National Bahá’í Schools

Ideas from the Committees—Binding Hearts in Fellowship Activities

Mississippi’s “Intergenerational ‘Activity Hunt’”

This unifying, fun activity was created and led by Tahirih Lackey. During the lunch break, school attendees formed inter-generational teams of 6 to 8 members, and created team names. After dinner, all the teams gathered outdoors and received their instructions. From where they were gathered, participants were asked to look around and notice signs put up on trees or chairs, each about 30 feet away from any other. Each of these signs had written on them the name of one of nine “Stations” to which they would travel as a team and complete an activity, before traveling to another Station. They could visit Stations in any order, but only one team at a time could be at a Station. Each team was given a packet of nine envelopes, with the name of one Station on each, and a pencil. When a team arrived at a Station they were to open that Station's envelope and follow the instructions inside. Teams were instructed to take turns among their members to complete tasks at each Station; to move to the next unoccupied Station as quickly as possible; and to go to the “Service Station” after they had done all eight others. [Note: Large schools with people for more than 9 teams may try these ideas: create additional stations (be creative!); make teams larger (8 to 10 people in each); post a helper at each station to read instructions to each group as they arrive, and other helpers at final station; create more space so teams can wait for others to finish at a station.] Here is a brief description of the instructions and activity at each Station:

• “Prayer Station”: 1 member of the team: recite a prayer from memory. Another member of the team, explain what this prayer means to you.
• “Cooperation Station”: Stand in a single-file line. The person in the back of the line only, look at the shape in the inner envelope. [These were simple shapes: circle, square, triangle.] Trace this shape slowly with your finger on the back of the person in front of you. Then that person traces the shape that they felt on the back of the person in front of them, and so on until the last person. This person, at the front of the line, draws the shape he/she felt, on the envelope — compare it to the original!
• “History Station”: One person on your team, tell a story from the life of the Bab, Bahá’u’lláh or ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, from a time in Their life when They were close to your own age now.
• “Quotation Station”: [Three well-known quotations, from Ruhi Book One, were written out, with one or two words left blank in each.] Say the quotations aloud, filling in the blanks.
• “Five Year Plan Station”: 1 person, name the core activities of the Five Year Plan. 1 other person, tell about a core activity you are involved in.
• “Teaching Station”: 1 person, tell why teaching others about the Bahá’í Faith is important to you.
• “Arts Station”: All: Sing a song about a spiritual principle or virtue
• “Fitness Station”: 1 person, lead your team in a physical exercise that all can do for one minute
• “Service Station”: [This final Station was held indoors, at several tables set up with supplies for each team: cut flowers, small vases, spools of fabric ribbon, scissors, pens and colorful greeting cards.] Create a thank-you gift for one of the kitchen staff: Choose three flowers, cut to fit the vase, tie a ribbon around the vase, add water, and write a thank you note and sign one card. (These beautiful thank-you gifts were presented to the staff the next morning, who were deeply touched!)

To learn more, contact the Mississippi Bahá’í School Committee: Anne O’Hara, Secretary, 4923 Cedarhurst Dr., Jackson, MS 39206
Phone: 601-366-4148; E-mail: thelightworks@earthlink.net

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