October/November YSA Activities/ Group family home evening/TV Game Show night

The YSA reps had chosen to have a Family Home Evening to "strengthen families."  The purpose was to model the importance of having FHE and to introduce to some who may not have this experience regularly in their families; the format and Spirit of Family Home Evening. 

 We started out with an ice breaker that proved to be a blast. Get a large bag of starbursts, or any wrapped small candy, and line up the group in two parallel lines facing each other.  Give each participant five pieces of candy.  When you say go, they begin talking to try and get the person across from them to say the words yes, or no.  If they say either, the person who said them has to give up a candy to the person across from them.  They were timed for three minutes and then the one line moved three spaces to the left.  The time started over and repeated.  They were moved about four times.  Some ran out of their candies, others collected 15! They were laughing and enjoying the game.  The topics were movies, favorite books, places to travel, favorite foods.  The one taboo was past relationships.  That was not allowed to be discussed.  See the candies in their hands?

 President Gould was the "Father," (appropriately) and he and Sister Gould taught the FHE lesson.  It was great and was based on the Proclamation to the Family.  They discussed relationships based upon principles of righteousness and every child "deserved to be born to a Father and a Mother.

 As part of their presentation, they had the YSA's do the human knot activity.  Divide a large group into smaller groups and then have them stand in a circle.  They all raise their right hands high.  They grab the right hand of a person across from them.  They then raise their left hands and take hold of another person's a second time.  They must not let go.  For the first time, they were told they could not speak.  They had to unwind the knot they were in without discussion of any kind and without letting go of any hands.  They did it a second time and this time they could communicate.  The importance of communication in relationships was underscored. 

 The activity part of the FHE was teaching Salsa and Merengue Latin Dancing.  Sister Raphael was the instructor and had some internet instructions that she presented and then music and demonstrations.  She did a great job and the YSA's had a great time.  Refreshments were cheese paste sandwiches and cupcakes and orange/vanilla ice cream floats.  It was a great activity!

NOVEMBER YSA GAME SHOW NIGHT

The purpose of this activity was building testimonies.  The YSA's decided at our planning meeting that the format was game shows based on the Scriptures.  

YSA Game show activity
  It's a conglomeration of  a bunch of games all pulled together into one: Jeopardy, Minute To Win It, Pictionary, Family Feud, and The Price Is Right. 

We divided into four teams, but you could have as few as two.  The game board has five colors.  (Look closely at the pictures to see the lay-out on the floor) Four of the colors each represent a different game and the fifth color is wild.  For example:  Green-Family Fued, Blue-Jeopardy, Pink-Minute To Win It, Yellow-Pictionary, Orange-Wild (choice of which of the four games they want to play).   After the first team crossed the finish line, we played The Price is Right as the playoff between the top two teams. We wanted to give $100,000 dollar candy bars to the winning team members- they don't sell them in Trinidad!
What you'll need:

• A host and an assistant for each team.
• 25 large colored paper squares, 5 each of 5 different colors for the game board
• Blue painters tape for the start line and some of the minute-to-win-it games
• 4 Objects to use as markers.  For example:  A shoe, an iron, a stuffed animal, a toy, etc.
• 4 seventeen by eleven inch White Boards (we used close-out, smooth-surface, thin tile that we put duct tape around the edges)  it was cheap and worked perfectly – One dollar and a quarter each - and dry erase markers for Jeopardy and Pictionary
• 5 or 6 Brown paper bags with all of the necessary items inside for each team to compete in a Minute to Win It challenge.  Each bag was marked with the title of the game and held four separate sacks with materials needed for each team.
• 4 Bells or buzzers for Family Fued (We used Christmas bells – cheap) they worked great!
• 1 large dice made from a square cardboard box.  I made the dice by glueing the black colored paper on the box, glue sticking on the dots from white colored paper and then covering it all generously with packing tape.  Reinforce the corners especially - it gets thrown pretty far!

How to Play:  All the games are listed below.

