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Mar 15

Written by: Different Voice
3/15/2010 7:00 AM  RssIcon

Last Monday, I wrote about the need to include activities that appeal to different learning styles and different intelligences in Sunday School and other small group studies across the age spectrum. My guess is that in many churches, the discovery will be that children’s classes offer a variety of activities, while youth and adult classes use one, two or maybe three types of activities the majority of the time. If your church is an exception, and you are consistently including all learners of all ages, then I say to you, “That’s great!” And then I invite you to post a comment or send me an email sharing what steps you took to get to this point and any other advice you can offer to churches that would like to move in that direction.

For the rest of us, I offer half a dozen ways to add variety to youth and adult classes. These are general ideas to start you thinking. Remember that you don’t need to do incorporate all of the activities in one lesson! The goal is to work towards variety so that over time you will offer activities that meet the needs of all learners.

  1. Play a game – While it’s true that youth and adults are likely to balk if you ask them to play Duck, Duck, Goose, that doesn’t mean games are out. Try trivia questions (Jeopardy!-style), word guessing (Wheel of Fortune-style), or charades on paper (Pictionary-style) to introduce or review material. You may find that the competitive spirit will kick in and provide for a lively game.
  2. Get them moving – Even if it is just a “midway through today’s lesson stretch break,” adding an opportunity to move will provide a break from sitting, talking, etc. Check out Bible Brain Breaks by Barbara Bruce for ideas for movement breaks for all ages.
  3. Add music – Even though many youth and adult groups are reluctant to sing, most of them enjoy listening to music. Play a song as a centering opportunity at the beginning of class or as a prayer at the end. Or choose a song that ties in with the lesson material and discuss the lyrics or write a new verse to the song.
  4. Sign language – Learning a few words in sign language is a fairly low-risk way to add movement and variety. Have the class learn to sign a song or a prayer. Michigan State University has an American Sign Language Browser online that provides descriptions and videos of signs for many words.
  5. Plan and implement a project – Group learning and interaction doesn’t need to be confined to the classroom. When a particular issue grabs the attention of a class, encourage them to plan and implement a way to raise awareness of the issue or plan a way to be in service related to the issue.
  6. Make a video – Youth in particular may balk at the idea of drama or role-playing, but put a video camera (or a camera with video capabilities) in their hands and it becomes a whole different activity.

Hopefully, this list will plant seeds that will sprout into a multitude of ideas. Check your email next Monday for six more ideas for including all learners of all ages.

~Sally Hoelscher

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