Christmas brunch can be a fun activity.
A Christmas breakfast or brunch is a wonderful idea for a Latter-Day Saints (LDS) Christmas ward celebration. This option is good if the ward is having difficulty finding a time to have the annual Christmas activity. Many people are so busy during the holidays that a morning activity like a brunch may result in a higher member turnout. A brunch could have several of the same activities as a traditional Christmas activity as well as a few less-common ones.
Bring Your Own Casserole
The ward can provide pancakes, syrup and fresh fruit and invite each family to bring a breakfast casserole to the brunch. This is an easy way to provide a wide variety of delicious food. Many people enjoy sharing their unique breakfast casseroles, and the casseroles are easy to prepare and serve.
Santa's Visit
A quick visit from Santa will entertain the kids during the brunch. Set Santa up in another room and allow the kids to go visit him after they have finished eating. The ward can provide candy canes for Santa to give out.
Missionary Care Packages
Another activity is to create care packages for the local missionaries as well as missionaries who are serving from the ward. Ask people to bring in items for stocking stuffers to give to the missionaries. Assemble the stockings and present them to the missionaries at the end of the meeting.
Secret Santa Gifts
Ask members to bring specific items to help out with Secret Santa baskets for families that are struggling in the ward. These gifts could be wrapped already and labeled with what the item is inside, or you could set aside one room for people to wrap the items. You will have to do this carefully so that children who are to receive the presents will not see them being wrapped.
Christmas Movie
Play "Mr. Krueger's Christmas" on a large screen in the gym while people are eating breakfast. This holiday classic can help entertain the children so the adults have a chance to eat. After the movie is over, sing a few Christmas hymns before ending the activity.
Christmas Nativity
Even though the activity is during the day a Christmas nativity is an important addition to the program. You can put the Primary or one specific family in charge of organizing the nativity. You can narrate the events of the nativity by reading from Luke 2 and adding hymns throughout the program.
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