Your Church could be a part of Heritage Open Days 2007

What is Heritage Open Days
In partnership with The Civic Trust, the Methodist Church is taking part in the Heritage Open Days Scheme for 2007 to highlight several significant anniversaries, particularly  Charles Wesley (1707) 300th birthday
The Methodist Church is seeking to register 300 events and properties to celebrate 300 years since Charles’ birth.
The ‘Every Building Tells a Story’ leaflet describes the scheme and suggests ideas of what to do for an open day. This resource can be viewed at:
http://www.methodist.org.uk/downloads/lk_heritageopendays_0906.pdf
Here are some ideas for activities for children, young people and all age.
Hold an  “in My Day “Tea Party 
Invitation open to all ages

• Ask a couple of  the children and young people to come prepared to share a little about what it is like to be a young person now: they could talk about school life, music, games, fashion, entertainment today. Also ask a selection of adults from all ages to also come prepared to talk about their experiences of what it was like to be a child or young person.
• Encourage the group to mix and share more with each other whilst enjoying their tea.

• A group of the children or young people could video whilst they are interviewing some of the people at the party. This could then be played back at the end of the evening.

• “In My Day” Craft activity

Making a memory box:

You will Need

A shoe Box
Coloured paper
Pens
Scissors
PVA Glue
Felt to line the box

How to Make

Use the felt to line the inside of the shoe Box cut to size and glue inside. Leave this to dry.
Using the coloured paper and pens decorate the outside and lid of the shoebox.
On the lid write your name.

Once the box has dried you can fill it with pictures, stories or objects that are important to you

Games then and Now

This could be run as two different events and could be used for all age or just children and young people.

• This could comprise of one event that has a selection  of traditional and new board games, computer and console games, Jigsaw puzzles.
• And a selection of team games, running around games, playground games and street games.

Playground Games

French Skipping
Rules

This game is also known as Elastics, Chinese skipping or Chinese jump rope.

Two people are the “enders” and stand inside the loop of elastic. They stretch the elastic into a rectangle shape by standing with their feet slightly apart. To start with the elastic should be at ankle height.

The jumper then has to perform different hops and jumps, jumps in and around and on the elastic.

These jumps can be done whilst chanting skipping rhymes or songs.

If the jumper is successful in completing the rhyme (and the jumps) the height of the elastic is raised to the knees, then the thighs, then the waist!

Skipping Rhyme
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, turn around (jumper turns round to face other end)
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, touch the ground (jumper touches ground)
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, tie your shoes (jumper reaches down as if tying shoelaces)
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, touch your nose (jumper puts finger on nose)
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, go upstairs (jumpers lifts knees up high as if going up stairs)
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, say your prayers (jumper puts hands together as if praying)

A skipping rhyme...

Bumper car, bumper car,
Number 48
Whizz around the corner....
Slammed on the brakes
Policeman caught me
Put me in jail
How many bottles of ginger ale...
1-2-3.....

How to play Bumper Car Bumper Car
Rules.
Start in the skipping rope or
Jump in time while others sing
'Bumper car bumper car....'
When they say 'whizz around the corner' the skipper jumps out of the skipping rope and runs around one of the people turning the rope... on the words 'slammed on the brakes' the skipper ends up back in the rope skipping.  When the counting starts the rope moves more quickly until the rope gets caught or the skipper stops

Ball Games

Dodge Ball
Rules
This game is also known as Kingy, Ball tig or Dead ball.

First, divide into two teams.

Agree on and mark out the edges of the area in which you are going to play and mark a line down the middle. One team stands on one side of the line, the other team on the other side.

One person on one team starts with the ball and must try and throw the ball to hit a player in the other team.

After the ball is thrown, the person who gets it carries on the game by throwing and trying to hit another player.
·  If a player is hit by the ball they are out.
·  If a player catches the ball the thrower is out.
·  If a player steps over the middle line into the other teams half or over the boundaries they are out.
·  If the ball bounces before hitting someone or being caught no one is out.
·  You mustn’t throw the ball at a player’s head or throw it too hard.

Drop Ball
Rules
Get into two teams
One team are batters and the other are fielders.
The fielding team has a bowler that stands opposite one of the fielders and drops the ball. The fielder hits the ball with the palm of her hand out into the field.
The fielders try and catch the ball. If they do without it bouncing the fielder is out and the whole team changes to the opposite of what they were batter or fielder.
If they don't catch the ball they throw it back to the bowler as quickly as they can whilst the batter runs to the other end of the field.
The next batter stands up and goes to where the bowler is standing. The drop ball is repeated. The new batter runs to the other end of the field. The first batter runs back to the beginning. If he runs back before the bowler has the ball he is in. If not, he is out. The bowler holds the ball up in the air and shouts stop when he receives the ball. If either of the batters are still running they are out. They need to be at the ends of the field.
This goes on until somebody is caught and everyone changes.

Marbles
Rules

Marbles involves rolling or throwing your marble to either try and hit a target marble or to hit the other players’ marbles.

Decide if you are playing for “keepsies” (players keep the marbles they win in the game) or “playing fair” (everyone gets their own marbles back at the end of the game).

Draw a circle on the ground. Each player should put an agreed number of marbles in it and stand behind a line drawn some distance away. The aim is to hit the marbles out of the circle.

Take turns to roll, throw or flick a marble (called a shooter) into the circle, trying to hit the marbles out of it.

If you knock a marble out of the taw you get to keep it. If the shooter stays in the circle, it stays there and it is the next players turn. If it comes out you can fetch it and have another go.

Carry on having turns until all the marbles in the circle have been won. The person with the most marbles wins.

Hopscotch
Rules

This game is also known as Peevers.

First, you need to draw a grid on the ground. You can use chalk on the playground or mark it out in the earth by scoring lines with a stick. There are lots of different designs you can use - see some examples in the Album.

Hop onto the first square using one foot, and then hop on the next square using the other foot. Carry on along the grid, then turn round, still on one foot. If there are two squares side by side you can land with both feet, one in each square.

Players should take it in turns to hop on every square from number one to the end and back again.

You must not land on the lines, only inside the squares.

If you miss a square, land on a line or put your foot down, then it is the end of your turn and the next player has a go. The first person to complete the grid is the winner.

Indoor Games

Modern Games
Games Consoles eg  Xbox, Playstation Two

Early Consoles

Atari
Television tennis game – Just dots and paddles

Traditional Games you could play

Cluedo
Snakes and Ladders
Monopoly
Dominoes
Tiddly Winks
Hoopla
Skittles
Subuteo
Scale Electrics
Ludo
Playing Cards eg Snap, patience

All Age

Hold an Exhibition about the Local Church and surrounding Community:
Inclusion of historical facts and photos as well as current information about the church and local Community. Ask local Schools and groups to contribute to the Exhibition. Create a Community Drop In during the event. Invite local schools to come down and find out more about the church history and local community history.

All Age

Create an “Our Community” Story book or paint a mural depicting community life have an open invitation for people to come along and get involved and contribute to the activity.

Hold an evening of themed parties open to the community. Offer parties that cater for different age groups.

Run a short evening club for local children using Holiday Club Material
Eg.  Scripture Union Landlubbers for 5-11yrs and Pyramid Rock for 8-11yrs

Think about what opportunities there are to join with other churches running these events.