Campfire Songs

Here are a collection of campfire songs that I collected from my mom, aunts, sister-in-laws, and from Girls Camp.  Hope you enjoy them!

(PS There are a ton of them so be sure to click on the "read more" link to view the entire post)

The Animal Fair

I went to the animal fair

The birds and the beasts were there

The big baboon by the light of the moon

Was combing his auburn hair.

The monkey bumped the skunk

And sat on the elephant’s trunk

The elephant sneezed and fell on his knees

And that was the end of the monk, the monk

And that was the end of the monk!

The Ants Go Marching

The ants go marching one by one hurrah, hurrah,  

The ants go marching one by one hurrah, hurrah,  

The ants go marching one by one,

The little one stopped to suck his thumb,

And they all go marching  

Down to the ground, to the earth.  

Boom, boom, boom, boom.

Two by two - to tie his shoe
Three by three - to scratch his knee
Four by four - to shut the door
Five by five - to dance and jive
Six by six - to pick up sticks
Seven by seven - to look to heaven
Eight by eight - to shut the gate
Nine by nine - to tell the time
Ten by ten – to say the end! 

LDS Resources Toolbox

Here are some helpful links:

COMMUNITY SERVICE

Helping Hands Guidelines Manual for planning and conducting community service projects  

(click on link above, then click "English" to download PDF)

DISASTER PREPAREDNESS

Neighbors Helping Neighbors disaster preparedness website

PROVIDENT LIVING

Self-Reliance and Welfare Resources

FAMILY HISTORY

FamilySearch Website

BIBLE

Bible Videos

WELFARE – LEADER RESOURCES

Welfare Leader Resources

Understanding Your Patriarchal Blessing - Worksheet

Here's a chart to use that goes with THIS LESSON about Patriarchal Blessings.

Did you think to pray?

Here are some handouts that I made for a friend who teaches the Young Women at church.

Six per page:

This is the link to the lesson.

Teacher Appreciation Quotes for IKEA Frames

Teacher Appreciation Week is coming up and I am in charge of doing cute, fun stuff for the 70+ teachers at our elementary school.

Well, I LOVE LOVE LOVE these IKEA frames for $0.99.

I've used them myself a ton for parties, showers, wedding receptions, etc. and I knew the teachers would find good uses for them too.  And for $0.99, that is just a screaming deal.  IKEA rocks that way.

So I designed some cute pictures to go in the frame.  The frame fits a 4x6 inch picture and I develop my pictures at Costco for $0.13 plus tax.

I made one picture that says "Please Sign-in Here" and did it in our school's color theme with the school mascot on it (not pictured due to privacy concerns).  The teachers can use those signs for Back to School Night, Open House, Parent Teacher Conferences, etc.  Practical, yet cute and the total cost of frame and 2 pictures is less than $1.50 per teacher.

Then I made a bunch of quotes so that the teachers could display them on their desk for everyday use.  I did a variety of color themes and will let the teachers pick one each (first come, first served).  They could also put family pictures or something else and it is double sided so you can display two pics at once.

I used Stampin' Up's My Digital Studio graphics to design them.  They have a cool program you can use to design cards, invitations, etc.  I highly recommend it and no, I don't sell Stampin' Up and I do not get paid to say that LOL.  I designed my pics on PowerPoint (which I'm addicted to) and just inserted graphics from the Stampin' Up package I purchased.

I know the teachers are going to love these.  You can also use this same concept, with different quotes obviously, for Mother's Day, Young Women, birthdays, baptisms, etc.  Have fun with it!

See THIS POST for how I used these IKEA frames for a wedding reception.

Easter Handout - Jesus Died that You Might Live

Here's a handout I made for my friend to give to her class at church.  I think I'll make the same thing for my class of Primary children :)

Youth Talk - Strength of Youth

Hello my name is Benny and I have been asked to speak from the Strength of youth Pamphlet. I chose to speak on Physical and Emotional Health. In Doctrine in Covenants Section 89:18-19 it says: All saints who remember to keep and do these sayings shall receive health in the navel and marrow to the bones; and shall find wisdom and great treasures of knowledge. 

