What We Did in Mutual

New Beginnings... Camp Style

2012-02-25T07:52:00.000-07:00

Our ward YW leaders planned a great New Beginnings program this year. It was casual dress and we were asked to bring camping chairs. When we got there, there was a fake fire going in the middle of the room. The girls all sat on the floor and the parents sat in their camp chairs.

They handed out the camp songbook our stake made, and we sang the opening hymn from it. After the opening song, prayer, and announcement of the program, a couple seasoned girls campers led a couple of the fun camp songs. We sang a camp song or two between each segment of the program.

To encourage excitement about camp, they had girls talk about camp and adventure camp after the talks on personal progress and the YW program. I don't remember ever being at New Beginnings where camp was presented like this! The whole program was fun and very memorable. It was also a great way to get the new girls excited about YW, and the older girls were a great example of how fun YW can be! (The cake pictured was NOT what our refreshments were, I just found it and thought it was adorable!)

Two Words: Waffle Party!

2012-02-23T11:05:00.000-07:00

Who doesn't love waffles? That was the question my Laurel class had for me when they planned this activity. Their idea was to have a waffle night and invite the Priests.

Assignments were made: waffle irons, waffle batter (6 types!) and toppings (fruit, syrups, whipped cream, etc.) and the party was held.

This was a great activity for socializing. The youth had a good time making different flavors of waffles and just enjoying one another. They played a couple of games and had a fun time. For the waffles, we did "normal" waffle batter and then several flavors of cake batter waffles. To make cake batter waffles, just combine cake mix (ANY flavor - we used fudge, strawberry chip, red velvet, yellow cake - and more) with 3 eggs, 1/3 C oil & 1 1/3 C water.

I purchased disposable containers like these to make the batter in. This worked well because when it was over I just put lids on the batter and sent them home with the young women!

Personal Progress Bookmark

2012-02-16T14:12:00.000-07:00

We have created a bookmark (left-click to open, right-click to save) for you to give to your YW. It lists all Personal Progress Value Experiences in order by how long they take to complete. It also has a box for the YW to check off what they have accomplished so far.

This bookmark is a great way to see at a glance what they need to work on.

Mandatory experiences are colored in with the Value color. Optional experiences are outlined in the Value color. Enjoy!

Sheet Music - This Year's Theme

2012-01-22T08:33:00.004-07:00

Here are a few songs from LDS.org that go along with this year's theme. You may want to select one to practice with your YW during Opening Exercises. After a few months they could sing it as a special number in Sacrament Meeting! You can see some other songs listed on the right side of this page.

Arise, 2012 Mutual Theme Song
(you may need to be logged in to be able to download this)
A Light That's Pure, Dan Carter
Child of Light, Michele Sadler
I'll Follow Christ, Reed & Rebecca Hainsworth
Just One Little Light, Janice Kapp Perry
Light of the World, Stacie Ann Perkins
Walk in the Light, Janice Kapp Perry

Arise & Shine Forth LOGO

2012-01-15T09:28:00.003-07:00

This year's logo is available from the Church in high quality. You can get it in Orange, Yellow or Blue! (right-click on the colors to save them to your computer now)

The file is a .pdf file, but if you import it into Photoshop you can select the exact size you want it to be and then create t-shirts or whatever you choose! You can do this easily in Photoshop or any other photo editor that allows the import of .pdf files.

I took it into Photoshop and resized it to upload to this blog. I also took off the "youth.lds.org" just because I'm not sure I want that on whatever I decide to make for the YW.

I really like the idea of a pillow!

Combined YW/RS skills contest

2011-12-05T10:08:00.001-07:00

Our Y.W. and R.S. had a joint meeting where they discussed the "necessities" of what all girls should know: cleaning, sewing/mending, etc. Then we had skills contests like: sewing on a button, setting a formal table setting, adding a contact in a cell phone, jumping rope, peeling potatoes, ironing a shirt, finding information on the internet, sorting cooking measures, and folding laundry.

They divided into teams for nearly equal R.S. and Y.W. in each group. There were tables set up around the gym, and you had 5 minutes at each station, with 2-3 contests during that time. It was a Y.W. vs. R.S. lady. The person manning each station kept score. When each group had made it around the gym, they totaled the scores to see who won each skill!

It was fun to get to have girls of all ages having fun together in friendly competition. It was fun to go up against a beehive while jumping rope and facing off against a Laurel to search the internet for which new temples were announced in Oct. conference.

General Conference Value Project - It's that time of year again!

2011-08-31T09:50:00.000-06:00

General Conference is coming before we know it and so I thought I'd remind us all about this awesome Value Project. It would be a good time to remind the YW to finish up their Value Experiences in Knowledge so they can work on this Project. Also, I just found this adorable craft that would go along great with this project.

Personal Progress Incentive

2011-08-24T08:00:00.048-06:00

We keep a small vase (you can use a jar of any kind) and a baggie of little plastic "gems" on our table every Sunday and every Tuesday. Right before the prayer, we have the girls add whatever "beads" they've earned since the last time.

2 beads for bringing their books every Sunday and Tuesday.
5 beads for every experience they finish.
20 beads for each 10-hr project they complete.

Our reasoning behind giving them beads just for bringing their books, is because 1st - they have them when we need them for parts of lessons, etc. and 2nd - if they KNOW where their book is and have looked at it recently, it's seriously half the battle of getting things accomplished. Plus everyone has theirs in hand and they see each other getting things signed off and they see all the highlighted areas in the other girls' books and it motivates them.

When the vase is full we have a Personal Progress Pizza Pigout Party (5p party), where they all wear their PJ's and bring a treat the starts with "P". We provide 2 $5 pizzas and just play games and enjoy each other. The wonderful part about this activity is that it gives us leaders a chance to bring each girl into the other room for a quiet 5-8 minute interview and copy all of their progress into our tracking sheets and really chat with each girl about school, friends, home-life, etc. They think it's all about fun, and we get our PP interviews done. It's perfect. This happens about twice each year! You may have to play with the size of the jar and the size of the beads to make sure they get rewarded often enough, but not too often. Twice or three times a year works really well for us.

Thanks to Vonda Dastrup for this idea!

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Assorted Mini Gems

Back To School Activity

2011-08-22T08:08:00.002-06:00

Our class presidency (we only have one for all of our YW) decided to have a back to school activity where we have two teams compete in the following:

LABEL MAP

We will have blank maps printed out (one for each team) and the two teams will have to compete to see who gets all fifty states labeled correctly first.

CEREAL EATING

We will have bowls of cereal for each YW. Each YW will be blindfolded and have to eat it that way. This represents how sleepy they are in the morning when school starts.

OBSTACLE COURSE (Relay)

We will have two obstacle courses set up with chairs that the YW have to navigate around (one from each team at a time). They will be wearing a backpack with books in it and carry their jacket and purse and have to keep a pen/pencil behind their ear as they go through it and back and give the stuff to the next person in line.

RELAY

We will have two notebooks, pencil sharpeners and pencils sitting on a table. There will be a garbage can at a distance from the table. One person from each team will run down, sit at the table, sharpen their pencil, write their name and the date at the top of the page, tear out the page, crumple the page and make a basket with the paper. Then run back and tag the next person in line.

TIE BREAKER

If we need a tie breaker we will do the shoe game. In this game everybody puts their shoes in a big pile in the middle. The shoes are mixed up and then the teams must race to get all their shoes back on their team first.

PRIZES

We will have notebooks and pens for each player on the winning team.

Before the games, we will have a speaker talk about the importance of education. This can be an activity with an emphasis on the KNOWLEDGE value or an emphasis on For the Strength of Youth, EDUCATION or both. :)

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Egg Relay Game Party Supplies

2012: Mutual Theme Announced

2011-08-15T08:00:00.004-06:00

Have you heard the news? The mutual theme for 2012 has been announced: “Arise and shine forth, that thy light may be a standard for the nations” (Doctrine and Covenants 115:5).

Because this is a repeat of the 2006 theme, there are many resources already available online.

Songs you might use:

Other ideas:

Please share your ideas with us for the new theme!

Humanitarian Service: File Folder Games

2011-08-13T08:00:00.000-06:00

A lady came into my work today to have some file folder games laminated. She said they were for the Humanitarian Center. I think this is a great idea for a service project! You can find game templates or books of ideas online.

