Click here for the suggested activities from the girls Faith in God manual.

Service Activity (Word Document) shared by Wendy Franklin / ga08122007

One of our activities we did a service project for our primary chorister.  We asked if we could help make posters to teach the children the new and upcoming songs.  She in turn requested our help for the June and July songs.  It was really fun for the girls.  We cut pictures out of the New Era magazines and the girls also brought pictures from home that they thought might be good as well.  They also drew pictures and we used them on the posters.  Not only was it a service to the primary chorister, but for the entire primary.  The girls also have a head start on learning the words and meaning of the two songs.  When we presented the posters to the primary chorister she was very pleased to see what the girls came up with.  They are a very creative bunch. (Idea by Vanessa Seiuli / ga06032007)

Raking - Rake the leaves of  the girl's primary teachers and then have hot chocolate afterwards.

Secret Service Agents

Feed the Homeless - One of the best activities I did with my girls, was to connect with a feed the homeless program. The girls put together napkins and plastic utensils. Then they helped prepare the food. And then we took them to downtown Seattle and they served the food they had made to the homeless. It was called operation sack lunch and they are wonderful to work with, really appreciate the help.  The nice thing about this program is there was a uniformed police officer standing there the whole time the girls are there. So, if you pick a program like this, you might want to make sure that it's safe. you know???  Anyway, it was an all day event, but upon leaving the event, the girls asked if they could do it again. It was something my daughter will never forget.  (Idea by Lynelle Klein)

Cleaning like crazy by Sheena Perron

Writing Thank "U"s - Using decorative paper, trace and cut out big letter "U"s.  Around the front of the paper you will write THANK U or JUST FOR U!  On the back, the girls will write a thank "u" note to someone.  (Maybe a teacher, bishop, neighbor, girls in activity days that don't come, etc.)  Using any kind of cookie dough, shape each cookie in the shape of a "u".  Assemble the cookies on plates and deliver them with the cards you made.  Don't forget to talk about the importance of saying thank you and how you feel when someone appreciates you and your hard work.

Welcome to the Neighborhood Kits - Have the girls come up with things a new neighbor might be in need of.  Have them look up addresses and phone numbers of important local businesses or places.  Have them decide what to include in kit (manila envelope).  (For example: ward directory, community calendar, helpful websites, etc.)  You could take the packets to the new neighbors yourselves or you could make a whole bunch and give them to your ward missionaries to pass out when the need arises.

Wash Windshields at the Temple - Wash the windshields of cars parked at the temple. After we washed them, put a note under their wiper that says: "Because of your faithfulness in serving today at the temple you will see your way "home" more clearly. Thanks for serving so lovingly." (Adapted from Becky's Sonshine)

Scented Hangers - We made scented hangers for the girls Mom's on Mothers Day. We just took a hanger, glued lace on one side, add some potpourri, then glued another piece of lace on top. Then added a bow and a Mother's Day card. (Idea by Angela)  [Click here for some instructions]

Are you seeing stars?

Mission Possible - Give the girls an envelope at the containing their "secret identity", a badge, and an assignment sheet. We are going to record a tape - mission impossible style - of what they are to do - "should you choose to accept this assignment..."  Their assignment is to do as many acts of service as they can before the next Activity Days without being seen. At the next activity they will get to "crow" to us about what they did, and receive a wooden purple heart for their service. (Idea by Melanie Litton)

Bread for Sacrament

Clean the Primary Room - Detail clean the Primary room as well as all the chairs and piano.

Feed the Homeless

Scrunchies - We had a temple service project a few years ago and had the girls make white hair scrunches to donate to the temple. Have a lesson on the temple. (Credit Unknown)

Pajama party - Have the girls come to the church in their P.J.'s to watch the little kids in the ward, so the parents can go Christmas shopping - help the girls practice babysitting skills with games, story time, etc.

Mow lawn - Teach the girls how to operate a lawn mower, check for gas and oil and general safety issues.  Have each girl practice on a section of your lawn. As a group, go and mow the lawn of someone who is elderly, sick, new mom, etc.  Or, challenge each girl to go home and mow their lawn with their parents permission.

Have the girls prepare the game board and pieces for a Sharing Time game or prepare the materials for an upcoming Quarterly Activity.

