The other day we held a 2 hour activity because we are only able to have one this month. Once all of the girls arrived and our spotlight, attendance, etc. was done we loaded them up in our cars (consider asking Mom's for help if you need more seat belts) and took them to the Temple. We didn't tell them what we would be doing until we arrived. Once we gathered them all around one of the leaders discussed what kind of service we do in the Temple and that we would be able to serve the people that were inside serving. We split up into groups and washed the windshields of the cars in the parking lot. Once they were clean we slipped this little saying until the wiper blade: "Because of your faithfulness in serving today at the temple you will see your way "home" more clearly. Thanks for serving so lovingly." (From SugarDoodle.)
Once finished we met up and gave each girl a pebble and a candy for this activity. They were to eat their candy and walk back to the cars and once there we questioned them on how their walk was. Each girl said something like "hard" or "painful." One leader read this quote "Sometimes we cannot recognize our sweet blessings because we are dwelling on the "pebble in our shoe" and discussed with them that although they had candy all they could think about was the pebble in their shoe. Each girl got a copy of the quote.
The Temple is only about a 10 minute drive from where we were meeting so once we got back we still had about an hour to fill. We played Thanksgiving Pictionary where each girl took a turn drawing something they were thankful for.
After Pictionary the girls wrote a letter to someone that they were thankful for. They wrote to teachers, parents, friends, etc.
Once the girls were done we gathered in a circle to play another gratitude game. Starting with the letter A, we went in a circle each taking the next letter in the alphabet naming something we were thankful for until we came to Z.
This activity could be done as two separate ones very easily! If you are still looking for a Thanksgiving activity you could simply use some of the ideas from the second half. The first activity is a great one to do on it's own anytime!
Halloween Celebration Night
Last night we had a Halloween activity. It was lots of fun! If you are needing an idea to end the month with, it's not too late to pull this one together. My partner and I decided that we weren't going to make the girls mark off anything for this activity. This was the first time we have ever done this so we didn't feel too bad.
We invited the girls to wear their costumes but made it very clear that it wasn't necessary. We didn't want to make anyone feel pressured into spending money or doing something they didn't want to do. But not surprisingly, every girl dressed up! And they all looked great!
We used the Primary Room as well as a nearby classroom. This is how the room was set up:
We started out with bobbing for donuts. I am sure that everyone knows how to play this! We used yarn and thumbtacks to attach the donuts to the ceiling.
Next we split the girls up into two groups. One group painted pumpkins and one group did the "Fear Factor Room." 
As for the painting we were able to purchase our pumpkins for less than a quarter each. They weren't very big, but if they were any bigger than the girls would have taken way too long to paint them!
Now, for the "Fear Factor Room." We used a separate classroom (highly recommended because of the smell! My poor partner is pregnant and it was a little too stinky for her! She was a trooper though and stuck out the nasty stench!) For this we used bowls filled with the following:
Vienna Sausages (Freaky Fingers)
Peeled Grapes (Ewww...Eyeballs)
Cooked Spaghetti (Icky Intestines)
Canned Black Beans (Witches Warts)
Wet Sponge (Bloody Brains)
We had each bowl covered with a box that had a hole in the top. They each got a turn to stick their hand in the bowl and guess what the mystery item was. They loved it and some of them got grossed out. Mission accomplished!
While some of the girls were waiting their turn to either paint or play Fear Factor, we had them guess how many candy corns were in the jar. Of course the winner took the jar home.
Our last activity was the mummy wrap game. So easy and fun! Another easy game that everyone probably knows how to play. Just pair the girls up and give each team a roll of toilet paper. The first team to get their mummy wrapped wins.
