Patriotic Puzzle

So this is a puzzle I made with 7 large pieces that I will stick around the room.  The kids will pull the pieces and try to put them together.  On each piece is a song or a question or BOTH.

1)  What do you do in the summer time for fun.  Sing OH WHAT DO YOU DO IN THE SUMMER TIME?
2)  What Article Of Faith talks about our freedom to worship "how, where, and what they may?"  SING IT.  #11
3) You put your right hand over your WHAT when you say the Pledge Of Allegiance?  NO SONG
4)  The 4th of J uly is whose birthday?  AMERICA's birthday-  Sing America The Beautiful
5) What Article Of Faith talks about honoring and sustaining the law?  Sing Hint:  It's a double digit one...#12
6)  What are the 3 colors in our American Flag?  Red, White, & Blue  NO SONG
7)  What is your favorite thing about living in America?  SING MY COUNTRY

My Country's Flag

I love the 4th of July...probably my favorite holiday.  I am weird for sure!  But there is something about flags and the patriotic songs (BBQ's, fireworks, picnics, little kids with sun tanned faces) that just makes me smile.

I couldn't pass up a chance to do something patriotic with the primary children. I made each child a flag on a skewer stick.  Yes, it was insanely tedious.  If I was made of money, I would have bought them a flag but when you have 50+ kids, that adds up.  So I made them.  I plan to hand them out to each child, so they can wave them as we sing our songs.

The hats: This is similar to St. Patrick's day. I found some goofy hats, made a wreath out of a festive wire garland and found a necklace (thanks $1-Tree).  I will have the kids pick a hat, wreath or necklace and they can pick which adult in the primary will wear it.  They think this is so hilarious, to make the leaders look SILLY!    Each accessory has a song.  I am doing something a tad unorthodox but that is my mode.

I am doing patriotic songs:
THIS IS MY COUNTRY (primary song book)
Grand Old Flag
This Land Is Your Land
God Bless America
America The Beautiful

I am incorporating some other songs not found the song book as the selection is slim and their knowledge of those songs is even slimmer.  I am lucky to have a pianist who just goes with my crazy flow and does what I ask...!

Happy 4th of July!

"Family Ties" for Father's Day

So Father's Day is this Sunday.  And I can't help but spotlight the wonderful men we have in our lives, present and past. I have seen this idea on other blogs but have tweaked it a little for my own purposes. I made a simple DAD poster and some ties.  The ties can be used several ways.  They can be hidden and found or picked from a bag or a hat.  They go on our cute dad here.  On the back are questions...they have scripture and song reverences.  I will not do the scriptures references with the younger kids but if you wanted to make it hard, you can give the reference, have the children chase to find it to find out what kind of Dad we are talking about:

Q:  Who is the father of our earth?  Hint:  1 Nephi 5:11 "and also of Adam and Eve, who were our first parents."  Sing Follow The Prophet, pg 110 first verse only  A:  Adam

Q:  Who is the father of the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ?  Hint:  JSH " I saw two personages whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air.  One fo the spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other, this is my beloved son, hear him!"
Sing Praise To the Man  hymn #27 first verse only  A:  Joseph Smith

Q:  Who is the father of us all?  Hint:  Moses 1:18 " Moses lifted up his eyes untio heaven, being filled with the Holy Ghost which beareth record of the Father and his son."  Sing FATHERS pg 209  3rd verse only.  A:  Our Heavenly Father

Q:  Who was the father of Jesus when he livd on the earth?  Hint:  Matt 1:16 "And Jaco begant Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born, Jesus, who is called Christ."  Sing When Joseph Went To Bethlehem pg 38  first verse only.  A:  Joseph

Q:  Who is your father's father?  What do you call him?  A:  Grandpa.  Have child tell us about one of their grandpas.  Sing When Grandpa Comes pg 201

Q: What is your father's name?  Tell us why you think he is the best.  YOUR CHOICE IN SONG

I hope the kids see that we celebrate many fathers on father's day...including our bishop and all the fathers in the scriptures, our earth father and our heavenly father.

Patriotic stuff is coming...I love the 4th of July!

