A - Hands

Contributed by:Tanya Stelly Sulphur, LA Wpstelly@aol.com

Have a manicure party one night. Teach the girls how to properly push back their cuticles, shape the nails, paint, and dry. While I wouldn't choose multiple colors, knowing them, they will. You may want to look into the nail stickers or fake nail kits that are out on the market now. Glue, a sequin or little fake diamond on one nail--very spiffy indeed!

Ever heard the country song "Daddy's Hands"? Can't remember all of the words right now, but I remember crying the first time I heard it.

Has it ever occurred to anyone else that when we are resurrected, all imperfections will be made right; yet the Savior chose to keep his scars on
his hands and feet?

How about blindfolding the girls and have an obstacle course where they follow a guide rope and have to maneuver around? Or identification table where they can only feel the objects? Or, how about spending half a day where you CAN'T use your hands at all? How would you get chores done or get about with daily activities then?

Or you could have some kind of game in pairs--both girls sit on the floor, one behind the other. The front girl has her hands behind her and the second girl sticks her hands under the front girl's arms to become the hands for the front girl. Give each team the same items--lipstick, eye shadow, rouge, clip on earrings, hairbrush/comb, a hat, scarf, and perhaps a pair of gloves. The girl in the back cannot see what is going on--so blindfold her. Have them see who can brush their hair, get all the items on and then who looks the best--I have seen (and yes, participated in) this as a skit--FUNNY.

How about T-shirts where they put their hand prints on them? Or plain aprons as gifts for their moms? Or a plaster of paris impression of their hands? When I was in kindergarten, they made one of my hand, stuck two short straws about 1/2 inch apart at the top, which when dried allowed a ribbon to pass through for hanging up. They did this in aluminum pie pans--easy to take home.

You could have them trace their hands onto material, cut them out and iron onto a plain square. Give them a pillow form and enough material for a back. They can use puff paint to trace around the hands (or I prefer doing a zigzag stitch around the outline) and they can use fabric paint to write "I am a handmaiden of the Lord" or some similar saying. If you don't want to use material, they could use fabric paint on their palms--I'd blot it
first--and then press onto the material. Let them sew it up into a pillow for their bedroom.

They don't call it "handwork" for nothing--teach them how to hem, cross-stitch, embroider, knit, or crotchet. During my youth, many a night was spent in front of the TV with some form of handwork project in my lap. In fact, it seems I always had a project going on that I could do while "just sitting." Perhaps you can graph out a cross-stitch saying that goes with your theme, get them the needles, hoops, and different colors of gingham and
thread, a copy of the plan, and get them started. When I taught Girl Achievement Day, I had this for each girl and those girls REALLY went to work. I explained that if you hurry, it looks messy. If you take your time, check your work, make sure you are at the corner, it will look really good. I had one girl who liked it so much, she made a pillow for her brother! Her mother and grandmother were so impressed with her talent! Their pillow said "I am a Child of God." If you live near a museum, perhaps you could arrange for them to bring examples of previous generations' handwork in textiles, etc. Or perhaps, a slide show. It would be really neat if you could locate items actually made by girls their ages to show.

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