Last of all we had a costume and pumpkin decorating contest. The girls didn't know that they were being judged until we handed out the certificates at the end. Here are the categories:
Coolest Costume
Most Unique Costume
Most Creative Costume
Most Unique Pumpkin
Most Creative Pumpkin
Fastest Mummy Wrapper (there were two of these, one for each partner)
Fastest Donut Eater
Everyone got one award. The girls who did not get one of the above awards still got a certificate for "Participation in Achievement Day's Halloween Night Celebration"
I am having trouble downloading a copy of the certificate for you. If I can get it later I will add it.
It was lots of fun...yet very exhausting!
And a little bonus.... a cute way to give your girls their invitations! Just use a toothpick, like this. For the cupcake all you need is a frosted cupcake, striped shortbread cookies, a Hershey Kiss and red gel coloring and viola!
We invited the girls to wear their costumes but made it very clear that it wasn't necessary. We didn't want to make anyone feel pressured into spending money or doing something they didn't want to do. But not surprisingly, every girl dressed up! And they all looked great!
We used the Primary Room as well as a nearby classroom. This is how the room was set up:
We started out with bobbing for donuts. I am sure that everyone knows how to play this! We used yarn and thumbtacks to attach the donuts to the ceiling.
Next we split the girls up into two groups. One group painted pumpkins and one group did the "Fear Factor Room." 
As for the painting we were able to purchase our pumpkins for less than a quarter each. They weren't very big, but if they were any bigger than the girls would have taken way too long to paint them!Now, for the "Fear Factor Room." We used a separate classroom (highly recommended because of the smell! My poor partner is pregnant and it was a little too stinky for her! She was a trooper though and stuck out the nasty stench!) For this we used bowls filled with the following:
Vienna Sausages (Freaky Fingers)
Peeled Grapes (Ewww...Eyeballs)
Cooked Spaghetti (Icky Intestines)
Canned Black Beans (Witches Warts)
Wet Sponge (Bloody Brains)
We had each bowl covered with a box that had a hole in the top. They each got a turn to stick their hand in the bowl and guess what the mystery item was. They loved it and some of them got grossed out. Mission accomplished!
While some of the girls were waiting their turn to either paint or play Fear Factor, we had them guess how many candy corns were in the jar. Of course the winner took the jar home.
Our last activity was the mummy wrap game. So easy and fun! Another easy game that everyone probably knows how to play. Just pair the girls up and give each team a roll of toilet paper. The first team to get their mummy wrapped wins.
Last of all we had a costume and pumpkin decorating contest. The girls didn't know that they were being judged until we handed out the certificates at the end. Here are the categories:
Coolest Costume
Most Unique Costume
Most Creative Costume
Most Unique Pumpkin
Most Creative Pumpkin
Fastest Mummy Wrapper (there were two of these, one for each partner)
Fastest Donut Eater
Everyone got one award. The girls who did not get one of the above awards still got a certificate for "Participation in Achievement Day's Halloween Night Celebration"
I am having trouble downloading a copy of the certificate for you. If I can get it later I will add it.
It was lots of fun...yet very exhausting!
And a little bonus.... a cute way to give your girls their invitations! Just use a toothpick, like this. For the cupcake all you need is a frosted cupcake, striped shortbread cookies, a Hershey Kiss and red gel coloring and viola!
Tithing
*Thanks to Jamie for submitting this idea!
A couple weeks ago, I threw together an activity for the 8-11 year old's at church. (We have about 9 girls who show up regularly.) We talked about tithing and the importance of saving money. I learned that most of them had never filled out a tithing slip, so it was good to go over that with them. We also talked about tithing settlement since that is one of the Faith in God requirements. I had found some ceramic farm animal banks on clearance (they ended up costing less than $2 each after I pointed out some flaws on them to the cashier and got an additional 20% discount off the clearance price...bargain of the century!!) I wanted the girls to decorate and personalize their banks and boy was I surprised with the creative results!!! I had prepared small squares of cardboard (which they covered in scrapbook paper) as a platform and then I let their imaginations run wild. Here are some pictures of what the girls made.
