Do you have crazy sports fans at your house? So do we. Our family loves cheering. My high school and college kids especially love to dress up, cheer loud, and pump up the crowd. They have flags, wigs, capes, and coveralls in their team colors. It’s serious business.
One weekend, when they were all home, my 11-year old nephew mentioned that he had his last rec basketball game of the season. My older boys decided it was time to do something awesome. They invited all of our extended family that lived in town to come to the game. The theme was “White-Out” so everyone was asked to dress in white.
We showed up early to tailgate in the rec center parking lot. The kids played cornhole and ate pizza. We loved the confused looks of some of the folks driving by in the parking lot.
Then we took over the stands in the rec center. As you may know, there are usually just a few parents and siblings in the stands, so our group really stood out. The other families thought it was hilarious. The statisticians and referees also got the giggles. This was not a normal day for recreational 6th grade basketball.
The boys worked the crowd, leading them in cheers, chants, and the wave.
One of my sons decorated a few thrift store t-shirts so they could be thrown into the stands during time-outs. It was pretty funny.
We learned all the players’ names and cheered just like we were watching a college game. The players were a little confused at first, but they soon embraced the crowd and the court was full of smiles. Every time Cousin Henry made a shot or stole the ball, the crowd went absolutely crazy. It really was so fun! And, that big smile on Henry’s face was the best of all.
So, we hope this easy idea adds a little fun one day for your family. Make a little person’s day by really showing them you’re their biggest fan!
If your church, school, or neighborhood is looking for a great children’s Thanksgiving play to celebrate the holiday, here is a simple script we created. Printable Children’s Thanksgiving Play Script
Children’s Thanksgiving Play
Cast
3 Narrators
Squanto
3-6 Pilgrims
3-6 Native Americans
If you have more than 16 children, you can add more pilgrims, Native Americans, and narrators. Make it work for you!
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Children’s Thanksgiving Play Narrators
thanksgiving play Script
Narrator 1: Many years ago, the Pilgrims prayed for a place to live where they could worship Heavenly Father and go to church.
Pilgrims kneel in prayer.
Narrator 2: They decided to come to America. They sailed on a big ship called the Mayflower.
Pilgrims carry cardboard ship across stage. Native Americans wiggle blue fabric for water.
Narrator 3: It took great courage for the Pilgrims to cross the ocean. There were many dangers, and the boat was cramped. There were no showers or bathtubs on the Mayflower, so it was probably pretty smelly too.
One of the pilgrims smells another and passes out.
Narrator 1: After a very long voyage, the pilgrims landed in America in a place they named Plymouth Rock.
Native American runs by holding carboard sign “Welcome to Plymouth Rock”.
Narrator 2: They went in search of food in the forest. They gathered seeds and berries.
Native Americans hold branches in the air and pretend to be berry bushes. Pilgrims pick berries from the bushes and eat them.
Narrator 3: But soon the weather began to change. The first winter that the Pilgrims lived in America was very long, very cold, and very difficult.
Pilgrims huddle together. Native Americans run by holding snowflakes and making rain and storm noises.
Narrator 1: Many of the Pilgrims became ill and nearly half of them died.
One of the Pilgrims lays on the ground as if she is dead. Others cry.
Narrator 2: When Spring finally came, it was a time of joy!
One Native American runs by with cardboard sunshine.
Narrator 3: The Pilgrims were befriended by the Native American tribes of the area. The Natives taught the Pilgrims how to fish, plant corn, and build homes. The Pilgrims could never have survived without the help of their new friends.
Native Americans and Pilgrims shake hands. One pair fishes. One pair plants seeds with dead fish in a hole. One pair stacks wood.
Narrator 1: One of the Indians was called Squanto.
Squanto walks in and stands with hands on his hips.
Narrator 2: Earlier in his life, Squanto had been kidnapped by an English explorer and taken captive to Europe. Although this was a horrible thing, Squanto learned the English language and, when he returned to America, he was able to act as a translator, guide, and advisor for the Pilgrims.
