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August is a unique month across the United States. Some kids are already back in school, heading into new classes and new challenges, while others still have another month of summer. Either way, August is a great time to reflect on growth- who we've been this summer and who we want to become. These activities are designed to help your group grow spiritually, socially, intellectually, and physically, no matter what the back-to-school calendar looks like in your area. These work for Relief Society and Youth activities.

Don’t keep the fun to yourself, share it!

1) Front Porch Neighbor Night

Growth Areas: Social

Rather than meeting at the church, host several smaller neighborhood front porch times. The goal here is to get to know your neighbors better including those that go to church with you. Depending on your area, you might do one in each town or one on each block. Invite the whole community and keep it casual. Serve some lemonade, cookies, or popsicles.

Then on your social media pages or in your emails, invite people to share what they enjoyed about their porch parties.

2) Eyes to See Gospel Game Night

Growth Areas: Intellectual, Social, Spiritual

Pull out our Eyes to See: Gospel Drawing Game and let the fun begin. Divide into teams and rotate through rounds.

Round 1: Draw (think Pictionary)

Round 2: Act it out (Charades)

Round 3: Say one key word at a time (like Password)

Optional Round 4: One person secretly sketches a card, then tries to describe it using only simple verbal directions. Everyone else follows along without seeing the original. Reveal the drawings at the end and see whose masterpiece came closest (Reverse Pictionary).

You can use the same words for each round to make it easier (and faster) or use a fresh batch for each round. This style of play works well in one large group rotating through them all or splitting into smaller groups and rotating between stations.

This is a great opportunity to review the stories we’ve studied in the scriptures this year so far too. Pick out the cards that go along with this year’s Come, Follow Me studies specifically like David, Old Testament, etc. Make it extra challenging by requiring them to cite the specific book of scripture or chapter that goes with the answer.

Tie in an additional spiritual message by reviewing some key points from Sister Michelle D. Craig’s talk “Eyes to See” from October 2020’s General Conference.

3) “Reset Your Routine” Workshop

Growth Areas: Intellectual, Spiritual

August is when life starts to get busier or at least a different kind of busy again. Rather than talking about organization generally, help everyone intentionally rebuild gospel habits. Stations might include:

Family and personal prayers- what helps you hold them with consistency, how do you teach your family to pray, making prayer lists, how to use a prayer notebook (or make them), etc.
Sunday preparation- for our new meeting schedule come September 2026 and how we can support the changes at home, ways to improve our personal preparations for Sunday worship, etc.
Meaningful ministering- write a note, use this time to chat with those you minister to if they are present, ideas to get you out of your rut, etc. See our ministering resources for more ideas.
Make a calendar for the upcoming school year with the Come, Follow Me scriptures written on it, holidays, future church activities, etc. Use our free Canva Template Monthly Calendar to get started or try a Year at a Glance version so its easier to look at the bigger picture, plan ahead, and see if our goals are actually lining up with our plans. If people go to the same schools, gyms, walking trail, etc., now is also a great time to plan carpools or coordinate new groups (including temple trips).
Come, Follow Me planning- favorite study resources, playlist tips, what works for you, how to create a realistic scripture study routine, how to avoid comparing and focus on what works for you, adapting and adjusting your plans as your family changes.
Household Hacks- tips that help save time, create an uplifting environment, help you quickly fix something, an easier way to do something, how to make homemade mixes (taco seasoning, ranch, laundry soap), etc. This is a great one to invite multiple individuals to teach and share.

Print 2027 Year at a Glance

Print Sunset Walk Booklet

4) Sunset Psalms Walk

Growth Areas: Spiritual, Physical

Meet just before sunset at a local trail or park with your flashlights. Every few minutes stop and read a Psalm that celebrates God's creations (invite different individual to come prepared to read the various passages). Examples:

Psalm 19
Psalm 23
Psalm 65
Psalm 104

Invite people to quietly notice things they normally overlook and sketch it in a notebook or use our free printable booklet. Finish with a prayer of gratitude as the sun sets.

No phones. No rushing. Just slowing down before busy fall schedules begin.

