• Savor a Sunday afternoon nap.


• Find or rediscover a favorite hobby.


• Have fun — often.


• Go on vacation or an extended weekend with family or friends.


• Travel out of the area at least once.
• Turn off the TV and read a book.


• Visit a park. Play Frisbee® or shoot some hoops.


• Call a friend or family member you haven't talked to for a long time.

• We've planned two swim parties in June — one for Cubbies and Sparks and their families and one for T&T and Trek and their families. Some of the seasoned Awana leaders started to plan individual class parties. We started a children's choir so there is music and praise during the summer on the night that our Awana runs during the school year. Other activities will be planned throughout the summer — but constant contact is a must!
— Denise Kelly, Commander, Friendship Baptist Church, Killen, Alabama

• Last summer, our Sparks leaders printed off the Sparkie coloring pictures from the Awana website. Once a month, the church sent all the returning and upcoming Sparkies a picture to color. We included a note that said, "Your church invites you to Vacation Bible School." We also sent reminders for them to review their verses and a "Hi from your Sparks Leaders." Most of the kids brought at least one of the pictures on the first week of club to show me how they'd done.
— Rebekah Crego, Fellowship Baptist Church, Watertown, New York

• Most of our Awana leaders take a break for the summer for our prayer meeting, so there are some different leaders for our summer youth program. We still have games, music and lessons. At the close of the summer program, the leaders make a huge banana split and let the kids go at it.
— Marilyn Matheny. Bible Baptist Church, Parkersburg, West Virginia.

• At the end of May, our clubs, Cubbies, Sparks and T&T marched in support of our veterans in the Memorial Day Parade in our town. We wanted our clubbers to support the brave men and women of the Armed Forces. It was also an opportunity to show the public the Awana flag and make them aware of our church. (Your clubs could also march or make a float for a July 4th or Labor Day parade.)

At the end of the summer last year, one of our leaders organized family campout fundraisers that many Awana clubbers' families attended. All the proceeds went to our Awana club.
— Boley Rubiano Sr., Grace Gospel Church, Swansea, Massachusetts

• Your May 2007 KidsPrint gave me a great idea! I am planning our first summer get-together in July, which is National Hot Dog month. We are going to have games, like tug-o-war, potato sack races, a pinata and other fun stuff. We are inviting parents (so they can meet the leaders and directors) and include a wiener roast and home-made ice-cream social. It is going to be held at our local lake so everyone can swim too. My hope is to show that Awana is fun and maybe the clubbers will bring friends! Plus, it 'welcomes' the incoming fifth graders into our club.
Also on the fourth page of the May 2007 KidsPrint, I made a list of all the local Vacation Bible Schools with dates, times and church phone numbers for parents so the they can go ahead and mark their calendars. And I encouraged our clubbers to sign up for church camp!
— Cindy Lewis, First Baptist Church, Magnolia, Arkansas

• This coming fall, I'll be assuming the responsibility of T&T Girl's Director. Activities that we will be trying this summer to keep in touch with clubbers will include a picnic and kickball game at our local park in June. In July, the T&T Girls will be having a scrapbooking/rubberstamping and pizza party at our church. In August, we will be having a bake sale and ice cream cone sale. Proceeds will help pay for a mother/daughter and father/daughter event so that the girls and their parents can attend free of charge.
— Elaine Sycks, Faith Baptist Church, Park Rapids, Minnesota

• When you're in public, listen to what kids are saying.

• Go to one or two family-friendly summer movies that are a hit with kids.


• Scan through some children or teen magazines.


• Check out web sites that are geared to your clubbers' age.


• Visit a few stores and see what they are selling to this age group.
• Learn how to send a text message to a friend's phone.


• Sit in the atrium of a mall or go to a park and observe kids, parents and their children.


• Read about or try to play a popular video game — you don't have to be good!


• Find out what hobbies your clubbers or teens enjoy.


• Try some food that kids like.


• Eat something you bought from an ice cream truck or drink a Slurpee™ on a hot day.