Phoning Home

Twice a year, our missionaries get to call home.  For those of us who have had a son, brother, daughter, sister, parents, or grandparents on missions, it is a particularly special event!  I, personally, am thrilled to be able to talk to my little bro in a few days!  I have to chastise him for not responding to my emails, so he'll be glad to hear the earful that he'll be getting from me!  We also have a pair of elders living with my parents up the street from us.  We LOVE the missionaries being so close and such a part of our family.  It makes it so much easier to have my brother away!  They are so excited to talk to their families in California and Texas - they just light up when they talk about it!  Anyways, here's a quick idea for you...

L-R:  Elder "Brother", Elder M, Elder O
of the Vina del Mar, Chile Mission

Click Here to print out the PDF with different phones and such.  Cut them out and laminate them, if you think you need to.  Cutting is not optional, laminating is optional.  Just to clarify.

For the songs, choose a few topics that you would call home about.  Here are some examples, of course you would change the names to be the names of Elders/Sisters that are serving from your branch/ward/stake.

Elder Boss (my brother) would call home to talk about missionary work.  Sing a song about missionary work.
Elder State-Side might call home to ask about the family.  Sing a song about families.
Sister Spanish-Speaking might call home to share an experience about the Holy Ghost.  Sing a song about the Holy Ghost.
Elder and Sister Grandparent might call home to tell about a time they shared their testimony.  Sing a song about testimony.
Brother Service-Mission might call home to encourage us to serve more.  Sing a song about service.
Sister Genealogy might call home to bear her testimony of temple work.  Sing a song about temples.
President Mission-Home might call home to say Merry Christmas!  Sing a Christmas Song.
Elder Mama's Boy might call home to say Happy Mother's Day!  Sing a song about your mom!

Get it?  Super easy, super fun, and a great way to encourage the primary kids to correspond with the missionaries that are serving in and from your area.  They won't be able to talk on the phone with them, unless they have someone in their family, but they can share their testimony and special experiences, nonetheless.  I love that word.  Nonetheless.  It's right up there with heretofore and inasmuch.  Good times.  Ha!

For those of you with missionaries out, I hope that the internet connection is reliable, the phone card doesn't eat your minutes, and that the phone number you got in the email is actually a real phone number!  I know that the Lord is with our growing army of missionaries.  The church is true!!

What else would you call home about? 
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The Rug

Because I was the queen of last minute singing time's, I took upon myself the challenge of creating activities out of whatever I would find around the house, at the $1 store, in clearance bins, and at DI.  This is one of my favorite activities, and I'm quite frankly surprised that I haven't posted it yet!  Every time I dig in my bins (yes, there are multiple bins, much to my son's dismay as they are all stored in his closet!), I find things that I used all the time and some that I never even got around to using.  It's like a treasure hunt every time!

Anyhoo, meet The Rug.  I got it on clearance at the Target Dollar Spot after Valentine's Day a couple of years ago.  I have noticed since then that they have little rugs for just about every holiday, so depending on your mood and budget and bin situation, you could theoretically have a rug for all seasons.  Here is how to use The Rug...

Place The Rug on the floor.  Invite a group of children to come to the front (this idea is actually a perfect activity for small primaries).  As a song is played/sung, have the children walk in a circle, stepping on The Rug once in a rotation.  Here come the variations.

Variation 1:  Similar to musical chairs, have your pianist randomly stop playing.  The child standing on The Rug has to say or sing the next line.

Variation 2:  When the song is over, the child on The Rug chooses an action or Fun Way to Sing for the next section of the song.

Variation 3:  When the music stops, the child on The Rug is "out" or placed on a special team - then it's a contest of who knows the song better - the kids in the circle, or the kids that are "out."

Other uses of The Rug could be having your special helper stand on it while they're helping you; if you're standing on The Rug the kids have to sing, if you move they hum; stand on The Rug and tell them the better they sing the more you tip - they have to try and tip you off.

There's a million ways to use The Rug.  It's a fun and simple prop that you can pull out whenever, and they'll love it.  Keep it in the closet...it's worth it!

What would you do with The Rug?

