseph?
    Show answer
    They sold him into slavery.
52. Who was Moses’ successor after his death?
    Show answer
    Joshua
53. What was the name of David’s father?
    Show answer
    Jesse
54. Which prophet secretly anointed David as king?
    Show answer
    Samuel
55. How did the Jewish prophet Daniel end up in Babylon?
    Show answer
    He was taken captive in a raid by the Babylonian army.

Old Testament Bible Trivia Quiz

Test your knowledge of the Old Testament with this quiz covering major individuals and their roles in Biblical history.

1. Why does Cain kill his brother Abel? 
   Show answer
   Because God is more pleased by Abel’s sacrifice than by Cain’s.
2. How does Jacob steal his brother, Esau’s, inheritance rights? 
   Show answer
   By tricking his father with the help of his mother
3. From which catastrophe does Joseph save Egypt? 
   Show answer
   Famine
4. How does God first appear to Moses? 
   Show answer
   As a burning bush
5. What object that God gives Moses allows him to perform signs and wonders? 
   Show answer
   A wooden staff
6. How does God feed the Israelites in the desert? 
   Show answer
   By a strange bread-like substance from heaven
7. Why does Moses break the stone tablets inscribed with God’s commandments at Mount Sinai? 
   Show answer
   Because the people are worshipping a golden idol
8. Why does God curse the Israelites to wander the desert for forty years before entering the Promised Land? 
   Show answer
   Because the Israelites vote down Moses as their leader
9. What do Moses and Joshua forbid the Israelites to do in the Promised Land? 
   Show answer
   Intermarry with the native inhabitants
10. Who betrays Samson to the Philistines? 
    Show answer
    Delilah
11. Why does God reject Saul as king of Israel? 
    Show answer
    Because Saul kills Samuel
12. Why does the prophet Nathan rebuke David? 
    Show answer
    David commits adultery with Bathsheba.
13. What does David bring to Jerusalem to bless the religious city? 
    Show answer
    The Ark of the Covenant
14. How does Absalom flaunt his brief overthrow of David’s throne? 
    Show answer
    By sleeping with David’s concubines in public
15. What event triggers the division of Israel into two kingdoms? 
    Show answer
    Rehoboam wants the tribe of Judah to secede from the twelve tribes.
16. Who is Elisha? 
    Show answer
    Elijah’s apprentice and successor
17. What do the deaths of King Ahab and his wife Jezebel have in common? 
    Show answer
    Dogs eat the blood of their dead bodies.
18. Which Jewish festival results from the events in Esther? 
    Show answer
    Purim
19. Which of the following is not one of Israel’s judges? 
    Show answer
    Jephthah
20. What does King Solomon do in Israel? 
    Show answer
    He builds a grand temple in Jerusalem.
21. What is one of the main criteria in Leviticus for living in the Israelite camp? 
    Show answer
    To be ceremonially clean
22. Why does God reprimand Job? 
    Show answer
    Because Job heeds the advice of his friends
23. What did King Solomon ask for from God? 
    Show answer
    Wisdom
24. Who wrote this line “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want”? 
    Show answer
    King David
25. What does “Eve” mean? 
    Show answer
    “mother of all living”
26. Who married Abraham? 
    Show answer
    Sarah
27. Looking for a wife for Isaac, Abraham’s servant found: 
    Show answer
    Rebekah
28. Jacob agreed to work 7 years for the hand of: 
    Show answer
    Rachel
29. This woman promised the Lord that if He would bless her with a son, she would dedicate the boy to Him. She later bore Samuel. 
    Show answer
    Hannah
30. Who was David’s original wife? 
    Show answer
    Michal
31. This woman remained with her mother-in-law, Naomi, after Naomi’s husband and sons died. 
    Show answer
    Ruth
32. This woman rumored that Joseph tried to commit adultery with her. 
    Show answer
    Potiphar’s wife
33. This harlot housed spies sent by Joshua to take the city of Jericho. 
    Show answer
    Rahab
34. This woman married Moses. 
    Show answer
    Zipporah
35. After David looked upon her lustfully, he had an affair with this woman that ultimately led to the death of her original husband. 
    Show answer
    Bathsheba
36. This woman tempted Samson to reveal the secret to his massive strength, which she used to betray him to the Philistines. 
    Show answer
    Delilah
37. This brave Israelite woman became queen of Persia and used her influence to protect her people, the Jews. 
    Show answer
    Esther
38. This woman was given to Jacob as a wife deceitfully before he could marry her younger sister, who he loved. 
    Show answer
    Leah
39. The prophet Hosea was commanded to marry this woman, though she was a harlot. 
    Show answer
    Gomer
40. This Egyptian woman was Sarah’s handmaiden, and bore Ishmael through Abraham. 
    Show answer
    Hagar
41. This wicked queen wanted to kill the prophet Elijah. 
    Show answer
    Jezebel
42. This woman gave birth to Moses. 
    Show answer
    Jochebed
43. This woman was turned into a pillar of salt because she looked back as Sodom and Gomorrah were being destroyed. 
    Show answer
    Lot’s wife
44. This woman was Ruth’s sister-in-law. 
    Show answer
    Orpah

Old Testament Bible Trivia Questions for Kids

Kids love trivia games and this one is not only fun, but test their Old Testament Biblical knowledge. Use our list of Bible trivia questions for kids in Sunday school class, for devotions, or anytime you have a group of kids who love God’s Word.

1. What was the first thing that God created? 
   Show answer
   Light
2. Which day did God create plants? 
   Show answer
   Third
3. What was the boat Noah built called? 
   Show answer
   An ark
4. How many of each type of animal did Noah have on the ark? 
   Show answer
   Two
5. What is the symbol of God’s promise to Noah? 
   Show answer
   The rainbow
6. Who received the 10 commandments from God? 
   Show answer
   Moses
7. What are we told to do in the fifth commandment? 
   Show answer
   Honor your father and mother
8. What was the name of Moses’ brother? 
   Show answer
   Aaron
9. What food do we ask God to give us in the Lord’s Prayer? 
   Show answer
   Bread
10. People look on the outward appearance, but what does God look on? 
    Show answer
    The heart
11. His father gave him a coat of many colors. 
    Show answer
    Joseph
12. Who was thrown into a lions’ den by King Darius? This person prayed to God three times a day. 
    Show answer
    Daniel
13. This young boy defeated a giant. 
    Show answer
    David
14. This prophet was swallowed by a fish. 
    Show answer
    Jonah
15. What animal was often used for transportation in the Bible? 
    Show answer
    Camel or donkey
16. Who was the Son of God? 
    Show answer
    Jesus
17. What was the name of Jesus’ mother? 
    Show answer
    Mary
18. What did Jesus’ father do for a job? 
    Show answer
    Carpenter
19. Jesus told a parable about a prodigal _____. 
    Show answer
    Son
20. What is the shortest verse in the Bible? 
    Show answer
    Jesus wept
21. How many disciples or apostles did Jesus have? 
    Show answer
    Twelve
22. Which of the apostles betrayed Jesus? 
    Show answer
    Judas
23. What is another name for the Sermon on the Mount? 
    Show answer
    The beatitudes
24. What did Jesus feed to 5,000 people? 
    Show answer
    Five loaves of bread and two small fish
25. What was the name of the Sea where Jesus calmed a storm? 
    Show answer
    The Sea of Galilee

Old Testament Bible Trivia Quiz for Kids

Test the Biblical knowledge of kids familiar with the Bible with this trivia quiz. We have separated the questions from the answers to make our kids trivia quiz easier to use.

Questions:

1. Which brave young boy had a fight with a giant called Goliath?
2. Who did God give the job of building a massive boat called an ark?
3. What was the name of the lady who was married to the strongest man?
4. Who got swallowed by a whale?
5. Which man and woman lived in the Garden of Eden?
6. Who was thrown into a den of lions by an evil King?
7. Can you name a set of twin boys?
8. Who was known as the Wise King?
9. Who was Joseph’s younger brother?
10. Where was Moses born? (An extra point for naming the nearby river!)
11. What “job” did David have as a boy?
12. Who was David’s best friend?
13. What was the meaning of the rainbow in the sky?
14. Which is the first book of The Bible?
15. What instrument did David play? (An extra point for naming the King he played for!)
16. Which book of The Bible is full of wise sayings? For example, “a wise son makes his father glad, but a foolish son is a grief to his mother.”
17. Who was given The Ten Commandments from God at the top of a mountain?
18. Who killed his brother?
19. Who made a bronze snake?
20. What did God create on the first day of creation?

Answers

1. David
2. Noah
3. Delilah (married to Samson)
4. Jonah
5. Adam and Eve
6. Daniel
7. Jacob and Esau
8. Solomon
9. Benjamin
10. Egypt (The river Nile)
12. Jonathan
13. God’s promise to not flood the earth ever again.
14. Genesis
15. Harp (King Saul)
16. Proverbs
17. Moses
18. Cain (killed Abel)
19. Moses
20. Light (night and day)

Trivia games are always fun! Many trivia collections are also educational. Our selection of Old Testament trivia includes easy questions and some that are more difficult. See how much you know about the Old Testament or challenge your friends. Enjoy!

The post 270 Bible Trivia Questions + Answers (New & Old Testament) appeared first on Icebreaker Ideas.

One of the best ways for people to get to know each other is to play a game of People Bingo! It’s easy to play, just give each person a Bingo card, and make sure everyone has a pencil or a pen.

The Bingo players move around the area trying to be the first to get their Bingo card filled up with names. If someone can’t move easily, the players can go to that person.

It is always fun to get a prize or a treat for a job well done, whether you are the first to finish or the last. Everyone can be a winner playing People Bingo!