Have the girls do the coloring, cutting, and pasting. Then you get them laminated and cut them out again. Check with your humanitarian center to see if they have kits, and also, what their requirements are for the kinds of file folder games they are looking for.

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Some books you might like:

Instant File-Folder Games for Reading: Super-Fun, Super-Easy Reproducible Games That Help Kids Build Important Reading Skills-Independently!

Colorful File Folder Games, Grade PK: Skill-Building Center Activities for Language Arts and Math (Colorful Game Books)

File-Folder Games in Color: Numbers & Counting: 10 Ready-to-Go Games That Help Children Learn and Practice Early Math Skills-Independently

Mother/Daughter Dinner

2011-08-10T19:26:00.001-06:00

Last night we had a mother/daughter dinner. It was a lovely evening. Our class presidency planned it and made assignments. They did all of the cooking and we ate outdoors. Plastic was down on the picnic tables and the girls fed us enchiladas and salad and lemonade. Brownies for dessert!

After dinner we played a version of the Newlywed Game where there were ten questions about the daughters and ten about the mothers. Then answers were tallied and shared. Hilarious!

Some of the questions about the daughters included: What is your daughter's least favorite chore? Who is your daughter's best friend? What does your daughter want to be when she grows up? Moms and daughters both answered the questions (daughters about themselves, obviously). Some of the questions about the Mothers included: When is your mother's birthday (including year!)? What actor does your Mom find attractive? When is your parent's wedding anniversary? Again, both answered the questions - this time Moms about themselves.

Simple activity and a lot of fun!

Armor of God - Combined AP/YW Activity

2011-07-11T13:50:00.000-06:00

VIDEO PRESENTATION: The Whole Armor of God.

SCRIPTURES: Ephesians 6:13-17.

OBJECT LESSON

OUTSIDE GAMES (We had the youth divide into two equal teams with AP & YW on each team. We kept score, but you don't have to! Winners got their treat first as the losers cleaned up.)

Loins girt with truth: Teams stand in a line single file line and send the person first in line to run 20 feet or so to a chair, put on an apron (to gird their loins), tie it, run around the chair, untie it, put it back on the chair and run back and tag the next person in line. The first team to have everyone on their team complete the task wins.
Breastplate of righteousness: Same as the first game except use a large men's button up shirt instead of an apron. They have to have at least two buttons buttoned, run around the chair, unbutton it and place it on the chair before they can race back and tag the next person in line. The first team to have everyone on their team complete the task wins.
Feet shod: Each team sits down in a circle and takes off one shoe and puts it in the middle of the circle. Then blindfolded them and mix up the shoes. They have to find their correct shoe and put it back on while blindfolded. The first team to complete this wins.
Helmet of salvation: Each team lines up single-file and a hat is given to the first person in line. They have to put the hat on their head and then without turning around, take off the hat and pass it back to the person behind them. Then that person has to put the hat on, take if off and pass it back and so on. When it gets to the end of the line, the person puts the hat on, takes it off and then passes it forward until it gets all the way back to the beginning of the line. The first team to complete this wins.
Sword of the Spirit: Purchase H20 Blasters 26 inch water blaster tubes from Dollar Tree (they usually sell them in the spring and summer). You can just use squirt guns if you can't find these. Put a large bucket or ice chest full of water between two team lines. Make a poster for each team that says "Quench the Fiery Darts." Cut out several circles about 4" in diameter and tape yellow tissue paper to the back of the poster so that the tissue paper completely covers the holes. On the front of the poster use yellow, orange and red markers (if you don't use permanent markers, the ink runs and it adds to the effect!) to draw flames coming from each hole so that they looked like yellow fire balls or something. Tape the posters to a wall and let the teams "quench all the darts" by squirting the tissue paper until it disintegrates and there's a hole blown through the tissue. The first person in line gets to fill their blaster and spray the poster until they run out of water. Then they pass it to the next person in line. They continue to pass it through the line, starting over if needed until all their fiery darts have been quenched. The first team to get all their fiery darts quenched wins.
Shield of faith: At this point the losing team is given large oval styrofoam plates (Hefty brand, bought at Wal-Mart). These are their shields. They had to stand back to back in a tight circle facing outward. The winning team is given one water balloon each and formed a circle facing the other team. Upon your word, they get to throw their water balloons and the other team can try to protect themselves with their shields. If the shield holders got wet at all, anywhere on their bodies, they are out and you count how many are remaining that do not get wet. Then the teams just switch, and balloon throwers become shield holders.

The team that has the most remaining dry people wins.

*Note: This did not work quite as well as I had planned because we only had 7 people on each team, so the teams were very close to each other in order to form a complete circle and every single one of them in the middle got completely drenched! It would probably work better if there were many more people on each team. They didn't seem to mind though, it was fun for them to get wet. After it was over, I thought of a different way we could have done it. I thought the winning team could have been given their one water balloon and then formed two lines several feet apart and then had the losing team with their shields run through in a single file line and try to not get wet as the other team threw the balloons at them. I don't know how well that would have worked either, but it's an idea.

Posted by Becky, 1st Counselor in the YW presidency of the Cold Water Ward, Avondale, AZ.

Life-Size Game - Battleship

2011-07-07T14:01:00.001-06:00

This week we played life-sized Battleship in mutual. This is what we did:

We prepared questions for the game. You can download ours here or do your own! We used For the Strength of Youth, but you could do this as a conference review, scripture mastery, etc.
We filled some socks with flour and put rubber bands around the openings to keep them closed.
We set up a volleyball net out on the field by our church. We covered the net with sheets so that you couldn't see from one side to the other.
We had the youth divide into two even teams.
We had the youth lay down on their side of the net and pretend to be battleships (they were told they couldn't move around at all).
We had leaders be judges to see who raised their hand first and to make sure the youth didn't move around, etc.
We had one leader assigned to read the questions.

Game Play:

For the Strength of Youth books were distributed to all youth (open-book game).
A question was read and anybody could raise their hand to answer. The first hand in the air got to answer.
The first team to guess the correct answer got to toss a flour sock over the net in hopes of "sinking a battleship."
If you were hit, you were sunk and had to sit out for the remainder of the game. You could still raise your hand with answers and help your team.
The first team to sink all of the other team's ships won the game. We let our winners have their refreshments first (while the losing team helped clean up) but you could do prizes!

Transitioning Young Women - Primary to Beehives

2011-07-04T08:00:00.002-06:00

"When a young woman reaches age 12, the second counselor in the Young Women presidency and the class adviser for the Beehives arrange to meet with her and her parents. A member of the Beehive class presidency may also attend."

Each girl transitioning from Primary into the YW program should receive the following (according to lds.org and the handbook 10.7.3):

Young Women Personal Progress Book (item 36035; U.S. $2.00)
Personal Progress Journal (item 08590; U.S. $1.00)
Young Women Theme Card (item 35224; no charge)
For the Strength of Youth Pamphlet (item 36550; no charge)
For the Strength of Youth Card (item 36551; no charge)
Young Women Logo Pendant (item 08601; U.S. $3.00)
Optional: True to the Faith: A Gospel Reference (item 37054; no charge when ordered by units for young women ages 14-18).

Camp Incentive Program - Camp Currency

2011-06-29T09:05:00.000-06:00

Before attending camp this year we decided that we needed an incentive program... something to keep the YW motivated to help with chores, perform service, etc. We decided that because we had a SAFARI theme this year we would have the YW earn beads for their deeds. Then, each day we would have a store full of goodies where they could shop. We literally had YW fighting over who got to do dishes! Amazing! We will do this forever - at camp and youth conference.

