Heart Attack Review

This activity is perfect for Valentine's Day or a friendship singing time.

Cut out 8 to 10 large hearts out of red, pink, purple and/or white paper.
Write one of the following words or phrases. 

• love and tenderness
• pathway
• sacrifice
• faith, hope
• live like His son
• Adam
• Enoch
• Noah
• Abraham
• Moses
• Samuel
• Jonah
• Daniel

Tape the hearts on the board so the words do not show.
Have a child choose a heart.  Sing the song the word or phrase comes from. This will be a fun way to review "Follow the Prophet" and "He Sent His Son."

He Sent His Son

This is the perfect month to teach or review this song, p. 34 in the Children's Songbook.  We sing about God's infinite love.  This song asks a question then answers.

Teaching:

• Sing the first phrase (1st question)
• Show a picture of baby Jesus and sing the answer - 2nd phrase
• Sing the 3rd phrase (2nd question)
• Show a picture of Christ walking/teaching among the people (you could use a picture from the New Testament and Book of Mormon) and sing the answer - 4th phrase
• Sing the 5th phrase (3rd question)
• Show a picture of Christ on the cross and in Gethsemane and sing the answer - 6th phrase
• Hold out the last word of that phrase on the word "breath" and show the resurrected Christ.

 Return to the beginning of the song and have the children sing it with you.  Sing the question and answer two or three times before going to the next question and answer.  You could ask children to hold the pictures as you sing about them.

There are 3 questions left:

• "What does the Father ask of us?  The picture on the back cover of the 2015 Outline is a great picture for this question or one with Christ and children.
• "What do the scriptures say?  Hold up a set of scriptures or a picture of scriptures.
• Write on the board the 4 answers (or make word strips of the next phrase)  1. FAITH   2. HOPE     3. LIVE LIKE HIS SON    4. HELP OTHERS ON THEIR WAY  (I break after each of the 4 answers to emphasize each one.  Let your accompanist know so he/she can stop after each one with the children.)
• Sing the last 2 phrases and have the children sing it with you.

Repeating the questions and answers one at a time helps the children remember the words and melody.
You can't repeat too much!

I Know That My Savior Loves Me - 2nd verse

Teaching the second verse of "I Know That My Savior Loves Me" can be taught in a fun and memorable way. 
In a large bag (pillow case, big plastic or paper bag) be creative, place the following items that go with the phrases of the 2nd verse:

• Now I am here in a beautiful place - a globe of the earth or a picture of the earth
• Learning the teachings of Jesus. - a set of scriptures (The New Testament because that's what we are studying this year)
• Parents and teachers will help guide the way - a picture of parents and a child and a teacher in a classroom
• Lighting my path ev'ry day - a flashlight (preferably one that works)
• Wrapped in the arms of my savior's love - a picture of the Savior with his arms out-stretched and a heart cut-out
• I feel His gentle touch - a cut-out of a hand - point to one finger (you could also use a glove)
• Living each day, I will follow His way, home to my father above - a map - you could draw a home or earth then a line from earth to Heaven (clouds with light shining behind it) or a picture of Lehi's dream and the iron rod

Once you have taught each phrase (in order) put all the items back into the bag and have a child pull out one item and  sing the phrase.  End by singing the entire song with the chorus.

"I Know That My Savior Loves Me" - First Verse

When you are teaching songs to non-readers, the more you can use actions or pictures, the easier the little ones will learn.  However, repetition is by far the best way to learn.

The first verse of "I Know That My Savior Loves Me" can be taught using actions or pictures.

• 1st phrase - a picture of the Garden of Eden (no people in it)
• 2nd phrase - Jesus with little children around Him
• 3rd phrase - a heart cut-out
• 4th phrase - point to your eyes as if tears were on your cheek
• 5th phrase - another heart cut-out
• 6th phrase - point to yourself
• 7th phrase - reach out as if touching someone
• 8th phrase - put both hands on your knees
• 9th phrase - picture of Jesus

Follow by singing the chorus.
Sing the first 2 phrases 2 or 3 times, then add the 3rd and 4th phrases.  Sing the first 4 phrases.  Continue in this fashion adding a phrase then singing from the beginning until they can sing the entire verse.  It is very possible that this will take the entire singing time, but the children will know this verse, especially if you review it next week.

I Know that My Savior Loves Me

This month's song is the new one in the back of the 2015 Primary Program, "I Know that My Savior Loves Me."  We learned and sang it in 2011 for the program so some of the children may remember it.  In the 2015 Primary Program, the last two pages give some great ideas for teaching songs to children.  The last page gives some ideas for teaching "I Know that My Savior Loves Me."

I teach the chorus first.  Repeating after each verse solidifies not only the message but the children internalize it and they all enjoy singing it.  This also helps those 3 and 4 year-olds learn it and they will sing it out even if they never really learn the rest of the song.

Here are some ideas for teaching the chorus:

I know He lives    point to your head (brain)
I will follow faithfully    2 fingers "walk" along the palm of the other hand
My heart I give to Him     hand over your heart then stretch your arm out as if giving your heart
I know that my Savior love me     both hands cover your heart

These are helpful hints for the children (and teachers) to remember the words.

I'm Thankful for Christmas

I love the Christmas songs and the season never lasts long enough - for me, anyway. 

Choose some songs familiar to the children - I'm using all Christmas songs.  Don't forget to try some Christmas hymns from the Hymn Book - "Silent Night," "Joy to the World," "O Come, All Ye Faithful," and others the children might be familiar with.  Print the titles on strips of paper.  Cut out shapes of Christmas ornaments from colored paper or use real ornaments.  Tape the strips of paper on the back or bottom or the ornaments.  Tie a long piece of ribbon (yarn, string, curling ribbon) about 3 feet long onto each ornament.  Hang them from the top of the board so they dangle down. 

Tell the children that the greatest gift God gave us was His son.  Christmas is a time to celebrate His birth and to be grateful for for His life.  Ask the children to think of something that they are thankful for this past week.  Choose a child to share their thoughts and then have them choose an ornament.  Sing the song.  After the song, you could ask what in the song could we be thankful for, or continue choosing a child to share their thoughts and then picking an ornament.

Some ideas could be: getting together as families, quiet times with family, giving a special gift to someone, enjoying special holiday foods or family dinners.

Christmas Nativity

The Christmas songs in the Primary Songbook tell the story of the nativity so beautifully.  Without "lavish" costumes, you can have a "nativity" scene for each song that you choose.  Here are a few ideas for a fun activity this week or next week.  I have done it both weeks with different songs.  The children love it!

One example:

• Samuel Tell of the Baby Jesus p. 26
• Samuel stands as if on a wall
• Mary holds a doll  of to the side as if in a vision
• When Joseph Went to Bethlehem  p. 38
• Joseph acts out the words while the children sing
• Mary walks with Joseph
• Joseph sits beside Mary as she holds baby Jesus. He smooths the baby's blanket
•  Joseph turns down the lamp (acts this out) then holds the baby
• Away in a Manger  p. 42
• Joseph, Mary and baby Jesus act out the words as the children sing
• Picture a Christmas  p. 50
•  Joseph, Mary and baby Jesus sit to the side.  Angel stands behind.  A child holds up a star behind them.  two or three shepherds kneel close by.
• Stage a family (using the children) as if having a family home evening talking about the nativity
• Sing both verses

Substitute songs that the children know.  Choose different children for each song.