Creating enjoyable experiences for children and young people

A girl playfully hides behind her tennis rqcket on a tennis court, she's having fun

Let's have fun

If you want to attract young people to your group, then you need to show them that it's fun!

So how can you do this...?

Here are our top tips...

Find out what 'fun' means

So how do you know what people will enjoy?

The answer is... you ask them.

Here's how you can go about researching what your local community might enjoy.

Conduct market research

Find out about the demographic profile of your targeted community. You'll find information on how to do this in the 'Useful links' section.

Look around you

Look at the lifestyles of the children and young people who are in your group - or who you'd like to attract. What do they enjoy doing?

Identify motivations and barriers

Draw up a list of motivations and barriers to participation. Use these to develop an action plan on how to target children and young people.

Test your ideas

See what children and young people think about your ideas.

Ask people inside and outside your organisation.

Listen to what they tell you. Your offer should be adaptable and flexible to meet their needs.

Use tech

You may need to adapt what you offer, to meet the needs of children and young people.

For example, technology is an integral part of their lives. Consider if you need to provide opportunities both online and in person.

Communicating with young people

Use the same communication channels

Find out what social media channels are used by the children and young people in your area. It might be Snapchat, X, Instagram, Facebook. Or maybe they would prefer texting. Ask them! You can then use the same channels to communicate with them.

Ask around for advice

Consider if there are any local partners, such as schools, uniformed organisations or local charities, that could help you reach your target market.

Use your intelligence to create marketing materials

Promote the ways your organisation can meet the needs of children and young people as widely as possible.

Use any insight you may have into the barriers and motivations of young people in your area to design promotional activities. Promote the benefits of being part of your organisation.

Give young people a role

Encourage young people to get involved in the running of your organisation. Include them in decision-making. You could set up a youth committee.

Listen to what young people say and act on it. Let them shape the organisation and have a sense of ownership over the activities.

Make sure they understand your policies

Make sure your policies and practices can be easily explained to children and young people. You may want to create simplified versions specifically for your younger members. They need to understand what is expected of them, and what mechanisms are in place to support them.

Welcome parents and families too

Consider the role of parents, carers and families, as they play a key role in shaping experiences. Adults are usually needed for moral, practical and financial support.

Top tips for having fun

There's a lot you can do to create enjoyable experiences for children and young people.

Here are the basics...

Safety first

Everyone should feel safe when they're participating in sport and physical activity.

Check out Buddle's safeguarding section for more information.

Create an open culture

Children and young people should be able to speak openly about their experiences, as well as any issues or challenges.

Ask how you can support them.

They should know who to speak to if they have any concerns.

Listen to children and young people

Let them have a say in the activities you run and how they're delivered. This could be as simple as playing their choice of music during the warm-up.

Make it clear that they have choices, they're listened to and their views are acted upon.

Provide clear guidance on behaviour

Ensure that all children and young people know what's unacceptable behaviour. This can have a lasting impact on the experiences of others.

Set standards of good practice

This could be via codes of conduct for young people, and their parents and carers.

Make sure it's written for their age group and easy to understand.