Service Squares - July, August and September will be dedicated to a quilting project. In July, I will read them "The Quiltmaker's Gift" and have them trace and color their squares. You cut out muslin to the size you want the squares. I think I will do them about 7-8" square. Iron freezer paper on the back to stabilize it.  For those of you who have not used this technique, just iron the paper with the shiny side to the fabric. It will stick and be a way to make the fabric firmer and easier to color on. They can trace off the pictures from a coloring book or whatever you want them to use. I have a bunch of "Sunbonnet Sue" patterns that will be very easy to trace and color. Tracing is best done in a dark pen. Color in the design with regular crayons. When they are finished, lay down a brown paper sack or blank newsprint, lay the fabric down, colored side toward the sack and iron it. This serves 2 purposes: (1) It melts the crayon and soaks the excess up into the sack to make it permanent. (only use the sack once, as the old design could transfer to a new fabric. (2) It heats up the freezer paper so it comes right off when it is ironed. Wait too long and it will stick back to the fabric.  During the month, I will sew the squares together using other fabric between the squares to make a checkerboard effect. I will also use a "sew and turn" method of joining the back, batting and front together. When they come in August, we will tie the quilts and even do a little hand quilting to learn those techniques. In September we will deliver the quilts to the Chaplaincy here in town. I work for Hospice, which is run by the Chaplaincy. We collect and deliver quilts to the young children or grandchildren of a person who is going through the dying process. Those quilts are treasured by those kids who receive them. I will also let the girls sign their squares. I am hoping to get 2 child size quilts so maybe I will do the squares bigger. I am a fabriholic so I have tons of fabric to choose from, you can use a clean old blanket for batting. It really does not have to be an expensive project. (Idea by Sally Meyer)

Frozen Foods - Decide on a main dish that would be quick and easy to make.  Have the girls make the dish together.  Let dish cool before dividing food equally into several gallon Ziploc baggies.  While it is cooling, have the girls make cards for shut-ins, new moms, or whomever could use a few freezer meals.  Once cooled, have them deliver the food and cards to the recipients.

Local Library - Ask to go on a tour.  After the tour, offer to repair books, check in books, put on carts, etc.  Or simply ask the library what your girls could do to help.

Tie a baby quilt - Donate it together at a local shelter or hospital.

A Time to Appreciate - Have the girls make thank you notes for their school and/or church teachers.  Print out a copy of this poem, "Teacher Seeds"  for each girl.  Glue poem inside card. You could also give the card along with a packet of wild flower seeds (as suggested by author of Teacher Seeds).

Friendship Beads for Girls

Clean your ward house together.

Face Lift - Give each girl a garbage sack and have them pair up into two's or three's (safety reasons).  You could even ask a few other adults to come and help for this activity, pairing off with each group.  Decide on a location (your neighborhood, local park, their school ground, etc.) and a time limit and see who can pick up the most garbage. 

Learning about the Blind - We had a blind woman come in with her dog.  She also brought a Braille writer. She wrote each girl's name in Braille. She had a Braille children's book which she read to us.

Collect fabric leftovers from ward members and make a tied-quilt for someone.

"ME" - We have encouraged our girls to give service for one month. Something each day. Have the  girls paint and decorate wooden cutouts of the letters M and a E (found at craft stores) and give them this poem (Credit: Becky's Sonshine)

The way it works, I take the "E"
Away fro the "M" that makes up ME'
And then each day a good deed do
To someone for the day is through.

A smile, a word, a tender touch,
That says to them "I care so much"
Then I connect the "M" and "E"
To show I've given part of "ME".

These Letters M' and E' remind
Me of the the Savior of Mankind.
For he may say in days to be
"fear not, thoug didst them unto me."

Then a warm joy I know I'll feel
Because I've served with Love that's real.
So all the time (it's the key)
I'll give a Little part of ME.

"Teddy Bear and Me" party - The girls were so excited when they got their invitations a week before.  The moms all commented on how excited the girls were.  Everyone brought their favorite Teddy Bear (or other stuffed animal).  We introduced our Teddy Bears at the beginning of the meeting and that we would be serving them this evening.  Then the girls decorated the tables and set the tables (learning how to set tables and fold napkins).  Then we served our Teddy Bears simple refreshments (cheese and crackers and Teddy Grahams).  The girls loved it!!!!!!!!!!!  I loved it too!!  (Idea by Sheila Lewis)

Sand Art Cookie Mixes - The "sand art" cookie mixes are a lot of fun for the girls to put together. You'll need Quart size canning jars with lids. (I suggest one jar per girl) Then you just pick your favorite cookie recipe and layer all the dry ingredients in the canning jar. Then have a small piece of fabric to cover the lid (just to make it look nice, you put the piece of fabric over the "sealing" lid and then screw on the other lid so it will stay on.) Then make sure you attach a small card that lists all the other ingredients (eggs, vanilla, butter, etc) and the remaining recipe, time and temperature to cook. You can either type these up and print them on the computer or if you want a more personal gift, you can have the girls copy this onto the card. On one side of the card it reads "Welcome to our ward - Love, The Activity Day Girls" or "We're thinking of you - Love the Activity Day Girls" since we don't have enough new members in our ward for each of the girls to give a jar to we picked a few of the members who might need some encouragement or a smile to cheer them up. Then on the second side of the card the remaining recipe is included.  At the activity we will assign each girl a family or individual and let them create the whole jar themselves, from filling and layering the jar to picking the piece of fabric and making and attaching the cards. Then we will take them to deliver the jars. (Idea Kristine Davis) (Here are some websites with more information on these mixes: Website 1, Website 2, Website 3)

