February is African-American Heritage Month. Why not uncover the history and share the celebration with the young people in your life? Here are a few activities that you and your children can do. But why stop there? If you're a youth leader, get your youth group involved, too. Explore the rich heritage of the African American story through activities, stories and avenues of reflection.

The Write Stuff

Ask your children to write poems and stories about why they think God created so many people of different races and cultures. Then have them share their views with the group. This show and tell time can be a great way to conduct a discussion about why salvation is for everyone.

Timeline Time

Research your church's history and create a timeline based upon your findings. Interview members about the role that the church played in their own life. Then find some pictures of the church in its early days and incorporate them into the project.

Game Show

Have you been reading the Jubilee Bible? Select some of the informative articles in the front of the Bible and read them. Some good ones are: The Presence and Role of Africans in the Bible, The Presence of Blacks in Biblical Antiquity and Black Preaching in the Church. Form questions based upon the material and host a quiz show for your young ones. Award prizes to the participants.

Field Trip

Visit historic African-American churches in your community. Talk with the church's historian to uncover the background of the church. Here are a few questions to get you started:
How old is it?
Who established it and why?
When was it founded?
What were some of the major events in the congregation's history?

Cultural Scavenger Hunt

Go to you local museum of Ancient History. With this hunt, a little imagination will go a long way.
- Give your group a list of people and places from the Bible.
- Then have them find objects that could be associated with people mentioned in the Bible.
- Your clue might read: Find a beauty tool that could have been used by the Queen of Sheba.

Now that you have a few ideas, get started and have tons of fun!