This really cracked me up. She made a nest for her chicken bank and even included eggs made out of puff balls.
This really cracked me up. She made a nest for her chicken bank and even included eggs made out of puff balls.
This is a very sassy chicken. Not only does she have flowers and a feather boa around her, but the chicken has a ruby red necklace made out of puff balls.
Mooo! This cow is living large in her barn yard complete with a fence made out of pipe cleaners.
I thought this one was very simple, but very clever. You'll notice that her pig is a little muddy from rolling around in the pigsty.
Mooo! This cow is living large in her barn yard complete with a fence made out of pipe cleaners.
I thought this one was very simple, but very clever. You'll notice that her pig is a little muddy from rolling around in the pigsty.
If I were to do this again, I would allow for more time to decorate the banks. I could have talked to them for at least an hour about how to calculate tithing, the importance of saving money, the importance of wanting something but not having to buy it just because it's there, what a credit card is and to impress upon them how expensive things are and that they shouldn't expect their parents to buy them whatever they want. We ended up spending at least 45 minutes decorating the banks and the room was a disaster afterward, so help with cleanup would have been very much appreciated.
Prayer and Recognizing the Spirit
My partner gets all the credit for this one!
We then talked about how sometimes we can't hear the Spirit, even though we are doing good things. We did a little object lesson that really hit home. Here's how it went:
We told them it was Saturday and that we they preparing for Sunday by playing church music. Using a CD player we played a song quietly for a second. Then we said that their mom asked their little sister to work on her chores so she began vacuuming. We turned a vacuum on and ran it across the floor. We could no longer hear the music so we turned it up above the noise of the vacuum. While all that was going, we then said "your other little sister decides to practice the piano." I started playing and although it was songs from the Children's song book, it was too much noise. My partner tried to get a few of the girls to talk in their normal voices but no one could hear!
Although everything that was going on were good things, when we don't take time to listen and concentrate, we might get lost in the noise of the world.
After discussing that we had one more object lesson in store. We paired the girls off in two with partners that they don't normally hang around with. We said that they had 1 minute to talk to each other, study each others voices and come up with a plan. They were going to have to find each other without saying each others names and without seeing each other.
We then had one girl from each partnership go with me and the other with my partner. We were at the church so we were able to use the High Priest room that has more than one door. She entered in one door with her girls and I went in the other with mine. We had closed the room off with the partition and on the count of three they all started talking and tried finding their partners voice. Some of them used code words, which was pretty clever. One girl hit the nail on the head when she said "it's too hard to hear when everyone is talking."
They loved it! It was fun to see them when we opened the partition and they got to see if the person they were talking to on the other side was actually their partner.
Now, a side note: if you decide to do this object lesson, I would recommend using a sheet or blanket draped from the ceiling. It would be much easier for the girls, but still a challenge.
I hope this makes sense! It was a difficult activity to put into words. Contact me if you need help!
Ronald McDonald House Service Project
Tonight's activity comes from here, a great cause. We wanted to make cards and fringed fleece blankets to donate.
Here's the rundown. (I was so mad when I realized I didn't have my camera! Pictures would have been so nice!)
Preparation:
For the blankets: Wal-Mart just happened to have a sale on solid color fleece so we grabbed just over a yard of both pink and blue and were able to get 2 blankets out of each yard. Sure, they aren't very big, but they are just big enough to comfort a child. The blankets are so easy to make, but just in cause you aren't sure how it's done, check this out.
For the cards: My partner gets all the credit for this! She worked so hard to create a good system that wouldn't result in mass chaos and a huge mess. What she came up with worked great! Using a circuit cutter she cut out tons of different sayings (everything from "thinking of you" to "get well soon" to "love") and shapes (everything from monkeys and giraffes to hearts and stars.) Then she labeled sandwich baggies according to what was inside, i.e. animals, planes, flowers, etc.
