Hot and Cold/Hide the Note Make a note out of black poster board. Send one child out of the room.
Hide the note. Then the children are to sing loud if "the seeker"
is “HOT”near the note and quiet if they are “COLD” or far away.
Blues Clues game (jr. primary).
They get 3 clues to guess the song, which can be
recorded in your handy, dandy notebook. The clues can be hidden around the
room, or you could have pawprints on a poster with a clue on the back of
them. There can even be a “thinking chair” in the room. After they guess
the song, you sing it.
Balloon Tree
Balloons can already be blown up and they come and pop
the balloon that has a song name inside it.
Deflated Balloon
Blow up balloon, write name on it, and deflate balloon—let
childrenpick a balloon—blow it up so song title can be read
Toilet paper roll
Unroll and put song titles on random squares, roll back up. Pass TP, each
kid pulls off one square. Child who gets square with a song helps lead that
song.
Musical Survivors:
Have 2 teams or the primary as a whole. They are stranded on an island.
There are several items they need for survival (i.e. fire, food, water).
Each survival item represents a song. They have to sing the song well enough
in order to get the survival item and be rescued off of the island.
Name that Tune
Backwards Day—(Name that Tune backwards)
Give the kids the last note of the song, then the last
two notes, etc.
Pictionary
Song/Musical Taboo—
This is the same as the game Taboo; you make up cards for the children to
pick from. They have to guess the Song Title without saying the words on the
card. Then you sing the song ie: I Am a Child of God
Heavenly
Father
Parents
Children
What Song Am I? (i.e. I am a big building. I love to
see it. What song am I?)
What Song am I? Game
This is a poster that has big colorful musical notes on it. 8-9 in all. The
poster is sat on the ground and the child or I throw a beanbag and whichever
note it lands on tells us either a phrase from a song, a # of a song, or
tells us three words in a row in the song. They have to tell us which song
it is, then we sing it.
“Hum-ble”
Classes take turns humming songs—class who guesses
first gets point and then you sing the song OR have one child hum to their
own team and have their team try to guess the song OR have kids take turns
humming at the front microphone and singing their choice of song once the
kids figure out the song
"Hum Your Favorite Hymn"
We'd sing "Hum..." then one of them would come to the microphone
and hum their favorite Primary song. After someone guessed it, we'd sing
that song. Then we'd sing "Hum...." again, and have another
"hummer" come up. We did it over and over.
Encore
Scriptures—what song goes with it?
Graphic of scriptures with a scripture written on the
back that hints to a primary song. Kids look up scripture and guess which
song.
Hot Potato
Pass it, when music stops, next child says what word
came next in the song/picks his/her fav. song/etc.
Bean bag toss/pass 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 can also toss the bean bag to a child and they have to
tell you the next word in the song. OR put a VA /question on the back of
each child’s chair, representing the song you are singing. Pass the
beanbag—when music stops, the child shares his VA or is asked the question
to the song.
Bean Bag VARIATION/Traveling Microphone
Pass a beanbag. Each person says the next word in the
song. Give one to each side of the room and have a race. Who can finish the
song first? (Or use a traveling microphone, either pass around or you hold
and choose who says the next word).
Eraser pass—
Have key words to the song on the board. Pass eraser, when music stops,
child holding eraser erases a word.
“Music Walk”
Set up chair in a circle and have like a cakewalk where the kids walk around
and sing and when the song ends they sit down and then you pull a number out
of a hat or bowl and whoever is sitting on that number picks the next song.
Have the chairs set up so the backs of the chairs face the center of the
circle and the kids walk around the outside of the circle.
Musical Chairs:
When the music stops the child w/o a chair has to say what phrase/line comes
next in the song. If they can say the phrase, they remain in the game, if
not, they are seated and a child who can say the phrase comes into the game.
OR Reward the child with a sticker if they get it right and have them find
someone new to take their spot and if they get it wrong, they stay in the
game to have another try. Make it easy by keeping the same amount of
children and chairs playing. OR get various colors of musical notes and tape
them to the chairs. Have a spinner (like Twisters spinner) choose the color
(one song for each color). Everyone sitting on a chair with that color note
stands up and they all help lead the song.
