LDS Blog Train Post: Pumpkins and Pompoms!

So, we have been invited to participate in the LDS Blog Train: General Conference Version!  I am excited, and more than a little intimidated, since I am NOT a digital designer.  However, I put on my thinking cap to come up with some simple activities that I thought would be enjoyable for not only AD girls, but little ones, as well.  Here is what I came up with-

General Conference Pumpkins and Pompoms

I love fall, harvest and Halloween!  You can use any of those themes to keep your little conference attendees paying attention.  

One great craft item that often gets overlooked is the humble pompom. 

You can buy a bag of them for just a couple of dollars.  And then, what, you ask?  Well, I will tell you!  

Idea #1:  Use THIS printable sheet of visuals and have the listeners cover each picture as they hear the topic mentioned.  You can use it as a bingo card, or have them cover the whole thing.

Idea #2:  Cut up the printable sheet of visuals and pick a few to tape onto small jars or buckets.  Whenever that topic is spoken of, the listeners can place a pompom into the container.  Or, go nuts, and use all the pictures for 15 different containers!  

Idea #3:  Assign each listener a key word, like "Jesus" or "faith".  Also, assign them a specific color of pompom.  When they hear their key word, they can put a pompom into their jar.  Having their own color just helps keep the pom stashes more equitable-intermixing of pom poms has been known to cause meltdowns. 

You can decide how to "reward" your listeners.  They may enjoy just filling up their cards or jars.  You might want to hand out a treat when they have reached a minimum level.  Hopefully, this activity will be flexible enough for both kids and moms to enjoy!

Now, on to the pumpkins!

Like I said, I am not a digital scrapbook designer, but I know how to shop on etsy!  And I used a kit I purchased on there to make a jack-o-lantern kit for conference.  **I did buy this with a commercial license included for personal use and also to make my own products, but just to be safe, please don't resell any part of this printable.  Thanks!** 


Build-a-jack pdf

This jack-o-lantern kit comes with pumpkins, noses, eyes, mouths, and also, some stems.  You can cut out the different parts of the jack-o-lantern and put them in different containers labeled with key words.  During each talk or session of conference, have your listeners build their jack-o-lantern by listening for the key words. Or give them a new piece for every 5 minutes they sit still.  Or give them a new piece for every 10 minutes they go without asking you for a drink.  Get out the kitchen timer!   Or you could even do this on the fly-for instance, telling your kids they can get a nose, if they hear President Uchtdorf say the word airplane or flying!  

Don't want to cut anything out?  Then next time you are anywhere near walmart, hobby-lobby, target, or any other store that sells halloween supplies, look for a kit that has pumpkins already cut out.  They are everywhere! 

I found mine at hobby-lobby, and grabbed a couple of sheets of adhesive-backed foam that I can have the kids cut up into jack-o-lantern features of their own design.  If you REALLY don't want to cut anything out, have them draw the pumpkin faces on with a water-based marker.  Easy-peasy.  

The only other thing you really need is some candy. Well, in my house, we do.  I need rewards to sit still for that long.  :) Oh, and comfy pjs!  Hope you enjoy conference this weekend!  

Go HERE for the build-a-jack PDF.

Go HERE for the conference bingo sheet.

You just came from granny enchanted.

Your next stop will be countdown to conference.  If you get lost along the way, go to the LDS Blog Train.

Conference Roundup-Round 3 or whatever...

Just a few more quick and cute ideas that you could incorporate:

This is such a cute idea from mishmashmom.blogspot.com. You can view the post HERE.  She took the printables everyone created after conference and made mini copies.  Then, they were "preserved" in a jar for whenever her VT ladies needed a boost.  This could be a great way for the girls to remember main ideas from conference!  

This cute printable is made all to go on one sheet!  It is from lifesjourneytoperfection.blogspot.com and you can get the file HERE.  I love that it is mini and you could tie it up with a little bag of m&ms or whatever for their bingo game.  

This next activity is something that would work best with older girls, but they could definitely get the whole family involved.  It's Fantasy General Conference Brackets! 

You can go HERE for the 2014 version.

 I think it's a super cute and creative idea to keep the whole family engaged.  This would also be a great idea for YW.  

And another FABULOUS printable from courtneyaitken.blogspot.com.  This might be my new favorite!  You can get the pdf  HERE.  Have fun!  And enjoy this weekend!

Conference Roundup Spring 2014

I absolutely ADORE the website all things bright and beautiful, aka courtneyaitkenblogspot.com.  She designs the most amazing printables for YW and Primary and everything else.

from courtneyaitken.blogspot.com

This is one from last conference that I didn't see in time for the roundup.  Find it here.  I love it!  I think it would be super cute to hand out with some chocolate gold coins!  

from ldsnest.com

These printables are from LDS Nest and can be found at this link here.  You might want to use them with your older girls, because they are maybe geared more toward their age group.  They are available in both color and black and white. 

from ce.byu.edu

This cute idea is from BYU Women's Conference 2013.  They have a virtual sharing station you can view at this link here.  You would have to adapt this for the girls, sincesome of the steps are reading your patriarchal blessing, etc.  But the ideas are fun!  

from sugardoodle.net

Here is a terrific, as usual, packet from sugardoodle.  You can click on this link HERE to download the PDF.  

