The Hurry Song

I couldn't resist writing a little song for our first day back on the 9:00 am schedule.

I just knew the kids would have heard the word "hurry" several times that first Sunday morning when we would all be scrambling to get to church on time.  We'll learn song and then "hurry" as we sing it.  I wonder how fast that will be?

Primary Jeopardy

Another favorite game to play with my Primary is Jeopardy.  I use this game to assess what the children know about the songs we have learned.  Even though children can sing a song, they don't necessarily know what the song means and how to apply that knowledge to their life.  So we play a game to find out!

Here is the game board (picture the chalkboard):

Those individual pockets are made to hold 3x5 index cards with the questions on them.

The categories are generic enough that you can do anything with them or make up your own categories to suit whatever goals you may have for your Primary.

Rhythm - I put on it the name of a song and clap that song to the child whose turn it is.  They have to name it.  Or sometimes I do it backwards.  I name the song and the child claps it.

Melody - I hum the melody.  The child names the song.  We accept words as well as titles as a correct answer.

Lyrics defined - I choose a word or phrase from a song.  The child has to tell what it means.  Example:  If the Savior Stood Beside Me - what does the word "nigh" mean?

What comes next? - I sing a phrase from a song.  The child sings what comes after that phrase.

Practical Application - I ask the child to apply a principle from a song to their own life.  Example:  If the song was I am a Child of God I might ask "What do you do on a daily basis that shows me that you know you are a child of God?"  Answer could be "I say my prayers."  "I am nice to other people.", etc.

As always with a game, we have two teams.  I always go back and forth so each team has an equal number of turns.  On this game, we draw names to decide whose turn it is.  I just print out a list of the children's names and put them in two boxes - one for each team.

Primary Baseball

PRIMARY BASEBALL

When I want the kids to really sing well, I like to play Primary Baseball.  It's a great review for songs you are learning.  I am a digital scrapbooker so I use Photoshop Elements to create my people.  If you have access to that program you could leave me a note with your email and I would gladly send you the layered templates.  But you could just use the pictures of the baseball players and paste kids faces onto them.  My kids play this game often enough that when they graduate they ask for their baseball picture!  You could just use the baseball people and write the kids names on them and not worry about faces but if you have the means, the kids love seeing their faces up there.

I will explain how we do it.  You can vary the game to suit your purposes.

We have two teams - mixed up ages so that no one team has an advantage.  The pitcher's mound contains baseballs with the name of a song plus one verse.  Example:  I am a Child of God verse 3.  I often give a hint to remind them which verse it is.  Example:  Rich blessings.

The pieces all have magnetic tape on the back so that they stick to the chalkboard.  The full layout looks like this.  I like to post the criteria right on the board so the kids can see it while we are playing.

I assign the two teams and also the "coaches" for each team.  The coaches are of course the teachers.  Then each team chooses a name for their team.  Then we are ready to play.

We do not play with outs.  We just let the 2 teams take turns so that each team is having equal time singing. So the first person in the line of blue players comes up and chooses a ball from the pitcher's mound.  His whole team must sing that song.   The goal is to get the kids to sing their very best.  That player then moves to the appropriate base using the posted criteria to make that decision.   Then the green team gets a turn.

I choose another adult to be the umpire for the game.  It is important to choose someone who is willing to be discerning in their evaluation.  .

Criteria is based on singing the correct words with quality singing - not loud singing.

1st Base = Everyone singing   Many mistakes on words 

2nd  Base =  Everyone singing  Few mistakes on words 

3rd Base =  Everyone singing  Words are correct - but singing isn't very good.

Home Run  =  Everyone is singing  Words are correct  Enthusiastic and beautiful singing voices!

Here are all the pieces for the game:

Christmas Bells are Ringing Day 3

Another activity that you can do with Christmas Bells are Ringing is to sing the descant that is written in the songbook.  But I use a simpler "counter-melody" that coordinates with our bell patterns we are singing.  We call this our "Bell Choir" since we are singing a bell part.

I use the part called Vocals 2 with the children.  We had to have someone play that part on the piano as they sang the first couple of times until they got it.  We just had the pianist play the regular music an octave higher and I played the counter melody lower so the kids could hear it well.

Since only a few children actually read music, I like to make iconic pictures to help them when we are learning something like this.  Here are the actual visuals I used when I taught it this to the children.  They are numbered so you can easily order them.  The piano can play off the music above as you teach it to the children.

Now the fun has just only begun.  Now I want the children to be able to sing the "Bell Choir" parts while playing the chimes at the same time.  So I have added color coding to the visuals.  The G chord now plays once on every BLUE dot, the D7 chord on the YELLOW dots, and the C chord plays on the GREEN dot.  Just have the piano keep playing their part as they sing.