Some of the Bingo templetes are filled with ideas to use immediately, and other Bingo cards are left open, so that they may be filled in with ideas that fit the needs and ages of your players. Enjoy!

People Bingo Rules

• Decide as a group before the game begins what a completed Bingo will be. A lot will depend on the number of players and the ages of the players.
• Here are some examples of Bingos:
  • five boxes in a row – going across, down, or diagonally
  • an X diagonally through the Free space
  • a box shape – around the Free space making a square
  • a picture frame – all of the outside boxes filled in
  • blackout – with every box completed
• Each player may only sign in one box on Bingo card
• Players have to get other players to sign their Bingo card. Do not write another person’s name for them on a card.

People Bingo Cards

First Day of School Bingo

Get To Know You Bingo

Family Reunion Bingo

Bonus Bingo Card

The post People Bingo Rules & Cards appeared first on Icebreaker Ideas.

Easter is one of the most joyful and anticipated holidays of the year (next to Christmas, perhaps). It signals the end of the long, gray winter season that begins after New Years and seems to stretch on and on until finally, one day, green grass and tiny flowers start popping out of the snow. The coming of Easter means that Spring has finally sprung, with the rebirth of plant and animal life and the ability to finally get out of the house without the need for hats and scarves, and enjoy the rapidly-warming weather. Whether you regard Easter weekend as a religious holiday or a vacation from school, it is always something wonderful to be enjoyed by all, and what better way to celebrate springtime than with a good old-fashioned Easter egg hunt?

There are tons of ways to host Easter egg hunts for children and adults of all ages. Whether you’re keeping a troupe of rambunctious little ones entertained for an afternoon or trying to plan a fun and unique Easter outing for your adult friends, there are ways to create something for everyone. Read on, and you’ll find lots of ideas to get you started planning your perfect Easter egg hunt.

Real, Hard-Boiled Eggs

Decorating hard-boiled eggs is a wonderful activity for both kids and adults, and there are several ways you can go about it.

• Dye Kits – Around the Easter holiday season, most grocery stores carry egg-dying kits with all the tools and instructions you need to host a lovely egg-dying party with your little ones.
• Paints – If you want to get even more creative, buy some paints in lots of colors and an assortment of small brushes, and let the artistry begin. If you want to get really crazy, buy some glitter or glittery paint to add to the mix.
• Crepe Paper – This method is a little trickier, but creates a beautifully stunning effect. The tricky part will be finding crepe paper that is NOT color-fast. You’re going to want brightly colored crepe paper that bleeds it’s color when it gets wet. The cheap dollar-store variety typically works best, but be sure to test it before you begin the project. To test it, dip an edge of the paper in some water and then set it against a sheet of white notebook paper. If the color runs onto the notebook paper, you’re good to go. If it doesn’t, that paper can be saved for gift bag filling. Once you’ve got the right crepe paper, tear or cut tiny pieces off in any shape or size you’d like that will fit onto the shell of a hard-boiled egg. Dip your pieces of crepe paper in water and lay flat against the shell. They should stick and stay there until they dry, at which point you can remove them. This creates a lovely stained-glass effect on the surface of your egg.

Tips for Boiling Eggs: Make sure you buy common, Grade A white eggs at the supermarket, and don’t be afraid to by eggs closer to their expiration date (but not past). Eggs that are very fresh do not make for good hard-boiled eggs, as their shell tends not to peel away very cleanly. If you’d like to enjoy eating your egg after the coloring/decorating process, go for eggs that are a few days older in their package. However, if you’re not interested in eating them, buy whatever eggs you like, only make sure they’re white and not brown.

Plastic Eggs

Plastic eggs are a popular favorite because they can be filled with all sorts of goodies, which makes hunting for them all the more exciting. Plastic eggs can be bought in all colors and sizes, and there are even some biodegradable varieties available, just in case a few eggs are never found during the course of the hunt, or they aren’t properly disposed of after use.

Fillings for Children

• Candy – Use discretion when filling plastic Easter eggs for kids. What is safe and healthy for older kids may not be so for younger ones. Easily dissolvable candies like Smarties or individually-wrapped cookies are best for small children around 2-4 years old. With older children, the candy-filling possibilities are endless, provided your child doesn’t have any particular allergies.
• Toys – You’ll be limited to what you can actually fit inside a typical Easter egg, but party-favor toys generally work well for Easter egg hunts. Bouncy balls, small slinky’s, action figures, fun erasers…these are just a few ideas of small toys you can use. They also typically come in party-packs, which make them ideal for Easter egg hunts for large groups and families.
• Money – Who doesn’t appreciate a little free money? Again, depending on the age-range you’re working with, you can use anything from pennies to dollars. With pennies, you may want to fill an egg with as many as possible, which will seem like a real hidden treasure to a youngster. For older kids, fold up bills of whatever amount you choose and hide them in the especially hard-to-find places.
• Tokens – Another great way to host an Easter egg hunt is to place tokens in the eggs that can be redeemed for prizes later. This is a good idea for much older children, who are perhaps less interested in the hunting aspect and more into the rewards. This works well for larger toys and games that do not fit inside plastic Easter eggs.

Fillings for Adults

• Candy – I’ve found that more adult-friendly candy can be pretty wide-ranging, from miniature candy bars to whiskey-infused chocolates. The candy you choose to fill your eggs with depends largely on the kind of Easter egg hunt you’re conducting or, more specifically, the nature of the group hunting for them.
• Toys – Again, this will depend on the group you’re working with. Use your own discretion.
• Money – This works the same for adults as for children. Choose whatever monetary amount you wish, and it will always be appreciated.
• Tokens – Again, can be redeemed for bigger and better prizes, such as electronics, games, housewares, novelties and so on.
• Alcohol – This is a special item for adult Easter egg hunts, and will require extra-large plastic Easter eggs. 1-2oz bottles of alcohol will generally fit into an extra-large plastic Easter egg, and are always a treat (depending on the group). Additionally, alcohol and other adult-friendly treats can be part of the token-redeeming process as well.

Hiding the Eggs

Now comes the fun part (for you): hiding the eggs. If you’re using hard-boiled eggs, it’s best to keep them well refrigerated beforehand and hide them very shortly before the hunt is to begin. This is especially important if the eggs are more than likely going to be eaten once they’re found. Even if they aren’t for consumption, it’s still better not to hide them too early in advance because they will begin to go bad as soon as they reach room temperature. Hiding plastic eggs is significantly easier because you can hide them well in advance of your Easter egg hunt, giving you plenty of time to be creative about your hiding places without having to worry about the eggs going bad before they’re found. You also don’t have to worry too much about being careful with the eggs, as the plastic will not crack as easily as a natural egg shell. If you do happen to break a plastic egg, don’t worry. Plastic Easter eggs are inexpensive and easily replaceable, and not nearly the amount of time and energy was put into decorating them.

Even More Easter Egg Hunt Ideas for Kids

If you’re looking for more ways to get your kids involved in the Easter festivities beyond just searching for eggs, try a few of these games: 

• Egg Race – Give each child a spoon and an egg. Hard-boiled, decorated eggs work best for this game because the egg really will crack if it’s dropped. Have the children place the egg on the spoon and have them balance it there for the duration of a race, either across a lawn or through an obstacle course, depending on the age-range you’re working with.
• Egg Toss – Have kids get into pairs and assemble in two lines, with each child facing their partner. Give each pair of kids one egg and have them toss it back and forth to each other. Every time one child fails to catch the egg, that pair is out of the game and each remaining contestant has to take one step back, widening the gap between them and their partners. The last pair to ave their egg still intact without dropping it wins.
• Egg Roll – This works the same way as the egg race, only instead of using spoons, have the children roll their egg across the finish line.
• Hot Egg – If this sounds similar to the popular game Hot Potato, that’s because it is. You can use a hard-boiled egg or a plastic egg filled with something heavy and taped securely. Have the children sit in a circle and toss the egg around while music plays. When the music stops, the child holding the egg is out. The last child who has the egg wins and gets to keep whatever’s inside the egg.
• Egg Bocce – This game is basically Bocce Ball, but with eggs. Use a plain, white hard-boiled egg as the target and give each child 1-3 eggs. Each child’s eggs should be the same color, in order to keep track of who’s eggs are who’s. Each child takes one turn rolling or tossing their egg to see who can get an egg closest to the white egg without touching it. The child with the colored egg closest to the white egg at the end of 1-3 rounds wins.

Don’t Forget to HAVE FUN!

No matter who you’re planning on inviting to your Easter egg hunt, the key is to have fun. This applies to you just as much as it applies to your guests, whether they are children or adults. Even though you don’t get to participate in the hunt (that would be cheating), take pleasure in being the secret keeper and drop creative hints about the whereabouts of the eggs if people are struggling in their search. Keep it light and fun, and everyone will have a good time.

The post Easter Egg Hunt Ideas for Kids of All Ages appeared first on Icebreaker Ideas.

Families have played the popular game Scattergories for nearly thirty years. Originally published by Parker Brothers in 1988, when Parker Brothers was purchased by Hasbro a few years later the game was published internationally under their Milton Bradley brand. A 2-to-6-player game, the goal is to score points by listing unique names of objects within a set of categories with a given initial letter.

Scattergories offers 250 different categories, but if you play often, the categories do not last long and the words players choose become redundant. This article provides you with multiple lists so you, your family, and friends will have hours of fun play, whether you choose to purchase the game or enjoy the homemade version.

How to Play Scattergories

In a store purchased Scattergories game, players roll letter die and then think of words beginning with the letter shown. List cards show twelve categories and players list words attempting not to write down words duplicated by other players.

A homemade Scattergories game follows the same basic premise, except the game is played by choosing a category and then listing words applicable. The goal is to list words other players miss. One original word using the letter scores one point. If you wish, you can give two points for two words, such as “red rose.”

