Agency

Hello!  Sorry for the delay in my post this week.  We have been sick sick sick at our house.  Anyhow, here are a couple ideas for week 4: I have agency, & I am responsible for my choices.

1.  Find stories/personal experiences reflecting agency.  Kathleen, writer of The Children Sing blog, suggested using those provided in the Friend Magazine's "I'm Trying to be like Jesus" feature.  See here.  Type up the stories you chose & mount them to the back of a CTR shield.  Place them in a container for the children to choose from.  Have a child select a shield & read it.  The rest of the children listen to see how the child in the story chose the right or could have chosen the right.  Sing a primary song that corresponds with the topic.

2.  Place two sacks/containers numbered Choice 1 & Choice 2 on the table.  Print off several CTR shields.  Write songs &/or activities on the back of them.  Divide the shields & place them randomly into the two containers.  Explain that we have all been given the gift of agency.  We make choices everyday...some of them may be right & some may be wrong.  We have to be responsible for our choices & accept the consequences.  Invite a child to come up & make a "choice".  Sing the song &/or complete the activity chosen.  Examples of activities are as follows:

-Have the child lead the group in "Do As I'm Doing" using the zoo hats.  See here.
-Have the child lead the group in a song using the "Sing-like-a-?" discs.  See here.
-Play the hot/cold game (singing loud/soft) while singing a practice song.
-Have the child lead the song using visuals that say loud/quiet, hum, fast/slow, etc.
-Have the child select "who" sings the song by drawing from cards that say things like girls only, boys only, teachers only, children with blue eyes, children with blonde hair, children wearing black, etc.
-Have the child pick their favorite primary song to sing.
-Simply sing a song that you want to practice.

Song choices for this activity include:
"Choose the Right" Hymn Book pg 239.
"Choose the Right Way" pg 160
"Dare to do Right" pg 158
"Nephi's Courage" pg 120

Heavenly Father's Plan

Here are a few ideas for weeks 2 & 3, "Heavenly Father's plan is a plan of happiness."

1.  Wrap gifts containing songs you would like to sing.  Have a child come up & open a gift.  Sing the corresponding song.

2.  Continue teaching/reviewing verses 2 & 3 of "I am a Child of God."  Wrap gifts containing the lines/key-words to these verses.  For example: "And so my needs are great", "Help me to understand His words", "Before it grows to Late", "Rich blessings are in store", "If I but learn to do His will", and "I'll live with Him once more".  Number the gifts.  Have the children come up & open the gifts in order.  After each gift is opened, place the line/key-word on the board.  Discuss in detail what each line of the song means.  Answer any questions the children may have.  Next, sing that portion of the song.  Keep adding lines on until you have sung the entire verse.

3.  If you have already taught "I am a Child of God" in it's entirety, review the verses by playing a memory game. Print 8 of the following images.  Write the words to part of each line on the gift & the rest of the line on the bows.  For example:
"I am a Child of God..... And He has sent me here."
"Has given me an earthly home..... With parents kind and dear."
"I am a Child of God..... And so my needs are great."
"Help me to understand His words..... Before it grows to late."
"I am a Child of God..... Rich blessings are in store."
"If I but learn to do His will..... I'll live with Him once more."
"Lead me, guide me, walk beside me..... Help me find the way."
"Teach me all that I must do..... To live with Him someday."

Call a child up to try & make a match.  Intersperse game play with practicing the song.

Close whatever activity you choose by bearing testimony of Heavenly Father's plan. Explain that He has given each of us a gift...His plan.  It is one of happiness.  If we all make righteous choices & follow the Savior's example, we will be happy with our families & Heavenly Father & Jesus in the Celestial Kingdom.

Other Songs to sing as either opening & closing songs or during singing time include:
"If You're Happy & You Know It"
"I Lived in Heaven"
"I Will Follow God's Plan"
"I Know my Father Lives"
"He Sent His Son"
"Families Can be Together Forever"

I am a Child of God

I am so glad this song is in the sharing time outline this year!  For me, this song is what primary is all about... teaching our children that they are loved & special because they have a Heavenly Father. EVERY child will know this song already.

I actually really like the idea provided in the outline for teaching this song.  Here is the Christie spin on it:

Place a picture representing Heavenly Father in the top right corner of the chalkboard.  Place footsteps that start from the bottom left of the the board & lead up to the picture.  Have a child come up to spin/roll dice & then move a marker along the footsteps (a picture of a child would work nicely as a marker).  Assign a question to each footstep.  For example:
1.  Who leads us?
2.  What does guide mean?
3.  Why would you want someone to walk beside you?
4.  What is something we have been given to help us return to Heavenly Father?
5.  What is something we must do to return to live with our Heavenly Father one day?
6.  How do you know God loves you?
7.  If Heavenly Father visited you, what would He call you?

Alternate with singing "I am a Child of God" & other songs that reinforce the topic. Close by bearing testimony that God knows each of us by name.  Discuss our relationship with Heavenly Father.  Testify of the blessings of having parents, teachers, leaders, prophets, scriptures, & the Holy Ghost to help us find our way back to Heavenly Father.

This activity could also be played as a game with two teams.

Other songs you can sing this month to reinforce each of the weekly topics are:
"I Know My Father Lives" pg 5
"I Lived in Heaven" pg 4
"I Will Follow God's Plan" pg 164
"Choose the Right Way" 160
"He Sent His Son" pg 37

Baby It's Cold Outside!

January is upon us.  With that comes a new primary outline & new songs!!! I am so excited about the program songs for this year.  Your children should already know most of them which will give you the opportunity to sing/practice a lot of other songs.

January also brings COLD weather & single digit temperatures here in Utah.  Here are some ideas for the month:

Snowball Fight
Originally posted here.  This game is a definite crowd pleaser!

Build-a-Snowman Game

Place the snowman game board & two pieces of paper with the body of the snowman already drawn (one on each side of the game board) on the chalkboard.  I cannot remember the name of the book where I originally found my game board.  Sorry!!!  But you could easily make your own.  Another spin on this game would be to not use a game board...instead place all of the pieces of the snowman in a sack that the children draw from.  Rather than leaving the part out once it's chosen, put it back in the sack.

Divide the children into two teams.  Take turns having a child from each team come up & spin the spinner/roll the dice.  The child then moves their team's marker around the game board...I usually have the top left corner be the start point of the game (eyes).  I simply attach my markers to the board with masking tape.  Whatever spot they land on is the item they draw on their snowman.  The team that completes their snowman first WINS!

Alternate this game with singing.   I typically let each team have a turn & then sing a song.  Sometimes each team will land on a part they have already drawn.  When this happens, you can pick the song.  If they land on a new part, they can pick the song.

Build-A-Snowman

Simple & straightforward.  Place the parts of the snowman in a sack/container the children can draw from.  Each part of the snowman corresponds with a song you want to sing.  Place the parts on the chalkboard as they are chosen.

Once There Was a Snowman
This idea was originally seen here.  It was such a GREAT idea that I made one of my own.  The kids LOVE it...even the older boys!