Birthday service project - One of the Sister Missionaries from our ward had a birthday last week. We got together and made cookies, birthday cards, wrote little notes about favorite Book of Mormon stories and/or testimonies that could be put in Book of Mormon's the missionaries are giving out, and we put together stuff for a Birthday Party! We included some money for a purchased cake (like a frozen one at the grocery store), Barbie Princess B-day party crowns, napkins, paper plates, cups, matches and candles, 2 invitations -- on to the B-day missionary and 1 to her companion "where" was their apartment, "When" her birthday, etc. We added a couple of little things you would put in a bag to send home -- Barbie bracelets and sparkly pens (these were all things left over from a b-day party we had previously.  It was especially nice, because a lot of it is the same as her little sister had for HER birthday this year, and the missionary wasn't there for that -- so got to enjoy it in a little different way, 2 months later!!)  I also added 2 cans of Silly String. It ends up that her companion's birthday was 3 days before hers!  We got to look at her picture hanging in the church hall, so everyone would know who they were being of service to. We ate the cookies as our treat, and sent a plate to Bishopric Meeting that night. (They were thrilled to get it!) I explained service benefits many -- how a fun little act -- making cookies -- could be of such service to so many people. They were concentrating on how they were making them for this Sister Missionary, but weren't even thinking how it was of benefit to them (they were eating cookies at that same time,) we included some little sisters in our treat time -- the were of service to them, they were of service to the Missionary, and helping her enjoy her birthday and feel good things from home, and we were of service to the Bishopric! They were amazed at how much service they really had been, but having so much fun!! (Idea by Perry Benjamin)

Cook a dinner for Primary Presidency and their husbands - The girls come early to prepare the meal and serve.  Have the girls write questions they would like to ask each other, to get to know their leaders. 

One year we had secret friends where they were to do something secret for someone else in the group (they drew names from a bowl) Some of the active girls were given multiple names for the less-active girls.  We gave them a few weeks to accomplish it.  This seemed to be very
successful.  (Idea by Diane)

Nursery Service - Last night we did a service project of cleaning the nursery closet and toys. We cleaned, straightened, vacuumed, and organized the nursery closet. Before we started I had the girls look at the closet and then when we had finished I had them look again and compare the two. I asked which they liked better. They, of course, said the cleaned closet. I then explained that the messy closet is like someone's life before baptism. We helped "baptize" or bring the closet to Christ by cleaning it and then the clean closet was like a newly baptized life. However it will probably be messy again after several Sunday's. Does that mean the closet is lost forever? That there is no hope for the closet? NO! was the emphatic response of the girls. I told them that just because they have been baptized does not mean if they make a mistake in life that there is no hope or happiness for them. I asked them if they understood why and one of the girls in the back responded, "Repentance". I smiled and told them that even if they make a mistake in life they can repent and "clean up their closet". It does not mean there is no hope for them and they need not come to church. I told them that Christ knows what is in their hearts/closet and He wants them to come back to Him. They really seemed to grasp the concept I was trying to get across on top of the act of service. (Idea by Tracie)

Keeping Hydrated - I wanted to share our lesson that we had tonight. It turned out real well and the girls had fun. Since summer and warm weather arrived here in San Diego this week I prepared a lesson on the importance of drinking water to keep hydrated. Went over how much to drink, ways we loose water, increasing when sick and exercise and when it's hot outside. Also ways to increase other fluids like popsicles etc. Then we made water bottle holders. I got a sports top water bottle (case at Costco)  (arrowhead water) an "o" ring (found in the plumbing dept at home depot 7/8 size-24cents each) and rainbow neon shoelaces (Wal-Mart 87cents one package = 2 girls) fold the shoelace in half and put thru "O" ring leaving tails at bottom. place shoelace tails on each side of cap and roll "o" ring down to neck of bottle, then tie tails to the new strap. The girls can then carry their water bottle on their shoulder and refill it. This might be a good pre-hike activity. We used it for "health" The girls also made one for the missionaries in the ward that said "Elder's water bottle" Oh I forgot. I cut strips of paper the girls colored and made a label then taped it on the bottle with clear packing tape. (Idea by Sharla)