energizers | Fun Youth Group Games for Kids

The Big Boss Game (Everyone Wants to Be The Boss!)

Trevor Circle Games, Energizers, Indoor Group Games, Party Group Games, Youth Camp Games December 24, 2022February 28, 2023big boss game, circle game, energizers 0 Comment

Everyone wants to be the Boss! Looking for an awesome small group circle game? Then you make like to try the Big Boss game.

Big Boss is wonderful for teaching listening and speaking skills to participants. It requires intense concentration. Without focus it will be near impossible to win the game.

The aim of the game is to be the Big Boss and to stay the Big Boss for as long as possible.

The game best suits people 8 years to adult, however, a modified version of the game can be run for younger participants.

Allow 5 minutes to explain the game and another 5 minutes to practise with the participants (takes a bit to get their heads around the game) before playing. The game runs for 15 to 30 minutes.

Once participants have become proficient at the game, it can be used as an Energizer between lessons. The Big Boss game is perfect for youth groups, camps and family parties.

Video Demonstrating the Big Boss Game

How to Play Big Boss

Preparation

Set up chairs (one for each player) in a circle facing inwards. Have one chair that is bigger than all the others. You may like to have (not a necessity) props and job labels.

Players sit in a chair. Each is assigned a job title. The Big Boss gets to have the biggest chair!

Job titles are in an order of seniority. They go as follows: Big Boss, Managing Director, Accountant, Secretary, Tea Lady, Toilet Cleaner, Unemployed (have multiples of each for more players).

How to Play

Big Boss starts by calling another player on the phone (use hand as a pretend phone) “Big Boss calling …”
The player called, must answer with their job title then call someone else, eg: “Managing Director calling Toilet Cleaner”.
Continue the game until a player fumbles.
The player that fumbles is demoted to Unemployed (move to Unemployed’s seat).
All players that were below the player being demoted get a promotion. They all move up a level and move to the next seat.
Each round always begins with Big Boss calling.

Fumbles include the following:

Saying “Um”
Being too slow to answer
Hesitation
Stuttering
Calling the person who calls them back
Answering the phone when not meant too

Note: introduce the fumbles gradually as participants get better at the game.

Playing Big Boss with younger players

Younger players will be challenged with remembering the somewhat complicated job titles. If you were to use the job titles it would help if they each wore the title on a tag attached to their shirts or hats (perhaps a headband).

An alternative is to have simpler titles such as the hierarchy in the animal kingdom: Lion, Bear, Fox, Rabbit, Mouse, Flea.

The participants may like to choose the characters for the game themselves. Another idea is to use Disney characters: Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Tweedy Bird, Road Runner, Goofy etc.

Props for the Big Boss Game

People love to dress up. To help participants get into character introduce some props. Keep them simple, like one or two for each character.

Big Boss needs to look cool! Give him/her a pair of sunglasses and an important hat or tie to wear.
Managing Director is also considered to be important. He/she could wear important attire.
Accountant could wear a pair of reading glasses.
Tea Lady wear an apron or hold a tea pot.
Toilet Cleaner holds a toilet scrubber (clean one of course!)
Unemployed wears a sign ‘I need a job’.

Step Up the Difficulty

I find the more you play the Big Boss game the better the participants get… to the point where no one gets out. This is when additional conditions need to be applied to make the game difficult.

Suggestions to increase the difficulty of the game include:

Create complicated or longer job titles.
Include additional job titles.
Play the game where all participants must speak with their tongues poking out. This impedes their speech and thus messes with their concentration, causing them to make errors. Playing the game with tongues out adds a little fun to the game!

Final Thoughts

I’ve played Big Boss with many groups over the years. It has always been a favorite game for the kids (and adults too!).

I find Big Boss works best with smaller groups of between six and twelve. With larger groups, the game can become difficult to manage.

Why not give the game a try and let us know how you go with it. If you have other suggestions or variations to the game, please let us know so we can share with our audience.

Check out www.wackiapp.com for 70+ awesome youth group games

2 Epic Circle Ice Breakers (Play These Games Today!)

Trevor Circle Games, Energizers, Indoor Group Games, Party Group Games December 23, 2022February 28, 2023Circle Games, energizers, ice breakers 0 Comment

I’ve selected 2 very simple circle ice breakers you can play with your class, youth group, or team today. Simply watch our short demonstration videos below and read the game rules.

I personally like these two games, as they encourage people to step out of their comfort zones.

These are great games to help people in your group to get to know one another, or use these games as powerful energizers to break up lessons. Perfect for youth group camps!

Circle Ice Breakers Game Introductions

Name Name

This game is very easy to run. It is a fun game that can be played indoors or outdoors. Suitable for all ages with group sizes from six to twenty.

Players require focus and quick reflexes.

I Am Here

A brilliant circle game that promotes self-confidence. Students push their comfort zone by being ‘loud and proud’.

This game really works well with large groups. People of all ages can play with everyone being involved all at the same time. Beware though, the game does get a little crazy!

‘Name Name’ Circle Ice Breakers Demonstration Video

‘Name Name’ Game Rules

Aim: to tag a player before the player can call their own name and the Tagger’s name.

Form a circle with a player as ‘It’ in the middle.
‘It’ calls a name and races to tag that player before he/she can say their own name and the Tagger’s name.
If ‘It’ gets to the player before they can say the names, he/she becomes the new ‘It’.

3 Ways To Amp It Up:

‘It’ calls a player’s name and a times table question (eg Tom 3X6). The player must give the answer to 3X6 before ‘It’ tags them.
Use full names instead of just first names.
‘It’ passes a ball to the player. Player must catch the ball and then say his/her name and the name if the player who is ‘It’.

‘I Am Here’ Circle Ice Breakers Demonstration Video

‘I Am Here’ Game Rules

Aim: Players to engage in the game and step out of their comfort zones. There are no winners or losers, just participation.

Players form a circle around a chair (or mat).
One player is chosen. He/she strides out to the chair or mat and stands on it.
This player calls out loudly, “I am here”.
Then he/she calls another player’s name, pointing at them.
This new player walks out and repeats.
The game continues until everyone has had a turn.

Take the game to the next level

Encourage players to be creative with the way they announce their name. They can use weird voices, sing their name, use actions or do a little jig.

The final step with the game is to play ‘all in’.

Rather than each individual taking a turn in the circle, everyone becomes involved.

A player begins, but rather than just calling another person, they are to call two new people.
These two new people enter the circle (first player returns to the outer circle).
Both these players announce, “I am here!”.
Then both these players call two players each (then they return to the outer circle again).
The game goes on until everyone is shouting out their name in the circle and no one is left in the outer circle.

Note: the game needn’t be loud. Players could whisper names!

Final Thoughts

Circle Ice Breakers are often used as energizers. Energizers are games or activities used in group situations to raise the energy of the group. They help participants to be more alert and get to know one another, and they build confidence. There are many different energizers of varying complexity, exertion and length.

Please leave us a comment to tell us how you go with playing these games with your youth group.

For many more circle games download Wacki.