Today was fun.
While scouring the internet for fun activities, I came across a game called “Caterpillar Race” that I immediately fell in love with. It costs $0 to set up, takes 0 prep time (other than demonstrating), and was immediately fun for the kids. The original site is here: http://www.jubed.com/youth_ministry/view/Caterpillar-Race
I voluntold two of our youth helpers, Lucas and Aaron, to line up behind me and put their hands on the shoulders of the person in front of them. We picked a team name (ours was “Bob”), and then we began when I took a short hop forward. Lucas kept his hands on my shoulders and took a similar short hop forward. Aaron finally took his hop up and shouted “Bob!”
That’s my cue.
Another short hop forward for me, then Lucas, then Aaron, who screams “Bob!” Hop, hop, hop, “Bob!” Hop, hop, hop, “Bob!” Hop, hop, hop, “Bob!”
You get the picture.
I had all of the kids go into the gym with me and line up in three teams of six. In the second service, we did teams of nine, and in the third service, we did teams of five (and that had to involve the worship team). I asked the teams their names, i.e. what they’ll be shouting, encouraging them to keep it to one syllable for simplicity. Altogether today, we had Team Yep, Team Moo, Team Pink, Team Blue, Team Skirt (six young men, no, really, they picked it), Team Blob, and Team Hop. I moved to the half-court line with my Cup of Joe, gave a countdown, and they took off hopping.
The most amazing thing to me was watching the teams work together. Some were very jerk-y and slow, hopping one at a time. Others had a visual wave going on, with people hopping forward as soon as they felt the person in front of them jump. It was like the old Macromedia (then Adobe) Shockwave logo: just wavy all across, with people shouting “Blob” and “Pink” and “Hop!”
Team Hop won both rounds, impressively.
Altogether, it was a successful game!
We did a few announcements, such as our upcoming March Madness event on Wednesday night, and finally closed with a Focus Question, which I’m including below.
I hope you’re able to use some of these ideas to make your youth ministry meetings more entertaining.
Go do good work.
-Joe
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