                                                                            

 from littleldsideas.blogspot.com

This is a superfun activity idea from little LDS ideas.  You could probably adapt it for an AD night, or put together a packet for the girls to do with their families, or use it as an after conference activity.  Either way, it involves ice cream.  I'm in.  Go HERE for the printables.

That's it for now.  I will keep an eye out for any other ideas.  Feel free to email or comment and share if you come across something or have a brilliant idea you want to share!  

Cute Printable for Women's Broadcast Tomorrow

This year is the first time that all women aged 8 years and up will be invited to attend the Women's Broadcast.  It will be held tomorrow night, March 29, at 6 pm. MST.  If you want to give your AD girls some grown-up note cards with some inspirational quotes on them, check out these super cute journaling cards from LDS Nest here.  Thanks to the ladies over there for sharing all their creative goodies!  Keep an eye out for more conference postings.  

A Few More General Conference Resources

A couple more cute resources for conference weekend!  You may not use these for an activity ahead of conference, but these might work for a review of conference.    Enjoy!


This is a super cute idea from somewhatsimple.com.  You can find the link  HERE



NEW conference packets for this fall from sugardoodle.net.  Find the link HERE





Great journaling and question cards from ldsnest.  Find the link HERE.



Question/note cards from belindasgreatideas.  So cute!  The link is HERE.

Conference Roundup

It's getting to be that time of year again!  General Conference!  There are so many fabulously creative people out there, that I thought I would do a roundup of some great ideas and put them all in one spot for you.  I love the activities we have done centered around conference.  The girls love learning about the prophet and the general authorities and we always talk about what they learned.  So, here are some super cute ideas to get those creative juices flowing!  Or just shamelessly copy, like I do!

This is a darling reminder for conference from Marci Coombs.  It is designed for YW, but you could totally do it for activity days!  You can see the original post and free printable HERE.

This next activity is super simple and effective.  It is from lds.org.  You pick a different item to eat for each key word you hear at a session.  I was thinking it would be easy to make up like a bag of trail mix for each girl and they could use that for their treat as they listened.  The original article is HERE.

This is a darling memory game that I found on beehive messages.  I love that the descriptive card has visual reminders of each apostle's life story.  It makes them more real to the girls when they can think about them as actual people!  You can get the game HERE.  

The next thing I found was a really cute printable that goes along with a pack of m&ms.  This is from Courtney Aiken.  She delivered it to her YW ahead of time.  I think AD girls could maybe have a short lesson about prophets and then at least start on their list and discuss some questions that they felt weren't too private.  Or you could just use it as a reminder!  

I love the idea of conference journals!  This one is great because it has printable tabs that are pix of the 1st presidency and the 12 apostles.  This is from the golden seven and I love that you can use a square punch to punch out the pix!  You can print this fabulous project HERE.

And one more:  I love this MINI conference packet.  The first time I did conference packets, I spent a fortune printing them out!  These are compact and cute!  This great idea is from fluffy bunny feet designs.  You can find the pdf HERE.

I hope you find some inspiration for a conference based activity!  

Conference Goodness

Okay, I know this is after the fact, but we did a Conference Activity Day the week before General Conference.  I thought I would go ahead and share what we did, because six months from now, we will have conference again!  Let me start by saying that none of these ideas are original, and I hope that I give credit to the right people.  Thanks for sharing all of your amazing ideas with the rest of us!

We started off with a review of the song, Latter Day Prophets.  You can just grab the pix off of lds.org and use the prophets' pictures for your visual aids.  Next, we divided into two groups and played two different games.  The first group played a version of Don't Eat Pete, which we cleverly renamed Don't Eat the Apostle!  Or, you could also say Prophet, since they are all prophets, seers, and revelators.  We used this great picture of the First Presidency and the Twelve as our game board, found on Pinterest. I think you can just click on this and save it, since it is a jpeg.  If not, click here for the googledoc.

For those of you who have never played this game, here are the rules:

1.  Place a piece of candy on every picture.
2.  One person, who is "it", leaves the room.
3.  Everyone else decides who shouldn't be "eaten"
4.  The person who is "it" comes back and as they pick up candy, they name the apostle underneath.  If they pick the apostle who shouldn't be eaten, everyone yells, "Don't Eat the Apostle"!
5.  Repeat until you are all deaf.

The second group played memory with these cards
from a year of FHE

These cards are great, because they not only have a picture of all the apostles, but there is an interesting fact on each one.

We also learned all the apostles names, in order of seniority, while pointing at their picture and singing their names to the tune of the  "Books of the Book of Mormon" song.  You can find a picture of the Apostles in order, like this one, also here at A Year of FHE. 

To finish off the night, we played 1st Presidency Fruit Basket!  I gave each of the girls a picture of one of the members of the First Presidency.  Luckily, it was warm enough to play outside, because this got a little rowdy!

I sent each girl home with this great Conference Activity Packet that I got from sugardoodle.

.  It was a great way to prepare for General Conference and become more familiar with the prophet and the leaders of our church.  Enjoy in six months!  :)

Tami