Three Social Distance Games You Can Play With Your Students

Maybe your group has permission to begin meeting in person once again. As you begin planning your in person meetings, do not forget the games. Here are three different games you can play that are fun, but keep students safely socially distanced.

Whoosh-Ball

Whoosh-Ball is played with an imaginary ball. Players stand in a circle, as far apart as needed. Here are the instructions:

• One person starts. That person holds up an imaginary ball and then makes a motion with both hands to the right or the left to the next person. As they pass the imaginary whoosh ball they say “whoosh”
• The next person can continue passing the ball the same way and say “whoosh”
• However if the could also put both hands up in front of them and say “HA” in which case the whoosh ball is reversed back the other direction. Just like a reverse card in Uno
• Finally you can pass the whoosh ball across the circle by looking at someone, putting your hands together, pointing at them and saying “Zap”. In this case the whoosh ball is thrown across the circle and play continues.
• You play till someone messes up and says the wrong thing or does the wrong action. If that happens you are out and play continues till there are only 2 left.

I Never – Countdown Edition

You may have played I Never when you are all running around and fighting over chairs, but that will not work in this case. However with a few modifications you can still have fun with the game. Just make it elimination style instead.

• Everyone sits in an appropriately distanced circle and holds up 10 fingers.
• The first person says something like “I have never flown in a plane” if those in the circle have flown in a plane then they take one finger down.
• The next person in the circle gives their “I never” statement and play continues until everyone is eliminated except one person.

We play these outdoors but if you are playing indoors and have access to computer and screen check out Download Youth Ministry’s Quarantine Countdown.

Thirteen

The great thing about this game is you can play in person, online, or anywhere.

• First person starts by saying one, one-two, or one-two-three
• The second person picks up where the first left off and says between 1-3 numbers. Example four-five
• The next person continues… six-seven-eight
• Next could say just .. nine
• Then the next could say ten-eleven-twelve
• The person who says the number Thirteen is out.
• After someone is out, you start back at one with the next in the circle.
• Play till there is only one person left.

I hope these games help you as you continue to find ways to connect with your students during this time. Each of these could be used in person, or online for zoom.