What Did You Do for Someone Today?

 

Part of teaching the YW about their Divine Nature is to help them develop their desire for service.  Service projects are always uplifting and fun.  I think our YW, by virtue of who they are, want to make someone's day a little brighter.  Beyond that, service can be performed everyday in the home, at school, at work, and at church.  Give the girls a small card, perhaps a 3 x 5 card, and have them stamp, decorate, and color it.  Head it with "What did I do for someone today?" and number the lines.  Have them place it with their cell phones to remind them to do a good turn, compliment someone, or smile!  Secret Sisters, Adopt a Grandmother, or just Thank the Bishop is a great way to help them get started.   Fill an ivy bowl (Doesn't each YW closet or leader have ivy bowls they don't know what to do with?) with a candy of choice and decorate the neck with a wire garland.  This can be done at the beginning of mutual and doorbell ditched, delivered, or stashed to give to someone during the week.  It's quick, easy, inexpensive, and is a fun presentation.  

 

Scripture Cookies

The YW made these cookies last night.  They were yummy, fun, and quick to make.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup Psalm 55:21
1/3 cup 2 Nephi 26:25
1 1/2 cup Jeremiah 6:20
2  Isaiah 10:14
2 cups 1 Kings 4:22
1 tsp Exodus 30:23
1/2 tsp Matthew 5:13
3 cups D&C 89:17
1 cup Proverbs 17:1

Directions:
1. Mix the first 4 ingredients together; mix in the rest.
2. Make tablespoon-sized drops onto parchment paper lined cookie sheets.
3.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes.




The translation: 
Psalm 55:21 (butter)
2 Nephi 25:25 (milk)
Jeremiah 6:20 (sugar)
Isaiah 10:14 (eggs)
1 Kings 4:22 (flour)
Exodus 30:23 (cinnamon)
Matthew 13:33 (baking soda)
Matthew 5:13 (salt)
D&C 89:17 (oatmeal)
Proverbs 17:1 (chocolate chips or M&Ms)

We combined this activity with a planning meeting.  We enjoyed sitting around the table in the setting sun outside, eating cookies, making plans, and setting goals.

Life-Sized Game of Life - Complete Instructions

We played the Game of Life for our combined YM/YW activity last week.  It was a great success and the kids had a lot of fun.  It was, however, quite complicated to put together.  After viewing different versions on line, I put together our game and thought I would share with you how we did it.  We had a total of about 20 kids and needed all of our adult leaders to help keep track of the various aspects of Life. 

I had never played the Game of Life so I sat with my daughter one afternoon and played with her.  We then discussed how to simplify the game to make it conducive to playing on a large board in the cultural hall.  We eliminated some aspects of the game such as "Spin to Win" or divergent paths.  It took us about 40 minutes to play.  Here's how we did it:

Supplies-

1.  A game board made by 8 1/2" x 11" sheets of card stock.

2.  Dice - used in place of a spinner.  (I bought inflatable dice from Amazon.)

3.  A chalkboard to be the bank.

4.  A small tablet and pencil for each player or couple.

5.  An item to represent debt.  (I used red Mardi Gras bead necklaces.)

6.  An item to represent marriage.  (I used a flower lei.)

7.  An item to represent children.  (I used clothes pins.)

8.  Houses to buy printed on card stock.

9.  A clipboard with careers listed.

10.  A tablet for Life experiences.

11.  Badges identifying different leaders' positions in the game.  (I used sticky labels.)

12.  Ring Pops.

Leaders-

1.  Game supervisor (Me)

2.  Two Bankers

3.  Two people to roll the dice

4.  One person to give out houses - the Real Estate Agent

5.  One person to give out debt - the Loan Officer

6.  Two "Sealers" - one for children and one for marriages

7.  One person to give out jobs - the Career Counselor

8.  One person to tally Life points - the Life Counselor

The Rules-

1.  Enter at Mission

2.  On your turn, roll the dice and move the number of spaces indicated.

3.  If you land on an occupied space, go forward one space.

4.  Decide whether you want to start on CAREER or GO TO COLLEGE.

5.  If you decide on career, choose a career by selecting a number between 1 and 25.  The leader will give you your career choice and salary.  You may not choose a college career.