To make the game a bit more interesting, have players list words beginning with all the letters in the title of the category. For example, if the category is fruit, players list words beginning with f, r, u, i, and t. Alternatively, you can create categories for each letter of the category word. For example:

F – Fresh Fruit

R – Round Fruit

U – Unusual Fruit

I – Imported Fruit

T – Tropical Fruit

Some players enjoy customizing their game by adding personal categories, such as names of family members, favorite sports teams, or vacations taken. Doing so creates original games recalling fun times and making new ones.

Try playing Scattergories in teams or pairs for a fun time. Teams work particularly well for larger groups. Try pairs if your family has some younger children who could use some help and guidance. Once a child has played as a partner, they will learn the rules and build their confidence to a point where they can play alone.

You can also create variations in the lists. For example, any list can be narrowed by adding a limiter. For example, in the “Pets” category, you can limit “Breeds of Dogs” to “Breeds of Dogs That Are Brown.”

As you play Scattergories, you will think of your own variations and categories. Make sure you write them down so that you can use them in the future and share them with others.

Category Lists for Scattergories

The number of categories one has available for playing Scattergories is almost unlimited. We have divided the categories in this article into alphabetically arranged lists to help you easily locate one applicable to the group with which you are playing. Some are easy and some more challenging. When choosing a category for a game, make sure you consider the ages of your players, as well as their knowledge and preferences.

Animals

There are many different kinds of animals, both domestic and wild, that live in a variety of habitats. Since types of animals are one of the first things young children learn to identify, younger players do well when these lists are used.

• African Animals
• Amphibians
• Animal Homes
• Animals That Are a Certain Color
• Animals That Hop or Jump
• Animals That Live Underground
• Arctic Animals
• Birds
• Cat Breeds
• Dangerous Animals
• Dog Breeds
• Farm Animals
• Fast Animals
• Fish
• Mammals
• Pets
• Reptiles
• Slow Animals

Art

Another category that takes some knowledge on the part of participants, only the Color category will work for very young children.

• Colors
• Famous Artists
• Famous Paintings
• Photography
• Equipment
• Terms
• Types of Art (i.e. Fine, Abstract, etc.)

Careers

The jobs we educate and train ourselves for are a major part of our lives. Every job has terminology specifically applicable to it. Some of these list work very well for a business meeting where everyone has the same profession.

• Medical Terms
• Diseases
• Medicine Names
• Nursing Terms
• Legal Terms
• Office Items
• Sales Terms
• Teaching Terms
• Areas of Study
• Teaching Tasks

Clothing

The clothes we wear every day, for special occasions, and for the activities we participate in provide some excellent Scattergories lists. If you are playing with a group composed of those who wear the same clothing, such as all women or men, this category works especially well.

• Clothing Worn by Cowboys
• Men’s Clothing
• Women’s Clothing
• Baby Clothes
• Styles of Shoes
• Under Garments
• Entertainment

People spend their downtime enjoying a variety of entertainment. These categories are sure to bring back memories of times spent viewing favorites.

Television

From its beginnings in the 1950s until today, television has affected almost every area of our lives, even more so with the advent of satellites and cable.

• Cooking Shows
• Music Programs
• Nickelodeon
• Prime Time TV
• Reality TV
• Sit Coms
• Cartoon Characters
• Classic Commercials

Movies

Drive-Ins, local cinemas, and 3D all provide windows into imaginative worlds filled with memorable characters. Choose a single movie everyone is familiar with or any of the following categories. Children excel in remembering their favorite Disney movies and characters.

• Actors
• Actresses
• Blockbusters
  • Star Wars
  • The Hunger Games
  • Twilight
• Classic Movies
• Comedies
• Disney Movies
• Fantasy
• Horror Movies
• Love Stories
• Science Fiction

Sports

Watching and participating in sports are activities enjoyed by many in their spare time. Test of knowledge of your favorite athletic pastime with the following.

• Teams – Football, Basketball, Baseball, etc.
• Terms – Golf, Tennis, etc.
• Famous Players – Football, Basketball, Baseball, etc.
• Sports Played Outside
• Sports Played Inside
• The Olympics
• Water Sports

Food

Everyone loves to eat and has their favorite foods and beverages, so this category is fun one for every age and group composition. We have included many list choices, but you can probably think of others.

• Beverages
  • Alcoholic Drinks
  • Beer Brands
  • Cold Drinks
  • Hot Drinks
  • Carbonated Drinks
• Breakfast Foods
• Candy
• Chinese Food
• Condiments
• Dairy Products
  • Types of Cheese
• Desserts
  • Cakes
  • Cookies
  • Pies
• Fast Food
  • Fast Food Restaurant Names
  • Pizza Toppings
• Gourmet Foods
• Ice Cream Flavors
• Italian Food
• Junk Food
  • Chips
  • Types of Donuts
• Meats
  • Meat Cuts
  • Types of Meat
• Mexican Food
• Sandwiches
• Spices

Gardening

For those who love to grow things, this category calls for remembering a variety of information. You may wish to limit some of the categories, such as “Types of Beans,” “Squash Varieties,” etc.

• Flowers
  • Annual Flowers
  • Flowers by color
  • Perennial Flowers
  • Flowers That Are a Certain Color
  • Fragrant Flowers
• Gardening Tasks
• Growing Vegetables
• Trees
  • Fruit Trees
  • Ornamental Trees
• Vegetable Garden Plants

Geography

The world is a vast and fascinating place. Test your knowledge of where things are and what they are called with this challenging category.

• African Countries
• Asian Capital Cities
• Canadian Provinces
• Cold Places
• Countries
• Country Flags
• Country Names Beginning With a Particular Letter
• European Capital Cities
• European Countries
• Hot Places
• Lakes
• Mountain Ranges
• Oceans
• Rivers
• Seas
• South American Countries
• United States Capitals

History

Another academic area that can prove challenging, those who remember historical events and dates have the advantage here.

• Decades
• Dictators
• Politics
  • Elections
  • Presidents
  • First Ladies
• Wars
  • American Civil War
  • Vietnam War
  • World War I and World War II
    • Airplanes
    • Countries Involved
    • Major Battles

Holidays and Celebrations

Every culture has special days set aside to celebrate people, events, and things. Create your own category for whatever country or culture you wish.

• Celebrations Where Gifts Are Given
• Christmas Carols
• Holiday Songs
• Holidays
• Holiday Activities

Home Furnishings

Our homes are our refuge and express our personalities. We use color, wall coverings, and styles of furniture to create an environment in which we are comfortable. Of course, all of what we use work for game categories.

• Bathroom Accessories
• Floor Coverings
• Furniture by Room (i.e. bedroom, kitchen, etc.)
• Furniture in This Room
• Furniture You Sit On (or At)
• Kitchen Appliances
• Wall Coverings
• Window Coverings

Language

A vast number of Scattergories lists can be compiled from topics related to languages and their use. If your group took high school Spanish or French, choose a category such as French Nouns or Spanish Colors. See how much you remember from your high school language classes.

• Parts of Speech
• Contractions
• Possessive Pronouns
• Pronouns
• Superlative Adjectives
• Words That Can Be Used as Conjunctions
• Punctuation

Words

Vocabulary and our use of words provide an interesting category for college students and adults.

• Compound Nouns Formed With “Time”
• Compound Nouns Formed With “Life”
• Compound Nouns Formed With “Light” (Flashlight, Spotlight, etc.)
• Words Beginning With a Particular Letter
• Words Beginning With the Prefix “-Mis”
• Words Beginning With the Prefix “-Un”
• Words with Double Letters

Literature

Whether the last book you read was in school or you make a regular weekly library visit, try one of these categories to test your knowledge of the written word.

• Authors
• Famous Characters
  • Genres
  • Drama
  • Horror
  • Poetry
  • Romance
  • Westerns
• Mythology
• Reference Books

Mathematics

A category suitable for many different ages and group compositions is mathematics. Choose one of the simpler categories for very young children, one a bit difficult for middle and high schoolers, and a more challenging one for college students and adults.

• Areas of Mathematics Study
• Math Terms
• Math Functions
• Units of Measure
  • Metric Units
  • Units of Length
  • Units of Weight

Music

Whatever your favorite type of music, you probably know all of the songs and artists associated with the genre, including many of the words. If so, this category puts you ahead of the game.

• Bands with One-word Names
• Boy Bands
• Children’s Songs
• Classical Music
• Eighties Music
• Female Singers
• Folk Songs
• Love Songs
• Male Singers
• Movie Theme Songs
• Musical Instruments
• Nineties Music
• Nursery Rhymes
• Rappers
• Seventies Music
• Sixties Music
• Songs with a Name in the Title
• T.V. Show Theme Songs
• Theme Songs

Science

Some category lists take some expertise and this is especially true of those related to science. If you paid attention in your science classes you may enjoy this category; otherwise, beware.

• Chemicals
• Constellations
• Bones of the Body
• Disciplines – Biology, Zoology, Etc.
• Gems
• Insects
• Internal Organs
• Metals
• Minerals
• Periodic Table Elements
• Types of Rocks
• Weather
  • Terms Referring to rain, snow, etc.
  • Things Associated with a Particular Season of the Year

Technology

We live in a technological age, and this category covers all the latest gadgets. Don’t forget to add additional lists as new “toys” become available.

• Internet
• iPhone Apps
• Nintendo
• Online Games
• Video Games
• Websites

“Things That . . .”

A fun category with many variations, “Things that . . .” requires some creative thinking. However, you may be surprised how well very young children do on some of these.

