October 2019 When kids have to transition from one activity to the next, these are ripe opportunities for behavior issues to occur. As a leader, you might feel like things are running smoothly right up until you say, “Okay, time for Large Group!” Then you find yourself trying to control the chaos! Here are a…Continue reading Transition Tips to Make Your Club Run More Smoothly
Starting Off Strong
The first day of club is like the first day of school: it’s absolutely essential to setting the tone for the year. In our online workshop for leaders earlier this month, we talked about the following tips for starting the year off strong in small groups. 1. Set a positive group culture. A few years…Continue reading Starting Off Strong
Behavior: Collaborative Problem Solving
Collaborative Problem Solving By Kim Kline, Director of Ministry Development At club, one of our biggest challenges is dealing with difficult behaviors of kids. In our last online workshop for leaders, we discussed this topic and presented some strategies for dealing with difficult behavior, including collaborative problem solving. The idea behind collaborative problem solving is…Continue reading Behavior: Collaborative Problem Solving …Continue reading Behavior: Collaborative Problem Solving
Principles for Managing Difficult Behavior
February 2018 This month, our leaders engaged in an online workshop on dealing with difficult behaviors in club. Check out some of the content from that discussion below. If you missed it, check our events page for upcoming online workshops. Here are some key principles we for managing difficult behaviors in club: Remind When a…Continue reading Principles for Managing Difficult Behavior …Continue reading Principles for Managing Difficult Behavior
5 Keys for Making Your Ticket System Work (Coaching Sheet)
TEAM LEADERS ONLY! Coaching sheets are a tool for team leaders to train their team members. Click here for instructions on “How to Use Coaching Sheets.” 5 Keys for Making Your Ticket System Work 5 Keys for Making Your Ticket System Work (Leader’s Notes) If you are interested to see other Coaching Sheet topics…Continue reading 5 Keys for Making Your Ticket System Work (Coaching Sheet) …Continue reading 5 Keys for Making Your Ticket System Work (Coaching Sheet)
Why Kids Should NOT Sit Still at Church
Thanks to Dale Hudson from Relevant Children’s Ministry for this article. In many churches, you will hear this in the children’s ministry areas. “Ssssshhhhhh…” “Okay…everyone….let’s get quiet…” “Please stop squirming in your chair…” “Slow down…don’t run in the hallway…” “Sit still…” “I’m not going to continue until everyone gets their eyes up front and…Continue reading Why Kids Should NOT Sit Still at Church …Continue reading Why Kids Should NOT Sit Still at Church
Ideas for Managing a Chatty Small Group
Blurt Beans This is a chance for children to earn a group incentive for demonstrating self-control and listening during small group time. You’ll need to keep a supply of pinto beans with your materials, and one sandwich size or quart size plastic baggy (the larger the bag the higher the difficulty level). Explain to the…Continue reading Ideas for Managing a Chatty Small Group …Continue reading Ideas for Managing a Chatty Small Group
Top 10 Reasons Kids Misbehave in Children’s Ministry (And How to Fix It)
Thanks to Relevant Children’s Ministry for this re-post. The easy thing to do is to quickly place the blame on a child when he or she is misbehaving in class. While it is true, we all have a rebellious nature we acquired from the fall that can cause us to misbehave on our own…Continue reading Top 10 Reasons Kids Misbehave in Children’s Ministry (And How to Fix It) …Continue reading Top 10 Reasons Kids Misbehave in Children’s Ministry (And How to Fix It)
How to Rock Your Small Group Discussion Time
1. Establish a safe environment. Early in the year, make sure that you talk with your group about what you expect small group discussion time to look like, and clarify the boundaries. Set ground rules regarding respecting one another’s turn to talk, listening to others, and being accepting of what others have to share. In…Continue reading How to Rock Your Small Group Discussion Time …Continue reading How to Rock Your Small Group Discussion Time
Top 5 Secrets of Effective Large Clubs
Top Five Secrets of Effective Large Clubs by Katie Ki Leverage the power of the small group. Large clubs run most smoothly when almost everything is done in small group format: from check in, to snack, to games, to check out. Even during the 10-15 minute large group lesson, kids sit with their SGL….Continue reading Top 5 Secrets of Effective Large Clubs …Continue reading Top 5 Secrets of Effective Large Clubs
6 Second Commercials . . . 6 Second Attention Span
Thanks to Relevant Children’s Ministry for this re-post. The standard time for honoring children’s attention span when you are teaching has been 1 minute for every year with a max of 5 minutes. An example would be when you are teaching 3-year-olds. You would have 3 minutes to talk before you needed to switch and do…Continue reading 6 Second Commercials . . . 6 Second Attention Span …Continue reading 6 Second Commercials . . . 6 Second Attention Span
Large Group Routines: Transitions (Coaching Sheet)
**FOR TEAM LEADERS ONLY** For instructions on using coaching sheets, click here: How to Use Coaching Sheets. Large Group Routines Transitions Large Group Routines Transitions (Leader’s Notes)…Continue reading Large Group Routines: Transitions (Coaching Sheet)
Managing Your Small Group
Routines are Your Best Friend! The first few weeks of club, you will want to set aside extra time to teach your small group routines and procedures. Explain and model expected behaviors such as: o How students should enter Kids Club and where to put their things when they arrive o How and where everyone…Continue reading Managing Your Small Group …Continue reading Managing Your Small Group
Tickets 101
Tickets are one recommended tool for an easy to implement behavior reinforcement system in Kids Club. To get started you will need: A large roll of raffle tickets, with numbers printed on both ends (1,000 or more) A bag of assorted prizes/candy/toys Each leader should have an adequate supply of tickets on hand at ALL…Continue reading Tickets 101 …Continue reading Tickets 101
How to Handle Disrespect
How to Handle Disrespect One of the most challenging behavior issues that arises frequently with kids is disrespect. How do you respond when a kids shouts, “I don’t like you and I don’t want to be in this stupid group!” There’s no quick fix to handling disrespect, but here are a few helpful principles to…Continue reading How to Handle Disrespect …Continue reading How to Handle Disrespect
3 Ideas For Positive Behavior Reinforcement
Reward the Positive One key to managing behavior in your club and small groups is to consistently recognize and reward positive behaviors. Here are three different strategies for your Kids Club. Idea #1: 500 Point Chart A 500 Point Chart is a reward incentive for the whole group. Each week, every child gets a…Continue reading 3 Ideas For Positive Behavior Reinforcement …Continue reading 3 Ideas For Positive Behavior Reinforcement
Asking Questions to Build Relationships
Asking questions is one simple way that you can intentionally build relational connections with children. To relate to children on a deeper level, we need to ask questions that elicit more than a shrug of the shoulders, a nod, or one- word answers like, “Fine,” or “Fun.” Instead, we can ask questions that lead to…Continue reading Asking Questions to Build Relationships …Continue reading Asking Questions to Build Relationships
Dealing with Challenging Behaviors
Dealing with Challenging Behaviors One of the struggles we often hear from leaders is, “How do I effectively handle negative behaviors like disruption and disrespect from students?” There are tons of “behavior management” systems that you can use (our favorite is the ticket raffle), but ultimately there is no one-size-fits-all solution. These principles are…Continue reading Dealing with Challenging Behaviors …Continue reading Dealing with Challenging Behaviors