This is the Place

Our ward wanted to go to “This is the Place” in SLC, UT which centers back in the days of the pioneers. They have crafts, games and different places the children can go to visit. Due to the lack of funding, we settled on having our activity at the church and called it “This is the 1st Ward Place.” Change the name to your ward.

Our volunteers YW/YM dressed in pioneer attire and helped with the children. They went on a Pioneer Trek (3 weeks after the activity)
Each family was given a posterboard with a picture of a cabin and they were to do their family history and bring the posterboard to church so we can represent their family. Some of the rooms in the church were set up. The kitchen we taught classes on making soap, taffy and butter. (Soap-Melt and Pour is a very simple method and the clean up is easy). Melt in the microwave and throw away the container when finished). We set up a Primary Prison. Each child was arrested for silly things and went to prison where they made a craft. The children liked our prison gate. It was a big cardboard which we cut out bars and spray painted it black. We set up our Primary Room as a cemetery. Each headstone had a name of each of the Primary children and something funny about them. RIP- Here lies Samuel for laughing at Timothy’s silly jokes and etc. The children went outside were some strong men pulled children around the parking lot in a big handcart someone loaned us. We also went outside to our pavilion where someone popped popcorn over the fire.

We served homemade bread, jam, butter and each child was given a sample of Johnny cakes (Joseph Smith’s favorite treat).

We had the Saunders Shoe shine where children shined shoes.
Blackburns Blacksmith shop where the children played a game.
Throwing plastic Horseshoes. Shaving parlor. They sat in a chair,
and we had whipped cream as the shaving cream and we used plastic knives as the razor. We explained the difference between our razor and the ones dad uses. Stevensons home- The children traced their handprints and we gave each member of the Bishopric a small lap blanket which the Relief Society did all the tying and sewing.
We also played Pioneer games- Drop the Handkerchief,
Tug a War and did other crafts.

Alot of the members donated most of the supplies. From Homemade bread, jam, juice boxes, supplies to make butter and taffy, paper,
glue and someone gave us huge cardboard boxes which we used at our Fall Festival where we made a cardboard corn maze in the Relief Society room. We cut out pictures of corn and attached them to the cardboard. We then ended our activity teaching the children that we too are pioneers and need to be grateful for all the blessings which we have and to remember and be thankful for the pioneers before us who sacrificed so much, we also had a Pioneer Treasure Hunt.

When the Pioneers were thirsty they would get water from the streams, wells and etc. Where do we get our water from? (Drinking fountains) and etc. When they found the treasure they were given
a small bag of goodies (2 pieces of taffy, candy stick, and quarter that has our state logo) and we ended singing Pioneer Children and ended with a closing prayer.