With Heavy Heart

I knew this day would come but that doesn't make it any easier.

After 3 wonderful years, I've been RELEASED from the BEST calling in the church!

It's going to be hard adjusting to my Sundays without my sweet kiddos. I hope I'll be back soon but I just wanted to leave you with a little gift before I go off to other adventures.

When I first got this calling I started compiling a file of all the ideas I have used in Primary. It's my GO-TO file. It's a collection of great ideas I've found on Pinterest, Facebook, Blogs, or ones I've dreamed up myself. They are all tried and tested with my little ones. I've tried to give credit where they came from but some I didn't write down and can't find it again. I'm so sorry if your idea is here and I didn't give you credit but THANK YOU!

Here is a sample of 3 out of the 32 pages in the file.

Click HERE to download the file.

THANKS to everyone for reading my blog and to everyone for your inspiring ideas!!

We CANNOT do this calling alone.

HAPPY SINGING!!

Nativity Pictures

I found the cutest Nativity clip art HERE. 

I just knew I had to use it for my Jr. Primary kids.

I'm still deciding whether to make them into stick puppets or headbands.

Click HERE to download the nativity pictures for the activities.

Happy Singing!

A Hodgepodge of Things

This post has a random bit of several things.

First, I know everyone is looking forward to next years theme and thinking about what songs to choose. Here is a document I created that helps me see what's been used or coming up.

For those that don't know, the Primary Program themes are rotated every 5 years. 

I like to choose songs that AREN'T in the rotation. That way I get to teach some new songs that aren't repeated.

Click HERE to download the chart.

Also, for this month's theme "Jesus Christ Is the Son of God", I choose 

'Tell Me the Stories of Jesus' and 'Jesus Once Was a Little Child' for my opening and closing songs. Here are some flip charts for them.

Click HERE to download Jesus Once Was a Little Child

I only did the first verse of this one.

Click HERE to download Tell Me the Stories of Jesus.

*Update I have added all 3 verses to the flip chart!!

If you're looking for some Christmas Singing Time ideas, here are some I've used and will be using again.

Check out the post HERE with the downloads.

I love bringing my Fisher Price Nativity and let the kids recreate it. You can read that post HERE.

One of mine and the kids most favorite is ''Tree-eacher'.

We decorate a teacher as a Christmas Tree.

You can read that post HERE.

What a wonderful time of year to be the Primary Chorister with such beautiful music to sing!

I sure LOVE my calling! I hope you do too.

Happy Singing!

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!!

When He Comes Again

Now that Halloween is over it's time to start thinking about Christmas and what we'll be singing in Sacrament Meeting. There are some very beautiful songs out there. We did one last year called 'Could I Hold the Baby' by Rachel M. Goates. It was an all time favorite. You can read about it HERE and HERE.  

This year however, We have decided to go with a song from the Children's Songbook. We are doing 'When He Comes Again'. Now some may not think this is a Christmas song but it has a very wonderful message that we think applies. 

Here is my lesson plan:

Click HERE to download lesson plan.

I have made PICTURE cards for my JUNIOR kiddos.

Click HERE to download pictures. 

I have made a flip chart for teachers and SENIOR Primary.

Click HERE to download the flip chart.

And I wanted a little fuller accompaniment with some variations in it so I wrote a fairly easy one for my pianist.

Click HERE to download accompaniment.

That just about does it. I start to teach it this week. Wish me luck!

Happy Singing!!!

Teach Me About The Temple 2

The more I read about this song the more I LOVE it!!

I found an article in the Meridian Magazine that Sister Christofferson wrote about the inspiration to write this song. You can read it HERE. 

Here is my lesson plan for teaching this beautiful song.

The picture above is only the first page.

Click HERE to download the whole plan including pictures.

We are also doing a block building activity to practice it several times. The directions are in the lesson plan. But basically, we will build a tower with large Lego blocks as we sing. When we see great singers they will be given a block. They will reverently come forward and add their block to the tower. We'll keep singing until the tower is built or falls down. For Senior, I'll use Jenga blocks instead of Legos.

I have another post about this song. There is also a flip chart on that post. 

If you'd like to read or download the chart click HERE. 

I hope this is helpful.

Happy Singing!

Teach Me About the Temple

I live in Lehi, Utah and 21 years ago this month the Mount Timpanogos Temple was dedicated. It was a monumental event in our family's lives. I was a young mother with 4 children and we were all involved with the Open House and Dedication. 

My husband did ushering and parking. I took a shift playing the organ in a tent while visitors filed through displays explaining the temple. My daughter and I got to usher in the celestial room and my Primary kids got to sing on risers as the visitors entered the temple grounds. 

