FAMILY HISTORY GAMES THIS ONE IS CALLED RETURN TO HEAVEN...

THE KID'S ZONE

an important element of any Family History Fair

 I always have a Kid Zone or Children's Corner when I book a family history fair - because parents need to be able to study the presentations from each booth.  Little kids get bored.  

This is my newKid Zone class marker - I hang it on the door of the 1/2 way open slider door of the Overflow in the cultural hall.  

Sorry for the terrible picture but it's basically Utah in the background, pioneer parents, wagon train, oxen team rattlesnake,cactus, and the Temple  I put them on 

Cricut Design Space so that anyone can create this.  I made a new Kid Zone poster this year.  One goes on the Greeter's Handout showing them the answers to what they need to find, where they need to find it and then a picture which will be attached to the booth.  There is also a numbering system that will have the # on the Greeter packet matching the # on the table.  They can't get lost.

Bring in two low 12 x 3" tables from the Nursery and about 10 chairs - Make sure there are chairs for the leaders.  Have a sign in with the text number of the parent.  Make sure that the parent knows this is only for their convenience while they are on the premesis.  Yes, I had a woman drop them off and go shopping.  I guess I was her tender mercy for that day but they need to know that they are liable and not shift that to us and leave to do errands.

Kids Corner is always the overflow in each building - So I leave the CH overflow open so parents can see their kids and know they are having fun.  The following things are listed in my book, 

"How to Create the Successful Family History Fair!" 

 https://www.amazon.com/create-successful-Family-History-Fair-ebook/dp/B0B9KHT9QP  They will actually let you read it for free for the first 30 days!

I look for religious or family-oriented coloring books and crayons - not markers (they are problematic with the carpet).  I also look for the 4 x 6 white plain puzzles so that each child can draw a picture of their family and then when they break it up, they can put it into an envelope and put it together when they get home. 

4.00 per pack - Try amazon.  make sure you bring white envelopes to put each family picture in for them to take home.  Also bring sandwich bags that they can decorate for whatever they get to take home - 

 A great thing for them to work on is a Family Crest. 

 I found these at Oriental Trading - but they may be in other places or you may have an artist who could do a large one and copy it at Kinkos several times.    

One board game we created is called 20 ways to gather Israel - and the people playing it and having the most fun were actually the kids and the  missionaries -

  https://naswfamilyhistory.blogspot.com/2019/09/20-ways-to-gather-israel-family-history.html

The one below is called "Return to Heaven"  

Here is the video that we presented at our Stake Meeting to teach others how to do a FH Event.

Planning the perfect family history event (3) (1) [Autosaved].pptx

I have this in book form on Amazon - 

I believe I called the game pieces "laggers"  from a place we saved when it would be our turn again in hopscotch.  I found family Tree charms to put  10 different colored ribbons on for markers for the game board.

The cards are just from an excel file on my one drive and you print them onto regular paper then glue them onto thick card stock and cut out.  

HOME MADE GAMES ROCK!

I raised five children, and one of the things I loved was when the teachers wanted them to memorize things like - American Explorers, spelling words, or even capitols of states.  It was so much fun to make the games - all I needed was the following:

1 large cardboard box flattened.

6-12 12x12 pieces of cardstock to cover the board ( use glue)

using a 2" marker from cardboard, create a trail all over the board.

Include these types of things - a SLIDE - if they land on it they slide down to another level;

a LADDER - if they land on it, they climb instantly to another level.  Obviously, slides represent procrastination and ladders represent opportunities or blessings.

GAME PIECES.  Here is a link to an excel file with  2" blue and red hearts, and also the pictures of grandparents, relatives, things that we readily recognize from our teachings

RETURN TO HEAVEN GAME

Okay, you are noticing that my artistic abilities leave something to be desired. All I can tell you is that kids love this game, So I always take it when we have a Family History Fair for the Children's Corner. The directions are pretty easy: spin (I got a spinner from eBay—so what's it used for????). I fastened it down to the board, or when it spins, the white top goes flying like a helicopter.

RETURN TO HEAVEN

Everyone starts on the Family  

Everyone gets to spin once - the highest will go first - go clockwise from there

If you land on a pink heart or blue heart you have things to do and many of them have something to do with learning more about your Grandparents or could be.....remembering something nice about them. Game pieces are usually some r piece that would represent a family - I found family tree charms on eBay and I use 10 different colors of ribbon to tie to each one.  See excel file below to print out pink heart and blue heart cards (only the player gets to use from two piles on the board. On the game board remember to cover the whole game board with clear packing tape - liquid accidents won't ruin your game.

Keep going until you get to the entrance  You need the exact amount to get into heaven.  Sometimes people get stuck there waiting to roll a 1 and others surpass them and win.  The point is that we do not always have to have the perfect (or be perfect) because if we keep trying, God and the Atonement of Jesus Christ will help us get whatever perfect number will help us get to heaven.  

For the "Pearly Gates" picture for the game board, I just googled the same name and in images - found what my mind thought the gates might look like at the time I created this game.  Funny thing is, on one of my last illnesses with my hip saga, I actually passed over for a few seconds or minutes - my body was floating above the hospital bed and then I could only see fog and hear certain voices.  I talk about it in the introduction of my book, "Get the Story Right!"    I wish great success for your wonderful Family History Event Perhaps this game will help the children understand how our Heavenly Father desires all of his children to return to His presence where God and our Savior reside and to have the kind of life that exists in the Celestial glory.  Only the Adversary would tell our minds that we must be perfect or have

the perfect life to get in.  That is impossible - Perfection is only able through our loving God's only Son's Atonement for our sins.

Ok - remember, play nice.  Everyone spins one time - highest gets to start the game and spin - then go clockwise around the board.

land on a picture and do what it says

land on a heart - draw a blue card

land on a pink heart - draw a pink card

do whatever it says and move that many spaces if you get it right.

this is motivation to learn where your grandparents are from.  

Another fun game:

This is a game that teaches you where to look for documents

Hope you love it.

FAMILY HISTORY GAME PLAN2.xlsx

These are fun invitations that you can create to give with a plate of cookies to a non member or less active member to invite them to create a family tree - look for the pattern on Cricut - it's free.

This was an idea for one of our FH linger longers.  Extra tables were brought in - ones for consultants who wore a white shirt and these hats (from tshirt.com?).  At first I balked silently but Kristina Potter was in charge and people said - I lie the hats because I can tell who can help us and who can't.  That sold me on this idea and they were correct.