A group discussion where everyone writes down forms of entertainment they enjoy and all discuss the feelings they get when they participate in that form of entertainment.

Activity

Description:

Participants write down their favorite entertainment choices. As a group they discuss the effects the entertainment has on them, then they evaluate if changes are in order.

Age Range:

7+ (for younger children see variations)

Group Size:

2-12

Instructions:

Have participants write down 1 movie they like, 1 book, and 1 TV show. (Could also use video game, friend, famous person, cartoon character). Put all the cards in the center of the table. Take turns picking a card and reading it out loud. After you read it out loud, ask the group how that thing/person makes them feel. Answers can come from the person who wrote it down or from anyone else in the group. Encourage participants to use feeling words instead of judgement. For example, if someone writes down The Simpsons and someone says, “stupid,’ ask them that how makes them feel when they watch it. When participants disagree, you can lead the discussion by asking why one person may feel uncomfortable watching a show and another may feel uneasy.

If you read the article Goodbye to Scary Stories, refer back to it to illustrate that the girl in the story liked the books she was reading but as she listened to the spirit, she realized they brought feelings of fear which made her less happy than she could be.

Discuss with the group if those feelings they feel are what our Heavenly Father wants us to feel or if we can make a better choice about our entertainment, people we follow, or things we do. Discuss how when we feel uncomfortable or uneasy, we can make the choice to turn off the TV, walk away, or close the book. Discuss how other things make them feel such as reading the scriptures, singing primary songs, helping a friend, listening to the Prophet.  After you read through the papers, have each person pick something they want to cut out of their life or do more of. Give them time to think about this and write it down on a new card/paper. Encourage participants to pray about their choice, then make the decision they feel prompted to make.

Supplies:

• Several note cards or pieces of paper for each participant.
• A pen or pencil for each participant.

Setup:

• Gather supplies
• You may want to say a prayer that the message will be conveyed to the participants in the way they need it most.
• Reading the story “Goodbye to Scary Stories” could be a good way to introduce the activity. (It could be read at a different time or at the beginning of the activty.)
• Give a pen/pencil and a few pieces of paper to each participant

Rules:

Positive attitudes and comments only.

Possible Lessons/Morals:

When we think about the effect our choices have on us, we have more power to make changes.

Subtle choices of the characters or themes of the entertainment we seek have an effect on our mood and behavior, whether good or bad.

Learning Questions (To talk about what happened, summarize what skills were used and discuss how those skills could be used in other situations.):

• What did we just do?
• What did you learn about the choices you make in entertainment?
• What types of entertainment/role models make you feel happy?
• What choices will you think about changing?
• What will you do when choosing a new entertainment option in the future?
• What are the benefits of thinking about the choices you make?

Teaching Tips:  

As you lead the discussion, remind participants to be polite and just say how THEY FEEL, not their opinion of the character or game content. This will help the discussion remain positive and allow participants to feel safe in discussing what entertainment they like.

Variations for Young Children:

This activity works best with older children/teens. However;  younger children can draw a picture of their favorite entertainment options. This activity will be shorter with them.

With younger children ask how they feel about two different forms of entertainment and discuss the differences in each. For example, you can compare how they feel or act after watching Batman as opposed to watching Book of Mormon Stories videos.

You can focus on choosing one more uplifting choice for the whole family and make it a goal to bring more of that entertainment into the home rather than cutting one out.