Wednesday, December 28, 2011

As A Child of God - LDS Primary Song Helps and Ideas

Image found under Children/Micellaneous via LDS Media Library 

As a note, these are ideas once you've learned the basic song. You'll need some sort of visual to teach the words to the children... these are in addition to that visual.
* Power to Choose Stick- Make a little wooden stick the primary's power to choose stick. While singing the song a primary friend can hold the stick up front as long as they like, within reason, and then they can point it to another primary friend- they have the power to choose! That friend then comes to the front and you keep on pointing, choosing and singing. Remember, the person up front has to sing too!

* Children of God, finger puppets!! (HERE is a link for simple ones you can print off on heavy paper) You'll actually need puppets they can use their fingers as legs. The smaller movement helps them concentrate especially hard! Tell the primary children you have a bunch of little friends, children of God, that need help learning a new song! While you sing the song, children put the puppets on their fingers and listen closely for directions. For the first verse the puppets can step touch side to side while you sing. For the 2nd verse the puppets can kick. Ask the children if they can think of any movements for their puppets to do! The song is in a 3/4 time signature, which is what is used for waltzes, so the puppets could even waltz in a triangle.

* The chorus of the song talks about "special light". Bring in some "special lights"! Close the lights and turn on your "special lights" while you sing. Some "special lights" could include a Christmas star, lava lamp, flashlight, glow in the dark stars, light saber, fun night light, a chain of Christmas lights. Are those pretty cool? Wrap it up by singing the last time with the ultimate and most "special light"- a picture of Jesus Christ.

* Mystery Children of God- Get some video of friends in the ward singing this song. Each Sunday the children will hear a different person on the video singing and try to guess who that Child of God is. For example, you could get the missionaries, the bishop, the young women... etc. I have a digital camera and would just record on that, let the primary children hear and then after the guess, play it again and let them see who was singing and sing along too! They are hearing the song and learning the melody as they listen over and over.

Another simpler version of the one above is to have a child come to the front and turn with their backs facing the children. You tap 5-6 children on the shoulder who stand up and sing the song. Then they sit down. The person up front turns around and tries to guess what Child of God was singing!

* All over the world, children of God can choose the right! HERE is a wonderful link from The Friend with different CTR shields in different languages. There are 15 so you could invite 5 children up at a time per verse of this song and have them hold up the shield while you sing. After the verse you can have them guess what language it is. You could reuse these easily for the song Choose the Right.

9 comments :

Anonymous said...

Thanks for posting these ideas. I'm just beginning my planning for January singing times. The 'special light' would be a good tool to teach the chorus before teaching the verses.

I also like the finger puppets idea--they will be great to add later in the month to make repetition of the song more fun for the children.

Derek and Kristin Acker said...

Thanks for the great ideas! I'm going to take Christmas lights and string them across the front of the room at the kids level. I have pictures with words to learn the song and I will hang them on the lights with a clothes pin! Thanks for sharing!

Sofia's Primary Ideas said...

Sister Hobbyfarmgirl- Thanks for your kind words. Hope you have a great upcoming year!

Sister Acker- Great idea! Thanks for sharing! Hope you also have a great upcoming year!

Kimberly said...

Thanks for taking the time to make this amazing blog. We use your blog for family home evening all the time. So I'm super slow, I don't know which language the CTR symbols are. Which friend was this in so I can make myself a key?

Susan said...

Thank you so much for sharing such wonder ideas! I appreciate it greatly as I am just getting started as primary chorister!

Anonymous said...

Thanks so much for these great ideas! I think my senior primary especially will LOVE the language idea...is there a key to deciphering the different shields? Most of them are common sense, but I want to make sure I get it right. What Friend edition did you get it out of? I searched, but couldn't find it. Thanks!

The Real LChester said...

I looked like crazy for the answers to your different languages page - and finally found it here http://lds.org/friend/2003/09/sharing-time-do-what-is-right?lang=eng&query=choose+right+(+"choisis+le+bien"+)#pop_001-23969_000_010

Answers are: 1h, 2j, 3d, 4a, 5i, 6n, 7q, 8r, 9l, 10b, 11k, 12s, 13m, 14f, 15e, 16p, 17c, 18g, 19o

Sofia's Primary Ideas said...

Sister Kimberly- Hi, 11 days later... um, who's the slow one?? ME!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sorry I'm a lame-o. Thanks for your kind words though!!

Sister Anonymous- Again, I repeat I'm lame. Sorry.

Sister Lolly- BLESS YOUR SOUL!! I had it on my to-do list but now it's done... thanks to you!!! You get the best helper award!! Woot Woot Lolly!!!!

Strawnfam said...

Thank you SO much for sharing your ideas. I have used them for presenting music in Primary this month and I really appreciate all of your help.

THANK YOU!