How to Plan Crafts for Youth Groups

Crafts can be fun for people of any age. Youth groups offer a great venue for introducing craft projects, since they inspire creativity and personal expression amongst adolescents. Craft projects can also give youth group members something to take home and share with others. Plan crafts that are fun, relevant and purposeful. They should be educational and offer a clear message.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. Determine a budget for your craft activities. It can be easy to get carried away when you start brainstorming ideas.
2. Consider the ages of the group that will take part in the crafts. The project should be at an appropriate developmental level to hold the interest of the group members without overwhelming them. The website Youth Online offers craft ideas for a variety of age groups (see Resources below). Some are scientific, some decorative and some just plain fun! All of them are easy enough for young children, with supervision.
3. Keep in mind that it is much harder to keep teenagers interested in crafts projects, especially boys. Your best bet may be to create something that they can use. Both guys and girls might enjoy making beaded necklaces and bracelets. Other possibilities for crafts that can reflect their interests are calendars, notebook covers and locker organizers. Gaming, cars, sports and other things that interest boys can be integrated into these crafts. Visit Kaboose for ideas (see Resources below).
4. Plan projects according to the time frame allowed. If you want the project to be completed in one sitting, painting or detail work may not be possible. More in-depth projects can be completed over the course of a few classes. Avoid projects that have to be finished at home because this does not allow them a venue to showcase their finished work and you have no way of knowing whether the activity was completed.
5. Tie the crafts to the purpose of the group or the current week's lesson plan. This is especially important for religious-based youth groups. The crafts should relate to the week's sermon.
6. Plan crafts based on holidays. This can give you planning ideas for the activities and provide the children with thoughtful and creative gifts for family or friends. This works especially well with Valentine's Day, Easter, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Grandparent's Day and Christmas.

Tips & Warnings

• If you have a limited budget, ask parents or local merchants to donate supplies such as paint, poster paper, crayons, glue and other materials.
• Include the crafts in your lesson plan for the next 6 months or a year. This will give you adequate time for preparation and help you avoid duplicating activities.
• Consider the cleanup required for the project. For example, the group may meet in a room where extra glitter on the floor could pose a problem.
• Purchase supplies for all the projects at once. If you need a specific item for more than one project, you may be able to save money by buying it in bulk.