Category Archives: Song Reviewing Ideas

Nov 18 2012

Get the Bugs Out – Song Review

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I used this activity to review the primary program songs. It was meant to emphasize that we were working on getting the bugs out of the songs (getting rid of and fixing any problems).

Preparation

  • Items needed: 1 poster board, eleven sheets of cardstock, plastic bugs (spiders, flies, and beetles), double-sided removable tape, magnets, eight wide mouth jars, Metamucil, food coloring, a cookie sheet, a container of soapy water, and a towel.
  • Using a black marker, divide a poster into squares – nine squares across and seven down. Each square should be a little under three and an eighth inches on each side.
  • Print and cut out the bug squares. Glue the bugs onto the poster, making sure to put each set of three bugs in a row. (Here is a copy of Microsoft Word bug squares in case you need to change the bug types.)
  • Print the cover squares onto cardstock and cut them out. Using double-sided removable tape, place each cover square on a poster square. Put the letters spelling “Get the Bugs Out” in the middle of the poster.
  • Change the song titles to whatever songs you are working on and then print and cut them out.
  • Make some colored jars of slime – red, yellow, dark blue, light blue, green, purple, pink, and orange. The recipe can be found here. Put three bugs in each wide mouth jar – a spider, fly, and beetle.  Put a different colored slime in each a jar and tape the matching colored song titles to the jar lids.  (The slime will stay good for several weeks if stored in the fridge.)

Presentation

Put the poster on the board using strong magnets.

To play this game the children take turns taking off the top cover cards on the poster. When a child finds a bug, that child gets to judge whatever the bug represents such as: Spiders – Words, Beetles – Projection, Flies – Presentation. The color of the bug on the poster determines what song they are judging. When the child thinks the song is free of problems in the area they are judging they get to reach into the song jar and pull out the bug they uncovered on the poster. Afterwards they wash their hands in the soapy water and dry them on the towel.

Be sure to place a cookie sheet under the jar  to catch any drips as the bug is removed. Also push up the sleeves on the child if needed.

When the children find three bugs in a row they get to do a fun activity song as a reward. We did the song “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes” with these visual aids. I put magnets on the back of each picture and put the pictures on a metal cookie sheet. The child who pulled the third bug out of the jar got to mix up the pictures in each column. The children had a blast trying to do the new order. They sang the song one time for every three in a row they got. I started off with the pictures in two columns, the first part of the song in one column and the second in the other column. After doing the song a few times that way, I then let the children take pictures from either column and mix them.

 I did this activity for primary music time for four weeks (until we had finished reviewing all the songs) and the kids never got tired of it. They loved it!

Note: The inspiration for this idea came from other music websites that posted ideas for the theme of getting the bugs out of the songs. Thank you for sharing your ideas!

Sep 6 2012

Music: Activities & Games

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Table of Contents

Singing Hymns

Friend November 2022 “Activity Time” Can you find the missing pieces in the puzzle?

Primary Songs

Friend November 2022 “For Little Friends” Sofia likes to sing Primary songs. Can you finish the pattern of musical notes?

Familys Sing Together

Friend February 2022 “Family Treasure Hunt” Collect family history music items such as:

  • Make a list of songs and hymns your family likes.
  • Record your family singing.
  • Draw an instrument that someone in your family plays.

Friend January 2022 “For Little Friends” Coloring Page

History of Primary Songs

Friend October 1984 Add song composers/authors as notes and then play the song. Adjust if needed, then add words.

Friend October 1984
Friend October 1984

Friend October 1985 Matching composer/author with song.

Friend October 1986

Friend October 1986
Friend October 1986
Friend October 1986  Music box memory game.

General Music Activities

Friend August 2021 “Music Countdown”

Friend May 2017 “Conference Puzzles” Draw a line to finish the title of the song.

Friend July 1984
Friend July 1984
Friend July 1981
Friend July 1981
Friend October 1985
Friend October 1985
Friend February 1988
Friend February 1988

Crossword puzzle song review idea– make a crossword puzzle with sentences from the song being reviewed. The missing word in the sentenc will be on the crossword puzzle.  Going in numerical order, have the classes take turns telling what word is missing. If they don’t know what the word is, have everyone sing the song and have the class listen carefully for the word. Have a child from the class fill in the word on the puzzle.

Friend
Friend October 1983
Friend October 1983
Friend October 1983 – 1 of 2
Friend October 1983 - 2 of 2
Friend October 1983 – 2 of 2

Song Review Ideas

Attach a ribbon to a stick. Have the children sing louder when the stick is waved high and quieter when the stick is waved low.

