The idea of an Alumni Event is to help cultivate a like-minded community among those who have taken GFI classes in your area. They are fun social events or opportunities for further learning. Once you have taught a few classes, begin to get the families from the various classes all together at one event. This way they get to know other people who are attempting to parent in similar ways. Those with younger kids have the opportunity to see older kids who are applying the principles and the kids themselves have an opportunity to see other kids held to the same standards they are as well as having the opportunity to make great new friends. These events are well worth the effort involved. Here are some ideas to get you started. Thanks to the leaders who submitted their ideas.
For many years, we held an alumni family picnic. The goal was for alumni families to be able to meet each other and enjoy like-minded fellowship. We held this in the summer, either at a local park or in a church yard under a tent. Each family was asked to bring everything they needed for a picnic supper and one dish to share. We provided a grill for cooking hamburgers, chicken, hot dogs, etc. One courageous dad started a tradition of bringing water guns and would initiate a huge water gun fight with all the children. We also would hold a kickball game for everyone who wanted to participate.
For an easy get together, we have announced an activity and invited all the alumni to attend. We’ve done miniature golf and ice skating. Families pay their own way. This takes very little planning. The miniature golf was very well attended and many of the families hung out afterward to visit.
Once or twice a year, instead of having our regular GEMS group, we invite the husbands to come along also to an evening of teaching or activity. You might consider having a meal over Valentines and talking on Marriage.
Invite a special guest from out of town: Depending on the topic, GFI has many seasoned leader couples they can recommend. Consider having a seasoned leader couple speak to the group: offering something as simple as Getting Back to the Basics and reviewing the top 10 principles from GKGW/Parenting from the Tree of Life. Select several committed teens in your area and put together a teen panel to answer questions from parents.
Have a game night. Use a common game or create your own like: “who wants to be a million dollar parent?” or “Amazing Race” style activities that review biblical parenting principles or GK Jeopardy.
We held prayer meetings once a month in one of our leader’s homes just for leaders and their families. The meeting place would rotate each month. The goal was to pray for the needs of the ministry. We also wanted our leaders to have an opportunity to share their personal/family needs with us. We would provide Scripture verses written out for those who prefered to pray Scripture back to God. This was a great opportunity for our young children to learn to pray out loud comfortably. Following 45-60 minutes of prayer, we had make your own sundaes (provided by the host home) which were a big hit with children and adults alike.
We hold a picnic each year in our backyard for our GFI leaders and their families. The goal is to strengthen the leadership. We provide the meat for the grill and families are asked to bring either a side dish or a dessert.
An afternoon of games played with your family vs. other alumni families. Most years had a theme – Bowl Games, Olympics (on years where the winter Olympics were being held), Leap Year, Colors, etc. The games fit into the themes. We tried to keep the games varied so that everyone could participate – single moms with one child all the way through to families with 6 children. We encouraged family identity so families would come with matching t-shirts or face paint or signs cheering for their family. We charged $10 per family to cover the cost of game supplies and/or food. We held our Olympics in church gymnasiums, usually in February (because it’s too cold in the Northeast to do anything else in February!). We tried a variety of things for supper – chili, soups, ziti, sandwiches, or 6 foot long subs. Each family that signed up was asked to bring one part of the meal (either the main course or fruit or dessert). We tried to keep the meals simple so everyone could get their food quickly. We had a great response and many families looked forward to participating each year.
This event is designed to inspire family team spirit.
WHAT YOU NEED:
A sheet of poster board cut into a triangular pennant shaped;
A ½ inch wooden dowel (about 3 feet long) for each family;
Washable markers
Staplers
WHAT YOU DO:
Give each family its poster board pennant, and make markers and
staplers available. Allow 15 minutes for each team to create a flag.
Each pennant must contain the family name. After the clock has
stopped, ask the families to staple their posters to the dowels to make
flags. Post banners around the Olympic grounds.
In this contest, players try to stomp other people’s balloons while
keeping theirs intact.