Primary Beach Party

So last week, the primary children were all officially off of school.  So we had a beach party.  I first reviewed our songs for June.  By the way, the juniors are LOVING the actions to Nephi's Courage.  That is such a great song.  We are having alot of fun with that and talking about how when hard choices come our way, we can be like Nephi and say, I WILL GO, I WILL DO!

I am blessed with great pianist in the primary.  Our pianist played the cutest song over and over, pg 224 My Country.  It is a peppy song and while she played this over and over, we tossed the beach ball around.  The kids thought this was funny as the ball really went all over the room.  The pianist would randomly stop.  The kids would pick a color from the beach ball that had a coordinating card, that had a song on it.  All fun songs:  HINGES, HAPPY AND YOU KNOW IT, WHAT DO YOU DO IN THE SUMMERTIME, ROLL YOUR HANDS, HEAD SHOULDERS KNEES & TOES.  It was fun and super easy!

Nephi's Courage

Welll May has been insane.  I haven't had any time to really do much except survive.  But it's almost June and I saw this on a blog and thought it was adorable.  A gal had created signs for the first verse of Nephi's Courage.  Since that is the song for June, I think I will definitely sing it with the juniors this way and I have been busy thinking of actions for the 2nd and 3rd verse.  This song is ADORABLE.  I think the kids will really get into it.

First Verse
The Lord commanded Nephi (raise hands upward towards heaven)
To Go and Get The plates (form hands into a book position to signify the plates)
From the wicked Laban (make a scowl and use fists up by eyebrows to make a mean face)
Inside the city gates (hands together, finger tips touching, then open to signify the gate opening)
Lamen and Lemuel (hold out one arm to the left and then the other the right)
Were both afraid to try (put fingers on lips to make a nervous look)
Nephis was courageous (put both arms in flexing position, 90 degree angle)
This was his reply....
I will go, I will do (take right hand in fist position and first pound the left side of your chest over the heart and then extend the same arm forward into the sky as you say "DO")
The things the Lord commands (raise hands upward towards heaven)
I know the Lord provides a way (take right hand and extend it forward and point to signify the "way")
He wants us to obey, fold arm and bow head
REPEAT

Second Verse
The Lord commanded Nephi (raise hands upward towards heaven)
To go and build a boat (use both arms and hand to create a cradle position and rock)
Nephi's older brother's said it would not float (use pointer finger to point and then use both thumbs and point them down when you sing the "float" part)
Laughing and mocking, they said he should not try (mimic laughing and mocking and then use pointer finger again to point)
Nephi was courageous, this was his reply (put both arms into flexing position)
Use same actions above for chorus twice

Third Verse
The Lord gave us commandments (raise hand upward towards heaven and then create the book position again to signify commandments (book of Mormon) )
And asks us to obey (Hold right hand out as an invitiation)
Sometimes I am tempted (use thumb to point to yourself)
To Choose another way (use right hand to point off to the ride side)
When I'm discourage (make sad face and point to yourself)
And think I cannot try (shake head back and forth signifying "NO")
I will be courageous (arms in flexing position)
And I will reply....
Use same actions above for chrous twice.

I will introduce the song by showing a picture of Nephi and asking the children what his "catch phrase is".

What does Nephi say when asked to get the plates?
What does Nephi say when asked to build a boat?
What does Nephi teach us to say by his example so we can reply when asked to do hard things?

I think this will be super fun and get the kids jazzed about singing this song and making Nephi one of their heroes!

Song for May - When I Am Baptized CS p. 103

So this month I drew word posters and I just left blanks and then I got clip art to fill in the blanks. I will have the children sing the song first cold, with no poster.  Then I put the poster up with the blanks.  And then we will have to fill in the blanks...kids will have to hunt for the symbol that goes into the lyrics.  I hope this is fun.  This idea could be used on any song.

Primary Dice

So this idea is as old as primary is most likely.  But I didn't own primary dice, so I made on out a box I had, covered it with paper and just printed out clip art pages to decorate it.  I think this will come in handy when I have down time or we want to jazz singing time up and not sing songs just straight!