Monday, January 25, 2010

Polish Basketball

No, it's not Polish Basketball like the country Poland. It's Polish Basketball as in polish the song to make it flawless! This is a fun game I started playing last year. I made word strips for each "step" of polishing a song: Notes, Words, Dynamics and Feeling. So your supply list looks like this:
  • Word Strips

  • basketball

  • BIG pot (hoop for the ball)

To play, we start with the Notes Word Strip. Place it 2 ft or so from the pot, choose one child from each team (we did boys vs girls) who knew the notes as you sang to shoot. If they make it they get a point.

Next, put down the Words Word Strip 2 ft or so from the 1st word strip. Repeat from the new Word Strip. This was a way for kids to understand the steps to learning a song and the expectation we have for them to understand what they are singing with feeling. Not to mention the fun that's always involved with a game.

Tip: To mix it up for Sr.Primary, I let them choose where they wanted to shoot from for more or less points. Ex: if we were on the Words Word Strip round and they were scared to shoot that far, I let them shoot from the Notes Word Strip for 1/2 a point. The confident boys always wanted to take a step back for double points!

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Tuesday, January 12, 2010

I Know My Savior Loves Me

This is the most beautiful song, I get goose-bumps every time we sing it! I've included a run-down of how we've learned this song:

Week 1: Picture of 3 Nephi, talked about Jesus coming to children and angels surrounding them. Is that like Primary? Told story with words of the 1st verse while doing the sign language (off of lds.org). Kept repeating with the kids until we learned 1st verse....verse ONLY.

Week 2: Reviewed last week (asked who had read 3 Nephi and challenged them again to read it). Added the Chorus, the kids LOVED it.

Week 3: Earn the Light, Outline below

Week 4: Review Game (Polish Basketball-See Post)

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Earn the Light


Friday, January 1, 2010

January 2010 Plan

Last year I found this A-mazing Calendar Schedule on Sugardoodle. I just worked up my plan for January and thought I would share. It is in a Word doc so you can adjust what you need to.

Three things I love about this:
1) Knowing what you need to prepare each week
2) Stay on course for your yearly program
3) I print 3 copies: one for the Primary President, one for the Accompanist and one for me.

Let me know how this works for you, or what you are using!

Primary Singing Time Plan Jan 2010