Whether you're a missionary, ward mission leader, or member of the ward counsel, these outreach ideas are PERFECT for bringing people together!
Will you organize a preparedness fair this year? Aim for hands on, enjoyable activities instead of giving a bunch of information download. Ideas abound!
Our ward family history committee, consisting of youth and adult consultants, planned this ward activity for all ages. Held on a Thursday evening it took the place of the combined activity for the…
Does your Ward have monthly activities? Maybe every other month or once a quarter. I think activities are so fun, but they also serve a purpose. Ward activities can bring the Ward members closer to…
This post features some ideas for hosting a self care activity for multiple faucets of health including: spiritually, mentally, physically & mentally.
Our FHE on November 5th was a tied up dinner. Our wrists were tied to our neighbors' wrists, and we proceeded to attempt to eat a spaghetti...
Here are 15 ways to get your teenagers excited about family history work. Whether it's throwing your ancestors a birthday party, creating a bullet journal or interviewing a family member, here are lots of ideas to get your teenagers engaged and involved.
Does your Ward have monthly activities? Maybe every other month or once a quarter. I think activities are so fun, but they also serve a purpose. Ward activities can bring the Ward members closer to…
I recently joined the board for a professional association. We just had a regional meeting where we discussed how to grow membership. This was not unlike hundreds of church-related meetings that I have been a part of on how to grow and strengthen our wards. But, what fascinated me about this situation was that while […]
Here's everything you need to host a Book of Mormon Murder Mystery Dinner, complete with free printables and instructions.
Are you planning a Relief Society Activity? Here are 30+ Fun relief society activity ideas your congregation will LOVE! If you have been in charge of planning a Relief Society Activity then you know how
The purpose of this blog is to provide fun activity ideas for YSA wards and branches. A good activity will get people to come where they can be spiritually strengthened and make friends who share their values. Once upon a time, it was "Feed them, and they will come," but now it's "Entertain them, or they won't come." This blog is to help anyone whose job it is to come up with an activity to have an idea that will bring in a crowd.
How to throw a Summer Beach Party - Indoor ideas for a large group, ward party | She's Crafty | www.shescraftycrafty.com #wardparty #largeparty #summerparty
The purpose of this blog is to provide fun activity ideas for YSA wards and branches. A good activity will get people to come where they can be spiritually strengthened and make friends who share their values. Once upon a time, it was "Feed them, and they will come," but now it's "Entertain them, or they won't come." This blog is to help anyone whose job it is to come up with an activity to have an idea that will bring in a crowd.
Party games make every party way more fun. 11 easy and fun party games ideas for adults and families to make your next party one to remember.
Does your Ward have monthly activities? Maybe every other month or once a quarter. I think activities are so fun, but they also serve a purpose. Ward activities can bring the Ward members closer to…
🌎 Read This Post In: English | Español 🇪🇸 | Português 🇧🇷 Disclaimer: These ideas aren't all my own. Most are from past fun activities I have been to, all of which have been team efforts. I hope all my current and former leaders know how much I appreciate everything they planned for us. So... A year of activity ideas!! Pin your favorites. 📌 👉Want these in a PDF? Check this out in the shop. INTELLECTUAL ACTIVITIES 1. Cook for the missionaries Choose a target dish for the youth to learn to make. Bring supplies and tell missionaries dinner's on y'all for that night. Instruct them on making, serving + setting up the meal. Add time limits for suspense! 2. Photography night A photographer in the ward shared her tips on posing, selfies, lighting, group pictures, cameras, and more. It ended with a big photo shoot for practice. 3. Paint night One of our young women was close with her art teacher, so we brought the supplies and the expert showed us how to use them. So much fun that we've done this several times. You don't need anyone good at painting to lead the activity, though -- Pinterest and YouTube have so many tutorials as well! 4. Outdoor survival night We split into teams in the church parking lot and had to "fight to survive" through three stations: making a lean-to with a tree, rope, and tarp, building a fire without matches, and using a compass to find hidden treasure, and enjoyed s'mores. 5. Cake decorating night A sister in the ward is a professional caterer + baker and she showed us all the different icing and frosting mixing and piping techniques! It was sweet. 😉😋 6. Traveling Etiquette Dinner We went to three houses with different lessons and food at each one. First, we had appetizers and a lesson about dinner behavior, then we drove to the next house where we had dinner and talked about place settings. Finally, we went to the last house and talked about dating while having dessert. 7. International Foods Night Our youth group is so diverse and we have a lot of amazing girls that have joined us from different countries around the world. We set this up to let them teach us about their culture...and yes, to have lots of amazing food. It doesn't get better than that! 8. Friendship Bracelet Night We all wished we knew how to make friendship bracelets but felt intimidated by complicated techniques. So we learned to make them soooo easily, with cereal boxes!! All credit goes to this blog from Pinterest, we enjoyed using her tutorial. 9. Iron Chef Competition This was so fun it became a ward tradition. Gather mystery ingredients. Missionaries make great judges. The teams have an hour to make a master meal with what they have, learning resourcefulness and cooking from the older kids along the way. 10. DIY flip flops Relief Society tablecloth flat lay 🤣🤩 Cheap, useful, and cute. We bought $1 flip flops for each Young Woman, and decorated them with fabric ties, as per here. The goal was for everyone to have a pair of inexpensive flip flops they didn't have to worry about getting dirty at girls camp. 11. Tie dye night Everyone brought a white shirt and we folded and dyed them. Pretty easy and quick, try the tutorial here. We bought tie-dye colors but I've seen food coloring used before, from Pinterest ofc. 12. Band night Our bishop got each of the members of his band to teach a different "clinic" based on each instrument - voice, piano, guitar, drums, etc. The youth signed up for which instrument they wanted to do in advance. Instruments were borrowed. We all learned the different parts to one song and had a performance in the gym. 13. Time capsules night I've made printables for cute individual time capsules! What would also be so cute is a group time capsule - each class could make one with group photos of them, positive things they write about each other, their favorite church things, etc. 14. The Game of Latter-Day Saint Life We brought a Game of Life board and played, pausing for devotionals from different people at each spot (college or work first? marriage? kids? home ownership? money?) You can also make a custom Latter-Day Saint themed game board or a life sized game of LIFE. 15. Babysitting skills night A bunch of primary kids were invited. We were given a babysitting lesson before, and then put our knowledge into action as we played with the children. 