Rainbow Turtles
Rainbow Turtles
A Fun Youth Group Game
Watch the Tutorial Video
Rainbow Turtles challenges teams to cross a 40-foot “river” using a limited number of colorful floor markers, with each player taking on a unique role.
Overview
Ideal # of Participants: 4 or more!
Where to Play: Indoor / Outdoor
Age of Participants: Elementary School / Middle School / High School
Approximate Time to Play: 10 to 30 Minutes
Materials Needed: Poly Spots, Tape
How to Play Rainbow Turtles
Divide your group into 2 or 3 teams of around 6 to 8 people each, and give each team 6 poly spots—those little colorful floor markers from gym class.
If you don’t have access to poly spots, I found a really cheap carpet square at the dollar store that I cut up into small pieces. If you really needed to, you could use pieces of paper, but the poly spots work much better.
The goal of the game is to cross from one side of the room to the other, denoted by two lines of tape that you’ve placed on the ground about 40 feet apart.
Choose Your Turtle Role
Everyone will be one of two roles: the Turtle Walkers and the Turtle Whisperers.
Turtle Walkers
The Walkers are allowed to step on the dots, but they are not allowed to pick them up or otherwise move them.
Turtle Whisperers
The Whisperers are allowed to move the dots, but they aren’t allowed to step on them, since they’re so sensitive to the turtle’s comfort.
Each team is allowed to choose how many of each role they have, but you are not allowed to change roles mid-attempt.
Nobody is allowed to touch the floor in between the safe zones.
Cross the River
Each team will race to get their entire team across the river as fast as possible, making sure only to step on the turtles along the way.
If at any point someone from your team falls into the river, then your entire team needs to restart.
Your teams will quickly realize that the only way to make any progress is for the Turtle Walkers to pick up the Turtle Whisperers, carry them forward, and then have them place the next turtle down.
The Whisperers can move the turtles forward while the Walkers use them as safe places to stand.
What Happens When You Run Out of Turtles?
Eventually, teams will get to the point where they’ve run out of spots but haven’t yet gotten to the other side.
Their Turtle Walkers will need to lower the Turtle Whisperers toward the ground so that the Whisperers can pick up the first turtle.
Then they can use that one to keep making progress toward the other side.
This forces teams to think creatively and figure out how to use their limited resources to keep moving forward.
How to Win Rainbow Turtles
The first team to get all of their players across wins, but you should let each team finish the challenge.
This allows everyone to see how the other teams approached the challenge and gives you an opportunity to celebrate each group’s success.
Why Rainbow Turtles Works So Well
Rainbow Turtles is an excellent group-building game because it encourages your group to:
- Work together
- Communicate clearly
- Think creatively
- Solve problems together
- Physically work together to accomplish a goal
Students will quickly discover that they can’t solve the challenge effectively by themselves. They need to communicate and rely on the different roles within their team.
Tips for Playing Rainbow Turtles
- Use poly spots if you can. They work much better than paper and are easier for students to stand on.
- Make the river long enough. About 40 feet gives students enough space for the challenge to become interesting.
- Give each team six turtles. Keeping the number consistent makes the competition fair.
- Let teams choose their roles. Different combinations of Walkers and Whisperers will lead to different strategies.
- Don’t allow role changes mid-attempt. This forces teams to think carefully about their initial strategy.
- Make sure students understand the floor rule. Nobody can touch the floor between the two safe zones.
- Let every team finish. The goal is as much about solving the challenge as it is about winning.
Lesson Handout
Want to make this easy to share with your volunteers or students? Download the “Rainbow Turtles” Lesson Handout (PDF) below!
Where Games Meet God's Word...
Most leaders just look for games to play, but miss their true value. When used well, games help teach your lesson, because experiential learning is by far the most effective way to teach a lesson that sticks.
If you want to see this principle in action, check out Uplift, our FREE youth group lesson that is built for engagement. It contains a fun game, but then your students’ experience from the game ties into the Christ-centered message you’ll teach.
