A Pioneer Trek
These games and activities are from Christy's Clipart
 

Nauvoo:  Gathered all the children here to begin.  "Brigham Young" tells about Joseph Smith and the mobs - then a 'Missourian' comes and tells the children (Saints) to leave.  "Brigham" blesses them (opening prayer) and they divide into companies (their classes w/ teacher) and begin the trek.

Sugar Creek:  (made a 'campfire' with a red light bulb and some sticks laid across it.  We had the children gather around while a pioneer sister told of some of the experiences the Ellsworth Company had going to the Salt Lake Valley  (stories from Friend).  There they tasted horehound candy (Brigham Young's favorite)

Winter Quarters:  (another pioneer story)  - tasted horseradish (to cure scurvy).  They made Fig Newton Handcarts to prepare for the trek.

Chimney Rock:  (pioneer story about being abducted by Indians and trading to get them back.)  Jr. Primary made bead necklaces and Senior Primary had a contest sewing on a button.  (Bead necklace kits were given to Sr. Primary to do later or at home)  They are told about eating dried prickly pear cactus and taste dried apples. - Brigham Young told pioneers they were too discouraged and could not leave until they sang a song to lift their spirits.  So, as they left and walked around the building to their next camp they sang songs.

Ft. Laramie:  (taught about the games children played):  We played duck-duck-goose, Button-button, and had gunny sack three legged races.  It was fun and let them run out some energy.  They tasted jerky.

Salt Lake Valley:  The children planted crops (sunflower seeds in an egg carton cup with potting soil).  We talk about the seagulls and had a couple of bags of crickets from the local pet store for the children to see) and then "Brigham Young" arrives, declares this is the right place, blesses the 'crops' and offers closing prayer.  As the children leave we give them an old fashioned cookie:  molasses, oatmeal or peanut butter.

DUCK, DUCK, GOOSE: Everyone *sits* in a big circle, with one person standing on the outside of the circle.  That person ("the standing person") on the outside walks around the circle touching each person on the head, saying Duck, duck, duck, etc. 

When he/she decides to, he touches someone's head and says GOOSE!  Then the person who has been "goosed" ("the sitting person") jumps up and chases the other person around the circle before he/she gets back to the "goosed" position and sits down in the circle. If the "sitting person" catches the "standing person", the standing person has to go again.  But if the "standing person" reaches the empty spot in the circle, the "sitting person" becomes the "standing person."  This goes until everyone is tired of playing.

Button-Button, Who's got the button? Everyone sits in a circle, with one person standing.  That person puts a button between his/her hands (like he/she was praying) and you are basically trying to pass the button from the person standing to one of the people sitting, without everyone else knowing.  You go around the circle pretending to pass the button off to everyone, then everyone else has to guess who has the button.  Hence, “Button-button, who's got the button.”