Before class started, I wrote a list of emotions on the chalk board. I then wrote a list of five animals. I covered up the emotions board and was ready for a fun singing time!
Junior Primary
I told Junior Primary that if they sang the correct dynamics to "He sent His son," we would play a game. They mastered the dynamics and were ready to play!
I pointed out the five animals that I listed on the board. I asked them to name five more (the list of emotions was still covered.) They picked some fun animals:
I then revealed the side of the board with emotions. I told them that there would be a key word to each song. Each time they sang the special word, they were to act like the emotion and animal, e.g., a shy frog. The children giggled and were excited to play.
Songs with noticeable key words:
I let volunteers pick a number 1-10 and then matched that number with the emotion and animal for the next song. They had so much fun singing and acting! My favorite combination with junior primary was the hungry snake!
Senior Primary
For Senior Primary, we sang the dynamics with "He sent His son" and I told them I had cracked the code! They asked me what code that was... I told them it was the code to getting the older boys to sing!
I then told them that Junior Primary picked out some animals. (The emotion list was covered again. It's so much more dramatic when you reveal the emotions behind the paper!) I then showed them the emotions list, and pointed out that if the girls sang more than the boys, they could pick the emotion and animal for the boys to act out, and vice versa.
I've never seen so many boys sing.
I also told them that if both sang equally, they would trade off acting like the emotional animals for key words in the songs.
The boys and girls only had to sing once because someone forgot to sing (I never pointed out who wasn't singing, I just said that I saw it. This is just supposed to be a fun/light game.) When they kept singing equally well, I let volunteers pick clothing colors. I would switch back and forth about what it meant. For example, everyone who is not wearing purple will sing and act, or everyone who is wearing green will sing and act.
We had a lot of fun singing, and I really did crack the code for getting the older boys to sing (I told them I would figure it out the week before!)
I told Junior Primary that if they sang the correct dynamics to "He sent His son," we would play a game. They mastered the dynamics and were ready to play!
I pointed out the five animals that I listed on the board. I asked them to name five more (the list of emotions was still covered.) They picked some fun animals:
- Zebra
- Hamster
- Monkey
- Lion
- I forgot what they chose for the fifth animal...
I then revealed the side of the board with emotions. I told them that there would be a key word to each song. Each time they sang the special word, they were to act like the emotion and animal, e.g., a shy frog. The children giggled and were excited to play.
Songs with noticeable key words:
- "Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam" - Key word: Sunbeam
- "I Hope They Call Me on a Mission" - Key word: Mission/Missionary
- "When We're Helping" - Key word: La la la la la (Pretty much the entire second verse)
- "I Think the World is Glorious" - Key word: Sing
- "'Give,' Said the Little Stream" - Key word: Give
- "Popcorn Popping" - Key word: Popcorn
- "Once There Was a Snowman" - Key word: Snowman
I let volunteers pick a number 1-10 and then matched that number with the emotion and animal for the next song. They had so much fun singing and acting! My favorite combination with junior primary was the hungry snake!
Senior Primary
For Senior Primary, we sang the dynamics with "He sent His son" and I told them I had cracked the code! They asked me what code that was... I told them it was the code to getting the older boys to sing!
I then told them that Junior Primary picked out some animals. (The emotion list was covered again. It's so much more dramatic when you reveal the emotions behind the paper!) I then showed them the emotions list, and pointed out that if the girls sang more than the boys, they could pick the emotion and animal for the boys to act out, and vice versa.
I've never seen so many boys sing.
I also told them that if both sang equally, they would trade off acting like the emotional animals for key words in the songs.
The boys and girls only had to sing once because someone forgot to sing (I never pointed out who wasn't singing, I just said that I saw it. This is just supposed to be a fun/light game.) When they kept singing equally well, I let volunteers pick clothing colors. I would switch back and forth about what it meant. For example, everyone who is not wearing purple will sing and act, or everyone who is wearing green will sing and act.
We had a lot of fun singing, and I really did crack the code for getting the older boys to sing (I told them I would figure it out the week before!)