Set-up: We needed more room than normal for this activity so we used the Primary Room. We set up 3 round tables and 1 long one. The round tables were for the girls and the long table had all of the paper and cutouts on it. We laid out all of the baggies on one end (there must have been at least 30!) and the paper on the other. Since we had the perfect size scraps lefts over from the journals we gave them for this activity, pretty much everything was pre-cut and just the right size for cards.
Once all of the girls arrived we talked about what the Ronald McDonald house is and how it blesses families. Then we explained what we would be doing and where the cards and blankets would be going.
The girls came to the table and chose 1 paper at a time and a few coordinating cut outs. They were able to make as many cards as they pleased and once finished sat on the floor and worked on tying the blankets with the other girls that had finished.
It went so smoothly! I would be lying if I said I wasn't surprised at how cute the cards came out! At the end of the night we had 38 cards, 4 blankets and 18 very happy girls.
Here's the rundown. (I was so mad when I realized I didn't have my camera! Pictures would have been so nice!)
Preparation:
For the blankets: Wal-Mart just happened to have a sale on solid color fleece so we grabbed just over a yard of both pink and blue and were able to get 2 blankets out of each yard. Sure, they aren't very big, but they are just big enough to comfort a child. The blankets are so easy to make, but just in cause you aren't sure how it's done, check this out.
For the cards: My partner gets all the credit for this! She worked so hard to create a good system that wouldn't result in mass chaos and a huge mess. What she came up with worked great! Using a circuit cutter she cut out tons of different sayings (everything from "thinking of you" to "get well soon" to "love") and shapes (everything from monkeys and giraffes to hearts and stars.) Then she labeled sandwich baggies according to what was inside, i.e. animals, planes, flowers, etc.
Set-up: We needed more room than normal for this activity so we used the Primary Room. We set up 3 round tables and 1 long one. The round tables were for the girls and the long table had all of the paper and cutouts on it. We laid out all of the baggies on one end (there must have been at least 30!) and the paper on the other. Since we had the perfect size scraps lefts over from the journals we gave them for this activity, pretty much everything was pre-cut and just the right size for cards.
Once all of the girls arrived we talked about what the Ronald McDonald house is and how it blesses families. Then we explained what we would be doing and where the cards and blankets would be going.
The girls came to the table and chose 1 paper at a time and a few coordinating cut outs. They were able to make as many cards as they pleased and once finished sat on the floor and worked on tying the blankets with the other girls that had finished.
It went so smoothly! I would be lying if I said I wasn't surprised at how cute the cards came out! At the end of the night we had 38 cards, 4 blankets and 18 very happy girls.
Modesty
This week I did these with my two little girls:
(Keep in mind that they are 4 and 2!)
(Keep in mind that they are 4 and 2!)I traced their bodies onto butcher paper and then using scraps of fabric and craft supplies, they dressed their outline up. I thought it would make a great activity if you had a lesson on modesty and then had them create modest outfits.
We used pipe cleaners to make the necklace, pom poms for the bracelet, foam craft flowers, yarn and scrap fabric. Get creative and the possibilities are endless!
Temple Themed Paperbag Books
Matilda shared this photo of the books that she helped her mom's group of girls put together. They made them in preparation for the Oquirrh Mountain Temple dedication. What a great idea! They turned out so cute!
And if you would like instructions on how do these books, check out this post. If you have done an activity that you would like to share, email me!
And if you would like instructions on how do these books, check out this post. If you have done an activity that you would like to share, email me!
activity!
Cemetary Scavengar Hunt
Today we had a lesson about family history and keeping journals. To prepare, my partner and I went to the cemetery (which happens to be about 1/2 mile from my house) and got ideas to use for the hunt. Here is what we prepared. If you decide to do this, be sure to go to your own cemetery and adapt this page to suit the cemetery you will be using.
