16 Great Singing Time Ideas

16 Great Singing Time Ideas from Maggie

Thanks Maggie from Twin Falls, Idaho for sharing these great ideas!

Baseball
Balloon
Find the Note
Fishing
Follow The Prophet
Hot Potato
Hum, Whistle, Sing
Mother’s Day Idea for Singing Time
Music Box
Musical Notes
Primary Program Thoughts
Share Your Talents
Singing Cube
The hat game
The Speaking duck
Volunteers

Baseball

Preparation: I drew a baseball diamond on a piece of poster board and hung it at the front of the Primary room. I drew a baseball player swinging a bat and made four copies of that on cardstock. I made separate signs with 1st base, 2nd base, 3rd base, and HOME. I glued popsicle sticks to each of them. I put baseballs inside of a bat bag and had numbers on each of them.

Directions: As a child came up he picked one of the balls and told us the number which corresponded to a song we were learning. As the children sang the song, the umpire (I had the Primary President wear an umpires vest) held up the sign that showed how well they sang. If they did it just okay she held up 1st base. If they did really terrific she held up the HOME RUN sign. We advanced each runner as needed until they got a run.

We told them they needed 10 runs to get the reward. I had salt water taffy with the American flag on it for their reward. It was a great incentive to sing especially for the boys on the back row.

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Find the Note

Preparation: print out the note and tape it to a clothes pin for an easy way to attach it to something.

Play “Hot and Cold” with music. One child goes in the hall. Another child hides the note. As the child in the hall gets close, the children sing louder, farther, they sing quieter until he finds the note.

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Fishing

A really fun way to help children sing well.

Preparation: Print out the following clipart images, or make your own, and attach paper clips to each image except the fish bowl. Write different songs, verses to a song, favorite songs etc on the back of the fish. Make a fishing rod from a stick, string, and a paper clip, or buy a toy one at your local dollar store. You will need something to stand behind where the children can “fish” such as a movable chalk board, piano, podium, table, etc. Place the fish bowl on a bulletin board or the chalk board (you can draw one with chalk if using the chalk board).

Directions: Each child gets to have a turn catching a fish. Hide behind a rolling chalkboard (or other large item) and put a fish on the line. Tug gently so it feels like they’ve caught a fish. If they catch the old boot or tire they have to throw it back in and then pick someone else to catch the next fish. Then have the children sing the song/verse on the back of the “caught” fish. If the children want to keep the fish they must earn it by singing the song loud and clear, without screaming. If they don’t sing well then the fish gets thrown back into the “pond.” If they sing great, then the fish is a Keeper!

Note: If you don’t have something large to hide behind you can attach a large magnet onto the string of the fishing poll, put the fish in a large paper bag or box and have the children try to catch a fish (the paper clip attached to the fish) with the magnet This would probably work best with smaller fish and should be tested before using.

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Follow the Prophet

Have the kids march around the podium while singing. Have the music (piano player) stop in the middle (like musical chairs). Who ever is in front of the microphone when the music stops tells a way they follow the prophet (reading scriptures, obey parents).

Warn them ahead of time of what they will be doing and tell them that they have to be ready with something to say if it’s their turn.

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Hot Potato

Hot Potato. I wrapped foil around a potato, many layers. Under each layer
was a paper with the name of a song we were to sing next. My kids loved it
and were eager to find out if it was a real potato under it.

Singing Cube

Preparation: Print out one of the following templates, cut it out, and glue it together. Printing on cardstock will make it stronger and more durable. You may wish to fill it with scrunched up newspaper for added strength. Write on the squares such things as: eyes closed, whisper, marching, don’t show teeth, leaders only, children only, clap on beats, copy the leader (they do what ever the leader does: hands on head, finger on nose, turn around etc.)

Directions: Have the children take turns rolling the cube, whatever it lands on is how the children (or leaders) will sing the next song. The child who sings the best (or most reverent) gets to roll the die.

Notes: You could make your own cube using a square box of any size.

You can also make your own directions such as standing backwards, with the lights out, or stomping feet… the possibilities are endless. If anyone wants a blank template let me (Rachel) know!

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Hum, Whistle, Sing

Preparation: Create signs (such as a circle on a stick) that say Hum, LaLa, Sing, and Whistle. Preferably use card stock to make them sturdier. (Popsicle sticks work great as handles.)

Directions: Have a few children stand in the front of the group and give them a sign. Instruct the children that during a song when your hand is touching a child’s head they will hold up their sign, directing the rest of the group to either Hum, Whistle, or Sing the song. When you remove your hand the child lowers the sign and the group stops doing that but follows the next sign that’s chosen.

Note: You can also make signs that say Boys and Girls to have just the boys or girls sing. If both signs are up all the children sing.

