25
ideas to use a bean bag! |
1) Tape a number on the
bottom of the bag. Everyone says a number. The one closest to the
number gets to say the opening prayer. Repeat to see who is the girl drink
line leader, boy drink line leader and closing prayer.
2) Using an example of the Word of Wisdom, have a review by
tossing the bag to a child and they have to say something that is against the
Word of Wisdom. When everyone has had a turn, start over having them say
something that is healthy.
3) Put pictures from recent lessons (in their page protectors!)
on the floor. Children take turns tossing the bag on a picture. Then
they have to tell what that picture is about.
4) Time for a music break! Everyone stands up.
Play the Primary music CD as children pass the beanbag. When the music
stops, whoever is holding the beanbag sits down. Keep going until everyone
is sitting.
5) Ask a question. Then toss the beanbag to a child to
answer the question. They answer the question and toss it back. Ask next
question and toss beanbag to another child.
6) Toss the beanbag to a child. Say something you like
about that child. Then they can toss it to someone else and say something nice
about them.
7) Have each child say
something they are thankful for when you toss them the beanbag.
8) If there is time left over, just for fun see who can
walk across the room with the bag on their head, hand, or hop balancing it on
their knee.
9) Hide the beanbag in the hall somewhere between Primary and
your class. (Maybe label your beanbag) Tell the children as they leave Sharing
Time to walk slowly and reverently to class and keep their eyes open for the
beanbag. Remind them not to pick it up, only to spot it, then they can sit
down in class and wait until all children spotted the bag.
10) Hide the beanbag in the classroom. The first
person to spot it and raise their hand gets a special assignment like choosing a
child to give the prayer or putting the chairs away or returning things to the
library. Don't let them race to grab it.
11) "Today we learned about..." toss the bag
to a child, they can share one thought from the lesson or activity, then they
toss it to the next and so on.
12) Pin questions all over the beanbag. Toss it to
a child. They get to pick a question and give the answer. Then toss
it to another person to pick another question to answer.
13) Categories: Stand or sit in a circle. Choose a
category. One person starts the beanbag moving by naming one thing in that
category then passing the bag to the next person. You could either do outs
or just have time limits. Suggestions include: Books of the Book of
Mormon, Latter Day prophets, names of children in our Primary, etc.
14) Tell the children that only the person holding the beanbag
may talk. "Right now I am giving the lesson so I am the one holding the
bag. If you have something to share or know the answer to a question,
raise your hand and when I toss you the bean bag you may talk."
15) For Singing Time have pianist play a song that you need to
review, everyone sings the song as they pass the beanbag. When the music
stops the person holding the bag sits down. You could do this with a tape
recorder (from the library) and a tape of Primary songs in the classroom.
16) When the kids walk in hand one of them the bean bag.
Let them choose a reverent or quiet person in class to hold the bag for 5
minutes or until you ask that child to choose another person that is being
reverent or quiet to hold the bag.
17) Let kids toss beanbags into a yes bucket or no
bucket, depending on the answer to your question.
18) Start a sentence then toss the beanbag to a child to
finish the sentence.
19) Hot and cold. Hide the bag. Choose one
child to be it. They leave the room while someone hides the beanbag.
Have kids sing louder or softer as "it" gets closer or farther from
the bag.
20) Write questions on big squares of paper that
corresponds to the lesson or activity. Place them on the floor. Have kids
stand back and toss the bag. They get to answer the question that their
bag lands on. Or just for fun have points on the papers and keep score.
21) Tell a progressive story about good choices.
The child holding the beanbag gets to advance the story as far as they want to
before they pass it to have the story continued.
22) Do a spotlight on a child at intervals through the year.
Put a child in front of the class. Whoever is holding the beanbag gets to
ask the spotlighted child a question.
23) Do a speed pass, like hot potato. For example, play
music as the children name things they can do to gain a testimony. Whoever
is holding the beanbag when the music stops has to do that thing they named for
the entire next week.
24) Have the children hide the beanbag from you.
(in the room, not on themselves). If you can find it, they have to listen
quietly to your lesson.
25) Review recent lessons. ie: “If I make a wrong choice, I can ______ (repent), etc.