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STOP THE BUS
You will need: pens; paper; a timer
This game is suitable for children and young people who are confident readers and writers (or it can be done in pairs if someone needs extra help).
Hand out the pens and paper and ask everyone to draw a five by five grid. Above the grid write a five-letter word, one letter for each column (eg B A N K S). There must not be any letters repeated. Down the side of the grid you must think of five categories for each row (eg birds, girls’ names, cars). You can either do this as a group or have prepared categories.
Each player must fill the boxes with a word that fits into the category and begins with that letter (eg B – birds = blackbird). Set a timer, depending on how quick you think your group will need. If someone completes their grid before the time is up, they must shout: “Stop the bus” and everyone must stop writing.
Valid answers receive one point. Unique answers receive two points. Blank boxes or incorrect answers receive 0 points. The player with the most points wins!
If you don’t have much time you can have a smaller grid, or expand your grid with an abundance of categories if you have lots of time.
DICTIONARY CORNER
You will need: a dictionary; pens; paper
This game is suitable for young people aged 12 and up.
Choose someone to find an obscure word in the dictionary that the group are unlikely to know and write its definition on a piece of paper. Everyone else must write down a made-up definition for the word. The person who chose the word gathers all the definitions and reads them out, including the real one. People must vote on which definition they think is the correct one. Points are awarded for having votes for your definition and for guessing the correct definition.
FAMOUS FRIENDS
Sit in a circle and start a slow clap beat. When ready, say a famous person’s name to the beat. The next person must say a famous person whose first name starts with the last initial of the previous person (eg Harry Kane – Keira Knightley). If the first name and last name starts with the same initial the direction of play reverses. If someone cannot think of a name within the beat, they are out. Or if you want to be a bit kinder, two beats. Each time someone gets out, the beat gets faster. Play until one person is left the winner!
An alternative version is to choose one name and the group must think of as many people they can with that name (eg famous Davids).
ANAGRAMS
You will need: pens; paper; a timer
Write out a word or a jumble of letters. Set a timer for a suitable length of time. The children and young people must make as many words as possible out of the letters provided. Award more points for longer words.
For little ones just learning to read and write, use magnetic letters or large printed letters that the children can move around themselves.
This can be made as easy or as hard as you’d like by increasing or reducing the number of letters. You can even use a themed word or phrase to introduce your session.
RAP OFF
Sit in a circle and get a clapped beat going. Start off the first line of a rap or poem. It can be completely random or themed (eg a rap about the plagues of Egypt). The next person continues the rap with one sentence which must rhyme. Keep going around until someone can’t think of any. To make it trickier speed up the beat.
Holy Trinity Brompton’s youth and children’s teams.
