Hold your nose ‘cuz anything goes in this hilarious adventure of practical joking. Thank you for partnering with the Big Idea clan to host a Family Fun Event for MacLarry and the Stinky Cheese Battle. Innocent pranking between the Romans and the Barber-Barians has turned into feuding, with both rivals at risk of being overcome with a very stinky outcome. Use the resources in this guide along with your own touches of creativity and imagination to bring home the message that we all need to get along and appreciate the unique gifts that God has given each of us.

PREPARING FOR THE EVENT O Preview MacLarry and the Stinky Cheese Battle. Invite volunteers to watch the show with you. Being familiar with the story may initiate some creative ideas that will be helpful in planning the details of your event.

P Synopsis: Join the VeggieTales’ crew in an all new adventure about the silliest battle ever! Larry the Cucumber stars as MacLarry—a misfit inventor who lives amongst a clan of perpetual pranksters! When the biggest prank of the century is unleashed, the feuding tribes are both in danger of being overcome by the stinkiest cheese in the land! Will MacLarry realize that his God-given talents, though different from those of his people, may be just what is needed to save them all from the rotten cheddar?

P Running Time: 45 minutes P A Lesson in: Getting along with others. P Key Verses: Romans 12:4-6a “We have different gifts, according

to the grace given to each of us.” P Silly Song: “Kilts and Stilts”

O Select a date for your event prior to July 30, 2013.

O Enlist volunteers to assist with the planning, preparation, implementation, and clean-up for your gathering.

O Publicize MacLarry and the Stinky Cheese Battle Family Fun Event 3-4 weeks in advance.

P Use the posters included in this kit for hanging in strategic locations.

P Put announcements in newspapers, school/community newsletters, and church bulletins.

P Invite moms’ groups, daycares, and Christian schools to your event.

P A PERSONAL INVITATION is the best form of publicity. Call or visit your neighbors and friends to invite them personally or mail cards that include the details of the event. Offer to provide needed transportation.

P For optional fun, invite attendees to wear something plaid to the Family Fun Event.

DECORATINGMacLarry and the Stinky Cheese Battle offers a couple of decorating options: Roman Empire (home of Pompous Maximus’ People) and Scotland Barber-Barian Horde (home of the Chog Norrius clan). Choose one theme or combine both in a way that is both fun and inviting for your guests. Consider involving the young people of your church in the preparation of this gathering. Creating scenery props provides a great project activity for junior and senior high youth groups.

O Mount the large poster that is included with this kit on heavy cardboard and outline with white lights. Place a swag of plaid material above the poster for additional flair.

ROMAN EMPIRE THEME IDEAS O Use heavy cardboard to create large white Roman-like architectural columns.

O Borrow urns and pedestals to place in the decorated space.

O Drape white sheets and vines/grape vines in the area.

E V E N T G U I D E

O Use white plastic covering for tables.

O Encourage helpers to wear white-sheet togas with laurel leaf wreaths on their heads or wigs of nasty haircuts.

SCOTLAND THEME IDEAS O Locate several undecorated and unlighted artificial green Christmas trees to scatter throughout the decorated area.

O Borrow large plants and bushes from the church or others to create a country/forest atmosphere.

O Use heavy cardboard to make small thatched-roof huts as depicted in the show.

O Drape swags of plaid fabric on the walls and/or windows.

O Use plaid fabric to cover tables.

O Have volunteers wear plaid clothing—especially kilts if available!

For additional fun: O Locate a person who plays the bagpipes. Have the traditional Scottish instrumental music playing as your guests arrive.

O Invite someone who owns a friendly Scottie dog to welcome visitors to your family event.

WELCOME O Assign persons to greet attendees, making sure that new families or guests are partnered with welcoming members.

O Use card stock to create nametags. Add the letters “Mac” to each nametag in advance. The attendee will add his name when arriving. Example: MacPhilip. Attach the tags with plaid ribbon or clip-on clothespins.

O Offer slips of paper and pencils for guests to provide name, address, email, and phone number for door prizes and follow-up information. Provide a large basket for these “enter to win” papers. VeggieTales’ DVDs, CDs, and other Veggie gift items (available at veggietales.com) as well as gift cards from local businesses are good door prize options.

