POST-AND-PRESENT ACTIVITY. SHOO FLY DON’T BOTHER ME! media choices Swat Game. Youth can choose to “only read and watch things that are pleasing to Heavenly Father” (a Gospel Standard). Or, “I will only listen to music that is pleasing to Heavenly Father.” From this activity, they will increase their desire to choose wholesome activities that will invite the Spirit to guide them.
Use for COME FOLLOW ME Primary and Home, family home evening, Primary Sharing Time, Sunday School, Seminary, Young Men & Women, Bible Study, or Activity Days
POST-AND-PRESENT Activity
Shoo Fly Don’t Bother Me!
Media Choices SWAT GAME
OBJECTIVE: (as detailed above) Help youth choose to read, listen to, and look at things that are pleasing to Heavenly Father. This will help them obey two of My Gospel Standards: (2) “I will only read and watch things that are pleasing to Heavenly Father.” (2) “I will only listen to music that is pleasing to Heavenly Father.” By honoring these Standards, and filling their life with wholesome activities, they will invite the Spirit to guide them.
TO MAKE VISUALS: Print/color and cut out the visuals in color or black and white and follow instructions to assemble (See suggestion below for large group, e.g. Sharing Time*.) To make swatters, laminate first then mount securely on paint stir-sticks or wooden dowels; or over real fly swatters. A set of blank cards is provided here if you want to make up different situations.
To Set up the Game. Post the STAR and FLY circles on the board just reachable for youth to swat with the KAPOW! swatters.
FOR SMALL CLASSROOM lay circles face up on a table.
*LARGE GROUP, e.g., Sharing time, create two sets of circles side-by-side on the board giving players room to swat their own game board. To make swatters, laminate first then mount securely on paint stir-sticks or wooden dowels; or over real fly swatters.
ACTIVITY
1. Start out by reading the star circle: “I feel like a morning star. I belong to somebody.” Talk about how we are children of God and belong to Him. He, our Heavenly Father, wants us to be happy. This is why He gives us standards. Review two of My Gospel Standards in the Objective above that will guide our choices.
2. Read the fly circle: “Shoo Fly . . . Shoo Fly . . . Don’t bother me!” Talk about flies and how they get in our way and sometimes get right in our faces to bother us. Satan is this way, getting in our way of doing good, tempting us to make wrong choices. He doesn’t want us to be happy. Satan sometimes gets right in our face with media (like books, movies, video games, magazines) and tries to tempt us to do wrong, to read bad words, look at immodest people or watch bad things that are not wholesome. With our trusty fly swatter, we need to shoo away the fly – crush the fly! (Demonstrate on the board using the swatter.)
3. Sing the song, Shoo, Fly Don’t Bother Me (lyrics below*). Talk about the “For I belong to somebody” part in the song. Talk about how that “somebody” is our Heavenly Father, our parents, family, teachers, and friends who love us. We should always remember how important we are and how much they want us to be happy by making the right choices.
4. Say, “Let’s play the Media Choices SWAT GAME.
Media Choices SWAT GAME
- Divide into teams and line up taking turns with two players. See details in setting up the game for LARGE and SMALL groups above. Hand each player a swatter. Explain that they can use the swatter to KAPOW! or swat the right circle to vote if the choice is a STAR decision or a crummy dirty SHOO FLY decision.
- Have a player draw a situation and the leader reads it aloud. When reading the word strips be sure to pause after it says, “so he …” or “so she …” and then read the last line as players stand ready with their swatters. Then the players compete to be the first to swat the correct circle. If you do, you earn a point for your team. Place the word strip on the right side of the board by the STAR for the right choice or the left side of the board by the SHOO FLY for the wrong choice.
- Play until all situations are read and choices are voted upon. The team with the most points wins.
Star and Fly TENT CARD
Give children/youth a tent card to place on their TV, bookshelf or dresser to remind them to follow the STAR decisions instead of the FLY. The card reads (1) FLY side: Shoo Fly . . . Don’t Bother Me! I can avoid the temptations of unworthy shows, books, and music by choosing to not take part. I feel peace when I make righteous choices. (2) STAR side: I Feel Like a Morning Star! I am happy when I make worthy choices with what I watch, read and listen to. I know Heavenly Father is also pleased with me. SEE LYRICS TO THE SHOO FLY song (below*)
THOUGHT TREATS: Star Fruit, Star-shaped Frosted Sugar Cookies. “Fly on My Cracker” (raisin on top of peanut butter or cream cheese on a cracker or glue the raisin on with frosting). Talk about star qualities that come from obeying My Gospel Standards and how they help us stay away from temptations (no flies on our crackers).
MORE IDEAS:
Idea For Family Home Evening: Start reading good books. Here is a list ⇒ found in this article: Books! Books! Books! (The Friend magazine 1984) A good book is the best of friends, the same today and forever! – by Martin Farquhar Tupper – This article shares a list of good books and titles: Example –
. . . the article lists many more books.
— Also, more book suggestions HERE
*Shoo Fly Don’t Bother Me! Lyrics
Shoo, fly, don’t bother me
Shoo, fly, don’t bother me
Shoo, fly, don’t bother me
I feel, I feel, I feel like a morning star
I feel, I feel, I feel like a morning star
So shoo, fly, don’t bother me
Shoo, fly, don’t bother me
Shoo, fly, don’t bother me
For I belong to somebody
Good Things to Share
Elder David A. Bednar warns of the harmful effects digital technologies can have on our souls and invites us to ask ourselves two questions to see if we are using these technologies properly.
He said, “I offer two questions for consideration in your personal pondering and prayerful studying: (1) Does the use of various technologies and media invite or impede the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost in your life? (2) Does the time you spend using various technologies and media enlarge or restrict your capacity to live, to love, and to serve in meaningful ways?”
