eZine 05.02.2001

TheSource4YM.com
	Jonathan’s Resource Ezine

Weekly Resources, Ideas and Articles from The Source for Youth Ministry
Wednesday, May 2, 2001

In This Issue

• HIGH ENERGY GAMES (With Little Prep Time): Everyone loves to throw a ball at someone!
  
  
• A NEW SCAVENGER HUNT: In the spirit of the video scavenger hunt!
  
  

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HIGH ENERGY GAMES (With Little Prep Time): Everyone loves to throw a ball at someone!

In the last month I’ve had several game additions that were in the “ball throwing” genre. Most of these are large facility games- like you wouldn’t want to play them in someone’s living room! But you might be able to do some of them in a smaller building- you decide. Great games when good ol’ Dodgeball tires out:

Torpedo
This game is a gym-version of the pool game “sharks and minnows.” Using a basketball court or marking your own, you need a large rectangle. Two kids are chosen as the “launchers” while the rest of the group (anywhere from 15 to 50 kids works fine) lines up outside one of the short sides of the rectangle. The launchers stand on either of the long sides of the rectangle, armed with dodgeballs or something similar. A leader or youth is the caller. The caller shouts “TORPEDO!” and the kids start to run as fast as they can to get past the line on the other side, where they are safe. While they are running, the launchers try to hit as many people as possible with their dodgeballs, while staying behind their own lines. They usually can only get one good throw in, since they can’t cross the line. Any runner who gets hit must sit down exactly where they are. They are now land mines.
Now it gets interesting. Each time the kids torpedo across the room, there are more and more land mines to hit them. The youth on the floor can try to touch the runners. Anyone touched must sit down too. Eventually you get down to two lonely runners, and then one winner. You can play again and again and again…. it’s a blast to watch (and to play).
Added by Becky Heffner

Protect the President
For this game all you need is a volleyball-sized Nerf ball. All the kids stand in a wide circle with two people in the middle. one person in the middle is the President, the other is the Bodyguard. The poeple in the circle have the Nerf ball, and throw it at the president. The bodyguard may do anything to block the ball with his bodyjump, squat, dive, etc. The ball may NEVER touch the president.
If the ball touches the President at any time, the person who threw the ball (or the last person to touch it) then becomes the Bodyguard, the Bodyguard becomes the President, and the President goes back into the circle.
What makes this REALLY exciting is that from the moment the President is hit, the new Presdent is vulnerablethe transition is instantaneous. The new bodyguard must be fast at getting into the circle to defend him or her. This sometimes makes Presidential Turnover pretty quick, but it’s exciting. This game is EXHAUSTING, especially if the people in the middle are good. Be ready to sweat if you play. One strategy for the “shooters” is to pass the ball around the circle and keep it moving to wear the people in the middle down. They’ll eventually tire and the president will get hit. As the kids get more experience at the game, they will develop strategies and tactics, and will thoroughly enjoy themselves.
Added by J. Hart

Long Base ( a KICKBALL/DODGEBALL MEDLEY)
Great game for a large group. Divide into 2 teams, one in the field and one “at bat”. Two or three students bat at a time by bouncing a dodgeball and hitting it with with their hand(s)/arm(s). After hitting the ball, the students attempt to run to the far wall of the gym without being hit. Students in the feild may get a batter out by throwing and hitting them with any of the balls that were hit. If a student makes it to the far wall, he must keep a hand on it to remain safe. To score a run, the student must make it back from the far wall to the original line he batted from(home). Students may remain safe at the far wall as long as they want, and there is no limit to the number of students that can stay safe. They can try to run home at any time except when the new batters are holding the balls.
Added by Dean Butters, Rolling Meadows, IL

For more games like this one check out Jonathan’s big facility game page:
https://thesource4ym.com/games/bigfacility.html

A NEW SCAVENGER HUNT: In the spirit of the video scavenger hunt!

Every year I always run a video scavenger hunt (also on my event page). Here’s a great alternative to that event:

Couch Wars
This is in the spirit of video scavenger hunts and photo car rally’s. Find a couple of old, ratty couches that you won’t mind getting thrashed. Divide your group into teams of about 15 or so, making sure that each team has someone with a truck to carry the couch. Provide a list of places around town that the teams will be taking their couch to for different point amounts. Give each team a polaroid camera so that each team can take a picture on their couch at each location. A few good places to put on the list would be Movie theatres, malls, Grocery stores, walmart, the state capital steps, etc… Give teams a good amount of time before having to meet at church and then score the teams.
Added by Greg Johnson

For more events like this check out Jonathan’s Event Page:
https://thesource4ym.com/events

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If you have youth ministry ideas you want to share, please email me at jon@thesource4ym.com

God Bless!

Jonathan R. McKee