Event Activities
Follow "the Noise"
Group is blindfolded and walked individually to various places in a field. Before being left alone, the person in told in a whisper to “follow the noise”. One person (a facilitator, no blindfold) runs through the field ringing a cowbell off an on (not constantly) but never being caught. In the background a little ways away have another person hammering a nail (evenly, like a clock) but not too loudly. Participants with follow unpredictable cowbell first because it’s louder. They’ll get frustrated they can’t catch it and try to follow the nail hammering noise. (optional addition- when they get close to the hammering, place their hands on a string and tell them to follow it. It winds through a few trees and leads to a group meeting place. ) Once the group gathers, remove blindfolds and talk about what distractions are and how they affect us, can share religious testimonies about following God (constant, like the hammer), etc.
Christmas Caroling
Split up into groups and go Christmas Caroling (at predetermined houses that you have arranged to turn them away). The group is rejected for various good reasons, but nevertheless rejected. At the last house, no one is home, but as they are leaving the garage opens and there is a live manger scene. Share the Christmas story and have refreshments, while understanding a little bit of how it felt to be rejected at so many doors
Mission Impossible
Groups all start at the same location but are each given a different task [such as to go to a certain house and find a tin can in the front yard (at the house of someone participating…don’t trespass!)] The rules are that participants can’t use cars. They must travel in the open, but there are a few cars (prearranged) that they can’t be seen by. They must hide when they see those cars. If spotted by the drivers, the drivers let them know they were seen and keep tabs of how many people on each team they see and how many times they see them. When teams find their first object (tin can) open it to find a second clue/location to go to. Have 3-5 places for them to go to collect clues. Keep track of points-who can do it the fastest without being seen!
Rings & Carnival
Rings & Carnival
Gather the group and give each person the same number of tokens and rings (like key rings) and explain the importance of keeping rings. Have a small carnival (bean bag toss, basketball shooting, etc.) but all things cost tokens and you can win prizes just for attempting, participants can trade rings for tokens, carnival ends and group leaves room. Everyone gives up prizes in the hallway (keep rings) and enters another room and all you have left are the rings you still have and didn’t trade in. Talk about worldly things & the afterlife and what our focus in life should be.
Telephone # Clue Race
Telephone # Clue Race
Break into teams. Each group is given a different clue to start and must go to that location to find the next clue. At each location there is also a number (along with a location in a phone number). There will be seven locations with numbers and clues that teams must find to form a working phone number. That phone number belongs to one of the facilitators. Once the team discovers the complete phone number they call it and are told where the final meeting place is. First team there wins. Have refreshments, etc.
- An example of a clue: “Where tiny romans eat” …Little Caesar’s Pizza
- An example of the number to find: an 8x11 placed on a job board in the window of the Little Caesar’s with “This is your number…” and a bunch of tabs cut on the bottom (like you’d find for an apartment for rent or job listing, etc.) with “_ _ _ - 5_ _ _” on it. (NOTE: most teams will be finding clues and numbers in random order, so you must mark where in the phone number the number falls!)
