Youth Group Theme Ideas

Anti-Bully: Take a Stand Against Bullying

• Host a youth group meeting focused on an anti-bully theme. This is an issue that many kids have to deal with everyday. Invite a few keynote speakers who have firsthand experience dealing with this topic and are active in the community working with youth. Have them come and talk to the youth group about bullying and how it affects people lives. Some key points that could be addressed with this presentation include identifying a range of bullying issues that kids may encounter and ways to respond to them if they or a friend become a victim. Allow time during the presentation for kids to ask any questions they may have. After the presentation, pass out bullying scenarios and break the kids up into small groups to allow them to do some role-playing.

Dealing with Your Feelings and Emotions

• Dealing with your feelings and emotions is another youth theme that the children can learn from. This theme helps make children aware of their feelings and emotions, how to effectively deal with them and keep them under control. There are many activities that can be incorporated into this theme such as games, lessons and role-playing activities that show students the best way to react in certain situations. For example, break the kids up into small groups. Pass out a worksheet activity that helps the kids understand that there are things they can do to change the way they are feeling. Examples of the feelings could include: "I am feeling sad; I would like to feel happier" or "I am feeling fidgety and anxious; I would like to feel calmer." Have them brainstorm ways of confronting these feelings and things to do to keep them under control. Finish off the youth group meeting talking about feelings, emotions and how they affect the decisions we make. Send the kids home with a writing assignment. Have them describe a time they had a hard time coping with the way they felt about something. Have them answer what they did about it and how they have learned about approaching it differently.

Game Night

• A game night theme is a great way to get children of all ages together. Ask all the children who will be attending the youth group to bring in their favorite board game. Set up various game stations throughout the facility, serve light snacks and host a few video game and board game tournaments. This theme should be based on good sportsmanship, having fun and making new friends. As part of the game night theme, request that the kids make at least two new friends before the night is out.