Get out the Bugs- Reveiw

One of the ladies who was the chorister before me in this area always did this activity for the end of the year- program reviews. She had large plastic bugs she had bought at the dollar store and would either put them in a large garbage bag or would put them on the board and use the garbage bag like a sheet. I got back from visiting my sister late Saturday and was trying to think of something to do the next morning. I even debated running to Walmart (being the only place open) and seeing if I could find large plastic bugs. My husband assured me that construction paper laminated would work just as well. They did. I found bug silhouettes on the internet. Enlarged them and printed them as large as I could and traced the outline onto the construction paper and cut it out. I then laminated them so that I can write the titles of the songs. 

I grabbed a sheet to use to cover the bugs. Then the children have to search under the sheet to find a bug  (song). Since it was a sheet (and this came to me while I was standing in front of children), we were "getting the bugs out of our bed" because we don't want bugs in our bed.
The children were all about this. I had my Junior primary singing better than they have in months and singing songs that I wasn't even sure if they knew at all because they wouldn't sing it for be before. They were also so worried about the bugs still in the bed when our time was up. I promised them that we would finish getting the bugs out next week. I made a note of which songs were left (we got 4 of the 8 out). Senior primary were less enthusiastic about actually getting the bugs out. But they sang well to pass off the song, they all wanted to be picked to find a bug, and they enjoyed identifying the various types of bugs pulled out. The completed 6 of 8 songs.

I would call this one a success. If it works this well every time then no wonder my friend used this activity for her review EVERY year (and she was the chorister for 7 years in her ward). 

instructions: have enough bugs for each song. if you have more or smaller bugs make some of them specific verses of the songs.

Tell the children we are getting the bugs out of their songs so that the songs are Program ready. Warn them that if they don't sing the song well enough then the bug is going to go back into our bed and will have to be found again. I gave them singing the song twice through before I placed the bug back under the sheet. If it was *just* one verse they were having problems with I would give them the chance to redeem themselves by re-singing that one verse before the bug went back. 

I placed the bugs into my primary folder when they were passed off, but you could put them in a jar, a box, display them, or put them away.

Singing Fish Review

Singing Fish was one we did a few Sundays ago as a review.

The idea is to have "mama" fish and "baby" fish and have the children return the baby fish to their mama. Our children really enjoyed it, especially JR primary. When you match a baby to the mama you sing the verse that is written on the baby fish. Our JR primary were so upset when Singing Time was over and they were so worried about the babies that didn't get back to their mamas.

Here is the instructions and songs we used. I know that not everyone picked the same songs we did. But that means you only have 2 songs to pick lines from those verses. 

Here are some sihloettes of fish that you can use as a guide to cut them out. I just free handed mine out of construction paper (oval with a triangle tail) then I drew on eyes and mouths.

Here is a picture of what my fish looked like.

Have fun reviewing and playing with singing fish.

*It doesn't have to be fish. It could be any animal or even people. It is just really easy to cut out fish.

Review activity "I HEAR with my little EAR"

I have a sub this Sunday. I have created a guessing game for her to practice the songs with the children.

Each song has a set of clues. Each clue was written to be given in the form "I hear with my little ear... a song that we........."
Here are the clues that I used. I know that many of you didn't pick the same two "you choose" songs as our ward did, but that means you only have two songs to make your own questions for. Use my questions as a guide. Ignore the (notes) those are for my sub.

Feel free to "Save Image As" my notes and use them for your Singing Times. Or make up your own specific to your primary. I hope this idea helps at least one Chorister out there.

Singing Time Jeopardy

picture stole from pinterst if it is yours sorry.

These are my questions and points. Over all I tried to make the questions more hard or more personal as the points increase. Instead of calling it a "daily double" I called it a "double dare" if they complete the dare they get double the points. You can split them into teams or as I like to do we as a primary are a team together to see how many points we can collectively get before our time is over. With the "double dare" if they will not complete the dare another child an do the dare for the points on the card. Another way to help sing more as part of this "singing time" is have the primary sing the verse the question goes to, then have the child answer the question.  I do not make the children answer the question in the form of a question.

Each song is its own category. 

I am a Child of God

100         You are a child __ ___
200         Sing song while standing on one leg (3^rd verse).
300         Which verse says:  “help me to understand His words”
400         Double Dare: Sing first verse all by yourself
500         Sing song without saying the word CHILD
600         With parents ____ and dear.
700         Sing the whole song while patting your knees to the song’s rhythm.
800         How do you feel Heavenly Father’s love for you being His child?