16. Make-up Know How In a group of young women and their leaders, people qualified to teach makeup techniques it won't be scarce. This was fun for the younger yw who were just getting into makeup and for the older yw who could show off their talents. 17. Bread Making We learned how to make our own bread. We each had index cards to write the recipe on, but we did it step by step as the leaders demonstrated the process with us. Bread making can be intimidating, but thankfully Pinterest exists! Here's an idea to get you started. 18. Hairstyle night Learn to do Dutch, and French braids and have each girl bring her own brushes and hair ties so everything is sanitary. You can also go over curling and straightening hair, products everyone swears by, dos and don'ts, etc! 19. Modesty night We cut out paper dolls and made modest outfits for them with scrapbook paper. We discussed standing out from the world and being a light as we cut, pasted, and taped. A modest fashion show could also be fun! 20. Song night We've done this to prep for musical numbers, or to learn to sing a song. A way to make this more fun is to get a ukulele involved. Chances are that several of the youth know how to play (this has always been true for us at a given church activity) and gets them involved and everyone having fun. PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES 21. Sledding If you have the weather and location, enjoy some fun in the snow and then some hot chocolate back at the church building. 22. Youth Pool Party This one is a classic, along with a BBQ! 💦 The leaders bring the most essential items (burgers, buns, plates, paper utensils) the young women bring the kind of essential items (salads, desserts, appetizers) and the young men bring the items that won't be too unfortunate for us to miss (sodas, chips, condiments etc) and it always works out. 🍔 23. Yoga Night We did this one outside + got some low impact exercise + fresh air. Dual yoga is also fun! 24. Cultural Dance Night A dance teacher from the ward taught us traditional dances from different world cultures. 25. Nutrition Night We learned how to make healthy green smoothies. You could also expand this to healthy meal ideas. 26. Color run We got everyone white shirts that said "let your colors shine." Then we sprinted around the church parking lot while the leaders tried to make us as colorful as possible. 🎨 27. Outdoor/backyard games night We played kickball + Spud, but other outdoor games are, of course, fair game. Ideas include Mother May I, What Time Is It, Missionary Tag, Blob Tag, Ghost in the Graveyard👻, Werewolf/Mafia, Sardines, or whatever y'all enjoy. 28. Glow In The Dark Volleyball This is what it looked like during the activity! 👇 For the first fifteen minutes, everyone got glowsticks + put them together as necklaces, bracelets, anklets, etc. We put glow in the dark paint on our volleyball and really enjoyed this fun twist on a classic game. 🏐 See the glow in the dark dessert table below! 29. Church gym sports When nonmembers ask why we all have gyms, this is one of the reasons. Volleyball, basketball, dodgeball, soccer, and more are all easy to plan + play inside in those cold winter months. 30. Self defense skills night One of the young women does karate + invited a member of her dojo to give everyone tips on basic moves to defend themselves and stay safe if attacked. 31. Nerf Wars The young men thought this would be fun. Tie in doctrinally to "avoiding the fiery darts of the adversary" or the "Samuel the Lamanite" story. 32. Life Sized Games Our ward has played life size Hungry Hungry Hippos and Battleship.The latter was when we did life size Battleship. We split into teams, put up a blanket in the middle, and everyone lay in different areas on the gym floor. While lying down, we would throw a light ball at each other over the barrier and if someone was hit, they were out. I found so many other cute life sized game ideas on Pinterest y'all could try, including Foosball, Clue, Guess Who, Connect 4, Operation, Angry Birds, Chutes and Ladders, Candyland, Jenga, Pac Man, Scrabble, Tic Tac Toe and Kerplunk. Woah, 15 weeks of creative combined youth activities. 😉 33. Group bike route In my old ward, there were SO many of us (easily 30+) and I still laugh out loud thinking about this one bewildered man walking his dog who saw this procession of dozens of women and girls zooming by on their bikes, and was like "who is this?" Having enough bikes for everyone can definitely be a challenge, but if you can round up a lot of extras or consult with parents first before planning, you could make it work! SPIRITUAL ACTIVITIES 34. Watch Face2Face Addresses We always do this whenever they come out because our time zone has them dropping at 10 pm on a school night. You can even do this with old ones they've made. Give one of these a try. 35. Scripture canvas bags These are great for when your youth need to have + transport their heavy, irl scriptures--and y'all need a cute and crafty activity idea! We created ours with fabric markers + canvas bags. 36. General conference prep night We made trail mix to enjoy with our families and DIY notebooks -- dollar tree journals, with cut out pictures of the general authorities that we taped to the pages and used as tabs. 37. General conference review night I'm planning to blog about some fun games to do for this. For now, try a themed Kahoot or General Conference race! 38. Teach the Theme activity Every year we get a new one and every year I put together a package to help you make teaching it to your youth a fun and memorable experience! I ended up having to take the 2020 one down 😢 but I'll be back with another one when the creating-resources-for-the-theme-in-4-months frenzy returns. 39. FamilySearch Workshop Everyone brought a dessert from a country of their heritage and we enjoyed treats while our Youth Family History consultant gave us pointers on how to use the Family Search indexing program. We also did our best to make it fun by incorporating the "Find My Famous Relatives" database that BYU has. I also suggest this Coco family history activity I made! 40. Spiritual Journal Jars Talk about the importance of writing down your "Spiritually Defining Memories" (recently coined term, classic concept.) We decorated mason jars with washi tape, scrapbook paper, Mod Podge, and acrylics and then filled them with journal prompts + ideas. 41. Church escape room This photo is from a St. Patrick's day escape room I created for the group and let me tell you...never again!! The activity went well, and staying up so late working on it every night and going crazy making every detail perfect did not go to waste. But you don't have to become a martyr to host a good activity. Which is why I would suggest using a pre-made church themed escape room like the Hope of Israel one (we've tested and enjoyed) or this general church themed one that is sure to excite, amaze, and promote teamwork skills! 42. Primary song helps Make cute visual aids to help the kids learn their primary songs, helping your busy chorister save energy and time. Win win! 43. Cleaning the nursery We got on our gloves, turned on our Disney music, and disinfected every last nursery toy. This was pre-corona, but I have a feeling this might become more frequent when we're back at church again. 👀😂 44. Family History Campfire Everyone shared one funny/entertaining story from their family history, in the RS room with the lights off and flashlights and lanterns on sitting around this fake fire--which was so hilarious--red, orange and yellow tissue paper crumpled up in a casserole dish. 45. Missionary life skills night RMs set up a bunch of different stations with rapid fire lessons on missionary (but honestly also) life skills they wanted the youth to review/learn--ironing, shining shoes, cooking, sewing (for repairs)--and talked about their mission experiences while we did those chores. 