Monday, May 5, 2008

Preparedness Fair Ideas

For all you Ward/Stake Emergency Preparedness Specialists, I thought I'd share the success of our ward preparedness fair which we called a "Preparedness Extravaganza." We had excellent attendance and have received positive feedback. We held it on our activity night and it served as the joint activity for the youth and was geared for the entire ward family. We assigned the different stations to different priesthood quorums and auxiliaries who came up with these great ideas. Below I will outline the event. If you would like to share your ideas for a preparedness fair, please feel free to comment.

A. Food Storage Potluck Dinner & Cook-off: People brought a dish to share made from food storage and could enter it into the cook-off if they wished. Bishopric judged the competition. Prizes: 1st Prize: Apron with "Prepared Chef" embroidered on it, Faith Trivet; 2nd Prize: Chocolate Emergency Kit (basket filled with gourmet chocolate delights); 3rd Prize: Oven mitts.

B. Preparedness Jeopardy Game: projected on a large screen and played during the dinner, Coloring pages were provided before the meal to keep the children busy.

C. Preparedness Stations: Families were able to peruse stations at their leisure. Kids were provided a list of stations. They received a sticker at each station. If they brought back their paper with a sticker on every station, they received a prize (ours was their choice of a granola bar or lollipop)
  1. Spiritual Preparedness: Quotes provided for adults. Game for kids: Told the story of Moses and children of Israel where they had to look at the brazen serpent to live, likened it to reading scriptures, listening to the prophet to be spiritually prepared. Then they played a game with different cards for the kids to step on. If they stepped on snake, they were out. If they stepped on a prophet card or a brazen serpent, they could continue. First person to get to the end of the cards won.
  2. Water Storage: Information on water storage and water purification provided with examples of different storing methods provided for adults. Game for kids: Water pitcher with marbles in the bottom. Demonstrated the need to filter water by having the kids pour the pitcher of water through a colander. Likened the marbles in the colander to things that contaminate the water.
  3. Food Storage: Food Storage Starter kit was displayed with "All is Safely Gathered In" Food Storage Pamphlets provided. Children and adults could grind wheat by hand and with an electric grinder, knead bread dough, make butter and sample whole wheat bread. Sample food storage shelving displayed (the kind where the shelves are slanted for rolling cans.)
  4. Emergency Communications: Ham Radio, CBs, Telephones, Walkie Talkies were displayed, info about emergency communication was provided. Activity for Kids: Kids were escorted to a big rig cab and talked on the CB to someone in the church. They loved it! Each was given a "handle." (CB nickname)
  5. Cooking without Power: This was outside and assigned to the Young Men who love to make fires. They provided a pamphlet with information about cooking without power. They demonstrated different methods of cooking without power (fires, charcoal, charcoal pit, dutch oven, etc.) Kids and adults could roast a hot dog on the fire and sample food made through various methods.
  6. Provident Living: Monthly menu planning utilizing food storage, bulk shopping and canned items was demonstrated and great information provided. Older children could fill out a weekly menu with food they liked; younger children played with toy food.
  7. Financial Preparedness: "One for the Money" pamphlet and "All is Safely Gathered In" pamphlet were provided, budget forms, a book containing important documents and information was displayed. Game for Kids: Penny toss into Tithing, Spending and Savings buckets.
  8. 72 Hour Kits: Info provided for adults, 72 hour kit displayed, Each child assembled 72 hour food kits in a Ziploc bag. This was costly but we felt that it was worth it to have all the children go home with a three day emergency food supply. Game: Kids had to find 72 hour food kit items (pictures on paper) hidden around the room and put them on the paper backpack. Younger children could color.
  9. Gardening: Info about square foot gardening provided. A planted square foot garden was displayed along with a model showing different ways to lay out a square foot garden. Expert gardeners were there to answer questions from ward members. Children could sample food from the garden. Other ideas: The kids could plant a seed at this station or could receive a small plant.
  10. Emergency Preparedness: Pamphlets from the Red Cross were provided about creating a family emergency plan, what to do after a disaster, etc. Game: Children sat on a stool, drew a question about emergency preparedness out of a hat (example: What two items should every home have in case of fire? Smoke detectors and a fire extinguisher). Children answered into a microphone and received a lollipop at the end.

