Minute to Win It Program Review

What to do for the endless reviewing of primary program songs (especially with the seniors)????

Well I saw this one post on MINUTE TO WIN IT.  I think kids like challenges.  I think it can be morphed into a review.  And here is how: (you will need a stop watch)

So you have 5-6 challenges.  Have a bucket with slips of paper in it that have the class names.  Choose a reverent child to select a slip.  Whatever class they pick, get to come and do the challenge.  Some challenges can involve the whole class, but if it does not, then the class will select a representative to do the challenge for their class.  IF, IF, IF,  their class does the challenge in a MINUTE, then they can choose which program song and who sings it...and if they don't, then their class has to sing it. 

You can design your challenges to be specific to the needs of your primary.  But here is what I came up with.

1)  cup stacking (stack the tallest tower you can in a minute without it falling over)
2)  bubble gum blowing (blow at least 10 bubbles in a minute- you can use multiple people for this)
3)  Hula Hooping (keep the hula hoop going around your hips for at least a minute - you can involve multiple people on this)
4)  Hold your Breath (how long can you hold your breath...a minute or longer????
5) Write out the chorus of I AM A CHILD OF GOD on the chalk board
6) Read the lyrics to Latter-Day Prophets backwards (I will have a sheet to read) at least twice!

You can get creative here. I may think of a few more, too.  Could be fun (& wild!)

Singing Spray - primary program reivew

 

 

I know this idea has been around for ages...oddly enough I have never tried it until now.  But it works!!!  And more importantly, it is a snap to prepare and easy to produce!   Plus, it's a perfect thing to have during primary program review.  The kids love it.  I made the label quick and easy using free clip art and typing a title. I know some people go computer fancy but I do things super quickly 'cause I have ADD and really have zero patience to create things on Photoshop or what not.  So really, it took me 5 minutes to make.  You can fill the bottle with whatever you want but make it good.  You want the kids to WANT it.  Spray an amount in their mouths when you notice particular kids singing really well or trying.

 

I have been doing alot of this sort of thing as I am reviewing.  Get out your magic wands and feather dusters.  This works so well especially with the younger kids.  They wanted to be 'dusted', 'sprayed' or tapped with a magic wand and they will sing their hearts out to get it. 

 

Good luck to all of you who are reviewing.  It can be oh so tedious.

Singing Chain and some other Random Things

So I have been blog stalking lately.  Lately I have been MIA for a few reasons: end of summer trips and stake conference.  But my program is the 29th of September so I am trying to hanker down and get busy.  Time to get serious here.  Sigh!

Have you ever heard of the blog, Sunbeam Singing?  http://sunbeamsinging.wordpress.com/  If you haven't I highly recommend going there.  This gal has a gift for the computer and some fun printable stuff.  She currently has a very cute back to school idea posted if any of you are looking for something to do in honor of that.

In my blog searching I came across and idea about a music chain?  I sort of adapted it for me, using her idea of the chain but for a different purpose.  This Sunday I am going to introduce a bucket of paper strips...cut to 1 inch width and 6 inches long in a variety of colors, regular paper, construction paper...any scraps I have.

Now that we are in full review mode, I was thinking it might be fun to make a chain that would circle the room or maybe even make it all the way down the hall to the bishop's office.  But the kiddos have to earn links by singing the program songs well.  And I am going go make the presidency decide how many links they earn each song they sing...the better they sing, the more links.  Or I have passed out stripes to individual classes and given teachers pens.  Each teacher listens to their class, if they feel they have earned links, they write why on the paper strip and give it to me and we will make it grow and grow as they sing well. 

It will probably entail a massive amount of paper but I am hoping the kids will be excited to see how the chain grow and each Sunday over the next 4 weeks, we will lay it out and see how far it goes...using a stapler to add links with every song we sing.  Hopefully by the 29th, it will go around the room or further and they will get a treat!

Ticket To Ride

This week in honor of Pioneer Day, I felt it would be fun to do something FUN with the kids that had nothing to do with primary program preparation.  Thus I doubt I will do any primary program songs this week. I just want to PLAY.

I made these simple TICKETS to ride in the wagon (trek).  They are numbered 1-5.  I will hand them out randomly to the kids.  I am hoping there will be about even number of 1's, 2's, 3's, 4's, & 5's. 

So here is how this works:

We will be singing the song FUN TO DO:

I will pick a number from a bowl.  Those who are holding a ticket with that number have to stand and come to the front of the room.  I will have a variety of hats, bonnets and bandanas and they have to put them on and then sing this simple song:

Here are the 5 ways you sing this song:

CROSSING THE PLAINS IS FUN TO DO (marching actions)
RIDING A WAGON IS FUN TO DO (mimic riding in a bumpy fashion)
FORGING A RIVER IS FUN TO DO (long stationary strides with arms moving back and forth)
MILKING A COW IS FUN TO DO (mimic milking actions)
WALKING TO ZION IS FUN TO DO (walking stationary in slow mo)

When each group is finished with their task (they have to do it well by the way even if the older ones find it humiliating), and if they do it well, get a treat: the promised land (candy).  So everyone ends up with a treat in the end!

