Looking for suggestions for youth night chores

[bepps]

Our activity nights have gotten out of control with the youth just leaving trash on the ground and not cleaning up after themselves.  We are looking for a way to help them take more pride and ownership in the upkeep of our building.  Does anyone have any suggestions as to how they get the youth to clean up after activities successfully and consistently?

 

[Jenamarie]

I would suggest enlisting the parents: "Parents, due to the messes usually made during our activities, we ask that you not leave with your youth until we have finished cleaning up. Thank you."

 

This way you have additional authority figures making sure the kids are doing what they're supposed to do in a timely manner. The parents want to go home, too!

[Guest]

Our youth usually stay well past the activity is over to play ball.  Our leaders won't let them play ball until everything is all cleaned up.

[notquiteperfect]

I've been trying to remember how we handled this (it's been a while) but maybe announce that "those who help clean up tonight are welcome to come back next week".  LOL

 

Really, though - give each group a task (deacons - garbage, teachers - bathroom, priests - sweep/vacuum, beehives - lights, miamaids - bathroom, laurels - ?) and put your arm around the shoulder of those who don't pitch in and escort them if needed?

[Quin]

Don't do cleanup at the end of the activity.

Stop things about 15 -30 minutes beforehand for cleanup...

Let them know in the beginning that y'all have been having problems with cleanup so tonight you'll be pausing in the last quarter to blitzkrieg, then will be finishing up the activity after cleanup... And when you do call halt, just remind them :

"Heya, faster we get this done, the more we can get back to the activity!"

Don't use it as punishment, though.

"The beatings will continue until morale improves" usually doesn't work so hot. You'll just end up with people leaving early.

Just do it that way from now on / no big deal / let's bust it out.

Upside, it's what most "messy classes" teachers do in school, so it's something at least some of them will be used to.

[Irishcolleen]

We just ask our youth group kids to clean up. They do. Make sure garbage cans are handy before the activity. They are more likely to use them if they can see them. If you are doing games you can always have the losing team vacuum. Have built in clean up times between each stage of the activity.  For instance, if you have an activity with sports equipment, have them put the equipment away before snacks.  After snacks have a cleanup before closing prayer, etc...

[ditd]

An effective method would be assigning the youth to regularly clean the chapel (instead of a nominated family/group) so maybe if it went something like:

Jan - YM

Feb - Another group

Mar - YW

Apr - Another group

 

Make sure they are aware of the standards that they are expected to obtain when cleaning.

 

I worked for a college (16-21 yr olds) and they found that when they employed students as cleaners the amount of dropped litter was reduced. The cleaners themselves would cal their friends.classmates out on dropping litter and most of their friends wouldn't drop litter to assist their mates.

 

...That and making sure that the youth and their parents are aware that they are not to leave before the activity has been cleaned up (the leaders can also help this by ensuring that activities do no persistently overrun)