46. Pioneer life skills night Set up different stations with different pioneer skills (making butter, hauling firewood, milling flour, grinding wheat, pulling a handcart) and honor their sacrifice and legacy. 47. Investigator Trailer Night We were put into companions and a bunch of the leaders went into different classrooms around the building, acting as the different stereotypical types of investigators when we "knocked on their doors." (Golden, nice but not interested, angry, etc). Discuss how missionary work is hard but rewarding and your converts, baptisms, results etc don't determine your success but your perseverance and positivity do. SOCIAL ACTIVITIES 48. Personality Party We decorated with Disney Princess Personality Posters, and had everyone take a free MBTI test. We played games that helped us to know how to better minister to and get along with our fellow leaders + young women. Posters, handouts, activities, etc, are here! 49. Speed Friendshipping Everyone writes creative, funny, or even deep questions on slips of paper. Create concentric circles with the folding chairs, and have one circle rotate so everyone gets to "friendship" everyone. They get a time limit to go through as many questions as they can. 50. Caroling for the elderly Every year at Christmas, we sing carols at an assisted living home and enjoy hot chocolate afterwards. 51. Heart Attack This has always been received so well and is a Valentine's Day classic. Spread the love! 52. Cookies + Cards We made valentine's day cookies and cards and delivered them to our ministering sisters. 53. Friendship Dinner We did this over the span of three activity nights and it had a Valentine's Day theme. The idea was to make a dinner connecting youth with those who were old/lonely in the ward for a night of ministering and fun. First, we delivered invitations with cookies to the invited. The next week, we decorated the gym for the event. The final week was the dinner. 54. Make fleece tye blankets Service projects really don't get much easier than this--buy some fleece, cut two equal pieces, and then a fringe. Tie each fringe together while you chat, and donate the finished blankets to a good cause. 55. Gratitude scavenger hunt I created a Thanksgiving themed escape room/scavenger hunt activity that is so cute and will be available in the shop when the holiday approaches. 56. Daddy-Daughter Showdown Super fun Father's Day activity with three main events: the dads stood behind a chalkboard and we had to guess whose was ours, we drew pictures of them they had to guess which one was them, and then the big finale was us having to tie their tie and them having to paint our nails. 57. Disney lip sync battle One of our favorite activities EVER. Young women versus young men -- we rehearsed separately to face off and ended up choosing the exact same song! Super fun, easy, and hilarious. 58. Taking Photos of Graves Easy service project to organize -- index graves for BillionGraves, which has an easy to use mobile app. 59. Mall Scavenger Hunt We split into teams with leaders as the captains and were dropped off at our local mall. The team to take group photos with every item on the list and make it back to the church first were the champions. 60. Making gift boxes for Samaritan's Purse In this Christmastime activity, everyone brought cute gift items from 5 Below, Dollar Tree, etc. We got our assignments from Samaritan's Purse Ministries and put together and decorated boxes for them. 61. Bulletin Board Making Putting together a bulletin board, whether organically or with a printable kit, is a lot of work. We did it together for one of our activities. You could also do it as a service project for a busy (primary, rs, etc) leader at the beginning of the year. Bonus points if you use one from the shop! _____________ Whew! We made it. But before you dash, I want to make sure you know that this is NOT the only resource I have to make your life easier as a busy Latter-Day Saint. 💛 To easily see & have all my free Latter-Day Saint resources at your fingertips, follow me on Pinterest! Again, if you want to have a list of these activities in PDF form, check out this product!
The purpose of this blog is to provide fun activity ideas for YSA wards and branches. A good activity will get people to come where they can be spiritually strengthened and make friends who share their values. Once upon a time, it was "Feed them, and they will come," but now it's "Entertain them, or they won't come." This blog is to help anyone whose job it is to come up with an activity to have an idea that will bring in a crowd.
Whether it's an LDS youth, primary or Relief Society activity, this Scripture Treasure Hunt is sure to be a hit with everyone!
This is a fun idea shared by Jenise B. from the MT View ward in AZ The only direction I have are what is listed below. Relief Society Family History Escape Room #1. Silver number lock on black box…
To find out more about how to pull of a Relief Society Fiesta and Friendshipping Activity read below, This seriously was the funnest activity and my Young Women really wished that it was a YW activity! It really would make for the funnest YW activity too. The women who came had a blast! The purpose of the activity was to have a great time, sharing and tasting each others salsa and guacamole recipes and just have a fun time getting to know each other. Decorations, we just had everyone on the committee bring whatever fiesta type decorations they had. We decorated the table we would have the salsa on & the board behind it. The food.... we asked sisters to bring their favorite salsa and guacamole. The committee provided all of the chips. We had these little plastic containers that they could put the guacamole or salsa in (the containers were just purchased at Walmart). We also had virgin pina colada drinks, with cute straws. Here is the recipe for the drinks: STRAWBERRY PINA COLADA: Source unknown Makes about 6 servings 2 cups frozen strawberries and 1 cup fresh stawberries 1/3-2/3 cup water 1/2 can cream of coconut 15 oz pineapple juice 3 cups ice 1/2 cup half and half Ina blender combine strawberries and water until smooth. Scoop in separate bowl and set aside. combine coconut, pineapple juice, ice and half and half until no large ice chunks exist. Add strawberries in and top with cream. For the activity we did a couple things. First, we all stood in a two lines facing each other. We played a game where questions were asked, such as if you like reading books more than watching movies come to this side, or if you would rather vacation on the beach then the mountains, come to this side. After that game we did speed friendshipping. Where we were in the two lines and partnered up with the person in front of us. We were given a sack and 1 minute to ask the person in front of us questions from the sack. Then when the time was up. One of the rows shifted to the right and you had a new partner to do it all over again with. Instead of sacks you could sit at a table and have the printables pasted on kabob sticks and put the sticks in glass jars. Next, we had a pinata!!! You guys it was seriously so fun to see the sisters hitting the pinata and then when it broke, it was a mad dash to the floor to get all of the goodies!! It was stocked with all kinds of chocolates, gum, hand sanitizer, etc. The goal of making friendships and having a good time as Relief Society Sisters was definitely accomplished!!! If you liked this idea, hold tight because more RS activity ideas are coming. In the mean time, check out these Visiting Teaching Posts! Make sure you follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest for even more ideas!