My Heavenly Father Loves Me

100         Feel what on your face
200         Sing second verse while rolling your arms “do as I’m doing” style
300         Sing first verse while facing the “back” of the room
400         What creation are you thankful fore?
500         He gave me my ____ my ____ my ____
600         Double Dare: Sing first verse all by yourself while touching your nose
700         Sing second verse while covering your eyes (or you the chorister can choose their ears)
800         Which verse is your favorite part of this song. Please sing it for us.

If the Savior Stood Beside Me

100         Would I ___ the things I do?
200         Sing first verse while touching your elbow
300         Would I try to share the ______
400         Sing second verse while swaying arms like an elephant (reverently)
500         What do you do to show HF you love him
600         Sing third verse while scratching like a monkey (reverently)
700         Even though you can’t see Him you are in His ______ ______
800         Share an experience where you felt close to our Savior/HF?

The Sacred Grove

100         Morning sun shone _____ and round
200         Sing second verse marching quietly in place
300         Double Dare:  Sing the first verse just your class.
400         Who appeared to Joseph Smith?
500         What were the fears Joseph had?
600         Sing the whole song while “leading” the music
700         What was the message that calmed Joseph’s fears?
800         What age was Joseph when he went to pray in the sacred grove

We Thank thee o God for a prophet

100         Sing song with a BIG smile
200         The gospel _____our minds with its rays
300         Double Dare: Pick one friend to come sing the song with you
400         Who is our prophet currently?
500         Pleasure to do what?
600         Who is your favorite prophet in the scriptures –why?
700         Sing song with your hands on your head and your legs crossed while standing.
800         Share an experience when you felt the Holy Ghost testify about a prophet? Scriptures, current, general conference, while someone else bore their testimony….

When I am Baptized

100         Double Dare: Sing first verse just you and the class across the isle from your class.
200         Ponder on the beauty of what made clean again?
300         Sing song pretending to reverently hula hoop
400         What washes away when we are baptized?
500         Sing second verse hold your neighbor’s hand.
600         Why are their rainbows after rain?
700         What does “Improve yourself each day” mean?
800         Share how you felt on your baptism day? Or how do you feel about being able to be baptized?

Extra bonus

100         What is the name of the primary president?
200         what Holiday is this week?
300         What is the bishop’s name?
400         What is the prophet’s first name?
500         What magazine does the church produce/print for children?
600         What do you get to decorate for Thursday’s ward party
700         What has been this month’s sharing time theme?
800         Share/Bare your testimony to us

Singing Time Brain Teasers

I have been up in Mesa with my kids for the last two weeks. I thought I had prepared a lesson for tomorrow (it is currently 11:50 on Saturday night) but I can't remember what it is. Since I do not want to show up to church and look at my folder (which is there since I gave it to the sub and asked her to leave it there)  and then realized I never finished my lesson plans. I can't remember for the life of me what they were so I had to start from scratch tonight.

Next Sunday (5th Sunday- last Sunday of June) the Primary President wants me to use the ENTIRE time reviewing and singing with the kids. I plan on doing a "Jeopardy" like game. Each song is going to be a category. That is going to be most of the time and we are going to spend a little bit of time relearning the patriotic songs we sing at the ward 4th of July Breakfast- "My Flag, My Flag" and "My Country Tis of Thee". I did request that the Presidency member who would have Sharing Time plan a short (5 minutes) lesson to give me a break and to break up the singing for the kids because they are not going to want to sing the ENTIRE time.

So this Sunday:

I was thinking about brain teasers- like the ones below

I once did something similar. I had a brain teaser of the song on one page and another page with the song title. They then played concentration with them. I like the idea that the children have to figure out what the song is.

So I have spent my time tonight making up my versions of Brain Teasers with the 2013 Primary Program songs. I did them for the songs we're doing and I tried to find what most people are doing for their "You choose" songs so that everyone can use them. Can you figure them out without looking at the captions?

I am a child of God

My Heavenly Father Loves Me

If the Savior Stood Beside Me

The Sacred Grove

We Thank thee O God for a Prophet

When I am Baptized

Families Can Be Together Forever

A Child's Prayer

These are the others I included for those who aren't doing the same songs we are. If you are doing something other than this just ask and I will try to find the time to include your needs in here.Or make your own, I am sure many of you are much more creative than I am at thinking of these.

We'll Bring the World His Truth

Children Holding Hands around the world

Follow the Prophet

Joseph Smith's First Prayer

Upon a Golden Spring Time

Praise to the Man

The Priesthood is Restored

Stand for the Right

the Golden Plates

This is my Beloved Son

This is my Beloved Son

Book of Mormon Stories

Again if there is a song you would like me to try to add, comment and let me know I will try. 