Shoot Hoops:
You can use one of those nerf basketball hoops or I couldn’t find one so I
used a Koosh ball and a small bucket. I drew three lines on the floor with
chalk or you could mark it with tape. Each line was a little further away
from basket. Kids got 2-3 chances to make a basket the closest line was
worth one note, the middle 2 notes and the furthest 3-5 notes. However many
points they won were how many notes the pianist played and then the kids had
to name that tune. If they can’t make any, we sing what the pianist wants
to sing.
It
goes quick and the kids love this one too. I cut circles out of orange
construction paper and then drew lines on them to make them look like
basketballs. OR just have them shoot baskets—how ever many they can make in
a row is how many notes/words they get to the song.
Shoot Hoops 2
Since there has been discussion on how the boys like a challenge, I have
come up with a way that I think will get there interest and the girls should
enjoy this too! I am going to have them shoot basketball. The person who
sings out the best will get to try to ring the basket. If they get it
in...they get to choose a song to sing. (I will have some sort of choosing
chart up or they can think of a favorite they would like to sing) If they
miss...we sing We Listen To A Prophet's voice. I'm going to make them stand
at a distance so that the likely hood will be that we'll have more misses
than rings. I don't have a basketball net so I figured I would just use a
waste basket and have them throw a small ball or either crumpled up paper.
This way there is no competition, but it's still challenging and I think
they will be eager to have a turn at shooting..
Bowling (songs under pins)
Objectivity: I keep a bag with different items inside.
The kids pull the object out and then guess which song it fits with. Then
they put it back in the bag because sometimes there is more than one song
for that object. If there is obviously no other song don’t put it back in
for that day. Here are things I’ve used:
Toy plate sheep
Toy whale toy house/wooden home
Tithing envelope hymnbook
Book of Mormon Picture of Prophet
Flashlight/light bulb Missionary Name Tag
Country Flag Package of micro popcorn
Pioneer bonnet Temple statue or picture
Pansy seeds or silk pansy/flower Mock Baptism
Certificate
CTR ring Toothbrush (Smiles)
Picture of Jesus Rock
Bird (I had one of those birds that chirps when it sits
in your hand).
Nutty Singing—
Carefully crack walnuts open—put a paper inside and glue back together.
Kids crack open shell for song.
Apron
Has several pockets you could put objects in or slips of paper with titles
to songs or with phrases from songs.
"Pin the Note on the Song" (a big target
looking thing, divided by colors and numbers--found the idea on a
website--where they pinned notes on it while blind folded to pick what song
to sing).
Pin the Note on the Song VARIATION
:
Take a piece of butcher paper and
write the titles of primary songs all over it. Blindfold a child and then have
them play pin the note on the song. Whichever song they pin a cut out note
onto is the one you sing.
Target game: I made a huge cardboard target (could draw on chalkboard) and made 8
sections. I had the children made paper airplanes. As the sang the songs I
picked the one sitting most reverently and smiling while they sang. They got
to fly their paper plane at the target to see which # (song) we would sing
next. Tons of fun! At the end of singing time, I let everyone fly their
plane at the target.
Dartboard that uses the balls with Velcro.
Anyways each section of the target has musical symbols
like a fermata or different time signatures like 4/4, 2/4 or 6/8 or p or f
or mf. You could make one on a poster board and then blindfold the kids and
where they put the note is the one you do. I plan on explaining quickly what
the symbol means and then singing a song that I will stick with tape to the
section.
Puzzles:
Take a picture from an old Ensign or primary lesson manual, laminate and cut
it into a puzzle. Kids love to do puzzles. On each piece put a song title.
Make cryptographs, with song titles or lines from songs
in special codes and hide them around the room. Chidlren look for clue and
unravel it. When they figure it out—sing the song.
Crossword puzzle:
Make your own, look through the Friend or go to puzzlemaker.com and make
word searches or crossword puzzles with key words from your song. To solve
the puzzle you have to sing the songs Or use the crossword puzzle to help
define difficult words in the song you are teaching.
Dot-to-dot puzzle.
Word Search
Create a word search using the names of songs you want
to review. Have kids take turns coming up and circling the names of songs.
