Gift Exchange Printable

Dice Rolling Gift Exchange

A White Elephant Gift Exchange Game for Holiday Parties

A fun alternative to handing out gifts is to use a Christmas swap game to exchange your gifts. It's a great way to prolong the gift giving process and have fun doing it. It's perfect as an office party game or a home party.

This party gift exchange game will work great as long as the gifts are not person-specific. It'll also work great whether you're exchanging serious or white elephant type of gifts.

File Download - 8.5x11"

Print on Cardstock, 2 sided then laminate or store in a plastic sleeve.

Thanksgiving Placemat Printable

Here is a placemat I made for the kid's table at Thanksgiving. Actually, our family doesn't do a kid's table so the adults get to do one too. These are fun to keep guests busy while the finishing touches are being done on the meal.

Don't forget to put out some colored pencils too.

Download PDF - 8.5"x11"

Hope you have a very Happy Thanksgiving!!

Temple and Priesthood Preparation

We just had our TPP meeting and it was a great success. We have the meeting together as a stake and then break-out the wards for their bishop's instruction.

Invitation

Letter to the Bishops:

Dear Bishops,

It is time once again for the Temple and Priesthood Preparation Meeting for 11-year-old boys and girls and their parents. The purpose is to help these children understand the blessings of temple service, priesthood service, and making and keeping sacred covenants. Possible topics for the meeting include priesthood purposes, responsibilities, ordinances, and blessings; helping boys strengthen their commitment to prepare to receive the priesthood; helping boys and girls understand their opportunities to participate in the work of salvation; and encouraging children to prepare to receive a limited-use temple recommend and to participate worthily in proxy baptisms as their circumstances allow.

The meeting will be held at the Stake Center, on Sunday, November 14 at 6:00-7:00 p.m. We will start all together in the Primary Room with a song, prayer and a message from the Stake Presidency (20 minutes). We will then break out into classrooms for Ward instruction and a closing prayer (20 minutes). Refreshments will be served back in the Primary Room.

We recommend inviting a Young Man and a Young Woman from your ward to talk about their experiences at the temple or with priesthood duties. Below are some resources and guidelines to assist you in planning your instruction for the meeting.

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/callings/primary-organization/my-calling/temple-and-priesthood-preparation

We will pass out printed invitations to your ward Primary Presidents on 10/31 to be passed out on 11/7.

Thank you for all your help and participation.

Your Stake Primary Presidency

Program:

Front and Back - cut in half

We asked the 11-year-olds to sit in the first 2-3 rows so the speakers could talk directly to them. The Stake President spoke about the covenant path and the power and authority of the priesthood. Our Stake YW President spoke about Family History and making those connections through temple service. And our Stake Presidency, Second Counselor spoke about recognizing pornography and what to do when they see it. Everyone was then dismissed to different classrooms to receive instruction from their Bishop and any youth he asked to come. They said the closing prayer in their classes and then came back together for refreshments.

Refreshments:

While they were in their classes, we took down all the chairs and set up a table. Refreshments were Costco cookies and milk.

Cooking Tips

Hamburger Helper

Try mixing up dinner using 1 box of Chili Mac and 1 box of Cheeseburger Mac. I only use 1 pound of ground beef to stretch it a bit and use 2 cups of milk and 4 cups of hot water. Once it comes to a boil, cover and cook for 12 minutes, stirring halfway through. Serve with a dollop of sour cream.

We started making this and reserving some to take to work for lunches. It reheats well.

Kraft Macaroni & Cheese

The secret to good macaroni & cheese is to mix the milk and powdered cheese with a fork, before adding it to the noodles. I usually put the butter in the warm pot and add the noodles on top. Once the butter is melted, I add the cheese. And don't forget to add some noodles back to the measuring cup to get all the cheese out. This makes a smooth and creamy sauce!

Add hotdogs, cut into pennies to make it gormet!

General Conference Booklet

Here is a General Conference Activity book with a Church History theme to go with our scripture study for 2021. Hopefully it is appropriate for all ages. I am offering it to everyone for free. Most of the artwork came from https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/media/collection/primary-images.

Downloads:

BOOKLET PDF FILE: The booklet should be printed on 8.5x11", double-sided, flip on short edge. Fold in half and staple with a long-reach, book stapler. Pages are numbered to help keep them in order.

8.5x11" PDF FILE: In case you don't want to deal with the booklet, here is a 12 page, letter-sized version.

If you like this General Conference Activity Book, let me know in the comments. I would love to hear any feedback or ideas for next time. Tell me how you are using it and what your kiddos think of it. Thanks!!

NOTE: I am not able to translate this into other languages as there are word activities that would not translate. 

2020 General Conference Booklet

If you would like a Booklet that is more generic, you might consider this one I created for 2020. There is even a Spanish version.

Downloads:

BOOKLET PDF FILE - ENGLISH

BOOKLET PDF FILE - SPANISH

8.5"x11" PDF FILE - ENGLISH

Phoenix Temple Notebook Cover

I was just called to be the President of our Stake Primary. <sigh...>

I have a stack of notebooks from our previous presidency so I thought I would make new notebook covers. What do you think?

