Update: Requests? Requests?

Easter Lily image courtesy creative-commons license flickr.com by photoholic1 April 2007

The Family is of God
2008 by Matthew Neeley

* Wrap up a family proclamation. Then put it in a bigger box. Wrap again. Do this a few times. As the children learn and sing the song invite one up to unwrap a layer. One of the greatest gifts that Heavenly Father has given us is family.

* Have a large photo album. As you notice doing a good job singing invite them up to take a picture of another primary friend they noticed was singing. Do this a few times. Tell the children that all the pictures they have taken are children of our Heavenly Father. We are all family members!

* Have a paper car. Have paper family members. See how many family members the children can get in the car by having them fill in the blanks. For example: Our father has a what? They say family. Or This is how He shares His love... what comes next? They say (or sing- you choose!) for the family is of God. Keep on going once all the family is in the car and move them along a dotted road on the chalkboard to a surprise destination! A temple!

* This activity is for when the children have learned the song. Have one child hold a picture of a family. Have another child hold a picture of Jesus. As they notice everyone singing, reverently but boldly, the child holding the family can walk to the child holding the Savior's picture. Will the primary family make it to Jesus? You bet!

He sent His Son
Children's Songbook pg. 34

* Dress up the children in simple outfits to depict different parts of the Savior's life that are in the song. I would do Mary holding a baby, a couple children dressed as the disciples Christ walked with, one angel and Mary Magdalene to help remember the resurrection, and then one child who can carry the scriptures and a picture of Christ. And remember we're not supposed to dress children up as Deity. (Church Handbook of Instructions, Book 2, 279.)

* 6 questions are asked in this song. You could invite 6 children up to hold a picture with a question mark. They sing the questions, then the primary sings the answers. Teachers and leaders sing only with the 6 children (If you have shy children).

* As a review and to reinforce the lyrics, have a mystery word. 6 pieces of paper on the board with the letters SAVIOR separated on each piece. As they are able to recall the words (question and answer phrase of the song ) invite a child to come up and reveal a letter. Bear testimony that Heavenly Father did indeed send His perfect Son to be our Savior.

* Pass out envelopes to the children. Have them think about one of the most precious things they have in life and write it on the envelope. Have a mailbox in front. Tell the children you are going to tap the shoulders of those singing nicely to come up and deliver their envelope during the song. Would it be hard to send away one of the things you love most in life? Yet that is what Heavenly Father did, He sent His Son. And He did this because he loves us, so we must love Him too.

I Feel My Savior's Love
Children's Songbook pg. 74

* When I hear the word feel... I think tactile. What if you made a large tactile board or mystery boxes for the children to come up and feel. Different parts of the song would be represented in a way the children could actually touch. For a couple examples "In all the world around me" you could put leaves (And if you do a mystery box have them guess what they are feeling). "His spirit warms my soul" you could put hand warmers you get in the camping section of a store. "It's gentleness enfolds me" a soft cotton or silk cloth. Think of adding about 4 others things from the song they can feel. Have the children reach out into the air and feel with their hands. There is nothing there. Sometimes we feel with our hands and other times we feel with our heart. The Savior's Love is all around us and we can feel it with our hands and our hearts.

* Have children come up holding a visual to represent a phrase of the song. Mix up the children and have them quietly figure out what order they need to be in as the rest of the primary sings the song. Will they be able to get in the right order by the time the song is finished?

* Invite a few people from the branch/ward to play I feel My Savior's Love on different instruments. There are different ways to hear this song just like there are different ways to feel the Savior's love. Invite the children to pick an instrument and then sing with it.

* Have a 8x10 paper with an outline of a body on it for each child. (Or have a large poster board of a body outline at the front you could invite a child to point to as you sing) As you sing the song, they can point to the different parts of the body that the song talks about. A couple examples include "In everything I see" point to the eyes. "And when I kneel to pray" point to the knees. "He knows I will follow Him" point to the heart or feet. Ask the children what they could point to on certain phrases!

Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam
Children's Songbook pg. 60

* I feel like such a killjoy but my Papou (grandpa) was a sheriff and I think I have issues with having to follow the rules always. Something in my blood. Who knows. But for the record: Sacrament Meeting Presentation/Program.... No, costumes should not be worn in sacrament meeting (see Church Handbook of Instructions, Book 2, 290). Does that apply to sun hats? Follow your heart and the spirit!

* In sharing time, of course for singing you can have sun popsicle sticks they hold up on the word sunbeam.

