Graham Cracker House Decorating

This is a budget-friendly way to do gingerbread houses for the holidays.

Instead of buying or baking gingerbread for walls, use graham crackers. Buy a wide variety of candy from the bulk bins in a grocery store. The candies could be lemon drops, gumdrops, red hots, red vines, or anything you want. Make or buy frosting to use as cement to hold the houses together, and build and decorate just as you would a gingerbread house. Build each houses on a cardboard square, so it has a sturdy base and can be thrown away when it's old and stale.

You can have design contests for the best house. Try building a mansion, or a model of a real building.

When everyone is done, take pictures of the finished product. Then eat or destroy -- or deliver the houses to friends, family, teachers or ward members and the activity becomes a service project.

Supplies:
graham crackers
frosting
candies
heavy cardboard cut into squares

Heart Attacking

Pass around scissors and construction paper and have everyone cut out hearts. Other group members can write sweet messages on the hearts ("We love you!" "Hey cutie!" "Kiss me!"). Make a big heart that says "You've had a heart attack!" which group members can sign or not (if you'd rather be anonymous). When you have a big pile of hearts, choose a home or homes (or bishop's office, friend's car, school locker) to visit. Be really sneaky and tape the hearts everywhere at the place that you chose. You've just given someone a heart attack! Put the big heart declaring this on the outside of the door/car/locker, etc, so they have enough time to be confused before finding the hidden surprise.

This activity is a great one for service. It can help the recipient know they are loved and appreciated and being thought of -- and who doesn't want that?

Supplies:
construction paper
scissors
tape
markers