When they find one, you sing it.
Kids take turns joining two dots. Any red dots get to
choose a song out of a box.
Word Puzzles:
Make up word puzzles. I'll do one for each class. Type up the song with
words missing. Hand one out to each class. As a class they fill in the
puzzle. As each class finishes the puzzle, they stand and sing the song.
It's like a race and they end up hearing the song over and over as each
class stands and sings.
Roll Dice:
I got perfect cube shape boxes from a local department
stores gift-wrap area. I made one dice say how to sing it (stand on one foot,
slap/snap/clap rhythm, la-la, lu-lu, hum, a-capella, march, pick a voice—cowboy/opera/broadway/whisper/deep
voice/high voice, eyes closed, pick action, reverently, lean side to side,
hands on ears, sing with your favorite Accent, Sing Standing Up, Sing with
your Nose plugged, If you have a gerbil don’t sing, Sing every other word,
Sing with your mouth closed), and one just had numbers. That way I could use
it year round for different songs. Or the second dice could have who will
sing it that way (teacher, class, kids, boys, girls, pick a color for
clothes/eyes/hair, birthday month)
Punch Out
:
(Punch through a circle of tissue
paper to get whatever you have on the other side of a board) I made a
posterboard with 9 large circles cut out of it. On the front of the poster, I
put words under each hole like: hi-yah, ka-pow, hit me, etc. On the back of
the poster, I put a single piece of tissue paper masking taped on the back of
each hole (masking tape is easier to take off and replace later to re-use the
poster). I also taped a piece of yarn above each hole on the back. To the yarn
I tape whatever I want.
Spinners:
I took the spinner from an older twister game and covered up the directions
it said and wrote my own like kids with brown hair, kids with blonde hair,
girls, boys, and teachers. I’m glad I did this because that spinner works
so good, homemade ones never seem to work that good.
Aquarium/Fishing
Spin the Singing Bottle
:
Have the children sit in a circle.
Let them take turns spinning the bottle. Whoever it points to has to choose
“truth or dare.”
Truth: What’s your favorite primary song? (then sing
it), Do you sing in the shower? Do you read your B of M everyday?
Dare:
Sing Popcorn Popping in rap style, Sing Do As I’m Doing in an English
Accent, Lead the class in Beautiful Savior, Sing _____ louder than the
teachers
Tic Tac Toe:
(2 teams, they have a question to answer about the song in order to get a
space on the board. Then sing that phrase/song)
Connect 4:
(similar to Tic Tac Toe, but they have to get 4 in a row)
Envelope game:
(putting the words of the song in order) Separate envelope for each group of
3-4 kids.
Envelope game (VARIATION):
Take a key word from your monthly theme and use large manilla envelopes for
each letter of the word. Each envelope will have a song on back and inside
will be a picture that fits with the song or other visuals. Kid picks
envelope and helps with song/visuals.
Singo (Bingo)
:
Take a piece of foam core board or poster board and make a grid on it like a
bingo scorecard. At the top instead of writing bingo you write singo. In each
square you put a small piece of one side (hook) of velcro. Then you make two
sets of markers--one for them to draw out of a basket and one that will be on
the board. I laminated these. I made mine different colors so I could easily
keep them straight. One side can say anything you want--I put "you're a
singing superstar" on mine and the other side will have different
categories on it. You then put a small piece of the other side (loop) of
Velcro on EACH side of the board pieces. To play you put the markers on the
board with the category side facing out and a child draws a marker from the
drawing set. They then have to choose a song to sing that fits the category
they have drawn. If the group can sing it well enough in your opinion then
they get to turn the matching piece around on the board. The goal is to get a
straight line just like in bingo. For the free space, let them have a free
choice marker.
Bingo VARATION:
Make up small bingo cards with pictures of simple shapes (squares, circles,
triangles, hearts, etc.)/pictures one for each child and teacher/each class/each
side of the room. It is important to remember to make a variety of shape
combinations on the various cards so that each child does not have the same
exact card. Make large cutouts of the same shapes and place into a bag. Have
a child pick a shape. Each shape has a corresponding song. Once the song is
sung, kids can mark it off on their cards.
