Christmas Bells

Cut our several bells - Christmas colors or all yellow (gold).  On the back write the titles of a few Christmas songs that the children already know.  Choose children to pick a bell and then sing the song.  You may need to sing them more than once as a review.  You can also review the words as the pianist plays the song as a reminder for the children.

The "Thankful" Turkey

Here is a great way to sing "thankful" songs and and share things that you are thankful for - the "Thankful Turkey!"  Cut a large circle from brown paper for the turkey body.  Draw or cut out another small circle from tan or grey paper for his face.  Draw a beak and eyes and a red waddle.  Paste the face in the middle of the large circle.  Cut several hearts from all colors.  These will be the turkey's feathers - thankful feathers.  Put the hearts in a basket.  Choose songs that talk about thankfulness or favorites from the Sacrament Meeting Program.  Before you sing a song choose several children to pick a heart and tell what they are thankful for, then tape the heart around the turkey body as feathers.  You can have 10 feathers (hearts) or as many as 50 if time permits.  A challenge would be not to repeat anything that the children are thankful for.

I Am Glad for Many Things

"I Am Glad for Many Things," p. 151, is a great song showing thankfulness.  It is simple to teach because of the repetition.  Once they know the words and have sung it a few times, you can help them come up with things that they are thankful for.  Ask the children to think of something that they are thankful for.  While they are thinking for a moment, bring out the bag or basket of items that you have brought from home that we all could be thankful for.  Your basket could contain anything you feel inspired to bring such as: measuring cups, a computer mouse, a phone, disposable diaper, a toothbrush, a can of soup, tuna, peanut butter, a bar of soap, glue, scriptures, The Friend magazine, etc.  Sing the song again and in place of "many things," use one of the items you have brought.  Some of the words won't fit the three notes in the song but do your best to fit them in with a few extra notes.  You can have the children suggest things that they are thankful for and use them in the song.

As time permits, review "Autumn Day" p. 247.  Encourage the children to look around and see how many things that they are thankful for each day.

Gratitude

We can never teach gratitude enough!  If we said "thank-you" more often there would be more peace.  Those hyphenated  words are powerful, indeed. The Primary Songbook has 24 songs listed under "gratitude."  How many do the children know and how often do we sing them?  I am going to put more of these songs into our repertoire and help the children understand the importance of being thankful -- and this month is a great time to begin.

"Autumn Day" is a perfect song for this time of year.  It is about the abundance we have at harvest time.  The rhyming phrases are very helpful in learning this song.  Cut our 10 apples (I used red and yellow paper for the apples).  Make them large enough to print the word at the end of each phrase.  Draw a tree on the board and tape the apples on the tree so the children can see the words.  Sing the song for them and have them listen for the rhyming words.  Sing two phrases, then have the children sing the phrases with you.  Ask a child or two to pick the apples that match the phrases and put them in the order that we sing them.  I like to put the apples in a row under the tree.  When you have all the apples/ words in order, explain the importance of the last two phrases - or ask the children to tell why the phrases are important.  What should we learn from this song.

If time permits, sing "It's Autumntime" on page 246.  Ask the children what we could be thankful for in this song.  Answers could include: beauty, colors, our eyes that we can see the beauty, raking leaves with friends or family - thankful that we can serve, be with friends and family, etc.

Pumpkin Patch

Create a Pumpkin Patch!  Cut out 10 or 12 pumpkins out of orange paper.  I like to glue a brown or green stem on the top for each one.  Choose songs to review or songs for fun and write the titles on the back of each pumpkin.  I like to laminate the pumpkins then on a strip of paper, write the titles on each and tape one on the back of each pumpkin.  That way I can use the pumpkins again for another activity.  I like to review the Articles of Faith so I have 14 pumpkins with one Articles of Faith number on each pumpkin and on one I write the question, "Why is it important to know the Articles of Faith?"  Place the pumpkins in rows or piles and allow the children to choose one, then sing the song or answer the question.  If time permits, ask several children to answer the question.

Falltime

When it's falltime!  I love to put songs on the back of leaves or apples, tape them to a chalk-drawn tree on the board and let the children pull them off.  We sing the song and put the leaf or apple -- or both in a basket.  It's especially fun to write half of a phrase on the back of the apple or leaf from a song and have the children guess the song.  Enjoy the season!

Choosing the Right Is Fun to Do

Choosing the right is fun.  Ask the children to choose the right as they sing " Do As I'm Doing," p. 276.  They could act out raking the leaves, washing dishes, vacuuming, picking up toys, etc. 

Using "Singing a Song," p. 253, ask the children to think of actions that show choosing the right and substitute the words in the song.  Picking the apples is fun to do, making my bed is fun to do, reading the scriptures is fun to do, are a few examples.

 As a fun song for the season, sing "Rain is Falling All Around"  p. 241, only substitute leaves for rain.  These are great actions songs to help wiggly children.  Coming up with different ways and actions to choose the right helps to keep them focused.