Batteries Not Included

Balloon Night

admin — Thu, 08 May 2008 03:23:22 +0000

Equipment

Bags of Balloons
Earth Ball
Prizes
Shaving or mock cream
Supper sherbet or alternatives
Drinks
String straws
Sticky tape
Pins

Running Sheet

Crowd breakers

Ball and Chain

In this activity everyone is given a balloon and a metre of string. Inflate the balloon and tie it to your ankle. On ‘go’ the aim is to stomp on and burst other peoples balloons while preserving yours. If your balloon bursts you immediately sit out of the game. Winner is last one standing or an unbreakable tie between 2 or 3 people. Fill the floor with inflated loose balloons to add to the confusion and decoration as people arrive.

Teams in a Row

Two teams sit on chairs about 1 ½ to 2 metres apart. On ‘go’ helpers toss in up to twenty balloons that are kept circulating by the teams attempting to hit the balloons over the heads of the opposing team. One point per balloon hit beyond the opposing team.

Earth Ball Games

Beg, borrow, buy or steal an earthball [which is after all just a large hard wearing balloon] and play one or two group games lke all lying in a circle on your backs and rolling the ball across your bodies in a circle around the room as fast as you can.

Food/Drinks

Buy whiz fizz sherbet for everyone and a small quantity of bubble gum for those who want it. Pretty soon they’ll be blowing bubbles.
Always provide water, juice and soft drinks [not weak church cordial from the 1970s].

Faith Shaping Input

The Spirit of God
This is an opportunity to talk about the Spirit of God [an object lesson about the energy contained in an inflated balloon] but moreso about the fruits of the Spirit and some songs and stories of evidence of what happens when God gets ‘on the move’ e.g. Berlin Wall, Nelson Mandela, Jubilee Drop the Debt and Make Poverty History.

Songs:
Blowin’ in the Wind [original Dylan performances on youtube]
‘If Everyone Cared’ Nickelback
“Dear Mr President” P!nk
Scenes from the movie ‘Pay It Forward’
Finish with ‘Yahweh’ U2

Activity
Give groups access to sticky tape and scissors, a drinking straw, line of string, a balloon and challenge them to get the balloon from a set point to a finish line in a race. [they need to inflate and hold the balloon, stick it to the straw threaded onto the string, stretch the string the required distance and let go the balloon. But let them work that out.

It’s a very corny distinction between just letting the balloon go.

More Games

Balloon Shave

The same Teams compete in a Balloon Shaving Comp. Can be played by all members in turn or a selected competitor. One balloon per team stuck to a table edge or suspended stick. Leader covers them all with shaving cream or mock cream in a can. On ‘go’ competitors use a sharp disposable razor to shave as much cream off as they can without bursting the balloon. Burst and your out, be last one going and get all the cream off to win.

Treasure Hunt

Hide various prizes and put clues or jokes or dummy papers in balloons. Inflate them all and set the group free to burst them and find clues [or outright prizes if your group is likely to run and search without the balloons].

Balloon Bulldog

One person is ‘it’ and has a pin. Players line up on one wall and on ‘go’ attempt to run, walk, crawl to the end wall without their balloon being burst. You can add extras with pins as required.

Water Bomb Teams

In summer outdoors water bombs will be included like it or not so you might as well add a team challenge of protecting flags or a free for all fight.

Thank God You’re Here!

djwright — Mon, 22 Jan 2007 05:35:25 +0000

Thank God You’re Here is an Australian Television show in which people are thrown into unexpected situations and expected to think on the spot, ad-lib and respond to some of the whackiest situations they’ve ever experienced.

From the website:

Thank God You’re Here is based on a simple premise: get a group of well known performers and make each walk through a door into a scene without any idea of who they are or what they’re walking into. It might be an operating theatre and a simple greeting, “Thank God you’re here, Doctor. The patient’s ready.” It may be a Roman dungeon, a boardroom, a starship or a talk show. The only things they can depend on are their abilities to make everything up for the next five minutes and cover their tracks as they do it.

There’s no getting voted out and it showcases a performer’s versatility as well as their abilities to lie, deceive and… well… basically think on the spot.

This event might take a while to organise…

Thanks to the Youth crew at Queanbeyan Uniting Church Youth for this idea and downloads.