Roll the die to see who goes first.
The first team rolls the dice to see how many spaces the teams are playing for.  They do not immediately move to that color.  They determine the game to be played by the color of the paper that matches the square they landed on with the die throw.  Let's say that they rolled a five and landed on the color yellow, which is Pictionary.  Each team selects one person to draw on their tile to get the other team members to guess what they are drawing first.  The first team to do so wins.  The winning team moves ahead the 5 spaces and then rolls the dice.  They keep moving forward until someone beats them at a challenge, then that team rolls the dice.

Jeopardy, questions about the Book of Mormon. (found on google search under Mormon jeopardy questions) Family Fued, a survey about the Book of Mormon and church related culture questions. (found on google search for Mormon family feud survey results) Pictionary is LDS Church related words. (found on google search under Mormon Pictionary) Minute to win it, Mormon themed one-minute challenges (found on google search under Mormon minute to win it) The Price is Right, I took pictures on my ipad, recorded the exact price, then projected the image on the wall with a projector from my computer for the contestant to view when they were competing with the other team contestants to guess the actual price. The first one that guessed closest without going over the price, won.

We lined up in two parallel lines each of the teams, seated on chairs facing each other.  The chairs were in a horseshoe shape so they all had an opening toward the game board, tables and chairs. The team members went around the circle, taking turns leading the group.  As they participated in a game, the rest of their team cheered them on.    No person should play, representing their team, more than once, until all have participated.

Minute to Win-it: Two contestants on the team undertook the challenge in the minute timeframe.  We had some downloaded music that was exactly a minute.  We put the microphone next to the computer speaker.  Elder Monson turned it on, they started when the music sounded and then he blew the whistle at the end.  When the task was finished, or the music ended, the challenge was over. First team to complete it won, even if the time is over.

Family Fued: A question from the Book of Mormon was announced, the first person to run to the chair and ring the bell got to say their answer first; if it was the top answer they automatically took the points.  We had one assistant just keeping track of the order the bells were rung.  He would call out and point to the order, 1,2,3,4.  If the first person to ring the bell did not give the right answer, the other teams gave their answer and on down until someone got it right.   

 Jeopardy was played with the tile whiteboards.  Each team selected one person, the ANSWER was read by the host, and the first person to write the question down on their white boards correctly and turn it around to show the host, with the correct answer, won..  If none of the teams got the correct answer after several tries, I would give them all a clue until one of the teams got the right answer. 

 Pictionary  A person from each team used the tile marking board. I had made four of each of the words and folded them small and stapled them together in the corner ahead of time.  So when Pictionary was selected, I pulled off one of them and handed them to the person selected to draw.  They were told they could not open it until we blew the whistle.  They opened it and read it and handed it to their judge, who now knew the picture they were trying to draw.  Whichever team guessed the picture being drawn first, won.  The judge for each team would hold up their hand to notify the host that their team had guessed the word. 

The Price Is Right The top two contestants guess the retail price of two chosen items flashed on the wall.  Whoever is closest to the actual retail price without going over wins.

Wild Pick any of the games to play.

  It was fun!  We wanted to involve as many people as possible, so the teams competed against each other after every roll of the dice.

Family Fued: A question from the Book of Mormon was announced, the first person to run to the chair and ring the bell got to say their answer first; if it was the top answer they automatically took the points.  We had one assistant just keeping track of the order the bells were rung.  He would call out and point to the order, 1,2,3,4.  If the first person to ring the bell did not give the right answer, the other teams gave their answer and on down until someone got it right.

You can get a good look at the die (on the floor) in this picture.

Pictionary  A person from each team used the tile marking board. I had made four of each of the words and folded them small and stapled them together in the corner ahead of time.  So when Pictionary was selected, I pulled off one of them and handed them to the person selected to draw.  They were told they could not open it until we blew the whistle.  They opened it and read it and handed it to their judge, who now knew the picture they were trying to draw.  Whichever team guessed the picture being drawn first, won.  The judge for each team would hold up their hand to notify the host that their team had guessed the word. 

