Listen to a Prophet's VOICE

Primary 'The Voice".


My new favorite show is 'The Voice' (not that I ever have time to watch it :))  but I like to see parts of it when I can.  The gist of the show is: 4 people are turned around in a chair facing away from a stage.  A singer comes on the stage and starts to sing.  If one of the 4 likes their singing, they turn their chair around.

So to make 'The Voice' primary style, we made some adjustments...

Pick one child to sit in a swivel chair facing away from the piano and the other primary children.
Preselect songs relating to different councils the prophets have told us.  Have the pianist start to play one song.  As soon as the child in the chair recognizes the song or knows the title, have them turn around.  Then discuss the message of the song and what 'The Voice' of the prophet has told us to do.

Here's a list of songs and the corresponding prophet:
~Song:  I Hope they Call Me on a Mission. David O. McKay - focused on missionary work, "every member a missionary".
~Song:  This is my Beloved Son.  Joseph Fielding Smith - invited all to come unto Christ.
~Song:  A Happy Family.  Harold B. Lee - encouraged us to take time for family home evening.
~Song:  The Priesthood is Restored or Do As I'm Doing.  Spencer W. Kimball - on his desk was a plaque with the motto "Do It", and received revelation to extend the priesthood to all worthy male members.
~Song:  Book of Mormon Stories.  Ezra Taft Benson - renewed emphasis on the Book of Mormon.
~Song: Families Can Be Together Forever.  Howard W. Hunter - focused on being worthy to enter and attend the temple.
~Song:  I Love to See the Temple.  Gordon B. Hinckley - dedicated more temples than any other General Authority.
~Song: Jesus Said Love Everyone.  Thomas S. Monson - As bishop at age 22, there were 85 widows in his ward and he visited them regularly.  Later he spoke at each of their funerals after they passed away. 


We would love to hear from you if this idea works for your Primary!!!  Happy March! and check out our other posts from this week!

~iheartprimarymusic

Communication in a Bag

God Speaks through Living Prophets

Place several ways to speak/communicate in a large bag.  For example:  a telephone, letter, megaphone, tin cans, walkie talkies, cell phone, the Ensign.  Let a child stick their hand in the bag and grab an object.  Sing a song for each object chosen.

At the end of Singing Time, explain that our Heavnely Father speaks with our living prophet and apostles and they communicate with us the things that they were told.

Dizzy Prophets

This idea was found here and was adapted to singing time :)  Thanks Perglers Primary Place!

Let a child spin the wheel and land on a letter!  Each letter represents something about our LIVING prophet, Thomas S. Monson. After each letter is landed on, stick it on the board (so the word PROPHETS can be spelled out), read what the letter represents, and sing a song.  

P - President.  He is the president of our church.  President Thomas S. Monson, Proclaims the gospel, Protects us from sin, and Preaches repentance.
R - Revelator.  He Reveals and shows us commandments from the Lord, and Reads messages from our Heavenly Father
O - Obedient.  He is Obedient to Heavenly Father.  He is Ordained of God.
P - Prophecies.  He prophecies thing that will come. 
H - Holder of the Priesthood.  He Holds all the keys of the priesthood.
E - Example.  Our Prophet is an example to me and how to live my life. 
T - Testifies.  He tells his testimony of Jesus all around the world.  He teaches people what we need to do in order to be like Jesus.  He translates messages from the Lord so we can understand them.
S - Seer.  A seer is like spiritual eyeglasses.  As a seer, our prophet can see what we cannot see with our natural eyes.  As a seer, he can also have the power to translate ancient records.  And see things both past and future with more clarity and brightness so that we can interpret God's plan and warn us of things to come.
The prophet stands by what he believes in, even unto death.


Here is a YOU TUBE video (from arizonaforever.blogspot.com) if you are an over achiever and want to teach your children the sign language to Stand for the Right!!!

In like a Lion; Out like a Lamb...

March is here!!!  well... tomorrow it will be :)  If you're weather is anything like it is here, March is definitely coming in like a LION!!!  Here's an idea to use this month for singing time:

Let a child hold up a paper lion and a lamb (one at a time).  When the lion is held up, sing LOUD.  And when the lamb is held up, sing softly.

Birthday Balloons!!!

Who doesn't LOVE balloon's for their birthday?!??!?!?  I do!!!  I would take balloons over flowers any birthday - they last longer!

This is a fun idea for your Primary children to hold up when it's their birthday.  Let them stick their face in one of the balloon's and sing a birthday song to them!

We have an extra day to Choose the Right - so HOP to it!!!

