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.

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.

Fun, Fall Singing Time

Often times we become so wrapped up in preparing for the Sacrament Meeting Program that we forget about the sheer enjoyment of singing.  Here a a few songs to intersperse with the program songs.  Many have actions and you can be creative with some of the words.

• Do as I'm Doing - rack leaves, pick apples, mop/vacuum the floor, bake a cake, etc.
• Fun to Do - racking leaves, eating an apple, making my bed, picking up toys, riding a scooter, etc.
• Popcorn Popping - Try these words for Autumn season:

 I looked out the window and what did I see?
Autumn leaves were falling from the tree.
Fall has brought me such a nice surprise,
Leaves all colors fall before my eyes. 
I could rake the leaves into one big pile,
A mound so high it just made me smile.
My feet began to run,
Leap and oh, what fun!
What a treat the autumn leaves can be!