For the Youth

Our group of girls are BOOK WORMS. This is a laid back activity and you do not have to prepare much. We told our class the week before to bring a book. Could be any book. A favorite book, children's book, one they are currently reading, you name it. We just suggested not to bring the scriptures (as much as we love them) and it needed to be appropriate. It was also encouraged to bring a treat or snack to share, but not required. We laid out blankets and pillow on the floor, popped off our shoes, filled our plates with snacks, and pulled out our books. Each girl was given a few minutes to talk about their book. Naturally we all agreed that sharing the ending was not allowed in case someone wanted to read it, but there would be an opportunity to ask questions after they were done speaking. It was a GREAT activity! Everyone loved it. We even had one girl bring 3 books because she couldn't pick one before coming. There was another girl that brought homemade bread sticks! YUM! ...

We put on this activity for one of our combined mutual activities. It was a huge hit and was one of our largest turn outs... Luckily I prepared for the masses. I came up with THREE separate lists of "items" for the youth to find. Each clue was a scripture reference and they had to find either a location, person, or specific painting. (Please feel free to change the scripture clues if your church building does not have the same exact paintings.) Before they took off on the hunt, everyone started in the gym where they were given their first scripture clue and we went over some ground rules as listed below. Rules: 1. At least one youth leader must be present with your group. 2. Take a picture at each "item" with the scripture that is hidden with it. 3. You must use physical scriptures. 4. No running. Stay with your group. 5. There are no clues in the Chapel. The groups were informed that if they needed a hint, they could report back to the gym to ask me for on...

This activity was inspired from something we did when I was a youth, but I put my own spin on it. This was the first mutual activity we did this year that focused on our spiritual growth and my Beehives loved it. I was surprised at how well it was received! Our missionaries provided me with several copies of the Book of Mormon for each girl to write their testimony on the inside cover. They were also given scrap paper to use to practice what they wanted to say. We saved the last ten minutes for each of them to get up and share what they wrote. We played uplifting music in the background to invite the spirit. It was eye opening for me as a leader to see how different all of them were. Each of young woman testified of something different and some even shared experiences. When they were done, they had the option to leave their copy on the table to give back to the missionaries or to give it to someone they know. I was thrilled to see a few girls hang onto theirs. I below is a copy...

Welcome Welcome readers! I am so excited for this opportunity to share some of my ideas, or my version of an idea, for youth activities. These activities may be for combined mutual activities, your assigned priesthood/auxiliary group, or your individual class. It is up to you as to what group you want to try them with. My calling is with the Beehives and for living in Ohio, it is a rather large group of girls. Some of these activities can be a bit elaborate and some are just plain simple. Please feel free to modify or adjust according to your needs. Thank you! Also, if you click on the image for the years theme, it will redirect you to the official church website.