Presidents Day Primary Music

This weekend is President’s Day. Let’s celebrate by doing something patriotic!

I took this from the church website to be sure it is okay to sing patriotic songs during singing time in primary…

Music in Primary


Music in Primary includes singing during the elements of sharing time. Music is also important in Primary classes and activities.
Music in Primary should  invite reverence, teach the gospel, and help children feel the  influence of the Holy Ghost and the joy that comes through singing.  While the children sing some songs, music leaders give them opportunities to move physically and stretch appropriately.
The Children’s Songbook and the current sharing time outline are the basic resources for music in Primary. Hymns from the hymnbook and songs from the Friend and Liahona are also appropriate. Occasionally, children may sing patriotic or holiday songs that are suitable for Sunday and for the children’s ages. The use of any other music in Primary must be approved by the bishopric.
For information about teaching music to children, see “Teaching a Song to Children” on the Church Music Web site.


So I figured it is okay occasionally to do something different…..

HERE is a link to songs published in the FRIEND.  They are listed by category so you can easily find something church approved for primary if you want to do something a little different.

You could make a paper black tall hat like Lincoln’s and put the songs inside the hat numbered and on little hats.  That would be a fun way to keep up the President’s Day theme too.  I’d do that and it would be fun and easy. Maybe you already have a top hat laying around in your costume box?

Me stomping around doing singing time…..

You could wear the hat and pick kids to come choose from your hat as you sit down. Or you could pass the hat to a teacher and have her get one child from her class to pick a song out of the hat. (You could put a small paper bowl inside the hat and tape it so the songs don’t fall out if you make one from black paper.

I love this song MY FLAG, MY FLAG.  LINK HERE.   This could be a fun song to teach that is a snap to learn. Little kids can follow the words super easily too.  I’ve used this lots in primary and at school for 4th of July, Memorial Day and Flag Day, as well as President’s Day because it so easy to learn. It is in the Children’s Songbook.

I’ve used it in my classroom to teach kids about the symbols of America that we hold dear.
It’s super easy to learn if you have the music playing along with showing kids the words on
chart paper.   You can talk about how the scouts all put flags out on our front lawns in honor
of President’s Day on Monday and for them to look for the flags and what they mean.

We are so lucky to be Americans.  Happy President’s Day everybody!

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Valentines Primary Singing Time

Since yesterday was VALENTINES DAY, I would do some heart popping balloons for singing time! I would go over to Hobby Lobby or Michaels and look for some heart shaped balloons.  Or just 7 or 8  red balloons will do in the 9 or 10 inch size.  Then I would put  7 songs on little strips of paper and roll them up inside each of the balloons.

Then tape them to a wall or chalkboard before the kids all come in.  You could write a big number on the outside or just leave them blank.

Here’s my little Valentines with me at the Petting Zoo last Saturday…..
Ain’t she cute?  
Feeding the goats…..priceless! 

Then tell the kids for Valentines Day coming up you wanted to play “pop the balloon” with them.  Sing the assigned song and tell them you are going to be looking for the best singer to pick to come up and pop the balloon for the next song choice.

I’d try to get some heart shaped ones from Roberts Crafts, Micheals or Hobby Lobby….

Then they will undoubtedly sing their little hearts out for you.  It’s so cute how easy it is to motivate kids.
Then pick out your first “contestant”.  They can come up and get a big pin from you for popping.
 Make a big deal about maybe counting down from 5, to 4, to 3, 2, 1 Let er RIP!  Then watch the fun.

And you’ll have your next song to sing.  Tell them once again you will be looking for the best singer to pop the next balloon.  The balloons will cost you about 20 cents each depending on where you go.  I know Roberts Crafts has balloons too and you might find some cute Valentine ones to put in between the plain red ones for variety.
Balloon Pop Gift Wrap
Happy POPPING!  And Happy Valentines Day!

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Primary Music for February 2012

A fun game we used to play was
  WHAT’S THE MISSING WORD?
 I had a several funny knit hats with long ears, pigtails or horns.   I’d pin a word on a 3x 5 card to the front (or use tape) and I’d choose a prominent word from one of the songs on the hat.  The person couldn’t see the word.  Then we’d begin to sing the song but when we came to the word, the primary would skip it and not sing it.  The object is to see if the child can figure out the word.  The senior primary can do it a lot better than the junior primary can,  Especially if you are just learning the song.  But it is a great activity for the 2nd or 3rd week of a new song.  It would be good for the new February song.  Try it this week.

Primary Singing Time Fun….What’s the Missing Word? 
Find any old funny hat to use for the word….get several funny hats…..

  

Any of these hats would do….or go look for one at the DI
Primary Singing time for February….What’s the Missing Word?

       

If you don’t have any funny hats, you could use a baseball cap. It doesn’t really matter.  I used to use a jester hat with multiple horns of many colors coming out of it.  It was funny just to watch the child up there thinking while we were singing. It makes the kids forget they are singing they are so anticipating getting to the word to see if the child will “get it” or not.  It’s a fun activity to re-sing songs.

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Primary Singing Time February

Let’s do some Hot Potato with a twist!  I have this big, stuffed heart hanging from a doorknob in my house. It says “Be Mine” on it.  It is the perfect little pillow to throw around if you are playing keep away at your house. But it might just be perfect for a Primary ” Heart Potato” game we can do for singing time.

Valentines Game “Hot Heart Potato”

Pass the little heart pillow (or any heart you can find around the house…even a heart sucker) around primary while the kids are singing the songs and when the music stops that child can come up and hold a picture or a visual aid (or maybe keep time with a bell or a wood block or sticks). They love participating in any kind of percussion.

 I just got done doing all my Valentines Day Decorating.
Here’s my front entry table….so cute, right?  

I can’t believe how much stuff I’ve accumulated….. here is
an end table…..

Living Room Table decor…..

 I worked at Kohls while getting my Master’s Degree in Education….so I got great discounts
on lots of their fun decorations at holidays…..

It’s amazing how much stuff you can accumulate when you go shop
the after holiday sales for a few years……I got lots of cute stuff for just a dollar or two.
This is my coffee table…..I love this little stained glass heart box….
So anyway, here’s inside my front door……

My dining room picture wall….each season I change the black metal cone contents…..and
hang some new ribbons or a swag of some sort on the wrought iron bar…..

Kitchen table….I love placemats and runners…..and I change out the candle colors each season….

This little plate rack in my kitchen I’ve got plates for every holiday now….
Well….except for 4th of July…Maybe I can find some red, white and blue ones….hehe….

Picture Wall of my family and grandkids….

Outside on the front door I hung a heart ornament on a beaded wreath….I’m so crafty…hehe….

Front entry table….I love this light up LOVE lamp….it stays on all season long…..

My 3 sons and my darling first granddaughter….some of my fav peeps…..

My grandkids love all of my candy dishes…only thing is….these conversation
hearts are like a year old….I buy them after the season…they are for looks only! I actually think they might break your teeth if you chomped down on one of em……

I love this little cupid lamp…..

Hope you have some fun doing some HOT POTATO during singing time next Sunday!  

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