Two pilgrims walk in and shake hands with Squanto. Squanto leads them to other side of stage.
Narrator 3: Together, the Pilgrims and the Native Americans hunted ducks and geese, and other wild birds. The Pilgrims would be ready, this time, for the coming winter.
One Native American and one Pilgrim walk across the stage with sticks as guns. Another child dressed as a turkey runs from other side of the stage, clucking loudly. The Pilgrim says, “Catch that wild bird!” They chase the bird off the stage.
Narrator 1: When summer ended, the harvest was bountiful!
Pilgrims walk across stage holding pictures of Thanksgiving foods. (Corn, Squash, Pumpkin, Bread, Fruit)
Narrator 2: It was time to celebrate! They had plenty of food and many new friends. They wanted to give thanks to Heavenly Father for all of their blessings.
Narrator 3: “Join us!” the Pilgrims said to the Native Americans. “Join us in a big feast of Thanksgiving!”
Pilgrims wave to Native Americans, calling them to join the feast. Native Americans enter.
Narrator 1: Everyone was so excited, and everyone gave thanks to our Father in Heaven.
Pilgrims place food in the center, then join hands with Native Americans.
Narrator 2: What a wonderful first Thanksgiving Day!
Narrator 3: So, this Thanksgiving, when you gather with your family and friends to eat and celebrate, remember to pause and give thanks.
All: Children are still standing in a line holding hands. Each one takes their turn to say, “Give thanks for __________________.” (At our show, we had each child make a poster and hold it up to tell what they were most thankful for.)
The children can choose what they want to say, but here are some examples.
Give thanks for family, food, laughter, a warm house, good friends, freedom, animals, ice cream, the earth, love.
Optional Dance/Song
If you want, you can add a dance and song at the end. We used this one by the Learning Station.
List of needed supplies
Costumes
Pilgrim costumes
Native American costumes
Turkey Hat(s)
Here are two great links for costume ideas and patterns:
Blue fabric or 2 blue plastic tablecloths for ocean
Leafy branches for berry bushes
Fishing pole
Wood to stack
Cardboard cut-out pictures of:
The Mayflower
Welcome to Plymouth Rock
Snowflakes
Sunshine
1 Dead Fish
Corn, Squash, Pumpkin, Bread, Fish, Apples
The kids had a great time performing this children’s Thanksgiving play and, we hope, they learned a bit about the first Thanksgiving. We also hope it reminded them of the many reasons they have to be grateful.
You can adapt this script to your needs. We hope it gives you a good starting point for your own celebration. Happy Thanksgiving!
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Thank you to my friend Charlotte for taking all these great photos of our Thanksgiving play!
Our extended family holds a biannual cousin camp that mimics church youth conferences like For the Strength of Youth and Especially for Youth. Our cousins live all over the country so this is an opportunity for them to spend quality time together strengthening their cousin bonds.
It’s really great to have over twenty teens for this event. We invite all our cousins who are ages 12-18. Then we tell them to invite their cousins from the other side of their family and any close friends they think could be adopted cousins for the week. Our group has varied in size from 20-38 teens.
Our event usually runs from Tuesday evening to Saturday morning. Here’s an example agenda from our most recent camp held in Salt Lake City and Syracuse, Utah. For the Strength of Cousins Agenda 2020
Here are some ideas so you can organize your own Cousin Camp. We’ve divided our ideas into the fun stuff and the spiritual stuff. This is an opportunity to strengthen faith and family unity, so we always schedule faith-promoting devotionals and speakers at our event. However, we know our audience and no one would come if it wasn’t super fun. So, make sure you have a good balance of both and don’t forget to allow lots of free time.
-The Fun Stuff-
company competitions
Divide your group into teams of 5-10 people. Four groups is ideal. You can use these groups for food prep and cleaning assignments, but the main purpose is for everyone to be a part of a team. Every day should include at least one company competition. Here are four fun ideas:
Photo Scavenger Hunt
Set your teams lose on a photo scavenger hunt in a mall, park, or downtown plaza. Make a list of items and activities their team can photograph and video to earn points. Set a time limit and let them go!
