We were fortunate enough to have our local bowling alley Country Lanes let us borrow 20 bowling pins for this activity.  I'm guessing other bowling alleys might be as generous (especially if you occasionally rent out the bowling alley from them or have any other type of relationship built...we really don't, but they were still very kind).  But other than that, the game is super easy, simple to set up...and cheap!

The basic idea is simple.  On each side of the room set up 10 pins (marking them with tape for easy set up) in the formation shown in the image below, and mark the spot from which players with throw the football.  Decide the distance you want to use (we probably should have made ours closer than we thought because it was a very low scoring game...but the football-throwing skills of your group will obviously vary).

On the second go around (unless a team got a strike on the first time through) each team has a chance to pick up the "spare" or at least knock down some more pins.  Points are put up on the board by someone who understands how to keep score in bowling.

Repeat this process on the next frame, and then complete all 10 frames.

If this doesn't make sense to you, and is too complicated, you can make up your own method of scoring...but just throwing the football at the pins is fun enough!

Have fun, and let us know how you enjoy the game!

Here is a really simple and inexpensive game!  It's really nothing like hockey, but we don't know what else to call it.  We had a good time with it and would definitely do it again.  As seen in the picture above, we didn't actually use pool noodles (hard to purchase here in the winter), but instead we rolled up paper and taped it together.  The rule was that the "hockey stick" you have gets damaged or falls apart, you have to keep using it as is.

Items needed:
1.  Pool noodles for every player
2.  Soft, light-weight ball or balloon (have plenty of extra balloons because they could pop)
3.  Goal post marking for each side
 
Objective:
1.  Get ball/balloon to your goal which is defended by opposing team.
2.  Earn 1 point for each goal. 
3.  Team with the most points at the end of game wins.
 
Rules:
1.  Ball/balloon is dropped into center of center line at the beginning of each quarter and after each point is scored.
2.  Each half is 10 minutes long with 2.5 minute breaks.  Teams switch sides at half time.
 
Fouls:
1.  If ball/balloon is moved forward by anything other than a noodle (such as hands, feet, or head), the ball/balloon will be stopped where foul was committed and opposing side will get possession (play starts when ball/balloon is hit with noodle).
2.  If any player strikes opponent with noodle (unless noodle makes contact with ball/balloon during swing), the ball/balloon will be stopped where foul was committed and opposing side will get possession (play starts when ball/balloon is hit with noodle).
3.  If ball/balloon is "carried" instead of struck, the ball/balloon will be stopped where foul was committed and opposing side will get possession (play starts when ball/balloon is hit with noodle).
 

Here is a very quick and easy game I heard about and had to try with our youth group.  All you need is a six-sided die, plenty of plastic wrap, and whatever items you want to have wrapped up before the teens arrive (items we wrapped included: 1 can of Coke, 1 small bag of pretzels, miscellaneous candy bars, a candy cane, 3 dollar bills, about 5 quarters... and some other stuff I can't remember)

-Simply wrap the items one at a time until you have a huge ball of plastic wrap (Items will be hard to see through the wrapping).
-Choose who will start.
-Going clockwise, give the next person in line (or in the circle) the die.
-When you say "go," the first person begins unwrapping the ball and keeps any items they unwrap until the next person rolls a 1 or a 6.
-When player rolls a 1 or a 6, they take the ball from the previous player and begin unwrapping while the next player in line (or in the circle) begins rolling the die.
-Keep playing until all items are unwrapped. 

If you know how to play Horseshoes, and you know how water balloons work, then this will be a very simple game for you.  Divide up into two teams.  Players will take turns being the "stake" in the ground that the other team will throw their horseshoes at...only for this game we are going to use water balloons ("hand grenades") instead of horseshoes.  Choose which team will start by tossing and which will be tossed at.  When players were having the "grenades" tossed at them, we had them turn around so they wouldn't be able to see it coming and move out of the way.  Here is how players scored points:

-If player tossing the "grenade" hits the opposing player with the balloon and it bursts open on them, the team that tossed the "grenade" gets 3 points.
-If player tossing the "grenade" hits the opposing player but the balloon doesn't burst open, the team that tossed the "grenade" gets 2 points.
-If player tossing the "grenade" misses opposing player but the balloon splatters and gets the opposing player wet, the team that tossed the "grenade" gets 1 point.
-Nothing else scores.

Keep the distance far enough so as to make it a challenge, but close enough that people are actually getting wet...after all, isn't that really the point of water balloon games?

As always, add your own rules as you wish.  Let us know how it goes for your group, or send us questions or suggestions in the comments below. 

Actually, attendance was quite low during this last Atomic Friday, but I don't think it was because of the game (in fact, it was announced at the last minute that the theme was pie in the face...and nobody knew what that meant, really).  It appeared to just be one of those summer days where everyone was either busy, out of town, or sick... but those of us that went got to play one of the most... interesting games we have played.

Here is how the game went:
1. We made a little wall to stand behind (this was a piece of plywood with a hole cut out that we had used for football toss at Kid's Day).  We covered the front with colored paper  (see images above).
2.  For this game, we didn't have teams.  Everyone just lined up and took turns.
3.  One person was selected to be the first to roll the large dice (you can use a spinner or whatever) and the first person stood behind the wall with their face through the hole.
4.  The person who rolled the dice was handed a damp sponge with whipped cream on it, and if they rolled a 1 or a 6, they got to give the person behind the wall a "pie in the face."  The person who was pied was eliminated ("go wash your face and then take a seat!")
5.  The person who rolled the dice then takes their place behind the wall, and the next person in line rolls the dice.
6.  Every time a 1 or a 6 is rolled, the player behind the wall gets the pie and is eliminated.  Everyone else moves forward.  If the roller does not roll a 1 or a 6, no one is eliminated and everyone moves forward (person behind the wall goes to end of line).

Maybe you will have a better turn out than we did, but either way, I strongly recommend this hilarious game.  Let us know what you think!