Okay, my husband and I were actually put in charge of the Farmington Ranches 4th Ward Christmas Party - TWO AND A HALF YEARS AGO! I figured I better post these pictures and share before I forget -- again. When I prayed and pondered over a theme for the party (I work best with a theme) I kept coming back to the idea of "Help the children come to know the Savior." We had about 250 primary kids at the time (3 nurseries!) so I took this inspiration very seriously. I then asked myself (and the Lord), "How can I make this about the Savior, and yet keep it fun for the kids?" The worst in my mind would be 250 bored little children packed into a warm gym. It had the potential of a runaway train. After many more days and weeks of praying (starting in September) I finally came to the theme of "In A Stable." I wanted to make the party about the kids and yet about our Savior. After the initial idea of a theme, I was blessed with 8 committee members (4 wonderful couples) and we set to work. We had one big planning/brainstorming meeting and the rest was done via email. Who: Everyone! Objective: Celebrate the birth of Christ, Fellowship, Missionary Work, Help children strengthen their testimony of the Savior. Budget: $1200 Flyer: I had a blue background with a silhouette of the stable, and all of the event details in white font. I forgot to save a copy of the hard copy to share, but here is the "banner" image we used on our Facebook Event page. Set-Up: We had a huge ward with a half-court gym. Thankfully, I had an engineer on my committee! I told him how many of each sort of table we had, then he measured the gym and came up with a blueprint of how to set everything up. Here are some photos of that... For decorations we bought rolls of plain newsprint paper from the local paper for $7 a roll. Then we re-used some red burlap from previous years as table runners (hand cut, "raw" edges). A lady in our ward had made little centerpieces for a RS dinner a few years back and still had these simple wood Jesus-in-a-manger pieces. We also found red glass votives in the storage closet, so we pulled those out and filled them with crayons from the library. In storage were also clear vases wrapped with red yarn and red "branches". My committee thought these would be a great accent and give a simple elegance to the room. The kids loved coloring on the paper while waiting for the food, by the way. We also took Hershey's kisses and spread them around on the tables just before everyone arrived. One of my committee members bought some extra red burlap and made four wreaths to hang on the two far ends of the gym. She also brought in one of her extra Christmas Trees and decorated it with traditional decorations and white lights. Menu: Our ward is so big, which is why our budget for this event was so large. We spent very little money on the decor (3 rolls of news print x $7 = $21, Burlap for wreaths = donated by our committee member (who planned to use them in her home after the ward party), and about $35 to print up about 300 invites (4x6 photo), which the Deacons delivered while they were out collected Fast Offerings. This left us a really good chunk of money for the food. We bought spiral hams, bagged salad, ranch dressing, potatoes, foil, dinner rolls, butter, sour cream, and shredded cheese - all from Costco. We were told that even though we had over 600 members in our ward, typically only about 350 come to the party (this is still THREE TIMES more than in my previous ward!). So, we planned for 375, just in case. A word to the wise. Plan on only half a potato, half as much sour cream, and about half the salad as what the serving sizes say. Little kids cannot eat that much. We had way too much of these left over - which we took to families in need. For dessert, we decided to do a Brownie Bar, which we asked ward members to donate. About 3 Sundays before the party, we circulated copies of 2 different sign-up sheets. 1 - asking for volunteers to help cook the potatoes at home and drop them off at the church by 5p. (We bought the potatoes and dropped off 2 lbs of potatoes and a roll of foil to each volunteer.) 2 - we also asked for volunteers to donate 1 pan of brownies UN-CUT, any type they wanted to bake. We asked for 20 people to sign up for this, but we had more than 30 women who did! Other Activities: It's going to sound like we had a lot of sign-up sheets. Well, we did. We ALSO had a sign up sheet for our Nativity Room. We set up the primary room with long tables covered in borrowed fancy table cloths. We asked for members who were willing, to bring in their nativity sets to display in this room. We provided little slips of paper, so they could put their name card in front of their nativity set. During the "Nativity Walk" (which I'll explain soon), we had one of our committee members "guard" this room to make sure no one touched any of the nativities on display. We also had a Nativity Art Gallery. I bought a few packs of 14x17 drawing paper. I then printed up on small strips of paper these instructions, which I taped to the back of each blank drawing paper page: Please have (or help) your child draw or color their rendition of a nativity scene. This can be free drawing, water color, markers, crayon, a sketch, or as simple as tracing a picture. Under their drawing, please include their name and their age. Return completed drawings to ___________ by [date]. These drawings will be on display in our Nativity Walk Art Gallery during our Ward Christmas Party. It was announced at the pulpit that every child ages 3-18 would receive this blank piece of paper in class to take home. About a week before the party, the Primary President and nursery workers allowed some of the children who might have been previously absent to draw or color their nativity picture. These drawings were hung in one of the hallways leading from the gym door down to the primary room. I was so fortunate to have some great helpers on my committee! I know this sounds like a lot of prep work, but when delegated, I honestly felt like I didn't do a whole heck of a lot. Here is how it all went down... Brownies and potatoes were dropped off in the kitchen and we had several helpers distributing 2 different types of brownies per dessert plate and place them in the adjacent YW room on tables. Potatoes were kept in a warmer. Just outside of the kitchen doors, we set up a serving station. We had a Salad Server (a gloved hand is a fast way to "dish up" salad onto someone's plate!) (dressing in bowls already on tables), a Ham Server (someone else was in the kitchen slicing it), a baked potato server (people could select "half" or "whole", butter & sour cream on tables), and a Roll Server ("one or two?"). After the opening prayer, everyone was instructed through which door they should go to retrieve their food. We tried our best to streamline this process and we were complimented by many, stating that ours was the fastest food service line of any ward party they had attended! It helped to have a kitchen "gopher" who went back and forth from the kitchen to the serving stations, replenishing needed items. After everyone was served, and mostly finished eating, we announced it was time for the Nativity Gallery Walk. They were told that talking was not allowed during the nativity walk. They were told they would walk through the Youth Gallery, and to please stop and enjoy the artwork in the halls. At the end of the hall, they would enter one door of the primary room, where they could view the nativities of some of our very own members, but no touching. Once they exited out of the other primary room door, they would continue to follow the hallway around to the the YW room, where they would pick up one plate of dessert per person, and then return to the gym to enjoy their dessert. They were reminded again, no talking. If they must speak, to please do so in a whisper. We had some soft music playing over the speaker from the chapel, which helped set the tone. One table at a time, they were dismissed through the southwest gym door and after one group was about halfway down the hall, the next table was dismissed. This worked out soooo well! The kids would point and smile as they saw their own artwork. It was fun to hear everyone take the no talking seriously too. Even though there were lots of excited whispers, it was reverent. (To help keep the flow of traffic through the designated doors, we had printed and hung "Please Use Other Door" signs on the doors we did not want them to use.) Once back in the gym, some of our committee members did a nativity puppet show to an audio recording of the nativity story and song. (I was busy in the kitchen, so I only popped in to take a quick picture, and therefore couldn't tell you what the story was, but you could easily do sock puppets to "The Friendly Beasts" recording if desired.) After the puppet show, we had the bishop add a few closing remarks and we also had him announce seconds on brownies and the children could take their pictures off the wall and take them home, then we had the closing prayer. So many people stayed to help clean up, it was wonderful! We started PROMPTLY at 6:30p and we were completely done with the activity BEFORE 8p! I was shocked at how quickly we managed to get everyone through the line. Seriously. We had advertised 6:30p-8:30p. But I think many were happy we were finished early as they wanted to get their littles home to bed. Here are some additional pictures: Nativity Walk Youth Art Gallery The Nativity Room The Brownie Room (older kids of the committee members LOVED helping in this room) Nativity Puppet Show Turn-Out: 350 people, give or take a few, judging by the fact nearly every seat was taken. Let me know if you decide to do something like this for your ward Christmas party! And good luck!
