Plate and Candlestick (Developing Talents)

We did this activity a very long time ago so I forgot to mention it earlier... but I think the girls really loved it so I wanted to post about it.

We made a cute serving plate by glueing a candlestick and plate together. These are super trendy right now and I think our girls at least felt super special that they would have one of thier own.

Here are some pictures of some that I found online. I didn't take any pictures when we made them with our girls, but here is the idea:





So I got the plates that we used at Tai Pan Trading for 90 cents each. They were super cute plates. Then I got the candlesticks at DI for 50 cents each. I got the glue that we used at a craft store... I can't remember what is was called now (had some numbers in it) but pretty much anybody that works at a craft store could probably tell you good glue to use. So for about a 1.50 per girl, they took home thier very own platter. I told the girls they can use it for food, they can put it in thier room and use it for jewelery or hair pins... whatever they want.

“Good Manners” Tea Party (Developing Talents)

For this activity we had a script that Sister Thomas put together (she used books and other sources and didn't want me to post it on this blog in case of copyright) however I will try to re-create much of what we talked about:

Greeting we let the girls practive proper introduction
-it's important to introduce people to each other. If a friend comes over to your house, introduce them to your parents.
-use proper names like Mr. and Mrs., Sister and Brother. Only use first names of adults when given permission.
-when being introduced to someone, its nice for you to say thier name back to them, it also may help you remember thier name.


Phone Etiquette
-say "may I please speak to..."
-never scream into the phone, go get the person the call is for
-never tell strangers you are home alone, tell them your parent is "unavailible"

Hygiene
-brush your teeth at least twice daily
-shower daily
-use deoderant
-wash your hands often, espeically after using the restroom and before eating

Eating Dinner at friends house
-its okay to say "no-thank-you" to foods you don't like
-always thank the hostess
-if possible, try to help prepare and clean up

Table Manners
This was the majority of the activity. We had the girls sit at the kitchen table and set the place setting correctly. While we did teach them about salad plates and dessert spoons (cuttlery you don't see as often) I asked that if the girls will at least remember that the fork goes on the left and the knife and spoon go on the right. I think the girls LOVED feeling so fancy. If you wanted to make this acvitity a little funner, you can tell the girls they can dress up for it. We served dinner rolls (so they could practice the bread and butter rule) and cupcakes.



My dad is a huge into manners. Here are some of the things he has taught me that we talked with the girls about:

-cutterly guideline: work out to in.
-never put your elbows on the table, sit up straight
-wait to start eating until instructed or the hostess has started eating
-when eating soup, spoon outwards
-put your napkin on your lap. If you need to leave during dinner to use the restroom, excuse yourself and put your napkin on your chair
-never reach over anyone for anything. Always ask "will you please pass..."
-bread and butter: you are supposed to take the amount of butter you will use for your whole roll and put it on your plate. Then you piece off a bite of bread and butter just what you are going to put in your mouth. Never butter your whole roll.
-if you need to take something out of your mouth (like a bone), it goes in the same way it came out... on your fork then to your plate
-when done eating, put your cutlery pointing to 5 o'clock. I told them that when my husband I were on a cruise, my husband liked this rule cause that was his way of telling the waiter he was ready for more food ;)

Made this into an activity that you can find here: 

Make a Personal Time Capsule (Serving Others)

When I was in highschool for my English class we made a time capsule and when I opened in 5 years later it was pretty cool! (whoa... I'm old!) So anyways I thought it would be fun to do a time capsule with these girls. When I did it in highschool we had to get objects and we had to write-ups on each of the objects. For this activity we made it a bit simpler and had them fill out answers to questions. We had them put it in a nice envelope and we wrote on the outside "do not open until 2018". We also included a picture of the girls from the day we had the activity. Hopefully they all took it home to thier parents and maybe it will make it until next year if we are lucky ;)

Apple Dumplings for the Soul (Developing Talents)

My wonderful aunt gave me this recipe and it is DELICIOUS! I think the girls didn't know what to expect when they saw "apple dumplings" and I know some of them were skeptical of anything that had to do with an apple. Normally you cook this in a 9X13 pan but I thought it would be funner for the girls to have thier make thier own and know that they ate what they made... so I got little tin foil containers for them from the grocery store.

