Holiday youth group activities work when every kid has something to do right away and every chaperone can see the whole group. Here are 10 holiday outings for school classes, church youth groups, scout troops, sports teams, daycares and nonprofit volunteers in Ogden. Six happen at Skinny Dogz, where bowling, laser tag, gel blasters, the arcade, billiards and cornhole share one building. Four you can run on your own. Each idea names the group it fits.
Which Holiday Outing Fits Your Group?
The right holiday outing depends on three things: your group’s age range, your budget, and whether you need a school-day time slot or an evening. This table matches each idea below to the group it suits.
| Your group | Ideas that fit best |
|---|---|
| A school class or grade level | Weekday field trip, Christmas Village walk |
| A church youth group or scout troop | Laser tag night, service project, caroling |
| A daycare, preschool or after-school program | Bumper bowling outing, card-making night |
| Teens, 13 to 18 | Gel blaster tournament, laser tag night |
| A sports team or booster club | End-of-season team party |
| Nonprofit staff and volunteers | Volunteer thank-you party, service project |
| A small budget | Christmas Village walk, caroling, card-making night |
Before you book, our guide to organizing engaging youth group activities covers the planning side of any group outing.
Youth Group Activities at a Family Entertainment Center
At a family entertainment center, the activities, the space and the cleanup come with the booking, so a group leader can spend the outing counting heads instead of running games. Skinny Dogz reserves a group section or a private room depending on the package, provides dedicated event coordination, and handles setup, rotation and cleanup. Youth, church and scout groups, daycares and summer camps are regulars, and the events team builds a chaperone-friendly schedule around each one. Compare formats on the Skinny Dogz group outings page.
1. A Weekday Field Trip in Rotating Activity Groups
A class field trip at Skinny Dogz keeps every student indoors and in sight. The events team can split a class into rotating activity groups, so one group bowls while another plays laser tag and a third works the arcade, and nobody waits in line. Weekday scheduling keeps the trip on a school day and on the non-peak rate, which runs Monday to Thursday from 11 AM to 5 PM. A trip in the last week before winter break doubles as a holiday party the whole class can attend.
Best for: school classes, grade-level trips and end-of-term reward days.
2. A Laser Tag Night for Church Youth Groups and Scout Troops
Laser tag gives a youth group one shared game with a clear start and finish. Games in the multi-level arena run 10 minutes and are open to all ages, so a leader can run a short bracket: youth against leaders, patrol against patrol, then a final round before the food comes out. See how the laser tag arena is set up before you plan the teams.
Best for: church youth groups, scout troops and mixed-age groups.
3. A Bumper Bowling Outing for Daycares and After-School Programs
Bowling suits the youngest groups because bumpers go up on the lanes and shoes are included. Kids bowl in small teams on side-by-side lanes, which keeps a large group in one place and easy to count. The arcade is in the same building, so kids can play ticket games between turns and trade their tickets for prizes before the bus leaves.
Best for: daycares, preschools and after-school programs with younger kids.
4. A Gel Blaster Tournament for Teen Groups
Gel blasters fire water-based gel beads, and the system scores each round automatically, so teens get a competitive game with no paint and no mess to clean up. Split the group into squads, play a set of rounds, and post the totals at the end. It works for a high school club, the older half of a youth group, or a group that has already played laser tag and wants something new.
Best for: teens, older youth group members and student clubs.
5. An End-of-Season Party for Sports Teams and Booster Clubs
A fall season ends well with a team party in a reserved section of its own. Players bowl, play laser tag or hit the arcade together, parents get somewhere to sit, and the coach or booster club can hand out awards and take the team photo in one place. Food is handled as part of the group package, so the booster club has one booking to manage.
Best for: youth sports teams, school teams and booster clubs.
6. A Thank-You Party for Nonprofit Volunteers and Staff
A December party is a direct way to thank the volunteers and staff who carried a nonprofit through the year. Mix the active games with the quieter ones: billiards, cornhole and the arcade give people who would rather talk a place to do it while others bowl. Nonprofits have their own non-profit party packages, so mention your organization when you inquire.
Best for: nonprofit staff, volunteer crews and boards.