What we did:

We purchased inexpensive beads for our currency. You can use ANYTHING. I recommend giving the YW drawstring bags or something in which to keep their "money."
We purchased goodies - candy bars, crystal light on-the-go packets, water bottles (and other items YW may have forgotten!), bubbles, etc.
We purchased plastic containers to put store items in.
We marked on the containers the cost - 1 Bead, 2 Beads, etc.
We determined the cost of each item (based on about .25-.50 per bead) and put items in the corresponding containers.
Each leader was given a bag full of beads to distribute as they felt appropriate. YW earned beads for filling the water jug, doing dishes, helping cook meals, taking out trash, doing service for other camps, etc. They were constantly looking for ways to earn beads.
The store was open at different times throughout the day and the YW were allowed to shop with their beads. Make sure to have a lot of small items (like the on-the-go drink packets) and some large ticket items. We actually threw in an ice cream party to earn the last day of camp (clean-up day) if they earned a certain number of beads!
Throughout the day items that were left around the camp (blankets, jackets, water bottles, whatever) were picked up and placed in "Mom's box." Before purchasing anything from the store, the YW had to buy back their own items that they had left lying around camp. This really kept our camp tidy - especially after the first day!

Totem Pole

2011-06-18T06:17:00.000-06:00

Our camp theme this year is S.A.F.A.R.I. (Stand as faithful and righteous individuals) and we are doing a lot of jungle "stuff" for camp. One thing we are doing is this awesome totem pole idea from Family Fun Magazine. Instead of coffee cans, we used #10 cans.

We had sisters in the ward save and donate the cans and then purchased extra lids (you need two plastic lids for each can) from the cannery (.10/ea). We soaked off the labels in the tub and scraped off glue with a dish scraper.

For paint, we went to a local hardware store and purchased the sample size of a bunch of colors (we did red, yellow, blue, purple, orange, green, brown, black and white). The YW each decorated their own cans. The exterior paint really only needs one coat and dries quickly. You may want to take a blow dryer or two to speed up drying between layered coats (like for eyes, etc.).

I found a website that had more traditional totem pole designs and copied and pasted a bunch of designs into Word so I could print them out for the YW to look at and design their cans. Encourage the YW to draw out their designs on paper before committing them to their can! Their designs can be more traditional or more modern (as in the illustration from Family Fun).

To put our totem pole up at camp next week we will be using a fence post driver (borrowed from someone in the ward) to put in a fence post (borrowed from someone in the ward - we borrowed enough fence posts to hold up our totem pole and our trees!). The fence post will hold up our pole (we purchased inexpensive pvc and our pole will be about 15' tall when finished!). I will take a picture of our final totem pole and upload it when I get back!

Girls Camp Bookmarks

2011-06-16T12:51:00.004-06:00

Girls camp is next week for me! One thing I decided to do was to make bookmarks for the Young Women to remind them of their reading for each day (as per the camp manual). We will encourage them to take time each day for their personal study. Hopefully these bookmarks will help!

There is a different bookmark for each year of camp (including YCL years). All bookmarks are included in the files.

Feel free to download the PDF and print and use them - or, you can download the Word file HERE (right-click and save) and change them however you would like.

It might be a good idea, as leaders at camp, to read along with the YW. We could easily read the 1st Year's reading all on Day 1 and so forth through the 4th Year's atonement reading on the 4th day. I think I'll do that this year!

Sports Skills Night

2011-06-11T08:00:00.000-06:00

We may assume that all the YW know how to play the common sports: softball, volleyball, and basketball. However, many do not, and a lot of times they are scared to admit that they don't know or that they're afraid of making mistakes so they don't play. They may not know the rules or the proper stance (batting, or volleyball), how to properly shoot or swing a bat. They may have never played before. Have a sports night where you not only play a game of the chosen sport, but you go over rules and techniques as well. This can help girls gain confidence, especially if your stake is active with these sports! Have a YW who excels in the sport help with the planning. This could pass off a personal progress goal.

You can also include other sports the girls are interested in like field hockey, tennis, soccer, golf, bowling, etc.

Babysitter's Class

2011-06-09T08:00:00.003-06:00

Many of the Beehives have probably been babysitting for awhile, but have they been taught what to do in an emergency? Can they stop a bleeding cut, care for a minor burn; do they know how to treat a bump on the head, or other things that happen to kids? Do they know what to do when siblings fight, a child is defiant, or what to do with bored kids? While we might assume the girls know these things, many do not. Hold a babysitters class where these things are addressed, as well as ideas for being an active babysitter, not a sitting sitter!

Have the girls make a babysitter's bag with first aid information, as well as "surprise" things she can bring for the kids. This can include movies, games, toys, coloring books, play-dough, or other crafts. This is helpful because the kids are excited about the surprises, and the babysitter can change it all the time.

Active activities are always a good for babysitters and the kids they watch. You can teach the girls how to make basic puppets and how stage a puppet show. The library has books on plays for children, which could be a fun activity. A babysitter can play sports with the kids, make obstacle courses, and other outdoor games. Have the girls compile a list of things they like to do that they can do when they babysit.

It is important to have ideas for kids of all ages so the babysitter knows what to do for a variety of age groups!

Candy Vase

2011-06-07T09:45:00.002-06:00

Here's an idea for a thank you gift or as a craft to take as a service to people in the Ward who may need a pick-me-up. Simply purchase some glass vases and fill them with the candy of your choice (Skittles, Jolly Ranchers, M&Ms, whatever!) and add some silk flowers. There are many different looks you can achieve.

Another idea is to get a soup can and use double-sided tape or hot glue to attach candy sticks around the can and then put live flowers inside. You can do this with candy canes for a festive Christmas look or just use regular candy sticks.

Speed Gaming!

2011-05-31T08:00:00.004-06:00

What You Need:

BOARD GAMES - One board game for every 4 or so youth (make sure they are games that can be played with 4 players.
Bowl of commands like: everyone wearing red swap places, everyone wearing flip-flops swap places, Beehives swap places, etc.

What You Do:

Set up the board games on tables around the Cultural Hall.
Have youth draw to see who's at what table (or just let them choose to start with).
Have them begin playing the games!
Have a timer and every 5 minutes have everybody STOP playing.
Draw a command out of a bowl and follow the instructions.
Enjoy!

Some of Our Favorite Games For This Activity:

Hint:

It's good to have an adult who stays at each table who is familiar with all of the rules.

Quilt Tying

2011-05-30T08:00:00.005-06:00

Recently we had a sister in our ward come visit with the YW about homemaking skills. She talked with them for a few minutes about how everyone has different talents, etc. and we don't all have to do all of the homemaking crafts. She talked about cooking and cleaning and their importance and then discussed other skills.

Then we all went upstairs and tied lap quilts. The Sister who spoke helped the YW with the quilting instructions. We borrowed frames from the Relief Society.

We had set up two frames and had the edges already bound so that once they tied them, they were finished. The YW them presented these quilts to the two graduating seniors. These quilts could be given to new mothers in the ward or donated to a local shelter.

There are several areas of Personal Progress where the YW could use this skill, including Knowledge Experience #2.

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Lap Quilting Lives!

A Night at the Museum

2011-05-28T08:00:00.001-06:00

Most towns have a museum of some kind. Take a trip to a local museum or two. Take time with the girls to discuss what is in the museum, and help them understand the importance of what they see. Discuss history, art, etc.

A fun idea is to pick up some postcards of specific art before you go. Give one to each YW and have them research the artist or work of art before you go. Then, when they spot that piece of art at the museum they can give a report about it - sort of like a tour guide!

Also, remind the YW that this activity can go towards Personal Progress Knowledge Experience #3. They must have the 13th Article of Faith memorized ahead of time so remind them in advance!

Prayer is Good

2011-05-27T08:00:00.008-06:00

For an activity focused on prayer you could begin with a speaker (5-10 minutes) with a personal experience and testimony of the power of prayer.

Then you could have the YW make one of the following crafts:

Make a prayer rock:

Spray paint some appropriate-sized stones ahead of time and have craft paints for the YW to paint the word "prayer" as well as other embellishments onto their rocks. Then let them dry as you lead a discussion about prayer. You could give them a copy of this poem to go along with it.

MY PRAYER ROCK

I'm your little prayer rock
And this is what I'll do...
Just put me on your pillow
To stay till day is through.

At night turn back the covers
And climb into your bed
And Whack! Your little prayer rock
Will hit you on the head.

Then you will remember
As the day is through
To kneel and say your private prayers
As you're supposed to do.

When your prayers are finished
Just drop me on the floor.
I'll stay there all throughout the night
to give you help once more.

When you get up the next morning -
Ouch! I'll stub your toe,
So you'll be sure to say your
morning prayers before you go.

Put me back upon your pillow
When your bed is made
And your little prayer rock
will continue in your aid.

