Scatter and Gather

We are busy with Christmas songs. We've been ask to sing at the ward Christmas party, which is only 2 weeks away. Plus we are practicing to sing in Sacrament meeting just before Christmas. But I still want to do something with being thankful and showing gratitude. 

An idea hit me this morning how I can do both.

Back when I taught 'I'm Trying to Be Like Jesus' I found an idea called 'Scatter and Gather'. You can read that post HERE.

I'm going to use that same idea as we practice our Christmas songs only with turkey cards and the gatherers will have to tell us what they are thankful for.

This is a GREAT activity that is kind-of like hot and cold so you can sing the songs over and over in a fun way.

I've made a download with various cards so you can scatter and gather throughout the year.

Click HERE to download.

Happy Gathering!!

More Than Enough

I am so in love with this song! Mother's Day has never been a favorite of mine simply because I never thought I was doing enough. But Shawna Edwards has captured my exact feelings in her new Mother's Day song called 'More Than Enough'. You can buy it HERE from her website. You can get just the sheet music or a bundle with an MP3 recording. 

There is also a darling YouTube video sung by the One Voice Children's Choir.

Showing the video would be a great way to introduce it.

I've decided to teach this to my Primary kids to sing in Sacrament meeting on Mother's Day.

On Shawna Edwards blog she gives a suggestion on how to teach the chorus to Primary children. HERE

One suggestion she makes is having the YM and YW sing some of the verses with the Primary joining in on the chorus.

I contacted my YW President and our girls are singing all three verses with the Primary on the chorus. I'm excited to introduce it this Sunday. I thought I'd do the lesson plan by Sis. Edwards by singing the chorus and having the kids listen for several things mothers often do for their children. I made some picture cards with key words they can put in order and sing from. It will work well for both JR and SR.

Click HERE to download a copy of the picture/word cards.

This is ONLY for the chorus. There are a few word changes in the chorus on verses 2 & 3 so I made cards for them also in blue and there is a special phrase at the ending.

Happy Singing!

If You Really Love Your Mom...

I saw a cute idea on the LDS Choristers Facebook page to change the words to "If You're Happy and You Know It" to a Mother's Day version. I'm a very visual person so I just had to make pictures to go with it.

This would be great for Nursery as well as Junior. Some Senior kids might think it's fun too.

Click HERE to download the pictures.

I've done a post about this song before with other pictures.

 If you're interested here is the link. Click HERE.

Happy Mother's Day everyone!

Mother's Day Singing Activities

Next Sunday is Mother's Day here in the USA. Some of you will be lucky or unlucky (however you like to look at it) to have a break to go to Relief Society by having the youth or Priesthood do your calling for you that day. But then again, some of you will still be with the kiddos. That's where I'll be, huffin' and puffin' and getting my workout in for the day.

Here are a couple of ideas I've done before on Mother's Day. Pass them along to the youth or Priesthood, or anyone you know who needs a quick easy plan.

1. Mother's Purse

Find the items on the list, print the tags, if desired and place in a purse or bag. Select a Primary song to go with each item. Have a child pick an item from the purse. Read why the item relates to mom then sing the song doing the action.

Click HERE to download purse idea with tags.

2. Mother's Day Match

Simply print the pictures, select Primary songs for each match, and you're ready to play a matching game. You can talk about each picture and how important our mother's are to us.

Click HERE to download match game with pictures.

3. Pass the Flower

This one is super easy and hardly any prep. Select the Primary songs you want to sing. Find a real, plastic, silk, or paper flower. Start singing. As you sing, pass the flower from child to child, up and down the rows. Have the pianist stop frequently whenever she/he feels like it.. The child holding the flower has to say something they are THANKFUL FOR or LOVE about their mother. Then continue on with the song. If you have a big Primary or want to give several children a turn, pass 2-4 flowers at the same time but start them in different rows. For a small Primary, you could pass the flower around in a circle.

Thanks for stopping by and reading my blog!

Happy Mother's Day and Happy Singing!

Mother's Day Medley

I finally made a decision as to what to sing for Mother's Day. We are going to do a little medley of My Mother Dear CS 203, Love Is Spoken Here CS 190, and Dearest Mother I Love You CS 206. It's nothing fancy and it's easy for my pianist. I went to LDS.org/music/index and transposed My Mother Dear and Dearest Mother I Love You to one flat (key of F Major). On the Church's website page, on the top of the song, there is a title that says 'key'. Just change it to F Major and it like magically changes the song to one flat. 

It's wonderful and easy! Love Is Spoken Here is already one flat so now you have all the songs in the same key.

We are singing My Mother Dear first with a little introduction. Then we go right into Love Is Spoken Here with it's introduction as well. We are only singing the first verse. Then without an introduction we go right into Dearest Mother I Love You. Then back to Love Is Spoken Here 3rd ending to finish. 

Click HERE to download the medley

My kiddos already know Love Is Spoken Here and Dearest Mother I Love You. We'll just need a little review with the flip charts. But I need to teach My Mother Dear. So I've put together some puzzles and I'll use Sharla Dance's approach.

I'm excited to start practicing these songs. Here are the downloads if you'd like them.

Click HERE to download the PUZZLE activity.

Click HERE to download the flip chart MY MOTHER DEAR

Click HERE to download the flip chart LOVE IS SPOKEN HERE

Click HERE to download the flip chart DEAREST MOTHER I LOVE YOU

Thanks for stopping by. Happy Singing!