10 Great Indoor Youth Group Games For Small Churches

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Incorporating fun into your youth ministry isn’t just a good idea, it’s a necessity for having a ministry that thrives. When people play together, they lower their defenses and are able to find common ground and build stronger connections with each other. To me, the absolute best youth ministry games not only allow you to have fun, but also help you to teach in a natural way. In this article, we’ll talk about some of the best indoor youth group games you can play with your group that will help you take your lessons to the next level.

Each of the suggested games is perfect for an indoor space, and although they work with almost any size youth group, they’re particularly good with smaller groups. Most of these games require very few resources except for basic items that most churches already have or materials that can be obtained on a small budget. They are great to play with pre-teen, teen, and young adult groups, but can also be used in multigenerational family ministry. Lastly, most of them do not require that you know the exact number of participants in advance as they can be easily adapted with just a little work at the start of your gathering. Now, let’s get to the games!

10 Indoor Youth Group Games For Small Churches

1. Pan Bang

Materials Needed:

• A metal pot 
• A spoon to strike it with

Pan Bang is a great, simple game to play with a new group or a group that is meeting for a new youth year or a group that has new members. Not only is it fun to play and high energy, it’s a great way to teach some really valuable lessons about how your group chooses to interact and the value of each individual within the group. 

In this game, everyone is in it for themselves, but the only way to “win” is to work together. Our youth groups are used to hearing the phrase “Don’t Pan Bang!” which can mean anything from “Don’t push others away!” to “Don’t take advantage of others for your benefit.” to “Make everyone feel welcome!”.It’s a really great game that can be replayed over and over with any size group. Watch the tutorial below:

2. Kaos

Materials List: 

• Dodgeballs
• Pool noodles

Lots of youth groups play dodgeball and most high-energy teens love it. Here is a variation that allows a more open style of gameplay that’s not restricted by any boundaries. As with all dodgeball-type games, the secret is in the dodgeballs. We recommend dedicated lightweight balls which help keep gameplay safe and are also very durable. 

Throw in some pool noodles, which are also lightweight and don’t hurt when you get hit with them and you’ve got the makings of a memorable game that will burn off lots of energy while having a great time. It will also get your youth ready to better concentrate for the more serious portion of your activity. Any size group can play this one! Watch the tutorial below:

3. Rock, Paper, Scurry

Materials List: 

• None

This game takes absolutely no supplies except for quick thinking and fast reaction times. There are lots of versions of this game out there, but this version uses perhaps the easiest set of decisions with which most people are already acquainted. Most people are already familiar with the game Rock, Paper, Scissors. This version just supersizes it and adds an element of keep away. This is another game that includes a lot of running to burn off the excess energy! Any size group can play this one and it’s great for indoor spaces like gyms or fellowship halls. Watch the tutorial below:

4. Underground Pass

Materials List: 

• Sheets of paper (or carpet squares – if you want more durability)

This one is definitely a thinking game that will require your youth to work together to successfully complete. Your group will literally figure out the answer to the challenge one step at a time. This is a great game to teach the value of working together, to encourage leadership and problem-solving skills in your youth, and help you with team building. This game likely works best with small groups of 12 or less participants. Large groups can be broken into teams to facilitate individual engagement. Watch the tutorial below:

5. The Flailman

Materials List: 

• Mesh laundry bag
• A dodgeball ball 
• Approximately five feet of rope
• A “precious” object (we suggest a small stuffed animal or toy)

This uptempo game allows youth to channel their inner “knight” and stand against the hordes of villains trying to steal their “precious” object. You may not be familiar with it, but you’ll be equipping your knight with an ancient weapon called a flail. Of course, not a real flail because that would be incredibly dangerous.

