General Conference weekend for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is always a wonderful two days of inspiration, with messages and counsel shared directly from the prophet and counselors of the LDS Church. As families prepare to enjoy church in their pajamas this weekend, I thought it a great time to share some ideas for getting the most out of all the conference sessions, while also keeping the kids occupied, and happily fed. Here are just a few ideas for General Conference activities and recipes. For more, log on to our General Conference board on Pinterest. 

Activities

Conference Bingo is always a hit with little ones. With dozens of different free printable bingo cards on Pinterest, and even lds.org, there are a variety of options. Simply print out different cards for each family member, let your children color them and play a good round of bingo using M&Ms as markers. For the teenage girls in your house, let them create their own notebook for taking notes. Bring out the scrapbooking supplies and let them transform a notebook into their own, customized General Conference journal where they can jot down their questions, inspirational thoughts and more. For the teenage boys, let them transform the talks into clever doodles, something they can also include in their journal. Another great idea for teenagers, found on lds.org, is to create your own social media memes based on the words of the apostles. Pick out favorite quotes, place them on beautiful background images and share them with friends and family. 

Recipe ideas

Instead of waking up at the crack of dawn to prepare a delicious breakfast for your family to devour during the morning sessions of conference, plan ahead the night before. Breakfast casseroles are a wonderful way to not only feed your entire crew and even a few visitors, but they can easily be prepared and sit in the fridge overnight. No slaving away over a hot griddle for pancakes and eggs. Instead serve up a French Toast Casserole or gooey cinnamon rolls or Oreo Monkey Bread or a delicious quiche. If you are feeling ambitious, set up a crepe bar and let your family create their own breakfast crepes. Don’t forget the snacks to enjoy during conference. Whip up some chewy caramel popcorn or a fun trail mix or maybe even Cinnamon Sugar Pretzels. 

Between sessions

While your Saturday noon break between sessions of General Conference may be filled with running errands, Sunday’s two-hour break is a great time to enjoy some fun moments with your family. One of my favorite things to do, especially during the October session, is to take a nice leisurely drive up the nearest canyon to enjoy the beautiful fall foliage. You could pack a picnic lunch to enjoy at a hidden campground along your drive, or at your favorite park. Two hours is a great time to enjoy one of the latest LDS movies like “The Cokeville Miracle,” “Freetown,” or dig out some of your favorites like “The Best Two Years,” “Emma” or even dig further back for classics like “Saturday’s Warrior” and “Johnny Lingo.” The most important thing is to enjoy time with your family. 

– Jennifer Durrant, Daily Herald