Snow globe Service Activity

Our December activities go hand in hand but will be done in two parts.  Part one was making snow globes and practicing Christmas carols.  Part two will be the service portion where we will deliver the globes and sing carols to residents at a local nursing home.

To make the snow globes, we used:

Babyfood jars
Gold and silver spray paint
Mini ornaments
Glycerin
Distilled water
Artificial snow
Hot glue

Of course, you can improvise as needed.

Here is a video that explains the process.

A few tips:

*Make one to use as an example.  This will eliminate a learning curve during the activity :)
*Fill the jar to the brim with water.  The girls who didn't do this had air bubbles and the snow would not fall, it stayed on the top, near the air pocket.
*We spray painted our lids gold and silver to color the Gerber markings
*Glue the lid shut.
*We didn't sand the inside of the lid, but I think it would be helpful and ensure the trinkets stay attached.
*She recommends epoxy but hot glue worked just fine
*We opted for babyfood jars because not only does it keep the over all cost down, but it also takes up less space for the nursing home patients.

Once the jars were complete, we used tissue paper and ribbon to wrap up the snow globes.  I recommend wrapping them with the lid on the top, just in case they leak :)

We bought supplies for 16 snow globes and it cost less than $20.00:
16 jars (30 cents each)
Mini ornaments (they came in sets of six and nine and cost $1.98 each)
Glycerin ($3.88)
Snow ($2.50)


When everyone completed their wrapping, we practiced a few carols.  One girl even volunteered to bring her violin along to play a song for the residents.  I was very impressed that the girls were so excited to deliver their gifts and sing.  I think it will be a treat for everyone!

Dinner Service Activity

My partner had a baby a few months ago so the girls and I made dinner for her family.  We kept the menu simple in order to be done on time and not have any hiccups.

Each girl, or a team of girls, was assigned a job.  I'll share some of those jobs below.

Main dish-

Six Sisters 20 Minute Skillet Lasagna

 Jobs-
Brown meat
Prepare pasta water
Cook pasta
Measure spices and other ingredients
Stir in pasta sauce
Stir in spices and other ingredients
Add pasta to sauce and meat

Sides-

Garlic bread
Jobs-
Slice bread
Butter bread
Sprinkle with garlic salt and parmesan cheese
Wrap in foil
Broil

Italian Salad-
Jobs-
Prepare lettuce
Cut salami, red onion, Roma tomatoes and black olives
Add parmesan cheese
Add croutons
Add prepared ingredients

*I generally dress the salad upon serving so we just put the desired amount into a small container so the family could dress it as they desired.

Dessert-

Rice Krispie Treats

Jobs-
Measure ingredients
Melt butter (I use a 1/2 cup.  It results in ooey-gooey treats!)
Prepare pan
Stir in cereal
Press into pan

Baby Blanket Service Activity

The mom of a little gal in our group is expecting a new baby.  We decided it was the perfect opportunity to pull out the sewing machine and quilting stands to make some burp rags and blankets.  The girls loved it!  They loved it so much that we repeated it again for our next activity.

We have a large group so we split the girls into two groups.  One group learned how to quilt with my partner and I worked on sewing with the other group.  We made some very basic burp rags out of flannel fabric cut into rectangles.  The girls each had an oppurtinuty to sew a few seams, do some ironing, take stitches out to fix mistakes and learn a few sewing basics.


The quilting part of the quilt was completed on the first week so my partner taught them how to bind the edges at the second activity.

It was impressive to see how quickly the girls caught on.  They had a great time!  This activity also provided an opportunity to serve a less-active family.  You could also make blankets and/or rags to donate to local shelters or hospitals.

Here are a few helpful resources to help with the activity-

Simple burp rag tutorial

If you don't have quit stands or are not familiar with quilting, consider a more simple approach.  I love this easy to follow video:

Here's another:

You could also add bibs to the activity!  Does it get any easier than making them out of place mats?

