All my primary kiddos are headed back to school next week, and I thought it would be fun to revisit this activity since it was a favorite last year. I've seen this idea around on many sites now, and I love some of the variations...so with those ideas and the crazy ideas of my own I've revised this a bit. The base of this revision came from a version of this idea posted on Sugardoodle by Erika Soelberg.
Our program is scheduled for the end of October, and since I feel we have a lot of time and know the songs really well already..I thought we would set aside our program songs this time around, and sing other songs we haven't had the chance to enjoy due to all our hard work. I also am doing this so they don't get so bored with the music that by the time the program comes around that shows in their voices and faces as they sing these amazing songs.
You can easily adapt this activity to fit the program songs if that is your wish. This activity can be done in the normal 20min...but I would suggest cutting it down a bit. I have the entire time on Sunday so I'm free to go crazy.
Prep:
1 Backpack
1 pencil box with enough pencils for each child to have one. Put a star sticker on 6-8 of them.
6-8 folders with different subjects listed on the front of the folder....and the song and activity listed on a paper on the inside of the folder.
Basket full of Apples for their teachers on your desk
Any other props that are needed for the activities that go with the songs. I'm not going to take the time to list them here as they will vary depending on how elaborate you really want to get...so take what ya wish and toss the rest.
Subjects:
Biology: "My Heavenly Father Loves Me"-- Have a small bag or box filled with different picture clues such as a bird, blue sky, rain, wind...etc. Have the child try and guess the song from the pictures. When they have guessed correctly, have several children hold the pictures while singing the song.
Art: "I Love to See the Temple"--Divide the chalk board in half with a line. Allow two children to see the title of the song. Have them race to draw a picture that will help their team guess the song. After a correct answer has been given, sing the song. For Jr. Primary...you might want to have a teacher do the drawing.
Language Class: "Children All Over the World"---write the different words for thank you on the board and have the children guess what language the words are. Practice saying the words a few times.
Anatomy: "I'm all made of Hinges" Sing this song as a little kid (really fast), as an old man (really slow) and as a Primary teacher...(reverent).
Music: "Primary Children Sang as They Walked..." Give the primary children a clue such as...."they probably walked up hills both ways to school and were happy about it".....then ask the two opposing teams how many notes they need to get the song. The group with the lowest notes can guess the song after the notes are played.
Reading: "The Books of the Book of Mormon"--Have them open their scriptures to the contents page. Sing the song with them once through while they are looking at the words. Have them close the book. Sing it three more times getting faster each time seeing if they can sing it without making a mistake.
Recess: "I Belong to the Church of Jesus Christ...."---Have them spread out their chairs a bit so there is room between them and the person in front of them. As you sing the song, have them move down a chair each time they sing the word "I". Have the person on the end quickly run around to the end of the row to begin again. (BTW..the kids LOVE this...although, it can get a bit rowdy..so just tell them we have to complete this task as reverently as possible to get a good grade in this subject.)
Math: "I like My Birthdays"---Show them a tray or box full of items. Have them take a good look at it. Take it away and remove 8 items. Show them the box again while they sing the song. See if they could figure out what 8 items were taken away.
Pop Quiz: Have a balloon with a paper inside and a dime. Have someone pop the balloon. The paper should say, "Toss up". Tell the child if it is Heads their teacher gets to pick the song, if its tails they get too. Have the child flip the coin. Sing the chosen song.
Presentation:
Explain that today you're going to prepare them to go back to school. Hand out the pencil box and have the children pick a pencil. Tell the children to check their pencils for a star. Have one of the children with a star pencil come up and pick a folder. Do the assigned task. When the child is done, have the pick an apple out of the basket to give to their teacher. Some where in the middle, have the pop quiz...be sure and bring a push pin to pop the balloon.
Have a great week!
*thecrazychorister
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Program Review Game #1: Outta This World
Are you ready for the weeks ahead to review the program songs? This can be challenging to help kids avoid boredom, but still accomplish the task of polishing up these beautiful songs. It is also a great time to review the messages these songs were intended to give and have the spirit witness again of the love the Savior has for each one of them.
It's been a while since I've posted an idea that has some real before-hand prep. I've tried to keep the ideas simple for the summer, but this idea will take some prep so don't put it off until Sunday morning if you choose to use it. Or, you can always just draw these on the chalk board if you want to make it slightly easier in the prep department.
Prep:
8 circles cut in various sizes and in different colors to represent planets (Put the title of one of the program songs on each of the planets)
1 cut out of a rocket ship. I'm going to put "Primary Rocket Express" on mine and make it really bright and colorful.
8 small flags that can be placed on the planets that say, "Claimed"
8 pieces of paper with one line from each song written on it (you can write a phrase for Jr. primary to make it easier for them if you wish)
Chalk
Before Primary, hang the planets around the primary room where they are easily visible. Place the slips of paper in a container. Have the flags on one side of the chalk board at the front of the room. On the other side, draw a Fuel Meter with the levels: Full, Half Full, Almost Empty, Empty..keep a piece of chalk and an eraser near by.