6 comments:

Andrea U. said...

That sounds like it was a wonderful activity. Did the families stay together or were they free to wander? Did you have everything in the cultural hall or in various rooms in the building? Thanks for sharing!

You can check out my blog, (which is in it's infancy compared to yours) at www.letusprepare.blogspot.com

Andrea

Kerri said...

Andrea:
The dinner was in the cultural hall and the stations were in various locations in the building and outside. People were given a map directing them to the stations. Parents with young children were asked to stay with their kids (I compared it to staying with your kids at Disneyworld.) I was particularly concerned about kids running around without supervision so I also assigned someone to provide "security." There was still a little bit of running around but most parents stayed with their kids. The teenagers were at stations so they weren't wandering around. I'll take a peek at your blog!

Anonymous said...

I am planning a preparedness fair for my ward in a few weeks and really like your ideas. I was wondering if you could email me some of your game ideas and coloring pages? Great blog, too.
thanks
Michelle
if you choose to email the info. to me, please send it to getyourstorage@hotmail.com

Judy said...

I, too am planning a ward preparedness fair and like your ideas. I was wondering if you have the jeopardy game questions & how you set this up and if you would be willing to share that with me? I am a fledgling in this calling & was so excited when I found your site. Thank you for posting this activity.

Judy

Kerri said...

Judy,
It was assigned to one of our ward members who created a jeopardy board on power point (he's a technology person in the school system.) I can check with him and see if he still has it. However, it's been a couple of years.

Judy said...

That would be great! I appreciate you checking into this for me. Thank you so much.

Preparedness Quotes

"When faced with the choice to buy, consume, or engage in worldly things and activities, we all need to learn to say to one another, 'We can’t afford it, even though we want it!' or 'We can afford it, but we don’t need it—and we really don’t even want it!'" - Elder Robert D. Hales, April 2009 General Conference

"Many areas of the world have experienced difficult economic times. Businesses have failed, jobs have been lost, and investments have been jeopardized. We must make certain that those for whom we share responsibility do not go hungry or unclothed or unsheltered. When the priesthood of this Church works together as one in meeting these vexing conditions, near miracles take place.

"We urge all Latter-day Saints to be prudent in their planning, to be conservative in their living, and to avoid excessive or unnecessary debt."
- President Thomas S. Monson, October 2008 Priesthood Session, General Conference

"Avoid the philosophy that yesterday's luxuries have become today's necessities. They aren't necessities until we make them so. Many enter into long-term debt only to find that changes occur; people become ill or incapacitated, companies fail or downsize, jobs are lost, natural disasters befall us. For many reasons, payments on large amounts of debt can no longer be made. Our debt becomes as a Damocles sword hanging over our heads and threatening to destroy us."
- President Thomas S. Monson, April 2006 General Conference

“We have built grain storage and storehouses and stocked them with the necessities of life in the event of a disaster. But the real storehouse is the family storeroom. In words of revelation the Lord has said, ‘Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing’ (D&C 109:8.)”
President Gordon B. Hinckley

"We need to make both temporal and spiritual preparation for the events prophesied at the time of the Second Coming. And the preparation most likely to be neglected is the one less visible and more difficult--the spiritual. A 72-hour kit of temporal supplies may prove valuable for earthly challenges, but, as the foolish virgins learned to their sorrow, a 24-hour kit of spiritual preparation is of greater and more enduring value.

