Winter Singing Time

Make 10 or 12 snowflakes. Choose several songs that the children know - 10 or 12.  Include Choose the Right and I'm Trying to Be Like Jesus as well as Once There Was a Snowman, p. 249, and Rain Is Falling, p.241.  Tape the snowflakes on the board or all around the room.  Ask a child to choose one then sing the song.  It is always good to sing a song more than once, especially if they struggle with the words.

Snowflakes:

• Snowflakes have 6 points
• Cut 10 or 12 large circles out of white and/or light blue construction paper (dinner plate size)
• Fold circles in half then in thirds so it looks like a watermelon slice
• cut several small triangles, diamonds, etc. along the folded sides.
• unfold the circle and see the design you have made.
• Use your imagination so no two snowflakes are not alike.
• I laminate them so I can use them over and over again.

"Choose the Right" Review

Using the visuals from last weeks post (Jan. 8, 2017), tape them to the board and ask the children to put them in order as you sing the hymn.  If the visual is used more than once, put a tally mark next to it.

Review phrases that they need help on, then sing it again.

If they know the hymn well, try this activity as everyone sings the hymn:

• Boys stand when the word "choose" is sung.
• Girls stand when the word "right" is sung.
• As soon as they sing their word, they must quickly sit back down.

Choose the Right

I like to start learning the hymn for the year as soon as possible so the children have plenty of time to internalize it.  this year it is Choose the Right, #239. Click the links for pictures.

Preparation:

• Make a shield with CTR printed in the middle, (Hopefully you all know that it stands for Choose the Right.)  I used heavy cardstock and made it about about 14 inches tall.
• Picture of a flashlight or light bulb (or you can use the real thing)

Sing the first and hold up the shield every time you sing choose the right or right.

Every time you sing light, hold up the flashlight or light bulb.

Sing it a few times with the children.  

Have two children hold up the two pictures as you sing them.

Chorus

• Use the shield and flashlight/light bulb as you sing the chorus.
• Picture of books with a bookmark - "let wisdom mark the way before"
• Picture of children with Christ - "and God will bless you evermore"

Sing the chorus showing the pictures as you sing.  Invite the children to sing with you.

Songs for 2017 and "I'm Trying to Be Like Jesus"

Here is a list of the songs for the Primary Sacrament Meeting Program for 2017. Many of these songs have been used in the past years which means that the children will know some of them quite well with a little review.  The youngest classes will need the most help in learning them.  It helps to have the order children sit among the younger ones and sing the songs.

This week, focus on I'm Trying to Be Like Jesus, p. 78.

• Begin with the chorus
• sing each phrase 2 or 3 times with the children
• sing the first 2 phrases together
• add the third phrase to the first 2 phrases
• finally add the last phrase
• sing the whole chorus.

If you choose to find a picture to match each phrase.  Try to find pictures that include children doing acts of kindness.

2017 Songs for Sharing Time

“I'm Trying to Be like Jesus” (Children's Songbook,78)

“When I Am Baptized” (Children's Songbook, 103)

"Nephi's Courage” (Children's Songbook, 120)

“Stand for the Right” (Children's Songbook, 159)

“Choose the Right” (Hymns, no. 239)

“The Wise Man and the Foolish Man” (Children's Songbook, 281)

“As a Child of God” (2012 Outline for Sharing Time, 28)

What Can I Give

What gift can I give?  Children are naturally giving.  This singing activity is all about giving.

• Choose several songs that the children like to sing - include as many Christmas songs as possible.  Write the titles on a piece of paper and roll or fold each of them up.
• Write "What can I give?" on 10 pieces of paper and roll or fold each of them up. 
• You will need a Christmas stocking.
• Put the titles of the songs and "gift" papers in the stocking.
• Make sure they are mixed up.

Tell the children that Christ's gift to us was His life, goodness, love and atonement.  Because we want to be like Him, we should follow His example. What can we give to others?  Give a few examples: set the table, read to someone - old or young, take the garbage out, etc.

We are going to sing about Jesus and tell how we can give service to others as He did.

Ask a child to pick a paper from the stocking.  Sing the song or tell what "gift" he/she can give to others.

Continue through your singing time.

Stars Were Gleaming

Stars Were Gleaming, p. 37, is one of my favorite Christmas song.  The melody comes from a Polish carol.

There are a lot of "ing" words and rhyming words throughout this piece.  Listed below are all of them.  I made a word strip for each of them to do this activity.

gleaming   dreaming
singing, ringing, winging
leading, guiding, riding
showing, shining, growing
going, gleaming, glowing, leading

Then there are the rhyming words:

chill, hill, still
story, glory
clearness, nearness
star, far, star

1. Sing the first 2 lines then ask the children to tell what the "ing" words were and/or any rhyming words.  You may need to sing it again as they listen.  Put the word in the board in order.  Sing the first 2 lines with the children, pointing to the words as you sing them.

2.  Sing the last 2 lines and do the same thing.  Put the word in the board in order. (The words: chill, hill and still may need some help listening for.)  Sing the last 2 lines with the children, pointing to the words as you sing them.

3.  Follow the same procedure for the second verse - 2 lines at a time.

*To include non-readers, instead of the word "star" use a star (you will need 2 of them), ringing - a bell, dreaming - a child sleeping, story - a book, hill - picture of a hill.

Next week, mix the words and have the children put them in order.  Sing one section (two lines) at a time then put up the words.  Conclude by singing the entire song.

Away in a Manger

Away in a Manger, p. 42, is a wonderful song about the story of Christmas.  Acting it out really brings meaning to the children.

Gather the following:

• minimal costumes for Mary and Joseph
• large star (yellow with glitter)
• a doll for baby Jesus wrapped in a blanket

Choose children to be the following:

• Mary
• Joseph
• 3 lambs
• 3 cattle
• the star
• the rest will be the choir of angels (they can remain in their seats)

Set the children up in the front to look like the manger scene.

Sing the entire song.

Divide the choir up for the chorus and half sing the first "asleep" the other half sings the echo of "asleep."  They all sing the rest including those in the manger scene. 

If time permits, choose a new set of children to be the manger scene and sing the song again.

(You can also use a flannel board manger scene or gather pictures to go along with the song.)