Q: How do you create a successful youth group?

A: Create friendships between the kids in the program and create them fast

These 25 icebreaker games are perfect for helping your youth group get to know each other and build community ASAP!

Outdoor Icebreaker Games

These outdoor youth group games are a blast!

The added benefit of outdoor icebreakers for youth groups is that the kids get their energy out! Now they'll be a little more settled down during the lesson.

Capture the Flag

This is a great outdoor game because you don't need a large field to play. Create two groups, each with its own flag and territory. The objective is for teams to infiltrate the opposing team's territory, capture their flag, and bring it back to their own territory without being tagged by opponents. The team that successfully captures the flag wins.

Ultimate Frisbee

Form two teams and set up end zones at each end of the playing field. Players score points by passing the frisbee to teammates and catching it in the opposing team's end zone. However, they can't run with the frisbee, so teamwork and quick passes are essential.

Sardines

This is my favorite ice breaker activity for youth group!

It's a reverse hide-and-seek game where one person hides while everyone else seeks. Once someone finds the hider, they hide with them until the last person finds them all.

The kids will spend lots of time together without even realizing it and the size of the hiding group gets hilariously big by the time the last person finds them!

Three-Legged Race

Pair up participants and have them tie one of their legs together. Then, designate a start and finish line.

The pairs must race from the start to the finish line, hopping or running while keeping their legs tied together. The first pair to cross the finish line wins.

Tug of War

Divide your group into two teams and give each team an end of a long rope. Make sure there's a clear marker in the center of the rope. The teams then try to pull the rope in their direction. The team that manages to pull the marker past a designated line wins.

Indoor Games to Break the Ice

Indoor ice breaker games for youth groups are a great way to get kids to interact with each other. These games work well if:

• The weather doesn't allow you to play outdoor games
• Your church doesn't have the space for outdoor games
• You don't have enough time to guide the kids outside and back inside

Charades

Write down various actions, objects, or phrases on pieces of paper and put them in a bowl. Players take turns drawing a piece of paper and silently acting out what's written on it while the rest of the group tries to guess.

The sillier the prompts, the better! This game is good if you have kids who like to act up and be goofy. They'll have the kids rolling with laughter by the time it's over.

Pictionary

Divide the group into two teams. Have one player from each team come to the front and secretly select a word or phrase from a predetermined list. They then draw clues on a whiteboard or piece of paper while their team tries to guess what it is within a time limit.

Indoor Scavenger Hunt

Create a list of items for players to find around the house or church building within a set time limit. Participants must search the designated area to find and collect as many items as they can within the time limit.

I love this game because it doubles as a way to help new kids get more familiar with the church building. They'll feel a lot more at home when it's over.

Two Truths and a Lie

We can't have a list of icebreaker games without including this one. It's a classic youth group icebreaker game!

Have each child share three things about themselves. Two must be true, but one must be a lie. The group has to try to guess which one is the lie.

This one is great because it gets kids to open up about themselves and forces everyone to focus on what they know about that kid to guess what's true and what isn't.

Water-Based Games

I'll never forget all the fun times I had getting soaked at youth group on hot summer evenings. These games are the best youth ministry ice breakers, hands down.

It'll be hard for the kids to not have fun and grow closer together when they're dripping wet!

Water Balloon Toss

Pair up participants and give each pair a water balloon. Partners stand facing each other and toss the balloon back and forth. After each successful catch, partners take a step backward. The pair that manages to toss the balloon the farthest without breaking it wins.

Drip, Drip, Splash

Similar to "Duck, Duck, Goose," but with a wet twist. Participants sit in a circle, and one person walks around the circle with a sponge or cup of water, dripping water onto each player's head while saying "drip."

Eventually, they choose someone to "splash" by pouring the remaining water on them, who then becomes the next dripper.

Watermelon Relay

Divide the group into teams and give each team a watermelon. Each player must carry the watermelon from the starting line to the finish line and back, passing it to the next player without using their hands. The first team to have all players complete the relay wins.

Water Limbo

Set up a water hose or stream of water as the limbo bar. Players take turns bending backward and trying to pass under the bar without getting wet. Gradually lower the bar after each successful round. The player who can limbo the lowest without getting wet wins.

Towel Ball

This one was my favorite game growing up in youth group. Think of this game like volleyball but with water balloons.