We met at my house (you may want to have your girls dropped off and picked up at the cemetery) and after doing the prayer and spotlight talked about family history. We discussed how sometimes you need information that can't be found in a book or on the Internet, so you have to travel to different cemeteries in search of dates and names. We also talked about why cemeteries are NOT scary and how we should act. We then headed off. We had a mom help us drive and she was even kind even to stay and help out.
Once we got there we numbered the girls into five groups of three and handed them their paper and pens. There was no rush since it was not a race, they didn't have to go in order and not every clue had to be completed. I was really impressed how well behaved and respectful the girls were. It was also nice to see some of the older girls reach out to the younger or slower ones.
They got about 25-30 minutes to finish up and then we sat them all down, gave them a treat and talked about how there are times when we are doing family history when we know what we are looking for but we just don't know where to find it.
We tied journaling in by asking the girls how we can keep track of important information, like names and birth dates. I told a personal story about when I was in college at BYU Nauvoo and how my roommate made it a point to write in her journal everyday. She would write about something we did that day, somewhere we went, a neat experience, anything. Sometimes it was extravagant and sometimes it was simple. The point is, she wrote. I didn't write and now I have lost all of the memories that I could have had. Even though it can be hard, if we will just write one thing that happened that day, something good that happened, a blessing we got, something we are thankful for...anything... we will be thankful years down the road.
At the end we gave each girl their own journal. We picked up composition books at Wal-Mart for 35 cents, since all back to school stuff is on clearance, and modge podged some scrapbook paper we all ready had on hand on the front and back. We also added their name to the front cover. We didn't do anything fancy with it like ribbon or anything, since we have so many girls, but they were sure excited! Here's one if you need to have a visual.
We met at my house (you may want to have your girls dropped off and picked up at the cemetery) and after doing the prayer and spotlight talked about family history. We discussed how sometimes you need information that can't be found in a book or on the Internet, so you have to travel to different cemeteries in search of dates and names. We also talked about why cemeteries are NOT scary and how we should act. We then headed off. We had a mom help us drive and she was even kind even to stay and help out.
Once we got there we numbered the girls into five groups of three and handed them their paper and pens. There was no rush since it was not a race, they didn't have to go in order and not every clue had to be completed. I was really impressed how well behaved and respectful the girls were. It was also nice to see some of the older girls reach out to the younger or slower ones.
They got about 25-30 minutes to finish up and then we sat them all down, gave them a treat and talked about how there are times when we are doing family history when we know what we are looking for but we just don't know where to find it.
We tied journaling in by asking the girls how we can keep track of important information, like names and birth dates. I told a personal story about when I was in college at BYU Nauvoo and how my roommate made it a point to write in her journal everyday. She would write about something we did that day, somewhere we went, a neat experience, anything. Sometimes it was extravagant and sometimes it was simple. The point is, she wrote. I didn't write and now I have lost all of the memories that I could have had. Even though it can be hard, if we will just write one thing that happened that day, something good that happened, a blessing we got, something we are thankful for...anything... we will be thankful years down the road.
At the end we gave each girl their own journal. We picked up composition books at Wal-Mart for 35 cents, since all back to school stuff is on clearance, and modge podged some scrapbook paper we all ready had on hand on the front and back. We also added their name to the front cover. We didn't do anything fancy with it like ribbon or anything, since we have so many girls, but they were sure excited! Here's one if you need to have a visual.
Dear D-9,
Since you have a private profile and I don't know how else to get this message to you, you get your very own post!
You recently left a comment asking for help downloading the Articles of Faith track sheet from this post. Just to let you know, I have updated the post and the track sheet is available for download here. Just be sure to follow the instructions found in the updated section of the post.
Thanks!
PS- Check out the new Download section on the sidebar!
You recently left a comment asking for help downloading the Articles of Faith track sheet from this post. Just to let you know, I have updated the post and the track sheet is available for download here. Just be sure to follow the instructions found in the updated section of the post.
Thanks!
PS- Check out the new Download section on the sidebar!