*Invite a child to come up to be the sun and use their arms as rays or "sunbeams". If they have their arms all the way out extended them we sing boldly! If they draw them into their body, we sing softer. Children could also mirror the person in front with their bodies if you need to get some wiggles out.

* Have a yellow circle in front with a picture of Jesus in the middle. Have long strips of yellow paper to add the children's names to who are singing and most importantly smiling! Of course this will be everyone because all the primary children are so wonderful and bright!

* Have 2 gray clouds that 2 children can hold. Invite a child to come hold a flashlight with a sun on it. Every time they hear the word sun, have them shine through the clouds!

Jesus is Our Loving Friend
Children's Songbook pg. 58b

* Have the children draw a picture of them and the Savior. Choose different children to hold their pictures in the front as you sing.

* Have 2 magnets with separated pieces of a paper friendship locket on it, on separate sides of the black board. One can say Best the other Friends. Invite a child to come up and move the magnets together as you sing this song. Jesus truly is our best friend!

* Have the children brainstorm all the qualities of a loving friend. (Quality is a hard word for little children so you can ask what would a loving friend do? how does a loving friend act like?) List as many as you can on the chalkboard. Invite a child to come up and check mark a quality or 2 from the list that Jesus also has while you sing the song. After you sing it a few times all the qualities should be checked off!

* Briefly tell the children the footprints story. This is the story of a true and loving friend. Have a footprint path for a child to carefully walk on as the primary sings the song. See if they can step in rhythm! The primary children can also lift their feet in rhythm lightly as they sing as if they were following the footprints too. Jesus our loving friend has lifted us through the atonement, he cares for us more deeply than we can know now.

Did Jesus Really Live Again?
Children's Songbook pg. 64

* Linda Magleby, “Sharing Time: I Can Repent and Be Happy,” Friend, Apr 2006, 14–16 says "Song Presentation:“Did Jesus Really Live Again?” (p. 64). Verse one asks a question, answers it, and tells what Jesus did. Ask the children to listen and raise one finger when they hear the question, two fingers when they hear the answer, and three fingers when they hear what Jesus did. Sing the first verse of the song for the children. What is the question? What is the answer? Sing that much together. Show GAK 233 (Mary and the Resurrected Lord). Say, “The song tells us three things Jesus did when the third day came. As I sing, count them on your fingers as you hear them.” (1—“wakened,” 2—“left the tomb,” 3—“called Mary’s name.”) Review the three things, and sing and count together. Use the same technique for verse two. The third verse tells how the people knew it was Jesus. Sing the first half, and ask how the people recognized Him. Sing that much together. Now the song asks a question and gives a wonderful promise. Have the children listen for the question, hold up one finger when they hear it, and fold their arms when they hear the promise. Sing the rest of the verse for them; then sing it together. Testify of the Resurrection.

* Have an Easter basket with grass filled with items for this song. Invite children to come up and choose items and name the line it represents for the song. For a few examples- a nail for "nail prints in His side". A glove for "Did Jesus really live again?" to put on their hands to represent the reuniting of body and spirit for the resurrection. An empty Easter egg "He wakened and he left the tomb" Think of a few more.

* Have a poster board of the empty tomb (black square) and the rock rolled away. Invite a child to the front to add flowers to the tomb as the primary children sing reverently and with feeling. (Say they put up 5... wow! Let's have another person come up and see if we can earn 6!) The resurrection is a beautiful thing, just like their singing! If only you had a million flowers to add!

* Divide the room into 2 sections. One side will sing the question, the other side the response. Or you could do boys and girls or teachers and children or pretend missionaries and investigators (the ones who sing the question)... etc. Do you have anyone really brave? Have one come up and sing the questions (you could give them a hat and pad and pencil to pretend they were a news reporter) and another sing the answer. It is a fact- Jesus Christ lives!

Jesus Has Risen
Children's Songbook pg. 70

* The introduction of the song says "like chimes". Why not bring in a triangle or two and have a couple children play them lightly while you sing?

* Have the children stand when they sing the word "risen" then sit back down. Sing again and have them choose a body part to raise on that word!

* Bring in some bread dough and have a child add the yeast. The yeast is like the resurrection of Christ. Sing the song and see what happens to the dough at the end of primary.

* Have a paper balloon (hot air or a regular balloon) with a picture of Christ on it. Attach it to a string so it can move up and down on a poster board. Invite a child to come up and move the balloon up as the primary children sing joyfully!

