Homemade Fun

We would like to share our homemade fun with you. We will feature our best ideas here on this page and hopefully build an archive of activities that you can use with your favorite group in the days to come.

Oreo Cookie Towers

After studying the story of the tower of Babel, our group played an interesting game.

I purchased several packages of Oreo cookies. After dividing the group into teams of 4, I passed out the cookies. The race was on! Each team was to see how tall they could build their tower without spilling the cookies. The team using the most cookies was the winner.

The kids had lots of fun with this. They ran several contests until the cookies had crumbled too badly to use them any more. Luckily, I had saved a pack of cookies so they could have a snack when they were through.

Plastic Tile Crafts

Last summer I purchased a large box of plastic tiles at a yard sale for 50 cents. Many fun and easy projects for our group have come out of that box.

We have painted on them using fabric paints in small squeeze bottles. The children each enjoyed making several painted art tiles of their own original design.

I later bought a Looney Toons day by day calendar on sale for $1.00 at a local book store. The kids used pictures from it to decoupage on their tiles.

Most recently, we created decoative birdhouses by turning a tile on end and using popsicle sticks to fashion a roof. We added the finishing touch of a painted wooden bird waiting by a hole on the front that we made from black construction paper.

Who knows how many more projects are waiting in that box of tiles? Guess we'll be finding out soon.

Indoor Campfire

Recently, our group planned to have a bonfire and hotdog roast. Unfortunately, there was a dry spell in our area and the county had placed a ban on open fires. Disappointed, we hurriedly moved our activity indoors. Now, there is a world of difference between a boiled hotdog and one roasted on a stick over an open fire. All was not lost, though. Read on to see how the creativity of our group saved our campfire.

After we ate, I called the group to gather around the "imaginary campfire" in the middle of the room. As I began to lead them in campfire songs, they turned off the lights and piled their flashlights in the middle of the room. Soon we had a glowing little "campfire" and our spirits were lifted. We laughed, sang and played in the beams. And somehow, it really didn't matter anymore that we weren't outside: the more important thing was that we were together.

The Great Owl Hunt

This game is best played outside in the dark. It is a fun activity for children and adults. Here are the materials you will need:

Prepare paper bags by blowing a puff of air into each one and twisting it shut. Don't worry about them coming undone. They will be quite mangled when the game is over anyway. If you have time and wish to be a bit creative, you may draw owl features on the bags with magic markers.

While it is still daylight, hide paper bags around the area where your activity is to take place. Be clever in choosing hiding places. We hid them in trees, bushes, straw bales, on fences, under rocks, in light fixtures and door handles. Paper bags are easily blown away: be sure yours are securely anchored in their hiding places.

When your group gathers, tell them a story about the flock of owls that has settled in the area. Divide them into groups of 4 or 6. Have each group pick one member to be the hunter and another to be the head dog. All other members of the group will be hound dogs.

All groups go out to hunt at the same time. The hunter is the only one allowed to touch the owls. The head dog carries the flashlight. Dogs search for the owls and when they spot one, they all bark and point. The hunter then collects the owl.