As you know I like to play football. If I don’t eat right, get enough sleep, and practice I will not be my best on the field. I get lots of exercise each week with my practices. This is a good way to stay physically fit. If I eat too much it makes me sick to my stomach and I don’t play well. If I don’t get enough sleep and rest I am cranky and I can’t run fast enough or remember the plays.  We should avoid things that are addictive like coffee, tea, alcohol, and drugs. Being under the influence if these things can weaken our judgments and self-control. These addictions harm our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being. Addictions can damage relationships with family and friends. It is hard to make good choices when we are doing what is wrong.

I can be a good football player if I stay away from addictions, and take care of my body, I need to get plenty of rest, eat good foods and practice. Last but not least I need to pray to my Heavenly Father so he can guide me. I love playing football and I am thankful that my Heavenly Father has given me this gift.

I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ and Amen.

Ding Dong Ditching

For Family Night, we are going to go DING DONG DITCHING!  We bought individually wrapped Ding Dongs at Costco (around 24 for $5.99).  Put them in a bag, slap on this fun note, and then put them on someone's porch as you ding dong ditch.  My boys are very excited for this new tradition.

Feel free to use and share the sign I created.

Update - We went Ding Dong Ditching and it was a huge success.  Kids and teenagers alike thought it was super dooper fun and clever.

Minute to Win It Games

We had a bunch of fun games at our son's birthday party.  We got the ideas from the official Minute to Win It website.  This first game involved hanging a yo yo from your waist and then trying to knock down empty soda cans within a minute.  Harder than it looks!

The next game involved putting unsharpened pencils on the back of your hand.  Then you have to try to toss the pencils and catch them.  Do this adding one at a time, up to a dozen pencils.

In this game, kids took turns sorting a bunch of m-n-m's into different containers.  All the candies were mixed in one cup and the kids had to separate them by color using only one hand.  I think we used about 60 candies for each person.

Another games we did was putting an Oreo type cookie on each person's forehead.  Then they had to wiggle their face to move the cookie from their forehead to their mouth without moving their head.

We played a game where kids had to stack dice at the end of a popsicle stick stuck between their teeth.  The winner was the one who stacked and balanced 6 dice within the minute.

The puzzle game was fun as well.  I took two cereal boxes and cut them into puzzles.  Each participant had to race to put their puzzle together first.  I threw in a few extra pieces to confuse them.

Last game involved sucking up m-n-m's with a straw and placing them on several straws that were sticking up from wood.  We drilled holes in the wood for the straws to fit into so that they would be firm.

Overall, a HUGE success.  We had prizes for people too and trophy for the overall winner.  The trophy was just a tacky plastic one from the party store.

Christmas Dinner for Church

 

 We had the teenagers serve dinner to all the families.  We served the food "family style" at the tables. This was fun because the families could stay seated and not wait in a buffet line and also because the teenagers could all hang out together.  Let's face it, teens would rather eat with their friends than their families at this age anyway!

I was in charge of coordinated all the teenagers and getting the food to the tables.  I had this sign hanging in the wall by the kitchen so that the kids would know what to serve and in what order.  We had an "In" door and an "Out" door for kids to come in and grab the food to bring into the cultural hall/gym area. 

Our menu was salad, rolls, pork chops, green beans, and baked potatoes.  The teenagers ate dinner in another room after they served all the families.  It was a big, fun mess in their room.

After dinner, and before dessert, we gave each table a sugar cookie kit so that they could decorate their own cookies for fun.  We had homemade sugar cookies, sprinkles, icing, etc.  Dessert was served last.  It was some sort of rich mousse type thing.  I didn't really have time to eat but I heard everything was yummy.

Here's the chart I made so that we'd know which teenager was in charge of which table.  Each person had one table to be responsible for.  They also had name tags on that listed their table number.  Tables were also numbered.  For centerpieces we had gingerbread cookie bouquets and each vase had a cute paper with a number on it. (if you enlarge the pictures of the tables you can see in more detail)  We also had a movie presentation showing lots of pictures of people doing service throughout the year.  We didn't have a screen that was big enough so we just showed it on the wall at the back of the stage.  Also, the pom pom snowflakes that were hanging from the ceiling were from Martha Stewart's website and made from tissue paper.