When the kids can do this and it is going well, then it is time to add back the actual song: Christmas Bells are Ringing.  I choose a small group of children to sing the song.  Most of the children will be playing the chimes and singing the bell choir.  It is good to have both parts played on the piano just as you did when learning the counter melody for the first time.  At this point the children are getting their clues from the colored dots so I was free to help at the piano.

If your group can do all of this, celebrate!!  

Now what about that part that is labeled Vocals 1?  I use that only if I have some teachers who are singers. They get to add that part after we have learned the whole thing and the children really know what they are doing.

Christmas Bells are Ringing Day 2

Now it is time to play the chimes while singing the song.  Here is the music with the chord names enlarged so that you can easily follow it and direct your children.

It doesn't take the kids in the C chord group very long to feel that they were cheated because they only get to play once.  So after the kids have got the gist of how this is done you can let them move to a new chord group.  I do this by having the child first stand up and take their mallet and and chime and set them both on their chair.

Then they all move to a new seat in the room.  I always give them a set time to get ready to play again.  I may count backwards from 10 or just watch the clock and count seconds.  It helps to give some structure to the moving.  We will do this several times so they will get ample chance to play different chords.  Once moved I will say "Everyone in the G chord raise their hands.  Don't forget you follow my right hand."  etc for all three groups.  It obviously won't work if they don't know which chord they are playing.

Once the children know how to play the bells and sing the song at the same time, they are ready to add a special ending.  I have the piano play the ending as the chimes join in.  On the individual chimes I taped numbers that showed if they played on the ending.  I had all chimes with that letter name play no matter which octave they represented.  

You can see that the C&E chimes needed both 1 and 2.   

G needs 1,2,and 3. 

 B gets 1 and 3.  

A only plays on 2.  

D only plays on 3.

We love the ending.  I direct it by having my raised hand flick out one finger on the 1 chord, two fingers on the 2 chord, and three fingers on the 3 chord.  It takes a while to get everyone to play at the same time.  So just practice until they have it.  My kids respond well to real musical challenges.  This is so beautiful when it is done right they feel very proud of themselves!

We sang this in sacrament meeting last year and I had a select group of children play the bells.

Christmas Bells are Ringing with pipe chimes Day 1

I love to make music with children.  Singing is only part of the fun.  With Christmas Bells are Ringing there are lots of fun things to do.  You can just play jingle bells while singing the song.

But I favor the pipe chimes that you can make with plumbing pipes.  With a simple song like this one, you can divide the children into 3 groups and let them play chords.  Instructions for making the chimes are at this site:  http://www.sugardoodle.net/joomla/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3287&Itemid=5

Our Primary has one set of the chimes.  I had my husband help me make a second set.  That still wasn't enough chimes for our kids to all get to play but there are two other women in the ward who own sets so I borrowed.  If you are going to make chimes, make enough so all the kids can play.

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I like to teach about music while I am teaching the songs.  So on the first day of this song we do two different activities.

1.  Activity 1 = Learn the song.  It's easy so you can just teach it by rote.  Sing a line and have kids repeat, sing next line, they repeat, etc.  Then sing 2 lines for them and have them repeat.  Follow this pattern until they have learned the entire song.

2.  Activity 2 = learn to play the pipe chimes.  For this song you will use the pipe to play musical chords.  You need the following three chords:

            G chord = G  B  D
            D7 chord = D F# A C
            C chord = C E G

Divide the kids into 3 groups.  Pass out the chimes to each group.  I like to put the G chord in the front right as I am facing the children.  The D7 chord goes to the kids on the left front rows.  And then the C chord chimes go to kids sitting along the back.

I like to prepare the chimes ahead by putting them into the proper groups.  Then I can ask the teachers to help pass them out.  Each child will need a mallet.  I made my own mallets by using 1/4" dowels and wooden beads that I purchased at Michaels.  Some people just purchase large nails and that works, too.  The wooden mallets produce a softer sound than the nails but both are acceptable.

Teach the children to hold the chime by the string and to hold it close to the chime so that it doesn't swing wildly when they hit it with the mallet.  Practice hitting the chime ONE TIME and stopping.  This will sound pretty bad but by doing everyone at once they can all practice at the same time.  It is important that they play all together.  I hold up my hand with my thumb over my fingers and then on the beat I flick open my fingers. That is their clue to play.

Now practice having the children play with the correct hand signals.  
             My right hand signals the G chord.
             My left hand signals the C7 chord.  
             Both hands at the same time signal the C chord to play.

PLEASE TAKE NOTE:  Our little Sunbeams need help.  We have teachers and/or leaders sit with them and help. The adult may hold the chime and let the child then tap it.  These little ones really want to be a part of this activity

You have now taught the song and also how to play the chimes.  That is enough for one day. On the next Sunday you'll put them both together.