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Secret Words

With program review in full swing, it's time to spice things up a bit.  These last weeks before the program can be tedious, singing those songs in order time and again!  This activity is SUPER simple, and totally hilarious.

You can do this by class, or if you're the sadistic kind of chorister that likes to utilize your teachers, you can just make the teachers do it.  Whatever works.

1.  Choose enough words for each class or teacher.  The words should be common in many of the songs you're singing, so for this year you may choose "choose" or "Jesus" or "right."  Be creative - the more common the word the better.

2.  Choose an action to accompany each word.  This is where the fun comes in.  "Clap 4 times quickly"  "Shout Woot-Woot"  "Sigh loudly"  "Laugh out loud"  Those are some ideas for the actions.  Be mindful of personalities and try to rig it to make it fun.  You know what I mean.

3.  Put the word/action combos on slips of paper and hand them to the teachers on the way in, making sure that they DO NOT SHARE their word/actions with anyone else!!!!

4.  As you sing the program songs, each time their word is sung, they have to do the action.  This will result in a hilarious foley effect that is sure to get everyone smiling!  (Choose"clapclapclap" the right"bah-hah-ha!")  It's hilarious.

5.  At the end of singing time, everyone has to guess which word each class had.

See?  I told you it was easy!

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2012 Song Review Memory Game

Here is a quick review game that you can adapt for Junior and Senior primary.  Just print the pages you want (there are 3 options - song title, first letter of the words, and pictures).  Cut the pages in half, tape randomly on the board to create a memory game board.  Pick reverent children, divide into teams or classes, or do it however you do, have them come up and choose a paper, then try to find it's match.  When you get a match, sing the song!  Simple...

I only included the songs that are listed in the program outline.  There are a couple of "choose your own" months, and some of you may be learning additional songs.  If you want me to do another song, I'm very happy to help you - just send a comment or an email and I'll get it to you ASAP.  Don't feel bad asking...I really do want to help!!

Here is the download for the Outline Songs.

By request:
If the Savior Stood Beside Me & I Want to Live the Gospel
Jesus Once was a Little Child, He Sent His Son, Dare to Do Right
I Will Be Valiant, Tell Me the Stories of Jesus
I Feel My Savior's Love, Had I Been a Child
I'm Trying to be Like Jesus, I'll Follow Him in Faith, Beautiful Savior, Choose the Right Way
Let the Holy Spirit Guide
Keep the Commandments, I Want to Be a Missionary Now, My Heavenly Father Loves Me
We'll Bring The World His Truth
Reverence Is Love
I'll Walk With You, Every Star is Different
We are Children Holding Hands Around the World
A Child's Prayer, Love One Another, When He Comes Again

Have a great week!

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How Would You Use...Kitchen Edition

I've talked to a couple of newly called choristers, seen some threads on the Yahoo group, and received a couple of emails - all with questions and concerns about the expense of props/games/flip charts/visual aides for singing time.  YES.  This calling can get complicated and expensive if you let it.  But you can also use things you have around the house to teach lyrics, principles, and also to have a lot of fun.  What I've come to learn, however, is that some people experience a wee shortage of creativity, especially when under pressure.  

So, to help get your creative juices flowing, I am going to let you think of the ideas this time.  I shared a similar thought a while back with the Bingo Game.  You can find a fun way to use just about everything!  Now we will go together on a journey throughout our homes to find free, ink-less, creative ways to entertain your primary kids.

We'll start in the kitchen.  The heart of the home!  (I'll do different posts for each part of the home - today let's stick with the kitchen!)

How would you use paper cups/plates?
How would you use straws?
How would you use an oven mitt?
How would you use utensils?
How would you use cookbooks?
How would you use a cookie sheet?

What else inspires you in your kitchen?  Please share your comments - I promise there are music leaders out there (worldwide) that would love and appreciate your thoughts.  I can't wait to see what you come up with!!

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Lucky vs. Blessed

Have you ever caught yourself saying how lucky you are?  I do all the time.  I think sometimes I (we) give more credit to luck than we do to the tender mercies and blessings of our Heavenly Father.  So, with that in mind, I think it would be fun to use the idea of luck vs. blessings.

