2009 LDS Primary Themed Activity Day Ideas

Image courtest creative commons license flickr.com by the justified sinner 8/2008

Our Primary colors are one, two, three-

Red, yellow, and blue.

Each one has a message for you and me.

Each is a symbol true!

Red is for courage to do what is right,

Yellow for service from morning till night.

Blue is for truth in our thought and our deed.

We will be happy when this is our creed.

Our Primary Colors Children's Songbook pg. 258

The following are basic ideas for Primary Activity Days based on the monthly outline themes.

Not to be confused with Activity Day Girls- this is for everyone! If you have any questions about a specific idea and need a little more, feel free to email me.

February - I came to earth as part of a family.

* Families all over the world luncheon. Have about 7 different (more or less on depending on how many are in your primary of course) stations, each focusing on a different area of the world featuring that cuisine. Some sit at tables, some sit on the floor. Some families use forks, others chopsticks. We came to earth to be part of a family and the earth is filled with many different families. This activity takes the time to focus on unity of families throughout the world... and the importance of eating together!

* Our Getting to Know You Ward Family Ice Cream Social. Not everyone has a happy home and family to live with. But we do have another family who would do anything to help us, the ward family! Have representatives from the Bishopric, Relief Society, Young Mens, Young Womens (and primary!), High Priests, Elders Quorum... etc. Am I forgetting anyone?? come! Let them share some of their responsibilities and things they do to help primary children. Have anyone come actually. I love it when the elderly get to interact with the children. Make sure all the adults answer one important question- why do you love our ward family?

March- Family Members have important responsibilities.

* Family Job Fair. Have booths set up for fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers, pets, aunts.... you get the point? Everyone that's part of a family!!! Have fliers for all the booths with informed adult (or young women/young men) attendants who can answer questions and give a little presentation on what they do as that member of the family. You could have clipboards (I'm thinking cardboard with a clothespin glue-gunned on) for the children as they walk around to take notes and add their fliers to.

* Family Responsibility Olympics. Separate into groups. Have games based on family responsibilities and healthy snacks. Such games could include daddy's lawnmower and weeding race- run up and down the grass area wheel barrow style then dig through a trash bag of shredded yellow paper for tiny paper flowers. Or Mommy's dish washing triumph- set up a bunch of water tubs, see how many dishes can be washed and dried. Etc. Try to make it not so much a competition, but hand out medals to everyone for cooperation and working together.

April- Jesus Christ made it possible for me to live with my Heavenly Father again.

* I am the Resurrection and the Life. Have different role play stations where children can dress up and act out scenes from the life of Christ. Corresponding songs can be sung at stations also! You could video tape the children at different stations and come together to watch their marvelous acting skills and enjoy popcorn after. BUT PLEASE!! I AM NOT SURE IF THERE IS CHURCH POLICY SAYING WE CAN'T VIDEO TAPE CHILDREN!!! SO CHECK ON THAT!!!

* The Real Meaning of Easter. Click here for an activity we did last year based on Christ.

May- Baptism and confirmation are ordinances that bless my family.

* Water Activity Day. Based on good weather, have slip and slides, sprinklers, etc. Discuss the importance of water and it's significance pertaining to baptism. I know. It's a stretch.

* Baptism Books. Have the children put together books to help them remember their baptism day.

June- Faith, prayer, repentance and forgiveness strengthen me and my family.

* Physical Fitness Activities. Divide rooms into fitness stations. One room could include Repentacize- step aerobics. Another room Reach for Forgiveness- chin ups, small weights, arm exercises. Constant Prayer Room... jump roping for 10 minutes. See the correlation between these things strengthening us and also the physical activities strengthening us. Invite families to come too! Make sweat headbands for everyone. Have a room on nutrition and what we put into our bodies, include the idea of nourishing the soul through faith, prayer, etc.

July- I will strengthen my family.

* Dr. Feel TV Show. And no, I don't watch Dr.Phil, but from what I hear he's OK. Set up with cardboard cameras, lighting, a stage... etc. Have the children participate as Dr. Feel and guests on the show. Have the host ask questions on strengthening the family. Perhaps the guests could include scripture families. Feel free to open up questions from the audience. Have commercial breaks and children come up to do so... picture a little girl sad, then a brother comes up and gives her a band aid- they hold up a box of band aids, smile and say Love band aids heal our family!

August- Temple blessings unite families.

* Temple trip time!!!

* Family History Workshop. Do family tree crafts, journal entries, invite the ward family history specialist, etc.

September - Prophets teach me how to strengthen my family.

* General Conference Mania. Have a variety of TV game show games based off the teachings of the prophets. E.G. Jeopardy - categories: name that apostle, families are for..., love is spoken here, Tabernacle Trivia. Another game could be prophet pyramid. Or Family Feud Not So Feuding.

* Latter Day Prophets are Number One! Have people from the ward come dressed up as Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, Pres. Hinckley... etc. Have them share, as the prophet, quotes on importance of family and stories of their own lives and families.

October- "The Family: A Proclamation to the World" teaches me about families.

* A Family Carnival. We know from the proclamation that a family is CENTRAL to Heavenly Father's plan. Have carnival style games where the family is the center of the game. Like darts- family is the bulls eye, pin happiness on the family, family picture booth, find the forever family in the haystack, bobbing for apples- if it weren't for the partaking of forbidden fruit we wouldn't have families!! Etc.

November- My family and I can serve others.

* Go out and serve!!! Invite families to participate in a service activity!!

* Veteran's Day is November 11. What a wonderful opportunity to invite some of your local veterans to a lunch and primary program of sorts. The children could serve the food to them, sing, dance, do a skit....

December- My family is blessed when we remember Jesus Christ.

* Make family home evening kits based off the devotionals from here.