Planning youth activities every week can feel like a full-time job. You want them to be fun and engaging, but also meaningful—and let’s be honest, something that doesn’t involve just playing dodgeball again. Whether you’re a Young Men or Young Women leader, or planning a combined activity, this list of 100 LDS youth activity ideas is packed with variety. From service and spiritual growth to life skills and movement-based fun, these ideas will keep your youth excited to show up—and leave feeling uplifted.
Best part, I have a free printable version of all of these for you! It even has a form to print out and fill out when planning your monthly activities.
✨ Spiritual Activities That Invite the Spirit (25 Ideas)
Key Phrases: spiritual youth activities, LDS devotionals, testimony building for teens
When it comes to helping youth build testimonies and stay anchored in the gospel, activities that invite the Spirit are essential. These aren’t lectures or lessons—they’re hands-on, discussion-driven, and designed to spark personal growth.
Highlights Include:
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Temple trips and family history nights to connect with eternal purpose
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Guest speakers and returned missionaries who share real-life spiritual experiences
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Scripture games, hymn challenges, and testimony hikes to make gospel principles stick in fun ways
Why it matters: Teens thrive on connection—these activities create space for them to feel the Spirit, share testimonies, and learn from people just a few steps ahead of them on the covenant path.
🏛️ Temple-Centered Activities
- Temple Baptisms Trip
Organize a youth trip to perform proxy baptisms. Pair them with a devotional before or after to reflect on the experience. - Temple Walk & Talk
Walk around the temple grounds, take photos, and discuss its symbolism. End with a testimony meeting or journal prompt. - Create a Temple Vision Board
Have youth create visual boards with quotes, photos, and personal goals centered on preparing for the temple. - Family History Night
Use FamilySearch to find names for baptisms. Bring treats and turn it into a discovery night full of stories and surprises. - Temple Challenge Cards
Create cards with spiritual challenges (e.g., “Read Alma 37,” “Pray about temple attendance”) and encourage them to complete one each week leading up to a temple trip.
🎤 Guest Speakers & Testimony Moments
- Return Missionary Q&A Night
Invite recently returned missionaries to share experiences and take questions. Keep it casual and let the youth lead the discussion. - Leader Testimony Panel
Have a few leaders share meaningful spiritual moments from their lives. Keep it short, real, and heartfelt. - Missionary-In-Training Spotlight
Invite a soon-to-depart missionary to share their testimony and story. Include a countdown wall or gift from the youth. - Parents Share Conversion Stories
Ask a few parents or ward members to share how they gained their testimony or joined the Church. - Youth-Led Devotional Night
Let the youth plan, prepare, and give talks or musical numbers. You’ll be surprised how powerful they are when given the chance.
📖 Scripture-Centered Fun
- Scripture Chase Showdown
Use fun prompts or riddles to find verses. Create teams and make it competitive with treats or small prizes. - Scripture Charades or Pictionary
Act out or draw scripture stories (e.g., Nephi building a ship, Alma and Amulek in prison). Hilarious and surprisingly spiritual. - Spiritual Scavenger Hunt
Hide clues based on scripture references around the church or park that lead to a final spiritual message or prize. - Object Lesson Night
Assign youth or leaders to teach a gospel principle using a creative object lesson (e.g., toothpaste and words, glow sticks and the Light of Christ). - Book of Mormon Escape Room
Create an escape-room-style game using puzzles and scripture stories (like escaping from Laman and Lemuel’s tent).
🎶 Music & the Spirit
- Hymn Sing & Testimony Night
Choose a few hymns or youth-selected favorites. Share what they mean and invite testimonies between songs. - Spiritual Music Video Creation
Make a video set to a Primary song or youth album using clips of church, friends, service, and youth activities. - “Name That Hymn” Challenge
Play the first few notes or lyrics of hymns and have teams guess. Include fun facts or spiritual insights between rounds. - Missionary Song Night
Learn popular missionary songs and Primary classics—then perform them for a Primary class or ward talent night. - Music and Journal Night
Play peaceful instrumental hymns while teens write about a gospel topic or recent personal experience with the Spirit.
🙏 Spiritual Growth & Reflection
- Testimony Hike
Go on a nature walk or hike, then stop at the top for a testimony meeting, devotional, or journaling time. - Sunday Dress & Photo Night
Invite youth to wear church dress and take spiritual portraits at the temple or in nature. Pair it with a message on divine identity. - General Conference Preview or Recap
Watch a favorite talk, make conference bingo cards, or host a discussion group after a session with hot cocoa and snacks. - Spiritual Goal-Setting Night
Help youth set goals for daily prayer, scripture study, or preparing for a mission. Include printable cards or trackers.
