This was one of those simple Sundays where I didn't plan much. I knew it was a holiday weekend so I didn't want to teach a new song when half the class could miss the crucial initial lesson. However, Junior Primary was a little behind on the Father's Day song so I did want to perfect that piece with them.
So, I did a little bit of carefully planned non-planning, which means I grabbed a few activities I have done in the past and let the mood of the class help me decide what I was going to do in Junior Primary and Senior Primary. The classes were great, today!
Junior Primary wanted to make up actions for "Love is Spoken Here," so I abandoned my back-up plans and let them help me make up actions for the whole song. It worked like a charm and everyone was happy.
In Senior Primary, I played "helmet hero" which I have planned for a back-up activity probably three times now, but never really played.
Senior Primary was a bit rowdy, so I ended by having the children sing "Reverently, Quietly" before I had the teacher come teach her lesson.
So what's the point of today's post?
1. You don't always have to have an elaborate activity planned but don't come unprepared either. Keep a few back-up activities in your "back pocket."
2. Don't be afraid to abandon your plans and do something different than you have planned. I've done this numerous times and they have been some of my singing time lessons. I don't think anyone realizes I've changed my plans, either :)
3. I think it's okay for the children to get a little excited once in a while but if the children get a little too rowdy, invite the spirit back in with a reverent song, before turning the time over to the teacher. This has always worked for me, and the teachers always thank me for doing this.
I've been wanting to put together a post of my best "back pocket" singing time activities and the children's favorite singing time classes, ever. I would love your help. I have a lot of readers, but very few actually comment. I would love, love, love it if you would comment this time and share with my your most successful singing time activities or a favorite activity, so that I can compile a Top 10 or Top 20 post.
Up next: I'm working on a new way to teach "I like to look for rainbows" for Junior Primary. If I finish making the props tonight, I'll post early this week ... (FYI for new choristers: Most of the primary learned this song last year so your focus is a refresher for everyone, and a way to help the youngest primary children learn this song.)
So, I did a little bit of carefully planned non-planning, which means I grabbed a few activities I have done in the past and let the mood of the class help me decide what I was going to do in Junior Primary and Senior Primary. The classes were great, today!
Junior Primary wanted to make up actions for "Love is Spoken Here," so I abandoned my back-up plans and let them help me make up actions for the whole song. It worked like a charm and everyone was happy.
In Senior Primary, I played "helmet hero" which I have planned for a back-up activity probably three times now, but never really played.
Senior Primary was a bit rowdy, so I ended by having the children sing "Reverently, Quietly" before I had the teacher come teach her lesson.
So what's the point of today's post?
1. You don't always have to have an elaborate activity planned but don't come unprepared either. Keep a few back-up activities in your "back pocket."
2. Don't be afraid to abandon your plans and do something different than you have planned. I've done this numerous times and they have been some of my singing time lessons. I don't think anyone realizes I've changed my plans, either :)
3. I think it's okay for the children to get a little excited once in a while but if the children get a little too rowdy, invite the spirit back in with a reverent song, before turning the time over to the teacher. This has always worked for me, and the teachers always thank me for doing this.
I've been wanting to put together a post of my best "back pocket" singing time activities and the children's favorite singing time classes, ever. I would love your help. I have a lot of readers, but very few actually comment. I would love, love, love it if you would comment this time and share with my your most successful singing time activities or a favorite activity, so that I can compile a Top 10 or Top 20 post.
Up next: I'm working on a new way to teach "I like to look for rainbows" for Junior Primary. If I finish making the props tonight, I'll post early this week ... (FYI for new choristers: Most of the primary learned this song last year so your focus is a refresher for everyone, and a way to help the youngest primary children learn this song.)
Helmet Hero sounds AWESOME!!!!!I really look forward to using it one day. But how did you affix the lyrics to your Helmet? With tape? Does that work on aluminum?
ReplyDeleteAnyway, one of my favorite activities this year was "Name that Song about Love" for Valentine's day and a very similar activity for St. Patrick's day - the kids adored it. Both are on my Would you like to sing a song blog.
So far my favorite back pocket idea is having graphics representing the songs and using them for a memory game. I don't have a blog post about this, but it really is nice to have [and rather portable as all the little tiles fit in a small ziploc bag and I just keep it in my Sunday bag].
