Father's Day

Father's Day is three weeks away.  Our Primary does the special number in sacrament meeting on Mother's and Father's Day.  In order to have them sound wonderful and know the songs well, they will need all three weeks to practice.  (It's really only two weeks because we sing ON Father's Day.)  We like to do "Daddy's Homecoming," "When Grandpa Comes," and "My Dad."  We have also done "Fathers" because it talks about all of our fathers.  For time sake I do the 1st verse and chorus then verse 2 and 3 and chorus.  If you are lucky enough to do a longer program during Primary sharing time and invite Dads, Adding "Love Is Spoken Here" and "Families Can Be Together Forever" makes a nice program.

My Favorite Song

Write the title of all the songs that the children know for the 2011 Sacrament Program.  (I put the titles on strips of paper so I could use them again in other activities.)  Tell the children that they are going to choose their favorite song.  They may choose one favorite song.   Sing each song then you can tally several different ways.  Choose the best way for your primary.

• Say and point to each song title.  Have children stand up if it is their favorite.  Count the children and put the number after the song title.  They could raise their hand rather than stand.
• Let each child come up to the board and make a tally mark next to their favorite song, then add them up.
• Give each child a strip of colored paper (1" by 3") and have each child tape their strip next to their favorite song.
• Put each title on a paper bag or basket.  Give each child a strip, square or any other shape of colored paper and have them put their paper in the bag with their favorite song on it.

Have a few children tally the votes while you sing the songs again with the rest of the children.  If time permits, take a vote of all the teachers/adults in the room.   The children especially like to see their teacher's favorite song.

Praise to the Man

This month's theme is "The Church of Jesus Christ has been restored."  I find it interesting that there are no "helps" for teaching the hymn "Praise to the Man."  I have been teaching our primary this hymn in sign language for the past 7 months.  Each year I decide which hymn/song will be the hardest to teach or learn and I then learn and teach the sign language for it.  The Church music web site has all the Hymns and Primary songs recorded in sign language.  The children learn it much faster than I do.  I like the fact that when the words are big and/or difficult, the sign language helps them remember them.  Sign language also keeps the children focused.  Once they know the signing, we often "sing" the hymn in just sign language.  The piano plays and the room is silent as the children focus on the words and signs.  It is quite a reverent experience.

"I Often Go Walking"

Mother's Day is a week away.  "I Often Go Walking" is an easy song to teach and perfect for children to sing to their mothers or use for a Mother's Day program.

• Use a green four-leafed clover for the first phrase
• Cut several blue flowers out of paper or use a bouquet of blue flowers for the second phrase.
• Play like you are gathering/picking flowers for the third phrase.
• Point to the children and tell them to play like they are pointing to their mother for the last phrase.

The Easter Egg Basket

A favorite Easter activity is "The Egg Basket."  I have 12 or more plastic eggs in a grass filled basket.  Inside each egg is a piece of paper with a favorite song, Easter song, an Article of Faith song or one of the Primary program songs.  It would be very easy to sing for 45 minutes!  You could also put questions about the crucifixion and resurrection to help the children understand Easter.  Questions could be:

• How many days was Christ in the tomb?
• Who was the first person Christ saw when he left the tomb?
• Who were the two women at the foot of the cross?
• Why did Jesus show his hands?

 Have the children choose an egg and read the paper inside.  Answer the question or sing the song.

Easter Presentation through Music

Using the Easter Primary songs, you can teach a beautiful lesson on the resurrection of Christ.

• He Sent His Son  p. 34
• Did Jesus Really Live Again  p. 64
• He Died That We Might Live Again  p. 65
• Easter Hosanna  p. 68
• Jesus Is Risen  p. 70
• Hosanna  p. 66

If your primary knows all of these songs, it will probably take most of singing time.  Have a few pictures of Christ's last week.  In between each song ask the children to tell about one of the pictures.  This is also a great time for you to share your testimony.

Easter and Spring Songs

In the March Friend, there is a beautiful Easter song,"He Came to Us."  You can use pictures of Christ during His last week on earth as well as the Resurrection.  These pictures will help the children understand the words to the song and the purpose of the crucifixion and resurrection.  If time permits, "Popcorn Popping" p. 242, is a perfect "active" song.