Because your Heavenly Father
cares and loves you so,
HE wants you to remember
And talk to HIM you know.

Make a Prayer Pillow Case:

Purchase plain white pillow cases and craft paints or permanent makers and have the YW decorate their pillowcases with "Did you think to pray?" Encourage them to use them on their beds so they have a constant reminder to pray morning and night.

Make a Prayer Rug/Mat:

Ask around local carpet supply companies for some old carpet sample and have the YW decorate them. They can use stencils and craft paint or permanent markers to decorate them.

This activity can motivate the YW to accomplish their Personal Progress Faith Experience #1.

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Prayer

It's All In The Cards

2011-05-26T10:21:00.000-06:00

Since scrapbooking and card making are so popular these days, have some of the experts in your ward come teach the girls how to make cards. The girls love crafty things, and cards are fun to make!

Here are a few links to some card making sites:

Homemade Pop-up Cards
Paper Bag Greeting Cards
Sunflower Thank You Card
Pop-up Flower Garden Card
3-D Card (Video)

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Fabulous Folds for Card Making

Father's Day - Tootsie Pop Boutonniere

2011-05-25T06:59:00.002-06:00

The photo is of a candy boutonniere, our instructions are for a lollipop boutonniere - but you can make one out of any kind of candy you want!

What you need:

Tootsie "Pop" (Father's Day, get it?) or other sucker
Floral leaves, babies breath, etc.
Floral tape
Corsage Pins

What you do:

Arrange the lollipop, babies breath, leaves, whatever you have decided to use for your boutonniere and hold stem tightly. Wrap with floral tape. Secure to fathers with corsage pins!

You can look at a photo of a regular boutonniere to get an idea of how the finished product should look - only they are much cuter with the lollipops!

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FloraCraft Floral Accessories 90-Corsage Pins,

Choice & Accountability Dinner

2011-05-20T09:10:00.001-06:00

Have a speaker come talk to the youth about choice & accountability and then do a Mystery Meal. This is a meal where you give each of the youth a menu and they select everything they want for each course - but the menu items are obscure so the youth aren't quite sure what they are getting.

You can set up the menu so that items are listed by type (appetizer, main course, dessert) or you can just let them select whatever for each course not knowing if they'll get ice cream for a main course. You can also have the eating utensils on the menu or not. It's up to you. Here are some examples I found online (feel free to make up your own!):

A Sleep Relative = A NapKin
Shovel = Spoon
Hay Stacker, That Thing in the Road or Neptune's Trident = Fork
Chip off the Old Block = Toothpick
Dipper = Ladle
Flipper = Spatula
Greaser = Knife

Eve's Temptation = Apple Juice
Farmer's Friend = Water
Pucker Power = Lemonade

Polly's Delight = Crackers

A Wedding Tradition = Rice

Smiles Galore = Cheese

Cup of Cure = Chicken Noodle Soup

Hole-in-One = Olives

Tubular = Pasta

Chicken in a Basket = Deviled Eggs

A Small Raise = Bread

KP's Agony = Potatoes

Son of Noah = Ham

Roly Poly = Grapes

Bumps on a Log = Corn on the Cob

Yuck & Yum = Broccoli & Cheese

What's up Doc? = Carrots

Peter Rabbit's Favorite = Salad

Vegas Mormon = Cantaloupe

Foreign Money = French Bread

Mr. Wiggles = Gummy Worms

Batter Up = Cake

Don't Have a Cow = Ice Cream

George's Delight = Cherry Dessert

Tall, Dark & Handsome = Chocolate Cake

Getting a Job

2011-05-19T08:00:00.002-06:00

This is a good activity for older Mia Maids and Laurels. Have a "how to get a job" night. Have classes on job searching, filling out applications (making sure they are complete, what everything means, proper writing style... hint: no abbreviations or text-ese, etc.), how to interview (how to dress appropriately for an interview, what to say, etc.), and how to be a good employee and a hard worker.

If you have someone in your ward who hires/fires people in their job, ask them to speak about what they look for in hiring, and why people get fired. If you don't have people who do that in your ward, ask the employment specialist in your ward, or invite someone in management from local stores to come speak to the girls. You might also consider inviting more than one manager to get different perspectives since each type of job is different: fast food or restaurant vs. other retail stores.
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How to Get Any Job: Life Launch and Re-Launch for Everyone Under 30 (or How to Avoid Living in Your Parents' Basement)

General Conference Value Project

2011-05-18T08:04:00.000-06:00

I saw this on the Idea Door and loved it so much we handed out the sheets to our YW before general conference. I reminded them that in order to do a Value Project, they must first complete the Experiences associated with that Value.

The concept of this Project is that you make/decorate a General Conference notebook, listen to all eight hours while taking good notes, review your notes and journal according to what Value you have chosen for this project.

This project reminds me of something Sister Dalton said in the recent training in Salt Lake City, "Give yourselves credit for Personal Progress." Reminding us that we are accomplishing things all the time in our lives. We just need to remember to make the goals ahead of time and journal and give ourselves credit! This goes for the YW and the leaders.

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Young Women Fun-Tastic! Personal Progress Motivators

Another Missionary Idea

2011-05-17T08:00:00.000-06:00

Have people from your ward who served missions set up a display with their mission memories: pictures, cultural clothing, art pieces; anything that they brought home from their mission that shows the place they served. Also, have them bring some food from the country or area for the girls to sample.

Allow the girls about 10 minutes to look at the displays, then have each person give a 5 minute talk about where they served, what they learned about the people, culture, and of course, their testimony about serving. After the presentations, have a Q&A session with the presenters. Follow that with food sampling.

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Missionary: Impossible LDS Game

The Game of Life

2011-05-16T08:00:00.003-06:00

This is a HUGE activity. You may want to combine with another ward or two if you have a small youth group. It is a carnival setting with two types of games: the usual carnival type, where kids win candy and little prizes, and church games. In a nutshell, you allow the kids to play the games for about half an hour. As they collect candy and prizes, they will put them in a brown paper lunch sack (with their names on it). After awhile, a leader will start quietly pulling kids out of the carnival and taking them to the R.S. room. They have to leave their bags of candy outside. After all the kids are gathered, talk about the games, and how this "game of life" is like real life.

Here's how it goes: set up a carnival in the gym with things like hoop shoot, bean bag throw, ring toss, you know... fun carnival games- and lots of them. The kids will win candy and silly prizes for playing the games. Make sure that the adults who man these booths are loud, outrageous, and will literally pull the kids to their game. They can even make wagers with the kids for candies or prizes they have won. They need to be over the top! They also should be luring the kids to their carnival games, even taking them away from the "church" games, making fun of them for being at the "church" games, etc.

Around the carnival games, set up the "church" games. These need to be basic- a table and chair with someone quiet attending the game. The person manning the table will not ask the kids to come play. They will wait for the kids to come to them. Games will be things like Seek, name that prophet, name that hymn, Celestial Pursuit, scripture chase, etc. They might even have to wait a minute for another person to come play the game with them. Do not let the kids try to coerce others to come play these games. Just wait patiently. The kids will get nothing for playing these games. Just a smile from the attendant.

When the kids are all in the R.S. room, and their candy has been taken away (they'll get it back later, which is why their names need to be on the bags), have someone give a talk about how life is like a carnival: all loud, full of fun and games, with people willing to grab them and try to get them to play - leading them away from the "church," getting them to give away what they have for more and more of what they think they want. Tell the kids that they will collect a lot of things in life (money, cars, homes, "toys") but in the end, they can't take it with them. The church is always there, waiting for them to be part of it. The church won't force you, coerce you, or give you things to make you come to it. The church is always "in the world, but not of the world," and you'll find it amidst the crazy carnival of life, quietly waiting for you to take advantage of what it offers. In the end, it's the blessings we get from our membership in the church, our testimonies, our families, and our relationship with the Savior that we take with us.

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Carnival Games

Friendship, Dating & Marriage Activity

2011-05-14T06:57:00.000-06:00

We had a wonderful activity last night that I wanted to share. We had a panel with the bishopric's wives. They brought their wedding pictures and dresses and had them in the room. We had a jar that the girls put questions in for them to answer - we told the girls they could ask questions about friendship, dating or marriage.

