30 Hour Famine

Animal Farm

Write the names of animals on the slips of paper, using each animal name twice. Make sure you have an even number of people (if you don’t, have one adult leader join this game). Give each person a piece of paper with the name of an animal on it, and instruct participants to find their “match” (the other person with the same animal name). Players must do so in complete silence using hand motions and gestures.

Items needed:
• Small slips of paper

Balloon Tag

Give each student a balloon and a string. Have students blow up their balloons. Instruct them to tie one end of their string to the balloon and the other end around their ankle. When you give the signal to start, players must try to pop the other players’ balloons while keeping their own balloon from being popped. The last player with his or her balloon intact wins the game.

Items needed:
• Balloons, one for each person
• String (a two-foot length for each person)

Famine Juice Bottle Activity

Make sure every student has a water bottle. Have the students decorate their own water bottles to use for juice and water breaks.

Items needed:
• Water bottles
• Craft supplies

Set up tables at opposite ends of the available space. Using masking tape, create a line between the front two legs of each table (these are your goal lines).

Divide students into teams, making sure each team has at least five people. Each player will use their toilet brush as a hockey stick, with the wiffle ball as the puck. Players are not allowed to use their hands or feet to pass the ball. Instruct students to avoid rough play such as checking other players, swinging their sticks wildly, etc.

Options: If you have a large group, play tournament-style or shuffle players in and out as substitutes.

Items needed:
• Masking tape
• Wiffle ball(s)
• One toilet brush for each player
• Two six-foot folding tables

Extreme Makeover: 30 Hour Famine Edition

Go to local appliance centers and home repair stores and collect enough cardboard boxes for your group (a mix of big and small boxes is best). Gather markers, construction paper, spray paint, scissors, duct tape, glue, and other craft supplies.

Divide students into groups and give them these instructions:
1. Your team must build the coolest/most elaborate house possible using the supplies provided.
2. You will have 45 minutes.
3. You must be able to give a tour of your home when time is up.

Items needed:
• Cardboard boxes
• Markers
• Construction paper
• Spray paint
• Scissors
• Duct tape
• Glue
• Other craft supplies

On a Roll

Pass around a roll of toilet paper. Tell everyone that they should take as much as they think they’ll need. Don’t give any more direction than that. For every sheet of toilet paper someone takes, they have to tell one fact about themselves. It’s really funny when someone takes a lot of toilet paper.

The Fam Cam

Set up a reality-TV-style confession booth where students can record themselves during Famine weekend. Post questions in the booth like, “Why did you do the Famine?” “What’s been your high/low moment so far?” and “What’s something new you’ve learned?” Share student-approved portions of the video with your church on Famine Sunday.
Don’t forget to post your videos on our Facebook page! We love seeing your creativity.

Concert/Open Mic

Host a concert as both a fundraising event, as well as a great way to raise awareness about hunger. Take up a freewill offering at the concert after presenting the need using music and/or a World Vision video. This is a great activity to do with a group of churches.

Paper Bag Stretch Limbo

Use a grocery paper bag. Students can compete as individuals or teams. Take turns trying to stand on one leg or arms behind the back. The object is to bend over and grab the open (and standing) paper bag with their mouth. Each time a person grabs it, that particular part of the bag is cut off. Over time it will get smaller and smaller. Use limbo rules: Contestants who cannot complete the task are eliminated.

Items needed:
• Brown paper bags

“What Does Hunger Look Like to You?” Photo Contest

The youth are divided up into teams and given the task to answer the question “What does hunger look like to you?” by taking a photo. A time limit will be given and then teams will be sent out into the community. When they return the photos will be printed out and set up on a display table.

On Sunday morning the congregation will vote on which photo they believe to best depict hunger by placing money into a cup next to the picture. The photo with the most money in it wins. The team who wins will receive all the donations that were given during the photo contest and divide them up equally among team members. This money will be added to their personal donations for World Vision.

Items needed:
• Cameras/Phone cameras
• Transportation/Drivers

Fingerprint Banner

Commemorate the lives you’ve helped save. Take a giant roll of paper and write the following across the top: “ONE FINGERPRINT. ONE DOLLAR. ONE CHILD FED FOR A DAY.” Then have your students put one fingerprint on it for every dollar they raised through the Famine.

Famine Trivia

This one’s great for big groups. Divide your students into teams and play a trivia game based on some of the things they’ve been learning during the Famine. Download trivia questions from the resources section of 30hourfamine.org.

Cardboard Refugee Camp

Construct one on the grounds of your church before your Famine sleepover:
1) Get local businesses to donate old boxes or ask students to bring their own. 2) Have everyone bring duct tape, markers, and paint.
3) Designate a few adults to take turns patrolling the area overnight.

Honk for Hunger

Make posters and bring them out to the streets. Cheer on drivers to honk their horns to show they care about hunger. Donations welcome! Just make sure your location doesn’t have rules against panhandling.

Paper Plate Tagging

Take empty paper plates and write a hunger fact where food would go (get your facts here on 30hourfamine.org!). Write a short thank-you on the back for those who donate and write 30HourFamine.org on the back and be sure to include your group name.

Stand near an intersection and have people buy the plates for $1. Make some noise, draw attention to the group and put up some colorful signs about what you are doing. Let people know what your purpose for this is. You’ll be surprised at how much you can raise.

Items needed:
• Paper plates

Shoot Hunger Shorts

Grab some video cameras and divide into teams. Have students create short film skits around themes like “feed your 5,000,” “fundraising do’s and don’ts,” or the TRIBE game. Or watch video like “Teen Affluenza” or “You are Lalu” on youtube.com/the30hourfamine and have teams craft their own video versions.

Plan a Sunday Church Service Takeover

The Sunday of Famine weekend, have your students do music, communion, and share their personal experience with the entire congregation! Show a Famine video and say “thank you” to all your supporters. (Shy of your group goal, or hope to exceed it? This is a great time to ask for last-minute donations!)

Candlelight Vigil

Want to give your students a powerful visual on the issue of hunger? Light candles and place them in a dark room. Then blow out each candle — one every 13 seconds, to represent a child lost to hunger-related causes — until only one candle is left burning. This lone candle represents a life you can help save . . . and you’ll see how even one candle makes a difference when you’re in the dark.

Loaves and Fishes

Read your group the story of Jesus’ feeding of the 5,000 (as told in Matthew 14:15-21, Mark 6:35-44, Luke 9:10-17, or John 6:5-13). Then do one or both of these activities:

“the loaves”: toast art Snap photos of each creation, then eat the results for your “break-the-fast” meal.

Method #1: Burn a bunch of white toast. Use scraping tools like a fork or knife to etch images or words into the toast.

Method #2: Fill small bowls with milk and several drops of food coloring. “Paint” the milk on white toast with brushes. (Don’t paint too much in one area or the bread will get soggy.) Put toast squares on a cookie sheet coated with cooking spray and place in an oven preheated to 350 degrees. Bake 10 minutes or until done.

“the fishes”: fish origami Honor the lives you’ve changed by having students create origami fish to represent the feeding of the 5,000. Make one paper creation for every dollar your group has raised (or one decoration per $30). Fundraising twist: sell your creations on Sunday for a dollar each. Post a sign that says “Every fish sold will help feed and care for a child for a day!” Search “origami fish” online for diagrams!

30 Hours of Prayer

Have 30 members of your congregation pledge to pray for your Famine for one hour during the event. Provide them with a list of things to pray for, including both group requests and requests from World Vision and the country you are designating your funds to (if you are doing that).