Youth Group Game: Rubber Chickens

Written by Mike Sheley

I walked into the room where I usually find junior highers playing basketball or ultimate frisbee and found something a little different.

If you just looked with me at the motions the boys were going through, it resembled Ultimate Frisbee.

However, they didn’t have a frisbee. What did they have?! Yes, they had…a rubber chicken!

I was reminded once again that when junior highers – especially the boys – want to play a game, they’ll use whatever they can get their hands on to have some fun.

And this got me thinking…I love to surprise junior highers, and they are at an age where they are up for more unusual things than older teens.

How else could this rubber chicken be used? Below are my suggestions.

Whether you throw one of these in just for fun or create an entire rubber chicken games night, I hope the junior high boys who inspired me inspire you as well!

DOWNLOAD PDF OF THIS GAME

Games Tip:

Pick out which games you are going to play and be sure you are familiar with the normal rules.

Games to Play:

Ultimate Chicken

• Divide up students into two teams. Ideally, you would have 7 players on each team. However, since we are playing with a rubber chicken, assume this is a flexible rule. (or play tournament style with different teams)
• You need a rectangular playing field or room. Normally, it’s similar to a football field. However, you can modify your game based on the size of the space you have available to you.
• Similar to soccer and football, players play the length of the field, defending an “end zone” behind them and trying to score in the “end zone” in front of them.
• You score by throwing the rubber chicken to a teammate in the opposing team’s end zone where they must catch it.
• If at any time a player has the chicken, they must stand still and find a teammate to throw the rubber chicken to. Only people without the chicken can run and move.
• You can set this up to play by time or points scored. (I recommend time to have the greatest control.) Team with the most points wins.
• If you want more rules or tips from the original Ultimate game, check those out here.

SuperChicken Bowl

• Modify the good old American game of football by replacing the pigskin with a rubber chicken!
• Divide students into two teams.
• You need a rectangular playing field or room.
• Players play the length of the field, defending an “end zone” behind them and trying to score in the “end zone” in front of them.
• Players can throw the chicken or hand it off to someone who runs.
• I highly recommend a set of flag football flags to prevent your super athletic junior higher from destroying the competition.
• Team with the most points wins!

Hot Wings

• Modify the classic “hot potato” game with a rubber chicken.
• Have students stand in a circle.
• Play some fun music.
• While the music is playing, students hand the rubber chicken from one person to the next around the circle.
• At random points, stop the music.
• The student holding the chicken is out.
• Continue until you only have one person left who wins! Give them a gift card to a local wing restaurant!
• Modification: Use this to pick students for another game or activity. Whoever has the chicken when the music stops is picked instead of being out.
• Modification: Pick up some hot wings and have them set up at a table. The first students who are out of the game get to set down and eat while they watch the others play. Puts a fun twist on an elimination game. You could even have a surprise ending with this by those getting out each get 2-3 wings but the winner actually gets a full serving of wings!

Small Group Ice Breaker

• Use the rubber chicken to help students learn each other’s names in a small group.
• Stand in a circle with the leader holding the rubber chicken.
• He or she calls out the name of one of the students and tosses them the rubber chicken.
• They now have to call out someone else’s name and toss them the rubber chicken.
• No one is allowed to call someone’s name who has already been called.
• Do this until it is passed to everyone.
• You can go a second or third time to help them learn names. Add the rule that each new round they are not allowed to throw it to someone they threw it to previously. For more competition, time them each round and try to get them to decrease their time.

Devotion:

In our game(s) today, we replaced the object you normally would use with a rubber chicken. That may have been weird for someone of you. It was obviously fun for others of you. When someone calls another person “chicken,” what do they mean?

(students respond)

Exactly. They are saying that person is scared for some reason, usually because they won’t do what the other person is asking or challenging them to do. In junior high and high school, you may actually be using wisdom to refuse to do what is asked and be called a “chicken.” However, when it comes to our faith, there are times we can be “chicken” as well, scared or nervous to let others know about the Jesus whom we follow.

In the Bible, a wise older Christian named Paul was writing a letter to encourage a younger Christian named Timothy. He had to remind Timothy about the kind of life we are supposed to live and how to avoid being a “chicken” with our faith.

For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love and self-discipline. So never be ashamed to tell others about our Lord.” (2 Timothy 1:7-8, NLT)

Just like it wasn’t easy to play these games with the rubber chicken, it’s not going to always be easy to share with others about Jesus in your words, attitude and actions.

However, as Paul reminds us, God wants us to trust in His power, loving others with a boldness and courage to help them know about Jesus.

It’s fun to play with a rubber chicken. But no one in life really wants to be a chicken. Remember that the same thing goes with our faith.

Ask God to help remind you that He has given you “a spirit of power, love and self-discipline” so that you can tell others about Jesus without being ashamed!

DOWNLOAD PDF OF THIS GAME

If you liked this game, check out Hula Hoop Challenges

Mike is the Middle School Pastor at Mount Pleasant Christian Church in Greenwood, Indiana, where he oversees their ministries for 5th-8th graders.  He’s been in full-time youth ministry over 16 years with most of that time focused on preteens and junior highers.

Photo by Chris Goldberg and used under a Creative Commons License from https://flic.kr/p/fSpJ8F