Here is the recipe:

2 pkg. pillsbury crescent rolls
1 cup white sugar
2 cubes butter
1 tps cinnamon
1 12 oz can of mountain dew
Granny Smith Apples (2-3 depending on the size)

Makes 16 dumplings ---- 9x13 pan

Peel Apples, cut in half, cut each half into 4 peices. Put one piece of apple on one crescent triangle (the wide end). Roll up tucking in sides till the apple is sealed in the dough. Lay in 9x13 pan side by side.

In saucepan, melt butter, add sugar and cinnamon. Stir (or beat with a whisk) till well blended. Spoon sauce over apple rolls making sure the top of the roll is covered.

Gently pour the mountain dew between the rolls of the dough. Don't pour on the top of the roll, as you want the suger/butter sauce to stay on the top.

Bake 400 for 20-30 minutes (medium brown). Take a fork and check the dough to make sure its done.

Put 2 dumplings on a plate, spoon the sauce over each one.

Serve with ice cream or cool whip.

Here is a picture of them when they are cooked in a 9x13

Article of Faith Tournament (L & L the Gospel)

So the girls are all supposed to be learning the Articles of Faith but it is somewhat difficult because they are all at different levels of learning. Some have them all memorized already because they work on it at home... others do not. They also have different learning abilities.. like one of our girls can memorize something after reading it one... and another can barely read. We tried to make learning the articles fun for everyone.


We had 5 stations... unfortunately I didn't keep any soft copies of the games that I put together - HUGE BUMMER. Now that I have this blog, that won't happen again. I also made a sign off with all the Articles of Faith and a spot of the girls to put a sticker when they passed it off. If I get time, I will re-create that and post it on here. I got most of my games from ideas or places on the internet... so if you like this idea.. here are some games we played and hopefully that will guide your search:

-A math game. Just google A of F games, and you should be able to find it
-A word search
-A quiz
-A matching game with pictures

Making Scripture Bags (L&L the Gospel)

We made placemat purses... which are super easy. We did end up needing two weeks for this because the particular placements we got ended up being a little tougher than we thought... and we have like 16 girls... but we the girls LOVED thier new purses.

Materials:
-placement
-yarn
-big needle
-thick ribbon

All you do is fold the placemat in half and with the thick yarn, sew the sides together. This purse should also be reversible. Its more flat when you have the side that you sewed on the outside, and a little more puffy when you reverse it. Then you sew the ribbon for the handles. Some of the girls got create and sewed the purse horizontally instead of vertically. We also talked about the importance of reading your scriptures.

“He inviteth them all to come unto him and partake of his goodness; and he denieth none”
2 NEPHI 26: 33

http://mormon.org/church/

“Hooked on Good Books”- Library Tour (Developing Talents)

For this activity we had called the Library ahead of time and scheduled a Library tour. The girls LOVED it. They learned things about the library they didn't know... like the Orem Library has a play occasionally... and had a fun time looking at books at the end.

Making a Personal Hook (Developing Talents)

I was REALLY excited for a while before this activity. So the idea started because I changed all the knobs on the cabinets in my kitchen and had about 22 knobs that I didn't want to just throw away. My parents were also building a house and had a ton of extra wood pieces laying around... some of it pretty nice baseboards. So what I did was had my husband help me cut the baseboard into pieces and drill a hole in the middle of the piece. The knobs were kinda nasty so we let the girls spray paint the knobs and then decorate thier baseboard to make a cute hook that they could do whatever they wanted with! They had a blast and this activity was FREE!