They started out by sharing their engagement stories & their wedding day and then answered the questions from the jar which were things like: How old should you be before you get your first kiss? And, how old should you be to get married?

It was really fun & spiritual and the girls absolutely loved it!

We ended with a nice dessert & gave the girls temple hangers. We told the girls to hang their them in their closet only surrounded by modest clothing so that every day when they see it they will be reminded that they are daughters of God. They will remember what they stand for and of their goal to go through the temple someday.

-Tabitha

PURSE-onal Progress

2011-05-12T08:07:00.000-06:00

Purchase an inexpensive small purse or make one.
Inside: notebook or journal (to record accomplishment and/or words of encouragement), For the Strength of Youth pamphlet, mini notebook (to share a favorite scripture or quote), highlighter, post-its, pen, snacks.
Each week one YW takes the purse home and utilizes the tools to help with her Personal Progress. She eats the treat and puts a new one in - store bought or homemade!
She brings it back Sunday and share what she has done in Personal Progress that week.

*Idea submitted by Tabitha Danson. Thanks, Tabitha!

Father's Day - Song

2011-05-11T08:00:00.001-06:00

Father's Day is coming. Are your YW doing anything special? I wondered about having the YW sing this song from Sally DeFord.

I Knew My Father Knew

I watched him with the eager eyes of childhood day by day
The way he lived said more to me than words could ever say
The simple truths he taught me would endure my whole life through
And long before I knew them for myself
I knew my father knew

I borrowed his unfailing faith; I trusted in his love
I counted on his courage when my own was not enough
I turned to him for counsel through the perils of my youth
And even when I doubted, still I knew,
I knew my father knew

I saw his quiet witness in the tears he could not hide
As he taught me of the Savior, how He lived and how He died
I felt the Holy Spirit, as he testified of truth
As I began to understand the things I knew my father knew

I have found my father's faith deep within my soul
A legacy I'll treasure through eternities untold
And everything I try to be, and everything I do
I do because I learned to know and love the things
I knew my father knew

Do you need an Object Lesson?

2011-05-10T08:00:00.039-06:00

Sometimes you just really need an object lesson! I have learned a couple of great ways to find object lessons when needed. Now I will share my secrets with you!

I was involved in Primary for many years and one thing I learned is that every Primary Lesson has an "Attention Activity." Often these attention activities make great object lessons for the youth. So, to find an object lesson on a particular subject, simply go to the Primary Manual section @ lds.org and search for the topic. This will pull up lessons that match that topic and you can view the attention activities to get your ideas!

Another way to find an object lesson is by looking at Mormonads! Fortunately, they are listed by topic @ lds.org and you can search your topic and then find a Mormonad that makes a good object lesson. Here is an example of object lessons found using these methods.

SUBJECT: "Seek to be Happy and Cheerful"

OBJECT LESSON #1: (from this Mormonad) - Have a bunch of blue helium balloons with one yellow helium balloon above the rest - the message "Rise Above the Blues!"

OBJECT LESSON #2: (from this Primary lesson) - Hold up the smiley/frowny face guy and recite the words to "Smiles."

Recognition Letter From the Young Women General Presidency

2011-05-09T08:00:00.000-06:00

I recently learned that the Young Women General Board will send out a congratulatory letter to Young Women when they complete their personal progress. In order to request this letter, simply email the following information to youngwomen AT ldschurch DOT org along with your request...

Full name of the young woman the letter is for.
Full mailing address of where you'd like the letter sent.
Ward & Stake
Date she completed the Personal Progress program.
Leader name & calling (or state that you are the parent of the YW)

Recipe swap

2011-05-08T08:00:00.001-06:00

As the girls prepare for their future, learning to cook is very important!! Many girls are learning how to cook at home, or perhaps you've had a cooking night for an activity. A fun activity is to have a tasting night and recipe swap to encourage the girls to try new foods, and to learn to enjoy cooking.

Have each girl bring 5 recipes (you can have them bring less if you have a lot of girls in your group), and have them cook and bring one for everyone to taste. For the 5 recipes, have them bring them in different categories: drinks, salads, main dish, cookie, dessert, etc. Either purchase cute recipe cards, or bring the large size index cards for the girls to copy recipes on. Or, have the recipes typed up and copied so they can cut out and glue or tape the recipe on the card.

For a craft, the girls can paint their own recipe box.

Relief Society Mentors

2011-05-07T08:00:00.000-06:00

Once the dust clears from Youth Conference and Girls Camp (whew!) this Summer, we will be starting a Relief Society mentoring program.

We have had our Young Women sign up and tell us a specific skill that they would like to learn. We have YW interested in photography, car repair, cooking, needlework, etc.

We are planning to take that list and pass it around Relief Society and ask that sisters volunteer to help mentor a young woman in an area they are comfortable with. We will explain to them that they have the opportunity to work on their Personal Progress if they would like, but if nothing else it will be a good bonding experience and a great way to help with the transition between YW and RS!

After 6-8 weeks we plan to have a dinner to thank the sisters who have helped with the skills. We will have the YW display the projects they have been working on with their mentors.

Show Me the Money!

2011-05-06T08:00:00.000-06:00

Have a banker, financial adviser, or other person with a good knowledge of finances come talk to the girls about money: how to manage it, save it, and how interest works, and the like. This activity should include things like: paying tithing first, how to manage a check book, how interest works when you save, and credit interest, budgeting, and how to save etc.

Here's a link to some Church resources on this topic! Here's a link to a lesson in the Young Women manual (Manual 2) on this topic!

See Personal Progress Choice & Accountability, Value Experience #7 and Knowledge, Value Experience #2

First Names for Leaders?

2011-05-05T13:00:00.002-06:00

Some of my friends call our leaders by their first name. Is that OK?

It’s a matter of respect. Although your leaders are your friends, they are still your leaders. They’ve been called and set apart to fulfill a calling, whether it is a Young Women president, Scoutmaster, or some other position. They deserve your respect, and part of that is calling them “brother” or “sister.” Just like you wouldn’t call your bishop by his first name, you shouldn’t call your other leaders by their first names, either.

Elder Theodore M. Burton of the Seventy (1907–1989) said, “Through baptism we have become adopted members of the royal family of Jesus Christ, and that is the basic reason we now call each other ‘brother’ or ‘sister.’ We have indeed become members of the Church, or family, of Jesus Christ” (“To Be Born Again,” Ensign, Sept. 1985, 70).

It would be best to always refer to your leaders as “brother” or “sister.” The same is true for other adults in the Church. If you treat them with respect when you speak to them, it will be easier to be respectful at all times.

(New Era, September, 2008)

Hair, glorious hair!

2011-05-05T08:00:00.011-06:00

Some girls are experts at styling their hair. Others... not so much. Have a "hair" night! Invite ladies in your ward who are expert braid-ers, up-do-ers, and curl-ers, and ask those girls who always seem to have perfect hair to share what they do and how they do it! Let the girls practice on each other, or let them practice on themselves so they can learn how to do it for themselves! It's a fun way for the girls to interact with each other, and helps those who struggle with their hair, by giving them ideas, tips, and confidence to try something new.

There are some other ideas in this "Makeover Night" post!

*When you advertise this activity, you may want to put a note asking all the girls to come with freshly washed hair!

Hiking Activity

2011-05-04T08:00:00.000-06:00

This week our youth will go on a nearby hike to the beautiful wind caves in Logan Canyon in northern Utah. This is a combined AP/YW activity that was planned in BYC. The young men took charge of determining where to hike and will have one of their leaders speak a little on the creation before we go. The YW are in charge of water and snacks. We will meet at the church for opening exercises and then head out for the hike.

Thanks to the article a few days ago, I checked and found a geocache right on the trail we will be hiking. We will be sure to check it out on our way. I think this is a great way to socialize, get some physical activity and enjoy this beautiful world!

Clock Craft

2011-05-03T08:00:00.036-06:00

So I recently joined my sister in creating a Sharing Station for BYU Women's Conference (the link will work once our booth is posted). It was quite the project! The theme was "How do you spell love? T*I*M*E" from President Uchtdorf's talk in October Conference, 2010.

Because our theme was about TIME, one of our objects for our table was a clock. I really wanted a "Families are Forever" clock, but I also wanted it to match the color scheme of our booth. SO, I decided to make my own clock face.