Match and Sing/concentration
Memory Game VARIATION:
Use plates or season appropriate cut-outs and hang them in rows from strings—3
plates per string, 4 rows across. Kids take turns turning over plates trying
to get matches of song titles and pictures, etc.—any sort of match--Match
one, and sing that song
Singing Baseball: Draw baseball diamond on chalkboard. Divide group into two teams. Coach
has a player in the warm up box and one in the batters box whenever their
team is up to bat .Player steps up to pulpit when at bat. The Questions are
"Pitched" (read) to players and score is kept according to value
of question. Paper hats are moved around bases according to hits and runs.
Each team only gets two "OUTS" per inning. After two RUNs, change
team up to bat A"Bell" is rung every 3-4 minutes, then it's time
for a "MUSIC QUESTION." Sing the song when the question is
answered correctly.
Who Wants a Million Blessings?
This game is the same as the Millionaire game but you use questions about
the songs you’re working on. When the child is "stumped" then
she can:
A. Poll the Audience
B. Ask a member of the Presidency or
C. 50/50.
Paper Orchestra:
This is so much fun! Everyone gets a piece of paper and you make different
noises with the paper. You can roll it and sing through it, you can blow on it
to make a squeaking noise, tap it for “raining” sound, use your
imagination! Time is your only limit. At the end of our time, I have them tear
them into little pieces and see how quietly they can sing to see if they can
hear all the pieces hit the bottom of the trash can as everyone walks quietly
by it.
Jeopardy:
I setup my jeopardy board on the big corkboard we have in our primary. I
usually have about 6 categories with 3 levels for each. The questions get a
little tougher for each level. Categories I’ve used before are Shake,
Rattle & Roll (movement songs), Get With The Program (CSMP songs for the
year), Follow the Prophet, Praise to the Man, I Think The World Is Glorious,
Tell Me the Stories of Jesus, Happy Family, “A” Songs (use any letter
and the song must start with that letter). The kids pick the category they
want and the level. I uncover it and read the clue and then they answer in a
form of a question. The clues are just a phrase from the song. Kids LOVE
this! OR I got BIG cardboard pallets from Costco (they use then in between
their toilet tissue cases) I have 4 categories listed on top. Some of these
might be, SEASONAL FAVORITES, BLAST FROM THE PAST, SACRAMENT MTG. PROGRAM,
SHAKE RATTLE & ROLL. Under each category, in a column, have the numbers
1-4 listed. Behind each number will be a question. As the children pick the
category and the point value. You give them the answer (ie: the Lord
provides a way) and they tell you the name of the Song in question form (ie:
What is “Nephi’s Courage”) Then you sing the song.
“Wheel of Fun-tune”
Making word puzzles on chalkboard, one blank line for
each letter of the puzzle, and the children take turns guessing letters of
the alphabet that appear in the puzzle until they are ready to make a guess
at the puzzle. Puzzles can be song titles, lines from songs, keywords from
songs, etc.
Cootie Catcher:
outside section, write the theme--#1-8 inside—various songs under the
flaps
Singing Can:
pull a string with alternating thread colors out of a can (use a frosting
can with balled up yarn—about the size of a tennis ball--inside, attach a
heavy-weight cardboard music note to the yarn that is sticking out of a
small hole at the top of the frosting can lid and cover can with paper that
has music notes on it). red-stop singing, yellow, hum, green—sing OR blue—boys,
pink—girls OR sing only as long as a string comes out of the can. Then
sing the whole song.
Singing Hat:
attach a clothespin to it at the brim and on 3x5 cards, write words that are
found in the song. Pick a child to come to the front and place the mystery
word on the hat, not letting them see it. Have the children sing through the
song, omitting that word and see if the child wearing the hat can guess what
the word is. It is fun to take main words out (like “prophet” in Follow
the Prophet) and then move to words that are repeated more often (maybe “thee”
or “we”)
Spin the teacher:
Teacher sits in a swivel chair. Lay circles on the floor around him/her.
Each circle has either a way to sing a song or a song to sing. Child spins
teacher, whatever their toes land on is what you do.
