Samuel Tells of Baby Jesus

This is a great week to sing about Samuel's prophecy of the birth of Christ, Samuel Tells of Baby Jesus (p. 36).

You will need:
1st verse:

• Picture of Samuel on the wall preaching to the Nephites
• "5" printed on a piece of paper
• Picture of Jesus in a manger

2nd verse:

• picture of the ocean and/or picture of Bethlehem
• Use the picture of Samuel again (or point to it)
• Picture of angels singing

Chorus:

• Sing the first phrase and then have the children repeat it with you 2 or 3 times.
• Sing the second phrase and then have the children repeat it with you 2 or 3 times.  Point out that "sing" and "King" rhyme.

Sing the entire song several times pointing to the pictures or let a few children hold up the pictures as you sing the phrase.

Thankful Turkey

Choose 8 to 10 songs that the children love to sing including some "thankful" songs.

Using the Turkey from the November 22, 2014 blog post:

• cut 1 large circle and one small circle
• draw the face as shown 
• Cut out 10 to 20 (or more) feathers from colored paper
• Tape the turkey on the board with no feathers
• Give each teacher 3 or 4 (or more) feathers and ask them to help the children write something they are thankful for on each feather.
• choose one class (I look for reverent classes) and ask 3 or four children from that class to bring up the feathers and read what was on each feather
• tape them around the big circle (the body of the turkey)
• Sing one or two of your chosen songs
• Choose another class and repeat the process, singing a song after the feathers are place on the turkey

Instead of cutting out the turkey, you could draw it on the board and tape the feathers around it's body.

This activity can be long or short to meet your music time.

Autumn and Gratitude

There are 24 songs listed under "Gratitude" in the Primary Songbook.  How many do you and your Primary children know?

Autumn Day p. 247

• 1st line: Use a fall picture
• 2nd line: As you sing this line look to your right then left.  Point to the children then yourself.
• 3rd line: Use real apples or pictures of a red and yellow apple
• 4th line: Picture of a tree full of apples or leaves
• 5th line: Picture of children with Jesus

Sing each line, then have the children sing it with you a few times. Continue through the rest of the song.  The children can help hold pictures.

It's Autumntime  p. 246

This is an easy song to teach and fun for this time of year.

• Sing the 1st verse.  
• Ask how many times they heard the phrase "it's autumntime."   (4 times)
• Have the children sing it with you.
• Sing the 2nd verse.
• Ask How many colors they heard and what were the colors.  (3 colors, yellow, red, and brown)
• Have the children sing it with you.
• Sing the whole song with the children
• Ask if anyone can tell what the rhyming sound is or the rhyming words.  ("ou" sound, down, town, brown, found)
•  How many times they sing the phrase "it's autumntime" in the entire song.   (8 times)

Use colored paper (yellow, red and brown) to help the children sing the colors in order.  You can use colored leaves in those colors, too.

Cut out several yellow, red and brown leaves and pass them to several children. Have them stand when they sing the color of their leaf.

Gratitude - "I Am Glad for Many Things"

November is all about Gratitude.  It is learned by example but when you add music, it only enhances the learning process.

I Am Glad for Many Things, p. 151, is a great song for all of us to have in our minds.  It is an easy song to teach.

• Sing the first verse.
• Invite the children to sing it with you.
• Sing the second verse
• Have the children sing it with you.

You sing "many things" 4 times in the first verse.  Ask 4 children to share something that they are thankful for : parents, friends, food, home, etc.  Use those in place of "many things" and sing the first verse.   Ask 4 children to share something that they are thankful for and sing it again.

You can do this several times and this song will be forever in their memory.  End with the second verse.