Quiet Hour with the Spirit
Have the youth spend 20–30 minutes in silence reading scriptures, writing in journals, or praying. End with a brief group discussion about what they felt or learned.
💪 Service Activities That Actually Make an Impact (25 Ideas)
Key Phrases: service projects for youth, LDS youth group ideas, meaningful service
We all know service builds Christlike character, but it doesn’t have to be boring or repetitive. These activities go beyond “cleaning the church kitchen” (although hey, that’s still helpful) and tap into creativity, kindness, and purpose.
Highlights Include:
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Baking and delivering treats to widows, leaders, or neighbors
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Care packages for missionaries, shelters, or deployed military
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Organized service scavenger hunts, babysitting nights, and outdoor cleanup challenges
Why it matters: These activities teach youth how to see needs, step in with love, and work as a team—just like the Savior did.
1. Neighborhood Clean-Up
Assign teams to clean up parks, sidewalks, or church grounds. Provide gloves, trash bags, and maybe some fun competition—who can fill the most bags?
2. Care Package Assembly
Create hygiene or snack packs for the homeless, missionaries, or deployed military. Let the youth help gather supplies and include handwritten notes of encouragement.
3. Service Scavenger Hunt
Break into teams and race to complete a list of kind acts: sweep a porch, write a thank-you note, deliver a treat, take out someone’s trash, etc.
4. Host a Free Car Wash
No donations accepted—just pure service. Wash cars for church members, teachers, or single parents in the community.
5. Bake & Deliver
Bake cookies or brownies and deliver them to neighbors, widows, or church leaders with a personal note of appreciation.
6. Elderly Tech Help Day
Set up an event where teens help older church members learn how to use smartphones, apps, email, or even just take good selfies.
7. Youth Talent Show for a Cause
Put on a show at a nursing home or children’s hospital to bring joy through music, skits, or silly acts.
8. Make Tie Blankets for a Shelter
Fleece tie blankets are easy and useful. Donate them to local shelters or hospitals.
9. Yard Work for Those in Need
Rake leaves, pull weeds, or shovel snow for elderly or disabled members of the congregation.
10. Write Thank-You Letters to First Responders
Send letters to local police, firefighters, or hospital staff. Teens can decorate cards or even drop off treats with them.
11. Service Bingo Night
Create Bingo cards with acts of service (e.g., “make someone laugh,” “help a sibling with homework”) to complete over a week.
12. “Adopt” a Missionary
Pick a missionary or two to write to regularly. Include drawings, snacks, or inside jokes from the youth group.
13. Host a Free Babysitting Night
Offer child care at the church so parents can enjoy a date night or attend a temple session. Play games, make crafts, and be silly with little ones.
14. Create Birthday Boxes for a Shelter
Pack birthday party kits with cake mix, candles, party hats, and small gifts for children experiencing homelessness.
15. Encouragement Rock Painting
Paint uplifting messages on rocks and hide them around town or church grounds for others to find.
16. Meal Prep or Delivery
Partner with a local organization or bring meals to homebound members. Teens can help cook, package, and deliver.
17. Gratitude Wall
Set up a wall or bulletin board at church for people to write what they’re thankful for. Youth can decorate and maintain it weekly.
18. Host a Shoe or Coat Drive
Collect new or gently used items for shelters or clothing closets. Assign youth to promote, sort, and deliver.
19. Personalized Scripture Journals
Decorate journals with scriptures and uplifting quotes, then donate them to other youth groups, convert baptisms, or newcomers.
20. Birthday Card Ministry
Create a monthly calendar and have youth write birthday cards for every member of the congregation or a nursing home resident list.
21. “Secret Service” Week
Assign each teen someone to secretly serve throughout the week. Reveal identities at the end for a fun and heartfelt conclusion.
22. Photo & Video Messages
Record “thinking of you” videos or take pictures with signs of love and hope for hospitalized children or distant family members.
23. Church History Clean-Up or Maintenance
Help clean or organize church libraries, closets, or youth rooms. Bonus: let them decorate their own space afterward!
24. Start a Service Jar
Fill a jar with small service challenges (like “text someone you miss” or “clean up without being asked”). Pull a new one each week as a group.