Despite the storm brewing in the sky that night, we had a GREAT turnout for our May Relief Society meeting! The theme was "Rock, Paper, Scriptures." We focused on ways to come closer to the Savior and "hold to the rod." Carrie opened up the evening with some personal experiences and a wonderful video emphasizing the importance of daily scripture study in our lives. We then split into three classes and got to take part in some great discussions. ROCK Teryl told us about her grandfather and the house he built one rock at a time. It was a three year process but the results were a house with a strong foundation and walls that would stand through the years. Even after the house was vandalized, it still maintained its structure and has been fixed up and still stands today. She tied this in with our own lifelong efforts to build upon the rock of our Redeemer. Helaman 5:12 states: And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall. PAPER Brianne led a great discussion on journaling and how it blesses our lives-- and the lives of our posterity! We talked about different kinds of journals we can keep: scrapbooks online journals (someone suggested we all try out www.ldsjournal.com !) good old fashioned pen and paper journals family journals scripture journals gratitude journals blogs Not only can we benefit from looking back at past journal entries, but our future children and grandchildren may be able to gain something from them as well. If you think about it, the scriptures themselves are record keeping and "journaling" of ancient prophets. So, in a way, our personal journals we keep can be like our own "scripture" we are writing for our future children and grandchildren to learn and grow from. SCRIPTURES (Holding to the rod): Kimberly lassoed us up and took us on a little obstacle course to drive home her point. Her instructions to us were only this: "Hold on to the rope and follow me." So the group was all walking along clumped together in the loop of the rope. We thought getting up the narrow stairway to the stage was difficult... ...but that seemed like nothing when we realized we hand to climb under a small table!!! Kimberly just kept repeating "Just hold on to the rope and follow me." Most groups went through the whole thing trying to stay inside the loop of the rope. This last group made the realization as they were trying to cram under the table that Kimberly never said they had to stay in the loop. They just had to hold onto the rope! They realized that it would be much easier if they untied the loop and just each held onto it in a straight line. This was a great object lesson that brought us closer together as sisters (literally). We discussed the point of this exercise and applied it to our own journeys in life. Sometimes we get too caught up in doing things a certain way or a way we think it should be done or even the way that MOST people do it. But, that isn't always the most effective way. Ultimately, our instruction is to "hold to the rope and follow me"-- or hold to the rod and follow Him. We need to try to get rid of those distractions or unimportant things that sometimes make it so much more difficult than it needs to be! We shared different things we personally do to bring ourselves closer to Christ and our Heavenly Father-- different ways we have found to do things that work well for US personally. Whether it was methods of scripture study or ways to get rid of distractions in life. After these awesome messages we joined back together to close our meeting. Carrie invited each of us to take a rock from the table in the back of the room and write on it something that was a "spiritual rock" in our lives. Either a favorite scripture or quote. We can display these rocks somewhere as a reminder of having that strong foundation in our lives. And... of course we enjoyed some tasty refreshments together! We had fruits and veggies and dips. Our new friend Ann even brought some delicious Pilipino dishes for us to try! A tasty sesame noodle dish and some potstickers. We always have a great time getting together as sisters and visiting together. And tonight was no different.
Who: Everyone, All Ages Objective: Promote camaraderie & family fun. Budget: $100 (for dipping chocolate) Flyer: Set-Up: Starting 2-3 weeks ahead of time, we put nomination boxes in the foyer. We told everyone to nominate their favorite "King" ages 16+. We had a good number of nominations. I also sent around a sign-up sheet in RS for the chocolate dipping bar. We had people sign up to bring: cake bits, pretzels, marshmallows, orange slices, strawberries, pineapple chunks, apples slices, bananas, graham crackers, gummi bears, wafers, shortbread cookies, macaroons, and anything else you could think of to dip in chocolate. Activity: On the night of the activity, we drew names from the nomination box and called up 6 contestants. The contestants competed in various (see below), and in between segments we had “messages from our sponsors”. These were little 30 second “commercials” put on by some of the youth. They were hilarious. Following the competitions we allowed voting. There were paper sacks which were numbered 1-6 that corresponded with the numbers we had pinned to the contestants. As each person came to the activity, they were given a small tab of paper. These were their voting tabs. So, they simply put their tab into the bag of the person they voted for. But we told them instead of voting for the BEST king, they were to vote for the WORST king, since it was an UN-Pageant. This made it even more fun. We had 2 members of the committee tally the votes. The winner was “crowned” with a crown, which was made and donated by a committee member. They were also given a trophy that was found at a thrift store for about 50 cents. The little kids enjoyed the coloring table (set up in the back with photocopied "Valentine Coloring Pages") which kept them busy. Everyone loved the chocolate fountain. We had left over chocolate which we will use as chocolate sauce for next months activity. Events/Competition: I was the "pageant host" and asked another member of the ward to provide the "pageant music". He played some on the piano and some on CD, and made it apropos to the competition event. Ahead of time I wrote out a script of what I would be saying and gave the music person a copy so he could coordinate. I also recruited 3-4 YW who came dressed in formal gowns to be the "Vanna Whites" and assist on stage. Areas of competition were: Sportsmanship - Jousting (skateboards & pool noodles) Physical Fitness - Hymnbook Weights Challenge Coordination - Dance Competition (30 second moves) Intellect & Quick-Thinking - Interview Question Turn-Out: We had about 100 people come and everyone said it was a lot of fun. Here are the contestants right after being called up on stage.
For my Relief Society calling in church I am the second counselor in the presidency, over the Additional meetings. We had a great meeting a couple of weeks ago with the theme, "Mission Possible". We wanted to focus on the missionaries serving from our ward and support them. For weeks before the event we had sisters volunteering to bring items for the various missionaries from our ward to put in care packages to be sent to them all over the world. Each Mother of a missionary made a list of things that their missionary would love to receive. We had such a great response from the sisters and received so many things for the packages. We dressed up in detective garb each Sunday to give our announcements. We even had a cute invitation we handed out to each sister that had been placed in a small manila envelope labeled "Mission Possible". The evening started off with a dinner. We had sisters bring various dishes from either the place where their missionary is serving, where they themselves served, or just whatever they felt like bringing! An amazing selection of foods were brought. I made coconut rice and an avocado corn salad in honor of my son who is serving in Brasil. I got both recipes from the Internet and they were yummy! I loved the cute little napkins that were folded to look like white shirts. We added the ties made from Fruit Stripe gum. The tie banner added a lot to the decor. This table was set up with a bag for each missionary from our ward to collect the items for their care boxes and a paper with the name of each missionary on top was set out for the sisters to write messages to each one. We invited the Elders serving in our ward to join us for dinner and leave a short message with us. They thought this idea sounded awesome and they said they wished that their home wards would do something like this for them! Secretly we had the ladies write short letters to these Elder's mothers that we will be sending to let them know how much we appreciate their son's service in our area. On each table we had the plaques displayed that belong to each missionary from our ward. We also had some paper and pens so that the sisters could write a short message to them. After the dinner we had the mother's of missionaries serving from our ward read a letter from their missionaries. It was touching and fun to hear of each missionaries' experiences. The spirit of missionary work was definitely felt that evening as our thoughts turned to our full-time missionaries. We will be sending this picture along with the letters written for the mother's of the Elders serving in our ward. As a missionary mom I know that they will love it!
As ward activity committee members, it can be difficult to come up with unique ideas for the ward Christmas party year after year. Here are some ideas for making this December's event an enjoyable experience for members of all ages.
Are you planning a Relief Society Activity? Here are 30+ Fun relief society activity ideas your congregation will LOVE! If you have been in charge of planning a Relief Society Activity then you know how
When we first moved into our neighborhood, I wanted to get to know my neighbors quickly and on a more personal level. My grandma had a grea...