Leap Frog
All you need for this Singing Time is some leaping frogs!!!  You can get some like the ones pictured above at the dollar store or make some origami ones!  Here is a link to see how to make origami frogs.  Number each frog (the number represents a song).  Choose 2 or 3 children to come up and each child gets a frog.  Set each frog at the starting line and as you say, "Go", they press down on their frog to make it leap.  The frog that leaps the farthest is the song you sing!

Frog Singing Meter
As the children sing, pull the tongue in and out depending on their volume.  The longer the tongue, the louder they sing!!!
Lilly Pad Toss
Place 6-10 Lilly Pads on the floor.  Write a song on the back of each lilly pad.  Let a child toss a bean bag/stuffed frog onto a lilly pad.  Sing Song.  (if the bean bag doesn't land on a pad exactly, choose the one closest)

 Frog Tongue
This idea was found here.
Here's a couple ideas on how to use this for Singing Time:
-Put song titles on the board and let a child hit the one they want to sing with the frog tongue.
-Choose a super singer to use the frog tongue to pop bubbles as a teacher blows them.
CTR Search
This CTR search was found from February's 2010 Friend.  Make a large one and put it on the board and let a child circle a CTR each time you review the Song Choose the Right.  Try to find them all!
 
Here is a maze that would be fun to pass out as a handout.  It's from the March 2004 Friend.

CTR Shield Language Match
Put these shields and language strips on the board.  Choose a child to see if they can get a match!  For every match, sing a song!  These shields can be found here or here or here


We hope you have a great Singing Time this week!!!  Take at peek at the other ideas for this week posted below!

~iheartprimarymusic

Strength in Choosing the Right

This is a Primary Singing Time activity that goes along with this months theme, Choose the Right.  Cut out 7-10 paper people (see picture above).  Leave 2 blank and on the others write ways to help you choose the right.  ex:  prayer, pay tithes, scriptures, go to church, service, etc...

Say something like this at the beginning,
"Some people are weak and when faced with choices between right and wrong, they don't seem to have the strength to choose the right.  (Show blank paper person).  We are going to sing songs to give us the strength to choose the right".

Let a child choose a paper person with a way to help us choose the right.  Sing a song that corresponds with the way to CTR.  For example if they pick Scripture Study, you could sing Scripture Power.  After they choose a way to choose the right, stack it on top of one of the blank people.  Leave the other blank person alone until the end of singing time.

Before you sing, pick one of your SUPER singers to wear this CTR cape and lead the song!  This cape was made from an inexpensive table cloth and a paper CTR shield was added on the back.
After you have sung all the songs and all the paper people are stacked together, say this,
"Which one would you rather be?  The skinny weak person?  Or the one with strength"?  Always remember to Choose the Right so that you can be strong!

Ooooo Aahhhhh Face Factor


These faces were bought from 'Copy That' in American Fork.  It was quite the drive for us to go there but it was worth it!  They have a bunch of different visuals that could be used for Primary! Their address is 218 N. West State Road (UT).

I used these faces last week for Singing Time.  And in case you are wondering why some of these look like they were colored by 8 year old's, it's because they were :)  I had my Achievement Day girls color them for me.
Nephi Was Blessed for Choosing The Right

This is a fun singing meter to use for this weeks Singing Time.  Draw the Promised land and Jerusalem on the board.  As the children sing their best move Nephi's Ship closer to the Promised land.  See if they can get there!!!

Don't forget to look at ALL the ideas from this week below!!!  We had fun thinking of things about Nephi and for the 2 up coming holidays!  We had SO many posts this week, they're not all on one page.  Click 'Older Posts' at the bottom to view them.  Thanks!

Sword of Laban and Bow of Nephi

This weeks sharing time is "Nephi was blessed for choosing the right".  So I thought it would be fun to incorporate stories of Nephi for singing time!  Didn't Nephi do such AMAZING things?

First tell the stories of Nephi in 1Ne. 4 and 1Ne. 16

Write song titles on pieces of paper and stick them on the board.  Choose a child to use "the bow of Nephi" and shoot the arrows to try to hit a song.  Sing that song.  Before singing, choose a special helper to use the "Sword of Laban" to lead the song!!!

Compass

For a handout this week, attach a compass to a handout that says, "If you choose the right, you will always be headed in the right direction". 

Who doesn't love handouts?

Book of Mormon Journey

This is a fun idea from Divine Secrets of a Primary Chorister found here.  It would be great to use this Sunday!!!  Check it out!

Liahona


This awesome Liahona is from the 2005 Primary Partners Sharing Time written by Mary H. Ross, Illustrated by Jennette Guymon-King.  It is copyrighted so we didn't scan it in to share- but we thought it was so cool that maybe you could make your own!
So this how it works (Quoted from the book),
"Help children imagine having the Liahona today.  Tell them, "If each of our families could have a Liahona today to guide us, how would we keep it going to get the help we need?"  Have children take turns drawing a card #1-10 and reading the action on the card.  Then dial the Liahona to see if that action makes us worthy of inspiration.  If the correlating number on the dial says "yes," that means we would be worthy to receive inspiration.  If there is a "no," this means the Liahona would not work as well because our choice was not a righteous choice."

