Kids Choice

Right about this time of month (the end!) we are ready for some fun.  We work hard all month on program songs and we need to do something...frilly.  But what to do?  Sometimes I'm just not in the mood to plan a big game or anything too structured, so I come up with a few simple ideas that will get the kids excited and then leave it up to a vote.  Here are the options for tomorrow:

1.  Learn another verse of Follow the Prophet (last week we learned Samuel and they LOVED it).
2.  Use the glitter microphone (a $1 store find) and play Singing Bee with songs we've been learning for the program.
3.  Use the Valentine Conversation Hearts to sing "old songs," with Fun Ways To Sing cards.
4.  Learn our next "extra" song, which is "Hand in Hand Together."

All of the activities they can choose from will be beneficial, get them thinking, and most of all - get them singing!  And we usually have time to do more than one or combine them in some way.  It's definitely time to relax before we get back into serious learning in March!  Since the song for March is pretty easy, we're learning 2 extra songs for the program.  So we have our work cut out for us!

What do you do at the end of the month to let loose in primary?
Pin It Now!

Must Have...The Sunday Binder

Most of you probably have some way of keeping yourselves organized - and keeping primary junk things organized can be a real chore!  To eliminate the Sunday-morning-scramble to gather all of my things, I had to get everything together in a binder, cuz that's the kind of girl I am.  Here is how I've got my binder organized, and a few of the things that I feel are important to have at my fingertips!

The front sleeve is where I keep my Sunday Music Schedule, a visual reminder to actually fill it out each week!

In the front, I keep the weekly singing schedules and a copy of the current program for reference.

Tab #1:  Sheet Music

For all of the loose-leaf songs that I collect.  I always hole punch them so that the pages face each other, then I don't have to turn pages back and forth.

Tab #2:  Song Lists

Do you keep track of the songs your primary knows?  This list was so valuable to me when I was called as chorister, and I keep updating it as we learn more songs.  It's a great way to keep track of how long it's been since you've sung certain songs, so you remember to keep things fresh.

Tab #3:  Directories

First is the class list, with teachers, children, and classroom numbers.  Behind that is the directory for our primary workers, so I have their phone numbers and email addresses handy.  Behind that is a ward list.  You just never know when you'll need it!

Tab #4:  Primary Program

Here is where I keep a running list of the songs I'd like to have prepared for the program.  This way I can tweak things as the year goes on without doing a lot of searching (or remembering).  I also keep the program script here so I can follow along during the actual program.

Tab #5:  Schedule.  Ours changes sometimes, so I keep the current one here so I know where I need to be and when.

Tab #6:  Ideas

I write things down as I hear about them, read about them, or see them in other wards.  When I need to refer back, they're all together and not just stuck in piles on my desk.

Tab #7:  Meetings

For agendas, presidency meeting notes, and notes from training meetings.

Tab #8:  Teaching Tools

This is where I keep all of my oft-used visual aids.  Follow the Prophet, Do As I'm Doing, color sticks, Fun Ways to Sing...they're all in there plus more.  I don't have to remember to bring them, and they're there when I'm in a pinch with 5 minutes left in singing time.  Nothing like being prepared!

So that's that! Pretty simple!

Pin It Now!

2011 Primary Chorister/Singing Time Schedule

I'm a little behind getting this posted, but in case any of you are still putting together your 2011 Singing Time schedule, here is the one that I came up with for my primary.  I didn't fill in every song on this version, since each ward will vary so much and knows so many different songs.  But it might help you get motivated to plan ahead!  It's at least helpful to have all of the months printed out for the front of your binder.  I will be doing a post about my binder soon, so you should all be excited about that! HaHa!

Here is the link for the 2011 Singing Time Schedule!  Enjoy!

PS - This file was created in Art Explosion Publisher Pro Silver, and cannot be edited unless you have that program.  However, as always, if you need it tweaked a little bit for your particular ward's schedule, just send me a comment and I'll do my best to accomodate :o)

click here for the 2012 Singing Time Schedule Pin It Now!

Outline for Primary Pianists

One thing that is so helpful during primary is an outline of all the songs you're working on so your pianist knows what to play!  This is especially important when doing review activities that have many songs involved.  To help with this, I created this outline for my amazing accompanist.  It has the songs in the order that we will sing them, including opening and closing, birthday, welcome, wiggle, reverent, and singing time.  There is a space for the page number, so she doesn't have to go searching for it.  On the back, there is extra space to outline exactly what the plan is for singing time.  If I mark "Introduce" for instance, she knows that we're going to do a lot of repetition on that one.  "The Songs" section on the back is for when I use review activities that have numbered songs.  It is a really quick and easy way to plan the day, and can be filled in with a wet- or dry-erase marker, whichever is easier for you.  A real time and sanity saver!

Pin It Now!

Need Help!

A couple of years ago, my sister was called as the secretary in the primary.  She noticed during her roll rounds that there were a lot of kids in the hallways and teachers escorting kids to and from various places and not having a lot of quality time in the classroom.  She came up with the **brilliant** idea of making signs that could be laminated and kept in the roll folder that teachers could slide under the door when they needed something.  She called me, and we came up with these signs.  When she noticed a sign under the door, she was able to take a kid potty, grab extra chalk, take a child to the parents - whatever was needed in order for the teacher to be able to stay in the classroom and not disrupt the class. 

I know it's not exactly music stuff, but if your ward suffers from the hall problem, it might be helpful to you!

Here is the link to the signs that we made.  Can you think of any other reasons that a child would need to leave the classroom?  Let me know!

Pin It Now!

Helpful Hint #1

Taking inspiration from this post at The Children Sing, I made a board like hers for a review activity.  The reason I wanted to post it is to share a hint that might be helpful to you as you make visual aids like this one.  I went to Amazon.com and found full sheet labels and printed all of my songs and pictures on those.  It was SO easy - no glue sticks, no spray adhesive (which I like for big things, but for small pieces it's a nightmare) - just peel and stick.  Anyway, I've used them in a lot of the visuals that I've made and found them to be a real time and effort saver.  Besides my laminator, they are the best investment I've made since getting this calling.  Hope that helps!

Pin It Now!