50+ cheap or free LDS youth activity ideas

There are a ton of different LDS youth activity ideas out there but sometimes they can get a little bit expensive. And since every ward has a budget, you have to get a little bit creative sometimes. That’s why I put together this awesome list to help you out.

As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the Young Women second counselor in my ward, it can be a struggle sometimes to think of affordable activity ideas every week. Since we have a specific budget that we are limited to, we can’t have a pizza party or go to a bounce house every week. So, here’s a list of ideas that are fun for the youth and won’t break the bank. Check it out!

Physical activity ideas

• Hiking
• Slip n’ Slide Kickball
• Pickleball tournament
• Fiery Darts Nerf gun war
• Swimming at a neighbor’s pool
• Photo Scavenger Hunt
• Glow in the dark volleyball
• Capture the flag
• Human Hungry Hippos
• Human foosball
• Water balloon volleyball

Service activity ideas

• Service scavenger hunt
• 1,000 Acts of Service Puzzle
• Baptisms at the temple
• Secret sisters
• Living history lesson (ask an older person in the ward to come talk about their life when they were younger)
• Thank you notes on cars in the parking lot at the temple
• Soup for seniors (drop off soup and visit with the widows in the ward)
• Park cleanup (work with your city leaders to pick up trash at a local park)
• Random acts of kindness challenge
• Heart Attack Night
• Amazing Race Service Activity
• Car wash (provide a free car wash to members of the ward)

Spiritual activity ideas

• Scripture treasure hunt
• The Teaching Burger (Show your youth how to teach a Sunday lesson in a fun way)
• Internet Safety Night (Teach your girls about staying safe online and invite each of them to sign an Internet Safety Contract)
• Mormonad Challenge (create your own Mormonads using old magazines)
• Faith Walk
• Bible Customs Night (have someone come share the daily customs during ancient times)
• ‘For the Strength of Youth’ Challenge Night (create stations in each room of the church with different scenarios and the youth have to find the solution in their Strength of Youth Booklet)
• Youth Mission Conference (hold relay-style MTC competition game night, learn about past missions that members of the ward have served, or hold a mini fireside with current missionaries serving in your ward)
• Bring the Book of Mormon to life (create a skit, movie or game about stories in the Book of Mormon)
• Modesty Fashion Show
• Scripture cakes (divide into groups and decorate a cake based on a story in the scriptures)
• Family Home Evening Kits

Intellectual activity ideas

• Family History Indexing challenge
• Skills swap (the youth teach each other a skill they have developed like swinging a golf club, drawing a cat, etc.)
• LDS Family Feud game
• Youth Talent Show
• Prison Visit (the youth listen to an inmate speak at your local prison)
• Paint Night Party
• Pumpkin or watermelon carving
• Career night
• CPR course (learn how to perform CPR)
• Alphabet Picnic: Have each youth bring a food item that begins with the first letter of his or her first or last name
• LDS Jeopardy
• Day of the Dead Ancestor Night

Just for fun activity ideas

• My sister’s closet clothing swap
• Friendship Basket (this isn’t really an activity but our girls love this one)
• At-home popcorn and movie night
• LDS Mad Libs
• Bigger or Better Scavenger Hunt
• PJs and pancakes
• Water balloon pinata night (dress to get wet!)
• Speed Friendshipping
• Parade of Bedrooms (tour each girls’ bedrooms)
• Egg Drop Challenge
• Escape Room
• Where’s Waldo in Real Life
• Taste Testing Challenge

I hope all of these LDS Youth activity ideas will help you as you’re planning with your youth this year. Let me know how it goes in the comments below.

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