Visuals:
If you want, bring a few lucky charms...fortune cookie, rabbit's foot, horseshoe, socks, 4-leaf clover, penny, box of Lucky Charms cereal, etc.  Explain that some people think that these items can bring luck.  Assign each lucky charm one of the following "luckys."

Attach a word strip to each lucky charm with the following statements and songs.  If you would like, also create a larger word strip that replaces the word lucky with the word blessed.  (i.e. We are blessed to have agency.)

We are lucky to be alive.                                
I Will Follow God's Plan #164

We are lucky to live in a beautiful world.        
My Heavenly Father Loves Me #228

We are lucky to be members of the Church.  
I Belong to the Church of Jesus Christ #77

We are lucky to have bodies.                        
Head, Shoulders, Knees & Toes #275

We are lucky that summer is coming!            
Oh, What Do You Do in the Summertime #245

We are lucky to have a prophet.                    
We Thank Thee, O God, For a Prophet Hymn #19

We are lucky to have families.                        
Families Can Be Together Forever #188

We are lucky to have temples.                        
I Love to See the Temple #95

We are lucky to have missionaries.                  
I Hope They Call Me on a Mission #169

We are lucky to have agency.                          
Choose the Right

We are lucky to have the scriptures.                
Scripture Power

Have a child pick a lucky charm and sing the attached song.  At the end of the song, explain that Heavenly Father intentionally blessed us with our bodies, our families, our temples, etc.  Attach the word strip to the board that says "We are blessed ..."  At the end of singing time, bear testimony that Heavenly Father has blessed us and continues to bless us every day.

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New Year's Singing Time

Are you ready to jump into the new year?  Are you starting As a Child of God?  Or are you still in relaxing mode?  If you are planning on incorporating a New Year's activity this Sunday, here's an idea for you.  It's simple and can be done in just a few minutes.

If you have them around your house, gather up different time-pieces.  Examples could be: a wrist watch, an alarm clock, an hourglass (or game timer), a pocket watch, an egg timer or kitchen timer, etc.  If you don't have very many, you can print these graphics of different types of clocks.

Write down several "resolutions" on paper and attach them to the clocks, or write them down on the back of the printed graphic.  Sing a song that relates to that resolution.  Here are a few I came up with:

We can be kind and helpful to others by doing good deeds.
I Have Two Little Hands, p. 272

We can try to be more like Jesus every day.
I'm Trying to Be Like Jesus, p. 78

You can show gratitude to Heavenly Father.
My Heavenly Father Loves Me, p. 228

We can choose to be happy. {this one would be great for the hourglass!}
Smiles, p. 267

We can bear our testimony more.
I Know That Jesus Lives, from the Friend

We can follow God's plan.
I Will Follow God's Plan, p. 164

We can listen more closely to the Holy Ghost.
Listen, Listen, p. 107

Choose any song you would like, every song can have a resolution for it.

Talk about how the new year helps us reflect on how we spend our time, and what choices we can make to be better.  Use this activity to sing some fun songs, think about how we can improve, and incorporate the new theme.

May 2012 be filled with great singing time ideas, inspiring testimonies, heartfelt music, and lots of fun and laughter.  Happy New Year everyone!
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Last Minute Christmas Ideas

I love last minute singing times.  Last minute anything, actually, since I'm a bona fide procrastinator.  Here are a few ideas for those of you who are having a hard time finalizing your Christmas extravaganza for tomorrow!

1.  Snowball fight.  This can be a great way to end your singing time.  Just hand a piece of paper to each child, and have them write down their favorite song(s).  The reason it's a great way to end, is this:  don't sing them this week!  Take them all home in a garbage bag, and tally up the votes.  Write the top ten on paper strips, and number the back of the strips in order.  Then, on New Year's Day, do a "Primary Top 10" and sing them in order from 10 to 1, 1 being the most favorite-est song.  Easy, and you don't have to worry about planning anything when you should be out partying on New Year's Eve.