This would be a simple project to do with the YW and they could put the yearly theme - or a favorite scripture - or whatever they want on the face of their clock. HERE is the .jpg for the one I made for the booth. HERE is one with this year's theme. Feel free to use either or to make your own template! Here are a couple of blank templates: | TEMPLATE 1 | TEMPLATE 2 | You can download them and add your own graphics, words, etc.*

I found instructions HERE and followed them almost completely. Before you do this, I highly recommend their advice of purchasing a clock with a PLASTIC face (I am speaking from broken glass experience on this one). The project is fairly straight forward. You remove the plastic cover with a butter knife, turn the hands to 12 and carefully slide them off, insert your new clock face (gluing if necessary), put everything back together and voila!

* Photoshop hint: If you want to do the letters around in a circle in Photoshop simply create a circle path and then select your horizontal text tool and type onto the path - it will follow the circle!

Life After High School

2011-05-02T15:00:00.003-06:00

"Find purpose in your life. Choose the things you would like to do, and educate yourselves to be effective in their pursuit. For most it is very difficult to settle on a vocation. You are hopeful that you will marry and that all will be taken care of. In this day and time, a girl needs an education. She needs the means and skills by which to earn a living should she find herself in a situation where it becomes necessary to do so." - President Gordon B. Hinckley

If you live near a university or college, arrange to take your Laurels (and older Mia Maids) to the college for a tour. Make sure to tour places like the admissions office, career advising center, and learning labs. (I have a daughter who is a bit afraid of the work required in college, but by showing her the helping resources available, it can help alleviate some of those fears.) Take them to the student center, and help them appreciate the fun and social aspect of college. Visit the library, art galleries, music studios, etc.

If you know someone who teaches there, ask them to talk to the girls about what kind of work is expected from college students. Also, have them share their passion for their subject. Maybe take in a concert or play while there. Even if the girls do not attend the university or college where you visit, it could light a spark or flare the fire in them to be excited about college, and give them a boost in doing well in their high school work.

If you live near a technical college, cosmetology school, medical careers school, take the girls to tour those as well. They will get great ideas, inspiration, as well as seeing what is out there for them when they graduate!

On another night, ask women you know who have degrees (either college or technical), to come share with the girls why they selected that degree.

Class Presidencies

2011-05-02T08:00:00.006-06:00

The handbook outlines what a class presidency is and lists their duties. The videos above are a message from a YW leader and an example of a class presidency meeting. We use the second video when we orient a class presidency. You can download these or other videos from the Church HERE. We try to follow the pattern from this video in our meetings. Because our numbers are few (especially our laurel class), we have one class presidency. This works well for us. We also use the principles found in the Guidebook for Parents and Leaders of Youth to help train our class presidency.

We have one combined AP/YW activity on the first week of each month (planned in BYC). We have class activities on the third week of each month and stake activities on fifth weeks. This leaves our class presidency two activities per month to plan. The original ideas come from the classes. So, the Beehives, Mia Maids and Laurels rotate months and come up with two activity ideas. The ideas are fleshed out and planned in the class presidency meetings. Two adult leaders are invited to attend each class presidency meeting. Usually these are the adult leaders over the class in charge for that month (so, Mia Maid Adviser and 1st Counselor meet with the class presidency when planning mutual for the Mia Maid month). When planning the activities, our class presidency uses the Planning Calendars from lds.org.

The class presidency agenda is outlined in the handbook. I made a copy of this section and gave it to the Young Women for their binders. They stick to the agenda very well and I find their meetings to be frequently more efficient than our own presidency meetings!

Geo-caching

2011-05-01T08:00:00.003-06:00

We did this as an activity days group, but it would be fun with YW too!

In a nutshell, geocaching uses a GPS or GPS enabled phone to locate "treasure" that has been specifically hidden for this activity.

Where I live, the geocache trail is in a large park. We got the co-ordinates from THIS WEBSITE. You start with one set of coordinates, then you find the hidden object that contains the next set of coordinates. I believe we had to find 4 sets of coordinates before finding the treasure. There may not be a geocache in all areas.

The coordinates and treasure can be hidden in all sorts of ways. We found one set of coordinates rolled into an old film container and hung in a pine tree. One was in a water proof plastic pouch that was magnetically held on a metal box. The treasure, or cache, was in a big coffee can, hidden in a rocky outcropping.

Inside the cache were all sorts of silly objects: golf balls, a mirror, a small compass, and things like that. If you take treasure, you must put something in the container for someone else to find. There should also be a "guest book" to sign. It's fun to see where people have come from, who also found the cache!

Shall We Dance?

2011-04-30T08:00:00.000-06:00

This is a good combined activity as you will need boys for partners! Have someone (more than one someone is best!) come and teach the kids how to do basic ballroom dance steps like the Waltz. Then, at the next stake dance, have the kids show off their skills!

In a previous ward, there were several older couples who were magnificent dancers, and who would have loved to teach the youth how. Perhaps you have some couples like that in your ward!

Sheet Music - Singing in Sacrament Meeting

2011-04-29T15:00:00.000-06:00

Is there anything more beautiful than when the YW sing a special number in Sacrament Meeting? Hopefully you've noticed in the right-hand column of navigation on this page we have listed several songs that are from the New Era magazine. You can make free copies of them and they are approved for use in Sacrament Meeting.

Our YW are currently working on Guardians of Virtue, the song the choir sang in the 2011 General Young Women Meeting. We practice every Sunday (except the first Sunday when we meet with the Relief Society) during Opening Exercises.

Speaking of Opening Exercises, here is a conducting sheet that our class presidency uses each week. You are welcome to print them up and keep some in your YW room.

Let us know what some of your favorite musical numbers are for the Young Women. Do you use the YW Songbook? You can access some of the songs (sheet music & MP3) online here.

Sew What

2011-04-29T08:00:00.003-06:00

I'm a big believer in teaching the girls practical homemaking skills in a fun way. Sewing is one of those arts that is fast disappearing. Let the girls pick from some simple projects: tote bag, apron, shorts, pajama pants, simple skirt, stuffed animals, quilt blocks for a humanitarian quilt, etc. Some church buildings have sewing machines in the R.S. room, but you can ask ladies in the ward who sew if they would come and bring their machines and help teach the girls.It was fun seeing the girls enjoy sewing and making something that was fun and useful.

Another night could be about hand sewing and how to mend, sew on buttons, cross-stitch, and simple craft sewing (like felt Christmas ornaments).

Sister Missionary Activity

2011-04-28T08:00:00.000-06:00

We had a sister in our ward come speak to the YW. She had served a mission and talked with us about what the YW needed to do to prepare to serve a mission. She explained that we prepare for a mission the same way we prepare to go to the temple and talked about how the YW didn't need to make the decision today. Then she shared some of her mission experiences.

The YW made a care package for a sister missionary who was serving from our ward. We asked her Mom ahead of time some of her favorite treats, etc. We also played a trivia game with questions from For the Strength of Youth.

The Beehive Conference

2011-04-27T15:00:00.006-06:00

This is a wonderful idea since most Beehives feel left out because they can't go to youth conference until they're 14! When my daughter participated, it was on a stake level, but it could also be done on a ward level.

The conference can include several activities and mini-classes like etiquette, table manners (things that should be learned at home, but are still needed), personal grooming/hygiene, how to live through junior high, getting involved in school and church, scripture study at the Beehive age, personal progress, etc.

Then there was a lunch afterward, then a short closing talk. The conference lasts 2-3 hours, depending on how many mini-classes you have.

Pin S.W.A.P. - Girls Camp Getting-to-Know-You Activity

2011-04-27T06:00:00.058-06:00

I guess Girl Scouts have been doing this for years, but until last year I'd never heard of it. My camp director told me about it last year and we hosted our very first pin swap.

What is a pin s.w.a.p.?

Our ward hosted it last year and we're hosting it again this year. That means we call around and find out which wards are participating and get a head count. Once we know how many people are participating, we can begin making the pins.

Each ward makes an inexpensive pin (we budget $5-$10 total for all the pins our ward makes) for each YW (including their own ward) participating. At camp the girls will be given a pin for themselves and several pins to exchange with other YW in other wards. Then, when they meet a YW who is wearing a pin they don’t have, they can exchange for one of their ward pins. The goal is to get to know other YW and to collect pins from each participating ward.