Photo Scavenger Hunt in City Creek Plaza, Salt Lake City
Obstacle Course
Create an obstacle course in a back yard or park. We had access to an inflatable obstacle course that served as one leg of the race. Make sure there are enough obstacles that everyone on the team will be part of the competition. We had climbing, jumping, running, and throwing events. We also had a putting golf hole, a trampoline challenge, and then some team challenges like a human pyramid and carrying people. Make it up based on your space. You’ll need a few adult judges to make sure no one cheats. Make sure the rules are laid out clearly before you start. This is supposed to be fun, so you’ll want to avoid any arguments over the rules mid-competition.
Game Show Competition
We created a really fun game show competition that was a huge success. We needed an inside activity for a hot afternoon and this fit the bill. Here’s the link with a full description and clues: Epic Game Show Competition
Cousins Got Talent (Skit Night)
On our last night, all the teams made up a skit and performed for the group. We had a panel of judges (uncles, aunts, older cousins) who scored the skits for the team competition. The groups knew about this all week so they had talked about it and used some of their free time to prepare.
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Water Kickball
If you’ve never played water kickball, you’re in for a treat. This activity costs about $100 but you can use it over and over. You will need 3 inflatable kiddie pools, four rolls of 3’ X 50’ 4 mil plastic sheeting from a home improvement store, baby liquid soap, a rubber kickball, and access to a hose/water.
Roll out the plastic in a 50′ square with kiddie pools for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd bases. Sit the pools on top of the plastic at each corner of your diamond to weigh it down. Pin down the home base corner with a couple of tent stakes. You don’t want stakes in the plastic anywhere else because someone could hurt their bare feet as they run. Squirt baby soap on the plastic, then spray it with water and fill up your kiddie pools. Keep the water flowing and continue to spray the plastic and fill the pools as needed throughout the game. Now, play kickball! You’ll be slipping and sliding and laughing the whole time.
Yard Games
Make sure your event has lots of free time. Yard games should be readily available so the kids can play whenever they like. Volleyball and Four-Square were our two favorites last year.
Water Day
If you have access to a lake or reservoir, take advantage. Our group had a great time floating in the Great Salt Lake. (I’ve lived in Utah most of my life and I had never swam in the Great Salt Lake. It was a blast!) Another year, we went to a water park. Water is just fun– especially on hot summer days. Add a little water to your event if you can.
Swimming at the Great Salt Lake
Ropes Course
We really like ropes courses because they encourage teamwork, courage, and trust. We have had several good experiences with Utah’s CLAS Ropes Course in both Provo and Eden. In addition to the aerial park, we succeeded in several team building challenges on the ground. It was a great day.
More Information on CLAS Ropes Courses in Utah: CLAS Ropes
Giant’s Ladder
Games
Check out some of our game ideas to use throughout your event. Large Group Games
-The Spiritual Stuff-
Devotionals
Devotionals by older cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents are at the heart of our cousins camp. There’s something special about learning from people who really love you. Make sure to include as many family members as you can to help promote faith and strength in your teens.
We had a devotional by an older cousin at the graveside of our cousin, Alec. It was a special night.
Speakers
We set aside one day in the middle of our week as our speaker day. We invite two guests to speak back-to-back at 10:00 and 11:00. The speakers are followed by lunch and then one last speaker at 1:00. We invite seminary teachers and friends who we know will connect well with our teens.
Hike with a Speaker at the Summit
It’s fun to go on a short hike with your group and have a speaker at the summit. If you can time it at sunset, it’s even cooler. Don’t forget to bring your flashlights!
Service
It’s also important to add an element of service to your camp. One year, we did a bunch of yardwork. Another, we made posters and delivered them to a nursing home to hang on the residents’ doors.
We hope some of these ideas inspire you to hold your own Cousin Camp! Strong families = Strong world
Props
