Ideas from Melissa Corry
The "Primary Singing Time Ideas" word document is a list of ideas that I have made up or heard of that I finally wrote down in one spot. Some of the ideas require additional documents that I have made or found so I have also attached them for convince. I hope maybe a few can help.
Thanks.
Melissa Corry
primary singing time ideas.pdf56.15 KB
Learning a New Song
* Button, Button – Have one child leave the room while the children hide a button. The child returns and the children begin singing. As the child gets closer the children sing louder. As the child gets farther away the children sing softer. Keep singing till the child finds the button.
* Home Run Singing – Create a poster board of a baseball field. Have a spot on each base where a cut out baseball player can attach. Have the children sing the song. After the song, decide whether they got a home run, a triple, a double, or single by the way they sung. Continue to move players around the board and see how many points they can score during singing time. You can challenge them the next time to beat their record.
* What Word’s Missing – Have one child leave the room while the children help you pick a word to omit from the song you are learning (you can have them draw the word from a hat if there are to many children to decide on a word). The child returns and the children begin singing omitting the word they picked. When the children finish singing the song then have the child tell you which word was omitted from the song.
* Sing Like A - Open attached Singing Time Sing Like A file. Print off all the pages. Put the signs into sheet protectors for durability. Begin singing. As the children sing hold up a sign. Change the signs randomly. The children sing as the sign instructs them to do.
singing time sing like a signs.pdf84.06 KB
* Sing a Song How To – Open attached Singing Time How To Signs file. Change the word in the sign to all of the following (Sing, Hum, Sing, Whistle, Loud, Soft, Stop, Go, Boys, Girls) and print off one of each. Put the signs into 5 sheet protectors with the following grouped front to back. Sing/Hum Sing/Whistle Loud/Soft Stop/Go Boys/Girls. Have a Child come up and choose one without looking. Then let the child or you hold the sign and turn randomly as the children follow the instructions on the sign.
singing time how to signs.pdf10.1 KB
Reviewing Songs
* Spring Time Singing – Have a vase of silk flowers. On the end of each flower have the name of a song. Have the children take turns coming up and picking a flower and then singing the song on the stem.
* April Showers Singing - Make a large cloud, a sun, and lots of rain drops. Put the songs on the back of the raindrops. Have the children take turns coming up and picking raindrops and then sing that song. When all the raindrops are gone remove the cloud and show the sun hidden behind the clouds.
* Fishing for Tunes – Create several cutouts of fish or use small toy fish. On the bottom of each fish write the name of a song and attach a paperclip to it. Create a fishing pole with a magnet on the end of the line. Have the children take turns coming up and using the fishing pole to “catch” a fish. Sing the song on the bottom of the fish.
* Sweet Songs - Make an ice cream cone and scoops. Write songs on the back of the scoops. On some scoops instead of songs write instructions like "Pick someone wearing red to choose the next song" or "Or pick a teacher/leader to tell his/her favorite song."
Have a reverent child come and pick the first scoop to go on the cone. Tell everyone that the best singer gets to pick the next ice cream scoop to put on the cone. See how high you can make your ice cream cone grow.
* Musical Notes – On a poster board or chalkboard draw a musical staff. Next, make musical notes, whole, half and quarter notes and write Primary songs on each. Put the notes in a container. Now the fun begins. Have the pianist start playing music and let the children pass the can. When the music stops, the child holding the can pulls out a note. Sing the song on the note. Then have the child place the note on your musical staff. After all of the notes have been placed, have the piano player play the song the children created. You can even have them sing it too.
* Mystery Song – Pick some songs the children are familiar with and tell the pianist. On the chalkboard write Team 1 and Team 2. Divide the class into two teams making an even amount of older and younger kids on each team to make it fair. Then instruct the children that the team that guesses the Primary Song correctly will receive a point. Have the pianist play the first note (the full chord if there is one) of a song and let Team 1 guess. If they guess correctly they get a point, if not then the pianist will play two notes and Team 2 gets to guess. If they get it wrong than Team 1 gets to hear 3 notes. Once a team has correctly guessed the song they receive their point, then instruct the children that the team that sings the best (not screaming, but singing well) will also get a point. If both teams sing equally well you can give them each a point. Then when you're finished pick a new song and start with Team 2 trying to guess after hearing only one note.
*Piano Notes – See the Attached Piano Notes file. Have the child come up and pick a card to play. The child can then play the song on a little tykes Xylophone toy. The notes colors match the toys. This is a great way to teach the children that the different look of notes represent different counts. The child might need a little help playing. Have the children guess what song it is and then sing the song.
copy of piano notes game.xls123 KB