Youth Workin' It

Consultancy and Resources for Youth Workers and Organizations Worldwide

Baked Bean Land Mines – Youth Group Games

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Youth group games
I’m a Brit, so this had to be the image used!

If you’re interested in playing a somewhat messy outdoor game, this week’s addition to our list of youth group games should do the trick – Baked Bean Land Mines.

Here’s how to play it:

Resources

  • Cans of baked beans
  • Can opener
  • Masking tape
  • Blindfolds
  • Wet washcloths & towels (for after)

Location

Preferably somewhere outdoors with a reasonable amount of space, although it can be played inside with a tarp (or on hardwood floors).

Preparation

Mark out a pathway on the ground using the masking tape. Two lines of tape should be used to create a path for the players to walk through, rather than just one line being used to walk on.

See the image below for an example path. It can widen and narrow as they walk along, or the lines could be equidistant the whole way if you prefer.

Once the path’s marked out, add some piles of baked beans at various points along the path. These should be large enough to make it hard to avoid, but not so large that it’s impossible for them to step over. If you have enough beans, also run a trail of them all the way along the strips of masking tape.

Team Options

There are several ways you can play this game depending on how many young people you have in your youth group:

  1. Up Front – Select 4-6 people to play, with everyone else watching
  2. Small Group – If you don’t have more than 12 or so people, you might have time for everyone to take part
  3. Large Group – Select 4-6 people to play, but have everyone else in the group give incorrect directions to those taking part

Instructions

Once you’ve selected who’s going to be playing, split them into pairs. One of them will be a guide, while the other will be the person following the guide’s directions.

The person being directed needs to take off their shoes and socks and put on a blindfold. If possible, do this before they get to see the pathway so that they don’t have any idea what kind of direction the path takes.

Move the person being directed to the start of the pathway. Their guide then has to direct them along the path to the end, avoiding the baked beans if possible and ensuring they stay within the lines on either side.

Do this for all the pairs taking part. The winner is the team that steps in the least amount of baked beans.

Timer

Make this youth group game even more frantic by adding a time constraint. This will make the blindfolded player hurry when following directions, increasing the likelihood of them stepping in some beans.

Alternative Options

If you don’t want to use baked beans, canned peaches can be nice and squelchy too.

For youth groups that don’t have any outdoor space and don’t have a tarp available for playing this indoors, use dry food instead – Pringles, oyster crackers or corn flakes will all work well for this.

Discussion Ideas

This game is a great introduction into a discussion about following directions or communication. It can also work well as a way to highlight the importance of working as a team and trusting each other.

For Christian youth groups, it might be worth playing the large group version listed above, where everyone is calling out incorrect directions and the blindfolded player has to listen carefully for their partner’s correct directions. This can then be tied in with John 10: 1-5, focusing on how it’s important to follow Jesus rather than the paths that other people may encourage us to take.

If you liked this game idea, check out all our other games for youth groups.

Question: What would you do to make Baked Bean Land Mines even more fun? Let us know in the comments below.

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Should We Use The Same Youth Retreat Center Again?

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Youth retreat center
What should you do if a youth retreat center leaves you feeling like this?

Q: I was unhappy about something the last time we used a youth retreat center. I’m not sure if we should go back to the same place or find somewhere new – what do you suggest?

A: Depending on the situation, I certainly can’t suggest you return to a retreat center you felt uncomfortable with, but with good communication you may not need to end the professional relationship with that center – it may have been a one off.

If you do decide to use a new youth retreat center though, try these three things when choosing one so you can be proactive in avoiding possible issues during your stay:

1. Do your research

The internet is full of information and reviews about centers all around the world. Take the time to compare and contrast the companies, find reviews and call or email the center for more information. You’ll be able to get some ideas about how they do business and what a retreat might look like with them.

2. Go somewhere you know or where someone you trust has been

There’s a reason word of mouth is so powerful to businesses. Often people trust people, that people they trust, trust.

3. Visit the center yourself while activities are going on

Even though someone you trust has used a center, you’re ultimately responsible for the safety and enjoyment of your youth on the trip. Take the time to watch staff lead activities, interact with one another and youth and get a feel for the retreat center culture (is everyone happy, grumbling, bored, etc?)

