See our Youth Activities Page for more ideas (work in progress)
No, I haven't already run out of ideas! I want to make a point with this post, and a simple tennis ball says it all. We've already featured some time consuming and even expensive ideas, and that's what I am mainly going for on this project of mine (not necessarily expensive, but activities that show some investment and some effort made on the part of the leadership that the young people will appreciate). However, as I pointed out last week, some of the most "successful" activities we have had took no planning or money at all, because when young people sit around looking for something to entertain themselves with, they can usually find it.
Maybe we youth ministers can take note from this. Watch what your youth group does when they are on their own and you can learn a lot about how their minds work...sort of. Remember, you were a teen once (for some of us, it was longer than others!)
One evening after Wednesday night service, we had a few more teens attend than usual. So, my wife and I bought pizza and invited the teens to stay after for awhile and fellowship. While waiting on the pizza, one of the teens saw a tennis ball and started kicking it around. That was the last I knew when I left to pick up the pizza.
When I got back, the teens were engaged in one of the simplest, yet most entertaining games we have ever played (and we have since featured it at an organized Atomic Friday night). We just call it "Tennis ball soccer" and here are the rules (you can adapt your own)
1. All players are divided into two teams.
2. All players must take off their shoes (not that this will eliminate any bruises or crushed toes!)
3. There are no boundaries, and all obstacles on the playing field are left where they are.
4. Unless you are designated by your team to guard your team's goal, you cannot use hands at any time, even if the ball gets trapped under something (like a stack of chairs for example).
5. Players must kick the tennis ball past the goal keeper and into the set "goal" (can be anything: chair, hallway, table... and can be located anywhere, not necessarily straight across from other goal).
6. At the end of the set time, team with most points wins (Let them go eat first, or make the losers serves the winners...or whatever).
I highly recommend this game. I'm sure if it is a game that fits your young people, they will come up with some of their own rules. I strongly recommend that you referee the game to keep it fair and enforce good, godly conduct. Let me know how it goes or if you have any suggestions to add!
Maybe we youth ministers can take note from this. Watch what your youth group does when they are on their own and you can learn a lot about how their minds work...sort of. Remember, you were a teen once (for some of us, it was longer than others!)
One evening after Wednesday night service, we had a few more teens attend than usual. So, my wife and I bought pizza and invited the teens to stay after for awhile and fellowship. While waiting on the pizza, one of the teens saw a tennis ball and started kicking it around. That was the last I knew when I left to pick up the pizza.
When I got back, the teens were engaged in one of the simplest, yet most entertaining games we have ever played (and we have since featured it at an organized Atomic Friday night). We just call it "Tennis ball soccer" and here are the rules (you can adapt your own)
1. All players are divided into two teams.
2. All players must take off their shoes (not that this will eliminate any bruises or crushed toes!)
3. There are no boundaries, and all obstacles on the playing field are left where they are.
4. Unless you are designated by your team to guard your team's goal, you cannot use hands at any time, even if the ball gets trapped under something (like a stack of chairs for example).
5. Players must kick the tennis ball past the goal keeper and into the set "goal" (can be anything: chair, hallway, table... and can be located anywhere, not necessarily straight across from other goal).
6. At the end of the set time, team with most points wins (Let them go eat first, or make the losers serves the winners...or whatever).
I highly recommend this game. I'm sure if it is a game that fits your young people, they will come up with some of their own rules. I strongly recommend that you referee the game to keep it fair and enforce good, godly conduct. Let me know how it goes or if you have any suggestions to add!
