Thursday, March 2, 2017

General Conference Preparation


The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Semi-Annual General Conference  are my two favorite weekends of the year!  I've loved Conference weekend since I can remember.  My parents always made it a special weekend filled with great anticipation!  Now I try to do the same for my kids.  I'm going to share some ideas.  REMEMBER: Do what works best for your family.  Do what will bring you and your family JOY!   Don't become overwhelmed.  Pick one idea you like and do it!    

PREPERATION
-Have your kids learn the Apostles Names.  "Some might say it is not the leaders who are important, but the message they bring. Yet, if our children do not know the names of the members of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, they most likely will not know their messages either."

-Where will the family watch conference?
 Do we need additional tables/chairs brought in?


- Make a plan for Saturday and Sunday.
Plan your meals.  Breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  Plan your snacks. (Growing up we always had super fun food during conference, which added so much to making it a special weekend!  Did someone say cinnamon  rolls!) Plan a fun family activity for the afternoon break.  Something that is active after all that sitting!!! (fly kites, go to a park, go on a bike ride)  -Plan to get a good amount of sleep both Friday and Saturday nights, and try to get any household chores/yard work done ahead of time.

- What supplies/ activities do I want to have ready.  I try super hard to have everything we are going to need in the room ready to go.  Snacks, drinks, pens, pencils, glue, tissues....

-Activities for the kids.  I have found that my kids only have so much attention span for coloring type pages, and Conference bingo.  I print my favorites from the links below, and then I also collect all the "quiet" activity things in our house to have ready and available.  Legos (build a temple!), construction paper/glue/scissors, puzzles, chalkboards, dry erase boards, paint with water books, etcha-sketch, magnadoddle, stringing beads, lacing cards, playdoe, or the latest favorite is to crochet a super long chain.  Then I hit the dollar store/ target dollar spots to see what fun new cheap activities I can find.  At the dollar store I usually pick up pipe-cleaners and beads to string on them, felt stickers, a new puzzle or two, and whatever else looks fun and quiet.
   
**Pick the Apostle (Don't Eat Pete) 

LDS.org Conference Ideas (CONFERENCE BINGO!)

**Friend Magazine- Connect the Topic to the Apostle 

LDS.org Book of Mormon Coloring Pages 

**Modern Coloring Pages 

**Modern Coloring Pages 

Free Printables
Fruit Loop Necklaces

Dot Sticker Printable (Not updated, but can still use the 1st presidency and several apostles)  you can use bingo markers, or dot stickers!

Treat Buckets  - Or snack buckets so its not as sugary!


Most importantly BE EXCITED!  Your excitement rubs off and your kids will learn to love conference just as much as you do!!!  Does everything run perfectly smooth and quiet for our conference weekends.  NO. But we try our best.    

General Conference Preparation Game!

And I'm so excited to share with you my creation of "Pick The Apostle!"  Played just like "Don't Eat Pete!"  I found the pictures of the apostles HERE. 

Simply click on the link below the picture, and download it to your computer.  OR click on the picture below.  When it enlarges, right click and save.  Print on card stock at your favorite copy store!  8 1/2 X 11 regular size paper!  Make sure to laminate it, so it will last!  


How to play: Place a piece of candy or cereal on top of each Apostle.  Have one player go out of the room.  All the other players choose which apostle will be "IT." (Say they choose Elder Cook!)  The player comes back in the room and one by one takes off the candy/cereal until he picks up "IT," then all the players shout the name of the apostle. (In this case ELDER COOK!)  The players turn is then over, and another player gets to leave the room.  This is such a fun game to help kids learn the apostles names!!  My kiddos LOVE it!

Wednesday, March 1, 2017

St. Patrick's Day Prints!

It's March 1st and I am so excited to share with you my St. Patrick's Day Prints!!  If you have questions on how to print them, just look at the sidebar of my blog for instructions!  Use them to decorate your home, for gifts, for postcards... oh the possibilities...

4x6
5x7 (white border)

5X7

4X6 (white border)

These are some I created years ago... but thought I would share!  :)
5X7

4X6

5X7

5X7

5X7

5X7

4X6

I used these free papers, and this one for the gold.