Once you’re on a retreat it’s really important to remember that this a service you’re paying for, so you deserve to have things done right, in a way that you prefer and which takes the safety and enjoyment of your youth into account.

The Importance Of Communication

The key is all about communication. If you have an issue with staff at the center, make sure you take your issues immediately to the center management, especially if it’s a safety concern.

I was on a retreat once and was participating in a trust game with my young people. The center staff were observing the activity as they were running it and one of our youth didn’t have a partner. I was blindfolded for the trust activity. The entire group spread out over a large field during the activity. Two youth got into a disagreement and one walked off into the woods. It wasn’t until 5 minutes later when the game ended and I removed my blindfold that I was aware a youth had left the grounds. When I asked the staff where the youth went, they just shrugged. We searched for our youth for over 45 minutes – he was found safely hiding in the toilets.

The young person did get a talking to about walking off without notifying our staff (me or my colleague) about the issue. Time and space is certainly acceptable, but I’m responsible for the youth’s safety and I’d appreciate a heads up about their whereabouts.

The larger issue here was the attitude of the staff. They saw the entire situation happening and were trained retreat center staff – not just some volunteers who had no idea about how to run a group or keep youth safe, particularly in the woods. I immediately documented the incident and went to the management of the retreat center. They were apologetic but didn’t offer any real solutions to the problem other than to ‘look into it.’

Sometimes, even with preparation and planning, things can go wrong and accidents can happen. But, if you just don’t feel good about returning to a center, then don’t.  However, if you feel like the retreat center did everything possible and you’re willing to give them another try then do it.

In my situation, even though our organization had used that center before, I decided to find other youth retreat centers for future trips based on my personal experiences. I was able to find a center that placed youth safety first and worked with me to ensure that youth had a safe and enjoyable time. They listened and acted on any concerns or questions I had about activities and group dynamics and worked hard to make sure that everyone in our group – myself included – felt great about our retreat experiences at their center.

Question: Have you ever had problems with a retreat center? How did you deal with the situation? Let us know in the comments below.

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The Youth Retreat Volunteer You Need To Have

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Youth Retreat VolunteerQ: I’m planning a youth retreat and am trying to make a list of roles I need volunteers to fill. Are there any roles people don’t normally consider that I might have missed?

A: There are many different roles that need filling by volunteers on a youth retreat. We’ve outlined many of these in our youth retreat book, but here is one that you may not have considered:

Designated Emergency Contact

We’re not talking about having emergency contact details for parents and guardians, although that is something that should always be included on the registration form.

Instead, we mean having someone who’s a designated emergency contact for the youth retreat for both parents and yourself. This should be an adult who’s available 24 hours a day for the duration of the retreat. They don’t have to be one of your regular volunteers, just someone who’s willing to perform this role.

Phone Numbers

This responsible adult should be given phone numbers for:

  • All the parents
  • Yourself
  • All the other volunteers at the youth retreat
  • The retreat center
  • Any other location you might visit (e.g. theme park, climbing center, high ropes course, etc)

Why You Would Call Them

If you have any emergencies at the youth retreat and need to contact parents, you can call this person who can then communicate with the relevant parents. This means that you only have to explain the situation once and can focus on the emergency on hand, rather than potentially having to call several parents.

Why Parents Would Call Them

If parents have an emergency (e.g. a family member has passed away unexpectedly), they can call the emergency contact who can then call you.

Having someone perform this role ensures that you won’t be interrupted at inopportune times by parents who don’t have an emergency, but who just want to make sure that their little Johnny isn’t feeling homesick. This middleman can therefore make a judgment call to decide if they should contact you immediately.

For situations that aren’t an emergency, you could pre-arrange a time for this volunteer to call you each day – one that fits in with your youth retreat schedule, such as during free time or at lunch.

Recruiting a designated emergency contact as a stay-at-home volunteer therefore helps ensure you have a safe youth trip by having an effective communication structure, while also ensuring you don’t get interrupted by non-emergency phone calls.

Question: What one youth retreat volunteer do you consider to be essential? Let us know in the comments below.

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Cell Phone Etiquette For Teenagers

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Cell phone etiquette for teenagers“You are not a rude person; do not allow the iPhone to change that.”