25. Support a Cause of Their Choice
Let the youth group choose a local cause or family in need to support. They can brainstorm, plan, and carry out the entire service project together.
🛠️ Work & Life Skills Every Teen Needs (25 Ideas)
Key Phrases: life skills for teens, LDS youth career night, real-world activities for church youth
If you’ve ever watched a teen try to jump-start a car, use a power drill, or apply for a job, you know there’s a lot they don’tlearn in school. These activity ideas prep them for real life—while also showing them how spiritual and temporal growth go hand in hand.
Highlights Include:
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Tours of local places like bakeries, farms, jails, and airports to see the world in action
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Guest speakers from your ward who are nurses, business owners, photographers, or tradespeople
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Hands-on workshops in budgeting, cooking, car maintenance, and résumé building
Why it matters: These activities empower teens with confidence and skills, while introducing them to careers and mentors in their community.
🏢 Field Trip & Tour Ideas
- Airport Tour
Tour the behind-the-scenes operations of a local airport—baggage handling, air traffic control (if possible), or even meet with a pilot or flight attendant. - Bakery or Donut Shop Visit
See how early the baking starts, talk with the bakers, and maybe even try frosting something themselves. (Bonus: snacks.) - Candy Factory or Chocolate Shop
Learn about food production, packaging, and branding—all while surrounded by sugar. What could be better? - Fire Station Tour
Meet firefighters, learn about emergency response, and even try on the gear or climb into the truck. - Police or Jail Tour
See the inside of a police station or jail facility (many offer teen-friendly tours), and talk with officers about their day-to-day responsibilities and community outreach. - Local News Station or Radio Station
See what goes into producing a news broadcast or radio show. Teens can explore careers in journalism, editing, and communication. - Hospital or Urgent Care Facility
Tour with a nurse or doctor, learn about medical careers, or explore behind-the-scenes jobs like lab techs and radiologists. - Veterinary Clinic
Perfect for animal lovers. Watch exams, meet the techs, and learn about what it takes to work with animals. - Construction Site Visit
With proper safety gear, tour a job site and learn about trades like carpentry, electrical work, and architecture. - Farm or Agricultural Tour
Explore where food comes from, understand farming tools and practices, and maybe even milk a cow or pick vegetables.
🧰 Guest Speakers from Your Own Church
- Mechanic or Auto Tech
Have someone explain basic car maintenance—changing oil, checking tire pressure, jump-starting a battery. Hands-on = unforgettable. - Electrician or Plumber
Invite them to show how wiring works or explain how plumbing systems are built. Could include a basic DIY home repair demo. - Entrepreneur or Small Business Owner
Let a local business owner share what it’s like to run a business—how they started, challenges, and daily responsibilities. - Nurse or EMT
Talk about medical response, certifications needed, and give a crash course in CPR or first aid basics. - Chef or Caterer
Have them walk through how to prep for a big event, cost out a menu, or demonstrate knife skills. - Teacher or School Administrator
Share about classroom management, what they love about teaching, and how education can be a form of service. - Photographer or Videographer
Teach the basics of lighting, composition, and how they turned a hobby into a job. - Financial Advisor or Accountant
Have them do a basic budgeting game or explain what a credit score is and how to avoid debt. - Graphic Designer or Marketer
Show how branding works and do a fun activity like redesigning a cereal box or creating a youth group logo. - Lawyer or Judge
Break down the court system, explain basic legal rights, or walk through what it’s like to prepare a case.
🧠 Life Skill Activities & Workshops
- Basic Budgeting Night
Give the teens a fake salary and let them build a budget for housing, food, transportation, and fun. It’s an eye-opener. - Mock Interviews & Résumé Building
Have leaders pose as interviewers and give feedback. Let teens build a practice résumé to take home. - Home Repair or Tool Workshop
Teach how to hang a picture, use a power drill, or fix a leaky faucet. Empowering and super useful. - Cooking Class
Teach how to cook a simple meal—like spaghetti or breakfast burritos—on a budget. Bonus if they get to eat it after. - “Day in the Life” Presentations
Have a few adults present what a typical workday looks like for them—highlighting both the reality and the rewards of their jobs.
🏃 Physical Activities That Get Them Moving (25 Ideas)
Key Phrases: youth games for church, LDS teen group games, active youth night ideas
Sometimes, the best thing for youth night is to just move. These ideas are full of energy, friendly competition, and plenty of laughs—without sacrificing purpose or safety.