Everyone seems to have their own version of a wiggle worm jar, and I have always wanted one - for the junior primary at least - and after I actually purchased the hair ties to make them but never got around to it for lack of wiggly eyes, I sat in primary during the sharing time portion, used a scrap sheet of paper colored out about 8 lines and just wrote song names (with page #'s of course) on them, drew faces and accordion folded them to make worms - They LOVED it - and it took all of 6 minutes: the best pull it out of my {umm - folder} activity I have ever "pulled off". It was great
I used a large poster to make a paper hat. I put two paper clips on it. The kids pick a slip a paper, and then I clip it into the hat with the paper clips! I used a hole punch this time to tie elastic to the hat so that it would stay on their heads. The first time I made the "helmet" I made it out of tin foil, which also worked great and shaped to their heads better. I used pre-rolled tape when I made the hat out of foil. Oh, and I wrote the page number and song vs. on each slip of paper so that I could have a bunch of different songs in there and switch back and forth easily.
DeleteThank you for you feedback on top activities. All three are fabulous. I have read about the wiggle worms but was waiting for an opportunity to make something elaborate. I love your quick version!
We have such a small Primary and Jr./Sr. are combined, so some games are hard because the wiggle ones get the older gets too crazy, but I think the best, "Just Wing it" game that's worked for us has been the standard, Hot/Cold game where we hide an object and they sing louder/softer once the child finds it. Thanks for all your ideas. They're always great inspiration.
ReplyDeleteWow, combined Jr./Sr. would definitely add some interesting challenges. Thank you for sharing and for your kind words. This is great!
DeleteI am so with you! I pretty much bagged my original plan for today in favor of hide the magnet. I used a dice to pick a program song, picked one kid to leave the room and another to hide the magnet. We then invite the hall kid back in and sing louder/quieter the closer/further they get. Posted about it at www.aprimarysingingtime.blogspot.com. You wouldn't believe the places sr. Primary hid it, it was crazy but so fun!
ReplyDeleteHa ha, our presidencies have no idea how often we change plans right before or during our lesson. That is a good idea to use a magnet! Thanks for sharing.
DeleteThanks for the great blog! I'm one of those faithful readers who never comments :) One really successful and easy activity I recently did was to use my phone to record the kids singing, then have them listen to it and show me on their fingers 1-5 how good they thought it was. (1 = like it was the first time they ever sang the song, 3 = decent, but maybe not quite ready for Sacrament, 5 = like angels singing...you get the idea). The kids improved dramatically each time they sang the song and were really motivated to sing their best.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for sharing. I love this idea!
DeleteThat's a GREAT idea!!!!! Thanks for sharing
ReplyDeleteA simple yet versatile activity is to choose songs that relate to a theme, ie Prophets or Mothers. For General Conference, I had the children share stories or things they remembered from conference. Then we would choose a song that related to the idea and sing it. This can be done with practically any theme. Sr primary usually doesn't require any preparation for this, but Jr sometimes needs prodding or suggestions to get started. I've experienced many sacred moments with this form of singing time.
ReplyDeleteAnother great standby is Hangman, using key words from the song(s) you're working on. Each time an incorrect letter is chosen, you sing the song or phrase again. When they correctly guess the word, you sing the entire song and move to the next song or phrase. It's great for repetition, and the children don't realize they're singing it over so many times because they're trying to figure out the word.
This is so great, Autumn! I love it. Thanks for sharing.
DeleteI love your ideas and read your blog often! I have 2 'go to' activities that the kids enjoy.
ReplyDelete1. Singing Juice - I put flavored water in a squirt bottle and tell them that if they sing their best then they will get some 'singing juice' - I am amazed at how well they sing, just to get 2-3 squirts of the flavored water in their mouths.
2. Pop the balloon - I have one child (on one side of the room) holding a blown up balloon. I have another child (on the other side of the room) holding a large push pin. I tell the child with the push pin that they can take baby steps towards the balloon - only if the kids are singing well. With a little guidance, the balloon makes it to the push pin by the end of the song and, POP! the balloon gets popped! The kids love it!
Awh, thanks Nan! I love, love, love the "pop the balloon" idea. I always keep a small package of balloons in my bag as a "just in case" go-to item. This is a great application for it.
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