Winter Singing Time Ideas

Well, it’s about time we had a snowstorm in Utah.  So let’s get prepared to sing some fun songs about Winter. It is around the corner.  And let’s do some snowball activities too! That is always fun for the kids!

Here’s a Link for Ping Pong Balls. These would make fine snowballs…..

  My sister-in-law also gave me a fun idea to do after the primary presentation when the pressure is kind of off to do the required songs, and you have more freedom to do some new tunes.

You could also use styrofoam balls for snowballs…..

Give each of the kids a piece of white scratch paper. It could have stuff on the back, nothing fancy. Then tell them to write their favorite primary song on it and crumple it up. Then tell them it’s their once a year time when they can pelt you with snowballs! Yipee! They will love that.

Juggle your snowballs using old white socks tied in a knot or white marshmallows…giant sized! 

One class at a time can go and throw the snowballs at you. Then you reach down and pick one up! Whoever’s snowball it is you will then sing their favorite song however you want to. Maybe they could try to “juggle” 3 snowballs while you get everyone to sing. (these could be white beanbags made with old white socks filled with rice or dried beans or popcorn, then tied in a fat knot and cut off. OR they could be some of those giant marshmallows they sell for a dollar at the market!  Or you could use ping pong balls. They are only a few buck at Walmart or Target in the sporting goods section. That is always fun! Or white whiffle balls would work great too. I’ve bought sets of 4 of those for a dollar at the Dollar store.

Whiffle balls could also be white snowballs! 

I thought you could be prepared with a fun little song taken from Primary-to-Go. Let’s do a fun rendition of Popcorn Popping called “Snowflakes Falling”

 Popcorn Popping with a little WINTER TWIST!  

Snowflakes Falling on the Evergreen Trees…..

I LOOKED OUT THE WINDOW AND WHAT DID I SEE?
(Put your hands in round circles like binoculars around your eyes)


SNOWFLAKES FALLING ON THE EVERGREEN TREE.
(wiggle fingers from high to down low like snow falling)


WINTER’S BROUGHT ME SUCH A NICE SURPRISE,
(close both fists, then flick them open on surprise)


SNOWFLAKES FALLING RIGHT BEFORE MY EYES. 
(wiggle your fingers above your head and pass in front of your face)


I CAN MAKE A SNOWBALL, I KNOW I CAN,
(motions of making a snowball with both cupped hands)


THREE SNOWBALLS MAKE A BIG SNOWMAN.
(motion your arms to make the outline of a 3 circled snowman)


I KNOW IT’S REALLY SO, AND I’M GLAD TO SEE,
(nod yes, at the same time you  point to your smiling face)


SNOWFLAKES FALLING ON THE EVERGREEN TREES.
(wiggle your fingers from high to down low like snow falling).

Once There Was a Snowman…

Here are the guitar or autoharp chords if you want to play them instead of piano. 

  Another good song is Once There Was a Once There was a Snowman. Link to my post with pictures I did last winter.  Snowman Link. I made this above last winter. It’s made from an old sheet. I choose a child to come up and scrunch down really little with it in their hands. Then when we sing tall, tall, tall, they make it grow. When it melts then the opposite of course. They let the snowman shrink back to a puddle again.

Have some fun when the weather changes again! In the meantime I’m gettin my new winter coat ready!

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Popcorn Popping on the Apricot Tree

Summer has finally arrived in Utah! We have snow melting so fast everybody is worried about floods now! One week we had 10 new inches of snow, the next week it was in the 70s! Crazy weather! But I think summer is FINALLY HERE!

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So sing Popcorn Popping on the Apricot Tree! It is a favorite of all the Sunbeams, that’s for sure.  It can be a fun thing to do while practicing the monthly song and resinging all the ones you have taught so far. 

Another fun thing to do is substitute the word ‘pop’ with another action. For example: us  dance-corn, clap-corn, hop-corn, kickbox-corn, cheer-corn, snap-corn, etc. (then do the actions during this verse of the song…ie. do some kickboxing while singing the song, or some cheerleading with pantomimed pom poms!)

I looked out the window and what did I see?
Have the kids come up with different 1 syllable words to use instead of “pop”  It is silly but it would be fun for the little ones.

SPIN A SPINNER TO SING!
A fun game that you could play is to have kids roll a dice or spin a spinner. Then write on the board 6 different funny things the kids must do while they sing the song. So if they roll a 1, all the kids sing on one leg; Roll a 2 boys hum and girls sing; Roll a 3 girls hum and boys sing; Roll a 4 and Everybody trades chairs to sing. Roll a 5 and everybody whistles the chorus of the song; Roll a 6 and kids have to sing in an opera voice or birdy voice.  Have fun with whatever you write up on the board for 1 – 6. Change it up to suit your kids.
                                                          
           If you don’t have a spinner from one of your kids games and can’t make one, then use a paper clip and a pencil and just spin that way on a round circle cut into 6 pie pieces. The paper clip will stop spinning on one of the 6 pie pieces (you have numbered them 1 – 6) and that will be the action you do during the song.  Kids will LOVE this! And it will keep them engaged to resing all your songs over and over.                               

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