I was the Primary President at the time and they asked the Primaries in different wards to prepare several songs and come for about 15-20 minutes and sing outside the temple for the open house.

The whole building of a new temple was an exciting, memorable, and sacred experience for our family.

For the new temple a new Primary song appeared in a special Commemorative Edition of the local newspaper. 

It was by Sister Lynne Perry Christofferson. She had written it for the Lehi North Stake Conference the fall before the dedication to help the children prepare for the temple open house and dedication. We taught it to our Primary children and it quickly became their favorite for many, many years.

I am elated to see it finally in 'The Friend' this month!! There is even a Sing-Along video!

Click HERE for the link.

I've made a flip chart for those of us that like to use them.

Click HERE to download flip chart.

I am so EXCITED to teach this beautiful song again!

Check out my lesson plan to teach this song HERE.

Now that a new temple has been announced in Saratoga Springs, Utah, I'm grateful my grandchildren will get to experience the special spirit that comes with an open house and dedication.

 THANK YOU Sister Christofferson for composing such a wonderful song for the children!

Program Review

We are in full Program Review mode. Our PP is October 15th and my JR needs lots of practice. I want the review to be fun but not too distracting. I also get to take up ALL the sharing and singing time this week. I had a great idea come to me in the middle of the night (that's when I get most of my inspiration lol) I'm calling it 'The Super Singer Game'. 

You play it like 'The QUIET Game'.

It's VERY EASY!

Click HERE to download my directions.

I will also be using Balloon Bugs for a fun way to choose and pass off each song.

I thought I had shared this before but I couldn't find it. So here it is... maybe again!

Click HERE to download the BUGS!

I hope this can be of help to someone.

Happy Singing!

Choose the Right Simplified

As a piano teacher, I like my students to learn to play the Primary songs and Hymns. I love that the Church has their 'I Can Play It' series but sometimes these are still too hard. My students have learned to chord and I've looked all over for some of the hymns with just the melody and chords but they are hard to find. So I arranged some of my own. 

With the Primary program coming up, I thought I'd share the hymn for the year.

Here is 'Choose the Right'.

This uses the I, IV, & V7 chords for the key of C. 

There are 2 versions: 

Just melody with chords

Click HERE to download Melody.

 Or harmony with chords

Click HERE to download with Harmony

My students love these versions until they are skilled enough to play from the hymn book.

I hope this is helpful.

Happy chording!

School Supply Song Pick

School starts next week for our ward so I wanted to do something with a school theme but still continue to practice the program songs. 

I came up with a school supply song pick and the game 'Red Rover' (it has been on the LDS Chorister FB page and several blogs before).

Here's my plan: (very easy and low prep)

Click HERE to download the plan and pictures.

Happy Singing!

I'm Trying to be Like Jesus

Beautiful song, Primary classic!

The Senior kiddos know it pretty well except for the 2nd verse but the Junior kids stumble with so many words.

I used the 2017 Sharing Time Outline idea to teach it. You can check it out HERE. But my Junior needs more work. They got a little bored so I wanted to make it a little more engaging this week.

I'm going to springboard off an idea I read on the LDS Chorister's Facebook page and of course I can't find it again to give credit to the original person. 

But THANKS whomever you are!

It's a spin on Hot & Cold. She called it 'Gathering'. You make about 50 little cards (like stars, flowers, or CTR shields, etc). You place them around the room. While everyone sings, one child goes around gathering the cards (one at a time) and brings them up to the front.

So last night as I'm trying to fall asleep, I get my much needed inspiration.

I'm calling it 'SCATTER & GATHER'.

I made cards for the things that the Savior taught. I will scatter them around the room and a child will gather them as we sing. 

Here's my plan with a few rules to keep things orderly.

Click HERE to download the cards and directions.

I hope this will help us learn the song better but most importantly bring the spirit and learn how to be like Jesus.

Happy Gathering!

Pioneer Day Singing

Pioneer Day is coming up.

I know some choristers go all out for this day from making butter to dressing-up. And I know some of you don't do anything at all because of various good reasons. 

This year I needed something very simple. (I'm tending 6 grandchildren for 5 days and a little overwhelmed!)

I'm doing a simple song pick with pictures.

Click HERE to download my pictures.

I love the song 'Pioneer Children' and have a word flip chart that I use.

Click HERE to download flip chart.

Last year I made cards for 'Fun To Do' with a Pioneer theme. 

You can check that out and download them HERE.

Also, last year I taught the song 'When I Hear of Pioneer Children'. You can check out that post HERE.

I hope everyone has a Happy Pioneer Day

 and keep singing as you walk and walk and walk and walk...

