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| I pull sticks out of the can to be sure each child has a chance to come up and participate in the singing time games…. |
Singing Time helps that have served me well over the years are easy, go to, bag of tricks items I can grab on the way out the door. Here are a few of my favs.
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| Pictures on sticks…..I use lots of these kinds of things on sticks so I can call on kids to come up and help me lead the singing in fun ways…. |
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| Sing like a Shining Star. We hold about 8 of these up around the room while singing “I am Like a Star Shining Brightly” as everybody does the hand motions opening and closing their fingers like blinking stars. |
I teach school and my motto has always been; if I’m bored, the kids are going to be bored too. Don’t be boring. Do fun activities along with teaching the songs. I hope I never got stale. I always wanted to do fresh, fun things to get the kids involved.
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| Magnetic Fishing – Try a game of Going Fishing using each fish as a song (list songs in washable marker on the back) or you could use them to write small questions and tape them to the backs of the laminated fish. The pole is just a dowel with string and magnet. |
The other thing is to always bring the spirit into the singing time. The songs most often do it themselves. But I always taught lessons along with the songs. I would bear my testimony about my work in the temple. I would tell the kids about how important it is to include others and be nice at school with stories of things I had seen that made me sad.
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| For better singing, louder singing, more focus…..I have made dozens of these kinds of things where you pull a string on the back and the thing grows, or goes up as they do a great job singing…..they are always delightful fun. Try a rocket blasting off, a thermometer going up in red, etc. |
I encouraged them all the time that they could make a difference in their own families by instigating kindness or exhibiting helpfulness to their siblings and parents.
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| Fun Motivators…..You can’t tell from this picture but the red tongue goes up as the kids sing louder or better. It is a funny one with the furry red head of hair on Lester. |
I would try to repeat things that were spoken about in the sharing time lessons when I had inspirations. The singing time is primarily a teaching time. So make it so.
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| Pictures and Visuals……I use lots of pictures and visual aids to go with all my songs. My favorite method to teach a new song is finding a flip book from Sugardoodle with words to go with pictures. |
HERE are a few cute conducting ideas to keep the kids learning and interested, check out these posts by some music experts in the trenches of Primary Music. Teaching kids how to conduct is always fun too. And if you don’t know how, just read some expert blogs and copy them!
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| Here are a few ideas on leading singing from some experts in the field….. |
Leading Sticks by Brooke Wakefield on Sugardoodle
It’s All in the Hands by Ali Katherman on Sugardoodle
A Conducting Wand on Sugardoodle
Conducting Elephant by Tifany Hoecherl on Sugardoodle
I have used all of these things in my BAG OF TRICKS when I need something quick and I don’t have a lot of prep time. Try one of them this Sunday!