As we continue our transition back to in-person work, ministry, and gatherings of all kinds, creating opportunities to foster connection in our communities is critical. The pandemic heavily impacted our level of comfort interacting with others. For this reason, it’s helpful not to ask our communities to overextend themselves. Here’s a list of games we’ve put together that require very little effort from facilitators and participants.

Human Bingo

Preparation: Create a document with a 9×3 table. In each box include a fact that may be applicable to members of your community. For example, has been to a modern art museum. Print the number of bingo sheets required for your gathering. Download an editable example here!
Instructions: During the gathering, ask participants to find someone who the fact applies to and have them sign the box. You can continue until someone gets bingo or until everyone has filled their sheet.

Heads Up

Preparation: Download the Heads-Up app from your mobile store.
Instructions: Once you select a category, a participant places the phone on their forehead and words and phrases automatically populate. The other players give hints related to the word or phrase to help the participant with the phone on their forehead guess the word. If the word or phrase is guessed correctly, turn the phone downward. If the word or phrase is too challenging, turn the phone upward. The game is timed, so if the word is not guessed within the allotted time the prompt will change automatically.

Would You Rather

Preparation: Download the Would You Rather app from your mobile store.
Instructions:  The app will give you two options and participants can choose what they would rather do or have between the two options.

Reverse Charades

Preparation: Download the Reverse Charades app from your mobile store.
Instructions: Typically, Charades is played by assigning one person to act out a word for a group to guess. In Reverse Charades, a group acts out a word for an individual to guess. Participants can volunteer or be assigned the role of guesser for different rounds.

Quick Draw

Preparation: Paper and colored pencils or markers for everyone who will be participating.
Instructions: Someone dictates a story and participants draw anything they can from the story in ten seconds. Faith communities have utilized Bible stories or passages for this activity.

Photo by Big Potato on Unsplash.