Draw A Turkey & Sing

I saw this idea on PINTEREST and wondered if I could make it into a singing time.  Here is how I think I will work it.  This singing time will be done on the chalk board.  You can print this graphic out below to give to the child so they can see what they are suppose to draw and how.  Here is the link if you want to go to the site to print it off:

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0By0uN5uCTNhiOTMxYmViNzAtODEyZS00YWMyLWFiMDctM2NlMzkyMTZmYzQz/edit?usp=drive_web&hl=en#

I have a large dice and the helper will roll, depending on the number they roll, they will have to draw with chalk, the shape...of course this will be sort of tricky and perhaps silly because typically you'd start with the base of the turkey but who knows what you will roll.  This turkey could end up looking quite strange!

You can do this two ways...each time a helper draws, you can sing a song with it OR you can just draw the turkey as you roll the dice but if a helper rolls a number that you've already drawn, then that is when they have to sing.  Otherwise, if the helper rolls a number that has already been rolled and drawn, you give them a second try.

TURKEY DINNER

Last year, I posted the idea of singing TURKEY DINNER with the primary children and I attempted to attach the music and it was so poor quality. I found a simple version of ARE YOU SLEEP ON THE NET

https://www.pianopronto.com/blog/free-sheet-music-brother-john-later-beginners/

Turkey Dinner
Turkey Dinner
Gather 'round
Gather 'round
Who will get the drum stick
Yummy yummy yum stick
All Sit Down
All Sit Down

Corn bread muffin
Chestnut stuffin'
Pumpkin pie
One foot high
We were all much thinner
Before we came to dinner
ME-O-MY
ME-O-MY

You can sing this in a round. 

It's kinda fun!

Songs for the Seasons!

I often add stuff to my music mix in primary that are not in the primary song book.  Sadly my pianist finds this super annoying.  I love her.  She is the best!

I have included two little ditties if you are interested in adding anything over the next few months.  This first song is called ONE BRIGHT STAR.  I found this website with free sacred music.  I love it. I am also the WARD MUSIC CHAIR and so I have used stuff off this site often in doing music in primary and for sacrament meetings.  They had this sweet little song for primary children.  What I love about this song is that it is easy.  ONLY 2 verses and the second verse is shorter than the first.  I find it hard to teach some of the primary Children's Song Book Christmas songs because they either have really obscure melodies OR they have a million verses. I honestly felt this was easier than teaching the Nativity Song, which I love, but has too many verses to learn in one short month!

http://www.ldssacredsongs.com/music_manager.php?album=children&song=9

This is a song I sang as a kid.  It is a Janice Kapp Perry special.  What is cool about this song is that it has two parts, like LOVE IS SPOKEN HERE.  However it is simple to sing and learn and works well with visual prompts so I don't think this will be hard to learn at all...as they don't have to know it perfect to sing it.  It is about blessings.  I found it on lds.org.  It would be fun to do a singing time on blessings and have the kids hold up pictures of the things it lists off while they sing it. 

http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?hideNav=1&locale=0&sourceId=8b859aa07a0ab010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&vgnextoid=21bc9fbee98db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD

This is another song I am going to introduce next month because my primary children have been begging for it.  It was featured on the CD my ward gave out to the kids in 2012.  It is a Sing Me A Scripture Song by Kamie Bolen Jacobs.  It is just the verse, 1st Nephi 3:7 put to music.  The music is so beautiful (again my pianist is grumbling at me).  It is a new take on Nephi's Courage.  The download is FREE, which is cool since she charges for most of her arrangements.  If you feel ambitious, check this out!
http://www.kamiejacobsbolen.com/free-downloads/

Singing in the Leaves (my tribute to Gene Kelly)

So the leaves in my neighborhood are coming down in buckets.  It's so beautiful.  I had this thought...I want to use these leaves in primary but they are so messy.  But what if I filled a Rubbermaid tub with a bunch of colorful leaves.  That way the leaves are contained. 

So this is a simple singing time:  Inside the tub with a million leaves, put little objects in there with songs attached to them.  I have a few smallish fall and Halloween items, but they could be any kind of item.  Blindfold the helper and have them dig in the tub until they feel something that isn't a leaf.  Pull it out, sing the song. 

You could even do this next month and have the kids dig for an object that represents a blessing and a song...they have to guess what blessing the item represents and then sing a song that coordinates.

EX:  An apple- I am grateful for food.  Sing FUN TO DO (EATING AN APPLE IS FUN TO DO)

And so forth. 

Sing or Hallowen Dare! AKA Sing or SCARE!

One of my most successful singing times has been SING OR DARE.  I am not sure why the kids love this so much but they do.  And it seems like they always choose the DARE cards over the SING cards.  So I make sure I have plenty of DARE CARDS.

So for the Halloween version of this game you have create similar cards but the DARES have to do with costumes.  I have a tub full of random costumes I have collected over the years.  You will want to find things easy to get on...meaning just hats or belts or wigs or things of that nature.  So you present the cards to the helper and they choose to be safe or brave.  The DARE cards will all include a costume they have to put on as well as what they have to do with it. 

The Cowboy/girl:  They have to put on the hat and the bandana and hold the gun, stand on a chair and say YEEEE HAW!

The Pirate girl/boy:  ACT OUT HOW A PIRATE ACT, make sure you say, ARRRR MATEY!

