Service with a SMILE

 Faith in God for Girls: Serving Others

Read and discuss the parable of the good Samaritan (see Luke 10:30-37).  Plan and complete a service project that helps a family member or neighbor.  After completing the project, discuss how it helped your faith grow stronger.

At our activity:
Discussing together, the girls chose three neighborhood individuals / families they wanted to reach out to.  They did a great job choosing a variety of people: a family where the father has recently had surgery, a woman whose husband recently passed away, and a beloved Primary teacher.
The girls helped to make a cookie "pizza crust" and frosting (recipes following).  Then they each made three cards, one for each person or family.
After the cookie pizza slices were decorated with candies and syrups, they were packaged up along with the cards and delivered by the group.  The third family was not home, but the other two were.  The grins on those girls' faces were worth every calorie!

At home:
Because we had so much to do we didn't have time for all the discussion that would have completed this activity.  We did discuss the reasons the girls chose these particular people, and how to write a note to them.  We did not have time to discuss the parable of the good Samaritan, or the follow-up discussion of how the activity felt and how it helped each girl's faith grow stronger.  This would be an excellent discussion to have one-on-one or in a family discussion at dinner, in the car, or in Family Home Evening.

Another opportunity would be to do this activity again as a family.  Reach out to a family member, neighbor, new friend or old friend.  Practice writing meaningful notes.  Discuss various ways to serve others.



Making Cookie Dough

...and Cream Cheese Frosting

1 stick of butter (softened)

4 1/2 ounces of cream cheese (softened

2 cups of powdered sugar

1 teaspoon of vanilla

Making Cards

(Sample format for a nice note:)

Decorating Cookie Pizza Slices

 Who couldn't be cheered by Señor Pizza?!

Delivery!
(clearly horizontal stripes are "in" right now ;) )

Here the girls were invited in while the cards were read.  

and all pulled into a hug.

Go forth and serve!

Whadda ya wanna do?

Faith in God for Girls: Serving Others

Help your Primary leaders plan and carry out an upcoming quarterly activity.*

At our activity:
Today we reviewed the Faith in God pamphlets with each girl who was able to come, one-on-one with a leader.  Every one of the girls who is coming to activities regularly is well on her path to earning her Faith in God award when she graduates from Primary.

In addition to reviewing the Faith in God program, we invited the girls to suggest activities they would like to do someday.  Some of these have been done in the past, some have been done in or heard of from other wards, some are activities that just sound like fun to the girls.  Feel free to comment below to add ideas, or talk to one of the Activity  Day's leaders any time with any ideas you think of too.

At home:

Parents have the responsibility to help their children learn and live the gospel.  Primary leaders and teachers assist parents in this important responsibility.  

 Faith in God for Girls, page 17

As Activity Day's leaders, we are working to support the gospel learning that goes on in your home.  If you think of an activity that would help us in that role, please share!  Review the Faith in God pamphlet with your daughter/s.  Many suggested activities listed in the pamphlet include parts that can, or should, be done at home.  For example, several activities include teaching a principle in Family Home Evening.  

Also review pages 4-5 in the pamphlet: Faith in God Award Requirements.  These are parts of the Faith in God program that each girl must choose to participate in personally, such as praying daily and regular scripture study.


Activities suggested by the girls**:

• Sing songs to people at a rest home
• mother/daughter date
• swimming
• daddy/daughter date
• making spiders, or other holiday craft
• making Christmas cards
• Pennies by the Inch (note: this specific program is no longer available)
• "heart attack" someone 
• clean the nursery toys
• make up stories together by adding on one sentence at a time
• Thanksgiving net turkeys
• go ice skating
• go sledding -- maybe as the daddy/daughter date?
• sew scripture bags
• learn to cook something
• jewelry making
• service project (such as the project this year at the public library)
• Valentine's cards (thank you cards) for someone
• secret acts of service, but not necessarily at Christmas time
• do a cooperative project, such as putting together a big puzzle
• see the quilt show and learn to make a quilt square

*The pamphlet most of the girls are using includes this activity.  Primary quarterly activities, however, have been discontinued, so this specific idea no longer appears in the Faith in God for Girls pamphlet.

**Not all of these activities will be done, of course..  We accept any and all ideas!  Activities will continue to be based on activities that fit the needs of the girls and the abilities of the leaders within the intentions of the Faith in God program.

NOTE: as part of this activity the girls suggested more ideas by writing them on a page divided into ideas for Learning and Living the Gospel, Serving Others, and Developing Talents.  When those ideas have been compiled I will add them here!

Don't forget to add more ideas in comments below!