Catching Ducks:
A “pond” or small inflatable pool with removable ducks on it, songs
under ducks
Treasure Hunt with a song at each stop along the hunt
and a clue to the next spot.
Treasure Hunt 2:
Rocks painted gold—put in a big bucket/box of sand and let kids take turns
finding rocks. Number the rocks for songs. Talk about things we should
treasure in our lives (Happy Family—Family, Search, Ponder and Pray—scriptures,
Follow the Prophet—Prophet, My Heavenly Father Loves Me—the world, Head,
Shoulders, Knees and Toes--Our Bodies, Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam—Jesus,
I Belong t the Church—the gospel, Friends are Nice—friends, The Sacred
Grove—Joseph Smith, Book of Mormon Stories, B of M, I Love to See the
Temple—Temples, When I am Baptized—baptism, etc.)
Mystery Singing:
Write songs in invisible ink and let kids use decoders to reveal the song
Music Mystery:
Come into singing time wearing a trench coat, dark glasses, and “detective”
hat—carry a small notebook. Tell the kids you are on a hot case and need
them to help you. Before primary, hide clues in the room under chairs, etc.
The clues can be big “?” Then for fun you can print the clue in a tiny
font so they need to use a magnifying glass to read it. On the chalkboard it
can have a question you are trying to answer. The answer to the clues will
be songs, and the first letter of each song you sing is part of the answer
(for example): My Heavenly Father Loves Me, On a Golden Springtime,
The Church of Jesus
Christ, Help Me Dear Father to Freely Forgive, Early to Bed and Early to Rise, Reverence is Love,
First letters of these songs spell MOTHER
Music Mystery 2:
Tell the kids you’re on the case of a missing treasure and you are looking
for clues. Clues could be hidden under their seats or around the room. Or
put into an envelope labeled “Classified.” Type the name of the songs in
a very small font so the kids need a magnifying glass to read the song and
glue the clue on a die-cut musical note or maybe the paper the shape of a
question mark. At the end you could say to the kids thanks for helping me
discover the treasure it was your wonderful rich voices.
Music Mystery 3:
Make five question marks labeled with the five W's - laminate, stick magnetic
tape on back to place on chalkboard. Five Important "W's"
All detectives (or reporters) know that they need to ask these questions when
looking for clues to solve a case. WHO -- WHAT -- WHEN -- WHERE -- WHY
For each question, call up a child (assistant detective) to read a question
with the magnifying glass.
Who’s Singing?
Audio tape kids or people in your ward singing lines from a song—play the
song and have the kids guess who is singing it: Record different kids singing
a line from different songs. Have musical notes that have either the kid’s
names or a wallet size picture of them on it. Or make a poster with the
phrases of the song, at the side of the postrer place small picture frames
with a question mark in each one. Picture frames correspond to the number of
children who sang that phrase of the song. Play the tape of the first song.
Stop the tape and have a child decide who sang that song. Insert the photo,
then have the whole primary sing the song. This is fun for mother or father’s
day too. Have the mom or dad sing the line and then have the kids decide whose
mom or dad that is.
Singing sickness
(Cover self in red spots—kids have to pull off spots—that have songs on
back—and sing them well for you to get better)
Clothesline
Take real clothes or use graphics of clothes and put songs on clothes and then
kids could pull them out of a laundry basket or can or small basket. Have ways
to sing the song on clothespins-- like a cappella, la-la-la, boys only, girls
only, teachers only, kids with blue eyes, etc. Kids pick one of each and hang
the clothes on a clothesline you have strung across the room.
Heads and Tails
Write down words to song(s) on to cards. Kid picks a card then flips a coin.
Heads—say what phrase comes before the one written on the card (in the song),
tails, what comes after it.
Chaos & danger
This game came from teaching “Keep the Commandments” You plan in advance
to have the pianist play a different song than you’re singing. The kids
realize how important it is to STAY within the guidelines the Lord has given
us. They have to figure out which song the pianist played and which song we
were singing.
“What's My Line"
We'd pick a program song, then with one side against the other, I stood in
front and pointed to one side or the other. That side of the room had to sing
the next line. Sometimes I'd switch fast, sometimes slow. Keep them on their
toes. When they messed up, the other side got a point. We went through just
about all the program songs in one singing time.