“Minute to Win-It” COMBINED Activity* Break the group into 2 teams (mixed YW & YM) and have representatives from each team ...
Okay, my husband and I were actually put in charge of the Farmington Ranches 4th Ward Christmas Party - TWO AND A HALF YEARS AGO! I figured ...
Have a fun ward activity or youth night by playing the Mormon Family Feud. Here are the answers to the Mormon Family Feud Questionnaire so ...
We've gathered 16 super cool LDS Activity Days ideas just for you! Check out the blog today for some of our favorite ideas for activities with girls ages 8-11.
This was an activity that was in the very early stages of planning when I got released. (Sorry it has taken me over 6 months to post!) While I do not have all of the details I will post what I do know as it was a huge success. First of all, I will tell you that my Ward had done "Christmas in Bethlehem" about 5 years ago (Before I was called) and it was far too unorganized and far too much work. The feedback wasn't necessarily positive after that, so when I suggested it as a possibility to my committee, you can imagine the looks I received. If you have never heard of the concept of Christmas in Bethlehem, you may want to first read about it {{HERE}}. I promised my committee that we would not be too elaborate and that keeping it simple would help to make it a success. They all agreed, especially because our budget was small. Who: Everyone! Objective: Fellowship, Build Testimony of Christ, Celebrate Christ's Birth Budget: (I am not sure what their budget was as I was release nearly 11 months earlier.) Flyer: We pretty much used the same verbiage as was found at the link above. Invitations were rolled up into scrolls and tied with small twine. Set-Up: The Relief Society Activity Committee helped the Ward Activity Chairperson in getting all of the assignments made. Starting the 1st Sunday in November, the sign-up sheets were circulated through. Unlike many wards, we did not ask classes or quorums to run a booth. (The downfall of the prior attempt 5 years earlier.) We wanted families to be able to enjoy the evening together and didn't want unattended children running all over the place. There were sign-up sheets asking families to run a booth (I think we had about 8-9 booth). We had sign-up sheets for those who could donate canopies for booths. And there were sign-up sheets to ask people to bring the following food items: Breads/rolls. Cookies. Cheese Cubes. Black Olives. Cut-Up fruit. Special Instructions: As each family arrived, they were asked to sign the Census. (Husbands of the Activity Committee were dressed like roman soldiers.) The soldiers gave each member a small bag containing coins. (12 pennies per bag. This was enough to get their food and then a few more items.) We were then all guided to the chapel. There we sang a Christmas Carol and the activity chairperson explained how the marketplace worked. The overflow area was set up with a little pathway (cardboard "walls" and battery operated candles in paper sacks) leading to the gym. They gave about 30 minutes for people to "shop" and eat before they were invited to be seated and watch the reenactment of the nativity. We have a lady in our ward who has all of the props and costumes for the nativity. She created these years ago for her children and extended family. Every other year we ask her to run that part of our Christmas program. She loves it. She gets all of the actors organized and rehearses with them. There are places in the nativity program for the rest of us to sing a verse of a Carol. We love it too, as it takes added pressure from the committee! Turn-Out: We had several people attend (I counted close to 100) and everyone had a wonderful time. I think the pictures tell the best story, so without further adieu... The committee basically flattened a ton of cardboard boxes and using really fat black permanent markers turned them into "buildings". They were cut, shaped and then taped together and set along the outskirts of the room. Here is the Water "Well". The Base is actually a plastic tub (Sitting on a step to make it taller), filled with ice and then water bottles, then covered with thick brown paper and the rim is a spray painted pool noodle. The wooden frame helped to keep everything in place and was cute. 1 Bench was brought from home, while the other three were confiscated from the Primary, YW, & Relief Society rooms. Booths were created out of modern-day canopies. Sheets were hung in between to create "walls". The insides were lined with Christmas White Lights and other things such as baskets. Poster boards were used for the sign shops. At David's Toy Shop we were "selling" little dreidels. The Committee purchased these online in bulk. There were other toys and trinkets that were in the activity closet from activities past, so we thought it would be a good idea to "sell" those too. The Bishop's winery had sparkling Grape Juice. (Grape Juice & 7-Up in punch bowls) The fruit market contained grapes, orange slices, banana halves, pineapple slices and apple slices, all donated by members (via the sign-up sheets). Ruth's Bakery contained rolls & honey along with several types of cookies and bars brought by the members (via the sign-up sheets). The Gift of the Magi was selling Gold (chocolate gold coin), Frankincense, and Myrrh. I don't remember was the Frankincense was, but 1 token got you all 3 and the Myrrh meant you got to use some of the lotion. Potiphar's Pita hut "sold" pita wedges and toppings such as Hummus, Cream Cheese and Honey. The Activity Committee supplied the food items for this hut. Benjamin's Meat & Deli was offering grilled chicken strips (provided by the committee) and "Deli Kabobs" of cheese cubes and black olives (provided by members via the sign-up sheet). Rachel's Rentals contained a basket full of blankets for those who did not bring one to sit on. One of the members brought these benches from home. The "actors" for the Nativity program sat here until it was their turn to go on stage. The back corner of the gym was set up with tables. It was announced ahead of time that these were for the elderly or for those who could not sit of the floor. The tables were decorated with simple burlap cloths and mini lanterns. This was taken after it the marketplace opened for business. During the Nativity. The lady who organizes this for us uses all Primary Children and no adults for this. When most of the kids are playing a part, it's easier to keep them from running around. :) That is a brief overview from our night in Bethlehem. I hope it inspires something for you! Good Luck!
Our ward family history committee, consisting of youth and adult consultants, planned this ward activity for all ages. Held on a Thursday evening it took the place of the combined activity for the…
While blog surfing the other day I came across this freaking awesome blog called Two Shades of Pink . I LOVED her old fashioned games, she ...