6.  If you choose college, borrow $100,000 from the bank for your tuition.

7.  Collect pay every time you pass a PAYDAY space.

8.  Spaces labeled LIFE are for community service, family activities, and good deeds.  A tally mark is given for each of these.

9.  Stop at all STOP signs regardless of the roll of the dice.

10.  If you land on a "Lose your job" space, choose another number between 1 and 25.  A leader will give you another career and salary. 

11.  As you move through the board, follow the directions.

12.  You will be given a spouse when you land on the "GET MARRIED" space.

13  Whenever you land on BABY or TWINS, you will be given a clothespin representing your "Family."

14.  Choose a starter home.  If you are short on cash, you must borrow from the bank.

15.  All loans to the bank must be paid back through the ATM.

16.  If you decide to buy a new house, sell your house back to the bank and buy a new one.  If you are short on cash, you must borrow from the bank.  You must sell the first house to buy a new one.

17.  When you reach RETIREMENT, you must STOP, even if you have moves left.   Pay off all loans.  Sell you house for the amount listed.  Collect $10,000 for each of your children as a retirement gift, and wait until all players have retired. 

18.  Add up all income and receive $10,000 for each LIFE experience.  The player with the most $ at the end of the game is the winner.  

The Game-

The "Board" papers were snaked across the cultural hall floor and taped down with painters' tape.  I paired up the youth into couples.  They were told they were "engaged" so each girl got a ring pop.  We had one or two that did not have a partner.  Each couple had a small tablet (purchased in a bulk package at a party store) that was their bank reconciliation sheet and a pencil.  Each pair started with $10,000 and one career was given per couple.  They kept track of all their paydays, raises, debits, and credits.  Two leaders kept track of their debt only and one of the pair had the job of "running to the bank" to pay off their debts.  When then went into debt, they were given red beads to wear and when the debt was paid, they returned them.  One leader kept track of their LIFE experiences on a tally sheet making a mark for each space they landed on.  One leader rolled the dice for the CAREER players and one leader rolled the dice for the COLLEGE players.  The Real Estate Agent kept track of the house cards and when a couple landed on "Buy a House," they picked one card from a stack of Starter Homes.  We made the Upgraded Homes and optional choice.  They had to STOP and pay tithing and STOP to be married at which time they were given the floral necklaces.  When the couple landed on "BABY" they were given a clothes pin to hang on their necklaces.  A "Sealer" gave the girls the flowers and the clothes pins. The winner received a small bag of candy coins a couple of Million Dollar candy bars I found at the Dollar Store. 

I went through the Game of Life game board and used most of the experiences such as babies, twins, buying homes, buying TVs, etc.  Because we played in a Church setting, in place of lawsuits and the like, I added LDS experiences such as "Called as Bishop or RS President" or "Missionary Reunion."  All the kids entered the game at the spot called MISSION as if they had just returned from their mission and all the kids got married in the Temple (hence the use of Sealers).  Extra careers and houses were added to accommodate the larger number of players. 

I had somehow assumed that we would play as we did the board game, one player taking turns at a time but I found out that in the beginning there was just a mass of kids lined up to play and it was just easier to keep going all at once.  The difficulty was making sure that each kid moved up.  They patiently awaited their turn at the dice and I had a couple of wonderful brethren who really stepped up and moved from place to place accommodating each couple.  They also had a great attitude and made it much more fun for the kids.  We were pleasantly surprised at how quickly the youth paid off their college and house debts. The girls told me they had "tons of fun" so I have saved all these items for another time in the future.  All-in-all, it was a success.  If you are planning on this type of an activity, I hope this will be of help to you and successful for you as well. 

Download the game board here.  

RAK - the Sequal

We gathered our YM/YW for Random Acts of Kindness this Wednesday.  As they gathered at the building for opening exercises, each youth had a number written in washable marker on their hand.  Boys were numbered separately from the girls so each group would have at least one young man or young woman in it.  We live in a small town, a bit isolated from larger shopping areas, so we loaded up our vans and headed for the nearest mall.  The group was divided into groups numbered 1-4 and given a bag with the following items in it:

        A Tootsie Roll Pop

        A pack of gum

        A $1 bill

        2 Quarters

        A diaper (wrapped in plastic and sized)

        Baby wipes 

        A flower

        A helium balloon

        A pass along card

        An individually wrapped bag of popcorn

        Pen/pencil/index cards/Post-It Notes/painters' tape

        Random Acts of Kindness Cards

        A list of kind acts to do

        A copy of the safety precautions and rules

Once they were in the mall they were off!