 Jeopardy was played with the tile whiteboards.  Each team selected one person, the ANSWER was read by the host, and the first person to write the question down on their white boards correctly and turn it around to show the host, with the correct answer, won..  If none of the teams got the correct answer after several tries, I would give them all a clue until one of the teams got the right answer. 

Finding the one

 FINDING THE ONE – D&C 18:15 And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto (Christ), how great shall be your joy …

One person is selected at to move the bottom cup to the top until the one black cup is at the top again.

Required items: A stack of colored cups for each team with one of the cups a different color, or you can mark the top of one of the cups with magic marker. 

Instructions:

1.You must not hold the stack of cups against your body.

2.Arms must be outstretched away from body.

3.Only one cup may be removed from the stack at a time and moved to the top

To win:  The black ringed top must be on the top or closest to it when the time is over.

Armour of God 

ARMOR OF GOD – EPHESIANS 6:11 Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

The first person on the team picks an assistant to hold the wooden dowel.  He/She  must unwind a single roll of toilet paper by executing a series of 360 degree spins until all of the paper has been unwound. If at any time the paper rips, the game is over; they must start over and start spinning again.

REQUIRED ITEMS: Each team: 1 roll of toilet paper/team Partner to hold toilet paper on a wooden spoon or dowel.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. No hands may touch the paper as it unrolls.

2. Once game begins, contestant may begin spinning to remove the toilet paper from the roll.

3. Toilet paper must be un-spooled only by the spinning contestant completing a series of 360 degree spins causing the paper to wrap around the contestant's body.

4. To win, the team must be the first to unroll the all the toilet paper squares or have the most on the person within the 60-second time limit.

 Jeopardy was played with the tile whiteboards.  Each team selected one person, the ANSWER was read by the host, and the first person to write the question down on their white boards correctly and turn it around to show the host, with the correct answer, won..  If none of the teams got the correct answer after several tries, I would give them all a clue until one of the teams got the right answer. 

Blow with thy wind

BLOW WITH THY WIND – EXODUS 15:10 After the Lord delivered the children of Israel from the Egyptian army, they sang His praise: “Thou didst blow with thy wind, and the sea covered them; they sank as lead in the mighty waters.”

Contestant must use a balloon to knock cups off of a table. The contestant will repeatedly blow up a balloon and then blow the air out to propel the cups off of the table. All the cups must be completely off the table to complete the game. Since we will only be using the small classroom tables, I think I will have the leader place 8 cups on the table and as those are blown off replace them with the other 7.

REQUIRED ITEMS: 1 balloon, 15 plastic cups,

INSTRUCTIONS Set up four small tables in front of each team

1. Prior to game start, contestant stands in designated start zone with hands at sides.

2. Once game begins, contestant may grab a balloon and start inflating it.

3. Contestant must play game from designated side of table.

4. Contestant may only knock a cup off the table using the air from the balloon.

5. If contestant bangs on table or makes any contact with a cup using either the balloon or their body the game is over.

6. Contestant may switch out balloon for another balloon at any time. Contestant may only use one balloon at a time.

7. To win; the first team to blow of all the cups or the most cups at the end within the 60-second time limit.

Here was the host demonstrating the "Neither do you knock," procedure!

Neither do you knock   

NEITHER DO YE KNOCK – 2 NEPHI 32:4 Wherefore, now after I have spoken these words, if ye cannot understand them it will be because ye ask not, neither do ye knock…

Eight unopened water bottles are placed in two parallel rows on the ground, precisely eight feet apart. The contestant must wear a standard pair of pantyhose over the head, with a baseball placed inside the end of one leg. Keeping one foot on each side of the centerline, the contestant must swing back and forth using the momentum of the baseball to knock down all eight bottles.

REQUIRED ITEMS: For each team: 8 bottles, 1 pair of pantyhose, 2 balls

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Prior to game start, contestant must be standing and have ball resting on pre-determined mark, with pantyhose on head in starting position.

