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World AIDS Day Activity Ideas

World AIDS Day is about "raising money, increasing awareness, fighting prejudice and improving education," according to Avert.org. These goals give you plenty of options around which to base interactive activities dedicated to the World AIDS Day cause. While these activities should be purposeful and informative, they can be enjoyable as well.

  1. Walkathon

    • Walkathons can be used as fundraisers for any cause and are accessible to all types of people, including children, the elderly and the disabled because it does not demand intense physical ability. Walkers can enjoy nice weather, scenery and the camaraderie inspired by moving through the streets of their neighborhoods with hundreds of people supporting the same cause. A walkathon may take extensive planning, depending on the size of the group walking. Money raised can be donated to a research center for AIDS, an AIDS charity or the AIDS foundation. To raise money for this event, have your walkers seek sponsorship from friends and family.

    Trivia

    • The facts about HIV and AIDS are often misunderstood and misinterpreted. Hosting a trivia game that will present accurate AIDS facts to participants can be educational and entertaining. Avert.org presents facts and statistics on the prevention of AIDS, transmission and testing, treatment and care, history, science, AIDS in Africa, America, Asia and Europe, and AIDS transmission between heterosexual, homosexual and bisexual partners. Arrange game participants into groups and ask questions about the AIDS epidemic. Give each team a bell to ring, after which they must attempt to answer the question. Have small rewards for each correct answer and a grand prize for the winning team.

    Documentary

    • If this activity is meant for a mature group, consider showing a documentary or short clips from several documentaries. Surround these showings with conversation. Visual representations of real experiences with AIDS are a perfect way to raise awareness and dispel myths. Make sure to facilitate the discussion from a neutral perspective and give everyone an equal chance to speak.

    Art

    • Chances are some members in your group have either indirectly or directly experienced the effects of HIV and AIDS. Giving the group a guided art project will allow them to express their feelings around the subject without putting them on the spot. If a group member has not had an experience with AIDS, ask him to create a picture depicting how it has been portrayed to him through the media or common myths surrounding AIDS that have shaped the way he sees the disease. Afterward, have group members volunteer to share their art and facilitate a positive discussion around each piece.

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