This was one of my favorite lines from the iPhone contract a mother gave her 13 year-old that has been circling the internet since Christmas. Janell Burley Hofmann had many other great suggestions for her teenage son about cell phone etiquette.

Many of your youth will have received new gadgets for Christmas, whether that be a phone, tablet, game system or MP3 player. And that is exciting! These should be celebrated, shared, explored and drooled over just for the fun of it.

Responsibility

But as that famous Spider-Man line goes: ‘With great power comes great responsibility’ (actually it was Uncle Ben – not the rice guy). It’s therefore also a great time to talk with your teenagers about cell phone etiquette – where, when and how they use the fantastic new devices.

Cell Phone Etiquette Discussion Questions

Here are a few highlights from the iPhone contract with some questions you might want to explore with your youth this new year:

1. “If you would not make a call to someone’s land line, wherein their parents may answer first, then do not call or text.”

  • How late is ‘too late’ to call your friends or when is too early on the weekends?

2. “Do not text, email, or say anything through this device you would not say in person.”

  • Do you find that it’s easier to text something (or put it on Facebook or Twitter) rather than saying it to someone?
  • Why do you think that is?
  • What are some pros and cons to sharing things via text or face-to-face?

3. “Do not send or receive pictures of your private parts or anyone else’s private parts…it is hard to make anything of this magnitude disappear – including a bad reputation.”

  • Have you ever said or done something online or via text that you wanted to take back?
  • How did you handle it?
  • What would you do differently next time?
  • If you were to send inappropriate photos via Snapchat, is there anything stopping the person from taking a photo of the photos, meaning they don’t only last a couple of minutes?

4. “Leave your phone home sometimes and feel safe and secure in that decision. It is not alive or an extension of you.”

  • Do you ever leave your phone (or other device) at home?
  • How does it feel?
  • What do you think might happen if you leave it at home sometimes?

5. “Keep your eyes up. See the world happening around you. Stare out a window. Listen to the birds. Take a walk. Talk to a stranger.  Wonder without Googling.”

  • Carrying on from #4, take the time to see the world without the lens, whether that’s the lens of social media, your camera phone or your video games.
  • What are some things you like to do without technology?
  • If you can’t name anything, what is one new thing you’d like to try that doesn’t involve technology?

What we’re really talking about here is a possible session plan about basic life/social skills when it comes to technology and devices. Many youth don’t have parents who will share cell phone etiquette with them or detail some of these dangers or pitfalls. Take the time to share some of your words of wisdom so that your youth can unplug.

You also might enjoy a post that Ben Kerns wrote recently about manners.

Question: How would you address the issue of cell phone etiquette for teenagers? We’d love to hear your ideas in the comments below.

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I Do Not Think It Means What You Think It Means

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Inigo Montoya
I do not think it means what you think it means

It’s been the first week back at work after Thanksgiving (if you’re in the US), so here are a couple of funny stories to end the week.

I do not think it means what you think it means – no. 1

Shae was speaking to some young people on the youth council who are organizing an end of year dance. There was then the following conversation:

13 year old youth: We don’t want a chaperone that’s going to be a c**kblocker
14 year old youth: Yeah!
Shae: Do you even know what that means? Because we’re all going to be that.
13 year old youth: Yeah, you know, a chaperone that won’t let us have any fun.
Shae: No, it means not letting youth have sex, more specifically blocking boys from doing that, and so yes, there will be that type of chaperone there and I will be the main one. Me and Ms. C will both have it on our shirts – C**kblocker 1 & C**kblocker 2.

I do not think it means what you think it means – no. 2

Shae was leading a session during the week with African-American youth and mentioned Black Friday. There was then this conversation:

Young person 1: That’s a racist term because Black Friday’s called that because only black people are gonna go to Walmart on that day.
Shae: No, it’s called that because it’s the day when most retailers go into the black for the year (explains what going into the black means).
Young person 1: Oh.
Young person 2: So what you’re saying is that people should use Google to learn stuff instead of just believing what they’re told

The takeaway? Don’t assume that young people know all of the words they use, so don’t get paranoid if you think they’re talking about something beyond their years – it may just be that they don’t know the true meaning of a word or phrase!

Question: What funny things have your young people come out with? We’d love to hear your stories in the comments below.

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