Pictures that they choose the song that matches I got a bunch of pictures from the library, put them in a box. The kids
choose a picture and tell us which song it reminds them of. Then we sing it.
This is great for taking a break after learning a new song.
Singing Olympics During the Olympics in SLC we opted to “pass the torch” in Primary as
well. I made a torch out of a flashlight with red cellophane paper over it and
we passed it around the room. When our song finished the next person got to
pick the next song. We also had 4 different games going for our Olympics.
Hangman / Resurrected man
Magnetic letters Use the magnetic letters that you use on the fridge. Put them in a bag or
appropriate container for the season. The children draw out a letter and
choose a song that starts with the letter they pulled out. For the sake of
time, I use the letter that correlates with the number in the alphabet the
letter is. 1-26 (make a list ahead of time and you CAN use the songs over and
over)
singing better.
Opposite Songs:
change the title of songs to the opposite words and let the kids figure them
out:
Laman’s Fear (Nephi’s Courage),
Frowns (smiles),
Sunday (Saturday),
Off a Gray Wintertime (On a Golden Springtime),
In the Barren Bush Bottoms (In the Leafy Treetops),
Hate Nobody (Love One Another),
Take Sang the Bog River (Give Said the Little Stream),
We Won’t Be Weak (I Will Be Valiant),
Who can sing with most volume?
Challenge them who can sing louder. You or them?? Them or teachers?? Side
against side?? Which class can sing the loudest?? See how far someone can walk
down the hall and still hear them?? Can Relief Society hear them?? The ward
meeting in the chapel?? Tell them the Jr. Primary can sing better than them....That
will get them Make 6 beehives and write one of Pres. Hinckley’s “B’s”
on each hive. Then take a bee graphic and make 6 bees have a song that fits
with one of the “B’s” on the back of the bees and the kids have to
decide which hive is that bees home.
Tommy or Tammy Testimony.
Take a graphic of a boy or girls head (I used one from a Finch Family Home
Evening Book). Using a computer graphics program that has speech bubbles or
make your own put phrases that would be appropriate in a testimony making
about 8 bubbles. Then on the back of each bubble have a song that ties into
the phrase. For instance I Know We have a living Prophet on the earth today (Follow
the Prophet/Latter Day Prophets), I know Joseph Smith received an answer to
His prayer and saw Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ (This is My Beloved Son/The
Scared Grove), I Know Jesus is my Savior and Redeemer (I’m Trying to Be Like
Jesus), etc.
Bishop Singing Time:
Draw a Man that looks like the Bishop from the waist up on poster board. In
his coat pocket cut a slit and glue a pocket behind it and place questions the
Bishop would ask when we want to get baptized or when we turn 12and want to go
to the temple. Have a song that fits with the question—Do you love your
family?—Happy Family, Do you believe that Joseph Smith is a prophet?—This
is My Beloved Son, Do you believe ______is our prophet?—Latter-Day Prophets,
Do you keep the Commandments—Keep the Commandments…
Ice Cream “Sunday”
I am putting together an activity about keeping the Sabbath day holy.
The one with the ice cream sundaes and adding things that don't go on a "Sundae"
(i.e.. pickles, mustard, ketchup). And then things that do go on a
"Sundae" (hot fudge, whip cream, etc). We will have already
prepared some small sundaes for the kids for the end of the sharing
time. This way, we can share a treat with the kids for doing well on the
program as well as take care of a sharing time message.
Missionary game.
I brought various items, including name tags, clothing and scriptures to
primary. I picked one child from each side of the room and made 2
teams. Each child represented their team. Then we would sing
various songs for both the program and some fun ones like "I hope they
call me on a mission". The team that sang the best got to 'dress'
their missionary then the team that had their missionary dressed the most when
time was out won. I didn't do anything for the winning team just said
congrats. Throughout the entire time we talked a bit about things
missionaries can do to prepare and most of the songs related to missionaries,
ie Latterday prophets, Spirit of God, ummm not sure what else and I threw my
list away.
Noah’s Ark choosing chart with each animal having a
song on it