2.  A hand's on nativity.  Gather up a few items that the children can pass around while you sing songs about Christmas.  Try to find things that aren't breakable or noisy.  Children learn best when all of their senses are engaged, so this is a great teaching tool.  Here are some examples for some things that apply to different songs:

star ornament or cutout
stuffed sheep toy
sawdust (good for smell, touch, and sight)
drawstring sack with items hidden inside (to represent bread and cheese)
picture of nativity scene or infant Jesus
hay or straw, you may have some of this in your own nativity scene
baby Jesus from a nativity scene
linen cloth, tea towel, or bread cloth (to represent swaddling clothes)
bell
small wrapped gift
miniature Christmas tree
palm frond or branch from a fake tree in your house (I know some of you have these!  use it to represent Hosanna! Hosanna!)
any type of decoration that you have in your house that looks like an urn, dish with a lid, treasure box, etc. (to represent gifts from the wise men)

3.  Nativity scene.  Assign a song to each piece of a nativity and sing them to assemble the whole scene, with Jesus coming last.

4.  Hand bells.  If you have them, bring them out for some easy-going fun.

5.  Hymnbook sing-along.  I explained this activity in this post.

6.  Christ-centered singing time.  Go to lds.org and search for quotes from the prophet/general authorities on the Savior.  Read their testimonies between songs.

7.  2012 preview.  Play an MP3 recording of As a Child of God, have them sing or listen to the other songs from next year's outline.  They won't know some of them, but at least a few should be fairly familiar.  Get them excited about next year's theme and songs!

8.  Remove the "centerfold" of the December Friend magazine.  If you have alphabet magnets, put them in a bag or jar to be drawn out by a primary helper.  If you don't, just write letters on slips of paper.  Have a helper draw a letter, and read the accompanying scripture passage.  Sing a song between them, or do a couple in a row and then sing the child's favorite Christmas song.

What are you doing for the last singing time of 2011?

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Praise to the Man - Verse 3

This activity comes straight from this month's Friend magazine (June 2011, p. 43).  I always look for ways to incorporate the games and activities that are there, and this activity seemed perfectly suited for Praise to The Man.

First, here is the attachment to the worksheet.

Second, this activity is definitely more suited for Senior Primary.  However, if your primary is mixed, you can still use it - just have the oldest class(es) come to the front and sit with the yougest class(es).  I have done this, and it's a sure fire way to get the older kids to participate happily and the younger kids to feel loved by the older ones.

You can do this by class if you have a large group, or individually - it's really up to you.  Once the words are on the page and in their heads, singing it should come easily.  Have the piano player quietly play the music in the background, not only to set the mood but so the tune is in their heads as they find the words.

I created this puzzle late at night, and I've completed it twice but that doesn't necessarily mean that it's correct.  If you find an error, make sure you let me know!

Have fun, and let me know how it goes with your primary :)

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Sing-A-Story - Joseph Smith

Several days ago, I read this post by Kathleen at The Children Sing.  Her posts ALWAYS inspire me, and this one was no exception.  It has been on my mind all week!  With all of the focus on Joseph Smith during these past weeks in primary, I decided to follow Kathleen's example and create a "Sing-A-Story" for Joseph Smith.  I thought it would be a nice way to end this month, and something I can pull out again in June (martyrdom), July (pioneer day), April (organization of the church)...you get the point!  I have uploaded two different versions for you - one has songs listed, the other does not.  This is so you can plug in whatever songs your primary knows.  So, thank you Kathleen for this wonderful idea.  I have a feeling I will be coming up with many Sing-A-Stories!

Since it is meant to read like a book, print the odd pages and then the even pages.  If you want to save on ink, just print the words and add in your own pictures from the Gospel Art Kit or from your church magazines.

Sing-A-Story - Joseph Smith (with songs)

Sing-A-Story - Joseph Smith (without songs)

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Praise to the Man - Verse 1

Because I'm teaching this song in little bits and not all at once, each section will be it's own post.  This is the activity I have planned to teach the first verse.

You will need:
4 envelopes, labeled with colored ink:  Red, Green, Blue, Orange
This document, with the phrases cut into strips and put into the matching envelope
The trivia questions in the PDF, or you can write your own.  Or just skip that part, it's up to you.

