I cannot remember the last time I planned a game for my group. However, from my 32 years of youth ministry, there was a time when games were the draw to start any meeting—so much so that from1984 to 1985 I led a community youth group which the entire purpose was playing crazy (now, legendary, games) plus a Bible study on a Saturday night. There was no bait-and-switch in this plan. This was the plan, and non-churched teens poured in from this small community to do something on a Saturday night.

Thus, I have an extensive games library.

Group Magazine began as an idea resource for youth workers in 1974 because Thom Schulz was a volunteer youth worker, and he was floundering for ideas. They began a column called “Try This One,” which paid contributors for the ideas they submitted. The column continues to this day. In 1977, it published The Best of Try This One, which was exactly what the title said it was: a one-place resource to find games. The first game in that book is “Gargle Champ.”

“You probably have always wondered who can gargle the longest in your group. Well, here’s a great opportunity to discover the Champion Gargler.

“Have two to six people volunteer to stand in front of the group. Each should take a mouth full of water—then gargle with gusto. No swallowing is allowed. Water spilled on the floor from a laughing gargler disqualifies same gargler.

“The garbler who gargles the longest wins. You might award a bottle of Scope. This is a gross game—but it’s fun to watch!”

Gross games are a part of our history of youth ministry. Because we’ve all wondered who can gargle the longest in our groups, right?!

Also found in this book are some of the classic games, which I still see being played when I travel to teach in other youth ministries. These are: “This is a spoon…A what?” (originally called “Rhinoceros and Hippopotamus”), “Ha-Ha-Ha” (originally “Chuckle Chain”), “The Food Bag Relay” (originally “Feed Your Face”), “Pass the Bodies,” “Newspaper Crumple” (which is the first version of crumpling newspapers and throwing that at people), “People Knots,” “Sign Up Mixer,” “Honey, If You Love Me…” (originally “Smile Resistance”), “T-Shirt Tower,” “Getting to Know You,” “Trip Journal” and an early version of “Frisbee Golf,” as well as the challenging new idea of “Sponsor a Kid.”

I bought all of the books in this Try This One Series and have used them long after the bindings have broken.

Following in 1975, Wayne Rice and Mike Yaconelli began Youth Specialties for the same reason Group started. Their first publication was Ideas One. There is a Christmas quiz in that issue that I still use today, though in a much handier Word document.

Future resource books published by Youth Specialties were published in a handy 8-inch by 8-inch size. The most-used one of all was Play It! published in 1986. Play It! was a compilation of those collected games into one easy-to-use book. This was must-have material for years and years.

This book contains one of the more popular games I led—a game that needs zero preparation.

Wink—“Chairs are arranged in a circle, facing inward. One boy stands behind each chair with his hands behind his back. Girls sit in the chairs, except for one chair that is left vacant. The boy behind that particular chair is IT. He must get a girl into that chair. He does this by winking at any one of the girls seated in other chairs. She then tries to get out of her chair without being tagged by the boy behind her. If she is tagged, she must remain in her chair, and IT tries again, either by winking at another girl or the same one. If the girl winked at can get out of her chair without being tagged, she takes the chair in front of IT, and the boy with the vacant chair is now IT. Anyone who can avoid becoming IT is the winner. Halfway through the game, have the boys switch places with the girls.”

This game needs the group to have even numbers of boys and girls, yet I don’t remember a time when this was a problem. This game always was requested, although someone in every game would get hooked around the neck when trying to escape. Of course, rousing laughter ensued.