Highlights Include:
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Glow-in-the-dark capture the flag, dodgeball variations, and 9-square tournaments
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Obstacle courses, water balloon relays, and scripture-themed escape rooms
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Yoga and mindfulness nights for a slower-paced but still physical experience
Why it matters: Movement breaks down walls, invites bonding, and can set the stage for deeper spiritual conversations afterward.
1. Human Foosball
Set up a “life-size” foosball game using ropes and cones to section off movement zones. Teams hold ropes and can only move side to side—tons of laughter guaranteed.
2. Glow-in-the-Dark Capture the Flag
Play in a dark gym or field with glow sticks, neon tape, and blacklights. Divide into teams, hide the flags, and watch the chaos unfold.
3. Sardines
A twist on hide-and-seek. One person hides, and everyone else searches. When someone finds the hider, they quietly join them until one last person is left looking.
4. Relay Races with a Twist
Incorporate silly tasks like crab walking, hula-hooping, or carrying a cup of water on your head. Good for breaking the ice and a sweat.
5. Kickball
A classic that works for almost any size group. Adapt the bases or teams depending on age and skill level.
6. Obstacle Course Challenge
Set up cones, ropes, tunnels, and other challenges around the church or outside. Time each participant or make it team-based.
7. Pickle Ball
Clearly this is trending like crazy, but everyone loves and you can play at any age really. It isn’t the hardest game to play, but can be wildly addicting.
8. Spikeball Tournament
Set up multiple Spikeball nets and rotate teams. Keep it casual or get competitive with a prize for the champions.
9. Balloon Volleyball
String a net across the gym and use a balloon instead of a ball. Bonus: harder than it looks and safe for any space.
10. Dodgeball Variations
Try themed versions like “Doctor Dodgeball” or “Protect the President.” Just make sure you go over safety rules first!
11. Yoga or Stretch Night
Host a lowkey activity where teens follow a beginner-friendly yoga or stretching routine—great for de-stressing and calming minds.
12. 9 Square in the Air
If your church has a 9-square setup, this one is always a youth favorite. Quick rounds, fast rotation, and lots of laughs.
13. Ultimate Frisbee
Play in a park or large open field. It’s easy to learn, fast-paced, and a great team builder.
14. Tug of War
All you need is a rope and open space. Try boys vs. girls, leaders vs. youth, or mix it up every round.
15. Water Balloon Games
Perfect for hot days—try water balloon toss, water balloon tag, or create mini challenges like hitting a target with your balloon.
16. Dance Party or Just Dance Battle
Set up a projector or TV and play “Just Dance” or host a freestyle dance battle. Let them go wild and goofy—it’s a blast.
17. Wacky Minute-to-Win-It Games
Physical games that require movement—stacking cups while jumping, hopping with a spoon in your mouth, or running with balloons between knees.
18. Kick the Can
Old school but still fun—great for big outdoor spaces. It’s like tag, hide-and-seek, and strategy rolled into one.
19. Sports Rotation Night
Set up stations: basketball, soccer, four square, and jump rope. Let teams rotate every 10–15 minutes.
20. Bubble Soccer
Rent or borrow inflatable bubble suits and let them bump into each other during a soccer game. Hilarious and exhausting.
21. Parachute Games
Perfect for combined youth activities (especially with younger teens). Old-school gym class nostalgia—but still fun.
22. Flag Football
Non-contact and easy to adapt for different skill levels. Encourage creative plays or themed team uniforms.
23. Church-Wide Scavenger Hunt
Incorporate running and movement between clue stations. Hide clues around the building or in nearby outdoor areas.
24. Simon Says: Leader Edition
Get them moving with jumping jacks, sprints, pushups—led by one of the youth or leaders with a good sense of humor.
25. Hula Hoop Showdown
Who can spin a hula hoop the longest? Or pass it around the circle without breaking hands? Silly, fun, and surprisingly physical.
✅ Final Thoughts: Mix Fun with Faith and Purpose
Planning youth nights that are fun, inspiring, and uplifting doesn’t have to feel like pulling teeth. With these 100 LDS youth activity ideas, you’ve got a wide range of options to choose from—whether your goal is to serve others, build testimonies, teach real-life skills, or just help your teens laugh and connect.
Rotate through the four categories, involve the youth in planning, and don’t be afraid to adapt the activities to fit your group’s needs. Because when teens feel engaged, empowered, and included, they’ll keep coming back—and keep growing in the gospel.
