Youth Group Game
I always try to introduce a new game from time to time. Most weeks really, because if the vocal kids in our youth group had their way, we’d play the same few games every week, which actually is fine with me because it makes life a bit simpler. But, it’s never good to just do the same thing over, and over, and over, whether it’s eating the same lunch every single day, listening to the same song every day (which radio stations and kids do these days and that’s why songs that were massively popular two months ago are lame now), dance the same dance moves,* or games.
Also, I should warn that lots, I mean, lots of new games have failed miserably. To the point that now our scheudle is 1) New games 2) Old games 3) Break 4) Lesson 5) Prayer or something like that, in general. This one worked well.
Last night we played, “The Smuggler,” which was an adapted version of a game I played growing up at camp. Depending on your church layout, the difficulty can vary, if you have lots of dead ends and narrow hallways it will make it a bit more challenging. The ideal is having at least two ways in an out of places, especially where the bank is located. Playing at night, so you can really sneak around might help, but I think the ideal would be to play it outside, in a simlar setting as say capture the flag. Anyway, if you’re looking for a new-ish game to try out, here you go.
Object:
To smuggle money from your Headquarters to your Bank, which is in enemy territory. Winner is the team that smuggles more money than the other team.
Materials:
- A tube sock for each player, worn in the waist band like a flag football flag (for simple, less set up version, you can also just have the kids hold the coin or out in pocket and play you are capture if you get tagged
- Team colored shirt or head band (optional)
- Money (printed money on colored paper works or poker chips or something) in varying value amounts and different colors for different teams. (I used two sets of poker chips and just put an ‘X’ on the one set (this is important to avoid kids stealing and then depositing two coins at once, which is illegal)
- Make various amounts of money, with poker chips, White — $25, Red — $50, Blue — $100
Set up:
Divide the playing area into two halves
Set team 1 HQ near dividing line on team 1 side.
Set team 1 Bank in enemy territory (on team 2 side)
Do the opposite for the other team.
Set team 2 HQ near dividing line on team 2 side.
Set team 2 Bank in enemy territory (on team 1 side)
Banks should have a safe zone around them.
HQ should be commanded by leader who will hand out the money.
Leaders (if available) should man the Banks as well (in enemy territory) to be sure cheating is mitigated (we didn’t have this and it went fine).
Play:
Hand out one piece of money, they should vary in value, to all players on each team. Players then prepare to either cross into enemy territory to smuggle their money to their bank, or they can defend their side.
Players on their own side can “catch” a smuggler by grabbing a smugglers sock (or tagging). When you grab it, you take their money, and then you must return the captured money to HQ.
The caught person must also return to their side to get more money.
You cannot catch a second smuggler until you have returned in the money from the first catch.
Likewise, players who have been caught cannot resume play as smuggler or defender until they have received new money from their HQ.
Players cannot have their sock pulled if they are on their own side.
If a smuggler makes it to their bank, they simply deposit the money and return to HQ for more.
The team who has smuggled the most money wins.
*Or maybe it’s when their parents start to like it, or any adult for that matter. Is that it? Remember Harlem Shake (~2012), Whip and Nae Nae (~2015), the “dab” and even Mannequin challenge?