Babysitting Kit Update 2014

from simpleasthatblog.com

A lot of you probably know Rebecca from Simple as That.  I am a fan of hers from a few years ago when I found one of her amazing books on scrapbooking.  Now she makes all of these adorable creations:

  

She contacted me a few weeks ago and asked for permission to use an idea that has already been on here to create some new FREE printables for her AD girls.  Of course, I jumped at the chance!  So, I am happy to feature this adorable, new babysitting kit from her blog.

  

You can find it HERE.  Thanks for sharing your amazing talents with the rest of us, Rebecca!

Halloween Ideas 2013

There are some great Halloween posts on here already, but I thought I would offer a couple of more ideas.  I love this healthy and so cute snack!  This one was found HERE, although you can find similar versions all over the web.


This is an adorable craft/activity that I found on somewhat simple...It could even serve as the treat!  You could make and give them away, so they could be a service project, too.  Lots of options with this one.  You can find it HERE.

I absolutely adore this 13 days of Halloween service project from the crafting chicks.  It is like the 12 days of Christmas, and of course it would be ridiculously ambitious to do this for activity days!  But I like the concept of the countdown, and maybe you could adapt it to be the 3 days of Halloween and just pick one family in your ward to serve?  Or the bishopric?  Anyway, just trying to get the inspiration wheels turning!  You can find this HERE.

And since time is of the essence when it comes to activity days, how about a pumpkin that doesn't have to be carved?  This adorable one is decorated with washi tape!  This would be a perfect, super fast craft to make and give away to someone who wouldn't have a pumpkin-elderly people in the ward, maybe?  This little beauty is from i heart naptime and can be found    HERE.

Secret Sisters

One of the best activities we did this past year was Secret Sisters.  We asked our Relief Society President for the names of some sisters who could use an adopted granddaughter, and each girl was assigned one as her older "sister".  We started off the relationship by making a simple card and dipping a caramel apple for them.  The apples were super easy!  Just follow the instructions on the back of the Kraft caramel bag!  And then to jazz it up a little, and give it the seasonal touch, we dipped it in white chocolate and added some fall sprinkles.

Add a little cellophane bag and some ribbon, and you have a little party on a stick.  I delivered these the next day, so the girls could be "secret" for the duration of the project.  

For phase two, we had the girls make these little cuties at the same activity:

It's just a dressed up roll of toilet paper!  Take a sheet of orange tissue paper, tuck and wrap it around the roll.  Tuck a little piece of green tissue in the top along with a smidge of raffia.  Cut out a jack-o-lantern face from sticky back black felt and PRESTO!  A cute Halloween decor item, and an emergency roll of toilet paper in one!  We delivered these on a different day.

For phase three, we made wreaths similar to this one:

You can find the tutorial HERE.  This was a separate activity night.  It does take a while, and I would suggest having all the fabric cut ahead of time.  We had the girls bring their fabric and we were really pushed to finish them.  These were also delivered secretly.

For the last phase of the project, we had an after church munch and mingle with our secret sisters.  Each girl met her sister and visited with her.  We just had some simple refreshments and played a little icebreaker game.  It was really rewarding for the girls to develop this relationship over a few weeks and be excited to serve someone.  They love to see each other now!  You can use this activity to incorporate several different requirements, and adapt it for the needs of your own group.  I would highly recommend it because it really opened the girls eyes to the lives of others outside their own age group.  

Missionary night!

Tonight we will be focusing on missionary work-we don't live in Utah with 20 missionaries out in the field, so missionaries are a big deal around here!
We will have a quick lesson about missionary preparation. I packed a duffel bag because it is already 90 degrees and I don't want to go up in my attic! Anyway, we will unpack the suitcase/duffel bag and talk about the following items:

Scriptures- studying the gospel
Pot- cooking skills
Sewing kit-basic sewing skills
Shoes-missionaries walk a lot
Missionary tag-I used my old one
Preach my gospel- studying each day with companion
Piggy bank-financial prep
Clock-early rising/time management
Tithing slip-paying a full tithe before/support from ward members
Temple picture-receiving endowment
Picture of Christ-developing a testimony of the Savior


Also, we will be writing letters, drawing pictures, and making packages for the elder and the couple in our ward serving.