How do I make the pins?

You can purchase flat-back pins and glue anything onto it – or you can use safety pins without the end stopper (as pictured above) or you can also purchase a tie-tac type of pin.

Last year our theme was The Little Mermaid and we glued tiny pink seashells onto flat-back pins. They were so pretty and inexpensive. The YW had a great time exchanging with other wards. Our YW wore their pins on their hat bands. This year we're making them neckties in zebra stripes (we're zebras for our safari theme) that they can put their pins on. We haven't decided on the pins themselves yet. Any ideas? Leave them in the comments!

You can find out more information and get ideas by googling camp pin S.W.A.P. (Special Whatchamacallits Affectionally Pinned).

Certification Requirement!

The 4th years have as one of their certification requirements: "Help to plan an activity for the whole camp or you own group that will help the campers get to know each other. Involve everyone." They made the pins and passed this off!

The Newly Friend Game

2011-04-26T15:00:00.018-06:00

This is a play on the old Newlywed Game. It is great for a Priest/Laurel activity. We did this after the Priest/Laurel dinner. You draw names for the couples. Send the boy or girl out, then question the partner. They write their answers on a card and put it answer down on their lap. After the questions are all answered, the partner comes back in and sees if the answers match. When all the answers are given, the other partner leaves the room and the process begins again with different questions. Usually 3-5 questions per round is good. That way you can get through one round quickly and if you have enough partners, you can give everyone a chance to play.

Sample questions: Does "Billy" still sleep with a favorite stuffed toy? Does "Susie" sing like a rock star into her hairbrush while getting ready? What is "Bobby's" favorite food? What is "Katie's" favorite movie? And so on...

The winning couple gets a silly prize.

Need to Make a Tree??

2011-04-26T05:00:00.021-06:00

Our camp theme this year is a safari theme and I decided that in order for us to really have that jungle feel we really needed TREES. Jungle trees! I found these amazing trees and knew they were the ones for me. Awesome looking and CHEAP and simple to make.

What you need:

Carpet rolls (FREE from local carpet store)
Brown paper lunch sacks (cheap from local grocer)
Umbrellas (ask for donations in your ward or purchase from Dollar Store)
Green vinyl tablecloth roll (or tablecloth if you're only making one)
Tape (duct tape or carpet tape)
Stapler
Scissors

What you do:

Cut the bottoms out of the paper bags and scrunch them (one after the other) onto the trunks, stapling to hold them on good.
Design and cut out palm-style leaves from the green vinyl.
Tape the end of each leaf onto the top center (button thingy) of the umbrella - covering the entire umbrella with leaves.
Staple the leaves onto the fabric of the umbrella - not necessarily flat (the tutorial above says "pooch" them) - I think we're going to tape ours so we can re-use the umbrellas. That way I can just bring some from home!
Place the umbrellas in the tops of the trees - VOILA!

I think we'll hang our lanterns from the trees - should look awesome!! We'll put a few tiki torches around and we're also going to make a totem pole by simply painting a couple of the carpet rolls. I'll post that project when we get there.

The trees in the photo were held up using microphone stands. We're going to put them up around our camp over metal fence posts that we will put into the ground to hold them in place. I can't wait!!

Secret Sisters

2011-04-25T10:52:00.000-06:00

Every year at camp we do Secret Sisters. Here is our Secret Sister Form that we have the YW fill out. This really helps to get an idea of what the YW like and don't like.

We have purchased a shoe hanger like this one to use. We let the YW decorate their "cubby" with their name, etc. In the extra cubbies, we had paper & pens so they could write thank you notes to one another. We encouraged them to find the opportunity to write to each of the other YW while at camp.

YW can put things in their secret sister's cubby at any time throughout the day, but we scheduled a time each evening to get our mail. The YW sang the Blue's Clue's song when it was mail time! We have had good success with the secret sister program.

If you have a difficult time with equality for your secret sisters (even after setting a price limit, etc.) you may want to do what some wards have done - have each girl make one item for all of the other YW and give them during the week. So, maybe one YW makes a large cookie for each of the other girls and then puts it in their box. Any other secret sister ideas? Share them in the comments!

Car maintenance

2011-04-23T07:52:00.011-06:00

This is really good for all the girls to know, but especially those of driving age. We did this for a R.S. activity once too and it was well received! This was a required learning experience for me and my sister before we could get our licenses, and it amazes me how many of my kids' friends do not know how to change a tire, but they all drive. What will they do in an emergency?

Have a brother in the ward, or a couple of them, come teach the girls about basic car maintenance: how to check the oil and other fluids (as well as adding fluids when needed), and how to change a tire. The girls will have a test on the information. So have the demonstrations, then take the girls one or two at a time and have them actually do everything: check the oil, fluids, and change a tire.

Service Scavenger Hunt

2011-04-23T07:37:00.005-06:00

This makes a great combined activity with the YM!

A couple weeks before the activity, announce to the ward (and get it in the bulletin) that the youth will be doing a service scavenger hunt, so on the date of the activity, would they please participate with the youth.

As leaders, create a list of service for the kids to do like: wash 4 windows inside and out, wash dishes, weed a garden, wash a car... anything you can come up with.

The night of the activity, divide the number of kids attending the activity into even groups. Divide the ward boundaries into sections, having the same number of sections as groups. Assign a leader to drive.

Each group goes through their section of the ward boundaries (they can go to those who aren't members too, if you know them and they would be friendly towards the kids) and they ask the members if they can perform a service. The kids can ask to do something like "Can we wash your windows?" or if they have a lot on their list, they can say "What would you like us to do for you?"

While the kids are working, the leader should take a picture to "prove" the service was done. If cameras aren't available, the member should sign their list next to the service the kids did. Pictures are fun though because you can make a poster or bulletin board for the ward to see!

First team back gets bragging rights!!

Drive-In Movie Night

2011-04-22T11:12:00.003-06:00

We picked up a lot of large boxes (appliance boxes) from a local appliance store. We brought craft items - duct tape, scissors, markers, colored paper, etc. for decorating. We let the YW decorate their "cars" however they wanted. We had cars, the Bedknobs & Broomstick bed, the tardis, etc.

We had movie snacks and watched a church video and the YW loved it!

Cooking 101

2011-04-22T05:03:00.000-06:00

One of our young women had tested, compiled, and published a book of recipes for one of her value projects. Quite an accomplishment! For another value project, she taught a combined mutual activity on the basics of cooking. She had the girls put together a meal of chili, cheese biscuits, and a homemade punch. As she helped each group with their tasks, she talked about basic kitchen skills such as measuring, reading a recipe, quick pantry meals that they could do without help, and how to use kitchen equipment and utensils. At the end of the evening, they were able to sample their work! (which was quite yummy!)

Service Project for Children's Hospital

2011-04-21T17:09:00.004-06:00

I called the children's social worker at our local hospital and asked what kinds of things we could do to help the children's unit there. First of all, there may or may not be a children's social worker or child life specialist at your hospital. You may have to speak to someone else. But, there are always kids in the hospital who need things to help entertain them!

Our project was to make activity bags. We sewed double handled bags and collected books, coloring books, crayons, and puzzles to put in them. The hospital may have recommendations or requirements for what kind of things you can put in. We also read books on cassette tapes (this was several years back) and had the book with the cassette.

Another thing you can also do is either collect stuffed animals, or teach the girls how to sew them to donate to the children there. You could do a movie drive where you collect VHS or DVD movies for kids and their families to check out while they're in the hospital. Again, check with the hospital for what they need.

Can We Get to the Temple by Chance?

2011-04-21T15:39:00.010-06:00

We divided up into cars. Each car had a coin. We told the YW we were going to see if we could get to the temple and then at each intersection we would have the YW flip a coin. We would go right or left depending on the coin flip.

After driving around for awhile, we met back at the home of one of the leaders and talked about how getting to the temple cannot happen by chance - it is a choice and requires preparation. Then we watched John Bytheway's Standards Night Live. Simple, with a powerful message.

We then planned a trip to the temple for another night and had the YW dress up. We took their pictures and had a great activity on the temple grounds.