More and more you will see youth and church groups gathering together virtually. Those activities don't have to be boring- in fact they might just become some of the most memorable get togethers ever! During
If you've ever had the opportunity to attend an LDS Girl's Camp, you may have enjoyed a Faith Walk. I hadn't even participated in a Faith Walk until I went back to camp as an adult leader. The premise is that the girls are led in the evening time to various "stations" to meet with someone who will retell or share a faith-promoting story or experience. To make the biggest impact, the girls are instructed beforehand, there is to be no talking during their walk. Additionally, only a handful of leaders or girls are given a lantern to carry. You want to make sure there is enough light to be safe, but dark enough to avoid distractions. Often times, our faith walks began at dusk. Lanterns (like pictured above) may also be strategically placed along the walk to assist those on the journey. You could also make something like this ahead of time for the leaders to carry, or if preferred, one for each girl. Remember, the idea is to create a spiritual ambiance, not a spooky one! After the first year of participating in a faith walk, I found myself being called as the camp director for the next summer. I definitely wanted to have the girls participate in something like that again, although a quick search in google left me hard-pressed for new ideas for a Faith Walk. (In the one we did, it was meeting "Women of Value", aka characters of women in history who represented each value, i.e., Joan of Arc, Sacajawea, etc.) I found I was left to my own devices, and after praying at great lengths, felt I needed to provide an opportunity for the girls to get to know our Savior better. As soon as the idea hit, the rest just came to me. Journey of the Savior is a faith walk in which the young women can meet those who knew the Savior and hear accounts of how He impacted their life. The final scene they come upon is a reenactment of the Savior, during His final hours, praying in the garden of Gethsemane. It was quite a sight to see, and all who were there were touched. I'm pleased that over these past few years, my google searches have turned up more ideas for Faith Walks, as they seem to be catching on. I wrote about our girls' experience on my personal blog, and I'm sure it was a Google search that has led others to send me messages requesting a copy of my Journey to the Savior Faith Walk. So, FINALLY, no more having to ask and wait. {{Click here to download Journey to the Savior pdf}} Good luck! Let me know how it goes! :)
Have you been trying to get your ward youth excited about family history? Do you need some fresh ideas to spark interest? For the past two years, I’ve been working with teens age 12-18. Alon…
Have a fun ward activity or youth night by playing the Mormon Family Feud. Here are the answers to the Mormon Family Feud Questionnaire so ...
“My wife signed me up to make something for the ward activity”
This was an activity that was in the very early stages of planning when I got released. (Sorry it has taken me over 6 months to post!) While I do not have all of the details I will post what I do know as it was a huge success. First of all, I will tell you that my Ward had done "Christmas in Bethlehem" about 5 years ago (Before I was called) and it was far too unorganized and far too much work. The feedback wasn't necessarily positive after that, so when I suggested it as a possibility to my committee, you can imagine the looks I received. If you have never heard of the concept of Christmas in Bethlehem, you may want to first read about it {{HERE}}. I promised my committee that we would not be too elaborate and that keeping it simple would help to make it a success. They all agreed, especially because our budget was small. Who: Everyone! Objective: Fellowship, Build Testimony of Christ, Celebrate Christ's Birth Budget: (I am not sure what their budget was as I was release nearly 11 months earlier.) Flyer: We pretty much used the same verbiage as was found at the link above. Invitations were rolled up into scrolls and tied with small twine. Set-Up: The Relief Society Activity Committee helped the Ward Activity Chairperson in getting all of the assignments made. Starting the 1st Sunday in November, the sign-up sheets were circulated through. Unlike many wards, we did not ask classes or quorums to run a booth. (The downfall of the prior attempt 5 years earlier.) We wanted families to be able to enjoy the evening together and didn't want unattended children running all over the place. There were sign-up sheets asking families to run a booth (I think we had about 8-9 booth). We had sign-up sheets for those who could donate canopies for booths. And there were sign-up sheets to ask people to bring the following food items: Breads/rolls. Cookies. Cheese Cubes. Black Olives. Cut-Up fruit. Special Instructions: As each family arrived, they were asked to sign the Census. (Husbands of the Activity Committee were dressed like roman soldiers.) The soldiers gave each member a small bag containing coins. (12 pennies per bag. This was enough to get their food and then a few more items.) We were then all guided to the chapel. There we sang a Christmas Carol and the activity chairperson explained how the marketplace worked. The overflow area was set up with a little pathway (cardboard "walls" and battery operated candles in paper sacks) leading to the gym. They gave about 30 minutes for people to "shop" and eat before they were invited to be seated and watch the reenactment of the nativity. We have a lady in our ward who has all of the props and costumes for the nativity. She created these years ago for her children and extended family. Every other year we ask her to run that part of our Christmas program. She loves it. She gets all of the actors organized and rehearses with them. There are places in the nativity program for the rest of us to sing a verse of a Carol. We love it too, as it takes added pressure from the committee! Turn-Out: We had several people attend (I counted close to 100) and everyone had a wonderful time. I think the pictures tell the best story, so without further adieu... The committee basically flattened a ton of cardboard boxes and using really fat black permanent markers turned them into "buildings". They were cut, shaped and then taped together and set along the outskirts of the room. Here is the Water "Well". The Base is actually a plastic tub (Sitting on a step to make it taller), filled with ice and then water bottles, then covered with thick brown paper and the rim is a spray painted pool noodle. The wooden frame helped to keep everything in place and was cute. 1 Bench was brought from home, while the other three were confiscated from the Primary, YW, & Relief Society rooms. Booths were created out of modern-day canopies. Sheets were hung in between to create "walls". The insides were lined with Christmas White Lights and other things such as baskets. Poster boards were used for the sign shops. At David's Toy Shop we were "selling" little dreidels. The Committee purchased these online in bulk. There were other toys and trinkets that were in the activity closet from activities past, so we thought it would be a good idea to "sell" those too. The Bishop's winery had sparkling Grape Juice. (Grape Juice & 7-Up in punch bowls) The fruit market contained grapes, orange slices, banana halves, pineapple slices and apple slices, all donated by members (via the sign-up sheets). Ruth's Bakery contained rolls & honey along with several types of cookies and bars brought by the members (via the sign-up sheets). The Gift of the Magi was selling Gold (chocolate gold coin), Frankincense, and Myrrh. I don't remember was the Frankincense was, but 1 token got you all 3 and the Myrrh meant you got to use some of the lotion. Potiphar's Pita hut "sold" pita wedges and toppings such as Hummus, Cream Cheese and Honey. The Activity Committee supplied the food items for this hut. Benjamin's Meat & Deli was offering grilled chicken strips (provided by the committee) and "Deli Kabobs" of cheese cubes and black olives (provided by members via the sign-up sheet). Rachel's Rentals contained a basket full of blankets for those who did not bring one to sit on. One of the members brought these benches from home. The "actors" for the Nativity program sat here until it was their turn to go on stage. The back corner of the gym was set up with tables. It was announced ahead of time that these were for the elderly or for those who could not sit of the floor. The tables were decorated with simple burlap cloths and mini lanterns. This was taken after it the marketplace opened for business. During the Nativity. The lady who organizes this for us uses all Primary Children and no adults for this. When most of the kids are playing a part, it's easier to keep them from running around. :) That is a brief overview from our night in Bethlehem. I hope it inspires something for you! Good Luck!
Painting with Lisa January 6, 2016 For the January activity, the Welby 7th Ward Relief Society sisters were able to enjoy a relaxing night of painting and chocolate. What talent! The sisters in our ward do many things to benefit their own families as they serve members of our ward family and the community in which we live. Elder Russell M. Nelson said of women, "Frequently, her eager audience requests her talent as a musician by calling upon her to sing—any time, any place. She is an artist, using crayons and coloring books, needles and thread, or other means to create works of art by her own hands. (See Ps. 90:17; D&C 42:40.)" How blessed are we in the Welby 7th Ward to witness the creations of our ward sisters.
