Take a Trip to "Honesty-ville"

An idea for a Primary Quarterly Activity

Purpose:  To give the children the opportunity to practice being honest as they visit different shops and places in the town of Honesty-ville.

Preparation:  Several stations could be set up to represent different shops and places in Honesty-ville.  "Honesty dollars" could be reproduced and given to use as currency.  Children could be divided into groups according to age and rotated to the various stations.

Procedure:  The children receive "honesty dollars" or pay "honesty dollars" as they participate in various activities.  The money can then be used to purchase their refreshments from the general store.  Here are a few ideas to get you started.

Stations:
 

1.  County Courthouse - "Tell the Truth"

Younger children could be asked to distinguish between true and false statements by holding up "true" and "false" signs as a judge asks questions such as "pigs are green" or "cows fly" or "Valentine's Day is in February".  If they get all the correct, the are paid honesty dollars.

The older children could play the part of a courtroom jury in a game called "To Tell the Truth."  Three people pose as witnesses, all claiming to e a certain famous honest person (i.e. Abraham Lincoln).  Only one is the real person.  The other two are imposters.  The children are allowed to question the three until they determine who the real honest person is.  If they guess correctly, they are paid honesty dollars.
 

2.  Employment Office - "An honest day's pay for an honest day's work."

Clean your room game - The object of this game is to "clean the bedroom" in a certain amount of time.  The area to be cleaned includes a "bed" to be made ( a rumpled blanket in an area marked to size of the blanket), a table to dust (with a pile of dirt r sand on top), and scattered clothes to be folded and put in drawers (a box maybe) or mat socks and put away.  The child must straighten the blanket to fit in the square that has been marked, brush the dust from the table to dustpan and pick up clothes and put away.  They are paid according to allotted time.

3.  Central Park - "Respect the Property of Others"
 

Use a long board as a balance beam.  Along each edge, place cardboard flowers with a sign reading, "Keep off the flowers."  The children are to walk the balance beam without falling off.  If they stay on, they collect a dollar.  If they fall off, they must pay a dollar for damages incurred.  Older children might be asked to walk the beam backwards or blindfolded to increase the challenge.

4.  Refreshments served at the General Store.