How to Form a Youth Meet and Greet

Youth meet and greets introduce kids to each other.

Forming a youth meet and greet is a way to get the youth members of your organization together to interact and develop relationships. These youth members provide much of the energy and vitality of the group. By organizing events that encourage bonding and tolerance, you help form the basis for an exceptional organization. Youth meet and greets need to be fun, engaging and at a time that avoids most schedule conflicts.

Things You'll Need

• Refreshments
• Sports equipment
• Trivia questions
• Art supplies

Instructions

1. Decide on a weekly meeting time for the meet and greet. If it is a religious organization, consider having the meetings before or after church. For other organizations, talk to parents and find out what day and time works best. The event should take place at night when possible to avoid conflicts with other activities.

2. Advertise within the organization that you want to attract kids from. Youth meet and greets are usually done as part of an established organization, such as church, scouts, gymnastic groups or sports teams. Parents are skeptical of allowing kids to attend groups that are not already part of the established social network. Provide flyers, talk with the congregation and contact parents individually.

3. Provide soda, food and refreshments for the kids. Cookies, chips and a platter of vegetables will help make the meet and greet more casual. You may wish to consider ordering pizza as well. If you do provide dinner, make it known so that the kids' parents can plan dinner ahead of time.

4. Create an icebreaker game. One good game is to have each of the kids give their name, favorite hobby or television show and age. Then, the next person to introduce himself has to remark on one thing that one of the previous kids talked about. This will help break the ice and provide a catalyst for further conversations.

5. Play an interactive game with the kids. A game of tag football, soccer or basketball will help get the kids to learn to work together and communicate. If the kids aren't interested in sports, consider a trivia game with teams, or an art project. Provide the kids with all of the materials they will need for the game.

References

• More Than Dodgeball: How to Greet Students at Your Entry-Level Program