5) Harvest of Good Works Service Night

Growth Areas: Social, Spiritual

August is harvest season in many parts of the country. Frame this activity around the idea of “gathering in.” Just as farmers bring in what they've grown all summer, we can gather in the good we've done and look for ways to serve. Set up three or four service stations around the gym that include activities such as:

Writing encouragement notes to missionaries or send them some gospel coloring pages
Assembling hygiene kits or school supply bags for a local shelter (check JustServe.org or call your local schools for ideas)
Making freezer meals for families in need (and a class with best tips)
Building care packages for homebound ward members
Recording all the good you’ve harvested over the summer. Use index cards to quickly write down a few memories, accomplishments, new things you tried even if it wasn’t a success, blessings from the Lord, etc. and put them inside a jar. Keep adding to it throughout the year and read a few when you get discouraged so you can remember all the good in your life. You may want to cut the index cards in half so they fit easily.

Play soft hymns in the background. Close with a short discussion about what it means to be "anxiously engaged in a good cause" (D&C 58:27) or how we can “fear not to do good” (D&C 6:33- President Henry B. Eyring also has a great talk on it).

6) Gospel Game Show Night

Growth Areas: Intellectual, Social, Spiritual

Turn your activity night into a full-on game show. Set up a “stage” at the front of the room with a host, a scoreboard, and teams of 3–4 people. Rotate through several gospel-themed game formats over the course of the evening or split into smaller groups and rotate:

A round of Shout Out for Latter-day Saints - a fast-paced category shouting game that gets everyone energized.
A round of Be Peculiar: A Gospel Category Game - a strategic game that’s challenging and fun.
A “lightning round” using questions from our free Latter-day Saint Name 5 game.
A bonus final round where teams must work together (not compete) to guess who it is in My Friend game reinforcing that we're on the same team in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Award silly prizes (a candy bar, a bookmark, bragging rights) or choose something more uplifting from our Market.

Print Scripture Reference Card

7) “Back to School” Encouragement Social

Growth Areas: Social, Spiritual, Intellectual

If August means the start of another school year where you are, there’s bound to be some anxiety. Youth (and adult students) might feel anxious about new teachers, new classes, new social dynamics while adults might be nervous about navigating another year of carpool, busy schedules, helping their kids adjust, or a whole new season of life. Maybe nothing really changes at all but everyone can relate to feeling anxious about something at some point. This activity turns that nervous energy into something faith-centered.

Start with everyone sharing one thing they're looking forward to and one thing they're nervous about (whether that’s school related or just life related). Then discuss how gospel principles can help us with our worries, fears, and concerns. Look up scriptures together using the study helps in the Gospel Library app (a great way to develop the habit of turning to the scriptures when we need help) or useour free printable scripture reference card.

Next, invite everyone to make small cards of encouragement whether for themselves, a neighbor, or their kids. These cards could have a scripture, Conference quote, or a faith affirmation. Decorate them with markers, stickers, watercolors, or washi tape.

Close the evening with a group challenge: our free Latter-day Saint Finish the Phrase Game is fast, funny, and a great way to end on a high note before everyone heads back into their fall routines.

Note: We’re talking about anxiety that goes away after a little while. You can talk about the difference between anxiety disorders and typical anxiety briefly if needed. Anxiety disorders often require therapy and/or medication and shouldn’t be treated lightly.

8) Art Therapy & Testimony Night

Growth Areas: Spiritual, Intellectual

We’re sharing three fun ways you can approach this one. You’ll want someone that can teach some techniques still so it doesn’t feel quite so overwhelming or at the very least, some visual examples for people to reference.

Grab some canvases or some acrylic paper sheets (that thicker paper that can hold up to paint) plus some acrylic paint (this type dries fast, has vibrant color, and is easy to work with), paper plates for the paints, brushes of various sizes, paper towels, and some disposable water cups. Remind people to wear clothes they don’t mind getting dirty or to bring an apron. Plastic, disposable tablecloths come in handy too.

Obviously, easels are great but harder to come by. If you plan on doing a lot of paint nights and can't borrow enough easels, try this bulk pack. If you are using paper, not canvas, cut out some cardboard and clip the paper to it so it will stand upright on the easel.

Option 1: Your Season

Start with this prompt: If your life with Christ right now were a landscape, what would it look like? Then give everyone a menu of ideas to spark inspiration. For example: Paint...

a tiny sprout if you're just beginning something new.
a strong oak if you've been relying on the Lord's strength.
a sunflower if you're learning to seek the Light.
a rainy garden if this season feels hard but you're choosing faith.
a sunrise if you feel hopeful about what's ahead.
a wheat field ready for harvest if you're seeing blessings from faithful choices.
a mountain trail if you're still climbing toward a goal.
wildflowers if you've found unexpected joy.
a river if you're learning to trust where God is leading.
falling leaves if you're learning to let go.

