Birthday Song

Is it time to learn a new birthday song? We often get stuck in a rut and sing the same songs for opening, closing and birthdays.  There are 6 birthday songs in the Primary Songbook, including the baptism one on p. 104.

If you'd like a challenging song, try Feliz, Cumpleanos, p. 282.  This one is great if you have people in your ward that speak different languages or returned missionaries.  They can help you pronounce the words or give it a try yourself and use the pronunciations in the song.  The melody is fun and the rhythm truly makes the song. 

You can use:

• word strips for pronunciation guides
• word strips with the country of the language
• pictures of children from the different countries

These will all help the children learn and love this new birthday song.  Always teach one phrase and a time with at least repeats of it so it sticks in their minds.

*It's always good if you know the song before you teach it.

Birthday Song

Many a still preparing for their Sacrament Meeting Program.  There are many review ideas in earlier posts that you can check out.

After you have spent weeks and months on preparing for this program, learning a fun song will be fun for everyone.  There are 6 birthday songs in the Primary Songbook.  Most primaries sing one, possibly 2, when a child has a birthday. Choose one you don't know.

Make a "paper" birthday cake:

• use a white piece of paper and round off the two top corners to look like a cake. (It doesn't matter whether the paper is portrait or landscape - tall cake or wide cake)
• color frosting on the top half to make it look like the frosting is dripping down the side of the cake - any color will do - chocolate is always a favorite
• cut out 8 candles from different colored paper - flame is optional 

Teaching the song:

• Sing one phrase at a time and have the children repeat it with you several times. 
• Add a candle to the cake.
• Sing the next phrase and repeat the process until the song is learned.
• To reinforce the learning, put the names of the months on pieces of paper.
• Ask a child to draw a paper and read the month.  
• All the children who have a birthday in that month can stand while you sing the new birthday song to them.  
• Continue, as time permits, to choose a month and then sing to the children who have a birthday in that month. 

Note:  I Like My Birthday, p.104, is a song for those turning 8.  It is a great song to sing to those on their eighth birthday.

After the Primary Sacrament Program

Take some time to learn a new birthday song.  With the program complete, the children will enjoy learning a fun song.  There are 6 birthday songs in the Primary Songbook.  Choose one and have the children listen to it - either on a recording or have the pianist play it through while you sing it.  Have the children sing the first phrase 3 times and then move to the next phrase and do the same thing.  Sing both phrases then work on the third phrase.  Follow this pattern until the entire song is familiar to the children.  You could sing it in honor of The Family: A Proclamation to the World and it's 20th birthday.