Equipment:

Scripts for each situation (download below)
Actors prepared to be in each act
3 unsuspecting people to be thrown into the situation
Set equipment
Lighting
Sound system
Video to tape the event
A judge
A compare
An audience

Schedule:

00:00 – Introductions
00:10 – Act One
00:25 – Interval / Judge talking, Jokes…
00:35 – Act Two
00:50 – Interval / Judge talking, Jokes…
01:00 – Act Three
01:15 – Interval, have supper
01:30 – Act Four (combined act)
01:45 – Final Judgments
01:50 – Devotion

Devotion

Downloads:

thank-god-youre-here-script-1-actor.doc
thank-god-youre-here-script-2-artist.doc
thank-god-youre-here-script-3-interview.doc
thank-god-youre-here-script-3-combined-ministers
The TGYH dvd has a number of skits on it that people can get ideas from

Maxi Golf

djwright — Thu, 08 Jun 2006 08:09:37 +0000

Equipment:

Carboard boxes (lots of them)
Sticky Tape
Glue
Plastics
Egg Cartons
Junk / Craft Material
Scissors
Paper
Textas
Crayons
Paint
Plastic (toy) Golf Balls
A number of Golf Putters
A number of score cards

Schedule:

0.00 Crowdbreakers -
Invent a game
Form small groups and try the activity suggested on page 127 of the Play chapter in Way to Live. Each group should invent a simple game for two to four players that uses only a tennis ball. Then each small group plays their game in the large group. See if spectators can guess the rules just by observing. Ask: Was your game competitive (winners and losers) or cooperative (playing together to reach a common goal)? Was it fun? (From “Way to Live Leaders Guide” pp 58)

0.20 Getting started – Creating the Course
Organise the group into a number of teams, preferably of three, maybe four members.

Give the groups 40 minutes in which to create a minimum of two mini golf holes, they can use anything from your pile of equipment and they can use items from the church/hall, with the restriction of not wanting to damage or disrespect anything, (so standing on a communion table to take the first swing would be innapropriate as would be using the baptisimal font as a water hazzard). Encourage the teams to be as creative as possible, using colours and moving objects if possible, remind them of a number of different mini golf courses, perhaps project images of some against the wall of the hall…

After 40 minutes has passed get the teams to complete their creations and rejoin you.

1.00 Playing the Game –
The maxi golf course should be completed by now, hand out the putters, score cards and golf balls to each of the teams, depending on time you may decide to have a team vs team game rather than an individual game within teams, set them up at the beginning of the course and have them go through it.

Reward the team with the most creative hole with a prize, you may also wish to reward the winner of the golf match with a prize as well.

1.40 Devotion –
Show a snippet from the movie The Legend of Bagger Vance where Bagger Vance (Will Smith) visits Rannulph on the course to help him find his swing. You may choose any number of these scenes:

Quotes from the movie:

Bagger Vance: Yeah the rythm of the game just like the rythm of life…

—

Bagger Vance: Yeah, I always felt a man’s grip on his club just like a man’s grip on his world…

—

Bagger Vance: Yep…Inside each and every one of us is one true authentic swing…Somethin’ we was born with…Somethin’ that’s ours and ours alone…Somethin’ that can’t be taught to ya or learned…Somethin’ that got to be remembered…Over time the world can, rob us of that swing…It get buried inside us under all our wouldas and couldas and shouldas…Some folk even forget what their swing was like…

—

Bagger Vance: Put your eyes on Bobby Jones…Look at his practice swing, almost like he’s searchin for something…Then he finds it…Watch how he settle hisself right into th emiddle of it, feel that focus…He got a lot of shots he could choose from..Duffs and tops and skulls, there’s only ONE shot that’s in perfect harmony with the feild…One shot that’s his, authentic shot, and that shot is gonna choose him…There’s a perfect shot out there tryin’ to find each and every one of us…All we got to do is get ourselves out of its way, to let it choose us…Can’t see that flag as some dragon you got to slay…You got to look with soft eyes…See the place where the tides and the seasons and the turnin’ of the Earth, all come together…where everything that is, becomes one…YOu got to seek that place with your soul Junuh…Seek it with your hands don’t think about it…Feel it…Your hands is wiser than your head ever gonna be…Now I can’t take you there Junuh…Just hopes I can help you find a way…Just you…that ball…that flag…and all you are…