2. Contestant must keep one foot on either side of the dividing foul line during the game.

3. Contestant may knock down water bottles in any order.

4. Contestant may not use any part of body (i.e. hands, feet) to propel the baseball at bottles of water.

5. To win the game, contestant must knock the most bottles as described within the 60-second time limit

 UPON THE HEADS

D&C 121:33 -As well might man stretch forth his puny arm to stop the Missouri river in its decreed course, or to turn it up-stream, as to hinder the Almighty from pouring down knowledge from heaven upon the heads of the Latter-day Saints.

A person from each team sits on a chair facing his team.  He is blindfolded and is given a cup filled with cotton balls and a plastic spoon.  Tied to his head is a paper plate that has string tied through it and hanging down to tie it under the contestants chin. When the whistle is blown, the contestant lifts the cotton balls from the cup to the plate on his head. 

Required items:  Four plates with attached strings, four plastic cups full of cotton balls, four plastic spoons, four blindfolds.

Instructions: 

The contestant may not touch the cotton balls with fingers from either hand.

The contestant continues lifting the cotton balls to the plate on his head until time is up.

To win:  The contestant with the most cotton balls on the plate on his head wins.

Arrow shoot.

ARROW SHOOT – HELAMAN 16:2 But as many as there were who did not believe in the words of Samuel (the Lamanite) were angry with him ; and they cast stones at him upon the wall, and also many shot arrows at him as he stood upon the wall…

Required Items:  Four boxes that are the same size and cut so the top is open and there is a lip at the bottom to catch arrows, clothespins to which a man’s figure out of colored paper is attached to the back side, 50 paper covered end toothpicks (found at party stores) for each team, three straws for each team.

Instructions: Take 4 boxes, prepared as described above, and tape them on the wall securely. These Samuel the Lamanite boxes, open at the top should be taped on the wall in front of all four teams with Samuel (out of construction paper) clothes-pinned at the top.  Three players from each team stand behind a line on the floor and shoot arrows into the box.  At the end of the minute, count the total number of arrows in the box.  Highest number wins.  Each player stands behind the line and blows tooth picks through a drinking straw trying to get their darts into the box; arrow point first into the drinking straw for loading. 

Book of Mormon Jeopardy Questions

1. For what reason did Nephi return to Jerusalem twice, at his Father’s request? (A) To get the brass plates.

2. What group of wicked men did Alma the Elder belong to prior to his conversion? (A) Priests of Noah

3. Who was the great Lamanite prophet that called the Nephites to repentance before the birth of the Lord? Clue: From the top of a wall. (A) Samuel

4. What was the gang title of the group of wicked men in the Book of Mormon organized into a band of robbers? (A) Gadianton  robbers

5. Who did Nephi have to kill in order to get the brass plates? (A) Laban

6. What did the sign of three days of darkness signify? (A) Christ’s crucifixtion

7. How many barges did the Jaredites build? (A) Eight

8. What two problems with the barges did they take to the Lord to help them solve. (A) Light and air

9. How long was Christ’s ministry among the Nephites? (A) Three days

10. What 2 sons were born of Lehi in the desert? (A) Jacob and Joseph

11. To whom did Nephi entrust the gold plates before his death?(A)Jacob

12. I was named after my father.  I fought against the true church until an angel appeared before me and told me to repent.  Who am I? (A) Nephi

13. What king accompanied Ammon to Middoni to rescue the three sons of Mosiah? Benjamin, Lamoni, or Limhi? (A) Lamoni

14. Where did Christ appear to the Nephites: in the land of Zarahemla, the land of Lehi-Nephi, or the land of Bountiful? (A) Bountiful

15. Was Anti-Nephi-Lehi the name of: converted Lamanites, bitter enemies of the Nephites, or a group of rebellious Nephites? (A) Converted lamanites

Pictionary list

Golden Plates, Celestial Kingdom, Nephi, Tithing, Temple, Baby Blessing, Urim and Thummim, Heaven, Prayer, Liahona, Family History, Prophet, Bishopric, Chapel, Consecrated Oil, Pinewood Derby, Mortal Life, General Conference, Food Storage, Pioneers, Faith, Noah’s Ark, Sister Missionaries, Baptismal Font, Pearl of Great Price, Moses, Plan of Salvation, Mormon Tabernacle Choir, 72 hour kit, Word of Wisdom, Hymns, Sacrament, Resurrection, Armour of God, Creation, Sabbath Day, Baptism, Fasting, Miracle, Sword of Laban, Commandments, Family Home Evening, Journal, Modesty, Repentance, Twelve tribes of Israel, Baptistry. 

