50 Fun things to do with your youth that are free or low cost

1) Drive-ins- load them up with adults and their kids and give everybody a $6


double-feature fun night out. You can tailgate and spend from 7pm til 1am out there for next to

nothing.

2) The Great Smoky Mountains, or it’s equivalent in your area- All you need is a river,

mountain, waterfall, grassy area or something outdoors to have a great time. You can study the

Word there and do all kinds of illustrations from Jesus teachings as well as bike, swim, hike,

sight see or just sit, for little or no cost.

3) Observatory- Knoxville is a medium sized city in the south and have an observatory(you

gaze at stars there) Our is at a local high school near the mountains. The cost was free and then

they did some upgrades and it’s cost is around $8 each. While we ar enot advocating being moon

worshippers like Abram was before becoming Abraham you can actually find the Gospel story in

the stars if you know where to look.

4) Tubing- even if they can’t swim and say they are afraid of water , with a life jacket and your

prescence there should be able to overcome any obstacle along these lines. Oh, and did I mention

the water can be as shallow as 2-3 ft deep!!! You can laugh and joke up and down the river for

hours all for $5 a piece if you don’t already have a tube. Remember to pack a lunch too.

5) The Scouts help you out. As I mentioned before $24 and a few apps and you can open a

whole new world of fun with their organization providing insurance, paperwork, outdoor

resources, and ideas.

6)Take them home- if you know them well enough show a movie, pop some popcorn and make

or buy a $5 pizza. A nationally known chain has these. I know you’ve seen the commercials.

7)Matinees For $6.25 here you can see any movie you want and then go shop the $1 store for

candy you wish you had during the movie, or go before hand…

8)Your Leaders have things!! Convertible Jeeps, Mercedes, Porsches, Airplanes, Businesses,

Video Games, big screen T.V.s, boats, cabins, and on and on it goes…just ask it’s free or close to it !!!

10) Semi-Pro baseball games the cost is minimal and the game sare long and not normally

something you would do..and for us it’s towards the mountains too.

11)_ Musuems…both historical and scientific some of these are free and have interactive

activities as well…again multiple hours. Think of creative ways to preach messages that coincide

with these events …or not at all …just bond, so that when you do minister the Word to them the

respect you that much more.

12)You create the event- we are performing a play next semester at a local high school that I

wrote and they will act in…probably will be performed in more than one location , more than

just once too.

13) Have a special speaker come for free- TV personalities, military personnel, university

officials, actors, athletes, Ministers, and people who aren’t normally asked would love to share

their faith especially with kids..

14) Take them to a resale place for dvds, vhs, music, video games, and books-There are tons

of cool things, even from your generation, for $1.95 or less, or more…If they have any of their

own that they want to sale or trade it can wind up being totally free.

15) Babysit-?? Go somewhere and sit with them…ice cream, a coke, candy from the dollar

store..if you do then later on this will become discipleship.

16) Tutor them..need I say more…it’s priceless!!!

17) Call them—you would be shocked at what ten minutes of your undivided attention is worth.

Who else is doing this mom and dad…sometimes not?

18)Visit them- Mom or dad may have already heard about you…now they hav ea face to go

with a name..think of the trust this builds.

19) Books, cds, dvds, music, and movies that bless you. Why wouldn’t some of your resources

help them..it is an investment..Over the next five years these things and the friends they have will

determine more than anything else the person they become.

20) Teach them to pray, and study the Word for themselves.. they really want to know.. do it

one or two at a time once a week , once a month

21)Take them to a local college to record music for free- We have an HBC(historically black

college) in Knoxville that struggles financially but one thing they do have in the basement of

their performing arts building is a dilapidated recording studio that a professor “hates to see just

go to waste” so we oblige them for a few hours, a couple of times a year.

22) Visit them at their basketball games-unlike football games, which I recommend as well,

these games are usually packed like sardines and afford you the opportunity to visit extensively

for the price of admission. At these games you can pay for their concessions if you meet there or

also pay for their ticket too. Meeting the families here sometimes is easy because everyone likes

to support their son or daughter, niece or nephew, sister or brother. Also in terms of exposure for

your outreach many times the friends of your students will be there with them as well and you

can meet them too.