I Want to Live the Gospel

Our pick for the month of July is 'I Want to Live the Gospel'. I LOVE this song. It goes so well with the monthly theme of  'I Choose the Right by Living Gospel Principle.'

(We haven't decided yet if we will sing 'The Wise Man and the Foolish Man' in the program. Everyone knows it and I thought it had a great message so we did it last week. You can see my lesson plan and ideas I collected HERE.)

 Anyhow, here is my lesson plan for teaching this great song.

Click HERE to download my plan and rainbow cards.

An interesting fact I learned about this song. Sister Naomi Randall wrote the words. If she sounds familiar it's because she also wrote 'I Am a Child of God'. A quote from her about this song:

"It is my hope that the children will make a personal commitment to live the principles of the gospel more today than they did yesterday and that they may experience the joy and happiness that comes from living the gospel."

LOVE that. It's something I'll have to tell my kiddos!

Happy Singing!

The Wise Man and the Foolish Man

I know some choristers are NOT singing this song for the program and some are. But regardless, it is a great, fun, popular song with a wonderful message. You all know I'm all about NOT re-inventing the wheel so here is what I've found from other bloggers for teaching this song. I've thrown in my lesson plan too.

Nalani over on 'In the Leafy Treetops the Birds Sing Good Morning has fantastic helps to teach this song. I used most of them in my lesson plan.

Click HERE to link to her blog. 

She took the pictures of the Wise and Foolish Man from THE FRIEND magazine and made them into 3 sizes for us to copy as well as colored or black/white. 

Click HERE to link to the pictures. 

Here is my lesson plan (most of the ideas are from Nalani). 

THANKS Nalani for such wonderful ideas and saving me tons of time!!

Click HERE to download the lesson plan. 

I got the label idea from 'Teaching LDS Children's blog HERE.

I made my own labels and action cards to tape to my blocks. You can download those too.

Click HERE for labels and cards.

Some other great ideas you might want to try:

Camille has a fun idea using paper houses HERE.

Sugardoodle has some great ideas with a 3rd verse as well as using actual rocks and sand HERE.

Terri Hutchings has written a great arrangement for the song with a more reverent option HERE. You can download the sheet music as well as view a video.

I hope this helps having all the resource together in one place.

Happy Singing!

4th of July

Happy Fourth of JULY!

It seems I always have a sub for this holiday. So here are few of my go-to plans.

This is a fun and easy matching game. Just assign a song (I am reviewing program songs) to each matching picture. For my SR, I like to have them tell me facts about the picture. Example: How many red stripes on the flag, white stripes, how many stars, who made the first flag? etc. They really like showing me how smart they are!

Click HERE to download the matching.

Here is a post I did last year. It was a big HIT! It is very easy, low prep and great for a sub.

Click HERE for this activity.

The easiest one of all is 'PASS the FLAG'.

Buy a small flag on a stick. Pick a song to practice. Start passing the flag as you are singing. Have the pianist stop suddenly. Whomever is holding the flag tells something they love about our country or a freedom they enjoy.

I LOVE the song 'My Flag'. It's a great one to teach or just sing on the Sunday before Independence Day.

Here is the flip chart I use to help everyone remember the words.

Click HERE for the flip chart.

Camille has some cute ideas over on her blog for the 4th of July. She does poppers or glow sticks.

Click HERE to go to her blog.

Sugardoodle.com also has some cute ideas. You can check those out HERE

Whatever you choose to do GOOD LUCK and Happy 4th of July!

.

Nephi's Courage

I've been trying to figure out how to teach this great song. My SR knows it well so I will just be reviewing it but most of my JR don't know it at all.

There are sooooo many cute ideas out there for teaching this song. I don't like to 're-invent the wheel' but I do like to put my own spin on it. Here are a few I have added to:

The OCD Primary Chorister made a cute flip chart with pictures that she drew. You can link to it HERE.  I decided to use this with my SR to review but I re-did it and just put one 'key word' with each picture.

There are NO pictures for the chorus.

Click HERE to download a copy.

Camille over on her blog had a darling idea of teaching the first two verses of the song with puppets.

You can check out her post HERE. 

There weren't puppets for the chorus and Camille does the 3rd verse a different way so I made some puppets for them.

Susan Fitch has some really cute puppets on her Etsy Shop. You can check them out HERE.

I used her puppets but on the church's website there are some there too.

Here's how mine turn out.

When the kids know the verse pretty well I'm going to pull out the 'STAGE'. 

I use a shower or curtain rod with a long curtain attached. I have 2 teachers hold the rod. The kids stand behind the curtain and hold the puppets up over the rod as we sing.

Click HERE to download the puppets I added. 

Happy Singing!