Conference Bags

I thought I would post this before conference in case anyone is interested.  I was talking to a friend about this past week and she liked the idea but didn't like the work involved.  And if you search for conference bags online, there are a lot that are A LOT of work.  So this is my approach:

I started this last spring with the April General Conference to try to get the girls more involved and also keep them from loud play and fighting that pulls Chopper and I away from watching conference (yes, we watch at home).  Not all the activities are spiritual in nature but I do try to make them activities that the girls can do with little parental guidance so that Chop and I can watch and supervise them peripherally.

I have 15 brown paper bags with the pictures of all the apostles and the first Presidency pasted on them -- these are the ones pretty much guaranteed to speak at conference.  You could also add bags for a member of the Primary, Young Women, and Relief Society presidencies as well.  The girls get really excited each time a new speaker is up so it does help with some recognition as well because we match the picture to the speaker.

4 bags get treats or snacks of some kind.  

I start scouring the dollar aisles at Target and Jo-Ann Fabrics early for cheap and easy stuff and I come up with some activities on my own.  This fall for the remaining 10 bags (I know the math is wrong -- hold on!) we have:

paper plate pumpkins (orange paper plates from Target and I cut out face shapes from black, sticky-backed foam from Hobby Lobby)

Window clings to color (Jo-Anns)

Halloween stickers (we'll draw a Haunted house for the girls to decorate)

Coloring pages from The Friend

Church puzzles -- I use the Bright Ideas pages from The Friend, rubber cement them to card stock and cut them out

Lacing cards (same thing but with holes punched around the edges and ribbon for lacing)

Magic Paint posters (Jo-Anns -- all you need is water and a Q-tip)

Foam fall stickers (we'll draw trees for these)

Matching game (I'm still working on this one -- either I'll print the pictures or buy 2 packs of temple cards)

Scratch art (Target)

Now President Monson usually speaks at every session and last year we only had one activity for him.  Plus the girls now are 2 and 4 and we want them to practice actually listening.  So this year for his talks we're going to do conference bingo.  Chopper and I can each work with a girl to listen as he speaks and mark the bingo spots.  I'm going to grab some cheap something or other for prizes when they get bingo.  So that will be his activity this fall -- we'll see how it goes.

Other activities the girls enjoy include playing with playdough, stringing beads, building temples out of blocks or from fabric squares on the felt board.  Last spring (I like fall and spring type stuff) we made popcorn popping on the apricot trees by dipping popcorn in white glue and putting it on a drawing of a tree.

Also, we do a picnic lunch.  When we live in a time zone where lunch is between sessions, we actually have a picnic.  In Texas the sessions are 11-1 and 3-5 so we have a picnic lunch in the living room.

You know, it makes me more excited for conference too!

I'm excited to see how it goes this time!!