Did you know you only have 30 seconds or less to gain youth’s attention and motivate them to listen? When it comes to starting a meeting or event and getting rolling, these precious seconds play a critical part. Today, I am going to share with you some simple “attention grabbers” to get youth excited and ready to focus on whatever you are planning.
Now, before we get started, think about the audience you are engaging. Is it Clover Kids, elementary youth, teenagers, or all of the above? This will help you to determine the proper approach to take to making youth take part in your event/4-H meeting, etc.
The first way to grab youth’s attention is with music. Music is one of the most fun and effective ways to get youth involved or to get them to stop what they’re doing. You can add variety to your music depending on the age level. For example, for the youngest youth, use finger plays like the Itsy-Bitsy Spider. The cool thing about this is that if youth are singing, they aren’t talking. You can also relate the song to your meeting agenda or event theme.
The second way to engage youth is by using chants or hand gestures. Anytime you can include some kind of physical movement, the better youth will listen. One suggestion is to clap out a rhythm for the youth to repeat back. Or use a chant that utilizes motion. For example, Drop It, Zip It, Lock It followed by claps. When you say drop it, youth have to drop whatever is in their hands, when you say zip it, that means to stop talking, and when you say lock it, that means all eyes are focused on the speaker. Younger youth will normally chant with you, which is awesome, too! You can always change up the words and motions if you find that this “attention grabber” works for you!
The third way and my personal favorite way to grab youth’s attention is by using the “throw & tell ball”. This is a technique I love to utilize in my classrooms for school enrichment as a “starter”. This ball has questions on it and when thrown to a youth, they have to answer the question that their index finger lands on. Some of the questions are, “What do you do when you feel bored?, Where’s your favorite place to go on a hike?, What is one thing you are grateful for?”, and etc. There are so many cool questions to ask and this is very easy to utilize for all ages and can be adapted as needed. This is a great tool to help kids focus. In this game, everyone wins!
Finally, try not to think of “attention grabbers” as an annoyance. Think of them as a tool to be creative and have some fun within your 4-H club or event. Who doesn’t like to start a meeting or event off with fun?
By: Melissa Nordboe