Holiday Group Activities You Can Run Without a Venue
These four ideas need a phone call and a little planning, and most cost little or nothing. Any of them pairs with a venue outing later in the season. For year-round family outings around town, see our list of things to do in Ogden with kids.
7. An Evening Walk Through Christmas Village
Ogden’s Christmas Village fills the Municipal Gardens at 343 25th Street with decorated cottages and lights from the Saturday after Thanksgiving through New Year’s Day, and admission is free. It sits a few blocks from Skinny Dogz at The Junction, so a school or youth group can walk the village after dark and then head indoors for bowling or laser tag.
Best for: groups of any age, small budgets, and evening outings that pair with a venue visit.
8. A Service Project Before the Holidays
A service project gives a youth group or scout troop a shared goal: a food bank shift, a coat or toy drive, or wrapping gifts for a local charity. Call the charity by early November to get a December date. Plan a group activity for the same afternoon, so the service and the celebration happen on one day with one round of permission slips.
Best for: scout troops working on service hours, church groups and nonprofit volunteer teams.
9. Caroling at a Senior Living Community
Caroling takes one rehearsal and a printed song sheet. Call the community’s activities director ahead of time to book a slot, ask how long the group can stay, and check how many singers fit in the common room. Pick short, familiar songs that residents can sing along with.
Best for: church youth groups, scout troops and school music classes.
10. A Holiday Card-Making Night at Your Own Building
A classroom, church hall or community room is enough for a card-making night: tables, card stock, markers and a stack of envelopes. Kids can mail the finished cards to a care home or a children’s hospital, or take them home to family. It runs on a weeknight with no transportation to arrange.
Best for: daycares, younger groups, tight budgets and nights when the weather keeps everyone inside.
How Do You Book a Holiday Group Outing?
Book a holiday group outing by sending the events team five details: your headcount, the age range, the number of chaperones, your preferred date and time, and the name of your school, church, troop or nonprofit. Most groups need one to two weeks’ notice. Weekends, holidays and peak hours need three to four weeks, so plan a December outing in early November. Skinny Dogz is open daily from 11 AM to 11 PM, which leaves room for a midday school trip or an evening youth night.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are good holiday activities for a youth group?
Good holiday activities for a youth group give every kid a role and keep the whole group in sight: a laser tag bracket, bumper bowling, a gel blaster tournament, a Christmas Village walk, a service project or caroling. Choose by age range, budget and whether the group needs to stay indoors.
How many people does a group outing at Skinny Dogz need?
Group events need at least 10 guests, and Skinny Dogz hosts groups of 100 or more, of every age. A service charge applies to group events, and the events team includes it in your quote. Send your headcount with your inquiry to get exact pricing for your date.
Do nonprofits get their own party packages?
Yes. Skinny Dogz has party packages for nonprofit organizations. Tell the events team which organization you’re with when you inquire, and they’ll quote the package that fits your group’s size, ages and date.
Is food included in a group outing?
Every group package includes soft drinks, most add pizza, and buffet options are available for a bigger meal. Dietary accommodations are available on request, so list allergies and restrictions when you book. What’s included depends on the package you choose.
What ages can join a group outing?
Every age. Bowling lanes take bumpers for young kids, laser tag is open to all ages, and the arcade mixes ticket games with racing simulators. Gel blasters suit teens and older kids. For mixed-age groups, the events team plans a rotation so younger and older kids each get the right activity.
Where is Skinny Dogz, and how close is it to Christmas Village?
Skinny Dogz is at 2261 Kiesel Avenue, Suite 1, inside the Salomon Center at The Junction in downtown Ogden, a few blocks from Christmas Village at the Municipal Gardens. Groups come from Ogden, North Ogden, South Ogden, Roy, Clearfield, Layton, Farr West, Plain City and across Weber and Davis counties.
Plan Your Group’s Holiday Outing With Our Events Team
Send your headcount, age range and preferred date, and the events team will match your group to a package. Request a group quote, or compare formats for schools, churches, troops and teams on the group outings page. You can also call (801) 627-4386 ext. 105 or email events@skinnydogz.com. Most inquiries get a reply within 24 hours.
Written by the Skinny Dogz Events Team, the staff who book, plan and host school trips, youth group outings and nonprofit parties at 2261 Kiesel Avenue in Ogden, Utah. The venue ideas in this post come from how they run those outings.
