source: www.youthwork-practice.com | 2000 Games, Devotions, Themes, Ideas and more for Youth Work
only for private using

The Labyrinth of Doom

Cost: high
People: >6 to any number
Duration: approx 1 hour
Age: from 8-10
Material: lots – lots of blankets, towels, foil, noises, smoke machine, water, cartons, boxes, large packing boxes, benches, ropes, bottles, bottles and lots more

Who doesn’t know Indiana Jones and his crazy adventures? There is a scene in the film where Indiana Jones has to make it through a cave labyrinth. Each step has to be carefully considered – one false move and something might happen... it is therefore really exciting, mysterious and scary – not for wimps. The length of the game depends of the creativity of the members of staff. The more creative they are, the fun they have and the longer the game can last. There are plenty of options for building an exciting cave labyrinth in a large group room, in a sports hall or a large equipment tent with the help of blankets, temporary walls, tables, benches, large cardboard boxes etc.

Here are a few ideas which can be added to or left out – depending on your needs and the possibilities/materials available.

Suitable material: lots of towels or blankets, temporary walls, mats, tunnels, stools, tables, posts, stands, stereo system (horror music, screams and instructions), smoke machine, smells, dark boxes (see nothing – only feel), containers (tubs), plenty of blindfolds, guide ropes, ladders, bars (or narrow benches).

You must think the setup through and test it for any safety problems. Members of staff must provide assistance where necessary so that no one can fall from a ladder or bar etc.

Before the beginning, the respective players are blindfolded and led to the entrance of the labyrinth.

The aim is either to a) get through the labyrinth as quickly as possible or b) find a key or c) solve different tasks, for which different points are awarded or d) simply have fun.

Examples of stations:

  1. A rope stuck to the ground shows the way. Anyone who steps off the rope may knock over a bottle on the right or left of the rope at a distance of 15cm. Points are deducted for this.

  2. The players must crawl through a long tube (fabric or film). He/she feels hands along the way (members of staff spread out on the left and right of the tunnel with their hands placed through openings). The player goes past an area with dripping water.

  3. The player comes to a box and must decide which opening to delve into. There are different types of gunk and goo in the different openings. An object is hidden in one of the openings.

  4. There are different crossroads which may lead into dead-ends or have obstacles that the players have to crawl over/climb.

  5. The player has to crawl over a ladder which is approximately 50 cm from the ground between two benches/tables.

  6. The player must climb up a hanging rope in order to reach a pedestal (only works in the gym with the respective equipment) and then slide back down (a diagonal bench) (you may need to provide help here).

  7. The player comes past another station and must decide which lever to press. If the player chooses the wrong lever, a glass of water falls on them. If they choose the right lever, they have reached the destination.

You might be able to do without blindfolds if you can manage to darken room with enough black cloths and build a suitable obstacle course. You could also include some lighting effects. Therefore: there are plenty of options if you have the right creativity.

A cave labyrinth with surprises is also suitable for children at a community event. Maybe a youth group can set this up, arrange it and supervise it.

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