This should move quickly because this particular song is super short.  So of course we will end singing collectively all our favorite pioneer children's songs, TO BE A PIONEER, HAND CART, PIONEER CHILDREN, OXEN, ect. 

The games are a foot

So my husband's work always does this elaborately themed summer company picnic.  This year the theme was Sherlock Holmes and my children all got mini messenger bags filled with bizarre hats, mustaches, side burns (yes, I said sideburns) and a magnifying glass and so on.  I couldn't help but turn this into a MYSTERY SINGING TIME.  It's just too cute.  This stuff all came from Oriental Trading if any of you are interested in actually ordering...or perhaps you have a pipe and some mustaches laying around.  Of course you do.  HA HA.  But maybe in our eclectic dress up box (doesn't everyone have one) you may have something that would work as a detective or perhaps the party store would have something cheap to make up a cute disguise!???

This can be used a few different ways.  Like with the game of Hot and Cold, you pick someone to hide an envelope.  And then someone is Sherlock.  And Sherlock has to get dressed up to find it, singing hot and cold, Sherlock looks for the envelope.  When he finds it, he opens it up and it either leads to another clue or it can have a song inside that you have to sing. 

OR

You can create a mystery and in order to obtain each clue, they have to solve the song puzzle and sing it.  At the end of the hunt, they find something desirous...like a gum ball for each child or a Smarty or sucker.  I will leave the PRIZE up to you.

The clues to the songs will have to do with program songs.  EX:

This song has 3 verses, it was written by Naomi Randall.  It's our primary favorite program song.  It talks about our Heavenly Father.  It tells us how to get home to our Heavenly Father.  What song is it?  (finders clue- look under the on the side of the piano)

I AM A CHILD OF GOD -

This song has 3 verses.  It is about our Savior.  It tells us to be aware of what we are doing as if our Savoir was near us at all times.  It reminds us to be a good example and missionary.  What song is it?  (finders clue- look behind the pulpit)

IF THE SAVIOR STOOD BESIDE ME

Trees, birds, butterflies, flowers.  This song talks about nature and all of Heavenly Father's creations.  It's talks about the world we live in and how it is a gift from our Heavenly Father.  What song is it? 
(finder's clue - look behind under the 'scripture' chair.

And so on...you make up clues for all the program songs you want to review. You can make the clues as hard or simple as you want.  And you can call out one clue at a time so that it prolongs the MYSTERY.

MY HEAVENLY FATHER LOVES ME


Print these clues on slips on paper and have the first out to start and the subsequent one in their hiding spots as they lead to the final destination. 

OR

You could have envelopes filled with one puzzle piece at a time, and each piece has a song on the back, you can assemble the pieces one by one as you find them and see what the picture is at the end.  You can either make the puzzle up or use a simple child's puzzle with 5-10 pieces!

The funny part of any of these options will be of course getting the kids dressed up and having them look like Sherlock.  There were also mustaches on sticks which were pretty funny...those could be used as well.  And if you have a cape or anything would be fun.  Someone could play "Watson"...there is just a lot of possibilities with this. 

 

 

Spin on I Spy- review

Last week I did a review with the kids using my I-spy glass.  You can make an I-spy out of anything, a paper towel roll, you can use a magnifying glass or a toy telescope...whatever. I used what I have which is a toy kaleidoscope. 

Instead of spying for pictures around the room that match songs, I spied helpers.  And most of my helpers were teachers.  This was kinda fun.  I would put my scope to my eye and say:

I spy with my primary eye someone who has yellow hair...who is very caring...she knows most of the primary songs...she can be heard but rarely seen...she know what notes to follow...ect...who is she?

THE PRIMARY PIANIST

Then I described a few teachers and some of the presidency.  You can describe some of the children, too.  This just mixes up how we pick helpers.  Whomever guesses who we are 'spying' choses a card from my basket.  The cards just had a picture on it and what song.  They can rummage through the basket and pick which song it is rather than have it be a surprise...they way it is truly winner's choice. 

This was fun and simple!

Feather Dusting

I made this silly stick using a dowel and craft feathers.  I have seen this a few times on other blogs.  I used this last Sunday and the kids actually thought it was funny.  If they were singing well, I'd give them a little dusting or tickling by lightly brushing their cheek or tapping their head. 

Kinda fun to use while reviewing a song