So for singing time choose a child to pick a card.  On the card have a story about choosing the right or a story about not choosing the right.  The card number correlates with the number on the Liahona and the answer is on the opposite side (refer to pictures above).

Here are some story examples for you:

-Mary was very sleepy and tired.  It was late so she hurried and jumped into bed.  Is that choosing the right?

-When Joyce was sitting with her family at Sacrament meeting, she decided-I will sit reverently and try hard to listen to the talks.  Is that choosing the right?

-Kenneth wanted to play with Bill's puppet.  He decided to sneak the puppet while Bill was not home.  Is that choosing the right?

-Jenny had some earned money.  She wanted to buy a special toy.  She discovered that if she paid her tithing, she would not have enough money to buy it.  She decided to pay her tithing first and wait until she earned more money.  Did she choose the right?

After each card is picked and checked by the Liahona, review Choose the Right!!!
Cut out only one flap on the Liahona and write songs around the wheel.  Attach the wheel behind the Liahona with a brad.  Let the children spin/turn the wheel and then sing that song!!!

This Liahona is from the June 2010 Friend it can be found here and here

Nephi's Quiver (the thing that holds arrows)

1Nephi 16:23 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, did make out of wood a bow, and out of a straight stick, an arrow; wherefore, I did arm myself with a bow and an arrow, with a sling and with stones. And I said unto my father: Whither shall I go to obtain food?

For singing time pull the arrows out of the quiver and sing a song!!!

Tools to Build Ship

Print this activity out and cut around the squares.

For singing time, stick the tools on the board with the picture of Nephi and his family sailing to the Promised Land.  Explain that Nephi was commanded to build a boat and he had to make his own tools!  Let a child come choose a tool.  If they choose a tool that Nephi would have used/made, sing a song (ax, bellows, chisel, mallet, rope, wedge).  If they choose a modern day tool, have them tell how they can choose the right today!

This activity is found in the March 1988 Friend

Look for the Liahona!!!

Play hot and cold as you sing!  Hide the Liahona!  Send a child out in the hall (seeker) and let another child hide the liahona.  When the seeker comes back in, have the children start to sing.  When the seeker is close to finding the liahona have the children sing loud and vice versa when the seeker is far away.

Liahona Dot 2 Dot


For singing time you will need this dot to dot printed out (preferably on a large piece of paper), a pencil, and 2 dice.  Choose a child to come up and roll both dice.  What ever number they roll, they get to connect that many dots.  Sing a song you are reviewing after each roll and try to connect all the dots before times up!!!

This dot to dot is from the June 1987 Friend. 

Nephi's Puzzle

Here's a simple idea for a Nephi themed singing time.  Print this picture and cut a puzzle out of it.  Write songs on the back of each piece and scatter them around the Primary room.  One by one gather the pieces, sing the song, and put the picture back together!

Flip!

First, choose a song to sing, then choose a child to come flip one of your coins.  If it lands on TAILS the children sing the song normal.  But if it lands on HEADS, they get to choose a fun way to sing.

Examples of fun ways to sing:
Stand tall like Pres. Lincoln
Chop down a cherry tree like George Washington 
Draw the initials FDR in the air as you sing
Think of your own and don't be scared to get creative!!!


This post was inspired by here on one of our favorite blogs.

Mardi Gras King Cake

 Mardi Gras is on Tuesday and we like the tradition of Kings Cake for Primary.  (it's called the Kings Cake because of the 3 Wise Men who came looking for the baby Jesus) We've included a template on how to make paper slices of cake.  Make about 9 slices to make a whole cake.  Decorate them cute and put little plastic baby's inside 2-3 of them (we bought our baby's at Walmart).  You can put taffy or an inexpensive piece of candy in the other slices.
Choose a child to come and pick a piece of cake.  If they choose a slice with a baby inside they can pick their favorite song to sing.  If they choose a slice with a piece of candy, then review the song you are working on.  
This template is found here

Music Love Notes

 Tell your Primary Children that they have mail in their Primary Mailbox!!!  Address each music love note to your Primary on the front.  Choose a child to come open an envelope.  Inside the envelope, have a heart shaped paper with a love song written on it. Sing the song!

To make this even more fun, I am going to use this idea found here.  The song will be covered up with gold paint and they will have to SCRATCH away to reveal the song!!!
Happy Valentine's and be sure to check out our other Valentine's posts from this week!!!

Mr. Heartbeat

Mr. Heartbeat is a special visitor to help the kids lead and keep the beat.  Choose a child to stick their arm through the sock and lead a song!