The plan:
I will divide the group into 4 sections, and let a reverent child from each section come up and choose an envelope.  They will take it back to their group and they will all have 1 minute or so to learn their part.  Then we will sing the song, each section singing their part.  The section that sings the best will have a chance to answer a trivia question.  If they get it right, they get to switch all of the colors around, however they want.  I will then give another minute or so for the group to learn their new parts, and the game will continue until each group gets a chance with each color.

I love this kind of activity, because it's another great way to get the kids to sing a song over and over again without getting bored, and also helps them memorize their parts without a lot of "I sing, U repeat" going on.  I have found that the more I leave it up to the kids to learn the words, the better they learn them!

Now, I'm going off to start my "Mother's Day Fest." Happy Mother's Day to you all, and I hope you have a restful day!

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Praise to The Man

So, here we are.  The song that we've all been worried about since we first opened the 2011 primary outline last fall.  The big one.  The hard one.  The big words.  The challenging music.

Sigh.

I'm going to start things really simply with this one, given the complexity of it and also knowing that I really need to review Mother's Day songs with them and I haven't even seen them in almost a month!  (General Conference, vacation, Stake Conference - phew!)

I'm going to start by playing them an MP3 of Scotland the Brave, played on bagpipes and drums.  I've been listening to it on my phone now for a couple of days and man! - that song is amazing!  It gets me excited.  You know the kind of excited you are when you can't figure out why you're excited?  It's a great, triumphant feeling.

Here is a link to a youtube video that is kind of fun to watch.

So I'll start by playing the music, and I'll turn the volume up so they can really feel it.  Then I'm going to ask them how it made them feel.  I'll share with them that this song is a song of victory, of triumph over enemies.  At that point, I'll retell the story of Joseph Smith and how this song was written after he died as a song of triumph - Death shall not conquer the hero again!

All of this should only take a few minutes, then I'm going to pass out the following cards to each class.  Here is the link.  (Because my primary is combined, I always ask the oldest class to come up and sit with the 2 youngest classes and help them participate.  This keeps them engaged, and helps the little ones keep up with the rest of the primary.)

They are for the chorus only, and that is all I plan on teaching them tomorrow.  I'm just going to sing the chorus a few times while they put the words/symbols in order.  This type of activity works really well for my primary, so I do similar things quite often.  But hey, if it ain't broke, why fix it?!

So what are YOU doing to tackle this doozie?  Have you already had success?  Share with us!  We'd all love to hear, and it's never too late to share ideas.  Some people are still a few weeks away from this one, and our plans can always change with the  right inspiration!

{added Sunday after church}  The mp3 was a total hit.  The arrangement I have is by the Nashville Pipes & Drums, and it starts out very reverently, so the kids were just listening quietly (I told them that if they got restless I would have to turn it off).  Then there's a pause and the drums start in and the pipes get really loud.  The kids were visibly excited, and most of their little heads started bobbing up and down with the rhythm.  When the song was over, they wanted to hear it again!  I asked how the song made them feel, and some of the comments were amazed, excited, like I want to march, like I just won a race, like crying, reverent, hopeful.  It was awesome.  I didn't have time to do the chorus activity I had planned, but I decided to sing the entire first verse alone and if any of the kids knew the words have them join in.  I was pleasantly surprised to find that most of the kids knew most of the words, especially the chorus!  We're going to have a lot of fun with this song, and I know that they felt the Spirit today as we sang about our Prophet Joseph Smith.  Oh, how I love this calling!!!!!  And be sure to read the comments, one has an excerpt from a letter from Joseph to W.W. Phelps that is so tender it gave me chills.  Thank you, Trish!
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Using Rhythm

One of the best things I have learned since being a chorister is that sometimes all you need to teach a song is the rhythm. 

Clap...snap...clap...snap.  That's how I introduced "Sing a Song" to our primary kids.  Once they got the rhythm, I sang the song all the way through (all 2 lines of it!).  They kept the rhythm, and then started singing as they heard the song over and over again.  Now all I have to do is start that rhythm, and they know we're singing that song.

