I'm looking forward to an upcoming Singing Time that I have been noodling over, a journey Around the World to see the wonderful creations that show that our Heavenly Father Loves Us.
** Update 2/24: I put up a quick post of how it went teaching this lesson.
This is essentially a Song Reviews Sunday, with emphasis on "My Heavenly Father Loves Me," and "I am a Child of God." We'll be visiting the places where our ward's missionaries are currently, then sing songs as we "travel." We will sing the song in fun ways. If you're just looking for ways to practice this month's theme song, then skip on down, because that section alone could be it's own lesson. I may stretch this over two Sundays, or revisit it at the end of the following month.
Introduction to the lesson
I will say something like, "Most of you know someone that is on a mission right now, or that is leaving one or will start one soon. They can be called to serve all over the world, and when they do, they can see so many of the wonderful things that our Heavenly Father has created for us to enjoy. I think of all these beautiful things when I think of the song 'My Heavenly Father Loves Me.' We are going to travel around the world and see some of those sights because I want you to see how much our Heavenly Father loves us, and how his presence is all around us. We see it in the gifts he has given us of our bodies, we see it in the missionaries that he sends out to teach those who haven't found the gospel, and we see it in the creations around the world. He has made this earth unique and wonderful, and there is more than any one person could ever see in their entire lifetimes."
Then, I will share the map I have put together, which will look something like the above. I might draw it on the move-able chalkboard beforehand, and then tape the pictures onto the board, or I might go buy a cheap map, or I might print out the shapes of countries and just put that on the pin board without a map. Whatever way is easiest/cheapest, since each approach will convey the message to the children.
Children will come up and pick an image to turn around. I will tell them that so-and-so is serving in that country, highlight the unique feature I chose to show a picture of for that location, and then we will sing a song. It's simply a fun way to choose a song, but in a way that helps emphasize the theme that our Heavenly Father loves us, and gave us our senses, and gave us the beauty in the world, to show his love for us.
I will choose several different relevant songs, and sing them different fun ways:
1. "I Am a Child of God" - I will have them practice our sign language with this song.
3. Various missionary songs - I will have them hold up flip charts, or pretend to be missionaries.
4. Songs from last year - I do not want them to forget all of the songs they learned for last year's primary program. We will sing these songs with extra twists, like adding in hand motions, singing fast or slow, loud or quiet, etc.
5. "My Heavenly Father Loves Me" - Hold up Your Card
I might save this for a few months out, since the activity is elaborate enough, but I have prepared everything just in case. I am going to pass out cards with different objects on them that represent lines of the song, as shown above. I've done it without putting them on a stick before, but thought it would be fun. I will ask the children to hold up their picture every time we sing their line of the song. That's it! So simple, but the children love the versions that I have done of this "game," especially junior primary, but even senior primary loves to participate.
You can mix it up by having the children trade pictures with each other.
If you want to do JUST this song, and feel like the children are getting tired of this game, then ask them to sing the song, but as they do, hand their picture to the person to their right. When the piano stops at random times, only the children holding a card with a picture of [pick a picture] can answer the question, which is, "What is the next line of the song." Fun, simple, and it helps them review the words!
Pictures:
I've linked to the location on the Internet where I found these pictures, if you want to go there to find a bigger version than what I have posted.
Bird singing
Blue Sky 
Rain
Wind 
Velvet Rose
Lilac Tree 
World
Eyes 
Butterfly Wings
Ears 
Life, Heart, Mind
I thank him reverently
God's Love for His Children
** Update 2/24: I put up a quick post of how it went teaching this lesson.
This is essentially a Song Reviews Sunday, with emphasis on "My Heavenly Father Loves Me," and "I am a Child of God." We'll be visiting the places where our ward's missionaries are currently, then sing songs as we "travel." We will sing the song in fun ways. If you're just looking for ways to practice this month's theme song, then skip on down, because that section alone could be it's own lesson. I may stretch this over two Sundays, or revisit it at the end of the following month.