Long blond wig and crown with wand (yes if a boy picks this card, they have to put it on)... go tap someone on the shoulder with the wand in a 'lovely voice' and give them a compliment.

Spider-man gloves (I have these funky gloves that make sounds that are part of a spidey costume)-  Lead the children in your favorite song wearing the spidey gloves!

Witch Hat-  Put the hat on and tell the children this Halloween riddle:  what do witches put on their hair?  Answer- SCARE SPRAY!

Mickey Ears Hat (from Disneyland) -  give your best voice impression of Mickey Mouse

The sing cards are as follow:

Sing your favorite Program song of this year

Sing your favorite primary song about our Savior

Sing your favorite song about autumn time.

Sing your favorite primary Christmas song

Sing your favorite wiggle song

Sing Do As I Am Doing backwards!

You can tweak this how you like, using the costumes you love and find appropriate and easy!  Enjoy!

Falling Leaves Singing Time

So my program is over and I have 3 whole months to just play.  Perhaps most of you choristers are still doing intensive reviews.  But for those of you wanting to play, here is an idea.

I made and laminated these leaves years ago and I use them for a variety of things.  I highly suggest having a set of these.  I free handed them on poster board and colored them with chalk.  They can be used so many different ways.

So I chose 10 of my leaves.  5 of them have a lyric taped to the FRONT.  5 of them have a song and a way to sing it on the back.  Here is how this works:

I will put all the leaves on the board with magnets.  The kids (pick helpers) get to choose.  They can choose what they see, which is lyric, or they can choose the unknown, having to turn the leaf over to find out what they have to do.

For example:  One leaf has the lyric on it...'everyday I need'.  They have to figure out where that lyric comes from.  You can go hard or easy with these lyrics depending on your crowd.  When they get the lyric and guess the song, you sing it.  For this particular lyric...it goes to Scripture Power of course.

The other leaves...well they choose and turn it over and read it silently.  It will give a song and tell the helper how they have to sing it.  So it's like name that tune.  The helper has to be brave in this endeavor so put out your disclaimer that if they choose the UNKNOWNS, they have to be prepared to sing.  Some will find this challenging and some will find this horrifying.  HA HA.  But let's say they choose the leaf that says CALLED TO SERVE, HUM on the back of the leaf.  Well they have to hum (solo) and see if the audience can guess it with just their voice.  Then once they guess it, sing it with the entire group and with accompaniment. 

For me, I may just do the lyric portion for the juniors as I don't see 3 year olds getting the task of humming, ooing or auuuhhhh a song.  Then with the seniors have both portions as they like challenges and tend to be more up for these sorts of task.  Either way, the goal is to make all the leaves FALL off the board.  So once all the 'easy' ones are gone, they will be left with the other. 

I hope it will be fun.  I chose seasonal and fun songs because the kids have worked hard and I thought it would be fun to just do up tempo fun things.

chain update

So my primary program was the week before conference.  I have been kinda just resting up the last two weeks.  It was really good but also exhausting.  After the program, I let the kids measure our singing chain during primary.  It made it to the Bishop's office. I had no doubts that it would do so.  We had a little field trip down the hall as they kids pulled it as far as it could go.  Then I gave them candy.  Yes, I am sure the presidency LOVES me.  HAR HAR.  But wow, my kids earned it.  Here's a pictures of it.

My primary kids got way into this.  They asked me when it was over, if we could continue to make it grow and go around the building. I had to admit, I probably didn't have enough construction paper for all that but I appreciate their motivation to keep up their singing whether we were working towards a program or not.  But as far as a motivator to get them to sing strong during all our program practices, this worked like a champ. I had someone just sit by me and add links as they did well.  And of course we were generous in our link adding.  The kids were very curious to see just how long it was.  HINT:  I did go to the building midweek after our last practice and measure it beforehand as I didn't want them to come up short.  However, I didn't have to add any...all these links we earned by my singing stars!

2014 THEME

The new theme for 2014 is out.  FAMILIES ARE FOREVER.  I will admit, I am shocked it doesn't have to do with missionary work.  The songs are really sweet though and I think it will be fun teaching the kiddos these songs next year.  I always like to ponder a few months as to how I want to approach the 'new' songs and so I start thinking about the new year way in advance.

Once again, Kamie Bolen has teamed up with Jenny Phillips to create a CD.  Our primary always buys her CD's as a Christmas gift for the kids.  Her arrangements are beautiful.  Last year she had such a hard time getting copyrights to publish her arrangements.  In fact, she didn't get permission until August for this year's stuff.  So I was never able to use her arrangements which made me super sad.  But I think she has figure out how to do get permission now and I suspect copyrights for these new songs will be granted earlier.  She has some really cool things that include harmony and interludes.  I think a few really neat arrangements adds a lot to a program.  This year my primary sang a very cool version of I AM A CHILD OF GOD that included a flute, solo and congregational singing.  We also did the ARMIES OF HELAMAN medley which wow...was so amazing, kids worked hard to learn that one, but those were my two really tricky numbers and worth the extra time I spent to find a nice arrangement of and teach.

She has also included the track for her song, ALMA 37:5, which is a FREE download.  Two years ago she offered her song 1st Nephi 3:7 and my primary kids LOVE that song.  So that might be worth looking at as an option as an additional song in your line up for next year. 

http://www.kamiejacobsbolen.com/primary-cd/songs-for-primary-volume-2/