Six New Games for Video Calls
Keep your video call meetings and virtual youth groups interesting
In the current day, video calls for all sorts of church, youth group and small group meetings are the norm. We've come up with six new games and activities for your group to play on your next zoom or skype group video call, to help keep your online meeting fresh, fun and creative.
The Random Object Game
Get everyone on the video call to take ten seconds to choose a random object from their house or the room they're in. When everyone is back and ready with their random object, you'll now be able to explain the task.
Version 1: Get to know you
Explain to the people in your group call to take it turns to use their random object to share something about themselves - it could be how they are similar to the object or why the object is special to them or their family.
Version 2: What's God like
Explain to the people in your group video call to take it turns to show everyone their random objeect and try to connect it to God - maybe answering the question 'How is God like this object?' or 'How is God not like this object?'
Black Out
This game is a variation of "Never Have I Ever" or "True or False". Everyone on the zoom video call needs to start with their video on. Once they're all ready - it's time to start playing.
Whatever version of this game you're playing - when a player is "out" they need to turn off their video or cover their camera so their screen is black. The last person or people remaining with their videos on are the winners.
Version 1: "Never Have I Ever"
Get each person on the call to take it in turns to say a "never have I ever..." line. If others have done the thing, then they are out.
Read game rules for Never Have I Ever
Version 2: "True or False"
The leader will say a series of "true or false" statements. Each player must select an answer of whether they think it is true or false. To show they think true, they'll put their hands on their heads. If they think it's false, they'll put their hands behind their backs. If they don't get it correct, they're out.
Read game rules for True or False
Version 3: "Heads or Tails"
The leader will flip a coin. Each player must select heads or tails before the coin flip is revealed. To show they think heads, they'll put their hands on their heads. If they think it's tails, they'll put their hands behind their backs. If they don't get it correct, they're out.
Read game rules for Heads or Tails
Number Count
This is a team building challenge game for video calls. The aim of the challenge is for the group to count to a number (depending on the size of the group) however only one person is allowed to speak at a time and there is no defined order.
To start, the group must be silent. Then players must speak a number as they feel like it. If two people speak at the same time, or someone counts incorrectly, the counting process must start from the number 1 again. It's more challenging that you think!
Start by setting the number to 20 but see how your group goes with the challenge and adjust accordingly. If it's coming along very easily, raise the number higher or just see how high you can go!
Where am I?
Choose a volunteer on the video call to turn off their camera and audio and then move to any room in the house, trying to put the camera at an angle that does reveal too much of their surroundings. When they're ready, they will turn on their camera and audio and the group must work together to guess which room of the house the person is in. Keep playing by picking new volunteers to have a go.
Inside or outside?
Choose a volunteer on the video call to turn off their camera and aidio and then move to a new location which is either inside or outside. Once they're ready, they can turn on their audio and say one pre-prepared line (can be absolutely anything). Then the rest of the group has to work together to decide whether they think this person is inside or outside based on any clues they may have heard when the audio was switched on. Keep playing by picking new volunteers to have a go.
How Low Can You Go?
This new video call game idea will work well with any sized group. However depending on the size of your group, you may give everyone a turn or just pick a few volunteers. Get each player to spend a minute coming up with a question about something that everyone has or has not done. If a person on the call has done the thing, they turn their video on. If a person on the call hasn't done the thing, they turn their video off. The aim is to get the least amount of people to have their video still on, without having absolutely no one turn their video on.
For example:
Q: Turn your video on if you didn't have breakfast this morning.
A: Most players may have had breakfast so will switch off their cameras but their might be a couple who skipped it who would turn their cameras on.
Q: Turn your video on if you don't like pineapple on pizza.
A: Depending on the group, it could be a mixed bag.
Q: Turn your video on if you own an elephant.
A: This will obviously be 0 in most situations.
It encourages creative thinking to hit that sweet spot where only a couple of people might answer "yes" to your question.
