Written by Sean Sweet

Ahh yes – it’s Eastertime. And the stores have stocked up on those delicious marshmallow treats: PEEPS!

This March, use those delicious treats to create a “Peeps Tournament” for your preteen ministry.

You can do the tournament during your preservice time, or make it a part of your service.

This is a fun way to engage students, and can connect to an Easter Lesson or a lesson about how “Jesus STICKS with us”!

Preteen Youth Group Easter Game: Peeps Tournament

by Sean Sweet

Peeps Chicks
Toothpicks
Microwave (if you ask around, somebody probably has one that you could use)
Paper plates
Plastic Bags
String
Hole Punch
A picture of a bulls-eye or a dart board (you can search online for a picture of one)
Prize for the “Peep Champions”

DIRECTIONS

Assign one color of Peeps Chicks to each of your small groups. There are a six basic colors to choose from. If your ministry is larger, you might consider just having 4 teams (for example: 5th grade boys, 5th grade girls, 6th grade boys, 6th grade girls). If your ministry is really small, you might consider having students play as individuals.

Give each team (or individual) two boxes of Peeps Chicks in their assigned color. This means each group will receive 10 Peep Chicks total.

Have them complete the competitions listed below and award points at each.

Add the points together and crown the “Peep Champions”

Competition #1: Peep Jousting

Note: If you are doing “Peep Jousting” during service as an “upfront game”, install a program like AirServer (www.airserver.com) so that you can use your smart phone’s camera app to show on your main screens what’s happening in the microwave.

Have two teams take one Peep each from their package and place them on a paper plate facing each other.

Have them place a toothpick into the Peep like a jousting lance.

Place the paper plate with the “Jousting” Peeps inside the microwave.

Set the microwave for 1 minute and press start.

The Peeps will expand and the at least one toothpick will, almost always, stick into the opposing Peep.

Whichever Peep jousts the other Peep first wins. Award points to the winning team.

Competition #2: Peep-a-chute

Have teams build a parachute for one of their Peeps: Cut out a large square from a plastic bag and poke holes near the four corners. Using four pieces of string that are all the same length, tie the plastic square to the Peep. It works surprisingly well.

Place a bucket as a target on the ground. Optionally, you could have several different sized targets worth different amounts of points.

Set up a ladder or use an elevated area of your ministry space as the drop point. Consider safety issues.

Have students drop their Peep-a-chutes and award points to those that hit the targets.

Competition #3: Peep Darts

On the wall, hang a piece of paper with a bulls-eye or dart board printed on it.

Set up a line on the ground that participants must stand behind.

Teams tear one of their Peeps in half and have two chances to throw a Peep at the bulls-eye or dart board. The Peep must stick in order for them to earn any points.

Award points based on where on the bulls-eye or dart board their Peep sticks.

Competition #4: Peep on a String

Teams must hand their box of Peeps to the leader who will (with clean hands) take a Peep and tie it to a string.

Then the string is attached to the ceiling or some other high point in your ministry space (a hinge on a ladder, a door frame, etc.)

With hands behind their back, one person from the team now tries to eat the Peep.

The first person to eat their entire Peep wins. Award points to the winning team.

Competition #5: Peep Tower

Teams must use 6 Peeps to try and build the tallest Peep Tower.

Peeps can be torn in pieces, stacked on top of each other, or whatever other method the group comes up with to build the tallest possible Peep Tower.

Award points to the winning team.

Wrap it up

After all the competitions have been played, add the points. You could have a volunteer do this during service and announce the winner at the end of service. The winner gets – you guessed it – a box of Peeps.

The Peep Tournament is a great way to start off a service with an Easter message, or a service about how Christians STICK around even when they’re persecuted.