• Are Cold
• Are Flat (Coin, Paper, Floor, Etc.)
• Are in a Medicine Cabinet
• Are in a Park
• Are in the Sky
• Are Made of Glass
• Are Made of Plastic
• Are Made of Wood
• Are Naturally Round
• Are Naturally Yellow, Blue, Red, Etc.
• Are Sticky
• Are Square
• Are Terrifying
• Burn
• Cost a Lot
• Do Not Break When Dropped
• Found at a Circus
• Found in a Park
• Have Spots
• Have Stripes
• Have Wheels
• Have Wings
• Jump or Bounce
• Make You Itch
• People Lose
• Smell Bad
• Smell Good

Tools

Many people use tools both at home and on their jobs. Tasks require specific tools for success. Listing tools for various jobs provides an interesting category.

• Carpentry Tools
• Cooking Utensils
• Office Tools
• Desk Accessories
• Plumbing Tools
• Mechanic’s Tools

Toys and Games

An awesome category for kids, use these lists for a family game night and see who knows the most games and toys.

• Action Figures
• Board Games
• Building Toys
• Children’s Games
• Classic Toys
• Dolls
• Hobbies
• Types of Toys

Transportation

Whether we are going to work, school, or traveling across the ocean, we need to use different methods of transportation to get there. Here is a category with something for everyone on the go.

• Automobiles
  • Car parts
  • Models
  • Road Signs
• Airlines
• Cruises
• Train Travel

Whichever category you choose for your game of Scattergories and whether you choose to purchase the game or play a homemade version, we guarantee our lists will provide unlimited fun for you, your family, and anyone else with whom you play. Play on!

The post Scattergories: Rules, Variations + HUGE Category Lists appeared first on Icebreaker Ideas.

A toddler is fun, but finding activities that engage them, are safe, and also enjoyable can prove challenging. Providing safe and age-appropriate activities for toddlers can be difficult for a number of reasons:

• Toddlers want to put things into their mouths.
• It is difficult for a toddler to understand directions.
• Toddlers have a short attention span.

Remember that simple is often best for the toddler age range (ages 1 to 3). Our collection of toddler activity ideas provides fun, educational, and sensory experiences.

Tips for doing toddler activities:

• Encourage your toddler’s curiosity by allowing them to explore whatever you give them.
• Allow spontaneity by not having an intentional plan for play.
• Since a toddler’s attention span is short, allow whatever they are playing with to be left out, so they can come back to it later.
• Remember that toddlers put things into their mouths, noses, and ears, so keep an eye on them.

Sensory Activities for Toddlers

Sensory activities teach your toddler to be aware of the world around them. They also help energize and stimulate your toddler. Additionally, they improve the sometimes-erratic moods toddlers experience and create sensory balance. Sensory activities can be divided into three different categories.

Proprioceptive Toddler Activities

These sensory activities help toddlers develop self-regulation. They work both to invigorate a toddler who tends to be quiet and calm a hyperactive child.

• Banging or drumming on pots and pans
• Carrying a bag filled with their toys or a pile of books
• Catching a stuffed animal, small ball, or beanbag
• Emptying trash containers and taking out the trash
• Filling or emptying the washer, dryer, or dishwasher
• Having a pillow fight
• Hopping on one or both feet
• Jumping – on the sofa, a small trampoline, or the bed
• Marching with or without music
• Playing leap frog
• Playing tug of war
• Pushing a grocery cart, laundry basket, etc.
• Sweeping or mopping
• Walking like an animal – a bear, crab, etc.
• Wiping the counters or dusting the furniture

Vestibular Toddler Activities

Activities such as swinging and spinning create intense and long-lasting sensory input. These types of activities should be managed and performed in small doses as some children are more sensitive than others are.

• Dragging your toddler on a sheet or blanket
• Hanging upside down
• Rocking in a rocking chair
• Running in circles
• Spinning
• Swinging

Tactile Toddler Activities

Toddlers need to become capable of dealing with tactile input – being wet, loud sounds, unusual tastes. Our list of activities help toddlers get used to such stimulation gradually and have fun while doing so.

• Create a “sandbox” by filling a large bowl, bin, or box with dry beans or Styrofoam peanuts. Let your toddler play with small cars or other objects.
• Have your toddler play with shaving cream.
• Let your toddler take a bath in water with food coloring.
• Provide cookie dough or other food for your toddler to mix with their hands.
• Provide cups, small bowls, and strainers at bath time.
• Cook up some spaghetti or other pasta and let your toddler play with it.

All toddlers are calmed by extra oral-motor activities like the following, but especially some who are hyperactive.

• Crunching small pieces of ice
• Sucking through a straw

Fun Breathing Exercises for Toddlers

If your toddler has low muscle tone, lung exercise, where your toddler breathes deeply, provide a therapeutic effect.

• Blowing feathers off of the hand or end of the finger
• Blowing on whistles
• Blowing out birthday candles on a playdough cake
• Making and blowing pinwheels
• Making bubble mountains in a bowl with soapy water and a straw

Toddler Activities That Stimulate Hearing, Seeing, Touching, Smelling, and Tasting

Create a special spot for your child to explore their senses such as a corner with pillows, soft lighting, music, soft toys or stuffed animals, and containers of finger snacks. Letting your toddler explore with their fingers, eyes, nose, and mouth is a wonderful way to learn. Ask your toddler questions, such as:

• Do you like that sound? (Smell?)
• Have you seen something else that looks like this?
• Do you like the taste? Is it sweet, salty, etc.
• What color is it?
• Is it rough, smooth, fuzzy, etc.?

Toddler Activities That Explore Sounds

Keen hearing is very important because children learn speech from repeating what they hear. The following activities will help your child learn to distinguish sounds.

• Let your toddler play with a radio dial to experiment with different volumes.
• Have your toddler sit and try to guess sounds they hear.
• Let your toddler pop packing bubbles.

Toddler Activities That Explore Sights

The more observant your toddler becomes of the world around them, the more they will learn. These activities develop your toddlers sense of sight.

• Make shadow puppets on the wall.
• Play flashlight tag inside or out on a grassy yard area at night.
• Have your toddler wear sun glasses.
• Play a game of peek-a-boo with your toddler.
• Fill a jar with soap and water, shake it up, and watch the bubbles.
• Make faces in the mirror.

Toddler Activities That Explore the Sense of Touch

Some toddlers do not like to be touched. Use the following exercises to help them get used to personal contact.

• Trace your fingers lightly over your toddler’s skin.
• Rub lotion on your toddler and let them rub some on you.
• Tear pictures out of old magazine.
• Splash in the tub or sink.
• Cuddle and hug your toddler.
• Pet a dog or cat.

Toddler Activities That Explore Smells

Smells affect children different ways. When your child positively reacts to a smell, buy items with that scent, such as candles, soaps, room sprays, or lotions.

• Use a blindfold or have your toddler close their eyes and guess different smells. (Peanut butter, chocolate, pineapple, strawberries, etc.)
• Encourage your toddler to smell foods before they taste them.
• Choose a variety of spices for your toddler to smell.

Toddler Activities That Explore the Sense of Taste

Some children are very sensitive to new flavors. Adding activities that explore taste provides fun and prepare your children for new eating experiences. To do so, try the following:

• Let your toddler help you cook.
• If working with hot food makes you nervous, try the following:
• Have your toddler ice cupcakes or cinnamon rolls.
• Let your toddler mix cereal and dried fruit to make Muesli.
• Toddlers love to put their own toppings on their pizza.
• Make smoothies with fresh fruit.
• Have your toddler make their own peanut butter sandwich.
• Choose a variety of finger foods, blindfold your toddler or have them close their eyes tight, have them take small bites, and guess the food.

Toddler Arts and Crafts

Toddlers love arts and crafts and many clever items can be made with simple household items. Try the following with your toddler.

• Paint with yogurt.
• Finger paint.
• Use sticker to make a picture or decorate an empty toilet paper or paper towel tube.
• Make spray paint art by putting water and paint in squirt bottles.
• Cut a potato in half, cut a design on the cut parts, dip in paint, and stamp on paper.
• Help your toddler trace their body and then let them color the picture.
• Mix paint colors and dab them on paper.

Toddler Free Play Exploration

Sometimes toddler simply need to discover things. The following activities, items, and exercises provide free playing opportunities for new experiences. Additionally, they burn off extra energy.

• Give your toddler ribbon and fabric scrapes to play with.
• Let your toddler stick pipe cleaners through holes in a colander and twist them together.
• Tissue paper is fun to tear, scrunch up, and make into balls.
• Give your toddler empty plastic containers with screw top or snapping lids with items to put in them such as pasta or small toys.
• Encourage your toddler to play “music” on pots and pans with a wooden spoon.
• Provide cups and containers for stacking.
• Pouring water from one container to another teaches coordination and the concept of how much a container will hold.
• Provide scrape paper for cutting and tearing.
• Paint or color pictures.
• Make homemade greeting cards.

Indoor Toddler Activities

Toddlers spend a great deal of time indoors and having a variety of activities to keep them busy is imperative. We have an extensive list of enjoyable and educational activities for your little one.

• Build a fort or create a tent using blankets and pillows.
• Work puzzles – simple mazes, dot-to-dot, or jigsaw.
• Use an inflated balloon or small ball and play catch with your toddler.
• Play hide and go seek.
• Make newspaper balls and throw them into a clean waste basket or box.
• Get dressed in older brother’s or sister’s clothing.
• Dance with your toddler.
• Put a hole in the lid of a container and have your toddler drop beans or small toys through the hole.
• Cut a slot in a container lid and drop dried pasta into it.
• Build with blocks and then knock down the structure.
• Play with a flashlight in a dark room.
• Let your toddler stack cans of food.
• Sing with the radio in the car.
• Go into a dark room and play with a flash light.
• Make a tower out of pantry foods.
• Sing songs.
• Use chairs to pretend your toddler is driving or flying an airplane.
• Help fill or empty the dishwasher.
• Put silverware where it belongs.

