Let’s Come Up with a Handshake
Intricate handshakes are awesome. If you don’t believe me, check out this video of NBA star, Dwayne Wade, and TV host, Kelly Ripa. If you want more proof, check out the most elaborate handshake ever courtesy of the Coastal Carolina baseball team.
3 Ways to Use Elaborate Handshakes in Young Life
Club Mixer/Upfront Game
Have kids pair up and give them 3-5 minutes to come up with an elaborate handshake and to practice. Have leaders walk around and judge. Pick out the best 3 and bring them up front to perform and the audience can vote for the winners. Make sure no kids get left out. Mixers that involve pairing up can be stressful for kids, hoping someone wants to be with them. You could avoid it by writing numbers on kids hands as they come in to club and then everyone pairs up based on their number. Have 2 lines of entry and 2 leaders with sharpies marking hands. It would also be fun to watch kids doing the handshakes around the school. You could even make an entire theme club called “Elaborate Handshake Club.”
Program Characters/Run-on
If you’re working on your run-on to sell camp this fall, why not add an elaborate handshake into your routine. If you’re doing program at fall camp, you could work it into your program characters and give kids an award when you see them around camp performing their E.H.S. (Elaborate Hand Shakes).
“I’m Dusty, and I’m Rusty…and we’re 6th year seniors at Eerie High School…EHS fo’ lyfe! EHS! EHS! EHS! We like to catch snakes…and turn em into steaks…but our favorite past time…is ELABORATE HAND SHAKES. EHS! EHS! EHS! (Chanting)
Campaigners
D-Wade discusses with Kelly Ripa about the fact that he has special handshakes with each of his teammates. What if your Campaigners group did the same thing. Every time someone from your group walked into a room, they did the different handshakes with every different person in your group. You could even have a different Campaigners group perform at club each week.
If it caught on, you could even make your YL shirts have a picture of a handshake on them. The possibilities are endless.
HT to my brother and original handshake partner, Blake Hill, for passing on this idea.
