We got this idea from a youth Bible school event. The invitations were made and copied on the copier. Then we burnt the edges all around, pressed wet tea bags all over the paper to make it look like parchment, and baked them in the oven for a few minutes to get them crunchy. When they were dry, we rolled them up and tied them scroll-style with a short piece of twine.
As soon as school was out we set up the room. First of all we took about nine 8 foot tables and set them up on their ends, leaving the one leg down and folding the other end up. We set these in a semi-circle (or you could do a complete circle) Stonehenge style. We then taped black landscaping plastic to the top back of the tables, letting the plastic fall down the front. This plastic can be bought in 8 x 100 foot rolls for about $25 and makes a great, reusable backdrop for anytime you need one. If rolled up properly, it doesn't take up much space when storing it either.
Before dinner we had a treasure hunt. It was all inside the school and had funny clues, some in Spanish, etc. Most of them rhymed and they had to think to figure them out. My favorite one was just “Mene Mene Tekel Upharsin”. Guess where the next clue was? (Under the scale!) Another clue read “Cabeza de Vaca”. It was under the “head of the cow”, the cow skull someone had brought in for science. Every clue was wrapped in an envelope with a different student’s name on it so everyone got to read at least one. At the end they found a box and each student got a king-sized candy bar with a bookmark tied together with a ribbon. We also got pencils with neat designs that had the school’s name and Honor Roll printed on them. Actually they read, “Honor Rroll”. But none of the students caught that one-- one of the moms did. I reward my students with our fake merit money if they find a misprint or spelling mistake anywhere. This mom didn’t want any of our fake money.
We played soft Hebrew-type music. We put in a few lamps around the edges and rugs and pillows on the floors. We told the students they could wear Bible-type robes and sashes over their clothes if they wanted to. Then we led them into the room. They sat on the floor on the rugs and pillows. The parents helping us had on Bible-type drapes over their clothing and so did we. The ladies wore big wrap-around veils and we all wore sandals. We poured them grape juice from earthenware pots. We passed around baskets of bread and let them dip the pieces in olive oil with seasonings. Then we brought out fish. We passed around platters of grapes, raisins, cheese cubes and olives. For dessert we had fig cakes- (fig newton type cookies).
After dinner we passed around notecards and pencils. We asked them to write their name at the top of the card, and then write down something--anything--they would like to see us do. Then we collected them. The thing was, we didn’t do what they wrote down. (We hadn’t said that we would.) THEY had to do it. One girl had to clean everyone’s glasses, one boy had to sing a solo, one girl ran around the school three times while we all cheered her on, and an older boy told a story about a dinosaur. We played a few more word games and then sadly, the evening was over.
As soon as school was out we set up the room. First of all we took about nine 8 foot tables and set them up on their ends, leaving the one leg down and folding the other end up. We set these in a semi-circle (or you could do a complete circle) Stonehenge style. We then taped black landscaping plastic to the top back of the tables, letting the plastic fall down the front. This plastic can be bought in 8 x 100 foot rolls for about $25 and makes a great, reusable backdrop for anytime you need one. If rolled up properly, it doesn't take up much space when storing it either.
Before dinner we had a treasure hunt. It was all inside the school and had funny clues, some in Spanish, etc. Most of them rhymed and they had to think to figure them out. My favorite one was just “Mene Mene Tekel Upharsin”. Guess where the next clue was? (Under the scale!) Another clue read “Cabeza de Vaca”. It was under the “head of the cow”, the cow skull someone had brought in for science. Every clue was wrapped in an envelope with a different student’s name on it so everyone got to read at least one. At the end they found a box and each student got a king-sized candy bar with a bookmark tied together with a ribbon. We also got pencils with neat designs that had the school’s name and Honor Roll printed on them. Actually they read, “Honor Rroll”. But none of the students caught that one-- one of the moms did. I reward my students with our fake merit money if they find a misprint or spelling mistake anywhere. This mom didn’t want any of our fake money.
We played soft Hebrew-type music. We put in a few lamps around the edges and rugs and pillows on the floors. We told the students they could wear Bible-type robes and sashes over their clothes if they wanted to. Then we led them into the room. They sat on the floor on the rugs and pillows. The parents helping us had on Bible-type drapes over their clothing and so did we. The ladies wore big wrap-around veils and we all wore sandals. We poured them grape juice from earthenware pots. We passed around baskets of bread and let them dip the pieces in olive oil with seasonings. Then we brought out fish. We passed around platters of grapes, raisins, cheese cubes and olives. For dessert we had fig cakes- (fig newton type cookies).
After dinner we passed around notecards and pencils. We asked them to write their name at the top of the card, and then write down something--anything--they would like to see us do. Then we collected them. The thing was, we didn’t do what they wrote down. (We hadn’t said that we would.) THEY had to do it. One girl had to clean everyone’s glasses, one boy had to sing a solo, one girl ran around the school three times while we all cheered her on, and an older boy told a story about a dinosaur. We played a few more word games and then sadly, the evening was over.