23) Youth events at your church If like me you are not the youth pastor at your church these

events can afford you the opportunity to partner up and build the Kingdom together. The main

thrust of what I do is to plant souls in a home local church after winning them to the Lord or

helping the displaced find a home.

24)Free Christian concerts Many times you’ll hear them advertised as love offerings will be

accepted. If you can give then do if not still go and pray for the offering to be bigger it’s still a

seed for next time.

25)Parks, parks , and did I mention parks? You might shoot basketball with them, play

tennis, flag football, Frisbee golf, walk, run, walk dogs, throw baseball, or anything you can

think of. You might while there teach, show them how to witness to total strangers and build

their faith that way.

26) Campus dramas, plays, and concerts As your students get older and go on to college in

your area they passes for things on campus what a great way to provide mentoring opportunities

for people you know believe in what you are doing.

27) Volunteer Work- I thought this list was for fun things to do? Well people, groups, and

businesses have a way of offering fun things to you if you volunteer your time to help. For

instance the Boy Scouts sell drinks at the university football games and the students who

participate get to see part of football game for free and eat too. It also helps to rais emoney for a

good cause, sometimes it’s your own.

28)Let them help you I hire them and feed them (sometimes feed them!!) in the two businesses

have.

29) For $24 I bought a on e year membership to Channel 12 This is community T.V. at its

finest and for a little training you can do wonders. Form your own show and inspire someone to

go to school and get a communications degree then have them come intern with you later on.

30)Radio is also cheap The local Christian station A.M. that is is very affordable at $60 a week

for an hour. Imagine announcing a to your morning meeting during the school year that you need

D.J.’s for the weekend show.

31)Poetry Slams I understand you mat not be able to spell your own name correctly but some if

not all your youth can do amazing things with words. Put them on stage to display it

32)Take them to lunch Currently the Euro has the dollar down 1.57 to 1 but McDonald’s is the

same in any currency cheap!!!And the time spent is priceless.

33)$ movies Up the street from McDonald’s is the theatre that charges $1.50 - $2 for recently

run movies.

34)The other resale movie place After the value menu, the $ movie is the other resale movie

place for movies as cheap as $5 each. There’s no music, books, or other cool things but it’s all

right there in the same shopping center.

35)CiCi’s pizza buffet on gameday their buffet is about $6 and the big screen T.V. is awesome

just ask them to turn the channel to the game for your group.

36)Form a basketball league at your church This fundraiser for our youth group combines the

kids I already know with a great place to play ball. It’s also a great way to show them your

church instead of just telling them about it. Remember thye hav ebrothers, and friends you don’t

know yet too.

37) Go fishing worms are free and poles are cheap. Somebody you kno wmight own a stocked

pond as well.



38)Go street witnessing with them to some of your kids this is fun. They get to see some

strange things out there too. I remember in Detroit a guy walking his girlfriend up the street. She

had a dog collar on, complete with leathers and and make-up. Yes, she was on a leash too.

39)Ice skating is cheap $8 is the cost of a movie and you do something different. During the

winter downtown Knoxville build sa portable rink for even cheaper admission.

40)Visit their relative in the hospitol but take them to ge tcoffee and donuts in order to settle

their minds.

41)Perform a youth service at a retirement home Utilize their talents and abilities and love on

others. It really is more blessed to give than to receive here.

42)Form a choir so many youth are so talented. If we would channel these abilities towards God

then the world wouldn’t keep looking so enticing to them.

43)Hand them your responsibilities I don’t like to do tedious things. It’s not that I can’t but if

they can draw then by all means let them do it.

44)Publish things together Newsletters, plays, books, flyers, community newspapers whatever

you can think of. How? Just start.. Pass out your stuff in the club first, then to teachers, parents,

coaches, etc. Thing s have a way of growing. Despise not the day of small beginnings.

45) Take them to Work When they need a ride just be there and they will love you for it.

know how that is…

46)Fix their stuff I f you know how . I can landscape and do minor vehicle repairs, which means

Together we can please many of their moms and dads alike.

47)Help them to raise money together they hav emissions trips besides yours. Use your

contacts and write letters of support .


48)Write letters of recommendation for them When they need a job, or entrance to school

brag on them.



49)Take them to school I have dropped them off and gone to see their principals and put in a

good word for them

50)Coach them Volunteer at their school secular or Christian and get into their worlds, That’s

fun.