I made some cupcakes that I tried to make look like a tag! :)

The girls are bringing stuff to put in packages for the missionaries.

Sorry, if you came by earlier and saw the HUGE pictures!  I actually blogged from my iphone and couldn't figure out how to edit the photos!  :)

Tami

Project Valentine

Are you looking for a fun service project for your AD Girls? I have got a fun one for you! Project Valentine makes life a "little sweeter" for individuals undergoing cancer treatment. They distribute donated items for hundreds of gift bags. These gift bags are lovingly assembled and hand-delivered each year to men, women and children undergoing cancer treatment on or around Valentine's Day. Would you like to get involved? How about having a craft day with your Activity Day girls and making and donating something fun! Go HERE for information on how you can help.

Kristen

BOO!

I don't have a picture for this one, but for one of our activity days, we made some "BOO" bags.  I thought this would be a fun service project.  I was able to pick up some little halloween colored cloth bags for 4/1.00 at Michael's and also a big container of sticky foam halloween shapes.  They decorated the bags, made a card, and then we filled them with candy and little halloween treats I picked up at Target, sticky hands, pencils, spider rings.  We then left a goody bag for each house in our cul-de-sac.  The girls were very giggly and had a great time going out on their stealth missions!  They all took a bag home to boo someone in their neighborhood.  It was a fun time!

Caroling and Cookies

From ldsclipart.com

Hi there!  My name is Tami and I am the Ad leader as well as the primary chorister in my ward.  I love seeing what everyone else does and "borrowing" their fabulous creativity!  I hope some of the things we do can help someone else!  I know Christmas is over, but maybe this will help for next year.  For our last activity, we went caroling around my neighborhood.  Because we have a large group, we wouldn't fit in even two cars, so my cul-de-sac gets lots of service from us!

First, we practiced singing several carols.  We picked a couple of sacred ones, as well as secular.  Who doesn't want Rudolph sung to them?  Then we headed out the door.

by evanrudemi from photographyblogger.net

I had made a couple of batches of cookies ahead of time. What is caroling without a treat, right?  When the neighbors came to the door, we sang them a couple of songs, and handed them a plate.  We ended with "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" and then went to the next house.  The girls had a great, giggly time, as usual!

To finish up, we had cider and donuts back at home.  Then we sat and talked about what we could give Jesus for Christmas.  And then what they were giving someone in their family for Christmas.  It was a great way to focus on giving to others and the joy it brings!

Hope you enjoy this activity as much as we did!

GRATITUDE

Here's a fun, fast, and inexpensive activity to do with your girls this THANKFUL season.

We started our activity out by mixing up some brownies. After we got them in the oven to bake we sat around the table with the girls to play "name that primary tune!"

We didn't have a piano so we asked if any of the girls would like to hum a primary song so the others could guess what it was. The girls thought it was fun! After a few songs I asked them how they knew the songs so well? They had several answers about singing them every week and so forth, but what it came down to was... "They have fantastic music leaders!" We had a little discussion about showing gratitude to those who serve and teach us. We also talked about how to write a thank you card.

One thing I noted to the girls was to say something you appreciate about the person before writing Thank you for... For example,

Dear Sister Lowe,

I love to see you smiling each Sunday while you lead the music. Thank you for all the fun songs you teach us, and the games you prepare for us. You are wonderful!

Love,

The Activity Day Girls

We then let the girls write letters to all the music leaders in our ward. As soon as they were finished the brownies were done!

We sliced the brownies and put them on plates and delivered them as a group to our wonderful music leaders. I actually got a little teary as I read the sweet things our girls wrote to these leaders. They were so thoughtful and sweet!

It was a super fun activity! Give it a try if you need a fun GRATITUDE activity this month!