Toddler Activities in Water

Toddlers love playing in water and getting wet. The outdoor activities in the following list work well on warm spring and summer days. We also added a few water play ideas for inside any time of the year.

• Wade or swim at the beach, in a stream, or at the lake.
• Fill a tub with water and wash small toys.
• Take a long bath.
• Run through the sprinkler.
• Help wash the car.
• Splash in puddles after a rainstorm.

Outdoor Toddler Activities

Fresh air and sunshine provide healthy experiences for your toddler. Make sure the area where they play contains no hazards and, if possible, is fenced. Then let your toddler explore the outdoors and release pent-up energy with these activities.

• Kick a ball around the yard.
• Turn over rocks to look for bugs.
• Run, hop, and skip.
• Go to the park or playground.
• Collect rocks on a walk or shells on the beach.
• Roll in the grass or down a hill.
• Go for a walk and collect shells, leaves, or rocks.

Additional Fun Toddler Activities

Your ever-active toddler loves going places and seeing new things. Educate your toddler while having fun with the following activities:

• Take a trip to one of the following places:
• The library
• A garden center
• The zoo
• The grocery store
• The post office
• A pet store

Many everyday activities provide interest and fun for your growing toddler. For example, teach good communication skills and how to interact with others by letting your toddler talk on the phone to grandparents and others. Below is a list of other tasks your toddler will enjoy.

• Sort laundry.
• Help houseclean – sweep, dust, and mop.
• Water plants inside and outside.
• Empty trash.

You will probably find a few activities your toddler loves and will do for a long time. Our last list of toddler activities include those all toddlers enjoy and will occupy more than a few moments of their time.

• Blow bubbles and try to catch them.
• Play store with empty food cartons and packages.
• Give your toddler old junk mail and let them play office or mail carrier.
• Have your toddler dress up a doll and take it for a walk around the house.
• Make playdough food and cut out shapes with cookie cutters.
• Look through family photo albums.
• Give your toddler dried beans, rice, or pasta shapes to scoop and pour.
• Play with large magnets on the fridge or metal cookie sheet.
• Build a castle or fort from blocks and use tiny toys and dolls to create adventures.

Toddler days are filled with adventure because of the many new and varied experiences of their young lives. Make the most of this time to teach your toddler about the world around them. Have fun!

The post Best Activities for Toddlers (Sensory, Indoor, Outdoor + MORE) appeared first on Icebreaker Ideas.

Summer time and children of all ages are off to go to camp. Summer camp games involve campers and their counselors in activities designed to provide physical exercise; help build leadership skills, independence, and self-esteem; and are fun!

Updated 28/04/2016

When you plan your fun camping games, make sure you remember the following:

• Leaders, facilitators, and/or counselors should participate with the campers and enjoy themselves. Just make they play at the same skill level as the campers to avoid having an unfair or unsafe game.
• Make sure all players have an equal opportunity for success. Rotate leaders, captains, and team composition as needed to provide a quality playing time for all participants.
• Remember that keeping score is not always important. Some games are more fun if there is not an emphasis on winning or losing, but simply having fun and staying active.
• Try reinventing activities by changing rules to adapt them to the age and ability level of players. Additionally, a game can be adapted to make it more interesting. For example, for kickball try running bases backwards, in reverse order, or use balloons instead of a ball.
• Play games at all physical activity levels remembering that every group and day is different. Have game variations for various personalities and weather conditions as well.
• Encourage teamwork, fair play, and sportsmanship by letting players know that games are meant to be fun and should reflect the values of your camp. Set the rules for both physical and less active games, such as, “Only positive comments,” and “No name-calling.”
• Always stop the game while everyone is still having fun, so that campers will want to play the game again.
• To help build leadership skills, independence, and self-esteem, let some of the campers lead games after you explain the rules. Let them choose captains, set boundaries, and arbitrate arguments.

Our selection of camp games includes camp games for kids of every age and ability level. We have active outside games and those played indoors. Some require preparation and equipment and some can be played anytime and anywhere with no prior preparation required. Read on to find the perfect camp game for your summer fun.

Hide-and-Seek Camping Games

Kids of every age love hide and seek and we have three variations sure to provide fun for your campers. For additional fun, play these games at night. Just make sure you designate an area without any obvious dangers.

Find the Camp Counselors

A fun camping game that works well for ages eight through twelve, the object of this game is to find the hidden counselors. Begin by providing each camper with a pencil and paper. Keep the campers in a specified area until all the counselors hide. After the counselors are hidden, the campers search for them and get signatures from each counselor as they find them. The first camper who gets all the counselor’s signatures wins.

The Good Guys and the Bad Guys

Divide your group of campers into the “good” guys and the “bad” guys. The bad guys hide and the good guys find them, arrest them, and bring them to “The Jail,” a predesignated location. When all the bad guys are in jail, the players change places and play starts again.

Sardines

An “opposite” hide-and-seek game, only one person hides. The other players search for the hidden camper and remain hidden with them when they find them. The loser is the player left when all the others have hidden. The loser becomes the next person to hide.

Team Camp Games

Competition between teams creates a great deal of camp fun. The team with the most points wins in each of these games. One of our team camp games works for more than two teams.

Balloon Basketball

Set up two rows of chairs approximately three feet apart. (No chairs? No problem. Just have the campers sit in a row on the ground or floor.) Assign each team a basket at one end of the facing rows. Divide your group into two teams and have them sit alternating the players from the two teams. Place a large basket, box, or clean waste container at each end of the facing rows. The object is to bat a balloon down the “court” and score a basket. If a player hits the balloon out of bounds, the leader awards the other team the ball to begin play again. Set either a time for play or a score to be reached for winning.

Capture the Flag

A popular children’s game great for camping, the object of this active game is to capture the other team’s flag. Divide your group into two teams. Designate a play area. Each team hides their flag on one side of the playing area. Teams attempt to find the other team’s flag. At the same time, team members must keep from being tag by members of the opposing team. If they are tagged, they go to “jail,” a designated area on the opposing team’s side. They only get out of jail if someone on their team manages to get to them without being tagged. The game ends when the time is up or when one team captures the other team’s flag.

Active Camp Games

Blob Tag

A type of reverse tag, the object is to be the last person left untagged. Designate one player to be “It,” and begin tagging the other players. Every time a player is tagged, they link arms with those who have already been tagged. As they do so, a blob of players forms. The person left when all the other players have been tagged and become part of the blob is the winner.

Catch the Cane

For this game, you will need a broomstick, cane, or wooden baseball bat. Give a number to each player without players knowing the number of the other players. Have all your players form a circle around a player in the center. The player in the center of the circle holds the cane, baseball bat, or broomstick, and releases it without warning, while calling out a number. The person assigned the called number runs forward and tries to catch the released object before it hits the floor. If the player succeeds, he becomes the person in the center of the circle.

Camp Ball Games

Bump, Set, Spike

Have your campers form a circle and pass a beach ball or lightweight ball. Players can only touch the ball once in a row. If they touch it twice, they are out. If a player is not able to keep the ball in play, they are out. If a player touches the ball and then the ball hits the ground, they sit in the middle of the circle. If a player spikes the ball, and the players in the middle of the circle catch it, the player who spiked the ball sits in the middle of the circle. The object is to be the last person standing.

Dodgeball Free-For-All

After establishing boundaries for play in a large circle about twenty yards in diameter, throw a single dodgeball in the air. Players must allow the ball to bounce three times, after which any player can grab the ball. Players may only take three steps and then must throw the ball at another player. Anyone hit by the ball is out and must leave the playing field. However, if a player successfully catches a ball thrown at them, the thrower is out. Every time a new player is eliminated, anyone eliminated by them is back in the game. The winner is the player left when everyone else is out. This game can take a very long time. You can shorten it by having those players eliminated permanently out of the game.

Camp Games for Campfires

At the end of the day, campers usually are physically exhausted. Still, campers need evening activities to keep them entertained. Most camps have a pavilion or other outdoor area for gathering at night. The following activities will keep everyone entertained until lights out.

Skits in a Bag

Camp counselors gather items to use as props. Divide the group into teams of four to seven people. Give each team three props and tell them they must develop a skit using them. You may wish to choose a storyline theme for younger campers. Some suggestions are:

• The first day of camp
• The last day of camp
• A time someone was lost
• A bad day at school
• A scary story

Allow the teams 20 minutes to prepare their skits. If you wish, campers can prepare their skits early in the day for performing around the campfire at night.

Action Auction

Each camp cabin or camp group – you can divide your campers into teams if you wish – grabs a pillowcase and for ten minutes, they grab anything they wish that will fit in the pillowcase. Assign a leader or counselor to play auctioneer. The auctioneer asks for an item and any team that has that item gets a point. Additionally, they can use the items in their pillowcase for other requests from the auctioneer, such as:

• smelliest feet
• loudest burp
• silliest giggle
• best animal noise

At the end of the auction, the team with the most points wins a prize such as extra time participating in a favorite activity or free ice cream from the camp canteen.

Act It Out

If your camp does not have a stage, designate an area to serve as one. Campers form teams of three. The campers choose a location for the basis of their skits. Some suggestions are:

• the beach
• another country – must be specified
• the park
• another planet
• the school room
• a kitchen

The team members line up behind one another on one side of the stage. The facilitator says, “Go!” and starts counting to five. The first team takes the stage and acts out an action appropriate to the chosen location. They have fifteen seconds to do so. Camp leaders or counselors try to guess what action appropriate to the chosen location the team is trying to pantomime. If those guessing are correct, the team goes to the end of the line. If the action cannot be guessed, the team is out and must sit down. Teams keep acting out actions. Teams are not allowed to repeat actions. If they do so, they are out. After all teams have taken a turn, campers choose another location and play continues.