—

Bagger Vance: What I’m talkin about is a game…A game that can’t be won only played…
Rannulph Junuh: You don’t understand…
Bagger Vance: I don’t need to understand…Ain’t a so ul on this entire earth ain’t got a burden to carry he don’t understand, you ain’t alone in that…But you been carryin’ this one long enough…Time to go on…lay it down…
Rannulph Junuh: I don’t know how…
Bagger Vance: You got a choice…You can stop…Or you can start…
Rannulph Junuh: Start?
Bagger Vance: Walkin…
Rannulph Junuh: Where?
Bagger Vance: Right back to where you always been…and then stand there…Still…real still…And remember…
Rannulph Junuh: It’s too long ago…
Bagger Vance: Oh no sir it was just a moment ago…Time for you to come on out the shadows Junuh…Time for you to choose…
Rannulph Junuh: I can’t…
Bagger Vance: Yes you can…but you ain’t alone…I”m right here with ya…I’ve been here all along…Now play the game…Your game…The one that only you was meant to play…Then one that was given to you when you come into this world…You ready?…Stike that ball Junuh don’t hold nothin back give it everything…Now’s the time…Let yourself remember…Remember YOUR swing…That’s right Junuh, settle yourself…Let’s go…Now is the time, Junuh…

—ASK: Bagger vance says that “Yeah the rythm of the game just like the rythm of life…” what about life reminds you of a game?
ASK: What can be learned from playing a game?
ASK: What have been your best lessons ever learnt on the sports field?
ASK: Do you think that God created games/play for us to learn more about God/more about life/more about ourselves?
ASK: Is there such a thing as good(godly) play or bad play?
ASK: What examples of bad play can you think of, what makes it bad?
ASK: What kinds of things do we learn about God when we play together?
ASK: What kind of things do we learn about each other when we play together?
ASK: How do these lessons translate to your day to day life?

1.50 Supper and announcements

Sewerage Treatment plant

djwright — Sun, 02 Apr 2006 11:48:05 +0000

This will be a night to remember. It works best if you make this into a mystery destination night. If you can on the way there blindfold everyone (except for the drivers). Most places will have had tours on other occasions. Usually a great night with plenty of laughs and your young people will never forget about it. Their life will go on undeturd.

Clean Up Australia

djwright — Sun, 02 Apr 2006 11:47:39 +0000

Clean Up Australia campaign has been going for quite a while now. For the night you may wish to get someone in to tell you the statistics about the amount of rubbish which is dumped each year and the harm it causes to the environment. You can then plan how you can be involved in assisting with this project. You may wish clean up the youth room as a dummy run.

Gaol or Prison visit

djwright — Sun, 02 Apr 2006 11:47:17 +0000

These days it is not easy to get permission to visit a gaol and speak with inmates face to face. If you do manage to get this sort of permission it is something worth exploring. Hearing stories from people who have to make meaning of incarceration, their past and their future under such circumstances can be extremely insightful and emotive. If you cannot go to a goal, get in contact with a prison fellowship who might be able to organise for someone to come and share with your group.

Nursing Home

djwright — Sun, 02 Apr 2006 11:46:52 +0000

We all get old. We all become memories. Some of us get forgotten. Giving young people a chance to visit a nursing home and to do something practical can be just as rewarding for them as for the recepients of the visit. Debriefing them on growing old, making life mean something, making the most of life as you have it can add something more to the experience.

Winter Sleepout

djwright — Sun, 02 Apr 2006 11:46:08 +0000

The hint here is to not go to a big organised one in the city, which usually turns into a big party, and where it’s hard to keep an eye on all your young people. Instead, run one in a controlled environment where you can challenge them more deeply about life on the streets. It is not a party. Give them cardboard boxes, organise a few blankets, get a 44-gallon drum. Give them a real taste of life for the homeless. You can raise money in the process.

Poverty

djwright — Sun, 02 Apr 2006 11:44:36 +0000

Do something practical, take meals out and visit the homeless, bring in clothes for Lifeline, play a simulation game, explain why the poor don’t deserve to be poor and treated so badly. Growing a social conscience is not something that has to wait until our young people are young adults. Many of them know the injustice that goes on, helping them to understand why it happens and giving them the opportunity to do something about it can be an education for life.

Conflict

djwright — Sun, 02 Apr 2006 11:43:18 +0000

Giving young people effective tools for coping with and resolving conflict is an important tool for living in today’s world. Invite a trained consellor to come and lead some role plays, show some video footage and give helpful hints to dealing with arguments, strenuous situations and aggressive people.