After the ward dinner, all the teenagers came over to my house for an "after party."  They had a blast playing basketball, ping pong, watching Elf, having snacks, and just hanging out.  It was an exhausting and fun night for all.

T-shirt Scarfs

My sister-in-law found these cute scarfs on-line and made some of her own.  I love that it doesn't involve sewing!  I also love that you can make them using things you already have around the house.

Wouldn't this be fun to make with the Young Women at church or the older Activity Day girls?  I'll be "repurposing" some old t-shirts and may ask my brother for some of his old hand-me-downs.

Click HERE for instructions.

Poem - Halloween & the Holy Ghost

This is a cute poem to use for a little Halloween gift for visiting teaching, Primary, Young Women, etc.

Since this is the time for goblins and bats
Halloween parties and ghosts and cats
Weird costumes and strange masks too
These are the things I wish for you-
May the only ghost that comes to stay
Be the Holy Ghost to guide your way.
May the only spirits you chance to meet
Be the spirits of love & warm friends sweet.
These are Halloween wishes for you
And may God bless you in all you do.
HAPPY HALLOWEEN

Young Women - Activity

The Young Women in our ward did a fun activity this week. They picked various women in the ward who they thought represented a Young Women value and then wrote a card to each of them telling why they felt she demonstrated that value. They also decorated a giant cupcake to go along with the card. Then they delivered the cards and cupcakes that night.

Lucky me! They chose me to represent Individual Worth. I was thrilled! It made my night for sure.

FHE - Fiery Darts of the Adversary

We met with a few families at the park and had a fun FHE tonight about protecting ourselves from temptations and the fiery darts of the adversary. This could also be adapted for Primary, Young Men, or Young Women activities.

Lesson:

1) What are the fiery darts of the adversary?
(Everyone gets a chance to discuss)

2) What can protect us from temptations and the fiery darts of the adversary?

1 Nephi 15:24 - “Whoso would hearken unto the word of God, and would hold fast unto it, they would never perish; neither could the temptations and the fiery darts of the adversary overpower them unto blindness, to lead them away to destruction.”

WORD OF GOD: The “Iron Rod is the Word of God” – The Word of God does not consist of just reading the scriptures. It is also listening and obeying to our living prophet as well as obeying the commandments in the scriptures.

D&C 3: 8. – “Yet you should have been faithful; and he would have extended his arm and supported you against all the fiery darts of the adversary; and he would have been with you in every time of trouble.”

FAITH: If we are true and faithful, we will have the Holy Ghost with us and we will be supported when faced with temptations.

PRAYER: Pray for strength to resist temptations and the fiery darts in our own lives.

TRUTH & RIGHTEOUSNESS: We need to cling to truth no matter how confusing the world becomes. We also need to strive to be righteous and not let Satan trick us onto the wrong paths in life.

Activity:

I made up 4 shields in advance. (I bought some silver cardboard cake platters to use as shields). I printed out wordstrips for Word of God, Faith, Prayer and Truth & Righteousness and taped those on to the "shields" (one per shield)

After the lesson, we assigned half the group to be "adversaries" and the other half to be people trying to avoid the fiery darts. For our fiery darts, we used giant marshmallows thrown by hand, and mini-marshmallow guns made from pvc pipes. The people had to run to a "home base" and try to make it past the adversaries throwing their "fiery darts." The four people who received the shields were able to use those to protect themselves. It was a little chaotic and messy, but the kids all loved it. One of the dads was bummed we didn't light the marshmallows on fire to be literal "fiery darts" but we try to avoid arson charges. For dessert we served Ding Dongs because they are silver and round and I told them they were really shields to protect them from the fiery darts of the adversary.

Clay Balls (analogy about Individual Worth)

Clay Balls

A man was exploring caves by the seashore. In one of the caves he found a canvas bag with a bunch of hardened clay balls. It was like someone had rolled clay balls and left them out in the sun to bake.