Camp Games for Young Children

Most of the games we have listed work for any age. However, the following two games are especially appropriate for younger children.

Push Wars

A fun game to release energy, counselors need to monitor this one closely to ensure safety. Players try to push each other with only their hands touching. Begin by pairing up your campers. Have team members face each other, and place hands on shoulders with arms straight and feet together. When the game begins, players put hands together, palms facing out. Keeping palms touching and feet together, players attempt to get their partner to lose their balance by pushing them with their outstretched arms. Campers must push or not push at just the right time in order to either push their partner over or have their partner lunge forward and fall. The last camper remaining upright wins.

Doggy, Doggy, Where Is Your Bone?

A guessing game that works for very young children, begin this game with your campers standing or sitting in a circle. You will need a prop to serve as a bone. Choose one camper to play the dog and find the bone. The camper playing the dog closes their eyes (or you can blindfold them). The facilitator of the game chooses a person from the circle to sneak up and steal the bone. When this camper does so, they say in a disguised voice, “Doggy, doggy, where is your bone?” After they return to the circle, all the players stand with their hands behind their backs and the camper playing the dog tries to guess who has the bone. Once they guess correctly, the camper who stole the bone becomes the dog.

Summertime is camp time for many children. Increase their fun and create lasting memories with our selection of fun camp games for every age.

Tips for Fun and Effective Camp Games

For camp games to be fun and effective there are some simple rules and guidelines to follow:

• Make sure you choose games where everyone can participate and have fun.
• Choose games that fit the age and ability level of your campers.
• Counselors should participate with the campers.
• Give clear instructions and make sure all participants understand game rules.
• Encourage sportsmanship and discourage name-calling, rough playing, and any other behaviors that may hurt campers physically or emotionally.

Games for Young Campers

Younger campers need games that are safe and provide an opportunity for everyone to participate. Additionally, younger campers build valuable skills such as sharing, taking turns, and good sportsmanship while playing. We have chosen games that are fun, but also provide some personal growth for campers.

Grapes Game

Provide a paper plate for each camper. Place five grapes on each plate and bury them in whipped cream. Players lock their hands behind their backs and attempt to eat all of the grapes on their plates. If you have a great number of campers, have six to eight of them play at once and then have winners in a playoff.

Bug House Building

Kids love bugs. Choose a container – a milk jug with the top cut off makes a good one. If you use a jar, make sure it has holes for air. Keep the bughouse in the shade, not in direct sunlight, which will cook your bugs. The following directions will help you provide a wonderful home for your bugs:

• Put a layer of dirt on the bottom
• Add whatever items will make the bugs feel at home.
• If you found your bugs under leaves, add some leaves.
• Add rocks for the bugs to crawl on, if you think they will like them.
• A twig is a nice addition for some bugs. Just put it in a place where they cannot use it to climb out.
• Add a small dish of water and some food – a small piece of fruit works well.
• Remember to set the bugs free the last day of camp.

Build a Fort

Fort building is fun for kids at home and even more fun at camp. Have the campers build their forts facing each other and they can have mock battles using squirt guns. Follow these instructions for fun, sturdy forts:

• Pick a spot.
• Gather materials for the forts.
• Wood pieces, long sticks, and logs
• Dead branches of all sizes
• Tarp or canvas, if you have one
• String or rope
• If possible, build the forts against a support – a fence, large rock, or tree.
• Level the floor as much as possible.
• Build your fort, using larger materials on the bottom and work your way up to lighter, smaller materials at the top.
• If you have rope available, use it to secure the largest pieces.

If one group of campers collect a great deal more materials than another, collect all and have groups take turns picking out what they need to build their fort.

Fairy or Gnome Houses

Fort building is not for everyone. If you have more sedentary campers or very young campers, try making a home for “fairies” or “gnome.” Collect leaves, rocks, sticks, shells, feathers, and any other items that are small and pretty. Your home should be hidden under a bush or behind rocks to provide fairies or gnomes the privacy they like.

Alphabet Nature Camp Game

Try this game with very young campers in grades two and up. Players must find objects around camp that begin with each letter of the alphabet. The names of objects must be specific. For example, “tree” will not work, but “pine” will. This game can also be played with teams.

Camp Games for Teens

Choosing camp games for teenagers can prove challenging, but if you stick to active games, boredom will be avoided. The following games provide laughter and a bit of a challenge.

Balloon Pop Camp Game

Divide your campers into pairs and provide each couple with an inflated balloon. The goal is to pop the balloon between their bodies without using hands or feet. It may be best to pair boys with boys and girls with girls to avoid embarrassment. The last pair with their balloon still intake wins.

Ambush

Choose a wooded area for this game. Establish a basepoint, and divide the campers into two teams. Provide the first team with something to leave a trail – popcorn or small pieces of paper work well. (The paper must be picked up, however.) The first team sets off into the woods to set up an ambush point. If you do not want to use clues, have them stick to an established trail. The second team waits for five minutes and then sets off to find the first team. When they arrive at the ambush spot, the first team’s members jump out and try to tag all of the members of the second team before they can return to base. Those who are tagged join the first team. When everyone is back at the basepoint, campers switch sides, with team two doing the ambushing. Eventually, all the players should be on the first team. The last player remaining untagged wins.

Yell Out

Gather your teen campers into a circle so that all players can see each other clearly. Have everyone put their heads down and close their eyes while a counselor counts to ten. When the time is up, campers look up and stare at someone. If the person they are staring at is staring back at them, they both let out a loud yell and leave the circle. Those who are not staring at someone who is looking back at them remain in the game. The last two people in the circle win.

Variation:

Instead of having those with shared stares yell, have them call out their names before leaving the circle. This is a good way to help campers learn each other’s names.

Camping Games for Every Age

Some games work no matter what the age and skill level of your campers. This set of games works well at a camp with a wide span of ages.

Obstacle Course

An obstacle course provides a skill challenge for kids. If you wish and have space, you can leave the obstacle course set up for a number of days or for the entire camp session, and campers can attempt to improve their skills and score. You can even include some items to keep the camp area clean and neat.

Using camp items and creativity, your obstacle course can include:

• Collect fifteen pieces of wood and place on the campfire wood pile
• Crawl under a picnic table
• Find 10 pieces of trash and put in the garbage can
• Do so many jumping jacks (vary the amount for age and skill level of campers)
• Hang from a tree branch for 10 seconds
• Walk (or run) around the cabin (tent) twice (or more times if desired)
• Leap frog over a stationary item (something soft)

Scavenger Hunt

Try two different types of scavenger hunts with your campers: 1) take a nature walk and provide a list for campers to check off as they find items, and 2) create a scavenger hunt with parameters for the camp area. The list of items to find varies, but the fun your campers have is guaranteed, no matter which option you choose.

If you are doing the nature-walk scavenger hunt, advise your campers not to pick up their finds, but simply check off their list. Here is a list of items for a scavenger hunt, nature walk:

• bird’s nest
• crawling or flying insect
• wild animal (i.e. deer or squirrel)
• feather
• fish or frog
• flower
• a frog
• toadstool
• pinecone
• slug or snail
• a snake or a worm
• animal tracks
• moss or lichen

For a camp area, scavenger hunt, the items on your list are somewhat dependent upon the size and nature of your campground. Add to this list of items:

• a rock with an unusual shape
• a piece of trash
• a bug
• a worm
• a pinecone or large leaf (dependent upon which is available)
• a snail or snail shell, or a slug

It is a good idea to have campers work in pairs or teams if you have a very large group. Counselors should verify finds before campers check items off their list.

Camp Olympics

All campers will love camp Olympics if you include a variety of skills and allow campers to make a selection based upon ability. A good way to do this is to divide your activities into sets and let campers pick from each set. Give points for the more difficult skills in each set and decide upon the total points necessary for completion for each camper. If you do not have the campers compete for the highest score, the activity becomes one in which a camper is able to excel and feel good about their accomplishment.

Many fun camp activities work for your Olympics. Try the following suggestions:

• Balancing on one leg – give a point for every 10 seconds
• Jump roping
• Long jump
• Relay race
• Shooting basketballs
• Skipping stones
• Swimming competitions
• Tug of war

Hide and Seek

Hide and Seek is so much more fun at camp than it is at home, because there are so many places to hide. A nighttime game is particularly fun. Provide a flashlight for whoever is “It.” You may wish to set as specific area for your game or some hiders may never be found!

Water Balloon Fight

Fun for a particularly hot day, a water balloon fight gets everyone cool and wet. Simply fill balloons with water. Campers can either play alone, or divide your camper into teams and provide each with filled balloons. Whichever team has the driest members when the balloons are all dry wins. Alternatively, if campers are playing as singles, whoever stays dry until the balloons are gone wins the game.

Campfire Games

What would camp be without a campfire? The following activities help make the time around the campfire fun and full of memories.

Campfire Story Contest

Your camp counselors should be able to provide some good stories. Scary ones are fun. Once the counselors have shared, get the kids to make up some stories or tell an old one with a new twist, i.e. Hansel and Gretel where the old woman is nice. When everyone who wishes to participate is through, have the counselors vote on the best kid’s story. Remember, kids love hearing about the “old days” when the adults were their age.

Storytelling Chain

If no one has a story to share, try a story telling chain. Have a counselor begin with a sentence that sets the scene. For example, “One night, not too long ago, right at this camp, something mysterious happened.”

Each camper adds a sentence until the story ends. If the stories are short, encourage the telling of more than one.

Song Fest

If your campers do not know many of the traditional campfire songs, you may need to teach them. Try easy things at first, such as “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” as a round, with singers joining in after each line is sung. For extra fun, add “instruments” such as a can filled with pebbles, pot lids, and “drum sticks” (a long handled spoon) and pans.

