October General Conference is almost here!
Don’t you love planning for your sweet tribe to cozy in for the weekend as you listen to words from our inspired church leaders? There’s a blessed feeling in our homes as we make General Conference a special weekend.
I love that we can stream conference live or on a delayed schedule to allow for pre scheduled family activities, such as kids’ Saturday sports team games. I know it’s going to be a joyful weekend!
We have some tools to share with you to contribute to making conference weekend extraspecial.
FORTS
This year my family is going to create our own forts as a comfy way to make watching conference memorable. My kids are excited about collecting every blanket and pillow we have around the house to role play King Benjamin’s people gathering as families in tents around the temple to listen to the prophet.
You may wish to read this story from The Friend to your little one(s) for FHE before General Conference to explain King Benjamin’s story and how it relates to our General Conference.
CONFERENCE WORD BUILD
For an attention-getting activity to help your child stay focused on listening, print our Conference Word Build! Cut out the 6 word cards (or you can use less if that is easier for your little one!). Tape each word card to a child safe bowl. Fill each bowl with blocks of various sizes and colors. As your child is listening to conference and hears one of the words listed, he gets to pick a block from that bowl and add to his creation! Super fun, engaging, mostly quiet, and candy free!
ACTIVE GAMES
To successfully encourage quiet listening during conference, be sure to play an active family game right before each session. Giving your little one(s) an opportunity to get their energy out in positive ways will make great conference memories.
Family Tag
If the weather isn’t cooperative or a yard isn’t available, you can play crawling tag indoors
Move Across the Room
How many different ways can you think of to get from one side of a room to the other? Walk, run, bunny hop, forward roll, backward walk, donkey kick, crab walk, slither, etc.
Skate on Paper Plates
Nature Walk
Name a color and see if your family can spot 10 things of that particular color as you walk. Then name a new color and count again!
Family Kickball Game
Keep the Balloon Up
Blow up one or more latex balloons and encourage your family to work as a team to try to keep the balloon(s) from touching the floor.
Hot Lava
Lay some towels out around the floor and pretend as a family that the ground is hot lava. Family members need to try to move around from towel to towel safely without touching any of the lava ground. You may wish to incorporate couches, coffee tables and pillows if the children are allowed to climb on them.
Flashlight Hide and Seek
Close all the blinds and curtains and give each family member or parent/child team a flashlight to play a game of family hide and seek!
PUMPKIN COOKIES
October Conference calls for some pumpkin lovin from the oven! Try serving pumpkin oatmeal chocolate chip cookies when your family needs a little afternoon conference pick-me-up!
Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- ¼ cup honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¾ cup pure pumpkin
- 1-1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the butter, brown sugar and honey. Add the vanilla and pumpkin. Beat on low speed until just combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the oats, whole wheat flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Add to wet ingredients and beat until well combined. Stir in the chocolate chips. Smells so good!
- Form dough into tablespoon sized balls and place on prepared baking sheet. Flatten each ball of dough slightly. Bake for approximately 12 minutes. Share this whole wheat, pumpkin-packed, fall deliciousness with your tribe!
Happy Conference Weekend Mama!