They didn't look like much, but they intrigued the man, so he took the bag out of the cave with him. As he strolled along the beach, he would throw the clay balls one at a time out into the ocean as far as he could.

He thought little about it, until he dropped one of the clay balls and it cracked open on a rock. Inside was a beautiful, precious stone!

Excited, the man started breaking open the remaining clay balls. Each contained a similar treasure. He found thousands of dollars worth of jewels in the 20 or so clay balls he had left. Then it struck him.

He had been on the beach a long time. He had thrown maybe 50 or 60 of the clay balls with their hidden treasure into the ocean waves. Instead of thousands of dollars in treasure, he could have taken home tens of thousands, but he had just thrown it away!

It's like that with people. We look at someone, maybe even ourselves, and we see the external clay vessel. It doesn't look like much from the outside. It isn't always beautiful or sparkling, so we discount it. We see that person as less important than s omeone more beautiful or stylish or well known or wealthy, but we have not taken the time to find the treasure hidden inside that person.

There is a treasure in each one of us. If we take the time to get to know that person, then the clay begins to peel away and the brilliant gem begins to shine forth. May we not come to the end of our lives and find out that we have thrown away a fortune in friendships because the gems were hidden in bits of clay.

Blessed are the Pure in Heart

Here is a talk by President Hinckley from the New Era magazine, July 1999. I used this article in a lesson that I taught the Young Women.

Words of the Prophet: Blessed Are the Pure in Heart by President Gordon B. Hinckley

My young friends, “Be not faithless, but believing”—in virtue, in goodness, in decency, in purity, in that which the Lord has declared He would have for His children, virtue. It is old-fashioned. It may appear out-of-date. It does not square up with a lot of thinking and teaching, but it is true.
There is nothing lovelier, there is nothing sweeter, there is nothing finer, there is nothing more ennobling, there is nothing more beautiful in all the world than virtue in young men and women. God has designed that it should be so. “Be not faithless, but believing.” And in the light of that belief, and in the light of that faith, practice discipline (from Brigham Young University Speeches, Jan. 3, 1962, 5).

Blessed are the pure in heart

Youth is the seedtime for the future flowering of family life. To hope for peace and love and gladness out of promiscuity is to hope for that which will never come. To wish for freedom out of immorality is to wish for something that cannot be. Said the Savior, “Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin” (John 8:34).

Is there a valid case for virtue? It is the only way to freedom from regret. The peace of conscience which flows therefrom is the only personal peace that is not counterfeit.
And beyond all of this is the unfailing promise of God to those who walk in virtue. Declared Jesus of Nazareth, speaking on the mountain, “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God” (Matt. 5:8). That is a covenant, made by Him who has the power to fulfill (from Conference Report, Oct. 1970, 66).

Lure of immorality

I am going to speak plainly. We hear much these days of teenage sexual misbehavior. There is too much of it among our own youth.

Those who indulge in illegitimate sexual activity, as we define that in the doctrines and standards of this Church—and I think no one misunderstands what I mean when I say that—do irreparable damage to themselves and rob the one with whom they are involved of that which can never be restored. There is nothing clever about this kind of so-called conquest. It carries with it no laurels, no victories, no enduring satisfaction. It brings only shame, sorrow, and regret. Those who so indulge cheat themselves and rob another. In so doing, they affront their Father in Heaven, for they are children of God.

I know that this is strong language, plainly spoken. But I feel the trends of our times call for strong language and plain words (from Ensign, Nov. 1983, 45).

Let virtue be your cornerstone

In April of 1942, the First Presidency of the Church issued a message that has the tone of scripture. I commend it to you:

“To the youth of the Church … above all we plead with you to live clean, for the unclean life leads only to suffering, misery, and woe physically—and spiritually it is the path to destruction. How glorious and near to the angels is youth that is clean; this youth has joy unspeakable here and eternal happiness hereafter” (Improvement Era, 45:273).

You of marvelous promise, you young men and women of great ability, do not mock God. Do not flout his law. Let virtue be a cornerstone on which to build your lives (from Conference Report, Oct. 1964, 116).