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Share Your Talents

Another idea that I am just starting now, so i don’t know how well it will go over. And I will only do this with the older kids in primary, I think.
Each month I want someone to do a special musical number, maybe the first Sunday to introduce the new song. I want kids to play their instruments in primary and do solos. I figure it’s a great opportunity for the children to share their talents.

About Primary Program

I had a letter be handed out with the sacrament programs at the beginning of the year. I made a list of all the songs they will be learning each month and how to find them. Also with ideas for using the songs in their homes and my phone number if they had any questions. Then in the announcements of the programs each month I just have them name the
song we are working on that month. Just a reminder for the parents.

The Speaking duck

The Speaking duck

I have a stuffed duck, obviously any stuffed animal will do. They only speak when they have the duck. When ever I ask a question I toss it to the person I choose to answer, when they are done, they toss it back. No one else is to speak if they don’t have the duck.

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Volunteers

Volunteers

Always have tons of volunteers. For anything: holding up pictures, sometimes I just have someone stand with me while we sing, or I have them help me lead the music, ANY incentive works.

How get to be a volunteer:

Reverence and doing what you should be doing

Quiet hands and quiet feet

Bottoms in chairs and feet on floor

Singing really well

ETC.

I remind them of those stipulations ALL the time. And I mean it too, only those kids get to be volunteers. They catch on quick, they want to volunteer.

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Mother’s Day idea for singing time

I Often Go Walking

My kids are learning, “I Often Go Walking”. For sharing time or singing time I am goign to have them make flowers out of pipe cleaner and tissue paper. I will collect all the flowers. And on mother’s day when they perform I will hand a flower to each child and they go up to sing. They will hold the flowers as they sing and then can give them to their moms when they are done.

You cut out what ever color tissue paper you want. And put one on top of the other. Then push pipe cleaners through the holes – each end of pipe cleaner through one hole. Twist the pipe cleaners and you’re done!

The flowers are simple to make. Here is a pattern if you need.

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Music Box

Remove those distractions in a fun and easy way!

Preparation: Take a box and decorate it any way you like, such as musical notes, or the words that say Primary Box.

Directions: Get the kids used to the idea that every time they walk into primary they place all their belongings in the box, papers, scriptures, etc.

Note: You can also use this box to put special singing time items in, such as the items from the other singing time ideas.

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The hat game

“On separate pieces of paper write one word from the song you want to sing. Put the papers in a hat, I use a sombrero but any hat would do. Pick a child to come up and choose a word, but don’t let them see it. Then have them put on the hat while you hold up the word. The rest of the children sing the song but leave out the word on the paper. The child wearing the hat has to guess the word at the end of the song.”

“For little children who don’t read, I have the child leave the room for a second while I tell the others what word not to sing. My primary children just love this game. It’s great for a day when you don’t have time to plan a huge lesson.”

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Balloon

Preparation: Blow up a large balloon. Choose a song the children are learning.

Directions: Have the children toss the balloon around the room to each other WHILE singing the chosen song at the same time. When the piano stops playing have everyone stop singing. Then, the child holding the balloon must say the WORD that comes next in the song. It’s a quick game but it helps the children pay attention to the words they are singing.

Note: This works best if you start out slow and can be done faster as the children learn the words of the song. If you don’t have a piano than stop the song on your own.

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Musical Notes

Easy and simple ideas for making interactive musical instruments.

Preparation: You can either make these instruments ahead of time, OR in cooperation with the Sharing Time Leader you can have the children make them during a Sharing Time class and then use them during Singing Time.

Directions: Instruct the children to choose ONE of the instruments (listed below) to use or make. Then teach the children when and how they should “play” their instruments, such as during a certain part of a song, with the beat, or when you lower your hand on the down beat.

Optional Instruments: Decorating these instruments with fun feathers, glitter, and other crafty stuff makes them more interesting. Possible musical instruments to make:

Shakers: Rice or beans in small envelope or tupperware containers. Printable music pouches in pdf format:
Drums: Small ceramic flowerpots (dollar stores sometimes have these) turned upside down, wooden beads (about the size of a nickel) glued to round (dowel) sticks make great drum sticks.
Tambourines: Tupperware (or coolwhip/butter) lids with several jingle bells glued or strung onto them.

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Flowers

Preparation: Take real or fake flowers and attach pieces of paper to each one with the name and/or page number of a different primary song. Place the flowers in a vase.

Optional Clipart: Flowers

Directions: Choose a child to pick one of the flowers. Tell the children that the best singer (or attempt at singing) gets to pick the next flower.

Note: If the flowers are real you can let the children keep them (if you have two Singing time groups you’ll need enough flowers for both groups). Or for future use fake flowers would work the best.

Draw FLOWERS

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