Here is a PDF of the files without the name of the Stake at the top.

I've created a couple of versions with other temples. If you are interested, I would only ask for $5 for my design time drawing your temple. Email me for requests.

I uploaded this picture to our Stake Facebook page to introduce ourselves. It follows the same theme. I like themes!

Pioneer Day Camps

To continue our study of the Doctrine and Covenants this year, we are celebrating the Pioneers! We will have 2 day-camps - 1 for girls and 1 for boys. We will divide the children into 4 "Companies" (about 10 children each). "Pioneers" from each region along the trail will tell their story in first-person point of view, then make crafts/play games with the children. Our over-all theme is the same as the stake theme for the year, "Let God Prevail."

Poster/Invitations:

All should dress in Pioneer clothing.

• Girls might wear a long dress or skirt, an apron, a bonnet or her hair in braids.
• Boys might wear jeans or dark pants, a button-down shirt, a bandana, boots, and a hat.

Setup: I find it is always helpful to have a map and instructions for number of tables and chairs that are needed. That way, I can hand it to the helpers setting up and they know exactly what is needed.

Groups: Divide into 4 groups (named from actual Pioneer companies that correspond to colors). Berry Company, Lemmon Company, Field Company, and Snow Company. 

Activity Schedule: Each company guide (adult volunteer) gets a group sign with a schedule on the back for directing their group from class to class. 

Class/Bell Schedule: Posted in each classroom and by the bell button. Make your life easier and assign someone to bell duty. They can set the alarms on their cell phone to remember to ring the bells.

There are 8 wards in our stake so we were able to ask each ward to supply 1 helper for each day camp to be company guides (2 per company). They should take turns:

• 1 - lead group to next room
• 1 - wipe down tables and chairs between groups

Any other helpers/Stake leaders gather crafts from each class and place on colored tables in the cultural hall for children to collect before they go home.

Sign-in: Assign children to one of the 4 companies and stamp their hands with colored dots. We use a tally system to make sure the groups are even but we do allow them to choose what group they want to be in so they can be with their friends.

While the children are waiting for everyone to sign in, play these videos:

I'm a Pioneer Too & Pioneer Children Sang as They Walked

Welcome: Sit on colored quilts on Gym floor, around a "campfire": Welcome, Opening Prayer, Handcart family enters and talks about Pioneer life.

AM Classes: 20 minutes each. (pictures coming soon) Pioneers from each region along the trail, tell their story in first-person point of view, then make craft/play game with the children. Groups don't necessarily go in order on the "trail". The activity is divided into AM and PM classes.

Here is a sample of the email we sent to the teachers:

(Links provided for what we "plan" to do. And for products purchased.)

SNACK: Granola bars provided between second and third classes.

Palmyra – Stick Pull

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/new-era/1971/12/stick-pulling-newly-revived-game-of-the-1840s?lang=eng

Kirtland - Whirligig

Wood Disks with holes drilled in them.

https://heapsoflaundry.blogspot.com/2011/06/whirligig.html

Missouri – Make Butter

https://sofestive.com/2018/06/08/homemade-butter-in-a-jar-recipe/

Nauvoo – Pioneer Children Games

Ideas from: https://oneshetwoshe.com/celebrating-pioneer-day-family-night-she-veronica/

LUNCH: Served in a #10 can with a handle. Paper liner and wood tag are included.

Biscuit, Beef Jerky, Cuties, Fruit rollup, Hershey Kiss, Milk or Water

Children will use the butter they made on biscuits - spread with a popsicle stick.

Wood tag souvenir: 1.4"x2" laser engraved wood tag, tied with 8" of leather lace.

Movie: During lunch, play movie "Legacy" starting at 37:00 [16 min.] in April 1844 Joseph Smith bearing testimony on steps of Nauvoo Temple - Picks up where our "trail" left off and where they will "go" in the afternoon classes.

PM classes: 20 minutes each. (pictures coming soon) 

Winter Quarters - Quilt Tying Service Project (40 minute class)

https://www.thesprucecrafts.com/fleece-tie-blanket-1252959

Trek West – Girls: Yarn Doll

https://thecraftyclassroom.com/crafts/pioneer-crafts-for-kids/yarn-doll-craft-for-kids/

Instruction Posters PDF - 11x17 condensed instructions to hang in classroom.

Boys: Popsicle Stick Harmonica

http://www.housingaforest.com/popsicle-stick-harmonica/

Salt Lake – Tin Punch

Bottom of lunch pail cans (for most stable surface) with battery-powered candles underneath. https://www.auntannie.com/PartyDecorations/TinCanCandleHolders/

Testimony Meeting: Gather back in cultural hall around "campfire". Allow children to bare testimonies and close with comments from Stake Presidency. Closing Prayer.

Games: Fold up quilts and setup games. Each game should have at least one adult overseeing it. Let children play until their parents pick them up.

Ideas from: https://oneshetwoshe.com/celebrating-pioneer-day-family-night-she-veronica/

• Stick Pulling 
• Hopscotch
• Marbles
• Balls and Jacks 
• Cat’s Cradle 
• Hoop and Stick