10 exciting archery games for young people

Archery isn’t just about hitting the bullseye. It’s also about building focus, bravery, patience and coordination – just like Robin Hood had. Whether young people are popping balloons or battling in tic-tac-toe, they’re gaining confidence with every shot.

1. Balloon pop

Blow up balloons and attach them to a target, then challenge young people to pop them with their arrows. You can make it harder by adding more balloons, change the size or shape of the balloons, or seeing if they can shoot from different distances.

2. Archery tic-tac-toe 

Create a giant tic-tac-toe grid on a target and get into two teams. Use different coloured arrows for each team. Players shoot arrows into the grid, aiming to get three in a row to win.

3. Hit the number 

Call out a number between 1 and 10 (based on the rings on a standard target). Young people take turns trying to hit that exact scoring ring. If they hit it, they get a point. Mix it up with simple maths, such as ‘Hit a number that adds up to 7,’ or ‘Hit an even number.’

4. Countdown challenge 

Each player starts with a score of 50. After each round, they subtract the number they hit from their total. First to hit exactly zero wins, but if they go below zero, they’re out!

5. Odd and even 

Divide the target rings into odd numbers and even numbers. Players are assigned a team (either ‘odd’ or ‘even’) and they must try to hit the rings in their category. After a set number of turns, the team with the most points wins.

6. Score zones 

Divide the target into colour zones (such as red = 5 points, blue = 10, yellow = 15, white = 0). Young people then shoot three arrows per round and tally their points.

Feeling extra competitive? Add in some bonus rounds.

For even more of a challenge

7. Sniper showdown 

Set a narrow challenge, such as ‘Only red rings count.’ If a player hits anything else, they score zero for that round. Change the target zone every round, so next round you might say ‘Only blue’. Young people can see how precise they can be under pressure!

8. The heist 

Split into two teams. Each colour equals a ‘loot value’ (such as gold = £10, red = £5, and so on). Players try to ‘steal’ as much as they can by hitting high value zones. After each round, tally up the total team loot.

To make it even more interesting, throw in a ‘security guard’ twist. If someone hits the white ring, they lose all their loot that round!

9. Eliminator

Start with everyone shooting at the full target. Next round, only red and gold zones count. Then, only gold. Then, only the bullseye. Miss? You’re eliminated. Last one standing wins.

10. Archery limbo 

Tie a string or rope horizontally across the board. Players shoot their arrows under the rope without touching it. As the game progresses, you can lower the rope for more of a challenge.