* Have a small picture of Christ hidden on the ceiling. After you sing the song invite a child to look quietly for the picture for 20 seconds. Sing again and invite another to do so. Finally, sing the song and invite all the children to quietly walk around as they sing until they find the picture. Jesus has risen above!!

He Died That We Might Live Again
Children's Songbook pg. 65

* Have a bouquet of flowers in a vase. Attach different parts of the songs to different flowers. Have the children come up and choose flowers and arrange themselves in order of the song. Spring is a time of rebirth- the trees bud and flowers bloom- and Christ died that we might live again!

* Have a poster board with pictures of the children from primary. In the center a picture of the Resurrected Christ. Cover it up with paper puzzle pieces. Have them answer questions about the song to remove a puzzle piece. For example sing "He died that we might live again" what comes next? How many times do we sing the word rejoice and sing at the end? (2 and 3) What comes before "he showed his love for all mankind"? After all the puzzle pieces are removed testify that Christ died for each one of us and because of this we will be resurrected.

* Have the words Before and After written on the chalkboard. Have about 6 different Gospel Art Kit pictures up there also from the life of Christ. This song has a trickier-than-most melody. Invite a child who thinks they can clap the rhythm while you and the primary sing a part of the song. Tell them great job and let them choose a picture to put in the right spot, either before or after Christ died. Invite a few others to come up and do the same. The life of Christ was amazing and still is because even though He died, He lives again and so can we!

* Have a rock to pass around the room. This rock is like the rock moved in front of the empty tomb. Have the children sing or say the words of the song and pass the rock when they can't remember or just want to. For example the first child could sing/say "He died that we might", then he passes and the next child would need to sing/say "live again". Little ones might need an older one to whisper help in their ear. Some older ones might want to sing the whole song themselves. If you have a smaller primary, why not! They're awesome and have it memorized, kudos to them. For a larger primary have them say 5 words or less.

To think about Jesus
Children's Songbook pg. 71

* Have a bunch of different pictures of things that might distract us from thinking about Jesus. Like a TV, a radio, video games, books, toys, etc. Invite a child to come up who has been singing and trying to be reverent to choose a picture and crumple it up and toss in the garbage can. The song talks about "It shouldn't be hard" and isn't! We will think about Jesus!

* Have all the children stand while singing the song. When they hear the word "sit" have them sit down, then stand back up again. Have arms folded while singing. When they sing this song they will be teaching the adults about reverence and will be wonderful examples!!

* Have the words of the song or pictures in thought bubbles. Have children in the front hold these visuals by their heads.

*Have bean bags labeled wiggles, ants in my pants, talking to friends while teacher is talking, tapping feet, squirmy arms... While singing, toss out a couple bean bags to children who are being awesome. Have them come to the front and trade it for a picture of death and resurrection of Christ to put on the chalkboard.

Beautiful Savior
Children's Songbook pg. 62

* Have a little crusader holding a flag. Draw a path for him on the chalkboard to a picture of Christ. As they sing with zeal and emotion move him along the path!

* Crunch into a small position as you sing "Fair is the sunshine" then get a little bigger for "Fairer the moonlight and all the stars in heav'n above" and finally stand as tall as you can when you sing "Jesus shines brighter"...etc. You can do the same with the second verse.

* The scriptural reference for this song is D&C 43:34 "Hearken ye to these words. Behold, I am Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world. Treasure these things up in your hearts, and let the solemnities of eternity rest upon your minds." At the end of singing time give them a nestle treasure. The knowledge we have that Jesus Christ is our Savior is truly a treasure and so is the children's beautiful singing!!! (Again, this is a food issue so use the idea with discretion)

* Moroni had the title of liberty! Our primary has the Banner of the Beautiful Savior! Have a large white piece of fabric for the children to come up and write why they think the Savior is beautiful. Little children will need help! Have them sign their names. As you sing the song invite 3 children to hold up your banner. Each child holds it for a verse. Or maybe you'll need all 3 depending on how big it is!

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I apologize for not posting visual aids, it's just not me. How easy it would be to click and print and be done. I have more faith in you. If you are like me, you might not be the next Van Gogh but how will we ever grow if we don't give our artistic side a chance. Plus, children are resilient - if they can survive the stomach flu and Disney's Bambi, they can survive our stick figures.

Also, I hope you don't mind but I took the first 10 requests and only did those.

And these ideas can EASILY be integrated into a FHE!! Good luck!!

Thank-you for your patience, your kindness, and all your requests! I hope these ideas can help a little! Much love to you always!!

Christos Anesti!

Happy Happy Easter!!