If you have any ideas for activities that have worked well for you and you would like to share it, please feel free to contact a member of the Stake Young Men's presidency and it may be added to this website.
Improv Night
Purpose
Gain confidence in performing in front of peers and an audience
Description
Divide the youth into groups, and give each group a bag full of randomly selected props. Give the groups a set amount of time to create a skit using each of their props. Have them either perform their skits live or record their skits, and then watch them with their peers or the ward or branch. Or give prompts similar to the show "Whose Line is it Anyway?" You might consider giving awards to each group such as funniest skit, best use of props, most creative, and so on.
Etiquette Dinner
Purpose
Learn to be courteous to eachother and show proper respect in different situations
Description
Hold a dinner in which young men and young women practice interacting with good manners and respect. Before the dinner, discuss and demonstrate examples of proper and improper etiquette. In this activity, consider referring to “Dating,” “Dress and Appearance,” and “Language” from For the Strength of Youth.
Scripture Charades
Purpose
Learn the Gospel in an engaging way while also gaining confidence to perform in front of their peers
Description
Players act out Book of Mormon characters, events, or stories without speaking, while their teammates try to guess the correct answer. Prepare for the game by writing down Book of Mormon-related terms on slips of paper, dividing into teams, and setting a timer for each turn. The team whose member successfully guesses the acted-out phrase within the time limit wins points, and the game continues until all phrases are acted out or a certain number of points is reached
Human Clue
Purpose
Learn teamwork and problem solving skills while having fun
Description
To play a Human Clue game (as a team), create a set of cards with a suspect, a weapon, and a room for each person. Then, secretly select one of each as the "murder" cards for the "killer," "weapon," and "location" and place them in a secret envelope. Deal the remaining cards to the players, who then try to deduce the solution by making "suggestions" in rooms and having other players disprove them by showing cards from their hand. The first player to correctly accuse the "killer," "weapon," and "location" wins.
1. Setup
Create cards: For each potential suspect, weapon, and room, create a corresponding card.
Select the murder cards: Secretly choose one suspect card, one weapon card, and one room card to be the "solution." Do not show these to anyone.
Deal the remaining cards: Shuffle the remaining suspect, weapon, and room cards together and deal them out to all the players, face down.
2. Gameplay
Make a suggestion: When it's your turn and you are in a room, you can make a suggestion, such as, "I believe Colonel Mustard did it in the Study with the Revolver".
Move the suspect and weapon: Move the suspect's pawn and the weapon token into that room.
Players disprove the suggestion: The player to the left of the person making the suggestion must secretly show you one card from their hand that matches one of the items in the suggestion, if they have it.
Reveal the card (or not): If they have a matching card, they show it to you, and your turn ends.
Continue the process: If they don't have a matching card, the next player to their left must show you a card if they have one. This continues until someone shows a card, or it gets back to the person who made the suggestion.
Make an accusation: On your turn, you can make an accusation by stating the three cards you think are in the secret envelope.
3. Winning the Game
Check the envelope: After making your accusation, you can secretly look at the cards in the envelope.
If correct: If your accusation matches the cards in the envelope, you win!
If incorrect: If you are wrong, you are out of the game, but you still have to show cards from your hand to other players when asked.
Service Scavenger Hunt
Purpose
Serve others while having fun
Description
Provide groups of youth with a list of possible service projects, and assign point values to each one. Assign each group (accompanied by an adult leader) to visit nearby homes, streets, or neighborhoods to see how many service projects they can accomplish in that area in a set amount of time. For example, they could clean up litter on a street or offer to pull someone’s weeds. Have all the groups return at the end to add up their points and share their experiences. You could also award extra points for youth who perform service that is not on the list.
After the activity, consider having a short discussion led by youth who are leaders in their quorums or classes. Consider discussing questions like: How did you feel while serving? How were others affected through your service? What is our responsibility to others in our community? Why do we serve?
Geocaching
Purpose
Learn skills in teamwork and navigation in a fun way
Description
This will take quite a bit of preparation. Ahead of time your class will need to create geocaches either within walking distance or a short drive. Clues may be given to help find them. Provide some brief instruction on how to navigate using GPS coordinates and divide into teams. Send the teams out with leaders to find the geocaches and whichever team finds the most wins.
Emergency Preparedness
Purpose
Start preparing for possible emergencies and help others prepare as well.
Description
Invite someone with knowledge about emergency preparedness to teach the youth how to prepare for a variety of emergencies. Help the youth make small emergency preparedness kits, including first-aid supplies, flashlights, water bottles, and so on. Discuss the scripture “If ye are prepared, ye shall not fear” (D&C 38:30). Hold a preparedness fair in which the youth can teach their families and other members of the community what they learned about emergency preparedness.
Resources
Ward emegergency preparedness specialist.