Choose the Right Match Game

(Click image to enlarge)

 What you need:
-a foam core/poster board- I used foam core board for durability as I plan to use this again.
-4 strips of plastic vinyl
  for pockets
-gospel related clip art
  with numbers on back
-hot glue gun

In a nutshell:
Cut clipart out.  I did 4" squares. Number clipart on the back.  Cut 3" strips of clear vinyl the width of the posterboard (I got this at Walmart in the fabric dept-super cheap.  Hot glue the bottom and sides of vinyl to the poster.  Place the clipart in the vinyl pockets with the numbers face up.

Play this just like the memory game but with each match they find, sing the song that coordinates to that picture.   You could use any clip art out there. I just happened to have these from an F.H.E kit I did ages ago so I made these work.  Here's what I am doing.

 Nephi- Nephi’s Courage (120-121)

Liahona- Follow the Prophet (110-111)

Daniel-  Faith (96)

Earth- I lived in Heaven (4)

Commandments-  Keep the Commandments (146)

Noah- Do as I’m doing (276)

Tree of Life-  Families can be together forever (188)

Joseph- I am a Child of God (2)

We always seem to have a few more minutes in Sr. Primary.  If that's the case, I will have them also tell how that picture represents "Choosing the Right".

Worked like a charm

What a difference a week, and a little static noise, can make. :)  Like I'd posted previously, two weeks ago we had such a difficult time with reverence during our music time.  I knew that it needed to be addressed the next week.

When I got up to start music time the next week, I played a 20 second clip of static noise quite loud (like the static on the tv) and while doing so I recited the words to the new song we were learning, "As a Child of God".  Definitely got the kid's attention.  The kids just stared at me not knowing what was going on.  After the 20 seconds, I explained to them that we'd learned a beautiful new song the previous week with such a powerful message and yet we missed the message and spirit of the song because of our lack of reverence.

I explained that we live in a world where there's so much noise and so many distractions.  It can be difficult to feel the spirit with all the busyness and noise around us.  What a blessing it is that we can come to church each Sunday and feel the spirit through singing the music.  I know for me personally, it is through music that I can be touched by the spirit the most.  That's probably why I love this calling so much.  I have such a strong testimony of the power of music for good.  I want the kids to understand that. We don't just sing these songs to pass time.  We are learning and growing in the gospel as we sing.  The spirit can bear witness of the truthfulness of the message in the songs.

I think the kids got the point. They were fantastic this last week.  It was such a nice change from the previous week and I slept much better that night because of it. :) 

Birthday Organizer

This post is not music time related (I'll get to that tomorrow) but it is related to my mission to be a better person so I thought I'd share it with you all as well.  

With a busy family life, it seems like there are things that slip my mind every now and again (family member's birthdays).   I made this a little while back but I thought I would share it as it's made my life so much easier...and made me a much better sister, aunt, and daughter because I don't forget the birthdays now.  

I have a large family so it's overwhelming to try and keep track of everyone's special dates and to get the cards in the mail BEFORE the birthdays.  Don't have to keep it all in my brain anymore (because that wasn't working).  Now all I need is my birthday organizer to keep me on track.  I bought an 8x8" album and added a section for each of the months.

In the front cover, there's a pouch to keep stamps and envelopes on hand at all times. In the past, far too many cards have become "belated" birthday cards because I just couldn't ever get to the post office for postage--belated no more! :)

I also listed all of the holidays for the year for quick reference.


My game plan to keep me on top of birthdays...Two Sundays a month I sit down and write my cards for the birthday's that month and then I can tuck them into the sleeve on the right until it's time to stick them in the mail.  I put the birthday in the top right corner where the stamp goes so that I know when I need to get them in the mail to have them delivered on time.  Once I'm ready to send them, I put the stamp on top of the date and send it on its way.




So for anyone who seems to miss birthdays like I did, or for those who can't sleep at night and are looking for something worthwhile to fill those late night hours, this may be the perfect project for you as well. :)

"As a Child of God" song learning idea

I was trying to come up with a way to present the new song "As a Child of God" for January and came across this idea on the Crazy Chorister blog.