You’ll create a safe, modern version using a dodgeball inside a mesh laundry bag tied to a short piece of rope. Your group will love this because this game is guaranteed to make memories without anyone actually being harmed in any way… except perhaps their pride. Perfect for groups of all sizes particularly those who love contact sports with Nerf-style weapons. Watch the tutorial below:

6. Aardvark Race

Materials List: 

• Enough straws for everyone to have at least one
• A bag of M&M’s, a few bowls
• A stopwatch or a phone with a stopwatch app 

If you’ve ever seen an anteater or an aardvark, you’ll quickly realize how this game got its name. Youth are tasked with transporting M&M’s from one bowl to another on the opposite side of the room using only a straw and the suction they can create. They’ll encounter lots of frustrations along the way, but those who have got greater lungs will succeed for their team. Any size group can play this game and it is a particular favorite of our middle school youth. Watch the tutorial below:

7. Shaker Shakedown

Materials List:

• A musical shaker (or something that makes noise whenever it is moved)
• A stool
• A pool noodle
• A blindfold

This one is easy to play, but hard to win. Good hearing skills and quick reflexes are essential for the blindfolded guard and quick and quiet feet and general sneakiness are required for the would-be thieves. Players try to silently approach the stool and steal the noisy item without getting hit by the guard. A pool noodle sentry weapon assures that no one gets seriously hurt while attempting their caper. Groups of any size can easily play this game without modification. Watch the tutorial below:

8. Ministry Of Silly Walks

Materials List: 

• None.

To me, nothing says fun like a bunch of classic British comedians called Monty Python’s Flying Circus. This game will have people laughing not only at each other’s silly antics, but also at themselves. This is a fantastic game to get young people to drop their guard and just enjoy the wacky fun of making a bit of a fool of yourself.

The best players in this game let it all hang out and go full-on to make their friends laugh. This is a great game to secretly record to show them after the game or just get some great pictures in the craziest positions imaginable for your youth bulletin board. Your entire group will love this one. Watch the tutorial below:

9. Video Of Lies

Materials List: 

• A way to show a video you’ll link to on our YouTube channel during the game and a way to for someone to block out sound with a pair of headphones playing white noise or crazy music.

Here’s a low-energy fun game perfect for groups with small spaces. We’ve prepared a collection of video clips from the weirdest channels on YouTube for your teens to watch and then describe to their teammates in an effort to fool them into whether the video being described accurately reflects the video they watched. As a bonus, this is a great game to lead into a discussion on truthfulness, trustworthiness, or even the nature of evil and deception. Watch the tutorial below:

10. Salsa: 2 Ways

Materials List: 

• Enough salsa ingredients for two teams (as described in our salsa recipe)
• Salsa-making utensils for one team 
• A copy of our salsa recipe
• Two tables
• A lot of paper towels

On the surface, this game is all about having fun while making a tasty snack. But, since it’s one of our games, there is definitely a memorable twist to this one. Both teams get salsa-making ingredients but only one of the teams receives the utensils needed to make salsa from scratch. How do you dice a tomato without a knife? That’s only one of the questions you’ll be forced to answer if you’re the utensil-less team.

For this game, it’s not just about fun though, there are some excellent lessons that can be learned by playing this one! Perfect for smaller groups of 15 or less so that everyone needs to contribute to the final dish. And it does actually allow for a tasty snack at the end of the game… at least from one of the teams. Watch the tutorial below:

Creating A Safe Environment While Actively Learning

When playing any of these games, or any games really, make sure you’ve thought through all the potential places where things might go wrong. Do your best to make the game safe to play,  but first, you’ll need to create a safe environment where young people can be themselves and find acceptance and Christian love. Then, don’t be afraid to take a little risk as long as you’ve done your best to round the sharp edges and establish good and caring habits in both your adult leaders and your young people. Take the leap with these games because, we assure you, they were selected with you and your group in mind.

So, now you’re ready to have some fun and build some memories indoors with your group. All of these games have been tested by our youth so we know your group will love playing them. At ActuallyFun, we strongly believe that the most effective way to teach a lesson that will stick with your group is to practice active learning. When a person can tie a fun memory to a bigger object lesson, they will remember it longer and have a higher likelihood of incorporating it into their life.  If you want even more game ideas for free, check out the Game Index on our website.

has dozens of games you can easily lead with your group, and you can even filter by criteria like the age group you’re working with, the number of people in your group, and more. Our activities are loud and crazy and we want yours to be, as well. Once you make young people feel at ease and allow them to build connections between each other, you’re on your way to tearing down those walls that all of us put up to keep others at arm’s reach. 

Read More:

6 Important Steps To Build A Strong Youth Ministry Team

Incorporating Mental Health Awareness Into Youth Ministry

6 Best Youth Activities That Focus On Spiritual Growth