Socially Savvy Tea Party Activity

We had a tea party activity where we practiced etiquette and also practiced some of our social savvy skills.

Prepare/Bring:

·        Make big fruit salad

·        Get flowers for tables (and vases) 

·        5 copies of all the YW names, cut into strips and placed in 5 bowls 

·        ·        Lemonade 

·        Pretty serving dishes? 

·        Bring in rolling chalkboard, get chalk, picture of Christ

·        Make numbers for each plate setting 1-6 (8 of each)

·        Print out conversation starters, one set for each table 

·         

Set up

·        Set tables with white cloths, flowers and china (use plastic forks) and napkins. Use Value fabric to have different colored tables…or put numbers on tables

·        Set up one long table with hot water and tea packets

7:00       Opening Exercises in Primary room. As girls walk into the gym, assign them different tables. 

Tea Party Outline

·        Welcome to our Tea Party!!

o   Why are we having a tea party?

§  Who goes to tea parties? (royalty?, ladies, people who are refined)

§  What kind of conversation would you expect? (refined, dignified, respectful, educated)

·        Graciousness!! (genuinely kind without any stuffiness or awkwardness)

o   Are you royalty? Are you ladies?

§  Does a lady have to be all dressed up? And be fancy? Stuffy?

§  How would you describe a true lady (or gentlewoman):

§  What are they like, how do they act? (Think GRACIOUS, KIND, SINCERE, FRIENDLY, REFINED)

§  How do they make you feel? (Loved and important)

§  Do you like people who make you feel important????

·        Do any of you know someone who is truly gracious? Does this person lift you and motivate you to be your best?

§  How would you feel inside, if you spent your day helping others to feel loved and important? (Think of the potential you have, the love and light that you are able to shine on those around you!!

·        ANYONE can lift and love others. You don’t need the latest fashionable clothing, you don’t need to have a perfect body or perfect hair, you don’t need to be popular – THINK about it!!

o   How do we BECOME more gracious?

§  FIRST we need to develop charity. We need to sincerely care for and love those around us.

§  SECOND we need to practice our social skills and learn how to interact in a way that truly lifts others.

o   Turn time over to Angela to go over BEING truly gracious.

§  Body Language (at ease, open, inclusive, smiling)

§  Eye Contact (smile with your eyes, look into their souls)

§  Include (always be looking for anyone who could be included—scan the room)

§  Notice (be looking for interesting, positive characteristics)

§  Geniune (care, interest, love—be truly focused on others, not on yourself or your own agenda)

·        BODY LANGUAGE

o   Girls start eating

o   Use a conversation starter slip. Try to eat and pay attention to the person on your right and your left. Use your body language to make sure that everyone at the table is feeling included. Also, break the ice by talking about the food, serving each other drinks and passing food, etc. SMILE at each other.

·        EYE CONTACT

o   Eye Contact Game (switch places, different emotions, etc.)

·        INCLUDING

o   All partners start separate conversations (use conversation starter slip—in bowl on table). The plate settings at each table are numbered. I will call out a number (or tap a person at each table). That person tries to reel in all the conversations into one, by using body language, eye contact and names.

·        NOTICE

o   Game with jar of names of girls (Angela will bring). Girls take name and describe that person (in a positive light) to partner. See who can get the most in 30 seconds.

·        GENUINE

o   End with short talk about becoming Christlike. How these skills will help you draw others to Him. How we start realizing our royal potential as “Daughters of God” as we develop true charity for others and the skills/ability to lift others. This is the mark of true royalty, of good character, when we practice BEING more like our Savior.

General Conference, April 1979  Royden G. Derrick  The Heritage of Royal Families

Have you ever dreamed of belonging to a royal family? A royal family has the authority to be such—received from one who has a right to bestow such an honor. You likely have a person holding such a dignified honor right in your own home. The Apostle Peter, addressing the Saints of his day, said, “Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people” (1 Pet. 2:9). Don’t you have this same royal priesthood in your home?

A royal family is a family whose members are honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, temperate, patient, charitable, humble, diligent, well read, and law-abiding. The Lord has cautioned, “But I have commanded you to bring up your children in light and truth” (D&C 93:40). He also instructed us, “And they shall … teach their children to pray, and to walk uprightly before the Lord” (D&C 68:28). He further said, “Seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning, even by study and also by faith” (D&C 88:118).

A royal family is a family of well-disciplined parents and children who control their appetites. The Lord promises those who do so, “And all saints who remember to keep and do these sayings, walking in obedience to the commandments, … shall find wisdom and great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures” (D&C 89:18–19).

A royal family is a family that is exemplary. They set a pattern for other families to follow. The Savior said, speaking to his faithful followers:

“Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

“Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” (Matt. 5:14–16.)

Here are some of the games we played:

The game

1. Each person has to write down the names of each girl in our group. Each name is written onto a separate piece of paper, folded and put into a bowl.

2. Get into pairs and have someone as time keeper. Each pair takes it in turns for one to pick a name and describe who they are in one minute (without saying the name!) i.e. “he’s married to the one that was Posh in the Spice girls”. You are only allowed one pass and the pass name has to go back into the pot.

3. At the end of the minute, keep a total of how many the pair got right and then pass the bowl to the next pair to have their turn.

