Ward Activities

Church activities should be planned to fulfill gospel-centered purposes. In addition to the general purposes mentioned above, these include:

1. Participating in service projects that bless others and build community relationships.
2. Developing talents and appreciation for cultural arts.
3. Improving fitness and learning sportsmanship.
4. Gaining education and vocational training.
5. Celebrating special occasions and commemorating Church or local historical events.
6. Developing leadership skills.
7. Developing self-reliance.
8. Participating in missionary work, retention, activation, temple work, and family history work.

• Boxed Dinners - have the couple pack a dinner including sliver wear and plates etc, and then everyone places their box on a table and you can either bid with fake money, or just have everyone pick on and then eat, no peeking on what is in side the "box" it is always fun to see what people do, I mean it is a great lesson on judging things by there appearance. Some have put a REALLY nice dinner in a old torn up dirty brown paper bag, others made a really fancy box, nice ribbon etc and there was peanut butter and jelly sandwiches inside, some bought food, others made it. Then you just eat and enjoy each others company
• New Joseph Smith Evening: there are lots of reader theaters out there on Joseph Smith, or you can make it fun and play games that he did (stick pull etc) we I also put together a Joseph Smith Trivia
• Picture Game
• Pot Luck Dinners
• Adult Firesides- we have these about every other month, the ward LOVES them, we have members speak, we have them on Sunday evenings, at peoples homes. IT is casual, with refreshments and visiting after. We have had talks on: Service, Families, Being Happy
• Sports Night (just an idea I am not sure what I think of this yet, any idea's??)
• Family sports night, kick play, parents against the kids, or something like that!
• Our annual Fundraiser- Family Bake Sale and Auction
• Adult Cookout Dutch Oven Cookout, we head out to some open land, and have Dutch Oven cooking and a small program
• Breakfast / Easter Egg Hunt - FamilyDone at the local park, GREAT missionary tool, we invite everyone around us, we have a few games, like egg toss, a relay game. a place for them to dye eggs. We have the YW came and help hide the eggs earlier, we put some out just in the grass for the little one's to find. I think we have broke up the ages this way, 0-3, 4-7 and then 8-11. We have had pancakes, and we have had everyone bring something for a "continental breakfastt"
• Adult Game Show Night
• Ward Camp out, we try to have these every year, LOVE THEM!!!
• 4th of July Breakfast / Flag raising ceremony, you would be surprised how many people do come. You could invite you local Fire Department for breakfast, your scouts can do the Flag Raising, have a trivia game on facts about the USA
• Family Swimming PartyWe rent a local pool for 2 Hours GREAT TURN OU
• Adult Water Game Night
• Annual Fall Festival, This is a BIG missionary tool, we have done it for years and tons nonmembers come
• Ward Service Project
• Breakfast with Santa
• Adult Christmas Dinner , one thing you can do, it have different ward members set a nice table and be the host of the table, it makes the decorated really easy.
• Adult or Family Pinewood derby
• 24th of July party
• Play in the Park: In the cooler months, which is winter in AZ we have Park Day on Wednesdays from 11 am to whenever, Mom's (or Dad's I guess if they wanted) meet at a park (in one of the subdivisions) and eat lunch and let the kids play and the adults visit.
• Open Gym: I want to start, "Open Gym" ( must be accompanies by an adult, we don't want a bunch of teenagers to show up to play ball) This is to replace Park Day, since it is to hot to go out side here, but it is like winter in other States and we are trapped in the house, I thought we could open the Gym at the church to let the kids ( I would guess around Primary age) run around, play ball, scream, get it out instead of doing it at home.
• I think a STAKE Road show would be so much fun!
• Someone asked: I am looking for ideas how to use bandanas as table decorations for a Chili Cook-Off ward party? Here are some of my thoughts, if anyone else has any ideas, please email me so we can share them with everyone!"When I think of a chili cook-off, I think of cowboys........the bandanas, how about getting cowboy boots, one boot per table, have the bandanas sticking out of the boot with some wheat sticking out , does that make since?? We did that once for a cub scout dinner.Or how about use them as place mats, or use them to tie up the silverware, they would be your napkins, tie them around each cup, use then as toppers on top of the table cloth.............. just my brain thinking!

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