Written by, Becca Covington, YL Staff, Fredricksburg, VA
Cabin time after WyldLife club gives middle school kids the opportunity to further digest and talk about what they’ve just heard. Middle schoolers may need more time to piece together the content of the lesson, ask questions, or realize how the talk relates to them. Cabin time at the end of a WyldLife club gives them a unique opportunity to meet these needs.
Here are some helpful tips for a cabin time after club:
Set aside a specific time for cabin time.
As you plan the details of club, decide how much time you want for cabin time at the end – 10 minutes? 20 minutes? 30 minutes? Work backwards to plan the rest of club.
Split up into guys and girls.
Immediately after the club talk, separate kids into guys and girls. For larger clubs, consider breaking up into smaller groups within each gender. Make sure there is at least one leader in every group.
Prepare cabin time questions for leaders.
The leader who gives the club talk can print out questions for leaders. In addition, leaders should pay close attention to the club talk and make mental notes of additional questions they can ask.
Start off with a question everyone can answer.
Whether it’s an icebreaker question or a recap of the talk, we want all kids to know they are on the same playing field. Ask a few kids to paraphrase the club talk or have everyone share one thing that stuck out to them.
Ask open-ended questions.
Lead kids through the process of discovery by asking open-ended questions with the end in mind. Middle schoolers are more likely to absorb information and find meaning in material if they come up with it on their own. However, we want to make sure they come to the correct conclusions about who God is. Avoid yes or no questions by asking questions that require them to think for themselves.
Create space for questions.
Middle schoolers want a safe place where they can voice questions or concerns they may have. Consider giving them a few minutes of cabin time to ask their own questions.
