Surprise activities

Eventually I'll give detailed comments and a document or two about major surprise activities. One of my most popular events was an Unknown Destination Trip for my Middle Schoolers. But these have to be done carefully. Here are a few random hints about these events.

• Youth's schedules have gotten so complex that having a surprise activity outside the normal times for youth events is very difficult and you can only count on a percent of the kids to be available. This affects things like surprise breakfasts, retreats, trips.
  
• Don't expect the kids to have money. Surprises have to be fully funded.
  
• If it is an overnight, when parents drop off their children, provide each with a sealed envelope with a complete, moment by moment agenda, with contact phone numbers. They are not to open these before you leave.
  
• If there are going to be more than one vehicle on a trip, provide each vehicle with a sealed envelope that has maps, schedule and phone numbers in case you get separated.
  
• No one, not even the other counselors, your spouse, your boss is to know anything. Spouse and boss can be provided one of the sealed envelopes with details.
  
• Some places of interest may require their own releases for each participant. If so, have each parent fill out and sign after the youth are loaded into the vehicles. If the youth has to sign also, have them do so just before that particular activity.