Rainy Day Camp Games

The weather does not always cooperate during camp sessions, so be prepared with some indoor and outdoor rainy day games. Try some of the following ideas:

• If the rain is warm and there is no thunder and lightning, play in the rain.
• Make moldable Fluffy Stuff with 2 boxes of cornstarch and 1 can shaving cream (color if desired)
• Watch a movie
• Plan and present skits
• Play board games
• Have an indoor Scavenger Hunt

When the weather is warm and kids are out of school, it is time for camp, and nothing makes camp more fun than good games. Be prepared with camp games for sunny and stormy days and nighttime as well. Use the games in this article for every camp situation, age group, and level of ability. Pick a camp game and have fun!

The post 30+ Fun Camping Games for Kids & Teens appeared first on Icebreaker Ideas.

Schools always need additional funds for programs, equipment, and supplies. Fund raising helps schools provide the educational needs for their pupils. However, a school fundraiser is only successful if money is actually raised. In order for your school fundraiser to be successful, there are some steps to take before you begin.

Before you Begin

• Analyse the composition of your student body. Some fundraisers work better for younger children than for older students.
• Assess the size of fundraiser you wish to host. Some school do better with frequent small fundraisers, and some with one or two large events each year.
• Determine if you will have parents participate. Some fundraisers are only successful if you have multiple volunteers and if the majority of your parents work fulltime, finding enough parents to plan and host a fundraiser may not be feasible.
• Look at the location of your school – the climate, geography, and weather. For example, having a car wash in the winter is not advisable.
• Make up a calendar for your school fundraisers. Some you will wish to repeat weekly, some monthly, and some only once each school year.
• Determine which fundraisers work well for your school. Eliminate those that do not work and replace them with others.
• Get the word out. Fundraisers are only successful if the school population – students and parents – and the community knows about them.
• Pre-planning is a necessity. Many fundraisers fail because of poor planning.
• Check to see if there is local competition for the fundraiser, which you are considering. One private school set the date for a major food fundraiser when the public schools were holding a similar one. Needless to say, participation was not what they had hoped.
• Just because a fundraiser works for one school does not mean it will work for all schools. Look at the cultural and social climate. Having a heritage day will not work if your school has a limited number of ethnic groups represented. Big city school fundraisers have different requirements than small town school fundraisers.

Schools with successful fundraisers involve everybody so that the responsibilities are shared. If funds are provided for multiple needs, people want to help as they are receiving the benefits from their efforts. Additionally, some school areas, such as the school canteen and sports programs are able to be self-supporting or have extra funds for improving their programs by using fundraisers. Determine ahead of time for each fundraiser which school group will be involved and who will get the funds. Some schools make the mistake of not distributing funds raised in a way that makes those participating feel they are benefiting from their efforts.

This article presents fundraisers that have worked for other schools. We have some that should be scheduled each day, some for weekly events, some for certain times of the year, some that are easy and some which take more planning.

Holiday Fundraisers

Holidays provide the perfect opportunity for a school fundraiser, as people are often busy and need to obtain holiday items quickly and easily. Additionally, many holidays emphasize giving, so finding a product others can give as a gift is a perfect fundraising idea.

Halloween Fundraisers

Halloween is the first holiday celebration of the school year and one with multiple opportunities for your school to raise funds. In addition to the major fundraisers listed below, consider the following:

• Mum sales
• Pumpkin pie or pumpkin bread sales
• Candy sales
• Halloween carnival
• Halloween costume contest

Haunted House Fundraiser

A haunted house fundraiser works particularly well if you are in an area where there are not many offered or if yours will cater to younger children. Many of the commercially operated haunted houses are too scary for young children. If you have the space available, consider two haunted houses, one for younger children and one for teenagers.

Set up the cafeteria, auditorium, or other large area as your haunted house. Use a mixture of funny and scary works well. Make a haunted house out of your school’s gymnasium or cafeteria. A mixture of spooky and goofy is always a good combination, and the ratio here depends on the age group of students who plan to attend. You could even have two separate sections, one for younger kids and one for high schoolers depending on how much space you have to work with.

Teachers and parents can dress up in scary costumes and you can have “guides,” in costume, to take the visitors through the house and add some narration to the visit.

It is best to pre-sell tickets for one amount – $5 works well – and charge more ($7) at the door.

Pumpkin Fundraiser

Almost everyone buys a pumpkin at Halloween and many families with more than one child buy multiple pumpkins. This provides your school with a perfect fundraising opportunity. You may be able to find a local pumpkin patch willing to sell pumpkins in bulk. Set up your pumpkin sale for one weekend prior to Halloween or for several days of one week. If you wish, you can offer pre-ordering, which will give you an idea how many to order the first year. Selling pumpkins can be a very successful annual fundraiser for your school.

Christmas Fundraisers

At Christmas, people spend money on gifts, home décor, and preparation and you can take advantage of this with a Christmas fundraiser. Start in early November advertising your Christmas fundraisers in order to give everyone ample time to take advantage of your offers.

Gift Wrapping Fundraiser

Many people lack the time and skill to wrap an attractive package. Many schools have an annual gift-wrapping fundraiser. A few things to remember if you chose this method of raising funds for your school are:

• Those wrapping gifts must have some training in how to do so.
• Packages must be labelled with contents so that they are not mixed up. A good way to do this is with a gift tag with the item or the person for whom the present is for written in pencil on the back.
• Decide if you are going to charge by size or the choice of paper and ribbon used.
• Consider using prepared boxes and bows to decrease the amount of time required to wrap presents.
• Determine if you will offer your gift-wrapping service to students, faculty members, people in the community, or parents.
• Advertise your gift-wrapping service ahead of time in school bulletins, online, and with flyers.

Christmas Trees or Holiday Wreaths Fundraisers

Depending on your location, you may be able to find a local provider willing to sell a bulk number of trees and wreaths for you fundraisers. Place your order in the fall to make sure you get timely delivery. A portion of the school grounds or parking area can serve as a lot for Christmas trees. Pre-orders work well is you do not have room for storing and displaying trees and wreaths.

Valentine’s Day Fundraiser

Flowers

For a week or two before Valentine’s Day, have students set up a table before school, after school, and at lunchtime to take pre-orders for Valentine’s Day flowers. Charge a reasonable price, such as $2 or less for each flower. Have available pre-made gift tags of construction paper hearts in red, white, and pink or a color to match the flowers you are selling. The purchaser writes who the flower is going to (Double check this as small children may get confused and put their own name!), a short message, and their own name unless they want to be anonymous.

Obtain flowers from a local florist willing to give you a discount for a bulk order, or purchase bouquets and separate the flowers into single blooms. On Valentine’s Day, have the flowers delivered to the purchasers the last period of the day. Make sure you let parents know they can purchase flowers for their children.

Variation: Purchase large lollipops instead of flowers

Seasonal Fundraisers

Some school fundraisers are suitable for a particular time of the year. Many of those listed work well as ongoing fundraisers done every year.

Fall Fundraisers

When school first begins, there are a number of fundraisers that provide students and parents with items that are useful. It will take some pre-planning and work during the summer months, but the time spent is well worth it.

School Calendar Fundraiser

Two options exist for your school calendar fundraiser.

#1 A Calendar That Covers the School Year

Although most schools post their calendar online, a calendar that a family can hang on a wall or the front of the refrigerator is particularly desirable and provides an excellent fundraiser for a school. You want to include all school holidays, sporting events, and, of course, planned fundraisers.

#2 A Calendar Sold at Christmas Time for Twelve Months of the Coming Year

If you do not think your parents will respond well to the provision of a school calendar, consider selling a calendar for the upcoming year at Christmas time. This calendar will not only be for parents of the school, but can also be sold in the community. You can use artwork the students have produce for each month or photographs of students participating in school activities.

Whichever type of calendar you choose, you can either create your own or find an on-line provider.

School Decal Fundraiser

Selling school decals for cars offer three benefits for your school: 1) School decals advertise your school, 2) School decals allow students and parents a way to represent their child’s school or participation in a specific activity, and 3) Selling school decals raises money. Create your decals with the school name or mascot. If your school is large, consider decals for sports teams and clubs. Make sure you offer decals to high school students when they begin driving and to parents of children enrolling throughout the school year.

Winter Fundraiser

Chili or Soup Cook-Off Fundraiser         

When the weather gets cold, everyone loves a nice hot bowl of chili, soup, or stew. A cook-off is a perfect cold weather fundraiser. You can earn funds in a number of ways:

• Charge attendees of the cook-off, who try different samples, and have them vote on which ones they like the best.
• Charge those who cook the food attendees sample and award a special prize to the one voted best.
• After attendees sample and vote, charge for a larger bowl of their choice.
• Combine one or more of the previous three suggestions.

Award either a door prize or a prize for the cook voted the best. Gift certificates to a local store work well. If you have a very large school, you may wish to limit the number of participants providing soup or chili to a reasonable number.  A small school may wish to have extra pots if you have more attendees than chili, soup, or stew.

Spring Fundraisers

Car washes for fundraising have been around for years because they work. Sometimes a business will allow students to use their parking lot on a main street to generate interest in the car wash and their store. You can also hold the car wash in the school parking lot.

Yard Sale

When spring comes, families put away winter clothes and get out clothing for warmer weather, frequently disposing of items not worn, outgrown, or no longer needed, creating a perfect reason for a yard sale. Your school can generate funds and help families get rid of no-longer needed items by hosting a large garage sale with all proceeds going to the school. Donate anything not sold to a local charity.

Low-Cost, Quick, and Easy School Fundraisers

Hat Day Fundraiser

School kids love to wear hats, but school dress codes forbid them. Hat day is a simple fundraiser to put on semi-monthly. Simply charge $1 for the privilege of wearing a hat. Adhere small stickers indicate students have paid to the inside of the hat or on the back.

