Spot the Dot

We are in the "review" mode as we draw closer to "Program" time.  There are many "review" posts on this blog that might be helpful.  Check them out and remember that it's okay to reuse your ideas and visuals.

Spot the Dot is perfect for review.

• Choose short phrases or one or two words from each song.  
• Print each of them on 11" x 8 1/2" paper  
• Cut large circles of colored paper - enough circles to equal the phrases or words that you have chosen.  (My circles are 8 1/2" in diameter. I also laminate the circles so I can use them for other activities.)
• Place the dots on the board (any pattern)
• Put the words or phrase on top of the dots
• Sing one of the songs
• Ask the children to "Spot the Dot" when they sing the words or phrase from the song.
• Move the dot with the words to the perimeter of the board (Non-readers can help with this)
• The goal is to move all the dots to the perimeter.
• Continue singing the songs and spotting the dot

Picture Review

I was recently asked if I do something different every week in Primary singing time.  Absolutely not!  I have several activities for each holiday, many, many review activities and I definitely use ideas over again, especially the ones the children love.  "Singo" is a favorite as is any matching activity. 

This week I am gathering one or two pictures that I used to teach all the songs so far for the program (a picture per song or verse).  I will put them on the board and ask a child to choose a picture and tell what song it belongs to.  We will then sing it.  I try to choose pictures that don't totally give the song away so the children have to think a little.

Wagon Train

The closer we get to the Sacrament meeting program the more we need to keep up all the songs.  In honor of "Pioneer Day,"  I'm making a wagon train that will go across the board.  Decide how many songs you would like to review.  Cut out enough covered wagons to equal the number of songs you would like to review.  Remember you can use one wagon per verse if you want a longer train.  Tape the titles on the back of the wagons. 

Tape the wagons across the board and have the children take one at a time off and sing that song.  Or you can place the wagons on the floor in a line in "ready" position to start the trek to Utah.  Have the children make the wagon train and place one wagon up on the board and sing the song on the back.

Click on the image below to print a larger size.

Why are we baptized?

"Baptism" on p. 100 can always use some review.  There is a lot of doctrine taught in those 3 verses.  I like to use the picture of John the Baptist in the Jordan River with Christ for the first verse.  Help the children know that it was Jesus who asked to be baptized.

In the second verse Jesus explains to John why he is being baptized.  John knew that Christ was perfect and did not know why he need to be baptized.  I use a question mark for this verse as a prompt.

The third verse explains what we must do:

• witness faith in Jesus word
• be baptized
• show obedience as Jesus did

Use a picture of a child being baptized and one of a child being confirmed.

Baptism

The song for this month is "Baptisms" p. 100.  I have taught this song several ways.  The senior primary will learn from the idea in the 2014 Outline for Sharing Time, p. 27.  The "Who, When, How and Where" are great helps in remembering the order of the song as well as teaching about Christ's baptism.

Younger children (as well as the older one) will relate to the pictures.  Obtain these pictures from the library:

• Jesus and John the Baptist
• map showing Judea
• Jordan river (point to the water that Christ is standing in, draw a picture of a river, point to the Jordan river on the map)
• On a piece of paper write "Law" on the top.  Underneath list a few laws:
• Repent
•  Be Baptized
• Receive the Holy Ghost
• Keep the Commandments
• Draw a large "?" on a paper
• Picture of heaven - see picture on the bottom of p. 27 in the 2014 Outline for Sharing Time
• Picture of a child being baptized
• Picture of children with Christ

Display the pictures as you sing the verses or have them all on the board and point to them as you sing.  It is best to sing one phrase at a time several times so the children remember the words and relate them to the pictures.  You can never repeat too much!

Word Strip Review

Now that you have completed a review of the songs for the Sacrament Meeting program, what ones need a little extra work?  The second, third and fourth verse of "The Family of God" need some polishing in our primary.  You will need:

• Picture of a dad ( you can use one from the LDS Art collection or use a picture of a dad of one of the children.
• make word strips of: preside, provide, love (or a red heart), teach, gospel, leads, family, share, love (heart)
• Picture of a mother ( you can use one from the LDS Art collection or use a picture of a mom of one of the children.
• make word strips of: purpose, care, prepare, nurture, strengthen, teaches, obey, pray, love, serve
• Picture of a family
• make word strips of: love, serve, example, mom, dad, glad, help, remember

You may need to do one verse at a time but if you can, put the 3 pictures on the board spaced so that you can put the word strips around each picture.  You can also put the word strips under each picture.

Sing the 2nd verse (the father verse), pointing to the words as you sing them.  Repeat it twice.  Now take one or two word strips away and sing it again.  Continue in this manner until all the word strips are gone.  Do the same thing with the next two verses.

Out to Dry

I like to review all the songs that we have learned so far this year - particularly for the Sacrament Program. 
You will need:

• a piece of heavy string or thin rope that you can tie across the primary room or between two poles or chairs high enough for the children to reach and see.
• clothes pins - (they are cheap at the dollar stores)
• small doll clothes or clothes cut-outs
• strips of paper with the titles of the songs your primary has learned thus far.  If the song has more than one verse, make a strip for each verse - "Family of God, verse 1."
• adhere the strips to the clothes - tape or safety pin
• a clothes basket or small basket for the clothes

Tell the children that they will be reviewing songs today.  As they finish a song or verse, you or they will help determine if the song is ready to "hang out to dry" or if it needs a "second washing."  Hang up the article of clothing with the song on it after they have sung it well enough to "dry."

You can just hang out the strips of paper for an easier version of the activity.

This is a great activity to repeat again in 6 weeks or so.