Guest Post: Song review idea

The flipchart is comin...I promise! I have some family visiting, and time got away from me! I'll work hard and get it on here as fast as I can!

In the meantime...

I love it when you e-mail me with your ideas. Laura G. sent me this one, and I think it is such a neat idea! Thanks Laura!!!

I love to sing.I love to teach. 
I love children. I love Primary.

(It just may be the funnest calling in the church.)

Here is something I put together. I invited a different child up to choose an object and each one represented a new way to sing the song we needed to review for the month.

Ex: Flash light: turn the lights out and sing.

Slinky: Loud or soft.
Tissue: plug your nose
A Boot: March to the music as you sing
Pointer: Invite a child to lead the music or point to the chartMittens: Clap the rhythm while singing
Pictures of friends (or Friend Magazine): Turn and sing the song towards a friend
Cap: Sing Acapella (without the piano)
Turtle: Slow
Racecar: Fast
Ball: Invite 2 children to toss and ball back and forth
and every time they drop it you have to start the song over again.
Lala stick
Girls Only
Boys Only
Bumble Bee: Hum
Whistle: Whistle the song
Popcorn: Sing Popcorn Popping
Teeth: Sing with your teeth clenched
 Glue Stick: Pretend to glue a part of your body and sing it that way. Ex: Glue your hands to your head. Or your elbows together.
Wiggle hand puppet: Choose a wiggle song & change it up a bit.Microphones: you sing with 2 friends
Sun glasses: sing with your eyes closed.
Egg shakers: Sing staccato.you get the picture....with 24 total or as many pockets you need to fill up!

You could change it and be creative with anything you can think up!!!!

PS. I don't explain them ahead of time. Just as we go. Turned out to be a HIT! 

Flipchart request

I'm in the process of making the flipchart for "Come Follow Me." I know, I like to ride it close to the deadlines...

I was wondering what verses you plan to do. I'm definitely doing the first verse, but not sure about all the others.

I think this song would be nice to make into more of a musical number, with a flute and/or violin. We have a few children in our ward who play these instruments, so it's great to give them the opportunity to use their talents.  There are lots of different instrumental arrangements for this song.


If you want flipcharts for the other verses, let me know which ones you plan on doing, so I can create something for you!

-Trisa

June Song: The Holy Ghost

I appologize for my long hiatus! I've been trying to get my life more in order and give my kids more attention, and time just got away from me! I can't believe it's been almost a month since my last post!

Also, our primary sings at a nursing home, twice a year, one which occured just last week, so I've been trying to get ready for that and Father's day. I haven't even introduced this month's song yet!

That being said, I really struggled with this song. I sat down shortly after my last post, all excited to create a  flipchart, and just couldn't wrap my head around how to put images to the words. It's especially difficult, as we are not to try to portray the "holy ghost" in any way.

However, HUGE thanks to Tiffany from Port Orchard, who e-mailed me HER flip chart! I think it's awesome and hopefully it will be of help to some of you

Word Document here and PDF file here

She also did the second verse, but I just didn't post the pictures here....

As far as introducing the song...if you haven't already, I love this idea HERE on Camille's primary blog page, and also HERE, on I Sing U Sing. Both are fantastic resources as well

Potato Head Review

For Mother's day, I wanted to do something motherly-related for singing time.

I got the inspiration from this blog. She had real mom items to dress up with, but I didn't have enough of these things, so I came up with using the Potato-head toy.

This would work well for Father's day, or any day, for that matter.

This IS a "competition" game, which I generally try to stay away from. I did preface this game to the kids, by saying that we are often discouraged by competition games, because sometimes, the kids get too wrapped up in winning the game, instead of just having fun playing the game. Then I told them that I have been watching them for the 2 years that I have had this calling, and felt like it is something they could handle. I knew that THEY knew how to have fun, without making others feel bad, or getting out of control.

They did just fine. :)

Anyway. On to the game:

I had prewritten two posters with blanks on them. Except for the color of marker, the posters are the same.  I used heavy duty magnets, and posted them on the blackboard.

Each team gets a Mrs. Potato Head set.

(I think we had glasses and the purse too, but I forgot about these when I took the picture)

The game:

1) The primary sings the song continually, until the game is over (the poster is filled in).

2) Each person fills in TWO words on the poster, and puts ONE piece on the potato head.

(We had 11 pieces, so that makes 22 words to fill-in on the poster)

3) Once you have played, you can not go again. (I wanted to make sure that not the same 5 people were playing the game.) We let teacher's play as well.

4) First team to complete their poster and have the MOST complete Mrs. Potato head, wins. 

5) If you are caught NOT singing, I will pull off a part from your assembled potato head. I HIGHLY recommend doing this, or they get too caught up in the game, and forget to sing. I DID take off a piece or two during our game...

This was such a big hit, and I know THEY know the words to the song now. When the game was over, I didn't say anything about the "winner", but as soon as the winning team had one, I just stopped the game and said "Great job everyone! you guys did awesome!" and moved on to the next thing in my lesson plan.

Images for Faith poster

I received several requests for the images I used on my Faith poster.
There are two pages for this document.

I posted some more tips on how to make the poster on the original post.

Here you go!

PDF file, click here

Faith Images

Faith poster

          The song I picked for May, is "Faith". I know MOST of you did NOT pick this song, but I think this idea could work for many songs. This song worked particularly well, because there were 4 main ideas presented. (Please forgive my photography skills. They are very lacking...)

I started by showing them this poster: 

I asked them what Faith is. After I got a few answers, I told them to listen to this song about Faith.

As I sang the song, I used the string behind the poster, to pull up the pictures out of their "boxes"

When I was finished, it looked like this.

Then, I pulled the pictures back down into their "boxes" and asked the kids what was in each "box". I was thrilled with their answers (and listening skills) when they used words and phrases from the song!

Then I called up volunteers to help pull the pictures out of the boxes as we sang the song. I love activities like this, that even the littlest kids can do. 

Here is another poster I helped my mother-in-law make. 

I love the blue!

TIP: use eyelets to help reinforce the holes, so they wouldn't rip

TIP: Put a piece of cardboard on the back of the poster, in between your string holes. This helps to keep the poster board from bending when you pul the string. 

I made my boxes from a 6x6 square of scrapbook paper. Then I scored a line 1/2" inch on three sides, and then another 3/8" of an inch towards the outside of the box.

Cut out the two bottom corners, fold them over each other and glue. 

This is what the "inside" of the box looks like. 

Funny side note:

When I started this blog, my sister was just called as primary chorister.

Then, my Mother-in-law.

Then, my mom 

(well, she's Stake Primary music leader, but ya know...same field..).

Then, My sister got released.

but now...

 my other sister has just been called as primary chorister. 

YAY! 

More ideas!

May song?

"Apple" left this comment:


"I'm not sure where to post this, but here goes. I have noticed that May is a month that we can pick our own song to teach the children. Mother's Day songs are perfect but I am wondering what other songs choristers are teaching this month. We had a regional conference last week so this will be our first week of Primary for May. I am not sure what to teach. Would love to hear from everyone."

Great Question!

So, what are you teaching for May?

Our primary is doing "Faith" (CS 96)


Isingusing blog posted an awesome teaching idea for the "Fourth Article Of Faith" song.