 

Each item was given a point value that was chosen at "random."  I did this by rolling a die and giving each item a point from 1-5.  (The point value was only once no matter how many people they smiled at!  :)  The youth were instructed to tell people they were a church group and explain their activity.  They met with some skepticism if they forgot to do this.  At the end of the activity, points were tallied and the winning team was given a bag of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups to share.  We gathered for smoothies afterwards to hear about their experiences and the reactions of those they encountered.

RULES FOR RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS

**Please enjoy this experience!  Watch for reactions and listen to comments.  The point is to make someone's day a little brighter.  Be bright!  Smile!**

1. All points awarded are randomly selected.  Not one thing is given a higher point value because it is "harder to do."
2. Stay with your group or in pairs at all times.
3. ASK PERMISSION!  "May I help you?" "Can I push your wheelchair?" 
4. DO NOT give anything to a lone child.  Find one with a parent and ask the parent if you can given the child the balloon/candy, etc.
5. DO NOT LEAVE THE BUILDING OR GO OUTSIDE.
6. If an act has already been done, do not do it again.  Do not give a woman with a flower, another flower.  If a diaper and wipes have been placed at the changing station, do not leave 4 diapers and 4 packages of wipes.
7. Giving a package of gum is the same as giving a stick of gum.  There is no point value difference.
8. No points are given for preprinted notes.  You will receive a point for notes that you write yourselves.
9. Please do not place anything sticky on something it may damage.  If you have a sticky note to leave, please apply it where it will come off freely.
10. Set your cell phone alarms to meet at the mall entrance at 8:00 p.m.for a return to the building.  Please all meet at the same time so we can return for smoothies and to give out awards.

This activity took a little bit of planning but I think that most worthwhile activities do.  We enjoyed watching them and they enjoyed the experience.  It was a good missionary prep activity taking them a little out of their comfort zone to meet strangers with a smile.  I think it is a good idea to have groups of mixed classes to have the older ones help the younger ones as many of the Laurels and Priests have had leadership experiences that they can draw on.

       

Random Acts of Kindness

It's Random Acts of Kindness Week.  Here is a list of things you can do in your community, mall, or shopping center with your youth that are free or almost free.

1.  Write a thank you note

2.  Chalk someone's driveway with a positive message

3.  Open a door for someone--be dramatic and smile!

4.  Deliver candy or cookies to the local fire department

5.  Leave flowers for the nurses in the emergency room

6.  Re-shelve misplaced items in the store or library

7.  Leave notes with a happy thoughts in the store

8.  Help bag items in the local store

9.  Thank a soldier for his service

10.  Volunteer to sweep the floor in a store or fast food place.

11.  Give out carnations to ladies you see

12.  Give a balloon to a child

13.  Leave coupons for items in the store

14.  Pick up trash

15.  Return shopping carts

16.  Smile at someone

17.  Ask if you can help--then help

18.  Say hello to someone

19.  Place paper hearts on several cars in the parking lot. 

20.  If someone drops something, pick it up for them

21.  Text a compliment to someone other than your friends

22.  Compliment a man or woman on his/her child

23.  Play the piano at the local assisted living facility

24.  Leave a joke on someone's car.

25.  Tape a microwave popcorn to a Red Box

26.  Leave a diaper at the changing station in the restroom

27.  Feed the birds in the local park or parking lot

28.  Sing a song, recite a poem, or leave a poem to/for someone

29.  Compliment a worker or cashier

30.  Hide a positive note in a book at the library.

Have your youth gather for root beer floats and talk about their evening experiences doing kind things for others.  Sometimes even the smallest kindness can make a difference.