Our ward family history committee, consisting of youth and adult consultants, planned this ward activity for all ages. Held on a Thursday evening it took the place of the combined activity for the…
This was an activity that was in the very early stages of planning when I got released. (Sorry it has taken me over 6 months to post!) While I do not have all of the details I will post what I do know as it was a huge success. First of all, I will tell you that my Ward had done "Christmas in Bethlehem" about 5 years ago (Before I was called) and it was far too unorganized and far too much work. The feedback wasn't necessarily positive after that, so when I suggested it as a possibility to my committee, you can imagine the looks I received. If you have never heard of the concept of Christmas in Bethlehem, you may want to first read about it {{HERE}}. I promised my committee that we would not be too elaborate and that keeping it simple would help to make it a success. They all agreed, especially because our budget was small. Who: Everyone! Objective: Fellowship, Build Testimony of Christ, Celebrate Christ's Birth Budget: (I am not sure what their budget was as I was release nearly 11 months earlier.) Flyer: We pretty much used the same verbiage as was found at the link above. Invitations were rolled up into scrolls and tied with small twine. Set-Up: The Relief Society Activity Committee helped the Ward Activity Chairperson in getting all of the assignments made. Starting the 1st Sunday in November, the sign-up sheets were circulated through. Unlike many wards, we did not ask classes or quorums to run a booth. (The downfall of the prior attempt 5 years earlier.) We wanted families to be able to enjoy the evening together and didn't want unattended children running all over the place. There were sign-up sheets asking families to run a booth (I think we had about 8-9 booth). We had sign-up sheets for those who could donate canopies for booths. And there were sign-up sheets to ask people to bring the following food items: Breads/rolls. Cookies. Cheese Cubes. Black Olives. Cut-Up fruit. Special Instructions: As each family arrived, they were asked to sign the Census. (Husbands of the Activity Committee were dressed like roman soldiers.) The soldiers gave each member a small bag containing coins. (12 pennies per bag. This was enough to get their food and then a few more items.) We were then all guided to the chapel. There we sang a Christmas Carol and the activity chairperson explained how the marketplace worked. The overflow area was set up with a little pathway (cardboard "walls" and battery operated candles in paper sacks) leading to the gym. They gave about 30 minutes for people to "shop" and eat before they were invited to be seated and watch the reenactment of the nativity. We have a lady in our ward who has all of the props and costumes for the nativity. She created these years ago for her children and extended family. Every other year we ask her to run that part of our Christmas program. She loves it. She gets all of the actors organized and rehearses with them. There are places in the nativity program for the rest of us to sing a verse of a Carol. We love it too, as it takes added pressure from the committee! Turn-Out: We had several people attend (I counted close to 100) and everyone had a wonderful time. I think the pictures tell the best story, so without further adieu... The committee basically flattened a ton of cardboard boxes and using really fat black permanent markers turned them into "buildings". They were cut, shaped and then taped together and set along the outskirts of the room. Here is the Water "Well". The Base is actually a plastic tub (Sitting on a step to make it taller), filled with ice and then water bottles, then covered with thick brown paper and the rim is a spray painted pool noodle. The wooden frame helped to keep everything in place and was cute. 1 Bench was brought from home, while the other three were confiscated from the Primary, YW, & Relief Society rooms. Booths were created out of modern-day canopies. Sheets were hung in between to create "walls". The insides were lined with Christmas White Lights and other things such as baskets. Poster boards were used for the sign shops. At David's Toy Shop we were "selling" little dreidels. The Committee purchased these online in bulk. There were other toys and trinkets that were in the activity closet from activities past, so we thought it would be a good idea to "sell" those too. The Bishop's winery had sparkling Grape Juice. (Grape Juice & 7-Up in punch bowls) The fruit market contained grapes, orange slices, banana halves, pineapple slices and apple slices, all donated by members (via the sign-up sheets). Ruth's Bakery contained rolls & honey along with several types of cookies and bars brought by the members (via the sign-up sheets). The Gift of the Magi was selling Gold (chocolate gold coin), Frankincense, and Myrrh. I don't remember was the Frankincense was, but 1 token got you all 3 and the Myrrh meant you got to use some of the lotion. Potiphar's Pita hut "sold" pita wedges and toppings such as Hummus, Cream Cheese and Honey. The Activity Committee supplied the food items for this hut. Benjamin's Meat & Deli was offering grilled chicken strips (provided by the committee) and "Deli Kabobs" of cheese cubes and black olives (provided by members via the sign-up sheet). Rachel's Rentals contained a basket full of blankets for those who did not bring one to sit on. One of the members brought these benches from home. The "actors" for the Nativity program sat here until it was their turn to go on stage. The back corner of the gym was set up with tables. It was announced ahead of time that these were for the elderly or for those who could not sit of the floor. The tables were decorated with simple burlap cloths and mini lanterns. This was taken after it the marketplace opened for business. During the Nativity. The lady who organizes this for us uses all Primary Children and no adults for this. When most of the kids are playing a part, it's easier to keep them from running around. :) That is a brief overview from our night in Bethlehem. I hope it inspires something for you! Good Luck!
The Spirit of Christmas: A Ward Christmas Program Today I am sharing a wonderful Christmas Program that you could use for your very own Ward Christmas Party this year. I had this idea on my old blo…
For this activity we had quite a bit planned but actually finished early (which never happens!) First we had the girls bring thier scriptures and we talked about faith from Alma 32. 26 Now, as I said concerning faith—that it was not a perfect knowledge—even so it is with my words. Ye cannot know of their surety at first, unto perfection, any more than faith is a perfect knowledge. 27 But behold, if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than adesire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words. 28 Now, we will compare the word unto a aseed. Now, if ye give place, that a bseed may be planted in your cheart, behold, if it be a true seed, or a good seed, if ye do not cast it out by your dunbelief, that ye will resist the Spirit of the Lord, behold, it will begin to swell within your breasts; and when you feel these swelling motions, ye will begin to say within yourselves—It must needs be that this is a good seed, or that the word is good, for it beginneth to enlarge my soul; yea, it beginneth to eenlighten my funderstanding, yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me. After having a discussion on faith and how its likes a seed, we planted a seed! We gave each of the girls a cup and had them put potting soil in it. We gave them each three marigold seeds and then watered the soil. The girls are going to take them home, put them by a window in thier homes and make sure that the soil is always damp. Hopefully we will have some success and hear about it later! Then after planting a seed, we had the girls "nourish thier bodies" with some mud! We gave the girls pudding (mud), oreos to crush up and put in thier pudding (dirt) and some worms. They loved it and made fun of each other for eating "mud" and "dirt". And if you want this as a take home, you can give them this to hang up in their room or put with their scriptures. It's found HERE:
Whether your guest speaker backs out or you simply run out of time to plan anything elaborate, if you find yourself fumbling for something fun and productive to do for Mutual or a YSA ward activity, check out these fast and fun activities.
Here is Verse 1 for "We Thank Thee, O God, For a Prophet" flipchart, with President Nelson's image. Enjoy! We Thank Thee, O God, For A Prophet {{flipchart here}}