Get creative with your invites!
Yesterday was Stake Conference so we weren't able to give the girls their invitations at church. So instead today we taped the invitations to a toothpick and stuck them in a cupcake. (Make sure you make the invitations small enough!) Then we took each girl their invitation personally. They were so excited! I know this seems like a lot of work for simple invitations but every once in a while it's nice to do something like this to make them feel special!
Publish Post
Babysitting
Today with the 10-11 year old girls I had a babysitting lesson. I adapted some of these ideas and came up with the rest on my own.
A few weeks ago I told the girls that we would be having this lesson and told them that they would need to be on the lookout for an old bag of any kind (purse, backpack, etc...) that they could bring. Here are the invitations that I handed out so that you can see how I worded the reminder. Although most of the girls said that they already had something in mind when I told them to be looking for a bag, I didn't want anyone to feel like they had to have something spectacular. After all, it's what's inside that counts, right?
I made each girl a personalized Babysitting Guide using a simple folder (the cheap paper ones) that included these things:
Add to your Kit
Babysitting Games
Safety First
Bee a great sitter
(I will be happy to send these in Word form if you would like. Just email me!)
I also added a few sheets of notebook paper (for notes, tic-tac-toe, phone numbers and so on) and a few coloring pages. I was going to buy dollar store coloring books for each girl but decided to print a few for each of them and then give them a few fun links (which can be found on the Add to your Kit list) where they can print more. They loved the idea!
I also glued a small emergency phone list on the inside pocket. The numbers included 911, Poison Control, the non-emergency number for the police and fire department and the closest hospital.
I wanted to include a basic first aid handout that the local fire station give out but they were all out. It's a handy little flyer geared toward kids that tells you what do to in all kind of emergencies. If you can get your hands on some, they would be great to add!
We discussed the Safety First, Add to your Kit and Bee a Great Sitter handouts and quickly reviewed most of the points. As we went along they asked questions about babysitting and believe it or not, we had a great discussion going!
After we had talked I gave them the rest of the items that I had for their kits:
(Keep in mind that it's a great time to stock up on crayons, glue, scissors, etc.)
Band-aids
Craft items like crayons and glue
Cotton Ball Game items
On the Babysitting Games handout it teaches you how to play a game with cotton balls. I gave each girl a few cotton balls and a long piece of yarn. At the end of the activity we played the game so that they would know how it worked.
They all said that they learned something new and were very excited! 2 of the 9 girls (the older ones of the group) currently babysit for me every now and them and at the end of the activity almost every one of them asked if they could babysit my kids tomorrow! One of them even called me when she got home! I hope I didn't start something!
A few weeks ago I told the girls that we would be having this lesson and told them that they would need to be on the lookout for an old bag of any kind (purse, backpack, etc...) that they could bring. Here are the invitations that I handed out so that you can see how I worded the reminder. Although most of the girls said that they already had something in mind when I told them to be looking for a bag, I didn't want anyone to feel like they had to have something spectacular. After all, it's what's inside that counts, right?
I made each girl a personalized Babysitting Guide using a simple folder (the cheap paper ones) that included these things:
Add to your Kit
Babysitting Games
Safety First
Bee a great sitter
(I will be happy to send these in Word form if you would like. Just email me!)
I also added a few sheets of notebook paper (for notes, tic-tac-toe, phone numbers and so on) and a few coloring pages. I was going to buy dollar store coloring books for each girl but decided to print a few for each of them and then give them a few fun links (which can be found on the Add to your Kit list) where they can print more. They loved the idea!
I also glued a small emergency phone list on the inside pocket. The numbers included 911, Poison Control, the non-emergency number for the police and fire department and the closest hospital.
I wanted to include a basic first aid handout that the local fire station give out but they were all out. It's a handy little flyer geared toward kids that tells you what do to in all kind of emergencies. If you can get your hands on some, they would be great to add!