Here is a link for some very cute Random Acts of Kindness cards to leave behind of you need them.

http://www.sowonderfulsomarvelous.com/2010/04/random-acts-of-kindness-cards-free.html

Reservation Quilts Service Project

If you are looking for a service project for your YW, the Lakota Pine Wood Indian Reservation in South Dakota is the home of the Oglala Sioux Indians.  The residents of this reservation are living dire poverty and in extreme weather conditions.  The Friends of the Pine Ridge Reservation has many drives and service projects available for YW.  The reservation needs school supplies, blankets, coupons, books, arts and craft supplies.  Raising needed items or sewing/knitting/crocheting some of their requested items would make for great Value and service projects. http://friendsofpineridgereservation.org/

Our small group of Laurels made quilts last week to send to their Baby Shower.  They learned how to put the quilts together and tie them.  They were excited to know that they were helping these babies with a worthwhile project and enjoyed each others' company, talking and laughing.  (My pictures of the girls working on the quilts were lost but I have the finish product to show.)

Game Night

One of our most successful activities was a game night.  This required quite a bit of advanced preparation but it was a huge success.  We played Jeopardy, Win, Lose, or Draw, and Family Feud.  This is a great way to spend an evening with the youth in lieu of a dance or other activity as well as for a combined YM/YW night. 

The cultural hall was divided into three sections.  Each youth was given a number of a team, two teams per game.  This number was drawn on their hand with a washable marker as they entered the cultural hall to avoid any changing, switching, or "forgetting."  The games were played round robin with rotation every 15 min.

Jeopardy:  The Jeopardy board was placed on both sides of a chalkboard with 8 1/2 x 11 sheets of paper containing the Jeopardy "answer" for both Jeopardy, Double Jeopardy, and Final Jeopardy.   A Jeopardy grid was set up including the headings for the topics containing general history, math, Church history, movie trivia, books, etc. and geared to their age level (Twilight and Harry Potter trivia for example).  Tape was used to attach the papers to the board that had been previously covered with butcher paper to prevent damage.  Another sheet of paper was placed over this, attached with Velcro, that represented value of the question.  Two leaders supervised this game.  The one that played the "MC" was familiar enough with the Jeopardy game to supervise and preside over the game.  Another leader acted as a time/score keeper.  Each team was given a set amount of time to answer the question and the team had to agree.  (They were allowed to confer on an answer.)  The team with the most "money" was the winner.  

Win, Lose or Draw:  A large news print tablet was placed on a easel and markers were used.  This allowed for quick elimination of one page of drawings without erasure.  Two leaders supervised the game.  One was the "MC" and the other a timekeeper.  The youth was given a category stack of papers such as "Things of Halloween" including candy, ghosts, jack-o-lanterns, etc.  Letters and numbers could not be used.  A youth was chosen by his team to draw and could rotate or not, depending on how they wanted to proceed.  The artist then began drawing the pictures as fast as he/she could with the teammates making the effort to guess was depicted.  A time limit was set.  As each picture was drawn and guessed, that piece of paper was cast quickly off to the floor.  Ones that were not guessed, remained in his/her hand.  The leader counted the papers left in the hand to determine the score (Ex. 2 out of 10).  The next team then proceeded with a new set of papers and a new topic.  The ones with the most answers was the winner.  In determining a overall winner in this game for the night, a running tally was kept.  With the discovery of a tie, a run off game was played to determine the Win, Lose or Draw champions of the evening.  

Family Feud:  Family Feud games were played on line previously to obtain "Survey" questions.  Chairs for each team were placed according to game designs.  Two leaders supervised this game, one to be the "MC" and one as time/scorekeeper.  A small table was placed between the teams, in front of the game board for the face off.  In this case, whoever slapped the table first, got to answer first.  The youth representing his/her team with the correct answer began.  Each team was asked their answers to survey questions, amassing points.  If they were stumped, the other team had the opportunity to try to answer the questions and steal the points.  The team with the most points at the end was the winner.

After all teams had a chance to play each game, winners were announced and rainbow sherbet floats were served.  This evening was such a large success because of the effort  put in by the leaders.  Also, each game required the help of almost all the adult leaders.  It was a large production.  The games needed to be fast and the questions interesting to hold their attention.  We all had a great time!

Dating and Dating Etiquette Night

Some of your younger girls will be nervous as well as excited as they approach dating age.  Group dating, of course, helps break the ice and relieve the tension of trying to think of something to say and do on a date.  Here are some things we used in a Dating and Dating Etiquette Night. 