Friend May 2016 Freeze Dance. Pick one person to be the music master. That person picks songs to play, and everyone else dances to the music. When the music master pauses the song, everyone else freezes! Anyone who moves is out. The last person dancing becomes the new music master, or you can take turns if there is a tie. (Or make it non-competitive and no one gets out. After the song is done a new music master is chosen according to who froze or sang the best.) Download free, fun music at lds.org/youth/music. (Could also be used as an activity sing idea to get wiggles out.)

Friend October 2015
Friend October 1983
Friend October 1983
Friend October 1986
Friend October 1986

Music in the Home

Friend November 2017 “For Little Ones” Activity ideas for using music in the home.

May 12 2012

Blooming Flower Song Review Idea

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Note: I used this idea for Mother’s Day but it could be used with spring, summer, or fall flowers for reviewing songs.

Tell the children they are going to review the songs they will be singing in Sacrament Meeting for Mother’s Day. Show them the flowers and tell them you brought flowers as a visual aid because mothers love getting flowers on Mother’s Day. Point out that the flowers are very pretty, but they aren’t blooming yet or as pretty as they could be. They are like the Mother’s Day songs, they are beautiful but still need a little work. Explain that the flowers will take notice and “bloom” when the children sing their songs with amazing projection, presentation, and word recall.

Preparation

  • Items needed: inexpensive silk flowers that have petals that can fold up, green twine or thin green ribbon, a glue gun, decorative ribbon, a small rubber band, clear tape, and 2×3 Ziploc type baggies (from craft store). (If this item is not available you can make the small baggies using larger Ziploc baggies. Cut a piece of plastic four inches by three inches. Fold it over and tape together the bottom and side with clear tape.)
  • The flowers need to be on their own stem. If your silk flowers came in a bunch, cut the bottom of each stem with wire cutters. Remove the leaves from the stems. Put one flower in each baggie by poking the stem through the bottom of the small baggie and pulling the baggie up over the flower (you may wish to cut the zip part of the baggie off first).
  • Cut a piece of twine for each flower. The twine should be a little longer than the stem. Tie the top of the twine around the bottom of the baggie and then put a piece of clear tape around the tied section. The rest of the twine should hang down the stem. Do this with each flower. Hot glue some of the leaves to the bottom of the baggie where the twine is tied and taped. Gather the flowers into a bunch and put a rubber band around them about two inches down from the flowers. Tie a decorative ribbon around the rubber band.

Presentation

Pull down on a string and the baggie will be pulled off a flower and the flower will “bloom”.  Show the children the top of the flowers when pulling the string. (The above pictures don’t do the effect justice. It is really fun and amazing when the flowers “bloom”.)

Note: The above flowers came in a bunch for a dollar at Dollar Tree, but I think it would be more fun if all the flowers were different. The children would look forward to seeing what each one looks like when they open.

Feb 22 2012

Choose the Right: Review

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Choose the Right – Review

Preparation

    •  Print the review cards onto card stock. Cut each card out, and glue or tape a large Popsicle stick to the back of each card.  Note: I didn’t save the original file when I made these cards, so the new file is a little different than the pictured items.
    • You  may want to review the cards with the children before using them. Explain that red heads can be included when the blond hair card is shown, and black hair can be included when the brown hair card is shown. Also, green eyes can be included when the blue eyes card is shown.
Activity
To add some variety to learning and reviewing the song “Choose the Right”, I added an idea from Monica Hudson on Sugardoodle to the game board activity. I used the “Choose the Right” game board as the visual aid, but instead of playing the game while they sang the song, I had senior primary move one seat to the right every time they sang the word “right”. When they came to the end of the row they went around to the start of the row behind them, or if they were in the last row they went to the start of the first row. For junior primary I had them turn in a circle one time to the right.

The following week after doing the above activity, I added some more variety by using the review cards. Only those people who matched what was on the card was supposed to find the next available seat to the right in senior primary, or turn to the right in junior primary.  This additional idea was also by Monica Hudson. Thank you Monica!!

To help motivate the children to sing well during the activity, invite children who sing their best to help with the cards.

Note: Make sure you have the teachers and children clear the seating aisles of all bags and items before doing this activity.  Also make sure to tell the children to keep their legs tucked in and out of the way when other children are moving past them so nobody trips.