We discussed the Safety First, Add to your Kit and Bee a Great Sitter handouts and quickly reviewed most of the points. As we went along they asked questions about babysitting and believe it or not, we had a great discussion going!
After we had talked I gave them the rest of the items that I had for their kits:
(Keep in mind that it's a great time to stock up on crayons, glue, scissors, etc.)
Band-aids
Craft items like crayons and glue
Cotton Ball Game items
On the Babysitting Games handout it teaches you how to play a game with cotton balls. I gave each girl a few cotton balls and a long piece of yarn. At the end of the activity we played the game so that they would know how it worked.
They all said that they learned something new and were very excited! 2 of the 9 girls (the older ones of the group) currently babysit for me every now and them and at the end of the activity almost every one of them asked if they could babysit my kids tomorrow! One of them even called me when she got home! I hope I didn't start something!
Spotlight Questionnaire
At each activity we try to spotlight one girl. We will call their mom ahead of time and ask her a series of questions about her daughter. We do the spotlight in the beginning, but after the prayer and everything. We read the clues about the girl and after they have been read, anyone who thinks that they know who it is can take a guess. That girl also get a special treat, like her favorite candy bar or treat. We have even does flower clips. Anything small (that won't cause jealousy!) works great!
Here's the questionnaire. If you would like it in Word form, just email me!
Here's the questionnaire. If you would like it in Word form, just email me!
Manners and a Tea Party
The girls LOVED the "Tea Party" for this weeks achievement days. In today's society so many young ladies lack the simple manners necessary to help them become respectful women. So, having an activity centered around manners was only appropriate. Don't worry no real tea drinking took place.
Each girl was formally invited with a had delivered invitation. They were instructed to wear their Sunday best and a hat to match. The girls said they loved getting all dolled up for the event.
Along with the theme of a tea party small finger foods were made for the girls. Mini cupcakes, mini croissant sandwiches, mini muffins, mini fruit kabobs and assorted gumdrops and candies. They thought they were in heaven. I think they loved the frappe drink the best.
When the girls arrived each had a setting prepared for them at the table. We talked about manners. What's expected of them and how to properly act in different types of settings. We even talked about holding doors, language and modesty. Once they had their fill of treats we played a few games.
The first was a tray with 20 things you may find at a tea party. Each girl had only 2 minutes to study the tray and then try to remember what was shown. The girl with the most correct items listed won. Of course there were party favors for everyone so no one went home empty handed.
Each girl was formally invited with a had delivered invitation. They were instructed to wear their Sunday best and a hat to match. The girls said they loved getting all dolled up for the event.Along with the theme of a tea party small finger foods were made for the girls. Mini cupcakes, mini croissant sandwiches, mini muffins, mini fruit kabobs and assorted gumdrops and candies. They thought they were in heaven. I think they loved the frappe drink the best.
When the girls arrived each had a setting prepared for them at the table. We talked about manners. What's expected of them and how to properly act in different types of settings. We even talked about holding doors, language and modesty. Once they had their fill of treats we played a few games.
The first was a tray with 20 things you may find at a tea party. Each girl had only 2 minutes to study the tray and then try to remember what was shown. The girl with the most correct items listed won. Of course there were party favors for everyone so no one went home empty handed. This was due to the place settings. Each of the girls were assigned a seat. There name was listed on a card and the card was attached to their tea cup with a hair clip that was holding their name card, a great way to include a party favor into the actual setting.
After the game of memory the girls played a game they just had a hoot doing. This was a little silly but gave them a chance to be a little more relaxed since the event was so proper. A small box with a simple gift inside, we used a dress up necklace was wrapped 10 times. You can wrap the box as many times as you like. Under each layer was a sticker with an action the girls must do. The girls sat at the table and we passed the box around to music. When the music stopped the girl left holding the box removed the first layer of wrapping paper. Under the paper was a sticker telling her to do something like "sing your favorite primary song opera style" she must complete the action and once done the game continues. Each time the music is stopped a girl will remove a layer of paper and complete the action until the box can be opened and the prize revealed. The last girl to open was the keeper of the necklace. The girls had a great time doing this and loved playing.
