Cereal box game
Probably the best, but most dangerous use of an empty cereal box.
15 mins
All you require for this game is an empty cereal box, a pair of scissors, and a set of young people who are willing to risk the future of their spines in order to win a game. In other words three things that are in plentiful supply in most places with teenagers. (Except for the scissors - try the Sunday school cupboard.) The game centres on the task of picking up the cereal box, from the floor, using only your mouth. So far, so easy. However the key rule is that only feet are allowed to touch the ground; if anything else does, accidentally or intentionally, that person is out.
The best way to play the game is to get the group sitting in a circle with the cereal box in the middle. Go around the circle with each individual taking a turn to attempt to pick up the cereal box using their mouth (teeth/ lips/whatever). On the first go be generous with any who are struggling, allow multiple attempts if you are the generous sort. Once everyone has completed the task, take up the scissors and cut off the top 5cm of the cereal box, leaving it still intact with a flat and attached bottom, but significantly shorter. Proceed around the circle again, this time eliminating people who fail. At the end of the round cut another strip off the cereal box, and repeat. Gradually as you eliminate players, and the top of the box gets closer and closer to the ground, you will discover your players have freakish abilities and bend in ways that you no longer can. Keep going until you have a winner. I have seen the ‘box’ being picked up legitimately when all it consisted of was the flat bottom with no edges/sides left, in which case declare anyone who can do that joint winners. (And then invest in the services of a youth-group osteopath.)
Chair noughts and crosses
A game in which young people are mere pawns in a bigger game. Like the economy, eh? #satire
10 mins
An even simpler game, for which all you need is nine chairs, set out in a three by three grid. Divide your group into two teams of, ideally, five players. If you have many more than that, you could get a couple of games going simultaneously, or run it as a tournament so each team plays each other. Each team takes it in turn for one of its players to sit in one of the nine seats, with the aim to get a line of three players from the same team (as in noughts and crosses). The tricky thing is of course remembering who is on which team, so keep a close eye on which team is the first to achieve this. Play a number of times (e.g. best of five games) and ensure that the players take it in turns to go first on each team, so that the same player doesn’t always get stuck missing their go at the end.
Spoons
An ostensibly calm card game which can develop into a massively competitive, borderline violent event – you have been warned!
15 mins
You need one less spoon than you have players, and a set of four equally valued cards for each player (i.e. four aces, four two’s... etc.). Due to the limitations of the standard pack of cards this game is normally only playable for up to 13 players, although you can play with more if you have a variety of other valued cards or equivalent.
Get your players seated in a circle, ideally around a table, or failing that an open space on the floor that is equally accessible to each player, placing the spoons in the middle of the group. Take all the sets of four cards, combine and shuffle well, and then deal them out, four per player. When everyone has their cards, to start the game you as leader simply say, ‘Pass’ at which point each player selects one of their cards and passes it to the player on their left. You then continue by repeating this passing process until someone achieves the goal of collecting a set of four cards of the same value. As soon as someone does so they simply pick up one of the spoons, at which point everyone else needs to grab for a spoon in an effort not to be the only person left without a spoon.
Whoever it is who is left spoon-less receives a letter in the sequence S-P-O-O-N. Once the letter has been allocated, replace the spoons, and gather up the cards, shuffle and deal out again, repeating the whole process. Once a player has collected all five letters they are eliminated from the game, and a spoon and set of cards are removed from the game. If any player picks up a spoon when no-one has a set of four identical cards they receive a letter. Bluffing is allowed, and a fake grab for a spoon (without actually touching them) can cause other players to fall for it, and grab one themselves. Keep repeating until you find a winner.
Cup pick-up
Like a blindfolded, hilarious fairground grabber.
5 mins
This is less of a competitive game, but more of an exercise of skill and memory. Get everyone standing in a circle with a plastic cup (empty) in the middle. Get everyone to look at the cup, and then pick one volunteer to close their eyes and, without opening them, walk forward and pick up the cup. No peeking is allowed, and nor is any vague sweeping of the hands! Allow other people to take a turn. If they develop skills in this area, try using a variety of objects - be inspired by what you have lying round, but things like footballs can present a real challenge.