 

Dec 14 2011

Article of Faith: Songs

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Article of Faith Song Reviews

Article of Faith Song Review

Our Primary children have been learning the Articles of Faith this year by singing one a month as the opening song. I do a review activity every six months. For the December review I attached balloons to the Article of Faith numbers. I attached the numbered balloons to the left side of the board with magnets on the back of them.  I had pictures with key words for those Articles of Faith on the right side of the board. It was a matching activity. I used a sticky fingers and had a child flip it at the balloons (sticky fingers stick really well to balloons). For whichever number it stuck to they had to find the matching key word and picture. The song could be played as a reminder, or they could choose a card in the pockets behind the numbers. Each card contained a part of that Article of Faith written on it. They could read the card to help remind them of which Article of Faith it was. Once they guessed correctly I looked for a child who could quote the Article of Faith. That child got the next turn with the sticky fingers. But first we sang that Article of Faith song before making another match.

Articles of Faith key words and pictures from the January 1994 Friend magazine insert

Article of Faith numbers

Sticky Fingers can be found at Dollar Tree, in the Walmart party favor section, or on Amazon.

The balloons could be attached to the numbers by punching a hole in the bottom of the number and then pushing the tied end of the balloon through the hole from the back to the front.

Aug 18 2011

Review – The Lord Gave Me a Temple

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Review – The Lord Gave Me a Temple – Giant Game Board

Preparation

  • Print another set of the following pictures from the original post for how to teach this song: heaven, earth, and celestial glory scenes. Print the larger version of the boy figures, and cut out each one (the words are to use as a visual aid for the song line “claim blessings promised me”).
  • Items needed: 24 papers, tape, sticky tack, the word pages for both verses (from the original set of visual aids).

Presentation

Make a giant game board on the walls of the Primary room by starting with the heaven scene and then taping twelve papers in a horizontal row next to it. Put the earth scene at the end of the twelve papers, and then put another twelve papers in a row past the earth scene. Put the celestial glory scene as the finish.  Put sticky tack on the back of the spirit figure of the boy and put him on the heaven scene. The boy figure is the game piece, and the papers are the game spaces.

Divide the Primary into six groups, and give each group a visual aid item (from the original group of visual aids). Each visual aid should represent one line of the first verse. Give the children a few moments to think about what line their item represents and to figure out what the words are for that line.  Have the pianist play the song to help remind them.

Put the word pages on the board in order, but have them flipped over (you may also need to put cardstock over them so the kids can’t see the words through the paper). Have the group who thinks they have the first line of the verse come up and say the line. Have them check to see if they are correct by turning over the first word page. If they said all the words correctly they get to move the spirit figure three spots on the game board. If they got only one word wrong in the line, they get to move two spots. If they got more than two words wrong they still get to move one spot. Continue in this manner, having the children making matches in order and moving the game figure on the game board.

When a group gets the spirit figure to the earth scene, they get to trade the spirit body for the mortal body figure. After all the lines and visual aids have been matched for the first verse, have them sing the verse. Take off the word pages and sing it again.

Give each group a visual aid from the second verse and do the same activity. The object of the game is to get to the page marked celestial glory. If they move an average of two spots a turn, they will make it. If they don’t make it, you may want to consider doing the game again the following week and see if they do any better.

If the children make it to the celestial glory page before all the lines are matched, continue making the matches until finished. Give the final groups the option to help lead the music if they get all their words correct (use a two beat pattern). After all the matches have been made, sing the second verse.  Then sing both verses.

Jun 25 2011

Fourth of July Song Choosing Activity

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Fourth of July Song Choosing Activity

Activity Description: The stars on the flag have song titles on them, and the stripes of the flag have lines from the song on them. A child choose a song title and then a line from that song. The child has to draw a representation of that song line on the board while the children sing the song. The children then guess what line it is.

This activity could be used to sing patriotic songs for the Fourth of July week, or it could be used to review songs.

Preparation

  • Items needed: red, white, and blue ribbon or paper, about 100 straight pins, a 12×18 foam board (3/4 inch thick), masking tape, a container for the pins, and chalk and eraser. (A piece of cardboard, and tape instead of pins, could be used instead of the foam board.)
  • Cut the ribbon or paper  into strips (I used 1 1/2 inch ribbon for my stripes and 7/8 inch ribbon for my star area. Each piece of 1 1/2 inch ribbon was approx. 5 inches long, and the 7/8 inch ribbon pieces were approx. 4 1/2 inches long.)  I had 42 red pieces, 38 white pieces, 23 small blue pieces, and 7 small white pieces. I had to cut a little off the sides of the foam board when I was done to make it all fit.
  • Write the song titles on the back of the small white strips of ribbon, and include the flag stripe row number where the lines for that song will be. Write the song lines on the back of the wide white or red ribbons according to which row they will be on. (I attached pieces of masking tape to the back middle of the ribbons so I could write on them. If you use paper strips you should be able to write directly on the strip.)
  • Make each strip into a loop, and attach each loop onto its place on the foam board with a pin (or attach onto a piece of cardboard using tape).
  • Optional: Attach a ribbon border around the outside edge of the foam board using pins or hot glue.