Fish Tank Fundraiser

Have a fish tank centrally located for students and teachers to drop in their spare change. Make the fundraiser competitive by placing small fish bowls in classrooms and seeing which class can fill theirs the fastest.

Jellybean Count Fundraiser

An easy fundraiser that always works well, the winner receives a jar full of jellybeans. Place a bowl full of jellybeans or other small candies in a high traffic area. Allow students a week to guess how many jellybeans are in the jar. The winner is the student with the closest number to the actual count.

We have not shared all of the ideas for raising funds in this article, but you will find enough ideas to generate funds for your school, whether it is large or small. Getting parents and family members involved through fund raising helps them feel part of the students learning. Remember to thank participants. Also, repeat those fundraisers that are successful and replace those that are not with others. Fundraisers can add both the finances and fun to your students’ school.

The post Easy & Unique School Fundraising Ideas appeared first on Icebreaker Ideas.

When friends get together, it can be a challenge to find a game that everyone will enjoy. Unfortunately, what sometimes happens is that each person pulls out an electronic gadget and does their own thing. This article provides multiple ideas for fun games to play with friends inside and outside, on a sunny day and when it is cold or rainy, and with a just one or two friends or a large group. Use these games at parties, sleepovers – any time you get together with your friends.

Fun Games to Play with Friends Outside

Capture the Flag

An active and engaging game, capture the flag remains a kids’ favorite. Divide your group into two teams. Each team defends their “flag,” which can be any object while trying to copy the other team’s flag. If a player gets tagged by a member of the opposing team, they are either out of the game, or you can decide that person is frozen until tagged by a member of their own team. The teams that captures the flag wins the game.

Obstacle Course

Set up an obstacle course outside with common yard objects, such as lawn chairs, garden hoses, and picnic tables. Have players walk, jump, hop, etc. while running the course. Keep track of completion times and see who completes the course the fastest.

Freeze Tag

Freeze tag takes a lot of energy and works best for a large group. The person who is “It” tags the other players at which point they are frozen and can only be unfrozen when tagged by someone else. You can also play music while the game is being played and everyone must freeze when the music stops.
Alternatively, someone must go between the legs of a frozen player to unfreeze them. For a very large group have more than one person be “It.”

Scavenger Hunt

Keep some small items from your local dollar store on hand for a backyard, scavenger hunt. Hide the items making a list of where they are located so you can make sure all are found. Provide the players a list of items with hints, such as, “Small, green, and has wheels” (a toy car) or “Round and red” (a small bouncy ball). The player who finds the most items wins the game. For a larger group, pair up the players or divide players into teams.

Ball Bopping

Purchase inexpensive inflatable balls for this game. Use at least three, but you can use more if you wish. The object of the game is to keep the balls in the air. To do so, players may use any part of the body. However, they cannot hang on to the ball. Players scatter over the playing area and a ball is tossed into the air. The objective is to keep the ball in the air using any part of the body. Count how many times the balls hit the ground during a five-minute period of play. Each round, have the players try to have fewer misses.

Variation: Use balloons instead of balls.

Tug of War

The best Tug of War games occur when teams are evenly matched, not necessarily in age or size, but in ability of the entire team. You may find you must have ten smaller children on one end and five large kids on the other. Your game will last longer and be more fun with a bit of preparation.

Balloon Stomp

An outdoor game kids never seem to tire of, balloon stomp, as the name implies, has as its object to stomp on the balloons attached to the ankles of the other players and pop them. Players may not touch the balloons with their hands or the grab the other players. Begin with enough inflated balloons for each player. Play fast music if you wish to set the tone of the game. The last person with an intact balloon wins the game. Blow up enough balloons to play several rounds if you want the game to last longer.

Relay Races

With the many varieties of relay races available, kids can play them for hours. Relay races foster teamwork, satisfy a desire for competition, and are great fun. Try one of the following kinds:

• Relay race with hardboiled eggs – team members are out when their egg drops.
• Simple tag relay races where the object is running fast.
• Dress up relay races – team members must dress and undress for each turn.
• Water bucket relay races – team members fill empty buckets on each turn and the team with the most water left at the end of the race wins.

Fun Warm Weather Games to Play with Friends That Use Water

Related article: 25+ Swimming Pool and Water Games

Water Balloon Toss

Form your group of kids into two teams and have them toss water balloons back and forth. The team with their balloon(s) left at the end of the game is the winner.

Sprinkler Tag

Tag is always fun and on a hot day, the addition of a sprinkler makes it even more so. In addition, it keeps everyone cool! Simply set up two garden sprinklers and you are ready to play. Divide the kids into two teams. Set a safe zone where players cannot be tagged and an out zone where tagged players must wait. The team with the most players left at the end of a set time wins.

Variation: Play Freeze Tag as Sprinkler Tag

Fun Games to Play with Friends Inside

Paper-Bag Skits

Fill paper balls with items such as a piece of jewelry, a ribbon, a shoe, or a glove. Divide the kids into groups of three or four and give each a bag filled with at least five items. Allow ten to fifteen minutes to create a short play or skit using the props in the bag. When the kids are ready, they present their skit to the rest of the group.

Board Game Tournament

Simply pull out all the board games, set up play areas, and have a tournament with winners playing with winners. Alternatively, number the players and have all those with the same number play against each other and then mix the numbers up so everyone gets to play the games with different people.

Play board games. Drag out the Scrabble or the Yahtzee. You can hang out and play all sorts of games with large groups or small ones. Hold a tournament and compete against each other.

Group Storytime Game

Have all of your friends sit in a circle. Quickly write nouns down on slips of paper, one for each player, fold them up, and pass them out. Take turns incorporating the word each person has into a story. Give each person one minute for their part of the story. Some stories are really funny when told this way.

Watch Classic TV Shows

Ask an adult what TV shows they enjoyed when they were young and watch some on-line. Shows such as My Favorite Martian, Lucy, ALF, and Get Smart have some funny episodes.

Make Paper Airplanes

Provide paper, and markers or crayons for coloring. Look on-line for clever ways to fold paper airplanes. Then fly them and have contest to see whose plane goes the highest, fastest, straightest, etc.

Rock, Paper, Scissors

Have your friends find a partner and play Rock, Paper, Scissors. “Rock” is a fist, “Paper” is a flat hand, and “Scissors” uses the pointer and middle fingers like scissors. Players make a fist and shake it three times then choose either rock, paper, or scissors. Rock breaks scissors, scissors cut paper, and paper covers rock. Choose either three or five turns and whoever wins the most turns gets the first turn in a game or wins the competition.

Video Game Tournament

If your friends do not like board games, set up a video game tournament instead. Or set up the electronic game player and bowl, dance, or play music, whatever you and your friends enjoy.

Jacks

Jacks is a very old American game originally played with stones. You and your friends can either play with stones or purchase jacks at a local dollar store. A jacks set includes six metal jacks, each with six points and a small ball. If you are playing with a ball, you bounce the ball and pick up jacks. If you are using stones, toss the stone in the air and catch it.

You can play jacks with one friend or many. Players take turns seeing how many jacks (stones) they can pick up. The following directions use a ball, but you can play the same with a stone, except instead of “bouncing” you will be tossing and catching.

1. The first player tosses the small ball into the air, scatters the jacks from their other hand, and catches the ball after one bounce. Hopefully the jacks are not too far apart or too close. However they land, the player must play with them as they are.
2. When you are playing, you must pick up the jacks and catch the ball with the same hand.
3. A player can only touch the jacks they are picking up. If the player moves or touches a jack he is not picking up, his turn is over.
4. A player only receives one try and if a mistake is make, the next player takes their turn.
5. A turn must be repeated when a player makes a mistake and loses a turn.

Playing One Through Six Jacks

Players take turns attempting to be the first to pick up one jack, then two jacks, then three, etc. The first player must pick up all six jacks, one at a time. This player continues with “twosies,” “threesies,” etc. until they have managed to pick up all of the jacks all the way through “sixsies.” Remember, if the player messes up, or moves or touches a jack they are not picking up, the next player gets to take a turn. When a player loses a turn, they must start over. For example, if a player misses picking up five jacks at once, when their turn comes again, they must start on “fivesies” again.

• Onesies. A player bounces the ball while picking up one jack, then transfers the jack to the other hand and continues picking up one at a time until all are picked up successfully.
• Twosies. A player bounces the ball while picking up two jacks, transfers the jacks to the other hand, and repeats two more times until all six jacks are picked up.
• Threesies. A player picks up three jacks at a time and transfers them to the other hand, still on one bounce for each three.
• Foursies. A player picks up four jacks while bouncing a ball once, and then picks up the remaining two jacks with another bounce.
• Fivesies. A player picks up five jacks, and then the remaining jack.
• Sixsies. A player bounces the ball and picks up all six jacks at once.

How to Win Jacks

The player that manages to work their way to the end and picks up all six jacks on one bounce wins. Alternatively, even if it takes multiple turns for all players, the first person to pick up six jacks successfully wins.

Variations:

• No Bounces. Pick up the jacks same as above, but fast enough the ball does not bounce – you catch it instead.
• Berries in a Basket. Cup one hand, throw the ball with the other hand, and place the jacks in the cupped hand.
• Double Bounces. A variation that works well for children with small hands, the ball bounces twice while the jacks are being picked up.
• Switch-up. Switch your hands to opposite from the one you normally throw the ball with. If you usually throw left handed, throw right handed; if you usually throw right handed, throw left handed.

Try any of the games we have listed next time your friends come over. Or, get on the phone and invite your friends over right now. With our collection of fun games to play with friends, you will never be bored!

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