Presentation:
Tell the children that we are going on an exploration trip out into the universe. Tell them our goal is to "claim" as many planets as possible for our primary program. Have a child come a choose a slip of paper out of the container. Read or have them read the line of the song. Have the primary guess what planet (song) that line goes with. When they have guessed correctly, give the rocket ship and a flag to a child and have them stand beside you. Explain that we are going to sing that program song, and if they sing the song really well using our fuel meter as a guide we will be able to make it and claim that song/planet.
Tell them that the way the fuel meter works is as they sing:
It's been a while since I've posted an idea that has some real before-hand prep. I've tried to keep the ideas simple for the summer, but this idea will take some prep so don't put it off until Sunday morning if you choose to use it. Or, you can always just draw these on the chalk board if you want to make it slightly easier in the prep department.
Prep:
8 circles cut in various sizes and in different colors to represent planets (Put the title of one of the program songs on each of the planets)
1 cut out of a rocket ship. I'm going to put "Primary Rocket Express" on mine and make it really bright and colorful.
8 small flags that can be placed on the planets that say, "Claimed"
8 pieces of paper with one line from each song written on it (you can write a phrase for Jr. primary to make it easier for them if you wish)
Chalk
Before Primary, hang the planets around the primary room where they are easily visible. Place the slips of paper in a container. Have the flags on one side of the chalk board at the front of the room. On the other side, draw a Fuel Meter with the levels: Full, Half Full, Almost Empty, Empty..keep a piece of chalk and an eraser near by.
Presentation:
Tell the children that we are going on an exploration trip out into the universe. Tell them our goal is to "claim" as many planets as possible for our primary program. Have a child come a choose a slip of paper out of the container. Read or have them read the line of the song. Have the primary guess what planet (song) that line goes with. When they have guessed correctly, give the rocket ship and a flag to a child and have them stand beside you. Explain that we are going to sing that program song, and if they sing the song really well using our fuel meter as a guide we will be able to make it and claim that song/planet.
Tell them that the way the fuel meter works is as they sing:
Never Louder than Lovely
Smiling
Watching the Chorister for start and stops
Reverently folding arms and paying attention
and they know the words
They gain more fuel so they can make it to the planet. I'm not one of those people who just say, "good job you made it"...if they really didn't. If they have problems and don't make it to the planet...I'll stop and correct the mistake and try again. If they continue to have issues with that song...I'll simply tell them we didn't make that planet today, so we'll try hard to learn it in future weeks, and then I'll move on. If they do sing really well, I'll have the child who is holding the rocket and the flag move slowly towards the correct planet. When we finish, I'll have them place that flag on the planet and fly the rocket ship back home to begin the next song.
If you need to simplify that idea do so, and remember to have fun with it and make it work for your primary. It might make sense to only do half the songs one week and do the same activity the following week just to give more time to work on the songs that are troublesome.
Anyhow, I hope that gets the creative juices for program review flowing....
Have a Great Week!
*thecrazychorister
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Review Game: Blind Fold the Teacher
Hi guys,
It's been a really busy summer. I can't believe were are really to the last song of our program. I hope you all are doing well.
I found an adorable idea off the "Divine Secrets of a Primary Chorister" website, and changed it a bit to work for my primary.
Prep:
Colored Chalk
Christmas Present Bow
Blind Fold
Before Primary, Draw 5-6 pictures of present boxes on the board.
Presentation:
Tell the Children that we're going to review our songs for the year. Have one of the teachers come to the front (I like to pick the class that is being extra reverent to volunteer their teacher). Have them put the blindfold on and give them a Christmas Bow. Tell the children that you are going to point silently to the present the teacher is going to try and put the bow on. Explain that we'll sing one of our program songs as the teacher attempts to find the right present. As the teacher gets closer to the right present, the children should sing softer, and softer...whisper sing. As the teacher moves farther away from the present they are to sing louder, but never louder than beautiful singing allows. Do this with all your program songs as time allows and switch teachers with every song. Most of the teachers found the correct present within a few lines of the song...so just continue to sing the rest of the song after they have found it.
The kids loved this. I wasn't sure if it would go over in Sr. Primary, but they were totally all over it. The last teacher that I had come up I played a trick on. I pointed to an object just beyond the chalk board...and so they became really confused when the children kept singing loud. The kids really loved it, and the teachers all had smiles.
Success! Thanks for the idea "Divine Secrets"!
**The Crazy Chorister
It's been a really busy summer. I can't believe were are really to the last song of our program. I hope you all are doing well.
I found an adorable idea off the "Divine Secrets of a Primary Chorister" website, and changed it a bit to work for my primary.
