How to Use Bus Time for Community Building

by | Nov 14, 2016 | Choir Tours, Civil Rights Tours, Explore a City, General, Mission Trips, Ski Trips, Youth Week

community-building-on-bus

How to Pass the Time?

So you are taking a trip that starts with you and your group of teens traveling on a bus for 8 hours. (First of all, we know your buses don’t look like this and neither do the roads, but this picture makes a trip seem more fun). What’s the best way to pass the time? While you could hide and catch up on work, binge watch a new series, call your mother back or play games on your phone, another idea is to use the time for some awesome and memorable community building to start your youth trip off on a high note.

Community Building Ideas

  1. Divide into small groups and talk about a topic. Offer some questions to ask to get the discussion started. 
  2. Get-to-know-you games – bring a list in case some don’t catch on so you can try another one 
  3. Ice breakers for whole group over bus PA system – groups love this! Be sure to get pictures they will be great. 
  4. Choose prayer partners for the trip and spend some time together discussing specific things their partner can pray about.
  5. Rolling talent show at the front of the bus. Make numbers for judges to hold up. For a funny twist do a “ridiculous talent” show with goofy skills like who can balance the most beans on their nose or who can pick up the most items with their toes and put them into a basket in one minute. The kids will love it.
  6. Skits. You can bring some props, funny scripts, and stick-on mustaches. Who can resist making friends with someone who is wearing a stick-on mustache?
  7. Movies related to your destination (for example: LOVE when Civil Rights Trips show movies like Selma DURING the trip).

Importance to Teens

Because you have a captive audience on the bus, it is valuable time you can use to help your youth with community building – which will help them feel they belong. Since teens are more likely to stay involved in a group when they believe that they belong and share a common purpose, community building is very important. Therefore, your fun and games on the bus can have a lasting impact on the teens involved. Maybe, some of them will have lasting memories of the time they did activities on a bus and made lifelong friends. 

Other posts you may like:

Should We Go By Air, Bus or Van for our Group Trip? Pros and Cons of Each
What is a Bus Captain and Why Do I Need One?
Cost Comparison of Group Transportation Options – Air, Bus or Van

Featured image by Alexas Fotos via pixabay.