Valentine's Singing Meter.  Turn the Valentine Heart up-side-down and right-side-up while your children are singing.  Right-side-up when they are singing great, and up-side-down when they need to sing better!

Friendchip Cookie Review

This is a tasty way to review Choose the Right!
Have a small paper heart taped to each ingredient with instructions written on it (see below).  After reading it, put the ingredient in a bowl.  
Sing Choose the Right each time an ingredient is chosen.  Also, after each time you sing it, put a paper heart over one picture/word on your poster.  Continue until all ingredients are mixed and poster is covered with hearts.

Butter - makes everything smoother and helps us blend together (1 cup)
Sugar - add sweetness (3/4 c. white sugar 3/4 c. brown sugar)
Eggs - holds us together (2 eggs)
Vanilla - adds flavor - we don't want to be bland (1 tsp.)
Flour - adds substance - providing a strong foundation for our friendship (2 1/2 c.)
Baking Soda - helps us rise and lightens one anothers burdens (1 tsp.)
Salt - enhances flavor - improves the tastefulness and quality of our lives (1 tsp.)
Chocolate Chips - are blessings we bring to each other (6 oz. package)
Nuts (optional) - just a little crazy is good (1 cup chopped nuts)

Bake 10-12 min, @ 350 degrees.

"Friendships take a lot of time and effort to 'bake-up', but they are worth it when we sense that sweet aroma and special bond they bring".

Pass out cookies at the end!!!  Yum!

A Kiss 4 U

I did this singing activity a few years ago and my kids loved it!!!  It was so funny to see them try to unwrap the kiss!
You will need a pair of winter gloves, tongs (2 sets) and some Hershey kisses.  Choose a child to come up and put on the gloves and put a pair of tongs in each of their hands.  One tong is to hold the kiss and the other is used to unwrap it.  Choose a song to sing.  When the children start to sing, let the child with the gloves begin to unwrap the kiss.  When the child gets the kiss completely unwrapped, the children stop singing.  Then choose another song and child to attempt to unwrap the kiss.

My kids had fun with this one and it was hilarious to see them with the big gloves on - trying to do 'surgery' on the piece of chocolate!  You may be surprised at how fast they can do it!  This would be a great one for reviewing Choose the Right!

Sweet Valentines

Here are some quick Pick-and-Choose Valentines Music Ideas:

Pick songs out of:  Empty candy boxes or conversation heart party favors.

Have the letters K I S S E S scattered across the room.  Let the children find them one at a time and sing a song for each letter.  See if they can spell the word.

Here's an idea that's not quite as easy but I might attempt it this week:
Get a big piece of white butcher paper and draw a big heart on it (just the outline of a heart).  Hang the paper on the chalkboard.  As the children sing a song, pick 2 or 3 kids to come up and draw a valentine's picture inside the heart (or just color in it).  At the end of Singing time, write We Love Our Bishop!!! and give it to your Bishop to hang in his office.

WHO loves to sing?

Display these owls on the table with love songs taped inside them. 

Here are some Owl/Love sayings if you want to incorporate them in some way:
Love Owl-ways
Who loves you?
Give a Hoot
You're a Hoot
You're Owl right
Be Wise
Owl love you Forever
Owl always think you're sweet
Owl be yours

Have fun being creative!!!

this idea was found here

Super Bowl Noah's Ark Style

Hello music leaders!!!! 
We put together a little spin on the Super Bowl and Noah's Ark for this week.  We are teaching February's song, Choose the Right.  In order to keep their interest while we learn the song, we thought we would do some bowling with a football.  Make your own home-made pins with old bottles or cans and put animals print paper around them.  Here's the bowling rules for reviewing: 
If they knock down 1 pin:  Lead the song using Elenor the Elephant.  (child puts hand in sock and leads.  See below picture)
2 pins:  Use pictures of a Lion and a Mouse and let a child hold one of them up at a time.  Sing loud when the lion is held up and soft when the mouse is held up. 
3 pins:  Use pictures of a rabbit and a snail.  Children sing fast when the rabbit is held up and slow when the snail is held up.  Make sure your pianist can see the signs!
4 pins:  Monkey see Monkey do.  Choose a child come up to the front to be the monkey.  Let them choose several actions to do and the other children follow as they sing. ex: scratch head like monkey, swing arms, jump up and down, etc.
5 pins:  Whistle the chorus
6 pins:  Children's choice.  They either get to pick one of the ways to sing from 1-5 pins or pick from:  Flamingo-sing standing on one leg, skunk-nose plugged, or giraffe-Have paper giraffe visual that has a neck that stretches.  When it's neck is tall-stand up tall or when it's short-scrunch down low.