Values Garden

2011-04-21T14:58:00.005-06:00

While attending a Stake Leadership Training last fall, our high councilman talked about value gardens from back in the day (lol). He recommended planting them at the different buildings around our stake.

We loved this idea and got together with the other ward in our building to do this as a combined YW activity. We purchased bulbs for flowers in the different value colors (you can see recommendations in this LDS Church News article from 1992) and spent the evening planting bulbs all around the Church in the available flowerbeds.

And now - they're popping up! I can't wait to see them bloom. I live in Northern Utah so it may be a few weeks, but they are going to be a beautiful reminder to the YW of the values!

Embroidery Hoop Baskets

2011-04-21T13:49:00.003-06:00

We made these adorable baskets. They are super simple to make and they take about the right amount of time for the length of one mutual activity night.

We purchased some $1 t-shirts from a local thrift store, but you could have the YW bring old t-shirts for a recycle project and then they would be free!

All you need to make this craft are old t-shirts (clean, of course), scissors, tacky glue (we actually made ours without doing the glue step and they worked fine) and 12" embroidery hoops.

To make the baskets, follow the easy instructions at Family Fun (one of our favorite places to find awesome, simple craft ideas)!

Priest/Laurel Valentine Activity

2011-04-21T09:58:00.004-06:00

In February, we had a Laurel class activity where the Laurels invited the Priests to a "Date Night".

One of the Laurels made cute invites for the boys, and we had simple refreshments along the Valentine theme.

To open the activity, the youth played "Do You Love Your Neighbor?" and then we had a cute young-ish married couple from our stake come and talk about creative and fun ideas for dating. They handed out 13 little trinkets that represented a different idea for a date, which they would have the youth guess about, and then the speakers would explain and expand on the ideas. As they did that, they also inserted thoughts about keeping the standards and not pairing off, as well as interacted with the youth asking questions about what was difficult about trying to date. They also gave some etiquette tips, as well.

M&M Bowling - Laurel/Priest Date Night

2011-04-21T09:18:00.008-06:00

Our Laurels & Priests combined for a group date activity night. We decided to go M&M Bowling.

We went to the local bowling alley and before each person bowled, they had to pull an M&M out of the bag and follow these rules:

Blue: Eyes Closed

Green: Backward, between your legs

Orange: Sing a primary song while you bowl

Yellow: Righties use left hand, Lefties use right hand

Brown: Granny Style

Red: Ballerina Style

We especially loved watching the priest and YM leaders bowl ballerina style!!

Makeover Night

2011-04-21T09:00:00.008-06:00

The YW love to have makeover night. We invited a sister to come speak on the importance of caring for our bodies. She had some great quotes and talked about caring for our bodies, minds and spirits. Really good. Just about 10 minutes or so.

Then, we gave the YW this handout with home beauty tips. Inexpensive ways to care for their skin. We reminded them that they need to put moisture back in their skin with an inexpensive lotion or beauty cream.

The YW were then paired up and they did makeovers on one another. We had a hair station, a nail station and a makeup station.

For our hair station, we had a laptop set up with videos on different hairstyles. We used the videos found @ "Hairstyles for Girls." The LDS woman who owns this site is AMAZING and has a knack for explaining how to do hair. Check out her Facebook page, blog or Youtube Videos!

The budget was FREE and I think it was a hit! They have already asked to do another makeover night - this time mothers and daughters!

*Right-click to save the handout (pdf format) to your computer!

Life-Size Game - Pretty, Pretty, Princess

2011-04-20T13:57:00.009-06:00

We planned a life-size game night. This was a lot of fun and much easier than I at first anticipated. We played a version of "Pretty Pretty Princess." Here's what we did.

What You Need

For each YW - 1 ring, 2 earrings, 1 bracelet, 1 necklace, 1 crown (inexpensive plastic party-type stuff)
One Mirror - hand mirror or mirror on an easel - any mirror
Carpet squares (get from local carpet store - donated or small cost)
Masking Tape
Magic Markers
One giant spinner or dice - we just made a spinner from poster board we had at home. I printed out a spinner arrow on card stock and attached with a brad and washer.

Before the Activity

We invited a sister in our ward to speak to the YW on the topic of divine nature and told her about the game we were playing so she understood it was princess oriented. She brought her 3-year-old daughter and both were dressed like princesses - it was awesome!
We purchased enough crowns, necklaces, earrings, bracelets and rings for each YW. We bought these online at orientaltrading.com and they were very inexpensive. You could also find them at a local party store if you have one in your area. Just cheap plastic jewelry and crowns.
We went to a local carpet store and picked up a lot of carpet squares/samples (we called around first and explained that we needed them for a church youth group and asked if they had any they could donate - they charged a small fee of about .30c/each). To figure out how many squares you need take the number of YW you have and multiply by 2 or 3 (depending on how large your group is and how spread out you want the spaces).
Make a giant spinner or dice - something they can use to determine the number of squares they will move on their turn.

Set Up That Night

The class presidency came early to set up. They put the carpet squares in a giant circle around the gym.
In the middle of the circle they set up a small table with a tablecloth on it. On top we placed all of the jewelry, the crowns and the mirror.
We wrote on masking tape with markers the instructions for each square (some YW wrote the instructions and some taped them on each square). The instructions will be: You get a necklace - You get an earring - You get a bracelet - You get a ring - You get your crown - Take an item of your choice - Put an item back... Make one or two sets of each of these (depending on how many carpet blocks you have - you might even need three sets). Then on the blank square (if any) we let the class presidency make up things for the YW to do. They wrote things like "Do a princess wave" "Sing your favorite Primary song" etc. Make sure every carpet square has instructions on it.

The Activity

Speaker first (she was awesome) and then we explained the rules. We wrote each YW's name on a piece of paper to keep track of what order they would spin and take their turn.
Each YW took their turn spinning and going around the squares doing whatever it said. They could NOT get their crown until they had all of the other jewelry.
Once they had all of their jewelry - ring, bracelet, two earrings and necklace (they don't get more than one of anything except 2 earrings) - they had to land on a crown square.
Once they landed on the crown square they got to go to the middle to get their crown.
When they put the crown on their head, they looked in the mirror and said, "I'm a pretty, pretty princess!"
We played until all YW received their crown.

Lantern for Girls Camp

2011-04-20T13:47:00.006-06:00

We made these awesome lanterns last year for Girls Camp. We decided to make them again this year. We emailed our Relief Society group and asked for jar donations. We explained that we like them without the embossing - mayo jars and spaghetti sauce jars work well! We received all of the jars that we needed for our project. We had the YW clean them well and we used a Cricut® - actually, we used two - to cut shapes out of contact paper. This year's theme is S.A.F.A.R.I. and so most YW chose to do jungle animals, etc. Some YW chose to free-hand their ideas on the contact paper (they're so creative!) and cut them out with scissors.

Then we sprayed the jars with glass frosting (from a craft store) and crafted wire handles for them. We will put tea lights in each of them and I know they will look amazing. They did last year hanging from our canopy!

You can see all of the instructions for making these jars @ Under My Umbrella (the blog where I got the idea originally)!

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Everlasting Tealights Battery-Operated Flamess Candles with Soft Flicker, 12-Pack

Treats for the Priests

2011-04-20T11:37:00.002-06:00

Last night the laurels made these amazing no fail chocolate chip cookies for the priests in our ward and then hand delivered them. This was an activity based on this article in the New Era and was an idea from the same New Era for a youth activity. As the YW made the cookies, we talked about the article, specifically we discussed this section...

Be friends first and sweethearts second. University professor Lowell Bennion once said that relationships between young men and young women should be built like a pyramid. The base of the pyramid is friendship. And the ascending layers are built of things like time, understanding, respect, and restraint. Right at the top of the pyramid is a glittering little mystery called romance.

Now, you don’t have to be very smart to know that a pyramid won’t stand up very long if you stand it on its point instead of its base. In other words, be friends first and sweethearts later, not the other way around. Otherwise, people who think they are sweethearts may discover they can’t be very good friends, and by then it may be too late.

We talked about how doing things like baking these cookies was a way to foster friendships and build the base of the pyramid. The laurels had a great time and it was a simple, low-cost activity.

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2001-01-01T07:20:00.000-07:00

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