Thanksgiving - Pluck a Feather

I will be using my turkey this week.  I am putting several "thankful" songs on the back of each feather plus a few favorite songs and a couple of Article of Faith songs.  A child will come will come and pick a feather and we will sing that song.  Continue until there are no feathers left or time runs out.

Here is a sample of  the Turkey that I use:

For Thy Bounteous Blessings

Another great "thankful" song is "For Thy Bounteous Blessings," p. 21.  It is written in a minor key and there are not too many in the Primary Songbook that are.  It is also a round.  Learn it as written then learn it in the major key.  All you have to do is play the exact same notes with no flats except B flat.  Leave the B natural on the last line on the word loving-kindness.  Ask the children which version they like best.  Once they know it, try singing it in a round.  Try two parts first and then try 3 and 4 parts.  There are small circled numbers within the song that tell you when to begin each part.

For Health and Strength

"For Health and Strength" p. 21 is a fun song to add to our thankful songs.  It can be sung as a round.  First, sing the song several times so the children know it well.  Then divide the primary in half and have one side begin and sing it all the way through.  Have the other half begin singing from the beginning when the first group sings "and."  Trade sides and have the other side begin and the first side begin second.

The teachers will be a big help if your primary has never sung songs like this.  If you are especially adventurous, divide the room in fourths and have each group begin as it shows in the songbook.  Try having everyone stand up.  As each group finishes singing, have them sit down.  the last group will be the last to sit down.

Make sure that you review thankful songs that you recently learned.  This will help the children retain them for next year.

Thankful Song

This month is a great time to learn some of the "thankful" songs in the Primary Songbook.  "I Am Glad for Many Things," p. 151 is fun to sing.  After you sing the first verse, sing it again but instead of singing "many things," substitute something that you are thankful for, such as "Primary."  Ask the children to think of what they are thankful for and use their ideas in the song.  You could sing as many verses as you'd like as the children share their thankfulness.  End with the last verse to tie all the thankfulness together.