I have been so aware of the Family theme all year, and am loving it. I hope the lessons that are being taught are sinking in as much for the children as for the leaders. I was thinking it would be fun to have a singing time activity around Paper Dolls, aka, Little Families :)
You can do this as either a song review or to continue learning this month's song. (I share how to make a paper doll at the bottom of this post.)
As a song review, each set of paper dolls could represent one of the songs that we have been working on toward the primary program. However, rather than writing the name of the song, to make it harder (second picture below), write a line from the song on the paper doll.
To continue learning a song (instead of as an overall song review), each set of paper dolls has a line of the same song on it.
As a song review, children would first have to identify the song, and fill in any empty lines on the paper doll (helps them with remembering specific lyrics), and then sing the song as a primary.
To continue learning the same song, children would be required to sing up to the point in the song they are learning, that the doll they chose represents OR fill in a missing word on that song, then put the paper dolls up IN ORDER so that by the end of singing time, the dolls are in the order of the lyrics of the song.
The object of the game would be to sing enough songs to be able to string the dolls across a poster (or a drawing on the chalkboard). Children earn the right to put the doll on the poster by correctly guessing the song, then singing the song with the primary.
For example, you could draw a simple picture on the chalkboard and say you have a family member that is lost, but if everyone holds hands, you can get them all back home. (i.e., sing enough songs by choosing enough paper dolls to string them across the poster).
You could actually put the dolls up on the board so that the hand of the paper doll from one set has to touch the hand of the paper doll from the next set. Some other fun themes would be stringing them across the river, like pioneers helping each other across, or stringing them across a drawing of the earth because we are all children of God, no matter where we are from.
Since paper dolls are easy to make, you can even send the children home with their own sheet of paper to cut out their own paper doll, as an incentive. Maybe write the names of the songs around the edges of the outline of the paper doll.
Conclude by sharing your testimony about Heavenly Father's plan as it relates to being children of God and each other's families.
How to Make a Paper Doll
1. Take a sheet of paper, and fold it back and forth, accordion-style, making about four or five folds in the paper.
2. Once your paper is folded, draw your "doll" on it, making sure the arms go to the ends of its fold.
3. Cut your doll out, making sure to cut the arms out to the edge of the paper. That's it! You're done. Unfold to see your results.
4. Write the name of the song, or a line of a song, or even a question about the song on each set of dolls, and you're ready to go!
You can do this as either a song review or to continue learning this month's song. (I share how to make a paper doll at the bottom of this post.)
As a song review, each set of paper dolls could represent one of the songs that we have been working on toward the primary program. However, rather than writing the name of the song, to make it harder (second picture below), write a line from the song on the paper doll.
To continue learning a song (instead of as an overall song review), each set of paper dolls has a line of the same song on it.
As a song review, children would first have to identify the song, and fill in any empty lines on the paper doll (helps them with remembering specific lyrics), and then sing the song as a primary.
To continue learning the same song, children would be required to sing up to the point in the song they are learning, that the doll they chose represents OR fill in a missing word on that song, then put the paper dolls up IN ORDER so that by the end of singing time, the dolls are in the order of the lyrics of the song.
The object of the game would be to sing enough songs to be able to string the dolls across a poster (or a drawing on the chalkboard). Children earn the right to put the doll on the poster by correctly guessing the song, then singing the song with the primary.
For example, you could draw a simple picture on the chalkboard and say you have a family member that is lost, but if everyone holds hands, you can get them all back home. (i.e., sing enough songs by choosing enough paper dolls to string them across the poster).
Since paper dolls are easy to make, you can even send the children home with their own sheet of paper to cut out their own paper doll, as an incentive. Maybe write the names of the songs around the edges of the outline of the paper doll.
Conclude by sharing your testimony about Heavenly Father's plan as it relates to being children of God and each other's families.
How to Make a Paper Doll
1. Take a sheet of paper, and fold it back and forth, accordion-style, making about four or five folds in the paper.
2. Once your paper is folded, draw your "doll" on it, making sure the arms go to the ends of its fold.
3. Cut your doll out, making sure to cut the arms out to the edge of the paper. That's it! You're done. Unfold to see your results.
4. Write the name of the song, or a line of a song, or even a question about the song on each set of dolls, and you're ready to go!
