December Ideas

Musical Christmas Tag (from beehivemessages.blogspot.com):

I numbered the tags to coordinate with the songs we were practicing.  A couple of the tags were starred - and we would sing those songs a fun or funny way.  While the kids were singing - they passed these two stars around playing "Tag" with them.  When the stars "tagged" each other, the person holding both stars got to come pick the next Christmas tag. This activity seemed like it would be awesome - but, it was a little tricky and confusing.

Singing Christmas Cookies!  (from:  thecrazychorister.blogspot.com)

I used this idea for the week the sunbeams came in for the first time.  It was a huge hit!  We all pretended to roll out cookie dough while we sang "Do As I'm Doing".  Then I had a child choose a cookie cutter (with a song title attached) - and find the right shape on the "cookie dough" - and pretend to cut out the cookie.  The child then placed it on the cookie sheet.  We sang each song.  Then we pretended to cook the cookies.  Then we reviewed a few songs to earn frosting for the cookies.  They pretended to aim their frosting at the right cookie and I stuck the "frosting shapes" on.  We had a good time!

Singing Christmas Presents:

The week before the Primary children sang in Sacrament Meeting, I wanted them to pass off all of their Christmas songs.  I had clues in each present to represent the song we would be passing off.  A child would come up and open a present, show everyone the clue inside, and guess which song we would be singing (the pianist played hints as needed).

  The children then sang the song their very best while they watched the bow on the giant present.  If the bow made it to the top of the present (I reinforced the back with cardboard so the bow could move up and down easily), the song was passed off - and they got to untie a ribbon off of THEIR gift bag.  Inside the gift bags were candy canes for each of them.  But, they had to pass off every song to untie the ribbons to get to the gift.  They sang with all of their hearts!

It's Autumn Time!

This Sunday I pulled out my "good for every single October" Primary Pumpkin.  I found this idea last year on sugardoodle.net

These are the pumpkin faces I found.  I used my favorite parts for the Primary Pumpkin:

I just put a number on the back of each pumpkin piece to represent my "song list".  Then I brought a trick-or-treat pumpkin holding the following items:

1.  Walkie-Talkies:  if the kids choose this, one child goes to the drinking fountain in the hall (with a teacher ... or the whole class).  We then converse through the walkie-talkie.  The primary sings the song for them (via walkie-talkie), and the child in the hall tries to guess the song we sang.

2.  Headband:  if the kids choose this, we play Headband Hero for the song that was picked!  (One child wears a headband with a card taped to the front.  I write one word from the song onto the card.  Now - the primary can see that word, but the child wearing the headband can't!  We all sing the song until we come to the word on the card - and then we say "shhhhhhh" in place of that word.)  If the child wearing the headband can guess the right word - he/she's the headband hero!

3.  Markers:  I drew a picture to represent each song with a white crayon on white paper.  If the kids choose the markers, they get to color over the "Secret Code" and everyone tries to guess what song was chosen (from the Primary Pumpkin face pieces):

Above picture shows the "blank" secret code - then the "revealed" secret code.  I rolled the "codes" up individually and numbered them to match the numbers on my "song list".


We all really had a good time ... junior AND senior primary.

I also really liked this idea that I found from "The Children Sing" blog.  We use these when we sing "It's Autumn Time".

Happy Fall!

Onward ...

We (the Spanish Fields 1st Ward) finished our Sacrament Meeting Presentation today.  The children were A.MAZ.ING!!  The spirit was so strong - those children sang with all of their hearts.  Having an incredibly organized and terrific Primary Presidency and Primary Teachers makes all of the difference too.

So, next week - I am going to try to teach the song "The Books in the Book of Mormon" as the Stake Primary Presidency requested several months back.  I'm excited for the scripture emphasis theme starting in January, and I know that the children will feel a huge boost of confidence in using their scriptures if they can find the books in the Book of Mormon.  I know this task will be very tricky for our 80+ junior primary (ages three, four, and five), but I'm still going to go for it.  Repitition, repitition, repitition, eh?

Here's my plan:

I'm going to use this "Pour Water Sideways" experiment from a Family Fun Magazine as an intro (I found this awesome idea from a blog called sofiasprimaryideas.blogspot.com).  

The article says,  "You can defy gravity with this aqua-batic stunt.  What to Do:  Wet a length of yarn (ours measures about 3 feet) and tie it to the handle of a liquid measuring cup. Fill the cup approximately two-thirds full of water. Position the yarn over the spout, then place the loose end in a drinking glass. Hold the measuring cup about 1 1/2 feet from the glass and use your free hand to pull the yarn taut over the center of the glass, as shown. Beginning slowly (you may spill a little), pour the water along the yarn. When the water begins "sticking", you can pour it more quickly. Make this trick even more drip defying by using a longer piece of yarn to see how far you can pour with no spills.

Why it Works: Water molecules like to stick together. In physics, this is called cohesion. By soaking the yarn first, you create a liquid surface for the stream of water to cling to."


I like that the article uses the word "cling".  I think this experiment is a great way to introduce the importance of holding to the iron rod ... clinging to the scriptures!  By really understanding and clinging to that iron rod (scriptures) we will be able to achieve eternal life.  The cup that the water travels to can be compared to the tree of life in Lehi's Dream:


1 Ne. 11: 25
25 And it came to pass that I beheld that the rod of iron, which my father had seen, was the word of God, which led to the fountain of living waters, or to the tree of life; which waters are a representation of the love of God; and I also beheld that the tree of life was a representation of the love of God.


What a fabulous way to introduce not only the importance of the scriptures in our lives ... but the FIRST book in the Book of Mormon!


I then am going to find (or have classes draw) a "story picture" that represents each book in the Book of Mormon.


1st Nephi - tree of life
2nd Nephi - Lord's promise to preserve writings (picture of brass plates)
Jacob - allegory of the tame/wild olive trees (ch. 5)
Enos - Enos prays all day long
Jarom - Keeping the commandments brings blessings (vs. 9)
Omni - writes about the Kings of the Nephites (Mosiah and Benjamin)
Words of Mormon - Mormon bids farewell
Mosiah - conversion of Alma the Younger
Alma - story of Ammon and King Lamoni
Helaman - story of Samuel the Lamanite
3rd Nephi - Christ appears to the Nephites
4th Nephi - The pride cycle
Mormon - Mormon buries the Brass Plates
Ether - the story of the Brother of Jared
Moroni - Moroni's promise (picture of prayer)


Whew!  I'm going to put each of these pictures in a protective cover and staple them together "accordian" style, so they can fold out into a long line as the children sing.  We can talk about/act out/re-tell the stories that go with each book throughout the year as we sing the song.  I'm excited!  Let me know your ideas/thoughts.  You can also email me at mbjenson@msn.com

Welcome

Hi all!  It's been a long time since I first started up a blog, so this is going to take some continual organizing.  :)  We need to all become "authors" of this blog, so we can each contribute our ideas for Singing Times and how they work for us.  Most of the ideas that I use I find on line anyway ... and then just tweak to fit my primary.  However, I'm not exactly sure how to have each of you become an author.  I believe I will need your e-mail addresses, and then I can put them in to customize this particular blog.  So - leave a comment with your e-mail address when you find this blog, or I will try to contact you within the next month.  I know we are all very busy getting ready for the Sacrament Meeting Presentations.  I hope all is going well with this exciting time.  Hearing the children polish and sing the songs they've been learning all year really invites the spirit to our meetings.  I'm so grateful to be the music leader in the primary!  What a fun, challenging, and uplifting calling!  Keep up the great work, and I'm looking forward to connecting with each of you.

Michelle Jenson (Spanish Fields 1st Ward)