4. The bowl then gets passed back to the previous pair for them to switch roles (the other describes while the partner guesses).The bowl gets passed between teams until all names have run out

5. The winners are the team with the most names guessed correctly once all names have gone from the bowl

To make the game more entertaining, it’s good to put some random names that will be hard or embarrassing to describe.

 We didn't do this activity exactly, but did our own variation:

Eye Contact

Copyright 2007 by Ken Sapp

This icebreaker game is similar to Connected but the connections are visual ones as participants make eye contact with one another. You can use this icebreaker to discuss communication, attention, community, and connections or relationships. It can also be used for team building and relationship building in training events.

Description
Sitting or standing in a circle, youth look across the circle at someone and then when mutual eye contact has been made, they switch places while maintaining eye contact the entire time.

Resources
None

Preparation
None

What to Do

1.      Sit the group in chairs in a circle, or stand in a circle with everyone facing inward toward the center of the circle.

2.      Each person must announce his or her name and one characteristics about himself/herself. You could also have everyone answer the same common question like “What is your favorite movie?”

3.      Participants then look across the circle to another participant. At any time two persons make mutual eye contact, they must announce the name of the other person and begin moving to switch places. They must maintain eye contact the entire time until they have switched. They must not rush, but move slowly and purposefully.

4.      Once they have switched they must again look around the circle until they make mutual eye contact with another person. They cannot exchange places with the same person twice in a row.

5.      Many pairs can exchange at the same time.

Variations

1.      Play the game silently

2.      Have participants exchange greetings in the middle of the circle.

3.      As the game continues, periodically call out various emotions they people should try to express through their eyes only (care, love, anger, disappointment, honesty, encouragement, forgiveness, trust, hope, joy, etc).

Taking it to the Next Level

·        Did anyone feel uncomfortable maintaining eye contact the entire time? Why?

·        How did you feel to have someone’s attention focused completely on you? Why?

·        Ok, admit it. Who broke eye contact during the exchange? How did it affect the exchange?

·        Is eye contact important in relationships? Why or why not?

·        What functions does eye contact have in relationships?

·        What feelings did you experience in this game? Why?

·        Did you have different feelings with different people? Why?

·        Is there anyone you did not make eye contact with? Why? Look at that person now. Are your feelings any different than from those people you made eye contact with?

·        It has been said that the eyes are a window into the soul. What do you think this means?

·        What things do a person’s eyes reveal? How accurate are they?

·        If you were to look into Christ’s eyes what do you think you would see?

·        If Christ were to look you straight in the eyes, how would you feel? What do you think he might see?

Teacher’s Note: This is a fun way of looking at Bible Stories that involve encounters between two people. Read the story. At crucial points throughout the story, stop the narrative and then ask: “What feelings might you see reflected in each of the characters eyes at this point in the story?” For example, in the story of Jesus and the woman at the well. Do you think the woman was trying to avoid eye contact? When Jesus asked her for a drink, what might you see reflected in her eyes? As she looked back at Christ, what do you think she might have seen reflected in his eyes? Then continue the story. Later, when he tells her he has living water from which she will never thirst again, stop the story and ask the same questions. This can be applied to numerous narratives and events in the Bible and may provide a fresh perspective on a well known story.

Conclusion
Our eyes reveal a lot about us. Look a person in the eyes and you can learn a lot about them. As you seek to build meaningful relationships with others, take some time to look into their eyes. Try to see the world through their eyes. Try to see them through Christ’s eyes! When you do, you will get a little more insight into God’s love and place for you in this world.

Action Point

·        Try to see others through the eyes of Christ?

·        Take a little time, away from the hustle and bustle of life, and spend some focused time with someone this week in eye to eye communication. By your attention let them know you care!

Another Game Idea:

Pink Pig: A Table Manners Game

Christine Brown, Yahoo! Contributor Network
Nov 21, 2008 "Share your voice on Yahoo! websites. Start Here."

·        MORE:

·        Pigs

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It is becoming more apparent that a standard code of etiquette for children at the dinner table is not as prevalent as it once was. When trying to teach my children what was considered proper manners at the dinner table we came up with a very clever game to help us learn. We simply call it "The Pink Pig", and the rules are very simple and easy to follow for anyone ages seven and up.

Place a small plastic pig in the center of your kitchen table. When anyone at the table does not follow an agreed upon dinner table rule then the pig gets placed before them, and the rule that is not being followed is announced. The person with the pig in front of them needs to be on the lookout for another rule breaker and try to get rid of the pig before the end of the meal. Whoever ends up with the pig at meals end has to clear the table and wash the dinner dishes.

A few example of dinner table rules to follow:

1. No talking with food in your mouth.

2. Never rest your elbows on the table, and both hands should be present during the meal, unless reaching for your napkin.

3. No inappropriate dinner conversation (not the time to discuss anything that would make your food unappetizing at the table, or make a guest uncomfortable).

4. No reaching over anyone for food, instead request for something to be passed to you.

5. Always contribute to the dinner conversation, but do not monopolize it.

6. You must try at last a bite of all food prepared by the host, unless there are allergies or religious convictions involved.

7. Ask permission from the host(usually mom or dad) to leave the table at any time.

8. If getting up to refill drinks or get seconds, ask if anyone else needs anything.

These are a few easy rules, that can be added to for more formal occasions, but are great starters for any family. We have also played this game at casual dining restaraunts and used a pink sugar packet as our pig.