A Favorite Repeat Activity

My primary LOVES this activity, and I thought I'd share it with all of you. It's just a really easy way of repeating a song in a fun way. That way the kids get plenty of practice in, but don't get bored. In fact, they love it so much that I have a hard time keeping them reigned in, and I can only use it sparingly.

I have two posters numbered 1-6. The first poster is titled "Who" and says
1. All
2. Girls only
3. Boys only
4. Light hair
5. Dark hair
6. All

The second poster is titled "How" and says
1. Loud
2. Soft
3. On one foot
4. Facing backwards
5. Fast
6. Slow

Each poster also has a laminated yellow star that can move around to indicate which selection we'll be doing.

I have a child roll an oversized, soft die. Whatever number it lands on tells us who will sing. Then another child rolls it again to determine how they are going to sing. Then we repeat certain verses or whatever section of a song needs working on over and over.

The children LOVE rolling the die and fight over it. So it is helpful to use choosing sticks or tell them you're picking by whomever is singing the best or being the most reverent. They also like to throw it around, against walls, up in the air, etc. So if you're not okay with the rowdy factor, you will need to set up some ground rules for appropriate behavior.

I'm not sure why they love this game so much, but it is really motivating to them. It even gets my boys in senior primary singing loud and participating.

Please post one of your effective strategies for repeating a song without lulling the children into a stupor of boredom. I know I could use new ideas.

Snow Ball Fight

We've been working hard on a couple of Christmas songs to sing in Sacrament meeting next week.

However, I think my kids have earned a break, so I've decided to do something fun this week. Since we finally have enough snow on the ground for it to be considered winter, I've decided to have a snow ball fight in primary.

I'll give each child a piece of white paper on which they are to write their favorite primary song. Then they get to crumple it up in a ball. I'll don a hat and coat, and let them throw their "snowballs" at me. I'm not sure if I'll hold a basket for them to aim for, and if they get it inside we sing that song, or if I'll just let them attack me, and I'll try to catch them, or what.

Just a fun and easy week for me.