The Kidmin Space (1 of 3)
2 Mar
Communication is critical.
Good communication is clear, simple and concise.
Communication is not restricted to verbal exchange. We all know that communication is a series of verbal & physical cues. But people are not the only things that communicate. Physical space communicates, as well.
In the kidmin world, physical space communicates more than you realize.
- It speaks to kids… setting the tone for the kind of experience they’ll have.
- It speaks to parents… defining the level of care their child will receive.
- It speaks to volunteers… the expectation you have of their investment.
A clean, organized, crisp environment sets the tone for kids, parents and volunteers. It plays a significant role in keeping the bar high.
Never underestimate the impact of your physical environment.
The pic above comes from Grace Fellowship Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma. You can find a list of ‘must see’ kidmin environments at ColdWaterCafe. The list is a few years old, but still worth the look.
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I know it’s not flattering of me, but I’m totally jealous. Wow.
I sat in on Jeffrey Reed’s talk at Orange last year called “Less Money, More Creativity.” He talked through a number of ways you can achieve great environments (even shared spaces) with minimal costs. He’s a great resource for set design.
http://www.jeffreyreed.org/
Notes from the session: http://bit.ly/brzwmo
I toured Grace Place a few months after it opened many years ago. Of all the kids buildings I’ve visited, this has always been my favorite. I didn’t love the carousel decor, but I did love the elementary area immensely.
I’d love for us in the church world to be the ones that set the bar for facilities that welcome kids and families. What if theme parks and family entertainment centers started copying what we did? God is the ultimate author of creativity!
See a ton of pictures of other children’s ministry spaces at http://www.wowphotoblog.com.