"Hit" the note

Last Sunday I played a game called "Hit" the note. I did this with the Senior Primary.  First I drew large black music notes on white pieces of paper and then laminated them.  I did about 10 with a different note on each (quarter note, eight note, treble cleff sign, etc...)  I clustered them flat on the floor and had a volunteer try to hit or land one of the coins on a note.  Just like you would when you play "Tiddly-winks"   You have two flat coins or pieces of plastic like a coin and you use one to push the edge of the other and shoot it up and onto the paper in front of you.  (picts to come)... It worked great.  I would probably use a bean bag with jr. primary because of coordination requirements.

'Nose' Ark

Left: warthog nose / Right: "Noah"

Walrus Nose

I love flashes of inspiration!  And the craft store! I just picked up some animal noses (that kids can wear).   I made animal pictures to match the noses I had.  I then hid the animals around the room with names of songs on the back.  A child dressed up like Noah.  Other children were chosen to find a hidden animal to help Noah gather his animals into the ark.  Then the child wore the animal nose while we sang the song, and afterwards placed it in the ark on the chalk board.  It worked great, the kids LOVED it!

Tower of Babel (Jenga)

So today was what I like to call the "Tower of Babel".  Basically it's a spin off of the Jenga idea from divinesecretsofaprimarychorister.blogspot.com.

Briefly explain the story of the Jaredites and the tower of babel.  Then tell them that you as a primary want to tear it down a brick at a time.  Pick children to come up one by one and try to get a brick out (without having the whole tower fall.)  Kids will love it!

I wrote verses and songs that we are working on (program songs) on each block, and then of course a few where they can pick what song they want as well.  I just wrote with a pencil on the blocks.  

It's easy, fun, and simple.  Have a great time with it!

Pict-SONG-ary

Here is an idea I have thought about but have not tried yet.  When I do I will post pictures.

Get two dry erase boards, or an art easel.  I'm planning to use my easel.  Set the easel in between the two sides of the room.  This way each team will only see their side. (my easel has a dry erase side and chalk board side). You could use the chalk, dry erase or put paper on the easel.

I will have a phrase or word from a song we are learning or have learned.  Each time a member from each team will come to the board and it will be a race to see which team can figure out the word or phrase, and what song it is from.  After it is figured out, you all sing that song or verse.  Perhaps for the senior primary you might have them actually start singing the song, once they figure out the drawing word or phrase.    

Love Notes "He Sent His Son"

Since we've had so much snow here, the 14th was the first Sunday in February to learn our new song, "He Sent His Son".  How appropriate for Valentines day!  I explained to the children that the song is like a love note from our heavenly father.  I talked about how Jesus Christ was sent out of Love from our Father in Heaven.  We also learned the song in question/answer format.  I printed the words in large print on paper, the questions on white paper and the answers on pink paper.  Then as we learned the song I also had simple actions for each line, which really helped them memorize it quickly.

At the end, I told the kids I had a kiss and a love note for each of them.  I got some funny faces after I said that. :-)  Then I explained that Elder Bednar in our recent conference, talked about expressing love at home, and to our family members.  I challenged each child to take a "love note" and two Hershey kisses (one for them, and one to give away).  The challenge was to serve a family member or sing them the song, "He Sent his son" and give that person the love note or leave it in the place of their service.

Ahead of time, I had cut out pink card stock music notes and put them in a basket along with some Hershey kisses.  For the Junior primary I gave them just the paper notes, but for the Sr. Primary I did the Hershey kisses too. It worked well.  (pictures to come)

POP Quiz

Today's Singing time was a burst of fun!  I call this one POP Quiz, or Pop Review.  All of January we have been learning the new song, "I Know My Savior Loves Me".  Being the last Sunday of the month, we needed to review the song and really commit it to memory. So, here's what I did.  
I put a way to sing the song inside of balloons on little strips of paper.  Then, blew them up and hung them from the ceiling with tape.  The kids were SO curious and excited as they came into primary and saw the balloons hanging there.  

During singing time I called up reverent helpers to pop a balloon (with a push pin) to find out how we would be singing the verse next.  We sang different parts that of the song--according to what I thought they needed the most work on (1st verse, second verse, or chorus) all in the different ways that were written inside the balloons.  I had a row on each side of the podium in our primary room.  Inside the balloons I put papers that said,   (a couple of these ways to sing I got from someone else's blog"
--"sing like a monkey with oooo's and aaaahh's" and I brought my monkey puppet with me for the child that poped that one, to put on as we sang the verse that way. This was good because it helped them hear the tune of the song.
--boys only
--girls only
--"It's a toss up"  I put a coin in this balloon and the child that popped it, flipped the coin to decide if it was the teachers or kids that had to sing....or the boys or girls that had to sing.
--hammer the beat --use their fists as hammers and explain about the beat of the music, then sing hammering tot he beat.
--"Parrot repeat"  I brought my parrot puppet and had them repeat sing a few lines after I sang them, taking turns.  

Materials:
-9 balloons (dollar store)
-yarn/string
-tape
-paper with different ways to sing the song
-puppets (optional but the Jr. primary especially liked them--got them at the dollar store)

This activity was definitely a hit for both the Jr. and Sr. primary kids.

Just Starting Out

This summer I was called as the Primary Chorister.  And that is when the fun began.  Now, mind you, I do not sing well. I can carry a tune, and I play a couple musical instruments...voice NOT being one of them.  However, I love to be creative.  This calling has proved to be my most enjoyable yet!! Of course I do believe you will reap what you sew in any situation.  Thanks to the ideas and other's blogs whom I love to follow, I am now reaping the rewards of a fun and spiritual singing time with my ward's primary children.  The kids don't care how well you sing. But they do enjoy having fun with you.  So, here we go...I will try to post the ideas I've used in our singing time and hopefully they'll be of help to you too!