Agree-Disagree Line
This can be used to start a discussion on an issue, and can be useful when a youth group or club has something facing them to tackle.

A statement concerning the issue (e.g., it’s okay to hit someone if they’ve hit you first) is written and stuck on the wall, and read out so that everyone can hear it too. A line is either drawn on the floor, or its two ends marked with objects. One end is labelled ‘AGREE’, the other end, ‘DISAGREE’.

People are then asked to stand on the line according to how much they agree or disagree with the statement. A ball is then thrown from person to person and whoever has the ball explains why they are standing where they are standing.

If people are too shy to actually stand on the line, you could ask them to put an article of clothing, or a shoe on the line. Or if you have a very small group, you could draw a line on a table, and get them to place pencils or pennies or other objects on the line, and still follow up with a discussion of why they’ve put their markers where they have.

What you will need
You will need a piece of rope, or a piece of chalk (to mark out the line), or two chairs or other objects to mark the AGREE and DISAGREE points. The two objects need to be different, so people can remember which is which.

Laughing Bellies
This is a really fun game that gets everyone laughing. It does involve physical contact, so you may not consider it appropriate to use in some groups.

Basically, one person lies down on the floor. The next person lies down putting the back of their head on the first person’s belly. Person number three lies down with their head on person number two’s belly, lying parallel with person number one. Carry on like this until everyone is lying with their head on someone else’s belly. If you are clever you can arrange it so that everyone is lying in a circle, and the first person is able to put their head on the belly of the last person!

Then you get someone to say ‘ha’, and someone else to say ‘he he’, and someone else to say ‘ha ha ha’ and so on, until everyone dissolves into laughter. If you know you have a giggler in the group, you can get them to start - if they haven’t already by this time!

The game dissolves into laughter and can go on for a very long time! However, it should reach a natural conclusion by some point.

What you will need
Enough floor space for everyone to lie down. Perhaps a broom to sweep up first!

Freeze Frame
This is a variation on role-playing games that can also be used to stimulate discussion, or just to have fun. It is useful for groups of 10 or more people.

Split into small groups with five to seven people in each. These groups then act out a scene and freeze at a certain point, remaining in character. The different groups then show the other groups what they have done (the freeze frame, not the acting out).

You could get the entire group to discuss different issues that matter to them before the exercise, and then ask groups to pick which issues they want to act out. Or, you could split into groups, and each group then decides what the theme of their freeze frame will be.

When it comes to showing the other groups, the ‘audience’ could try and guess what the freeze frame represents (useful if the small groups have decided for themselves). Otherwise, the audience can note how the group have used the freeze frame to depict the issue - and this can be used to kickstart a discussion.

What you will need
Nothing, except a space to do the activity in. You might want to use a flipchart to record themes / issues if you either discuss them before the activity, or after the activity.

Obstacle course
This game can be played just for fun, or as a teambuilding exercise, or as a way of looking at how people give instructions. It’s a team game for a large-ish group, with the objective of leading a blindfolded team member through a space without touching any obstacles.

You will need to set up obstacles in your chosen space (could be a large room, could be outside) using chairs, tables, books, or any other objects you have to hand.

Split the group into two teams. Each team nominates a person to cross the minefield, and those two people are then blindfolded. Each team then decides how to direct their blindfolded team member to get them to cross the minefield.

Once the first person has been across, everyone else in the team should have a turn. Each time the team should negotiate how they’re going to guide their team member across.

The obstacle course can be rearranged when new people have been blindfolded to prevent memory being an advantage! If you want to make things harder, you can turn the blindfolded person round a few times to disorientate them, before setting them off.