Pornography

I would just like to say a word about pornography. It is a growing, vile, and evil thing. It is on our motion picture screens, it comes into the homes of the people on television receivers, it is on newsstands, it reaches out in other ways to entrap and beguile and destroy those who are enticed to partake of it. I am satisfied, my brethren and sisters, that no Latter-day Saint can with impunity afford to witness or read or partake of this growing evil in any way. God help us and bless us with the self-discipline to resist and abstain and flee from, if necessary, this pernicious and growing thing which would destroy us (from Ensign, Nov. 1982, 76).

Control thoughts to control actions

Mental control must be stronger than physical appetites or desires of the flesh. As thoughts are brought into complete harmony with revealed truth, actions will then become appropriate.
The timeless proverb is as true now as when it was first spoken: “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he” (Prov. 23:7).

Each of us, with discipline and effort, has the capacity to control his thoughts and his actions. This is part of the process of developing spiritual, physical, and emotional maturity (from Ensign, May 1987, 48).

Repentance and forgiveness

If there be any here who have so sinned, there is repentance and there is forgiveness, provided there is “godly sorrow” (2 Cor. 7:10). All is not lost. Each of you has a bishop, who has been ordained and set apart under the authority of the holy priesthood and who, in the exercise of his office, is entitled to the inspiration of the Lord. He is a man of experience, he is a man of understanding, he is a man who carries in his heart a love for the youth of his ward. He is a servant of God who understands his obligation of confidentiality and who will help you with your problem. Do not be afraid to talk with him (from Ensign, Nov. 1983, 45).

Prove your strength

For your own sakes, for your happiness now and in all the years to come, and for the happiness of the generations who come after you, avoid sexual transgression as you would a plague.
Prove your strength, show your independence, by saying no when enticement from peers comes your way. Your own strength will add strength to those who are weak. Your own example will give determination to others (from Ensign, May 1987, 48).

Stay on the Lord’s side

Of course you are to socialize, to date, to have fun of a wholesome kind in a hundred ways. But there is a line which you must not cross. It is the line that separates personal cleanliness from sin. I need not get clinical in telling you where that line is. You know. You have been told again and again. You have a conscience within you. Stay on the Lord’s side of the line (from Ensign, May 1996, 48).

Poem - Prayer is Like Brushing Teeth

I liked this poem that I received from my sister-in-law Michelle. I have always said that there really is not a good excuse for skipping your family prayers, personal prayers or scripture study. Somehow we find time to brush our teeth, shower, get dressed and eat every day. We would never think of skipping one of these things consistently and then using the excuse of lack of time. Since I developed this attitude with my scriptures and prayers it has been a lot easier to be faithful on these important habits.

The goal is to encourages children to pray twice daily. Since we should brush our teeth morning and night, a tooth brush seems a natural reminder for saying prayers morning and night. Attach the following poem to a tooth brush:
Saying your prayers is like brushing your teeth--
it's a habit you form, a commitment you keep.
You should brush your teeth both morning and night,
the same with your prayers if you're saying them right.
Don't let your spirit or teeth begin to decay--
PRAY (and brush) at least twice a day!

Safety Guidelines for LDS Activities

This was sent out from Church headquarters in 2007. I'm a safety gal so I appreciate the safety efforts the church puts forth. Click on the picture to enlarge and print it if desired.

Object Lesson - Friends Rub Off on You

Brief Description/Purpose:
By coloring in with pencil large letters that spell FRIENDS, you will show how friends, whether they are good or bad can easily rub off on you.

Objects Used/Preparation:
chalk, chalkboard (or)piece of paper with the word FRIENDS on it in bubble letters for each student, pencil for each student

Lesson:
Before class print out the word FRIENDS in large bubble letters, about two inches high. During class, give each child a sheet of paper with FRIENDS printed on it and a pencil. Tell them to use the pencil to color in all the letters completely and very dark with the pencil. This may take a few minutes. After they are finished, you will have them rub their fingers over the letters to see that the graphite from the word friends has rubbed off on them. The friends you choose in life can have a big impact on the way you act. Friends can influence what type of clothes you wear, the type of music you listen to, what you believe, the words you use when you speak, the way you treat others, and the list goes on and on. In other words, friends can rub off on you.