WHAT YOU NEED:
2 inflated balloons per person
String
WHAT YOU DO:
Tie a balloon to each person’s ankles with string. Families play as a
team, trying to stomp other team’s balloons while protecting their
own team members. Team members are eliminated when both of
their balloons have been popped. Last team member with a balloon
intact, wins.
In this race, a parent must carry all his or her offspring at once
without letting them touch the ground. Small families have an
advantage here but larger families will have the advantage in the tug
of war.
WHAT YOU NEED:
A start and a finish line
WHAT YOU DO:
The parent gathers all of his/her children at the starting line and
proceeds to carry them all at once to the finish line. First family over
the finish line wins.
WHAT YOU NEED:
Two thick ropes with a piece of tape marking the middle (tie a few
knots in the ropes for a good grip)
Masking tape
WHAT YOU DO:
Set two families at opposite ends of the rope. Center the rope over a
line on the ground and ask them to step back six feet to another line
you’ve marked with tape. At the signal, each family strains to pull the
other over to its side. Run this like a double elimination tournament.
Pick the family names out of a hat to determine the draw. Winners
continue to accept new challengers, and the losers continue in a losers
bracket. A loss in the losers bracket means a family is out.
In this contest, blindfolded mothers (or fathers) race to find their
children, who are calling to them from across a designated distance.
WHAT YOU NEED:
A blindfold for each mom (or dad)
WHAT YOU DO:
Line up the mothers side by side. After they’ve been blindfolded, the
children also line up side by side on the opposite side of the room,
with siblings grouped together. At the signal, the kids start calling for
their mothers; the mothers can move, but the kids must remain
stationary. Whoever touches her own children first is the winner.
This is a relay race with five legs to it. Events include somersaulting,
the wheelbarrow, crab walking, skipping and hopping.
WHAT YOU NEED:
A large foam-board sign naming the laps so that during the race
families know what comes next. For example, Lap 1: Somersaults;
Lap 2: Wheelbarrow, etc.
WHAT YOU DO:
Each team member chooses a lap (smaller families will have to double
up on laps). The somersaulters start first, and then tag the
wheelbarrow walkers, etc. The first team to finish the last lap wins.
In this race, the last person in line tunnels through the legs of his
teammates toward the finish line.
WHAT YOU NEED:
A start and a finish line.
WHAT YOU DO:
Line up families so they are facing the finish line. At the start of the
race, the last person in line drops to the ground and crawls through
the legs of everyone in front of him. Not until he stands up and
spreads his feet can the next person at the end of the lines start
crawling. The team continues tunneling in this way until it reaches
the finish line.
Ask each family to bring a pot of chili to be judged in a contest. Prior
to dinner (which is the chili), each family taste tests the pots of chili
and votes for their favorite.
This event calls on creativity rather than athleticism.
WHAT YOU NEED:
One premade, unfrosted single layer cake for each family;
A mound of white frosting
Knives
Various tubes of decorative frosting, sprinkles and small candies
WHAT YOU DO:
Give each family a cake, a knife and some frosting. Put the decorative
frostings and candies on a table within reach of all participants.
Every team is given only 10 minutes to decorate its cake. The cakes
will be judged after the games and then served as dessert for hungry
Olympians.
In this game, the family members have to find their own shoes and
put them on.
WHAT YOU NEED:
The shoes everyone is wearing.
WHAT YOU DO:
Take the shoes from each family member and place them in a pile in
the middle of the room. At the signal, each person races to the pile to
locate their shoes. The first family with all of its members having
their shoes on the correct feet and tied, wins.
(this was funny to watch but hard on your bottom!)
Families race to the finish line on their bottoms
WHAT YOU NEED:
A start and a finish line
WHAT YOU DO:
Have each family sit down in a line with their feet on the lap of the
person sitting in front of them. Without using their arms or hands,
families inch toward the finish line. First family to the finish line,
This race is a twist on the familiar three legged race – only you use
the whole family, not just two people.
WHAT YOU NEED:
A tie for each person
WHAT YOU DO:
Line each family up, shoulder to shoulder. Tie each of their legs to
the person standing next to them, until all family members are
connected. At the signal, teams walk toward the finish line. First
team across the line, wins.