7 Practical Tips for Healthy and Fun Family Events

Discover what a visit to a family-friendly museum can teach churches about hosting healthy and fun family events.

I recently visited a Museum of Nature and Science with friends. I’ll admit, I was a little leery at first. Was I willingly walking into Germ-land? This museum typically offers hands-on, family-friendly learning experiences. I wondered how they’d continue to offer fun and memorable discoveries while also keeping kids, families, and other visitors safe and healthy.

When it comes to hosting family events at your church this fall and winter, you may be wondering the same thing. As a ministry leader, how can you facilitate a healthy environment so you can continue to serve families and help them discover deeper friendship with Jesus and each other?

Upon entering the museum, I was pleasantly surprised. Immediately, I saw that museum leaders and employees were ready for us. They’d thought through scenarios, provided resources we’d need, and clearly communicated what to do. Their guidance put my mind at ease, and before I knew it, my friends and I were flying rockets, exploring climates, and enjoying carefree time together. As I explored the museum alongside others, I picked up seven tips for healthy and fun family events at your church.

1. Clearly communicate expectations for your family event.

Post signs that let families know what they need to do. CDC or local government health guidelines can help you know what to require and what to request from families who attend.

2. Provide hand sanitizer at each of your family event’s stations or experiences.

After pushing buttons on an interactive exhibit, I appreciated a nearby way to clean my hands and get ready for the next fun activity. When hand sanitizer was in sight, it was on my mind to use it! And don’t forget: Kids and families will appreciate this step even more if the hand cleanser smells nice!

3. Keep antibacterial wipes handy and wipe down surfaces regularly.

Gather volunteers to be your “Clean Team” throughout the event. I appreciated seeing proactive museum workers wiping down surfaces around me. Their friendly work made the museum feel (and smell!) fresh and clean.

4. Direct people on how to move through the family event.

Take some time to personally walk through your event space and map out the best way to avoid traffic jams. Then add directional arrows and social distancing marks to help guide people through the space. Try to avoid clusters of people in close areas.

5. Stagger start times to prevent large crowds and allow for physical distancing.

At the museum, we needed special tickets for certain exhibits. Those tickets gave us entry times and limited the number of people gathered at one time. Your church can easily accomplish sign ups with the help of a free online signup platform like VBS Pro or SignUpGenius.

6. Host your family event outdoors if possible.

It was fun to see kids and families extend their fun onto the lawn outside the museum. Depending on your church’s location, perhaps you could do the same! Transform a grassy area into “event stations” with E-Z UP tents, tables, and traffic cones—or utilize your church parking lot. Allow two to three “empty” parking spaces between each station for social distancing.

7. Multiply activities at your family event to avoid crowding.

Rather than setting up one ring toss, set up two or three. Rather than setting up one table of refreshments, set up three or four. More activity stations led to less crowding—which keeps experiences fun for everyone!

When it comes to serving kids and families well, a little goes a long way. Every little decision to put safety first will make a big difference!

Looking for other safety tips for in-person children’s ministry? Check out this article! Or perhaps you’re looking for online resources that send Jesus’ love to families’ homes. Check out these fun music videos and stories from Lifetree Kids!