party games for teenagers

[parietal]

this one has me a bit stumped so I need some suggestions. I have to organize an activity for a group of 10-15 teenagers and find things to amuse the group for an hour or two. the rules are

• we are in a large church hall with not much furniture / props
• the kids don't know each other
• some speak english as a second language or have moved to the UK from overseas
• some are pretty shy / would naturally hide away.

I am looking for ideas for icebreaker games / simple activities that will let these kids chat and interact and have fun.

things like charades / heads-up don't work well because the kids who haven't grown up in the UK don't know the same celebrities / TV shows / movies / names of animals etc. Games that don't need a shared culture would be better.

Any ideas please?

I think some problem solving grames would help get them interacting https://icebreakerideas.com/problem-solving-activities/

Otherwise there's the international language of football!

What about pens and paper and they find things out about each other - favorite food, color, film etc.
A treasure hunt - you could use post it notes. With clues. They are in three teams. Small prizes.
Chinese whispers

Do you remember the game where you have to put on gloves and eat chocolate with a knife and fork. I can't remember if it has a name. Or is that too babyish?

I was thinking as well of the game where you play the intro of a song and first one to guess. I'm wondering if you do very international famous artists like Taylor swift, Beyonce and Michael Jackson...if that might overcome any cultural barriers?

Beer pong (without the beer)
Pass the parcel
Wink murder
Ibble Dibble
The human knot game
Musical chairs

The human knot game sounds like what we called 3D Twister. You put body parts on pieces of paper, and in twos try to match the pair that come out of the hat (eg left ear to right ankle) ... until someone falls over 😁

Empires

Everyone is given a name, but no one knows what any one else is called. One person starts by asking someone "are you X". If they guess correctly, the person who is "discovered" joins the guesser's team and they work together to guess who everyone else is. If they guess wrong, the target chooses someone to guess their name. Game ends when there is one empire. You can use predetermined names, or a set list. It can be helpful if all the names are displayed somewhere - particularly if there are a lot.

Mafia is always a hit with teenagers

It's not the same thing. Google human knot game.

I look at Taskmaster for party challenges. The board game is loads of fun and could be changed to a group setting!

I've done it for you 😁

www.wikihow.com/Play-the-Human-Knot-Game

Hi @Autumcolors just an FYI that Chinese Whispers is a racist term- it links back to the day when people believed Chinese people were unintelligible.

For my money, dodgeball or benchball works well- kids adore it in pe, but maybe use foam balls!

If at the younger end so 12 to 14:
Scavenger hunt?
Getting to know you bingo?
Hide pennies/small wrapped sweets (veggie or vegan if necessary)
Team challenges....with sweet prizes
Balloon volleyball
Challenge then to try skipping with a long rope and as many as possible jumping
Loo roll mummy game

The chocolate game always goes down well

We used to play a bloody lethal game called Poison at youth stuff as mid to late teens.
Place a an upside-down dustbin or other similar obstacle in the middle of the room. Join hands in a big circle around it, holding each others' wrists rather than actual hands, so that the links are as secure as possible. Run sideways round in the circle, with someone outside it to yell "change!" every so often, at which point you switch direction. If the chain breaks, the two people on each side of the breakage are out, and if you touch the bin, you're out.
Great fun and there was only the very occasional sprained wrist!

Competitions - pick the cereal box up from off the ground with your teeth, no hands allowed, can add rule of no bending knees. You rip the top off the box and reduce the height of the box after each child has had a go - if you fail at one height you are out.

Can also do limbo, long jump from a standing start

Drawing game - paper plate on head - draw what the leader asks for onto the plate on your head - really tricky.

Newspaper art - either blindfolded or in the dark rip a sheet of newspaper into the thing the leader suggests. Again more tricky than it sounds in the dark - and practically free so can repeat several times if liked.

After 8 race. 2/3 teams. First person in team places after 8 on forehead, has to wiggle face and tip head to make choc travel down to mouth, without the use of hands. If it falls off replace on forehead and start again. Once first person in team manipulates choc into mouth next person starts.

Pictionary race. 2/3 teams. One from each team given item to draw for rest of team to guess. Once picture guessed next artist run to leader to get the next item to draw. First team to guess the whole list wins. Can make list as long as you like, and tailor to language demands.

I used to work at an outdoor activity centre and this ball game was always popular.

1. All players stand in a circle facing inwards, feet shoulder width apart and touching the person next to them so that they have a 'goal' between their legs
2. they have to defend their goal and get the ball through someone else's legs.
3. start off defending the goal with two hands, if some one scores you have to go down to one hand, then turn around so you are backwards and back to two hands, then one then out.

Getting to know you bingo is a good one.

A list of things like:
has a dog
is left handed
has been to France

then everyone goes round the room trying to find people who the above apply to. First one to manage it gets bingo.

Balloon knees game. Pass the balloon along the line of people, you are only allowed to hold the balloon between your knees.

Another - hold a coin between your knees and walk across the room without letting go, and drop it in a container. We used to play this one with the coin gripped between the arse cheeks and called the game 'Craps'. That might go down well with teenagers.

Agree with PP who suggested taskmaster. We've done lots of the games from that, and they're great fun!

My kids and their friends still used to like old fashioned party games for a laugh.

Especially pin the tail on the donkey and pass it on (you give them more and more items to hold and pass around - anyone that drops anything is out).