Alternate: You can also have someone write the word "Friends" on the chalkboard and then have them rub the letters instead of using a pencil and paper.

Discuss: Talk about positive ways that each of us can rub off on our friends. Who is a friend that we want to have rub off on us? (the Savior)Scriptures: Proverbs 22:24-25; Proverbs 18:24; D&C 23:6; John 15:14

Source: Children's Sunday School Object Lessons, some additions by Michelle Walton

Talk - Relationship with Heavenly Father

Katelin Roberts is a young woman in my ward and she gave this awesome Sacrament Meeting talk at church today. I was so impressed. It was such a great talk that even my kids listened attentively (I think they perked up with the In-N-Out Burger analogy). Hope you enjoy the talk too.

Friends are great most of the time. Hang outs on the weekends, after school vent sessions, and laughing so hard you cry as you try to ride a tandem bike down the street. However, sometimes they steal your babysitting jobs, they make plans with other friends, or they won’t pick up their phone during that one time of peril that you are in desperate need of a “spill your guts session”.
Heavenly Father has no busy signal. He is always on the other side and he anxiously awaits our call for His help and guidance. However, we must build that relationship. We must build it like, well like we might build a burger.

I don’t know if you know this…but I work at In-N-Out Burger, working hard every day to slowly clog your arteries.

At IN-N-OUT, we are trained using acronym as we learn to put our burgers tog ether. It goes in an SLTO.

S for the spread, a real calorie spike.
L for the Lettuce, green and leafy.
T for the Tomato, ripe and red.
and O for the beloved Bremuda onion.

That same acronym can be used to build a relationship with our Heavenly Father.

We’ll start with the S, the spread, or in this case the scriptures. The scriptures were given to us as the Lord’s word. By reading them we are given the chance to apply principles of the gospel to our lives. We will learn of Him, and in turn, become closer to Him.

Next is the T. Not the tomato, but the time. We need to be consistent in taking time out for the Lord; show Him that we are on His side, to show Him that we need Him in our lives. When we let Him in, we’re saying that we are ready and willing to be instruments in His hands. When we show him our efforts, He’ll show us His. Not only do we need to devote the time, we need to also remember to be patient.

Lettuce, and Longing comes next in the SLTO way. In order for any of this to work, we must have the desire to have a relationship with our Heavenly father.

Dan 10:12 Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words.

He knows the true longings of our hearts and He waits to reciprocate them.

Going through the motions is only half of what needs to be done. Without the will in your heart, your other efforts will most likely trickle away anyways because you will no longer want to put in the effort.

O is for Opening our hearts and minds. We should remember to keep an open heart and mind for the answers and instructions the Lord will surely pass on. Obeying Him will bring us closer to Him and will allow Him to show us what important friends we are to Him. Knowing this, we should to make sure that we aren’t the ones putting out a busy signal. We are instruments and He’ll play us if we’re tuned.

The meat comes last, after all of the other preparation is done. After we’ve done all we can do, the Lord will respond. He will give us an answer or will in some way manifest his love to us.
Now we have this beautiful Relationship. We can talk to our Heavenly Father about anything and we know of His power. But if we just let it sit there, things might begin to slide, and come apart. To keep it from happening, we can wrap it. Wrap it firmly to keep all of the good things inside and to keep the relationship strong.

I, as many other youth did this summer, attended a session of EFY. For those of you that don’t know, EFY stands for Especially for Youth and it is a church summer camp for youth older than 14.

During that week, everyone is placed into a “spiritual bubble” if you will. We are separated from the world as we learn what we can do to grow closer to our Heavenly Father.

However, the purpose of EFY isn’t to be able to say, “Wow, I had indescribable experiences that week.”

The idea is to be able to say, “Wow! I have indescribable experiences EVERYDAY because of the things that I learned at EFY!”

They stressed daily the idea of “taking it home” because the things we learn are only useful if we continue to use them.

Just because we receive an answer or feel His love a few times doesn’t mean that the relationship has hit the climax. The relationship we have with our Father in Heaven is eternal we need to continue to live that way and improve daily.

TESTIMONY.