5 Board Games for Youth Ministry

If you’re looking for a way to help your teenagers and volunteers grow together, a great board game might be what you need. Keeping a few board games around your meeting space is always a good idea. While a board game might not be our first thought when it comes to fostering relationships, they’re an important piece of the puzzle. (Get it? Puzzle? 😉)

A board game in youth ministry can do more for a teenager’s relationships than you might be able to pack into your object lesson or small group time. They might seem simple, but they’re great for …

• Helping teenagers collaborate and make decisions with their friends.
• Letting volunteers build new relationships with the teenagers they serve.
• Giving teenagers a quiet way to take a break from the rest of their environment.

Plus, with board games in youth ministry, teenagers can play and work towards a common goal. We tend to overlook it, but play is an essential part of how teenagers develop. Play helps them …

• Use their creativity
• Operate within set boundaries
• Work on their communication skills

Each of these can help them grow as individuals and in their faith.

So, if you’re looking for a few more board games for your youth ministry closet or if you’re ready to start building your own collection of games, we’ve put together a few of our favorite board games for youth ministry.

WAVELENGTH

Wavelength is the perfect party game to get your teenagers talking. In this “social guessing” board game, two teams compete to place a dial in the middle of a hidden target zone. In each round, teams are given a card with a scale such as “Hot” and “Cold.” Then, one player gets to look at the secret location of the target and offer a single clue to their team that will help them pinpoint the target’s exact location. So, they might say “coffee” or “milk,” depending on where the target is. Teenagers will love guessing, discussing, and competing against each other as they see which team is on the same wavelength! Check it out here.

EXPLODING KITTENS

This card game places two to five players against one another as they try to outlast one another by dodging exploding kittens. Players draw from a deck until someone pulls an exploding kitten card. They’re safe if they have a defuse card, but it’s game over if you don’t. Players will need to avoid exploding kittens and collect and play action cards that can help avoid the exploding kittens or force a player to draw more cards than normal. Learn more here.

SUSHI GO PARTY!

Up to eight players compete to make the best sushi platter in this expanded version of the beloved card game. In each round, players are given a hand of cards. They must choose one card to keep before passing their cards to the player next to them. Some cards are worth points on their own, while others need to be collected in sets to earn their highest point values. At the end of each round, players tally their points, moving their game piece on the scoreboard before another round of card selection begins. After three rounds, the player with the most points wins! Check out Sushi Go Party! here.

CODENAMES

In Codenames, teenagers get to play as spymasters on the search for the secret identities of 25 different agents. Two players know all 25 identities and must offer one-word clues to help their team make contact with each of their agents. They’re not just competing against each other, though. If either team touches the hidden assassin card, their team loses! The first team to contact all of their agents wins the game. Check out Codenames here!

TACO CAT GOAT CHEESE PIZZA

If your teenagers are looking for a game with a bit of a challenge, then Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza might be what you need. In this card game, the group must take turns saying this game’s title, one word at a time, while playing a card from their hand. If the spoken word matches the card played, players must slap the pile of cards and avoid being last. The last player has to take all of the cards played in the round. The game goes on until someone runs out of cards! Find out more about Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza here.

These are just a few board games for your youth ministry that can help build engagement and foster new relationships between your teenagers and volunteers.

And if you’re looking for even more games, check out Grow Games! We’ve put together a list of over 500 different types of games for your youth ministry.

Each game comes complete with instructions, editable graphics, and a supply list, so you can start playing right away!

So, instead of searching online the next time you need a great game, download the Grow Games App instead.