Here is where my Cub Scout days pay off. I adapted the "Paper Plate Relay" for a Seminary activity. Yesterday, I had the students name the activities in our lives that help us avoid temptation. They named things like: personal prayer, worthily partaking of the Sacrament, daily scripture study, attending Seminary, dressing modestly, choosing uplifting music, movies, TV, media, etc. I took those items and listed each one on a separate paper plate for today. (I did this for 2 teams-each had the same things written on paper plates) The Cultural Hall was set up for a large event for tonight, so our space was limited for the relay race, but we managed and I hope the students will remember what we learned while we were having fun. Basically, the paper plates are stepping stones. The wood floor is temptation. Staying on the stepping stones helps us avoid temptation and be spiritually strengthened. Players stand in a straight line. Before the game starts, each player is standing on a paper plate. The last player in line is standing on a plate AND holding a plate. At the word GO, each team needs to move forward only stepping on the paper plates (avoiding the floor, aka temptation) The only way they can advance is with the extra plate that is at the end, so the last player in line passes the plate forward. The first player in line places the extra plate on the floor and all players advance one plate forward. Again this is repeated, with the last player sending the extra plate forward, etc. When the last player in line crosses the finish line (safety at the end of the day) that team wins. I likened the path they were walking to a day in their lives. From start to finish, every day we need each step to help us resist temptation. I showed them what would happen if we tried to skip a step (it is harder) or if we eliminate a step (can't get to the end of the day safely, etc) There are so many parallels that can be drawn with this activity such as the need to help each other, team work, communication, etc. I think they had a good time, and, most importantly, I think they will remember the principle I was trying to reinforce and teach. This is an INCREDIBLE group of teenagers. Nothing ordinary about them.