Family Feud 75 surveys

1. Name a famous king from the Book of Mormon: Benjamin(47)  Lamoni(11)  Noah(8)  Mosiah(5) Limhi(2)

 2. Name a book in the Book of Mormon: Nephi(21) Alma(20) Omni(6) 3Nephi(6) Ether(5) Mormon(5) Mosiah(4)

3. Name your favorite Book of Mormon hero: Captain Moroni(25) Moroni(12) Nephi(10) Ammon(9) Helaman/Stripling Warriors(4) Jesus(2)

4. Name a Primary song: I Am A Child of God(26) Jesus Wants Me For A Sunbeam(7) Popcorn Popping(6) Give Said the Little Stream(6) I hope They Call Me On A Mission(5) I’m trying to Be Like Jesus(5) Book of Mormon Stories(5) A Child’s Prayer(3)

5. Complete: “The Gift of ______________” The Holy Ghost(46) Tongues(11) Repentance(2) Prophecy(2) Life(2)

6. What is a man’s name found in the Book of Mormon that parents name their sons today? Jacob(22) Benjamin(12) Jared(11) Ammon(10) Nephi(10) Samuel(7) Aaron(7) Jarom(5)

7. Name something fulltime missionaries do: teach/preach(25) tract/knock(18) proselyte(10) eat dinner with members(7) study(6) play basketball(2)

8. Name a physical feature of an LDS church that could distinguish it: Steeple/ Spire with no cross(44) Welcome sign/name sign(11) cultural hall(3) baptismal font(1)

9. Name a day when you know the temple will be closed: Sunday(28) Monday(22) Christmas(18) General Conference(3) Thanksgiving(2)

10. Name a young women’s value: Faith(24) virtue(24) divine nature(10) integrity(5) choice and accountability(2) knowledge(2)

11. Name one of the dens of the cubscouts: bears(28) webelos(18) wolves(17) tigers(1)

12. Name something you do during the Sacrament: ponder/think/remember the Savior(24) pray(19) take the sacrament(5) read the scriptures(5) battle my kids(4) be reverent/sit quietly(4) read the words of the sacrament hymns(3)

13. Name something a woman carries to church: scriptures(21) purse(21) diaper bag(14) church bag/tote bag(11) baby(3) cheerios(3)

14. Name a book in the Old Testament: Genesis(28) Isaiah(9) Exodus(6) Ezekiel(3) Micah(3) Dueteronomy(3) Proverbs(3) Ruth(2)

15. Name a book in the New Testament: Matthew(28) Luke(14) John(13) Revelation(11) Peter(2) Corinthians(2) Acts(2)

16. Name something found in the church foyer: paintings/pictures(27) tables(12) crying babies(11) lamps(9) fake plants(7) people that should be in class(5) carpet(5)

17. Name something teachers borrow from the library to teach classes: chalk/erasers(39) pictures(15) pencils/pens(6) scriptures(5) TV(2) easels(2)

18. Name an occasion in which a family sis together: Sacrament meeting(28) meal-time/dinner-time(27) Family home evening(12) baptism(3) funeral(1)

19. Name something Mormons do on a Sunday afternoon: nap/sleep(53) eat(7) visit family(6) spend time with family(6) genealogy(1) go to church(1)

20. Name a dessert that is always found at a ward/branch potuck: brownies(26) jello(21) chcocolate chip cookies(9) cookies(6) chocolate cake(3) fruit salad(3) cupcakes(2)

Thank you to the people on the internet from whom all these ideas have been adapted!  How did we ever live without the internet??  Thank you! We all had a blast!  After the activity, one of the units provided refreshments and some even learned some things they  previously did not know about the scriptures!