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!

Football

It's that time of year again...College football season!  This is HUGE at our house.

This game is super simple & can be used to review any songs you'd like.  It's always a hit...especially with senior primary.  Simply print off several copies of the following image & cut into small cards:

Then write numbers on the back of the cards to represent points scored during a football game: 

1- Extra Point

2- 2 point Conversion

3- Field Goal

6- Touch Down

Place the cards in a sack to draw from (you don't want the kids to be able to see the points on the back).  Divide the children into 2 teams (I usually just do the 2 sides of the room).  Take turns having a child from the each team come up & draw a football.  Whatever card they draw is how many points their team scored.  Sing the song you want to practice following each "play".  

*It's fun to pass a small football around each side of the room while the pianist plays (hot potato) to determine who gets to come up.  

*You can also have a coin toss to see which team gets to start the game.

Have fun! GO UTES!!!

"Time" for School

Can you believe it's already time to go back to school?  Where has the summer gone?  I picked up this clock from the dollar section at Target.  I have also seen them at the dollar store, Michael's, & Utah Idaho Supply.  If you feel really ambitious, you could make your own or just use an old clock from your house.

Assign numbers 1-6 on the clock to a song you want to sing.  Numbers 7-12 tell how to sing the song.  For example: robot, cowboy, granny, boys only, girls only, etc.  You can put pictures on the numbers to represent what & how to sing.  For example: a rock for "The Wise Man & the Foolish Man", a bee for "Stand for the Right", a rainbow for "When I am Baptized", a lightbulb for "As a Child of God", a picture of the Savior for "I'm Trying to be like Jesus", a sword or boat for "Nephi's Courage", a CTR shield for "Choose the Right".  They're not necessary, but they do make it more interesting!  

Have a child come up and move the hands on the clock.  Then tell the children what "time" it is & sing the song accordingly.

Say What???

This game is a variation of the board game "Mad Gab" & is a fun way to review program songs.  The original idea was found here.  "Say What?" was published in the Friend Magazine originally in July 2010  & then again January & July of 2011.

The nonsense phrases from the January 2011 issue reinforce this month's theme nicely...all are ways we can fill our lives with things that invite the spirit.  Print off the sayings & glue them to the back of footprints.  Place the footprints in a bag or container that the children can draw from.  Put a picture of the Savior on the upper corner of the chalkboard.  Have a child draw a footprint & say the phrases out loud...It works best if they say each word one time slowly & then connected as fast as they can.  Have the rest of the children try to figure out what is being said.  Lastly, place the footprint(s) on the chalkboard "walking" toward the Savior.  Sing a program song that corresponds with each nonsense phrase.

Close by bearing testimony that Heavenly Father & the Savior have made it easy for us to return to live with them.  If we follow Jesus' "footsteps" & fill our lives with those things that invite the spirit, we will be greatly blessed.  Explain that if they are ever doing something that they feel ugly inside about, they should stop doing it...that is the spirit telling them it is wrong.

The children love the craziness of this activity.  I have even made up my own before to target specific songs for practice.  Have fun!!!

I'm Trying to be Like Jesus

This month's song is "I'm Trying to be Like Jesus".  The children in my ward already know this song so rather than spend the whole time teaching it, I will be incorporating it in a choosing time.

Make or print off several "footsteps".  I got mine here.   Write song titles for practice on the back of each footstep.  Next, prepare "directions" (boys only, girls only, hum, teachers only, leave out a word, children wearing black/blue etc).  I will be using visuals I found in this book.  These can also be slips of paper with directions written on them.  Place footsteps & directions in two separate containers for the children to draw from.  Sing the chosen song according to the direction selected.

Another idea is to place the directions for singing in a "singing cube" instead of drawing them from a container.  I made this awhile back and the children LOVE rolling it.  I have used it in countless different ways.

Begin this activity with a discussion of how we can try to be like the Savior & where we can find directions of how to do so.  Close by bearing your testimony of the blessings we will receive if we strive to follow Jesus' example.

Olympics!

I did this activity during the last summer olympic games & it was a hit to say the least. The great thing about this activity is that you can stretch it out over multiple weeks!

I chose who got to come up by passing a torch around the room while the pianist played (hot potato style).  I fashioned my torch out of a flashlight & colored cellophane.  This was fun because you could actually turn it on & it looked like flames.  Another idea is to make one out of a toilet paper roll & tissue or construction paper.  See here.

The following activities served as our "games":
Basketball - I brought my Little Tikes basketball hoop.  Have the child try to make a basket.  If they make it, they get to choose the song.  If not, you choose it.
Long Jump - Place three papers spaced evenly in a row on the floor that read "Chorister's Pick", "Teacher's Pick", "Your Pick".  Have them see how far they can jump.  Whatever paper they land on or closest to determines the song.
Swimming - Have the child come up & lead the group in "Do as I am Doing" swimming (swimmer's arms).  This would also work for running, rowing, Equestrian, Taekwando etc.
Archery - Walmart & Harmon's both sell inexpensive bow & arrow sets.  Make a target & place it on the bulletin board.  Have them try their skills...if they hit the target, they pick the song.  If not, you pick the song.  You could also make a target that has different ways to sing the song. Whichever one they hit is how you sing.  For example: hum, stop/go, fast/slow, quiet/loud.  I have visuals I've made that say each of these...the child gets to raise & lower them while everyone else follows.  This would also work for shooting using a Nerf gun.
Volleyball - Have the children pass a beach ball around the room while singing.  A balloon would also work.
Diving - Have the child stand on a chair & try to drop a polly pocket into a mason jar or other container with a smaller opening.  Another idea is to use a clothes pin. See here.
Gymnastics - Sing "Hinges".  Gymnasts definitely have to have hinges!!!
Javelin - Have the child throw a swim noodle.  Again, you can place distances on the floor using tape or papers to determine how to sing the song or which song to sing.
Karate - Have the child karate chop a plastic Easter egg or other object that breaks open easily.  Have  the name of the song to sing inside the egg.

Use your imagination with this activity...the possibilities are endless!!! Check out www.iheartprimarymusic.blogspot.com for more awesome ideas.

You can give each child a "gold medal" at the end.  When I did this, I used gold candy coins that I purchased from Harmon's.  Rolos are another option.

Have fun!