"We are living in the prophesied time 'when peace shall be taken from the earth' (D&C 1:35,) when 'all things shall be in commotion' and 'men's hearts shall fail them' (D&C 88:91.) There are many temporal causes of commotion, including wars and natural disasters, but an even greater cause of current 'commotion' is spiritual." Elder Dallin H. Oaks

“Every father and mother are the family’s store keepers. They should store whatever their family would like to have in case of an emergency…(and) God will sustain us through our trials.” President James E. Faust

“We live in a most exciting and challenging period in human history. As technology sweeps through every facet of our lives, changes are occurring so rapidly that it can be difficult for us to keep our lives in balance. To maintain some semblance of stability in our lives, it is essential that we plan for our future. I believe it is time, and perhaps with some urgency, to review the counsel we have received in dealing with our personal and family preparedness. We want to be found with oil in our lamps sufficient to endure to the end.”- Elder L. Tom Perry, Ensign, Nov. 1995

"Many more people could ride out the storm-tossed waves in their economic lives if they had their year's supply of food. . . and were debt-free. Today we find that many have followed this counsel in reverse: they have at least a year's supply of debt and are food free." President Thomas S. Monson

"Just as it is important to prepare ourselves spiritually, we must also prepare ourselves for our temporal needs. … We have been instructed for years to follow at least four requirements in preparing for that which is to come.

“First, gain an adequate education. Learn a trade or a profession to enable you to obtain steady employment that will provide remuneration sufficient to care for yourself and your family. …

“Second, live strictly within your income and save something for a rainy day. Incorporate in your lives the discipline of budgeting that which the Lord has blessed you with. As regularly as you pay your tithing, set aside an amount needed for future family requirements. …

“Third, avoid excessive debt. Necessary debt should be incurred only after careful, thoughtful prayer and after obtaining the best possible advice. We need the discipline to stay well within our ability to pay. …

“Fourth, acquire and store a reserve of food and supplies that will sustain life [if local laws permit such storage]. Obtain clothing and build a savings account on a sensible, well-planned basis that can serve well in times of emergency. As long as I can remember, we have been taught to prepare for the future and to obtain a year’s supply of necessities. I would guess that the years of plenty have almost universally caused us to set aside this counsel. I believe the time to disregard this counsel is over. With events in the world today, it must be considered with all seriousness.” - Elder L. Tom Perry, October 1995 General Conference

“Maintain a year's supply. The Lord has urged that his people save for the rainy days, prepare for the difficult times, and put away for emergencies, a year's supply or more of bare necessities so that when comes the flood, the earthquake, the famine, the hurricane, the storms of life, our families can be sustained through the dark days. How many of us have complied with this? We strive with the Lord, finding many excuses: We do not have room for storage. The food spoils. We do not have the funds to do it. We do not like these common foods. It is not needed -- there will always be someone to help in trouble. The government will come to the rescue. And some intend to obey but procrastinate.” - The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, p.375

“All too often a family's spending is governed more by their yearning than by their earning. They somehow believe that their life will be better if they surround themselves with an abundance of things. All too often all they are left with is avoidable anxiety and distress” - Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin

"Be prepared in all things against the day when tribulations and desolations are sent forth upon the wicked." D&C 29:8

"Too often we bask in our comfortable complacency and rationalize that the ravages of war, economic disaster, famine, and earthquake cannot happen here. Those who believe this are either not aquainted with the revelations of the Lord, or they do not believe them." President Ezra Taft Benson

"Fear not little flock; do good; let earth and hell combine against you, for if ye are built upon my rock, they cannot prevail. . .Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not." D&C 6:34, 36

"I believe that the Ten Virgins represent the people of the Church of Jesus Christ. . . They (five foolish) had the saving, exalting gospel, but it had not been made the center of their lives. They knew the way but gave only a small measure of loyalty and devotion.

"The foolish asked the others to share their oil, but spiritual preparedness cannot be shared in an instant. . . . This was not selfishness or unkindness. The kind of oil that is needed to illuminate the way and light up the darkness is not shareable. . . . In our lives the oil of preparedness is accumulated drop by drop in righteous living." - President Spencer W. Kimball

“We encourage families to have on hand this year’s supply; we say it over and over and over and repeat over and over the scripture of the Lord where he says, “Why call ye me, Lord, Lord and do not the things which I say?” How empty it is as they put their spirituality, so-called, into action and call him by his important names, but fail to do the things which he says." - President Spencer W. Kimball


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