Tin Foil Lunch and S’more (Developing Talents)

Sister Thomas has a fire pit so we made Tin Foil Dinners!! My favorite. Since the girls know that the Young Women were all gonna be at Girls Camp (and two of the girls were close in age and super sad they coulnd't be there themselves) we tried to do something that would be kinda like girls camp. Tin foil dinners is also a super easy meal that the girls could make on their own if they ever wanted. Since I've recently learned there are people out there who don't know how to make one (which i've made so many this kinda came as a shock)... here is what you do and some Nicole hints:

Most common ingredients
-Potatoes
-Carrots
-Hamburger
-Seasoning

I also like to mix it up with these ingredients:
-onions
-corn
-chicken and bacon (pre-cook the chicken)
-lettuce (wrap ingredients in it... keeps in moist. I like mine crispy tho)
-cream of mushroom soup
-cajun
-cheese


All you do is put all the ingredients together and wrap it in tin-foil. Make sure your coals are nice and hot and put the tin-foil on the coals for ten minutes on each side. You know its ready when you can smell it and it starts to make a crackle noise. You can also put it in the oven for about 45 minutes.

Dive In! (Developing Talents)

I live in a condo complex with a pool so we had a pool party! We played water polo and had races. I used to be a lifeguard and swim instructor so we also had a few water safety lessons. I taught them that if they see someone drowing that its important that they don't jump in after them and become a victim themselves. Unless they know that they can touch the bottom and/or they are saving like a baby... they need to find a floatation device to throw to the victim. I also taught them rescure breathing and the difference between not breathing vs having a pulse. We have them popcicles at the end and they were all BEGGING to do this again.

Take a Hike (Developing Talents)

We live in Utah with TONS of great hikes in the area. We all met at Sister Thomas's and drove up to a short hike nearby. We had granola bars for the girls once we got to the end and had a little "pic-nic". We did this earlier than usual to beat the heat.

Capture the Flag (Developing Talents)

I think this one is self-explanatory... we got some cones and went to a nearby park and played capture the flag. We had popcicles at the end cause it was a HOTT day.

Fun with Dads and Daughters (Developing Talents)

This activity was also a big hit. We had a BBQ in Sister Thomas's backyard with the dad's and the daughters. Everyone roasted thier own hot dog in Sister Thomas's fire pit and we had buns and condiments. We also had stuff to make S'mores for dessert.

We also had these games set up and a bracket so that for each event there was a champion. I'm sure you can all imagine... it got pretty competitive.

Ladder Ball


Croquet


Bocce Ball


Bean Bag Toss

Babysitter Training (Serving Others)

For this activity I got some books from the Library to help out... there are a lot of great resources out there.

We talked about:
-Getting information from parents
-Knowing phone number, address ect. of where you babysit
-Being aware of allergies
-Phone ettiquete
-Rescue breathing
-Gave them a few game ideas to play with kids
-Talked about a few easy recipes to make with kids

We gave the girls a few forms (a place for them to fill out child info for example) that I altered at the time... I don't have them anymore (hence why i'm starting this blog so I can start keeping that stuff!) but here is a website with some forms: http://www.totsafe.com/babysitterchecklist.htm

Brownies For You and Me and FHE (Developing Talents)

For this activity we made brownies and told the girls they could help out with FHE at home by making a treat for everyone. I don't have the exact recipe (it was Sister Thomas's) but here is an easy one I found online..

Ingredients
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 pinch salt
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)


Directions
1.Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x11 inch baking dish.
2.In a large bowl, mix the butter and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla extract. Mix in the flour, salt and cocoa powder just until moistened. Stir in the walnuts, if using. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan.
3.Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the top is dry and the edges begin to pull away from the sides of the pan. Cool before cutting into squares.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/easiest-brownies-ever/

