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Standards Games

Standards Games

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youth playing

Purpose

What are the Lord’s standards, and how can they help you? Play a game to learn more about these standards and the blessings they can bring into your life.

Description

Using For the Strength of Youth, make cards for each topic: “Agency and Accountability,” “Dress and Appearance,” “Entertainment and Media,” and so on. Below each topic, write five related words. For example, for “Entertainment and Media,” your words could be “television,” “computer,” “watch,” “video,” and “movie.”

Divide into teams. The first player describes the standard to their team without using any of the related words. The team tries to guess the standard. Once they have guessed the standard, another member of the team explains the blessings of following that standard, also without using any of the related words. When they are done, the other teams take a turn until all cards have been used.

More Ideas

  • Memory game—Divide participants into two teams. Write each standard from For the Strength of Youth on a piece of paper (“Tithes and Offerings,” “Service,” and so on). Then write a clue for each standard on another piece of paper (you could use the scripture or part of the text associated with each topic). Mix the papers up and place them face down in rows on the floor, wall, or board. Have the teams take turns turning two cards over and trying to find a standard and its matching clue. In order to keep the match, the team must explain why that standard is important.

  • Paper clip game—Divide participants into small groups, give each group a pile of paper clips (or similar item), and tell them to play the “paper clip game” (don’t give them any rules). Even if they are confused, encourage them to keep playing the game. After a few minutes, talk about what happens when there are no rules, why having rules is important, and how this relates to gospel standards. As a group, come up with a list of rules for the “paper clip game” and then play the game with rules.

  • Blessing brainstorm—Divide into teams. Give each team a large piece of paper. Choose a standard from For the Strength of Youth. Set a time limit, and have the teams list as many blessings as they can think of that come from living that standard. Then have the teams share their lists with each other. Each team gets a point for any blessing they thought of that the other team didn’t. Repeat with other standards.

  • Cars game—Using chalk, masking tape, or something similar, create a simple street scene with an intersection and a stop sign or traffic light. Assign a few participants to pretend to be cars “driving” on the street. At first, have them follow the laws by driving on the correct side of the street and stopping at the stop sign. Then have a few participants pretend to be cars that don’t follow the laws while the rest do. Finally, tell the group that there are no rules for anyone and let them keep “driving.” After the game, talk about how both rules and gospel standards keep us safe, healthy, and happy and how standards ultimately allow us to be exalted.

Discussion

Encourage participants to talk about what they are learning. Discussions can take place before, during, or after the activity. You could ask questions like the following:

  • Why do you think it is important to follow the Lord’s standards?

  • When was a time you kept your gospel standards when it was hard? What blessings did you experience?

  • What feelings or impressions do you have about sharing your standards with others?

  • How can you apply what you are learning in your life?

Related Resources

Sabbath Day Lessons