You can either click on the pictures you need/want and "save as" to your computer they should be in a 8.5*11 size or click here to download all in a zip file

I hope this helps someone. Enjoy

Disclaimer (confession)- picture of the children around the world I swiped from fellow chorister site. Check out her ideas too.

Star Prophecy by Joan Sowards

The newest novel from Joan Sowards!! Awesome book!! I was able to read this book in its original draft and was totally amazed at the fresh perspective on an LDS Book of Mormon novel. It will be like nothing else you've ever read. 
Check out Joan's blog and her blog train. She is giving away 3 copies so see her blog to find out how to win! This book is a must read and will be enjoyed by both men and women-(not just a chick book!!
You can purchase it at your local LDS bookstore or online at Amazon. Check it out!

Charades (reviewing songs

Last Sunday, (last Sunday of Aug) I played charades with SR primary. I knew it would be beyond JR's ability so they had something else. They were acting out the titles of the songs we are doing for the program. Most of the children I had to give them ideas of how to do it, or straight out tell them how to do it. Since they were only songs from the program the children knew it was one of eight options.  
A child would come up, draw out of the jar. Then we'd discus with our backs to the other children what they were going to do. I would suggest you doing an example first. 
We did things like '7 words'- 7 fingers up,  '2nd word' -point to the 2nd finger or hold up a 2, 'pointer to forehead' for KNOW. '6 word'- six fingers up, 'arms cross chest'- love. Guess...... 'I Know that My Savior Loves Me'. We also did scenes from the song. I allowed the children to use sign language or hand gesture we used to learn the song. They could act out anything they thought would help the other children guess the song. Get the idea? After the song was guessed we would all sing the song as practice. 
It was a bit rough but I think they the children really enjoyed doing something so different.
If I ever do this again I am going to write up ideas on what I could tell them to do for each song so I'm not caught off guard either.

Otto the Octopus (Reviewing for the Program)

Last Sunday, (last Sunday of Aug) I used my puppet octopus as my visual for JR primary. It was sort of a last minute desperation. I've had the puppet for YEARS. It was a birthday gift from a friend a very long time ago, so I can't say where she purchased it. I needed something to encourage them to sing louder and keep their attention of the children. To each tentacle of the octopus I pinned a small piece of paper with one of our program songs written on it. 
When we started I introduced my friend Otto. I explained that Otto is very shy, but that he loves to hear singing. As long as there is lots of loud singing he will stay out. But if it gets too quite he is going to hide because he won't feel welcome anymore. Then Otto will pick the next child, one he say singing really well, to let them know how much he enjoyed their singing; to choose one of his tentacles for the next song.
They were so attentive and singing well I never once had to have Otto hide. They loved him. They were captivated by my octopus. Wow I never knew a simple puppet could be so entertaining. I am going to have to bring my friend Otto again sometime. 

Side note: although JR primary loved Otto, I did not try it with SR, and I also took him to nursery with me. The other nursery children who will start Sunbeams at the change of the new year, loved him, while the little ones new to nursery were scared of him.

Book Review: Chocolate Roses

Chocolate Roses: a Jane Eyre parody by Joan Sowards
I have always felt that one of the tells of a classic story is that it can transcend all time. A Classic tale is the same basic story but in any time place,or in any place. Shakespeare is the most common example of how this can be done, although I'm not saying it has to be done exactly word for word like Shakespeare is often done, but that the story can be taken and placed into a modern situation and still be the same delightful beautiful story.
Chocolate Roses is an example of this. It takes the Classic tale of a girl who has had a hard life, falls in love with a man who she can't marry or be with and watch the story unfold. The ways that Joan Sowards takes the basics of the original story and places it into a modern world with all of our problems and joys. She does a brilliant job of paralleling the two stories and making it completely believable. Her characters are LDS, which is not over barring and would be just as cute, but maybe not as sweet, if the main characters weren't so rooted in the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. Joan Sowards not only wrote a great story, but she created lovable normal characters. Her main female Rose (the Jane Eyre character) is so normal and innocent that you can't help but love her. 
If you are a fan of Jane Eyre or just a fan of a good clean sweet romance story- this is a book for you.

Independence Day Singing Time

Since so many children are going to be out of town I didn't want to start teaching "Come Follow Me". With family coming into town and being in town and our ward's annual pancake breakfast (primary children preforming at it), Sunday sneaked up on me. 
I hurried and put this together this morning. Sorry if the idea come to last for most of you.
Sing for the Stars

Flag with no stars. 
Stars with songs written on them (I'm not doing the patriotic songs. Instead I am using this as a review opportunity.)
So simple, child picks a star. We practice working on that song. When song to satisfaction we get to put the star onto our flag. It makes the flag happy. It all took me about 20 mins. to put together.
Have a Happy Independence Day weekend!!!