Mothers & Daughters Lunch and Fun

It has been over a year since we had this activity, and the girls still talk about it. We had this at the chapel and had the girls come a little early to help prepare the breakfast. We served breakfast casserole and fruit for breakfast for the first twenty minutes. One of the girls and her mom also did a duet of thier favorite song while everyone ate. Afterwards we went to the culteral hall and played "minute to win it". Here are the games that worked for the group and the materials we used. Not everyone played every game...
Game 1
-popcicle sticks
-candy (hot tamale)
-cups
Have a pile of candies on one table and about 10 feet away have a cup for each participant. The participant had to put a piece of candy on the end of the popcicle stick that was in thier mouth and get it to the cup. The person who got the most candy in their cup at the end of the minute, won.
Game 2
-candy
-straws
-cups
Very similar to Game 1, have the girls get the candy to the other table by sucking on the straw. The person who got the most candy in their cup at the end of the minute, won.
Game 3
-elastic bands
-empty water bottles
Have the water bottles on a table and tell the participant they have to stay about 10 feet away. Give them a few elastic bands and the first person to knock the water bottle down with an elastic band, wins.
Game 4 - everyone did this one-
Give each participant an Oreo. They place the Oreo on thier forhead and the first person to get it in thier mouth without using thier hands, wins.

UPDATE:

I put together some signage, scorecards, banner, awards and a few other things for this activity and put them on my ETSY. I also made them in boy colors for any scout groups that may want to do it :)

 

This would make an awesome birthday party :)

Easter Egg No-Bake Nests (Developing Talents)

Ingredients
1 3/4 cups white sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup butter
4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter
3 cups quick-cooking oats
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, milk, butter, and cocoa. Bring to a boil, and cook for 1 1/2 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in peanut butter, oats, and vanilla. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto wax paper. Let cool until hardened.

Follow the Prophet (Learning and Living the Gospel)

This activity was right before Conference and was a good way for the girls to get to know our prophets. I had made a powerpoint (long gone now, sorry) with cool facts about each of the bethren. We went through the powerpoint together, each of the girls getting a turn to read, and then at the end we had a little trivia game.

Headbands (Developing Talents)

These headbands are really easy to make and was a huge hit! The girls were able to make 2 each. Sorry I don't have more pictures or a better tutorial... we did this a while ago before I started this blog. Please feel free to e-mail me at nicolegodfrey8@hotmail.com if you want more info!

First you want to print out this flower template:



You want the flower to be about 2.5 inches from one side to the other when you print it out. Print out enough for each girl to have 1. Then have the girls choose two different colors of material and cut out 6 flowers using the template (3 from one color, 3 from a second color). One of the flowers will be used at the backing for the rest of the flowers. Then you fold each of the flowers in half, then half again... creating a corner. Then with a needle and thread you sew the 5 corners kinda together in the middle of your sixth flower.


Materials:
-headbands
-superglue
-material
-needles
-thread

A few of the girls with thier headbands on:

Sing-A-Long (Developing Talents)

I actually could not attend this activity but Sister Thomas told me it was a hit! She did this at the chapel and organized the room like it was around a campfire. I believe she even had a fake campfire in the middle. The girls sang songs for the hour and loved it. I believe Sister Thomas served S'more cookies at the end and told the girls when they graduate to young womens they will be going to girls camp and will get to do this then too.

Heart Attack (Serving Others)

For this activity we had the girls cut out a bunch of hearts. We also had pre-made cookies ready. The girls chose three ladies from the ward that they wanted to "heart attack". Since we live and Utah and we are close... we walked around to each of the doors, leaving tons of hearts on the door and the plate of cookies and a note from the girls. We door-bell ditched and the girls hid around while we watched the ladies open the door to thier surprise. The girls LOVED this activity.

Materials:
-paper for hearts
-cookies
-cards for ladies

Making Cards for All Occasions (Serving Others)

Psalm 107:1
"Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever."


For this activity we taught the girls the importance of saying "Thank-You". We had them make a few "Thank-you" cards each that they could take home with them and have handy the next time they needed to say Thank-You to someone.

Materials:
-Paper
-Scissors
-Glue Sticks
-Thank-you stamp