Activity #1 - Better for Group FHE's

For handouts: spraypaint popsicle sticks a metallic color, and print "The Iron Rod" on them

Print out pictures of the people and places in the Vision of the Tree of Life.  Punch holes in the top of the pictures, thread yarn through the holes and hang them around the necks of your family.  Have them set up the vision by standing in different places. The adult helpers hold a length of rope or clothesline from the Tree of Life to another place in the room.

Pick another person and blindfold them.  Turn them around once or twice and have them try to make it to the Tree of Life without holding on to the rope.  Make sure the kids are doing their best to keep them off the right path.  You can involve the other people by making them the people in the buildings and have them call out to the blindfolded participant.  After a minute or two, have the blindfolded person stop and tell you how hard, confusing, etc. it was to try to get to the tree.

Pick another child and blindfold them.  Turn them around a couple of times, and have them hold on to the rope.  As you recount the vision, have the blindfolded child try to make it to the Tree of Life. After a minute or two, have the blindfolded child stop and tell you how hard, confusing, etc. it was to try to get to the tree. Ask if the rope helped. Explain the significance of the iron rod.

Activity #2

Balloon Ring-Toss

Print out the pictures of the people from the scriptures that you want to use.  Tape the faces to the fronts of the balloons.  Print out the pentagons and cut a slit through the middle of each one.  Put the tied end of the balloon through the slit and place on the floor.  This will keep the balloons upright.

I used the inner ring of a large embroidery hoop as the ring.  Have a child come up and toss the ring over a balloon.  Hold up the picture that correlates to the person on the balloon, and you can tell the story of their courage.  Ask how we can be like this person (might be better for an older group).

After a balloon has been picked, take it off the floor.

After the activity, have a game of balloon volleyball or have each member of the family try to keep a balloon in the air the longest without touching it.
Get the art!

All you'd need is some felt and some of those ping-pong balls with the velcro on them.  Draw pieces of clothing on the felt, and have the kids come up and throw a "dart" at the felt board.

Whatever their dart hits, your kids can help go over the scenario.  For example: If a child hits a hat, your kids read a scenario and have the others choose the right choice. When they make a right choice, they get to put that piece of clothing on the Primary President or your co-teacher.

Choose a person from the scriptures and bring in the costume for this person.  When they are all dressed, have them tell their story of courage to the children.

Another way to do this is with a piece of butcher paper and a plastic lid.  Draw the same pictures on the butcher paper and have the children throw the lid like a frisbee onto the pictures.