Making first contact is great, but relationships must be developed. We encourage people to plan the next meeting all the way to a date and time before saying goodbye. “Let’s get together again soon” can quickly turn into months as lives get busy. Intentionally planning the next get together helps make sure it actually happens, and helps develop those relationships. Here are a few ideas of follow-up / relationship building activities.
- Learn about and be sensitive to their culture (including foods)
- Follow up with them; keep commitments
- Consider taking them to a sporting event
- Consider free events in your area (check the local paper)
- Playing games together can be lots of fun. Keep their English level in mind as you play, realizing that some games can be very challenging or difficult to play or explain based on language level. At the same time, some games are actually excellent language tools to help them improve their English. For low level players, we especially like games like Uno, Tenzi, and Jenga. Also keep cultural knowledge in mind, being careful in choosing games that require high levels of pop culture knowledge unless you know that your friend is familiar with these things.
- Invite them to a cookout
- Take them camping (our international friends loved it)
- Consider ideas to include them in Christmas/Easter celebrations (or other holidays)
- Visit nearby tourist locations or activities (daytrips are fun)
- Apple picking or berry picking
- Invite them to concerts
- Invite them to a movie night
- Bowling, mini-golf, laser tag can be fun outings
- Ice Skating and Roller Skating
- Sports—basketball and soccer are very popular and good ways to build relationships with t he guys
- Cooking together—let them teach you how to cook their native cuisine, and you could teach them about American cooking
- Invite them to 4th of July celebrations, fireworks
- Treat them like family. Invite them into your life like your brother or sister, aunt or uncle, or grandparents. Include them in holiday celebrations, important events like birthdays or graduations, and time together as a family.