After the game of memory the girls played a game they just had a hoot doing. This was a little silly but gave them a chance to be a little more relaxed since the event was so proper. A small box with a simple gift inside, we used a dress up necklace was wrapped 10 times. You can wrap the box as many times as you like. Under each layer was a sticker with an action the girls must do. The girls sat at the table and we passed the box around to music. When the music stopped the girl left holding the box removed the first layer of wrapping paper. Under the paper was a sticker telling her to do something like "sing your favorite primary song opera style" she must complete the action and once done the game continues. Each time the music is stopped a girl will remove a layer of paper and complete the action until the box can be opened and the prize revealed. The last girl to open was the keeper of the necklace. The girls had a great time doing this and loved playing.
When the activity was over we again talked to the girls about manners to practice thru the week and encouraged them to have a family home evening with their family and focus on the manners that they learned that day. I think it turned out great and the girls were able to complete more than one goal.
Becoming Thrifty
Today was a great activity! I talked to the girls about how much it costs to run and home and a family and talked to them about ways that we can save money. One of the things that we discussed was making things at home that we usually buy at the store. Then we made three different things- all of which the girls got to be a part of.
The first thing was hand cream. So easy and it only took about 3 minutes. Here are the instructions:
15 oz. baby lotion (can use generic)
3.75 oz. Vaseline (can use generic)
18 oz. St. Ives Vitamin E hand lotion (don't use generic!)
4 oz. Fruit of the Earth Vitamin E Skin Care Cream (don't use generic!)
Melt the Vaseline in warm water. Mix everything together and viola!
I bought little containers (either Rubbermaid or Ziplock) and filled one for each girl. They loved it!
*I was only able to find the Vitamin E cream at Wal-Mart. It is in the hand lotion area and comes in a pack of 2 for about $3.88. At my store it was on the very bottom shelf.
Next we made Ice Cream in a bag. The girls said it tasted like a milkshake!
*We used 10lbs. of ice per 5 girls. Also, be prepared to double up on the gallon bag. Some of the bags got holes and we needed to add another. One more thing, I would add more salt than it calls for- it freezes a lot faster that way.
And while they were shaking and eating that I made homemade tortillas. Since the ice cream didn't take very long some of the girls were able to help. They buttered them up and thought they were great!
*If you want to do this activity I would recommend making the tortillas a few times before the activity (if you have never made them). You don't want to be trying to figure out your method on the spot.
The first thing was hand cream. So easy and it only took about 3 minutes. Here are the instructions:
15 oz. baby lotion (can use generic)
3.75 oz. Vaseline (can use generic)
18 oz. St. Ives Vitamin E hand lotion (don't use generic!)
4 oz. Fruit of the Earth Vitamin E Skin Care Cream (don't use generic!)
Melt the Vaseline in warm water. Mix everything together and viola!
I bought little containers (either Rubbermaid or Ziplock) and filled one for each girl. They loved it!
*I was only able to find the Vitamin E cream at Wal-Mart. It is in the hand lotion area and comes in a pack of 2 for about $3.88. At my store it was on the very bottom shelf.
Next we made Ice Cream in a bag. The girls said it tasted like a milkshake!
*We used 10lbs. of ice per 5 girls. Also, be prepared to double up on the gallon bag. Some of the bags got holes and we needed to add another. One more thing, I would add more salt than it calls for- it freezes a lot faster that way.
And while they were shaking and eating that I made homemade tortillas. Since the ice cream didn't take very long some of the girls were able to help. They buttered them up and thought they were great!
*If you want to do this activity I would recommend making the tortillas a few times before the activity (if you have never made them). You don't want to be trying to figure out your method on the spot.
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