Combating Wintertime Blahs

Kids4Truth Clubs combats Wintertime Blahs; little sad girl looks out window at snow-covered outdoorsDo the kids in your children’s club have the wintertime blahs? If they do, how can you motivate them while combating their blahs? The answer is to offer exciting, fun events during slump times to motivate children to attend and to learn their memory work. Two of my favorites are especially effective at combating wintertime blahs.

What are wintertime blahs?

What are wintertime blahs? They are our natural reactions to cold/damp weather, the aftermath of a busy holiday schedule, or reaction to the “same old same old.” The blahs can take over any time of the year, but they’re most often felt during the winter months.

Wintertime blahs in the club setting occur when children seem to have lost their motivation to learn the memory work or attend club. Often pastors or club leaders misdiagnose the blahs as “this program isn’t working” or “the curriculum is too hard” or “the workload is too heavy.” However, the kids’ blahs are the same as the blahs some adults experience: they don’t want to go out in the cold; they are tired; they feel somewhat unmotivated or lazy; and they just want to hibernate.

How can you attack the blahs?

1. Plan a special event.

The event you choose to attack the blahs can be as large or as small as you want and can take as little or as much time as you want. The event could include review games, play, guests, and incentives to encourage memory work; or you could make it simply about getting children to attend and bring guests.

If children enjoy the event, consider holding it annually or regularly throughout a clubs year. Repeating an event is a great use of funds, as you can reuse many of the supplies. Repeating an event also helps build excitement when you announce that the event is coming again. Tip: Change or add features to make the event somewhat different each time.

2. Choose a date.

Schedule the event with enough time to promote it. To maximize excitement, use multiple media to promote it (including public verbal announcements to both adults and children), social media, fliers (printed or digital), and posters. Even if you print and hand out fliers, emailing or posting an image of your flier is helpful. Parents are more likely to see digital files than printed ones that may not make it home.

Promoting your event will ramp up excitement and encourage the children to invite their friends to come with them, helping your clubs and church grow and, more importantly, allowing you to share the gospel.

What are some ideas?

No matter the event you choose, be sure to schedule time for sharing God’s Word. Whether you share it through your regular lesson time or through a separate gospel-focused time, do not fail to use the opportunity to share God’s Word with the children.

Ideas for event nights are listed on the EquipU site, in past articles, and in our Review Game Manual; however, two favorite wintertime blahs busters are Glow in the Dark Night and Snowball Mania.

1.     Glow in the Dark Night

Kids4Truth Clubs combats wintertime blahs; glow-in-the-dark raceWhile black lights can be pricey to purchase, they are a reusable investment for church events. Options for black lights include bars, bulbs, fixtures, and strips. We have found it extremely helpful to test supplies using a black-light flashlight (rather than blacking out an entire room or discovering too late that what we thought would glow doesn’t glow).

Dollar-type stores as well as online retailers often offer glow-in-the-dark items, including glow sticks, balls, rings to toss, and other games. Be sure to check these out, and look specifically for items that can be refilled with new glow sticks so you can use them again. These items can often be stored compactly. Also look into getting glow-in-the-dark or neon tape and paint that allows you to make almost any game/activity glow! Here are four ideas.

Mini-golf course. This game is fun for people of all ages, from preschool through adults. You can buy mini golf courses or make your own. Many styles of mini-golf games, putting greens, and the like are available for sale online. You can also find online DIY videos for making your own golf course. Lay out the course differently each time you have a mini-golf activity.

Ball-hole cups can be purchased from sporting goods stores or from online retailers. Borrow golf club putters or purchase several at thrift stores or garage sales. All mini-golf items are reusable for future events. Make them glow by painting them with glow-in-the-dark paint or by using neon tape.

Obstacle course. Ideas for an obstacle course are endless. Some of our favorite obstacles are dog agility tunnels, tires /hula-hoops / taped lines for jumping, things to crawl under/over (limbo stands work great for this), and glow-in-the-dark rope, to name a few. Or let older participants skateboard around cones and let preschoolers push small cars around the course.

