This post may contain affiliate links meaning we may make a commission on products purchased through our links. See our full disclosure for more.

General Conference weekend is a lot of sitting and listening. A lot. Even adults need to move, eat, and let their brains breathe between sessions. Our children, definitely need it. One key to improved peace during a session is making good use of the time before, in between, and after General Conference sessions.

A good Conference break helps everyone reset, connect, and come back ready to listen again. It doesn’t need to be epic to be helpful, but a little planning goes a long way.

Save it for later, pin it now.

The best plans include everyone so invite them to plan the weekend with you. Obviously, a two year can’t help you plan the same as a 12 year old but they can help make some of the decisions so include who you can when you can. This includes everything from snacks, what you’re wearing all day (pjs or actual clothes), and activities. Younger children can choose between two options while older kids and teens can lead an activity.

Between sessions of General Conference is the time to get all those wiggles and noises out of everyone's system. Here are few ideas to help you plan a weekend worth repeating.

Draw, Guess, and Remember

This is our favorite activity between Conference sessions now that our children are older. It’s funny, simple, and helps the talks stick in our minds.

One person draws something from a talk while everyone else tries to guess it. Once the drawing is identified, take a moment to name the speaker or message and talk briefly about why it stood out. This is a great time to go back through your notes and repeat something. This small act helps those messages stick so much more.

You might draw:

An object mentioned in a talk
A story a speaker shared
An invitation we were given
A scripture account that was discussed
A symbol representing the main message

The drawings do not have to be impressive. In fact, questionable artwork tends to make the game better. What matters is the quick conversation after the answer is guessed.

Ways to Mix It Up

Give each artist one minute to draw.
Divide into teams.
Have everyone draw at the same time, then take turns guessing.
Let younger children draw anything they noticed during the session.
Write down what everyone draws and try them again later in the week.

If your family enjoys drawing games, General Conference Eyes to See gives you more fun words to draw, all related to Conference weekend. Or use our free Conference drawing activities during the sessions for more focused listening and fun.

Dance It Out

After sitting through a session, turn on two energetic songs and let everyone move. Chances are people are either ready for a nap or ready to go crazy. Dancing it out can help both. There are no steps to learn and no supplies to gather. Just dance, jump, march, or make up moves until the songs end.

Let a different person choose the music after each session. If dancing is not your family's thing, walk laps around the house, do stretches, or hold a very short family fitness challenge instead. The point is not to sneak in an impressive workout. It’s to get blood moving before everyone returns to the sofa.

Play Fitness Uno

If you have a deck of UNO cards, you already have an easy movement game. Assign one movement to each color such as:

Red= Jumping jacks
Blue= Toe touches
Green= High knees
Yellow= Squats

The number on the card tells you how many repetitions to do. Use the action cards too:

Skip: Skip across the room and back.
Reverse: Carefully walk backward across the room and back.
Draw Two: Choose two movements.
Wild: Pick any movement for everyone to do.

Take turns drawing cards until everyone has moved enough. Ten minutes is probably plenty to reset before the next session.

No UNO deck? Write colors, numbers, and movements on scraps of paper and draw them from two bowls.

Head Outside

Fresh air can make a big difference after two hours indoors. Keep it easy:

Walk around the block.
Toss a ball while naming things you remember from the session.
Get the sidewalk chalk out- Go out front and draw beautiful quotes from the last session on your driveway. Play ultimate hopscotch with the neighbors or draw a checkers board and play with rocks.
Hold a paper-airplane contest. We love using Usborne's 100 Paper Airplanes to Fold and Fly- it's full of colorful and cool designs that are super easy to fold and it comes with instructions. Everyone pick 2 designs and do all kinds of races. Who can fly the farthest or shortest? Whose is the fastest? Whose is the sneakiest? Can you fly your airplane through a hoop? There are all kinds of fun things you can do outside with airplanes and even indoors if the weather is bad.
Take a quick nature scavenger hunt.
Go on a bike ride- or scooter, skateboard, roller skates or basically anything that has wheels. You can go a little further with bike rides without exhausting yourselves. The trick is to use up energy but not get so tired you just want to sleep through the next session.
Pack a picnic- Head up to your favorite place in the mountains or go a new park. After you eat, go explore!
Head to the park- Bring a baseball, basketball, or whatever is your favorite and go play at the park as a family. If you coordinate beforehand you can even get some other families in your ward to join you. The smaller kids can play on the swings and playground equipment while the older ones enjoy a game.
Gather up some cones, hoops, ropes, whatever you can think of that can be used in an obstacle course. Then give them to your kids and let them take turns setting up obstacle courses and running through them. Go out and try a couple of courses yourself too.

You can talk about Conference while you walk, but you do not have to turn every minute into a formal discussion. A genuine break can help everyone listen better when the next session begins.

Make the Next Snack Together

Food is already part of many Conference traditions, so let everyone help prepare it. Try one of these:

Build a snack board with one choice from each person.
Make snack bags for the next session.
Prepare a family recipe you serve every Conference.
Deliver a Conference treat to a neighbor.
Make snack necklaces to enjoy during the next session. Pretzels, peach rings, and fruit loops work great.
Hold a Conference Snack Draft and take turns choosing something salty, sweet, fresh, or crunchy.

Our free General Conference snack-bag printables make it easy to prepare individual treats or share something with friends and neighbors.

Connect With Someone

General Conference is even better when we share it. Between sessions, you could:

Call grandparents and ask what stood out to them.
Text one favorite thought to a friend.
Invite someone to join you for the next session.
Deliver a snack to a neighbor.
Write a note to someone who came to mind during a talk.
Let children send a picture of their Conference artwork to someone they love.

Take a Quiet Reset

Not every Conference break needs to be active. Sometimes the best choice is to lower the noise and let everyone have a little space.

Read independently.
Work on a puzzle.
Color quietly (we’ve got lots to choose from)
Sit outside.
Take a short nap.
Refill drinks and snacks.
Clean up the Conference area.

Older children and teens may especially appreciate not being required to join every planned activity. Offer a few choices and let them reset in the way that helps them return.

May your General Conference weekend be filled with wonderful memories both during and between sessions of General Conference.

Featured