I will say something like, "Most of you know someone that is on a mission right now, or that is leaving one or will start one soon. They can be called to serve all over the world, and when they do, they can see so many of the wonderful things that our Heavenly Father has created for us to enjoy. I think of all these beautiful things when I think of the song 'My Heavenly Father Loves Me.' We are going to travel around the world and see some of those sights because I want you to see how much our Heavenly Father loves us, and how his presence is all around us. We see it in the gifts he has given us of our bodies, we see it in the missionaries that he sends out to teach those who haven't found the gospel, and we see it in the creations around the world. He has made this earth unique and wonderful, and there is more than any one person could ever see in their entire lifetimes."
Then, I will share the map I have put together, which will look something like the above. I might draw it on the move-able chalkboard beforehand, and then tape the pictures onto the board, or I might go buy a cheap map, or I might print out the shapes of countries and just put that on the pin board without a map. Whatever way is easiest/cheapest, since each approach will convey the message to the children.
Children will come up and pick an image to turn around. I will tell them that so-and-so is serving in that country, highlight the unique feature I chose to show a picture of for that location, and then we will sing a song. It's simply a fun way to choose a song, but in a way that helps emphasize the theme that our Heavenly Father loves us, and gave us our senses, and gave us the beauty in the world, to show his love for us.
I will choose several different relevant songs, and sing them different fun ways:
1. "I Am a Child of God" - I will have them practice our sign language with this song.
3. Various missionary songs - I will have them hold up flip charts, or pretend to be missionaries.
4. Songs from last year - I do not want them to forget all of the songs they learned for last year's primary program. We will sing these songs with extra twists, like adding in hand motions, singing fast or slow, loud or quiet, etc.
5. "My Heavenly Father Loves Me" - Hold up Your Card
I might save this for a few months out, since the activity is elaborate enough, but I have prepared everything just in case. I am going to pass out cards with different objects on them that represent lines of the song, as shown above. I've done it without putting them on a stick before, but thought it would be fun. I will ask the children to hold up their picture every time we sing their line of the song. That's it! So simple, but the children love the versions that I have done of this "game," especially junior primary, but even senior primary loves to participate.
You can mix it up by having the children trade pictures with each other.
If you want to do JUST this song, and feel like the children are getting tired of this game, then ask them to sing the song, but as they do, hand their picture to the person to their right. When the piano stops at random times, only the children holding a card with a picture of [pick a picture] can answer the question, which is, "What is the next line of the song." Fun, simple, and it helps them review the words!
Pictures:
I've linked to the location on the Internet where I found these pictures, if you want to go there to find a bigger version than what I have posted.
Bird singing
Blue Sky Rain
Wind 
Velvet Rose
Lilac Tree World
Butterfly Wings
Ears Life, Heart, Mind
I thank him reverently
I was inspired by four things when putting together this lesson:
Inspiration #1 - Three talks I read online, which I planned to make into a singing time lesson, and may arrange into something in March, the way I did for a lesson almost exactly a year ago, using quotes from our prophet.
Find ways to recognize and remember God’s kindness. It will build our testimonies.
February 2013 Friend
April 1989, Friend(Adapted from an April 1988 general conference address. SeeEnsign, May 1988, pages 57–59.)
Inspiration #2 - Our ward's annual Missionary Month is in February. We will have stake missionaries visiting our primary the Sunday of this lesson. I wanted to tie the Singing Time lesson into missionary month, in a fun way that the children can really relate to - most of the children know at least one of the missionaries in our ward, if they aren't the sibling of one of the missionaries! This map only shows about a third of our ward's missionaries - I will have a picture for each location.
Inspiration #3 - Our theme song this month, "My Heavenly Father Loves Me," and how it should inspire us to look around at all the blessings the Lord has put on the earth for us.
Inspiration #4 - A comment a child made in primary last Sunday. Last week when the children were responding to a question from our presidency, one of the children in my senior primary class last Sunday, "B.", stated that he knows Heavenly Father loves us when he sees all the unique creations that the Lord has made for us all over the world. He gave a specific example of a unique natural feature, which I don't remember anymore, but I loved how he focused on the unique and beautiful creations from our Father in Heaven. I love to travel and see the beauty around me, and I wanted to use this child's wonderful example to help the children see why this song teaches us so beautiful that our Heavenly Father loves us.
You do such a good job with your lessons. Thank you so much for taking the time to share. You save me every week so even though I don't know you, I love you!
ReplyDeleteThank you for letting me know; that was very thoughtful of you and very much appreciated. I am so glad to hear that my lesson plans are helpful to you!
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