Games for Early Teens (12-15 yrs old)

By: Tom King - Updated: 2 Oct 2025 | *Discuss

 

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Teenagers are often thought of as the hardest age group to keep entertained. With so much virtual fun available through phones, gaming, TV and cinema, a youth group can sometimes feel old-fashioned.

Surprisingly though, many teens still enjoy real-life interaction with friends, especially when there are games and activities designed with them in mind. Below are some ideas that usually go down well with 12–15 year olds.

Active Games

• Spud - All you need is a small ball, such as a tennis ball, and some outdoor space. Each player has a number. The leader throws the ball high and shouts a number; that player has to catch or grab the ball while everyone else runs away.

  Once the player has the ball, everyone must freeze. They then try to hit another player with the ball. If they succeed, the person hit gets a ‘spud’. If they miss, the thrower gets a ‘spud’. The game continues with the leader throwing the ball up again. The winner is the player with the fewest ‘spuds’ at the end.


• Dodge Ball - Always a teen favourite. Best with a soft, large ball indoors. Players must dodge being hit below the knee (leaders usually get to throw!).

  It’s just as much fun to watch as it is to play, so those knocked out early still stay entertained.

• Not in My Half! - Simple but high energy. Split the room into two (or four if you have a big group) and divide the players into teams. Scatter beanbags or scrunched paper balls in each half. On the signal, each team must clear their side by throwing items into the other team’s half. At the stop signal, anyone moving gets penalty points. The team with the fewest items left is the winner.
• Dunk it! - You’ll need a sports hall or field. Place a bin at each end. Two teams compete to dunk the ball into the other team’s bin. Players can throw, pass, kick or run with the ball, but if they’re tagged they must drop it. A successful dunk counts when the player shouts “Dunk it!”. First to score wins.
• On Safari - Each player is secretly given the name of an animal (lion, elephant, hyena, etc). Make sure there are at least three of each animal type. On your signal, everyone makes their animal noise and must find the rest of their herd. The first complete group to sit down wins.

Quiet Games

• Scissors - A classic game that plays with expectations. All you need is a pair of scissors. The group sits in a circle and the leader passes the scissors, saying “Crossed” or “Uncrossed”. The trick isn’t the scissors themselves, but whether the player’s legs are crossed or not. Teens love the “aha!” moment when they figure it out.
• I Went to Camp - Another clever guessing game. The leader begins: “I went to camp and I took a/an [Object].” The next player repeats with their own object. The leader says whether they can “take it” or not. The hidden rule: the object must start with the same letter as the player’s name (or another variation, like the letter of the person to their left).

• Who am I? - Great fun for all ages. Write celebrity or character names on post-it notes and stick one on each player’s forehead. Everyone else can see it except them. Players take turns asking yes/no questions until they guess who they are. First correct guess wins.

There are plenty of other activities that teens aged 12–15 enjoy. Wide games outdoors or in the woods at night are always a hit. Social activities like movie nights, cooking sessions or even makeovers can also work well (and yes, the boys usually join in too!).

Try out different activities, encourage the group to suggest their own ideas, and most importantly: have fun! Why not explore more ideas for mixed-gender youth group activities?

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