If  he asks for a kiss...give him one of these:

Hints and Etiquette:
  Be yourself
  Be polite and pay sincere compliments
  Invite him in and introduce him to your family
  Let him help you with your coat and open doors for you
  Wear modest clothing for ALL occasions
  Be home on time
  If eating out, let him suggest an idea so you have an idea what price range he has in mind
  Have fun and thank him!


Manners:
  Don't do all the talking
  Don't lower your standsrds
  Don't let him honk the horn for you
  Don't keep him waiting
  Don't spend the night talking to friends on the phone or texting other people
  Don't criticize your date or put yourself down
  Don't sit in the car or outside after a date, go into the house to talk.

Talk about:
  What did you do today?
  Tell me about your family?
  Have you always lived in this area?
  What is your favourite subject or who is your favourite teacher?
  What do you like to do?

Inexpensive Dates:
  Picnic
  Inner tubing
  Bicycling
  Games
  A movie night at home
  Breakfast at sunrise
  Nature walk
  Beach
  Skating
  Constellation search
  Free movies or concerts
  Make dinner together and eat on the porch

Cultural Hall Battleship

Cultural Hall Battleship is a fun YM/YW combined activity.  This is a great way to use scripture mastery, lesson reviews, or just fun Jeopardy-type questions. 

How to play:

   Set up a divider in the room by using rolling chalkboards or volleyball nets draped with sheets.  These need to be high enough that the youth cannot see over or under.  Divide into 2 teams.  Each team takes a side.  Have your questions/scriptures ready and explain the rules.

 Rules:

  1.  Each member of the team must pick a spot in their designated area.  Once the game starts there is no moving.  If a player moves, it is considered a "hit" and the player is out.

  2.  A team is asked a question.  The first team to answer the question correctly is handed a "bomb" (Nerf ball, volleyball, Wiffle ball, etc.) to throw over the  net/divider. 

  3.  Any player hit with the "bomb" is considered out and must leave the game.  Continue until only one player remains and that team wins.  If there is a large group, the first one with five players out loses.  

Last Minute Gifts

Christmas is coming fast.  If you are like me, there is always something to do or a gift to make up until the very last second!   I thought I'd share a couple of quick and easy homemade gifts. 

I just finished making a Lavender Sugar Scrub for my YW.  It was very quick and easy.  I got the ingredients and directions from Centsationalgirl  and it worked out just beautifully.  I had the lavender oil already and made the sugar scrub with the lavender flowers.  It smells heavenly!   Buy a pretty container, add a ribbon and a label.  There are some very pretty printable labels on line from Martha Stewart and others. (I will include a couple at the end of this post.)  My colour printer has gone the way of all the earth so I Modge-Podged my labels.  Adding the Modge Podge also makes it somewhat water-proof.  

 

 

Fill a glassine bag or tin with some pretty sugared nuts for a quick gift.  I have the best and easiest recipe I have ever found and these make up in about 15 min.: 

    4 C pecans or walnut halves (about 1 lb.)

    1 1/2 C sugar

    1/2 C water

    1 tsp cinnamon

In heavy 2 quart saucepan, bring to boil sugar and water.  Simmer uncovered to soft ball (240 deg).  Remove from heat, stir in cinnamon, then nuts to coat well.  Immediately turn onto wax paper, separate, and cool.

These work year round and make great birthday or Mother's day gifts.  They are not very involved so the YW can get together and complete these on a Mutual night.  I found my glassine bags at a party store in the wedding section.  (These are actually left over from my daughter's wedding.)  They can be decorated with scrap booking materials or stickers.  Because they decorate so beautifully, they can be filled with candy Kisses or M&Ms, truffles, cookies, etc.  

Wishing you a Merry Christmas....and may "God bless us, every one!"

http://soitwasweekend.wordpress.com/2012/05/23/handmade-body-scrub-free-printable-labels/

http://www.findingpinsandneedles.com/2012/05/body-scrub-wash-printable-labels.html

Ribbons and Vinyl Scripture Bag

This is the cutest scripture bag and our YW fell in love with them.  They can be personalized and changed for each personality, season, or age.  They can scrapbook pictures or put their names on them.  A scripture or handout can be made at each lesson to go in the "window" of their bags as a reminder of their lesson for the week.  This is also a great camp craft.