 

Presentation

Choose two children to come to the front. Have each of them choose a white star loop off the flag. Each of their song titles will direct them to a stripe in the flag. Have them choose one of the loops on that stripe. (Have them put the pin into a container.) Have the child who thinks he/she can draw a representation of their song line, tell their song title to the primary. Have the other child sit down and think about how to draw the line they have chosen.

Explain to the primary children that they will sing the song while the child draws a picture on the board. After they are done singing they can try and guess which line it is. The child who guesses correctly gets to come up and choose either a new star song title, or another stripe from the song they just sang if it needs reviewed again. Have that child go sit down and think about how to draw the line. Have the child who has been thinking about his/her line come up and tell what song title they have, and then have the child draw the line while the children sing. Continue on in this manner until all the song titles have been sung or reviewed.

Junior Primary children may need the help of a teacher to discuss ideas on what to draw, and they may also need help drawing. Also let the senior Primary know that they can get the help of a teacher or member of the Primary presidency if needed.

 

 

May 7 2011

Crying Mother Song Review

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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
Apr 22 2011

Easter Song Review

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Easter or Holiday Song Review

Note: This activity can be used for any holiday by using appropriate candy and basket decorations.

Preparation

  • Items needed: a clear candy jar, several bags of cheap jelly beans, a bag of larger sized candy eggs, plastic gloves, a basket, a brick of floral foam, Easter grass, Popsicle sticks, and a glue gun. Optional: ribbon and bows.
  • Print and cut out the activity cards  and Easter eggs. Glue or tape a number to the back of each activity card. Write a song title on the back of each Easter egg. Glue the Popsicle sticks to the bottom of each card and egg. Hot glue the floral foam to the bottom of the basket. Cover the foam with the Easter grass. Stick the Popsicle stick cards and eggs into the foam.  If needed, decorate the basket with ribbon and bows.
  • With a Sharpie, number sixteen large candy eggs one through sixteen. Pour the jelly beans into the candy jar. Mix the large eggs into the jelly beans.

 

Presentation

As the children sing a song that needs reviewed, have a child try and find the large Easter candy eggs in the candy jar (with one hand wearing a plastic glove). Each time an egg is found, have the child read off the number. Another child will get the numbered activity card out of the basket and show the children. The children should do the activity on the card as they continue to sing the song. When the song is sufficiently reviewed, have a child choose the next song to sing by choosing an egg from the basket, and have other children take a turn finding the eggs and the activity cards.

Mar 16 2011

Spring Showers – Song Choosing Review

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Spring Showers Plinko Board – Song Choosing Review

This week I am reviewing the songs we have learned so far this year. I wanted to use a spring shower theme, so I came up with a Plinko board. A child slides a rain drop (a flat floral marble) down from the top back of the Plinko board trying to get it in the slot of the song they want to sing. Whatever slot it lands in is the song the children will sing. They must try and get it into a slot of a song that hasn’t already been sung. Each child will have one try to do this.

Preparation

  • Items needed: a 20×30 inch foam board from Walmart, blue flat floral marbles, a sheet of clear plastic such as from dollar store gift basket bags (or a couple sheets of saran wrap), clear packaging tape, a small flat sponge, double-sided tape, toothpicks, and a utility razor knife.
  • To make the box, cut the foam board in half, and with the utility knife, score a two inch line down each side and across the bottom of the half sheet of foam board.  Bend the scored areas backwards so that it forms a box (the square corner pieces will have to be cut out).  Tape the corners together.
  • Print the Spring Shower Pictures.  Cut out the flowers and glue them to the bottom of the box. Print and cut out the titles of the songs you wish to review, and glue one above each flower. Cut the sponge into strips to make dividers between the flowers. Attach each sponge divider with double-sided tape. Using double-sided tape, attach some blue floral marbles to the back of the box to look like raindrops coming down on the flowers. Cover the box with clear plastic; pull the plastic tight and tape it to the outside edges or back of the box with clear packaging tape. Cut out and tape the grass to the bottom edge of the box. Cut out the clouds and attach them to the top edge of the plastic with double-sided tape. Look down the top of the Plinko box and see where there are open areas to the slots. Stick the toothpicks through the plastic and into the foam board wherever there is a clear opening. This will make it more difficult to get the marbles into the slot of choice.

 

A Plinko board could be used in lots of different ways. Send me your comments and share your ideas with others on how to use this idea in a noncompetitive way.