Teen youth groups provide opportunities for members to grow and learn while working toward a common goal. While many teen youth groups are affiliated with churches, a religious tone isn’t necessary. Most activities for a teen youth group support the mission of the group and help members gain a better sense of community, leadership or camaraderie.
Charity Drive
A charity drive or similar charitable effort teaches the youth group members about service to the community. Let the teens brainstorm the charitable causes they would like to support with their efforts. Raising money for the charity is one option. The group might also collect items needed by the organization. For example, a local shelter might need bedding, food, medical supplies and toiletries to serve the people who stay there. The youth group can collect these materials from local businesses or individuals to stock the shelter’s supply cupboards. Encourage the group to think outside the box to come up with creative service projects. The projects don’t have to be large-scale efforts. Even small contributions make a difference to local charities.
Mentoring
Teens often get caught up in comparing themselves to one another. Spending time with smaller kids is one way to help them relax and just have fun. The mentor relationship benefits both parties. The young partner gets one-on-one time with someone he can look up to. The teen gains a sense of fulfillment and gets to be a kid again. Establish guidelines for the mentor relationship, which might include the frequency and type of meetings and the length of the relationship. The teens might help the younger child with homework or just spend time together.
Scavenger Hunt
Scavenger hunts work well as an entertaining youth group activity. Teens are able to handle a more extensive scavenger hunt that might require them to go throughout the neighborhood or city. The participants break up into teams for the challenge. Each team gets the same list of items to gather or tasks to complete. You can make the list themed or choose general items. A photo scavenger hunt works well for teens. They must take a picture of particular landmarks or pictures of themselves performing a particular task. For example, you might include a human pyramid with at least three levels on the list of tasks. For more of a challenge, specify the location for each of the tasks. The team who finishes the list first wins. Set a maximum time limit on the scavenger hunt to keep it under control. If no one finishes before the time is up, award winner status to the team who finishes the most items on the list.