My bag is scripture size but it can be adapted to a full sheet of scrapbook paper.   

Supplies:

Clear vinyl - sold at the fabric store.  The heavier the vinyl, the sturdier the bag.

4 (12 x 12) sheets of scrapbook paper (one sided) or 2 (12 x 12) sheets of scrapbook paper (double-sided).

Cardstock

2 rolls of coordinating 1/4 in ribbon

Lanyard string - Clear or Clear with sparkles

Refrigerator tubing - available at the hardware store.

Scissors or rotary cutter

Hole punch 

Each bag has a front, back, bottom and 2 sides. 

Vinyl:  Front & back - Cut 4 pieces to 7" x 8 1/2"

          Sides - Cut 4 pieces to 3" x 7"

          Bottom - Cut 2pieces to 8 1/2" x 3"

          Match sides and cut all pieces on 3 sides with a Zutter Bind-It-All Machine or you can have it done at a local binder such as Kinko's or the UPS Store.  Leave the top without holes to make a clean edge.

Scrapbook Paper:  Front and back - Cut 4 or 2 to 6 1/2" x 8 1/4"

           Sides - Cut 4 or 2 to 2 3/4" x 6 1/2"

Cardstock:  Bottom - Cut 1 to 8 1/8" x 2 3/4".

Sandwich the paper between the vinyl to your desired pattern for the inside and the out.  Use the lanyard string to lace all the pieces together criss-crossing as if you are lacing shoes. 

Refrigerator tubing: Cut to desired length and thread with ribbon allowing equal amounts of ribbon to hang out of each side.  Punch 4 holes in the vinyl, two on each side for the ribbon then tie the handle by the ribbon through each hold to make a handle.  Trim the excess you don't want.  

I left my ribbons long and have my YW scripture ribbons in my scriptures.....ribbons, ribbons everywhere!  A little bit of whimsey-perfect for YW!

  

Back to School

I wanted to give the YW something for their return to school that had a spiritual reminder on it.  Taking advantage of the bottle cap fad, I bought some bottle cap pendants at Hobby Lobby at 4 for $1.49.  I added a round sticker to the center, added a stamped CTR charm and a bead.  I had lots of keychains lying around left over from girls camp and I attached them all to the chain.  It can be used as for keys or a zipper pull on their backpacks.  (I am notoriously impatient and CTR was the only thing I had the patience to stamp over and over.)  I thought about adding an initial to them but this way, I will just have a basket full of them and then can choose the one they want.  I thought they came out kind of cute for a first time try!

Archery

This mid week's activity was archery.  The girls really enjoyed themselves and shot until the light was gone.  We met earlier than usual in order to take advantage of the daylight.  The leaders, of course, all got a chance as well.  Our instructor had taught Boy Scouts in the past and had multiple bows which allowed for group participation so we did not have girls waiting for their turn.  Once they learned the safety rules and were outfitted with protective padding on their arms and for their hands, they were ready to go!  It was so much fun!  This would also make a great camp activity also!  If this is something you are interested in and do not know anyone whose hobby is archery, BSA has a list of Merit Badge Counselors for your area and you can find an instructor there. 

A Quick Gift

 Ever get that call that you have to come up with a little gift or handout at the last minute?  That always sends me scrambling to see what I have and what I can come up with.  I have a tendency to save some things I think might be useful later and saved these empty Crystal Light containers thinking they were such a cute shape and kind of a handy size.  I usually have some candy left over from goodie bags or gifts in my YW stash of stuff and these were the perfect size for them.  In went one Butterfinger, one Payday, and one Mounds bar.  I tied a ribbon around it and placed a chalk board tag on the top.  I thought it came out rather cute for a 10 min. project.   These containers are a perfect size for coloured pencils, M&Ms, or perhaps a tablet and  pen to gift.  What kind of stuff  do you keep in your stash?

The Candy Lesson

My girls call it "The Candy Bar Lesson" and they love it.  I got it here:  http://www.lightplanet.com/mormons/ywc/activities/whatkind.htm and a Special Thanks to whomever is responsible for it.  