Clap-clap....Clap-clap....Clap-clap....Clap-clap.
Follow the rhythm.
Clap-clap....Clap-clap....Clap-clap....Clap-clap.
Do you have it?
Clap-clap....Clap-clap....Clap-clap....Clap-clap.
Let's do it one more time.
Clap-clap....Clap-clap....Clap-clap....Clap-clap.
Good job!  Now, listen...
Our Pro......phet-has....Some-words...-for-you.
Keep clapping!
Our Pro......phet-has....Some-words...-for-you.
And-these....are-the-words....be-true....be-true
At-work....or-at-play...in-dark.....ness-or-light
Be-true.......be-true.....and-stand-for-the-right.

And there you have the foundation to learn this month's song in no time.  Then, at random times during future singing times, start clapping the rhythm...

Clap-clap....Clap-clap....Clap-clap....Clap-clap.

And I can almost guarantee that your kids will know exactly what song you're singing!

{NEW} here is a PDF of "Be True" in 5 different colors.  I got the idea from this post in the Primusic Yahoo group:

I printed out Be True in five different colors in size 200 type. Then I handed them out to the children. They were able to choose their own colors. Each time we sang "Be True" I had the children hold up the sign. When we sang "And stand for the right," I had the children stand up.

As we sang through the song repeatedly, I'd hold up a different colored banner that matched the colors of the "Be True" signs the children were holding. Then, only the children with that color sign were to hold up their signs.

Eventually I had a child help me and we had two colors up at a time. We were able to repeat the song many times without the children being bored. My children now know that song very well!

Wendy

Thank you, Wendy!  I love being able to glean information and ideas from other people, especially fun and simple ideas like this one.  Good luck with "Stand for the Right!"

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Kids Choice

Right about this time of month (the end!) we are ready for some fun.  We work hard all month on program songs and we need to do something...frilly.  But what to do?  Sometimes I'm just not in the mood to plan a big game or anything too structured, so I come up with a few simple ideas that will get the kids excited and then leave it up to a vote.  Here are the options for tomorrow:

1.  Learn another verse of Follow the Prophet (last week we learned Samuel and they LOVED it).
2.  Use the glitter microphone (a $1 store find) and play Singing Bee with songs we've been learning for the program.
3.  Use the Valentine Conversation Hearts to sing "old songs," with Fun Ways To Sing cards.
4.  Learn our next "extra" song, which is "Hand in Hand Together."

All of the activities they can choose from will be beneficial, get them thinking, and most of all - get them singing!  And we usually have time to do more than one or combine them in some way.  It's definitely time to relax before we get back into serious learning in March!  Since the song for March is pretty easy, we're learning 2 extra songs for the program.  So we have our work cut out for us!

What do you do at the end of the month to let loose in primary?
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If this was an action...what would it be?

This game is fun for a review activity or for wiggle songs.  To get the kids creative juices flowing, post several pictures on the board of random symbols.  I have use keyboard symbols, but you could use any symbol or picture that could represent a body movement.  Ask the kids, "If this was an action, what would it be?"  Once an action has been assigned to the symbols (you may want to write down the action next to the picture), post the sequence cards in order of difficulty.  The difficulty may be different every time, depending on if you want them to choose different actions each time you play. 

Practice a couple of times, and then do the actions along with the song you are working on.  For the most part, these are like "hand jives."  They are good for rythm, counting the beat, movement - just let the kids imaginations go!

The full sheet is an example of the symbols that I use.  The top right could be "Clap, Snap, Clap, Snap..."  The one under that could be "Pat (lap), Clap, Snap, Clap."  The bottom one could be "Turn...2...Clap...Jump."  (The 2 would be the second count in a 4-count measure).  The bottom left could be "Clap, Snap, Groove Left, Groove Right."  See?  Fun!  You can come up with a million different sequences and make them easy or challenging.  And it's a SUPER easy activity that can fill up the entire singing time.  Try it!

