The beginning of October marks some of my favorite calendar events. Obviously the beauty of colorful leaves is always a favorite, but I also love the cooler temperatures and digging out all my sweaters and hoodies! I also love all things Halloween — the parties, scary movies, costumes and candy. October is also my birthday month, too, and I always try and stretch out the celebrating for at least a good week or two! But one of the very best parts of October, for me, is enjoying LDS General Conference. I love the inspiration, the amazing stories of faith, messages of hope, and … spending the weekend in my pajamas.

If you’re like me and love General Conference weekend, too, I’m sure you’re already looking for activities to help you and your children gain as much inspiration as possible from the talks. You might also have looked up some great recipes for Sunday morning breakfast, and maybe even a few treats during the sessions. Here are a few of my favorite ideas for conference weekend. For even more, visit our General Conference Fun board on Pinterest.

Breakfast

While I love making breakfast, there is something so much sweeter about making a big breakfast, or even brunch, on the Sunday of General Conference. There’s no need to rush in the prep work, or the eating, especially if you do stay in your pajamas all day long. It’s time to enjoy some delicious food while feasting on the words of prophets and apostles, so go ahead and prepare a large meal everyone can dish up and enjoy in front of the television.

Some of my favorite breakfast staples, perfect for a leisurely Sunday morning, include a good cinnamon roll recipe. But don’t just settle for any old cinnamon roll. Mix things up this year by pulling some of the flavors of the late harvest season. Incorporate apples, peaches or pears into your rolls for a wonderful twist. Pumpkin, too, would be a great enhancement to any cinnamon roll recipe.

Overnight casseroles are always a great idea for breakfast entrees, too. Try some Baked Orange French Toast. Or maybe you prefer a delicious egg, sausage and cheese bake that combines all the flavors of breakfast into one dish. One recipe that I might just have to try was the Brown Sugar Banana French Toast Casserole. Caramely good, with a Bananas Foster-like flavor, this could be dessert, too.

Snacks

With a total of 10 hours of conference viewing time over the coming weekend, it’s important to make sure there are plenty of snacks for the family to nibble on. Be sure to have something for everyone, too. Get those healthy snacks on the table — fruits, veggies and delicious dips to dunk everything in. Then add in some salty and sweet favorites, too. Just don’t forget the chocolate.

Caramel corn, Muddy Buddies and Chex Mix are all great snacking options. Why not add in a few new recipes to the mix, too. Take a some apples and create Apple Cookies. No Bake Energy Bites are a great idea for tasty treats. Or you could slice the apples into thin circles and let the kids frost the “cookies” with fresh whipped cream and an array of toppings like chocolate chips, peanut butter, nuts or sprinkles.

Speaking of apples, this recipe for Apple Fries sounded delicious. Peel and slice up 4-5 tart apples. Dunk them in a mixture of 1 cup buttermilk and 1 cup sugar. Then, in a shallow dish, pour down a layer of flour. Pull the apples out of the buttermilk mixture, dredge in the flour and then fry the apples in a hot fry pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. When cool, dip in your favorite caramel.

Games

Keeping everyone engaged in General Conference can sometimes be tricky. Luckily there are dozens and dozens of brilliant ideas for ensuring the entire family is paying attention — big kids and small. Time to break out the craft supplies, the pencils and pens and try some of the fun ideas.

Conference Bingo is a classic. It’s super easy and there are a number of free printables available to download. All you need are some M&Ms as markers to have a great time. You can also play the treat game. When speakers say different phrases, if children are paying attention, they can collect different treats.

For the doodlers in your family, prior to conference, help them create a new sketchbook and encourage them to not only take notes during the talks, but also illustrate the topics being discussed, draw images of their favorite temple, or even images of the speakers themselves.

– Jennifer Durrant