Prep:
Colored Chalk
Christmas Present Bow
Blind Fold
Before Primary, Draw 5-6 pictures of present boxes on the board.
Presentation:
Tell the Children that we're going to review our songs for the year. Have one of the teachers come to the front (I like to pick the class that is being extra reverent to volunteer their teacher). Have them put the blindfold on and give them a Christmas Bow. Tell the children that you are going to point silently to the present the teacher is going to try and put the bow on. Explain that we'll sing one of our program songs as the teacher attempts to find the right present. As the teacher gets closer to the right present, the children should sing softer, and softer...whisper sing. As the teacher moves farther away from the present they are to sing louder, but never louder than beautiful singing allows. Do this with all your program songs as time allows and switch teachers with every song. Most of the teachers found the correct present within a few lines of the song...so just continue to sing the rest of the song after they have found it.
The kids loved this. I wasn't sure if it would go over in Sr. Primary, but they were totally all over it. The last teacher that I had come up I played a trick on. I pointed to an object just beyond the chalk board...and so they became really confused when the children kept singing loud. The kids really loved it, and the teachers all had smiles.
Success! Thanks for the idea "Divine Secrets"!
**The Crazy Chorister
Saturday, August 7, 2010
New Song Sunday: I Know That My Redeemer Lives!
Hello Everyone! I was gone on vacation with my family, but now we're back and I'm ready to teach the last song of our program.
The song I choose for August is "I Know That My Redeemer Lives". We will only be doing the first verse unless I happen to find extra time.
I found this great idea on the web, and even though I am going to scale it down a bit and change it around for my Jr. Pri kids, I think it would be more helpful for you to just read the original idea, then to have me try and put it in my words. I could not find the author of this great idea, but give them full credit, and a big "Thank You".....I really haven't had the time this week to put another thing together.http://www.ldsfamilyfun.com/media/PDFs/church/ideas%20to%20teach%20song4.pdf
I hope this helps someone out their too. Have a great week!
The song I choose for August is "I Know That My Redeemer Lives". We will only be doing the first verse unless I happen to find extra time.
I found this great idea on the web, and even though I am going to scale it down a bit and change it around for my Jr. Pri kids, I think it would be more helpful for you to just read the original idea, then to have me try and put it in my words. I could not find the author of this great idea, but give them full credit, and a big "Thank You".....I really haven't had the time this week to put another thing together.http://www.ldsfamilyfun.com/media/PDFs/church/ideas%20to%20teach%20song4.pdf
I hope this helps someone out their too. Have a great week!
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Wagon Wheel of Fortune
As I was sifting through all these posts to get the right labels on them, I came across an idea that I never posted. I was going to use this for our primary pioneer Sunday (around the 24th of July), but I guess I changed my mind last minute and never posted the idea......
So....in case this will help any of you out there for next week....here is what I think I was going to do...
This was based off of using my "singing wheel" (look on sidebar for original idea) and making it look like a wagon wheel. Then I would have the child come up front, put on a pioneer hat or apron, or vest..etc..., spin the wheel. The wheel would land on a paper that would suggest a way to sing a song (staccato, whisper, accapella..etc) and then sing a pioneer song the way the paper suggests.
I know that's a skeleton of an idea, but perhaps some of you go-getters will find it useful.
So....in case this will help any of you out there for next week....here is what I think I was going to do...
This was based off of using my "singing wheel" (look on sidebar for original idea) and making it look like a wagon wheel. Then I would have the child come up front, put on a pioneer hat or apron, or vest..etc..., spin the wheel. The wheel would land on a paper that would suggest a way to sing a song (staccato, whisper, accapella..etc) and then sing a pioneer song the way the paper suggests.
I know that's a skeleton of an idea, but perhaps some of you go-getters will find it useful.
Ideas at a glance
Hi everyone,
I finally organized all the ideas posted on this blog and got the right tags on them. So, on the side bar under "Ideas at a glance" are all the ideas that I have posted over the past two+ years. Hope that makes it easier for you than sifting through a lot of back posts.
Have a great day!
-Melanie
I finally organized all the ideas posted on this blog and got the right tags on them. So, on the side bar under "Ideas at a glance" are all the ideas that I have posted over the past two+ years. Hope that makes it easier for you than sifting through a lot of back posts.
Have a great day!
-Melanie
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Review Activity---Come Follow Me--- Just Follow The Pattern
This activity went SO WELL, and the spirit was there again for this beautiful song. At one point, my pianist stepped out and we sang the song Acapella. It was so beautiful, and I thought it would be a real highlight to the P. Program. You might want to try it.
Here's this review activity
Prep:
1 piece of paper for each child (Sr.) one piece of paper for each teacher (Jr.)