Carnival- or backyard-type games. Many of the games in the Kids4Truth Clubs Review Game Manual can be made to glow with the use of neon or glow-in-the-dark paint or tape. Be creative when painting your games so they can have multiple uses.

Quiet crafting. For those who might get overstimulated by black lights, offer glow–crayon art or jewelry:

  • Glow–crayon art. Test crayons to find the ones that glow under black lights and provide these for the kids to use. After the children have completed their crafts (see ideas below), turn out the regular lights and turn on the black light, or take the children into a room with black lights so they can see their pictures glow.
    • Pictures. Children use the glow-in-the-dark crayons to color a picture on paper.
    • Meltedcrayon art. Show the children how to grate or put scraps of glow-in-the-dark crayons on a piece of paper. Sandwich the crayons between the paper and a piece of wax paper. Iron the wax paper to melt the crayons on the page. (It should go without saying that kids’ use of the iron should be closely supervised.)
  • Glow jewelry. Purchase neon straws that glow under black light. Cut the straws into pieces that the children string onto either fuzzy sticks (a.k.a. chenille stems, pipe cleaners, pipe stems) or yarn to create necklaces, bracelets, or lanyards. Tip: it is easier for younger children to thread straws on fuzzy sticks than on yarn.

2.     Snowball Mania

Snowball Mania is all about warm, inside snowball fun. You will need to make or purchase a sufficient supply of “snowballs”: pompoms made of yarn or fabric; balls made from foam sponges; snowman-size balls made from fiberfill and quilt batting circles. Reuse these snowballs for the review games listed under “Snowball Mania” and “Snowball Lunge” in the Review Games Manual.

Here are three games that work well for Snowball Mania events:

  • Snowball frenzy. This is simply a good, old-fashioned snowball fight. Line up all the snowballs in the center of the room, or equally divide them between two sides of the room. On your mark, let the snowballs fly. Children must stop when you stop the game. If you choose this option, hold separate rounds for older and younger children so the little ones do not get hurt or become frightened.
  • Snowball lunge. The goal of this game is to be the team that throws the snowballs the farthest.
    • Create a throw line and add distance markings every 5′.
    • Children take turns throwing their choice of the snowballs for their team.
    • Children earn team points for the size of their snowballs and the distance they land. The farther away a snowball falls, the more points for the team. Larger snowballs earn more points than smaller ones. The following chart offers a points guideline:
Distance Smallest Snowball
(12″–18″)
Medium Snowball
(18″–24″)
Largest Snowball

(24″–36″)

5 50 100 200
10 100 200 400
15 150 300 600
20 200 400 800
25 250 500 1000

 

  • Snowball war. The goal of this game is to throw all the snowballs to the other side of the room. At the end of the round, the team with the least number of snowballs on its side wins.
    • Divide the playing field into two equal sides and mark the center. No one is allowed to cross the center line.
    • Divide the number of snowballs equally between the two teams, piling half of the balls on each side of the room.
    • On your mark, let the snowballs fly.
    • The game ends on your mark. After you call stop, any snowballs that cross over the center line go back to the other side.
    • Count the snowballs on each side. The side with the least number of snowballs scores 500 points.
    • Play multiple rounds, varying the amount of time snowballs fly.
    • You may way want to hold separate rounds for older and younger children.

Just reading these ideas may have busted some of your own wintertime blahs. Imagine how doing them will affect the children you minister to. Happy winter!

For additional ideas, download our free Review Game Manual from the EquipU site. While access to the EquipU site is free, it does require you to register and be logged in to view and download files.

Marrena Ralph is Regular Baptist Press’s Kids4Truth Clubs program specialist.

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About Marrena Ralph

Marrena has a deep desire for children to be taught the Word of God and to develop a relationship with our Lord. As RBP's Club Program Specialist, she enjoys training workers how to effectively minister to children through Kids4Truth Clubs training events and Christian education conferences.
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