O Select an area for guests to have group pictures taken with their families and/or friends. (Designate someone to take pictures for those who don’t have cameras.)

O Consider renting a set of Bob and Larry costumes to meet and greet your guests. Use this welcoming time for photos with the characters. Contact Chad Hillman with Costume Specialists at 614-464-2145 or email CHillman@cospec.com.

WATCH MACLARRY AND THE STINKY CHEESE BATTLEGather everyone together for an opening greeting and prayer, and extend a warm welcome to all guests. Since the premise of the show is based on practical joking, begin your event with a light-hearted prank. Consider the following options:

O Before the event, place a piece of fabric over a large table-like cardboard box. Superglue a glass container to the fabric/box and fill it with candy, coins, or other small treats. During the opening, select a volunteer to come forward to answer a simple trivia question about VeggieTales. After the correct answer is given, ask for a round of applause and indicate that the glass container may be taken home as a prize. (Of course, the container will stick to the fabric.)

O A few weeks prior to the event, indicate that the pastor or youth group sponsor will shave his head (or be given a very bad haircut) if a specified number of people attend the family event.

O Announce in advance that a drawing will be held for someone to give a “pie in the face” to a designated church leader at the upcoming family event.

After watching the show, ask for responses to the follow general questions:

O Why are the Romans and the Barber-Barians at odds with each other? (The playful pranking between Pompous Maximus and Chog Norrius got out of hand and turned to feuding.)

O What kind of pranks do the Barber-Barians like to play? (The Barber-Barians are famous for giving bad haircuts and throwing water balloons.)

O What objects do Pompous Maximus and his Roman followers toss across the gorge in the last battle with Chog Norrius? (The Romans toss pies across the river gorge.)

O Why doesn’t MacLarry “fit in” with his clan? ( MacLarry has a gift for inventing. Everyone makes fun of his contraptions and acknowledges that he is a flop at pulling off practical jokes.)

O What happens to MacLarry on his way to visit Archimedes in Greece? (He is captured by the Romans.)

O How does MacLarry prove that his gift of inventing is worthwhile? (He builds a contraption that ends the battle and saves both kingdoms from the dreaded stinky cheese.)

O How should we treat others who look, think, and act differently than we do? (God tells us that we need to respect each other and the different gifts that we have

been given. Our differences should not divide us but bring us closer together.)

FRIENDS, ROMANS, COUNTRY FANS . . . LET THE GAMES BEGIN!Select games and activities that will meet the time and space allotments of your event. Consider dividing the participants into groups to offer several games/activities at the same time at various locations in a rotation-type experience. Have extra helpers available to assist with younger children and those with special needs.

Picture This ReviewYou Will Need:

O Easel with large poster-size sheets of paper (White boards may be used.)

O Markers

O Slips of paper with each one indicating a significant item/person from the show. Examples: pie, stinky cheese, water balloons, snakes in a can, cage reverser, plaid, Pompous Maximus, Chog Norrius, MacLarry, coliseum, aerosol fresh air spray.

Recall the portion of the show when Chog Norrius draws pictures in the dirt when mapping out the path to the stinky cheese. Use picture drawings in a fun way for a story review. Divide into teams and select a drawer for each team. (Have teams positioned so that they are not able to see the drawings of another team.) A slip of paper is drawn, and all drawers begin sketching the same picture. The first team to correctly identify the item/person is declared the winner, and all drawing stops. Discuss the item and its significance to the show with the entire group. Continue as time allows by selecting new drawers and slips of paper for each round of play.

Quick ClipsYou Will Need:

O 10 clip-style clothespins for each team (Younger children may use a smaller number of clothespins.)

Remind the children of the funny moments in the show when the characters used clothespins on their noses to block the smell of the stinky cheese. Divide the group into equal-numbered teams with each team forming a straight line. Place 10 clothespins on the clothing of the first member of each team. At a given signal, the first person removes the clothespins (one at a time) from himself and clips them on to the next person in line. The process of clipping and unclipping continues down the line until the last team member has all

of the clothespins clipped to his clothing. Note: It is not necessary for all 10 clothespins to be attached to a person before he begins passing them on to the next team member. Decide in advance if you want to allow children to use one or both hands in the process.

