Crying Mother Song Review –
Mother’s Day
This week we are reviewing the Mother’s Day songs the children have learned, and I am using the Crying Mother idea. I have seen the idea on several sites. Thank you to whoever originally thought of it. It is great!
Preparation
- Items needed: a half a sheet of foam board- 15X20 inches, a small 4X6 piece of foam board, two sheets of color paper, two water guns (or squirt bottles) with long tips on their nose, a glue gun, sticky tack, a black sharpie marker, and an easel from the meetinghouse library
- Print the picture of the mother. Cut out the sign that says “Mother’s Day”. Cut out the insides of each eye on the picture of the mother, all the way to the edges. Laminate the two sheets of colored paper, the sign that says “Mother’s Day, and the picture of the mother. Very carefully cut out the middle of the plastic part of the eyes. Do not cut into the printed paper part of the eye or the ink will bleed when you squirt water through the eye. Note: You may be able to use clear contact paper instead of lamination. I haven’t tried it, so I don’t know if it will keep a good enough seal so the ink won’t bleed.
- Hot glue the two sheets of colored paper onto the middle of the foam board. Place the picture of the mother on the colored paper where you wish it go. With a pin, poke a hole through the cut out part of each eye, all the way through the foam board. Hot glue the 4X6 piece of foam board over the pin holes on the back of the foam board. Once again poke a pin through each eye all the way through the second sheet of foam board. With a knife, carve out a hole (where each pin hole is) through both sheets of foam board. The holes should be the size of the tip of the water gun (or squirt bottle). Cut a small hole in each piece of colored paper where the pin prick is. Hot glue the picture of the mother onto the colored papers with the holes lining up with the holes in the eyes. With the black sharpie, color in the eye and color the tip of each water gun/squirt bottle.
- Fill each water gun/squirt bottle, and coat the tips with a ring of sticky tack. Push the water gun/squirt bottle tips all the way into the holes on the back of the foam board. The sticky tack should hold the water guns in place but also allow you to take each out to refill. Try out the water guns/squirt bottles to make sure they will squirt through the holes, and adjust if needed.
Presentation
Show the children the picture of the mother. Put it on an easel  Be careful so the children don’t see the water guns/squirt bottles. Ask the children what day it is. (Mother’s Day)  Using sticky tack, attach the Mother’s Day sign to the bottom of the picture.  Remind the children they are going to sing to their mothers in Sacrament Meeting.
- Ask, “Did you know that it makes some mothers cry to hear their children sing Mother’s Day songs?”
Explain to the children that today they are going to practice the Mother’s Day songs and try to sing them so beautifully that they will make a mother in the audience cry.
When they sing a song wonderfully, reach around the picture and squirt one of the squirt guns. Point it out and exclaim that they made a mother cry because of their beautiful singing. It will surprise the children and get them excited.
Carry the picture around the room as they continue practice singing the songs. Explain that when someone is singing particularly good it will make the mother cry again.
Resource: Mother picture – Nursery Manual
I think so many of your ideas are great, however,I have to point out that guns – even squirt guns – shouldn’t be at church.
Thank you for pointing that out. I agree. I will have to try and adjust the activity using squirt bottles.
Seriously??
There just aren’t words for how much this idea amuses me. Way to go, Camilla!!! =) Thanks for sharing! Usually I like to “do my own thing” but this idea begs to be borrowed.