Dress Pattern
Dress (or anything that has instructions that you created something from)
Picture of Jesus Christ
Learn how to fold a white Sunday shirt out of paper from this website ...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hTf9MoLezk
Presentation:
Pass paper out to teachers or children. Hold up the dress pattern (or instructions of whatever you brought). I explained that I enjoy making dresses, but in order to do that I have to use a pattern. I explained in simple terms how I go about making a dress from the pattern. I held up a pattern piece and instructions and and explained that as long as I stuck to the pattern, it came out the way it should in the end. I explained that sometimes I make a mistake when I sew, but if I return to the pattern and go through the long process to undo the mistake and try again...It works. I then showed them the product that I made. I Explained that Jesus Christ set the pattern for happy living and gave us the way to return to our Father in Heaven, and if we follow the pattern we will be happy.
Sing "Come Follow Me". Talk about how this song teaches us to follow the pattern He has set.
Pass out paper to teachers or children. Tell them that we are going to sing a few songs about following Jesus. After each song, show them how to fold another part of the shirt. Do not tell them what the product will be at the end. The songs I used were...
Do As I'm Doing
Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes (I did this one backwards to see if they could still follow me)
Come Follow Me (I kept throwing this one in every few songs just for review)
Follow the Prophet
I'm Trying to be Like Jesus
Come Follow Me
I spread out the paper folding instruction to six songs. The teachers in Jr Pri did great, and the Sr. Kids did a great job too. I did warn the Sr. Pri in the beginning that this activity required reverence, and if I saw at any point that they couldn't handle things...the paper part would be done. But, I then expressed my confidence in them that all would be well and they could handle things. It went so great.
I then held up the white shirt and asked them if they got it by following the instructions. I told them that I loved to see clean white shirts on Sunday because it told me something about the person wearing it....it told me they wanted to be like Jesus. I then bore my Testimony that Jesus Christ set the Pattern we should follow so we can find peace, happiness, and safety.
**thecrazychorister
Here's this review activity
Prep:
1 piece of paper for each child (Sr.) one piece of paper for each teacher (Jr.)
Dress Pattern
Dress (or anything that has instructions that you created something from)
Picture of Jesus Christ
Learn how to fold a white Sunday shirt out of paper from this website ...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hTf9MoLezk
Presentation:
Pass paper out to teachers or children. Hold up the dress pattern (or instructions of whatever you brought). I explained that I enjoy making dresses, but in order to do that I have to use a pattern. I explained in simple terms how I go about making a dress from the pattern. I held up a pattern piece and instructions and and explained that as long as I stuck to the pattern, it came out the way it should in the end. I explained that sometimes I make a mistake when I sew, but if I return to the pattern and go through the long process to undo the mistake and try again...It works. I then showed them the product that I made. I Explained that Jesus Christ set the pattern for happy living and gave us the way to return to our Father in Heaven, and if we follow the pattern we will be happy.
Sing "Come Follow Me". Talk about how this song teaches us to follow the pattern He has set.
Pass out paper to teachers or children. Tell them that we are going to sing a few songs about following Jesus. After each song, show them how to fold another part of the shirt. Do not tell them what the product will be at the end. The songs I used were...
Do As I'm Doing
Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes (I did this one backwards to see if they could still follow me)
Come Follow Me (I kept throwing this one in every few songs just for review)
Follow the Prophet
I'm Trying to be Like Jesus
Come Follow Me
I spread out the paper folding instruction to six songs. The teachers in Jr Pri did great, and the Sr. Kids did a great job too. I did warn the Sr. Pri in the beginning that this activity required reverence, and if I saw at any point that they couldn't handle things...the paper part would be done. But, I then expressed my confidence in them that all would be well and they could handle things. It went so great.
I then held up the white shirt and asked them if they got it by following the instructions. I told them that I loved to see clean white shirts on Sunday because it told me something about the person wearing it....it told me they wanted to be like Jesus. I then bore my Testimony that Jesus Christ set the Pattern we should follow so we can find peace, happiness, and safety.
**thecrazychorister
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Childless Mormons
Dear Fellow Choristers,
On my sidebar of listed resources is a resource that is not intended to help us in our calling, but I would like you to look at it anyhow and pass it on to anyone who you think could benefit from reading this. http://www.childlessmormons.yolasite.com/
It is simply the best, most comforting resource on this subject one can find on the net. It perhaps can spread some hope and comfort to those sisters and brothers out there who are experiencing the frustration and painful circumstances of not being able to have a child.
Thank you,
Melanie
On my sidebar of listed resources is a resource that is not intended to help us in our calling, but I would like you to look at it anyhow and pass it on to anyone who you think could benefit from reading this. http://www.childlessmormons.yolasite.com/
It is simply the best, most comforting resource on this subject one can find on the net. It perhaps can spread some hope and comfort to those sisters and brothers out there who are experiencing the frustration and painful circumstances of not being able to have a child.
Thank you,
Melanie
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