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Samuel Tells of the Baby Jesus

We learned this song a couple of weeks ago, and it was awesome!  I had planned on spending a few minutes working on the first verse and chorus and then doing the rest on the following week, but the kids were loving it and they learned the entire song in about 10 minutes!  I put together a flip chart, which you can download here.  I printed it out twice, on cardstock, and used one to cut each of the pictures out.  I put the pictures in phrases, but all mixed up on the board.  I sang a phrase, then had them repeat it, then had them put the picture cues in order to match what we had just sung.  They were all over it - as I sang, I could see all of their eyes darting around the board to find the next picture.  It was so fun, and I actually didn't have to change the activity at all from JP to SP, which was very helpful!

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Learning to Follow

With our program still five Sundays away, and our songs pretty well learned, we have some time to practice a few program fundamentals.  But what to do?  I really wanted the kids in our primary to get used to watching the visual cues that are so common - louder, softer, smile, stand up, sit down, etc.  Because I was very tired on Saturday night, I wanted to keep things very simple.  I found a pair of white gloves in my craft box, and decided to take inspiration from the greatest mime of all time.  I'm just kidding - I have no idea who the greatest mime of all time is.  But they do wear white gloves and you do tend to pay close and quiet attention to mimes, right?  Just go with me on this one. 

For JP I just began by putting on the gloves and playing "Silent Simon," where they did everything that my hands did without saying anything.  To my amazement, they were completely enthralled!  We practiced standing up, up up, and sitting down, down, down.  We worked through a few of the songs that have special arrangements and they watched for their cut-offs and dynamics.  It was awesome.

But the real fun was in SP.  Since they all know how to read, I decided to print out, one phrase at at time, what I would normally say to introduce the activity.  When it was time for singing, I just stood up with my stack of papers and started turning them over one at a time.  The kids picked up on the game instantly.  Here are pictures of the first couple, the rest I'll just write:

And do it QUIETLY.

Are you ready?

Sit up straight.

Fold your arms.

Smile.

Smile bigger.

Good.  Watch me.

**At this point, I put on the gloves and ran through the same things I did with JP (up, down, loud, soft, smile, etc).  I did have a sign that said, "Let's try that again...QUIETLY," for when they got too loud (I only had to use it once).

Are you ready to sing?

**Now we ran through the songs I had picked out to practice, using the cues that they had just reviewed.

Very good.  Was that hard?

What was hard about it?

What was easy about it?

Why is it important to follow me?

Who else should we follow?

You guys are awesome.

Since sharing time was about following the prophet, it was a perfect way to end singing time with my testimony of the living prophets and the importance of following the right examples.  The kids were focused and attentive, and it was by far the most spiritual singing time that I've had so far.  Hopefully that makes sense!

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Name That Tune - Basketball

I was out of town until Saturday night, which meant that I put absolutely no thought into primary until about midnight on Saturday.  That left me scrambling to come up with something fun that took no preparation!  Enter the Name That Tune concept.  I decided to bring in the basketball angle when I saw a little hamper that I bought a while ago and haven't used, and I'm trying desperately to keep the attention of the boys so it seemed like a good idea.

The Props:

Hamper (this one just hung from the microphone over the pulpit, and it has a wide mouth so that was nice)
Ball
Point markers (click here to print the ones that I made)
Masking tape

The Game:

I laminated the point markers and set them out as follows:  at about 10 feet from the basket, I put the "Your Choice" marker.  Then a couple of feet in from that I put the 5 notes, then 4, then 2 was right by the basket.  Adjust the distances according to junior and senior primary.  **I should have used masking tape to stick the signs to the ground, because they kept inching closer to the basket as we went - I wonder how that happened?!**  I chose a reverent child to come up and they got to start from the Your Choice marker.  If they got the basket they got to pick the song.  If they didn't, they moved closer to the 5 Notes marker.  They moved closer until they got a basket.

The Point:

The further away the basket, the more notes you got to guess the song.  The closer you got, the harder it would be to guess.  We added notes sometimes, just to get the ball rolling, but for the most part they guessed the songs pretty quickly.  In senior primary I had the pianist play notes from the middle of the song or the chorus just to get them thinking.  We got through about 6 of our 14 program songs, so it wasn't too bad, and the kids had a really good time cheering each other on.  All in all, a low-stress success!

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