This idea was adapted from “The Crazy Chorister’s” post on Measuring Vase. You could use a vase, a glass jar, or a clear glass pitcher… anything clear where the kids can see the water rising. A tall vase or container that is thin would work the best. Maybe a tall tube type vase.
Get some food coloring and choose a bright color to tint the water in a different container or pitcher. Then tell the kids you are going to add water to the vase depending on how well the groups sings. Tell them you are looking for 4 things; 1. singing the words correctly, 2. singing pretty with feeling, 3. everybody participating, and 4.watching you while you switch signs between “sing soft” and “sing loud” so you know they are really paying attention.
| Use any kind of flowers, any kind of tall, clear vase! |
Then pick your first song. You can have a few silk flowers in the vase (or paper ones on a plastic straw stem) and have somebody come up and pick flower 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5. Then have a little piece of tape sticking out of each flower or straw with the song name on it. Then sing the song after that flower is chosen. Then tell them what you thought; really great, so-so, or just okay, and add that much water. Motivate them to get up to the next line and draw a line with a marker.
| I would use 5 to 6 flowers with song names attached…. |
Then pick another child to pick the next flower. The vase will be filled with colored water by the time your singing time minutes are up. You could try starting with yellow water and then adding red to see if it turns orange. Then add more red to turn the orange to red. That would add to the fun and motivation!
| Alternate the signs “Loud” and “Soft” while they sing to add to the fun….Start with yellow water….add red to it….watch it colorchange! |
Thanks Crazy Chorister for your ideas. It helps to have some new ones now and then doesn’t it? Keep up the good work everybody!