Picnic Games For Teens

This is a request for ideas for teenage outdoor games at a church picnic. It's about 25 teens. Any ideas that won't be costly would be deeply appreciated. Thanks and have a good summer.

By LRP from LWL, MA

Answers:

Picnic Games For Teens

What about 3-legged football or a "throw the wellie" competition.

Mum (07/12/2007)

By mum

Picnic Games For Teens

Our young men and women liked a game with rubber playballs, dodgeball size, and they were tossed across an open space by one team, and the other team held full-size plastic garbage cans with which to catch the balls. Scored like volleyball. Very silly good active fun.

Another idea is a poker run, where they run in teams of weak and strong mixed, in a wide loop all around the area, and with each lap around they draw a card until all have five cards. The team that drew the high hand won, so it involved lots of active play and teamwork, but losers didn't lose because of being inferior. Have fun. (07/12/2007)

By Kim Churchman

Picnic Games For Teens

My children when they were teens, loved a scavenger hunt. We did it on their 15th and 16th birthdays, and the guests almost run over each other looking for my children's birthday gift from us. When the teens went home, we even had a mom call us and tell us her son wanted to do that on his birthday. (07/13/2007)

By Jean in GA

Picnic Games For Teens

I just read about one that I want to try with our youth group, I believe it was even on this site under "what to do with leftover socks". Take the socks and fill them with flour and tie a knot at the top. Give each person 10 socks and then they play a game where they throw their socks at the other kids for a certain amount of time, like 5 or 10 minutes. At the end, count up who has the most hits, etc. because the flour will leave a white mark on the kids.

Here's another one called Siamese Baseball:

What you do is get a whole bunch of old T-shirts (one per player), cut off one sleeve (a left on one and the right on the one you will sew it to), cut them up the side and sew them together. You now have one big shirt that two people get inside together. They both put their heads out the large head hole, and each person gets to stick out one arm.

Then you play baseball as usual, but you have to do everything together, running, batting, etc. The pitcher has to take turns pitching with one arm and then the other, so both players participate. I suggest you use a soft rubber ball instead of a regular baseball so no one gets hurt.

For refreshments serve each pair a big bowl of ice cream with two spoons, and make them feed each other.

Another idea is to play Human Battleship. My son played this one and raved about how fun it was:

Divide the gym/area in half. Tie a rope to the volleyball poles and hang sheets or blankets so that people on one side can't see those on the other. Divide into 2 teams, and have the "ships" (kids) position themselves on the floor, either sitting or laying (big and small ships/targets). Once in position, no one can move. The game begins when a youth leader reads a question that you have made up ahead of time. The first person to answer correctly gets 5 chances to throw missiles (tennis balls) at the other team (enemy).

He can throw them all himself, or give them to others on his team to throw. He throws the balls over the top of the sheets and tries to hit the "ships" on the other side. If you are hit, you are sunk, and must sit out the rest of the game. The team that sinks 5 enemy ships first, wins. No one can answer 2 questions in a row. You can play as many rounds as you want.

Finally, here's an idea for a Video Scavenger Hunt that I saved from another site. We haven't tried it yet, but it sounds very fun for the kids. There is some planning to do ahead:

THE RULES:

• You have ________ (specify time) to complete as many items on the list as possible. You must return to ____________ by the designated time for your tape to be valid.
• Teams must limit the filming of each item to 20 seconds or shorter (except for introduction)
• All team players except camera person must appear in each video segment.
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• Stay in the specified region for the hunt.
• Wear your seat belt whenever the car is moving.
• Cell phones cannot be used to complete tasks.

MANDATORY:

1. Name and Jingle - Each group must come up with a team name and a 4 line jingle (5 points)
2. Introduction - Each video must have a 1 minute creative introduction to their video (make sure to include your jingle) (10 points only if it is creative and if it includes team jingle)
3. Gum Architecture - Each team will receive a handful of gum along with a 2'x2' piece of cardboard. The first 10 minutes of the activity is to be spent building something that represents your team out of chewed gum. You only have 10 minutes. Be creative. (10 points)
4. Service with a smile - You were given a goody to share. Deliver it to someone you think might appreciate it while singing your favorite childhood song. (10 points)

ITEMS TO BRING BACK: (Each item is worth 3 points)

Each item must be taped onto a paper, each paper containing your team name. Several items can be taped onto one paper.

1. Ketchup packet from McDonalds.
2. A piece of junkmail.
3. A photocopy of one team member's hand. Each person of the team must sign that paper like they would an official document.
4. Crossword puzzle from yesterday's newspaper.
5. A business card from a car salesman.
6. Job application from a grocery chain.
7. A paper placemat and menu from any Chinese restaurant.
8. Two paint sample cards.
9. A fast food coupon.

THE TASKS: (Each task is worth 5 points)

1. Visit fire station and get a fire safety tip.
2. Visit fire station and run a siren.
3. Group hug a police officer.
4. Serenade waitress at a busy restaurant with the Happy Birthday Song (you may have to sing fast to get it recorded in 20 seconds)
5. Find a runner. Have your team jog with him or her.
6. Video of everyone searching on the floor for a contact lens.
7. Pump someone else's gas and wash their windshield
8. Someone ordering a cheeseburger without any cheese.
9. Doing a cartwheel inside 7-11.
10. Team riding an automated kiddie ride in front of store.
11. Go to a restaurant and stand in front of it singing the restaurant's theme song.
12. Do a good deed for someone you do not know.
13. Your group standing by a movie poster rated PG or less.
14. Someone doing stupid human trick.
15. Organize apples at grocery store.
16. Form human pyramid in front of a famous landmark in the community.
17. Everyone wearing king hats from Burger King.

BONUS TASKS: (Each task is worth 10 points)

1. Have at least one of your team players throw a (raw) pizza crust in the air at a pizza joint (10 pts).
2. Getting your whole team in one tree.
3. Doing the bunny hop with at least two complete strangers.
4. Photo booth photo of all team members together.
5. Get a stranger to let you bowl one ball for him/her during their on going game. (5 extra points if you get a strike)
6. Have a stranger tell you their best blonde joke.

REVEAL NIGHT:

Each team will leave their tapes with those in charge after scavenger hunt is completed. Leaders will decide which parts (if not all) to watch on each tape. Meet the following week to play the tapes and hand out awards. The cornier the better.

Have each person sit with their group. While videos are getting set up, or being changed, give them a challenge. Give each team a paper with the word "scavenger" on it. Each team has to come up with the most words using only the letters in the word scavenger. By the end of the evening, the team with the most words wins.

(07/13/2007)

By threegetts

Picnic Games For Teens

Movie trivia. One side makes up questions for the other side. If you can't answer the question, you have to try to stand on your head, or some other silly thing. The winning side gets free movie tickets, of course. (07/13/2007)

By Janice C.

Picnic Games For Teens

Check out familyfun.com They have a game section and you can put in the age of the kids and the approximate # of kids and they give you a whole list of fun games indoor and outdoor. (07/16/2007)

By Jill