LDS Activity Ideas

LDS Games

See the full LDS Games list, including Scriptionary.

Four-way Tug-of-War:

Obtain 12 feet of soft cotton rope and tie ends together. Place four people inside, facing outwards four different directions, and place the rope across the stomachs for a four-corner tug-of-war. All four participants try to reach for a piece of candy which is placed directly in front of them about six feet away. The person that first grabs his piece of candy is the winner and gets all four pieces of candy.

Mini-Marshmallow Guns

Cut some pieces of 1/2 inch PVC pipe down to about 12 inches long sections. Buy a couple of bags of mini-marshmallows, and use them as your ammo, with the PVC pipe as blow gun. Play this in an area that will be easy to clean up, or where it won’t matter if you miss some of the marshmallows. If you want to make the guns as part of your activity, here are some instructions on making a fancy marshmallow shooter

Sawdust Scramble:

Place several pennies, candy chews or small toys or pieces of gum in a pile of sawdust or wood shavings. All persons of the same age line up 50 feet away. At the starting signal, they run to the sawdust and hunt for the candy. They may keep all they can find. Each age takes their turn, with more candy and more sawdust added with each age. The sawdust should be dumped on a plastic drop cloth for easy clean-up.

Human Wheelbarrow Race:

One participant of a team places his hands on the ground in a push-up position and his partner steps between his legs and lifts him up by the knees. On the signal, the human wheelbarrow is pushed to the goal line: at the point the pusher and the wheelbarrow change places and run back to the starting point.

Noodle-leg Race:

Obtain at least two swim noodles. Have teams race against each other to a marker, run around it, and come back WITH a swim noodle between thier legs. This is hilarious to watch, and works with groups of 1-5 people. Fun for child-parent games too.

Multiple-legged Relay Race:

Use old nylon panty hose to tie the legs together. For a three-legged race, place the panty hose around the inside legs of two people standing side by side. This may be reduced to two people or extended to a five or seven legged race by placing more participants together.

Water balloon toss:

This is less messy than tossing eggs. You purchase balloons specially for water fights. Divide up into two teams, facing each other and throw the balloon to the opposing team member facing you. All the people in one line are given a (raw egg) or water balloon Everyone starts tossing the balloon back and form to their partner. With each successful catch, the player steps back one step. The two players who successfully toss the balloon (or egg) the furthest “wins.” This should be played last because it always starts a water fight.

Sack races:

Participants are divided up according to size or age or however. Each is given his or her gunny sack and on the signal see who can get to the goal line. Gunny sacks can be purchased at the IFA store for about $1.20 each. Can be saved for another year.


Divide up into teams. Each team tries to pull the other team over the line OR FOR LOTS OF FUN, A WATER PUDDLE.

Pie Eating Contests:

There are many variations of this. Dream up your own. Finding a jelly bean in a pie pan filled with whipped cream. Finding a pacifier in a pie pan of whipped cream. Get it in your mouth the right way and crawl to the judges to win. You get to wear a bib and no hands here either.

Gooey Noses:

Two groups smear vaseline on noses. Cookie sheets of cotton balls are placed on the ground 10-15 yards away. The team must run-one member at a time-to the cookie sheets, squat down, pick up cotton balls with their noses, then race back to the start without losing their cotton balls. The first team to have all members with cotton ball noses is the winner.

Kick the Can

Select an object to serve as the “can” – an actual can, a ball, or a small, taped-up box. Select someone to be “It.” Select an area to set the can – a clear space about 20 or 30 yards across. Select an area to be the “jail” – a comfortable place close to the can, but not blocking the can.

Tips: Place the can in a grassy area, if possible, since players may have to slide or leap. Select a well-lit area to place the can when playing at night.

If You’re “It” – Stand by while another player kicks the can as far as possible. Retrieve the can and put it back where it was in the beginning. Capture players by calling out their names and their hiding places while you’re stepping on the can. Look for players, but try not to stray far from the can. Race back to the can if you see an uncaptured player headed for it. Step on the can and call out that player’s name if you get to the can first. Run after the can and put it back again if that player kicks the can away. Continue until you have all the players in jail.

If You’re Not “It” – Select someone to kick the can as far as possible. Hide. Race back to the can and kick it before It gets there. Go to jail if It steps on the can and calls out your name and your correct location. Wait in jail until you are rescued – that is, until someone kicks the can. Run away and hide again when the can is kicked and you are released from jail. Be It for the next game if you were captured first. (Instructions from

LDS Games list, including Scriptionary. >>>