Rollicking RelaysChoose from this assortment of relay races that have a link to the practical jokes in MacLarry & the Stinky Cheese Battle. Gather the items needed in parentheses, divide the group into teams, mark “starting” and “ending” points, and let the frolicking fun begin.

O Stinky Cheese Caper (tongs and cheese cubes for each team) – children pick up a cheese cube with a pair of tongs and drop the cheese into a jar at a distant point.

O Roman Pie Tins (one pie tin for each team) – each team member balances an empty pie tin on his head while walking from one point to another.

O Chariot Races – each team consists of a sheep (one person on all fours) and a chariot driver (person standing directly behind sheep—not touching the sheep but getting as close as possible). The sheep races on all fours with the chariot driver running directly behind him. (The driver must NOT pass the sheep!)

Toilet Paper TomfooleryAsk the children to reflect on MacLarry’s unsuccessful attempts while practicing with his father in the Prank Training Area. Note the incident when Chog tries to teach MacLarry the prank of TP’ing a tree . . . MacLarry TP’s his father! Select randomly or choose in advance, fun-loving persons to be a part of this TP’ing experience. One person uses one roll of toilet paper to TP another person. Remember that it is fun to watch this shenanigan as well as to participate.

Water Water Everywhere!If you are able to hold your family event outdoors, allow the guests to select a partner and participate in an old-fashioned water balloon toss—a favorite prank of Chog Norrius and his clan.

You can also make our fun sponge craft that you can download at: VeggieTales.com/MacLarry

Hopscotchin’ ItUse chalk or tape to outline the popular playground Hopscotch design. Give each person a button or other

small object to toss into the numbered spaces. The children will have fun jumping and hopping through the rectangular spaces to retrieve their objects.

ART ACTIVITIESKilt QuiltYou Will Need:

O Sheets of butcher paper or poster board to create a large quilt-size hanging

O 5” x 5” white paper squares

O Pencils, markers, and/or crayons

O Rubber cement or glue

Talk about the kilts that are worn in this show, paying particular attention to the plaid designs. These plaid patterns that are associated with Scotland are called “tartans” and sometimes represent a particular family or clan. Using only horizontal and vertical lines along with markers/crayons, encourage everyone to create a personal tartan. Collect all of the patterns as completed and glue each square to the large butcher paper to create a quilt. Display the tartan quilt at the end of the family event for all to admire.

Offer clipboards, pencils, tracing paper, crayons/markers, and the coloring sheets provided in this event kit for those who prefer to color. Use SCOTCH tape to hang artwork in the area.

MORSELS FOR MUNCHINGSelect from these options that best fit your group’s size and budget.

O ButterSCOTCH pudding cups

O SCOTCH-a-roos – Krispie treats topped with melted chocolate and butterscotch chips

O Cheese cubes (Not stinky!) and crackers

O Consider having a light dinner before your event that includes MACaroni & cheese, MACaroons, and a Veggie tray with dip.

O Make this event a Pie Delight Night in honor of Pompous Maximus and his pie pranks. Serve pie and ice cream to your guests. Select someone “special” to receive a whipped cream pie in the face!

CLOSING O Gather everyone together for a time of closing.

O Thank everyone for attending and invite them to future events and activities at your church.

O Announce door prize winners and distribute prizes.

O Offer a closing prayer.

O Hand out photos taken earlier in the event if you are not using them for follow-up contacts.

O Distribute stickers and coloring/activity sheets, reminding everyone of the DVD coupon attached to the activity poster.

FOLLOW-UP ACTIVITIES O Hold a post-event meeting with key planning people to evaluate the gathering.

O Contact in person, by mail, email, or with phone calls, guests that are new to your event. Thank them for attending and invite them to future events.

O Distribute group/family pictures from your event to attendees in person or by mail.

O Send a note of thanks to all persons who helped in any way with your event.

© 2012 Big Idea Entertainment, LLC. VEGGIETALES®, character names, likenesses and other indicia are trademarks of and copyrighted by Big Idea Entertainment, LLC. All rights reserved.