I bring in a basket full of candy bars which excites the girls immediately to see what is ahead.  I allow them to pass the basket and choose their candy.  They soon find out that each candy symbolizes certain characteristics of a young man.  Some are positive characteristics and some are not.    Is his testimony strong?  Does he cherish you?  How does he treat your family and friends?  Does he work hard?  Did he serve a mission?  Is this the kind of man we want to date and perhaps marry?  It leads to a great discussion in YW and sometimes at home. 

I always begin with myself as a demo and I always take the Nerds out of the basket.  (My husband is a very cute Nerd.)  It's a fun Sunday lesson (not on Fast Sunday) or a fun Tuesday night activity.  Of course, they get eat their candy when we are finished with our discussion. 

Jewelry Hanger

My MIA Maids made this jewelry hanger on a class activity night.  There are tons of different takes on this idea on Pinterest.  The girls loved them and had a good time making them.  I had several old frames and got a couple more at the thrift store.  You can always have the girls bring one from home.  I purchased the screen door mesh and the cup hooks at the hardware store.  I was excited to find the mesh at about $5 for a small roll.  We got right to work painting the frames.  My YW are of the opinion that if a little paint is good, lots of paint must be better so we had to have time for them to dry before we could place the screening and embellishments.  I had the craft paint and the flowers at home.  The mesh is attached to the back with staples and we added some wire for hanging.  It was about a 1 1/2 - 2 hr project (counting drying time).  If I had been wise, I would have spray painted the frames prior to their painting their individual designs because some of the paint on my "demo" peeled off.  Next time.  It was a kick to see their personalities come out in their designs and choice of colors.  We talked and had cookies.  It was a fun night.

Sun Catcher Craft

This quick and easy sun catcher can be made on a Mutual night or as a camp craft.  They are fun to hang in the window or door and would be great hanging as a cluster from a tent or cabin.  

A list of supplies include mono-filament line (fishing line), mirror tiles, a key ring, some faceted beads, and a glue gun. 

Because this line is so hard to tie, I doubled the line and just wrapped everything through twice.  I topped off the ends with a dab of glue to keep the beads from moving.  They can be made with an alternation of beads or just all mirror tiles.  Combinations of beads and mirrors are endless and you can, of course, make them in the Value Colors.

I hung some on the back of one of my doors so you could get an idea of the finished product.  Not a great pallet for it and I am a horrible photographer but you can get a visualization. They're quite pretty in the sun and fun to do!

My Most Successful Camp Craft

I used to play with phone wire that I found as a child and thought I had found treasure when I came across it abandoned somewhere.  I have a husband who is in telecom and will "dumpster dive" for me when I ask for some.  One year, as I was all loaded for Girls' Camp, I tossed some in as an afterthought and it was a
goldmine!

You generally find it like this:      

When you unwrap it, you get this:

           

You recognize it, right?  What you do is this:

To make this:

You can also twist, twist, twist and make a bracelet or make some Seussical-type flowers for the ends.  The girls can make friendship bracelets as well. (I can't demo that.  I couldn't make a friendship bracelet to save my life!)  I brought beads to add as well but they were not interested in the beads...just the wire.  

What's great about this is it is pretty much junk wire.  It's colorful and it's free.  (You can hit up your local phone guy for some.) It can be time consuming and occupied a lot of their free time.  (Yippee!) I brought it for my ward girls and had girls throughout the stake hunting me down during camp to get some or get some more! 

Denim Bracelets

For a combined YW activity night, we made these denim bracelets I found on Pinterest.  A couple of girls brought old jeans to cut up so we could use the seams. I brought tons of beads and some chain.  We needed thread for attaching chains and we used hooks and eyes for closures.  I even found some beads in the bargain bin at Michaels that said "Shine" and had a sun on the other side! We sat at a couple of long tables and just visited while we worked.  It was fun to have the social time and to see the different personalities come out in each bracelet.  I even saw a YW wear one as an anklet on Sunday.  It was a fun night!

These Are Great!

I found two great videos to complement YW lessons in the classroom.  Thanks to lds-yw.blogspot.com for the heads up!

Ten Ways to Get the RIGHT Guy to Like You.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqF_PtugyBk&feature=youtu.be

AND......

Worth the Wait!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=BR9UWj1q304

Enjoy!