Leisure Time Activities for Youth

Church Groups and Activities

• Many churches have age-specific classes or other group gatherings for youth on regular worship days. However, they do not or cannot always organize activities outside of those days.

  You can offer your assistance in organizing activities on other days beside regular worship days. These can include taking youth to appropriate movies or even just out to eat and to a shopping mall. You can be the one to do all the planning and then ask the parents of those youth attending or other members of your congregation to help you out.

  Your pastor can help with ensuring that you and all adult helpers are in compliance with church regulations regarding background checks, proper licensing for operating multi-passenger vehicles and other things that may be necessary for conducting such activities.

Skating parties

• Skating parties can be fun, especially when the adults who are chaperoning the youth can be persuaded to get out there and participate. Some skating venues will allow a group to rent the entire facility for a few hours or even an entire night, so if you can do this, you would have more control over the festivities than if you had to go on a regular public skating night.

  Even if you do have to go on a public skating night, you can still arrange for the youth who are going to be picked up at their homes or a central meeting site and returned to the same places later. This would ensure that you knew who was with whom, and where, at all times.

Informal get-togethers

• Getting youth together does not always mean you have to take them somewhere. Providing a place in your home for them to just come and hang out is a good idea. By doing this, you can ensure that youth will know they have a safe place to come to, and parents will be aware of where their children are and who they are with.

  Because the idea is to give youth other outlets besides TV watching and computer use, you can set out board games, card games, and other activities for them to do. You can also provide seating areas that are apart from the game areas, but still within sight of adults, for just visiting and socializing.

  Set some ground rules about acceptable behavior, which rooms are off-limits and other issues so there will be no misunderstandings. Then, provide watchful but not hovering attention.