Divide the group into two teams. If you have a volleyball court outside, use that. If not, mark out a large rectangle with a line in the middle dividing the court. Have everyone on each team find a partner and hand each pair a towel and have each pair hold the towel between each other.

The point of the game is for the kids to use the towel to toss a water balloon to the other team. If a team allows the water balloon to hit the ground or burst, the other team gets a point. The first team to 21 points wins!

Sponge Soak-Up

Fill one bucket with water and leave another empty. Divide the group into teams and give each team a sponge. Players must soak up water from the full bucket and race to squeeze it out into the empty bucket. The team that transfers the most water within a time limit wins.

Tasty Icebreaker Games That Involve Candy

Who doesn't love candy?!

Kids love these games because they get something sweet at the end. These are a guaranteed hit at your next Wednesday night youth group.

Candy Bar Bingo

Create bingo cards with different candy bar names instead of numbers. Call out candy bar names randomly, and players mark them off on their cards. The first player to get a full row or column shouts "Bingo!" and wins a prize.

Candy Land Relay

Set up a relay race with stations representing different "lands" (e.g., Chocolate Land, Gumdrop Land). At each station, participants must complete a challenge or task to earn a piece of candy before moving on to the next land.

Candy Guessing Game

Fill a jar with a specific type of candy and have participants guess how many pieces are in the jar. Provide slips of paper for participants to write down their guesses. The person with the closest guess wins the jar of candy.

Candy Corn Relay

Divide the group into teams and set up a relay course. Participants must carry a candy corn on a spoon held in their mouth from one end of the course to the other. If they drop the candy corn, they must return to the starting line and try again.

Candy Wrapper Game

Have participants bring in candy wrappers and use them to create a collage or artwork on a large piece of paper or poster board. Encourage creativity and provide additional art supplies if needed. Award prizes for the most creative designs.

Fun Icebreaker Card Games

Card games are great for smaller groups of kids. If you don't have a large enough group for some of the games above, card games are a great option for quick and easy games that provide a lot of fun!

Spoons

Place one fewer spoon in the center of the playing area than the number of players. Deal four cards to each player. The goal is to collect four of a kind. Players take turns passing cards to the left while trying to collect the right combination. When a player gets four of a kind, they quietly take a spoon. The sneakier they are, the funnier the game gets!

Once one spoon is taken, everyone else tries to grab one. The player left without a spoon is out.

Card Tower Challenge

Give each participant a deck of cards and challenge them to build the tallest card tower they can within a set time limit. Participants can stack cards on top of each other to create their tower. The tallest tower that can stand on its own wins.

War

Shuffle a deck of cards and deal them evenly among the players. Each player flips over the top card of their deck at the same time. The player with the highest card wins and the other players must hand over their car. The winner adds them to the bottom of their deck and everyone goes another round.

If two players tie with the same card value, it's a "war." They each place three cards face down, then flip the fourth card. The player with the highest card wins all cards in play.

Crazy Eights

Deal five cards to each player. The rest of the deck forms a draw pile, with the top card flipped over to start the discard pile.

Players take turns matching the top card of the discard pile either by number or suit. If they can't play a card, they must draw from the draw pile. The first player to get rid of all their cards wins.

Go Fish

Deal five cards to each player and place the rest of the deck face down in the center. On their turn, players ask another player if they have a specific card (e.g., "Do you have any fours?"). If the other player has the card, they must give it to them. If not, they say "Go fish," and the player must draw a card from the deck.

The game continues until all sets of four cards have been collected. The player with the most sets wins.

Hilarious Icebreaker Questions

We have an entire post dedicated to silly get-to-know-you questions to help your kids get more familiar with each other while laughing and having a blast at the same time.

Check out our Top 100 Youth Group Icebreaker Questions post for more great ideas for your youth group.

Need More Youth Group Games and Activities?

Check out our other articles for more ideas for your youth group:

• 15 Fun Outdoor Youth Group Activities for Everyone
• 23 Super-Soaked Youth Group Water Games
• 15 Fun and Easy Indoor Youth Group Activities
• 33 Impactful Service Projects for Youth Groups

Have Fun With These Icebreaker Games for Youth Group

These icebreaker games for youth groups are sure to add excitement and laughter to your youth group gatherings. Most of all, they'll help the kids grow closer and build the friendships that will help them grow deeper roots in your church.

Have fun, and remember to encourage teamwork and sportsmanship!

Matt Church Engagement