I have the joy of teaching a midweek class at my church to 4th-6th grade girls. The night we meet is Wednesday so thus the title Wacky Wednesdays. This is a special night once a month. We do something out of the ordinary and give the kids something to get excited about. It could be a dress up day or bring your favorite “chose an item” to class night. This gives the girls a way to express themselves and we all get to know each better as a result. For example, on bring your favorite stuffed animal to class night, I get to know the stories why that toy is their favorite. It gives background on their family and on what they treasure. This sharing time works great in a small group environment. If your group is too large to have everyone share, try having the kids pair up in groups of two or three to share their stories. The dress up days are the ones my girls look forward to the most. We have had red carpet night where they dress up in their fanciest outfit. I even put red craft paper on the floor to make the red carpet feel. Once the girls arrive we take glamour shots on the red carpet. Another favored dress up day is pajama day. Honestly, who doesn’t want to wear pajamas more often! When my class dresses up, it draws the attention of others about the fun we’re having and I have great conversations with parents and other congregation members about the exciting things going on in our classroom. The nice thing is it’s only once a month so you only need a couple of creative ideas to get you going. Listed below are some of the Wacky Wednesdays I’ve done before:
- Red Carpet Dress Up Day
- Pajama Day
- Backwards Day (wear as much of your clothing backwards)
- Mismatch Day (a day where clashing is okay)
- Bring your favorite stuffed animal to class
- Bring your favorite book to class
- Smurf Night (dress in all blue)
- Crazy Scarf Night
- Crazy Hat Night
- Bed Head Night (see who comes with the worst hairdo)
The great thing about Wacky Wednesdays is they can be adapted to any group. Different ages and genders like different things so capitalize on who your group is. There is a shared identity when we do something silly or out of the ordinary together. I find that kids ask about these special days all the time. Even older students who are out of my classroom still talk to me about them. So make a memory and so something wacky every once and a while!