I thought it was an awesome idea as it would work for both Jr. and Sr. Primary. Some weeks I feel like I am preparing two totally different music times to make it work for each age group so I'm always happy when I come across an idea that will work for both.

The kids loved this activity and learned the verses really quickly.  Jr. Primary was so cute with it BUT I must say that I had a REALLY hard time keeping the Sr. Primary reverent with this activity.   I came home a little frustrated because even though they enjoyed it, the spirit and message of the song (and it's a beautiful message) got lost in the silliness of the activity.  I actually lost sleep over it Sunday night because I have a responsibility to teach the kids but I also want them to enjoy what we do.  

I feel like I've come up with a way to redeem that this Sunday and impress upon the kids the importance of reverence during our music time so that the spirit can be there with us.  I will post more about that later and let you know how it goes.  I think it will really drive the message home.

Having said all that, I may have scared anyone away from the idea but I do think that this is a great way to present a new song.  It just needs to be done carefully. 

Preparation:

The original idea suggested using bags but I used two file folders.  On each folder I put "Choose the Right" as the kids were going to try to Choose the Right folder.

I googled a bunch of objects that corresponded with the words in the song:  For each of those items, I also chose a silly, or opposite item. All of the pictures were placed in the folders (I mixed it up so that there were some correct and some incorrect in each folder).

Earth / Saturn

Choices CTR Shield / Ice Cream Cone

Family/ Snowman

Peace/ War

Prophet/ Television

You get the point. Here's how it played out. The kids wanted to play Boy vs. Girls (seems to be their favorite).  I explained that we were learning a new song about making choices.  I had the song written up on the board, but with several blanks (that the items above would represent).  So we would go over he first line of the song and say "I came to _______ with the power to Choose".  One boy and one girl  came up and each picked a folder.   One of the folders contained the picture of the Earth while the other contained the picture of Saturn. The group that "Chose the Right" folder got a point.  We then sang through that part of the song several times before moving on to the next phrase.  We repeated the activity over again until all we had the song down.  Clear as mud? :)

We will review the song again next Sunday but I think they did a great job learning the song quickly.

I made these "I Spy" telescopes (one for boys and one for girls) to scope of the girl or boy who was participating and singing. They were the ones who got to come up and pick the folder. I used a pringles can, cut it in half, covered them in some scrapbook paper and then added "I Spy" to them.  These were very effective.  I will be using them again for sure.

Organization Binder

I've been in this calling for about 4 months now but I have yet to devise a system to keep everything I need in one place.  I just came across this awesome website with a great primary organization binder.  I thought I'd pass it along to anyone else who's struggled to get their act together. :)

I am usually a very organized person BUT I just hadn't quite figured out how to put it all together.  Fortunately someone else did it for me. :)

CTR Armor of God

I had been trying to come up with an idea to present the theme "Choose the Right" for the year that would correspond well with our music time.  Last year I'd done the Celestial Singers chart and it worked like a charm in helping us track of our progress with the songs.  I wanted to try a different way this year that went along with the theme.

This scripture in D& C 27:15 kept coming to mind. Wherefore, lift up your hearts and rejoice, and gird up your loins, and take upon you my whole armor, that ye may be able to withstand the evil day, having done all, that ye may be able to stand.

 To introduce the theme for the year and how it corresponded to our music,  I told them that as we Choose The Right in the decisions we make and the way we live, we are strengthened with the whole armor of God.  Throughout the year we would be working on that goal.  

I made this little guy-actually not so little, he's about 2 ft tall.  The primary kids named him Bob.  I attached him to some foam core for stability as we will be using him throughout the year.

Over the next several months, as we master the different songs for the primary program, we will add a piece of armor to Bob.  Each song is assigned a piece of armor (I wrote it on the back of each piece).  

  Once they master a particular song, we will add that piece of armor to Bob. By the time we have our sacrament presentation, Bob will have the complete armor of God.

The kids loved this when I presented it on Sunday.  Hopefully it will be as effective as the Celestial Singers Chart.  

If anyone wants the pattern for "Bob" or the armor, let me know. I'd be happy to email it to you.  Apparently I didn't get the drawing gene in my family.  It's nothing special but it served its purpose with the kids anyway. :)