Each person’s painting ends up being a personal experience of faith and trust. Invite some to share a couple of the reasons they chose to paint the scene they did.

Option 2: Hidden Blessings Canvas

Everyone starts by covering their canvas with messy brushstrokes representing their stress. You can even assign the colors to different stresses. For example: green is financial stress, blue is family stress, yellow is health stresses, etc. After they have done their backgrounds, it’s time to transform them into something beautiful. Paint flowers, scripture words, vines, stars, or light emerging from the mess. Maybe you can turn it all into a beautiful sunset with a landscape scene or a meadow of flowers. Then talk about how Christ doesn't always remove our struggles but creates beauty while you are in the midst of them (Isaiah 43:2-3; Ether 12:27; Mosiah 24:14-15).

Option 3: Mystery paintings

This activity is about discovering something beautiful about yourself and your relationship with Christ. Everyone draws a card from a basket that tells them what they will be painting. This way, it doesn’t matter if you peak at what your neighbor is doing because you’re making something completely different. Some card ideas:

Paint where you feel closest to Heavenly Father.
Paint what hope looks like.
Paint your biggest answered prayer.
Paint what peace feels like.
Paint where Christ met you this year.
Paint what faith looks like on a Tuesday.
Paint the place you feel spiritually safe.
Paint a blessing you almost missed.
Paint what you're still waiting for.
Paint what you're hoping to become.
Paint how you felt when you last prayed by yourself.
Paint a scripture verse you’ve been pondering.

No one knows which prompt anyone else received unless they choose to share. It feels deeply personal without requiring anyone to disclose more than they're comfortable with, and the variety of finished paintings is incredible. If you have time and no objections, do a gallery walk of each other’s art after.

9) "Who Do You Say That I Am?" Creative Night

Growth Areas: Spiritual, Intellectual

Center your activity on one of the most important questions in the scriptures, the moment Christ asks His disciples, "But whom say ye that I am?" (Matthew 16:15). It's a question that's just as relevant today, and August is a great time to sit with it.

Start with a short opening discussion: Who is Jesus Christ to you personally? Invite a few people to share personal experiences or invite everyone to just share some words and phrases you can write on the board. Then break into small groups for a quick game. Set a timer for 60 seconds and invite everyone to write down all the names for Jesus they can think of. It’s totally okay if you can only think of two but try. The point is to ponder. If you would like to, you can compare lists and check off names others have written on their cards as well.

Next, use our free printable Names for Jesus Christ Study Sheet and pick 3 names that no one has on their lists and discuss them as a small group:

What does that title teach you about Christ?
Read the scripture reference provided or look up more using your Gospel Library app.
When have you personally experienced Him in this role?

Bring everyone back together for the creative portion. Each person chooses one title of Christ and illustrates it in some creative way- draw, write a poem, create a college using old magazines or objects found in nature, make a short story, take some photos, whatever medium they want to choose.

Don’t want to illustrate it? Use our candy wrappers and make a small treat jar instead.

10) Knead to Know Bread Night

Growth Areas: Spiritual, Intellectual, Social

There’s something comforting about warm homemade bread. August is an excellent time to brush up on your bread-making skills before the best baking season begins. Invite a few experienced bakers to share their favorite recipes, time-saving tricks, and solutions to common bread frustrations. Cover topics like making soft sandwich bread for school lunches, simple sacrament bread recipes, freezer-friendly dough, gluten-free options, using home milled flour, and creative ways to use leftover bread. If your area has unique baking challenges, include tips for high-altitude or humid climates so everyone leaves feeling more confident.

Then, gather around a table filled with sliced breads, homemade jams, flavored butters, spreadable cheeses, and honey for a tasting. Encourage everyone to bring a favorite loaf or spread to share along with the recipe.

As you enjoy the evening, take a few minutes to discuss what the Savior meant when He declared, “I am the bread of life” (John 6:35). How does Christ nourish and strengthen you each day?

Want even more ideas? Check out our Gospel Games and Activities page.

Gospel Fun