YW/YM Combined Activity: Burn the House Down!

"Burn the House Down!"

This was SO FUN!  The youth did NOT want to stop playing, they were having that much fun!

The 1st Counselor in my ward plays this at her family reunions every year.

So... you have each person playing {leaders included!} come with a bag.  In the bag they need to put 3 good things and 3 bad things.  For example, Good: $1 bill, candy bar, pack of gum, soda, nail polish, etc... Bad: Little kid Valentine, Happy Meal Toy, wart cream,  white elephant type gifts.

Picture This: 

You walk into the cultural hall.  There are a ton of tables set up with four chairs at each table.  The tables are numbered 1 to whatever....  1 being the head table. On each table is- two pencils and pieces of paper. 2 dice. And the paper in the above pic.

As the youth show up they find a spot.  Doesn't matter if friends sit with friends because you will soon be moving, a lot.  And getting mixed around.  So no worries there.

How to Play:

Pretend you are sitting at a table.  You have someone sitting across from you.  And then the two other people are sitting across the table from each other.  The person across from you is your partner (for this round).  The other two people at your table are partners.  One partner draws.  One partner rolls.  After you determine this, the round starts.  One partner rolls the two dice.  If they roll a 1, then the partner of the roller draws a house frame.  Then, they roll again.  If they roll a 2, they get a window.  If you roll another 2, you get another window. They roll again, if they roll a 3, your house gets a door. etc... {see pic above}  But, let's say you are trying to get a 2 for a window.  But, you roll a 3 and 5.  Then, you pass the dice to the member rolling for the other team.  They try to roll what they need for their house.  If they don't get it they pass the dice back. So the dice is constantly going back and forth between the two team members that are rolling the dice.  Meanwhile, the drawer draws the items as they get it.  Make sense so far? :)  SO if at anytime your roller rolls two 5's.  It's "burn the house down!".  You have to cross out your house and start again!  {this happened to me and my partner at the end when we were trying to get the 6 kids! ugh!}  Anyways, once someone at ANY table gets the house and all 6 kids drawn, they yell "Full House!" and the round ends for EVERYONE!

So, now.... determine who had the house drawn the furthest.  For example Team 1 might have just had the frame and one window.  Team two's house had both windows, chimney, and smoke.  Then, team 2 would win that round at their table.  So, the winners -Team 2, gets to pick out ONE item out of the losers' bags.  Yeah, they grab the good stuff.  And then, the winners PICK something out of THEIR bag to GIVE to the losers.  :)  Now, the winners move to the next table up.  Losers stay at their table.  Now, to change the partners up.  One of the losing members moves seats so they are no longer across from their old partner at their table.  And when the winners come to the new table with the losers from the other round they sit in the empty chairs, which should not be across from each other.  So they are partnered with a loser from the other round.  Make sense?  That way the teams are always changing!

Some things you may be wondering:

Head Table?

There is really no point to the head table.  The kids just try to work their way up to it.  

What if a kid doesn't bring a bag?

The leaders were asked to bring a couple extra.  We had them sitting on the stage just in case a youth forgot.

Can you roll a 4 and 5 in one roll and get both a chimney and smoke?

Or roll a 1 and 2 in one roll and get the frame and window? etc...

Yes, as long as the house is still built in order!

Can you roll a 1 and a 4 and draw a frame and a chimney?

No, house has to be rolled in order.

This game was so much fun!  I want to change it up for a family Christmas Party game.  Burn the Christmas Tree Down!  Draw a Christmas Tree, Two Ornaments, Star, Popcorn String, Tree skirt, 6 Presents... then yell "O Christmas Tree!"  How fun would that be!?