Summer Olympics

Okay, I think everybody is doing some kind of version of the summer singing olympics this week or next.  How could I pass up the chance to do it with the London games approaching?  This is a fun idea and is really fun to use when you are in review mode for a program.  However, I am doing it purely for fun.  My primary has been super sparse this summer. I really am not doing any sort of teaching of new songs and no heavy review for that matter, it just isn't worth my time as half my kids are gone on any given Sunday.  So... after blog stalking and taking all the ideas I loved from various blogs, I have come up with my own version of the singing olympics.

So what events to do? I really struggle with out of the box ideas at times because I get stressed when primary turns into a circus and well it can do so quickly if the activities are wild.  But I saw on this one blog, a gal had made the ribbon twirlers, similar to what the gymnastic olympians use.  These are just dowels with ribbon taped to them.  So easy to make.  I had the stuff on hand and spent no money on this. I made 6.  I decided I would divide the room in half, so we had two competing teams. I would ask for helpers from each side, to compete against each other.  So for ribbon twirling, 3 from each sing. I have 2 judging flip cards that I will have the presidency hold.  They will judge the kids on their performance and give them an "8", "9", or "10".  I suspect the judges will always award a "10".  

Ribbon Twirling (FUN TO DO - twirling ribbon is fun to do)
Speed Singing (Head, Shoulders, Knees, & Toes - super sonic speed, which side does it best)
Ring Toss or Decathelon (I have some pool rings and I will have a helper from each side try to make the ring fit on a post).  There will be no song for this but if there is a winner, I will let them choose a song to sing...anything they want!
Track and Field  Do As I Am Doing...Running in place!
Swimming  a.k.a Blowing Bubbles - I will have one helper from each side stand on a vinyl table cloth and give them each a bubble bottle and a wand.  The person who makes the most bubbles wins and the losing side to sings alone GIVE SAID and using the arms in swimming motion, make the your arms swerve as a stream running!
Gymnastics - Balancing on one leg, a helper from each side will come and compete and see who can stand in their leg the longest while the rest of the children sing Jesus Once Was A Little Child
Basketball - dunk the ball in the bucket...   Happy & You Know It (If you "dunked" it in the bucket, clap your hands!  If you "dunked" it in the bucket, clap your hands!  If you dunked in clean and smooth, then your games is in its groove, if you "dunked" it the bucket, clap your hands!)

 I read on a blog that some gal gave out the chocolate coins on a ribbon afterwards.  CUTE idea!  I am doing this on a fast Sunday so I won't do that but it would be fun to do that.  Or I know party stores carry those cheapy medals, they come in bulk.  Each child could get one of those.  I have noticed my kids love to get something, even if it is a thow away thing!

Pioneer Trek Board Game

This is another idea from my sister Kirstin.  I have a large die, and I pick a helper to roll it and we have a marker...starting from the START, we make the treck to Utah.  If you land on a square with a musical note, you sing a PIONEER SONG, if you don't, there are are messages on the other squares such as...

Help Build a Cabin as Winter Quarters, lose a turn
Heavy rains (or snow), lose a turn
Stop and square dance, lose a turn,
GO AHEAD, cross PLATTE RIVER
Fix broken wagon wheel, lose a turn

The squares are clever, because Kirstin is clever.  But they could say just about anything, like stop stretch your legs, SING HEAD SHOULDER KNEES TOES, or jot ahead 3 spaces and have the helped jot back to their seat, ect....

Fill the Handcart

Well it's time to honor our brave pioneers.  This idea came from my sister, Kirstin (who is so clever).  I copied her poster, which has a slit in that makes a pocket.  The below items are all things one might or MIGHT NOT put in their handcart.  Some of the items have songs on them but some don't.  Some are just to get the kids thinking of whether they'd back this item if they were going to make the trek.  Like would you pack your brass bed?  The heavy chest of jewels?  Granny's antique china hutch?  So...some of them are ridiculous, but some are really important, like food, water, the scriptures, a quilt for warmth, ect.

I put some of the great pioneer songs on the back.  It's fun to sing these songs even if it is just once a year. I always make lyric posters as there is no time to teach 6 rusty songs to the children.  The words really help, even just the teachers, so the kids have something to follow as we sing.

For the Song Pioneer Children Sang As They Walk...I had them stand and walk in place as we sang
Little Pioneer Children...I had the kids sway to this
To Be A Pioneer...they marched in place
ect...