Tag Archives: primary

Sep 23 2010

Song Review for “Follow the Prophet”

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Bugs and Slime Song Choosing Activity

Primary Music: This week in junior primary we reviewed all the verses we had learned for “Follow the Prophet”.

I started off by talking about how the prophet asked us to plant gardens. I told the children that I try to be obedient and follow the prophet, but this year my garden has been plagued with bugs, and I don’t like bugs. But I try to endure, because I know that the prophet knows what is best for us. (There are many reasons gardens are important, some  include: garden produce is healthy, gardening is an economical way to obtain fruits and vegetables, and gardening knowledge is important for preparedness.)

Then I told the children that I had a choosing activity using bugs for the song “Follow the Prophet”. The bugs would help remind them that they should follow the prophet even when it is hard, because he knows what is best for us. Then I told them that some bugs secrete a slime substance. I showed them the container of slime. I told them that they had to reach into the slime to find the bugs. The bugs each had a verse title attached to its leg.

I looked for children who were singing and being reverent to be the bug retrieving helpers. They sang their hearts out. I had no idea junior Primary knew the verses so well. They all sang so well, I had to get help from the teachers in deciding who I should choose as a helper.

I made sure the child retrieving the bug from the container of slime didn’t block the view of the other children. The children enjoyed watching when the slime attached to the person’s hand and stretched and glopped. After getting the bug out, I had the child read the tag and tell what verse it was, and then I gave them a wet wipe to wash off their hands. I had attached the song titles to the plastic bugs by folding over a clear piece of tape onto one leg of each bug. The tape sealed onto the leg. Then I wrote the verse name on the tape with a sharpie.

Slime Directions: To make the slime, mix 3 teaspoons of Metamucil with 3 cups of water in a microwaveable bowl. Add some drops of green and yellow food coloring to the mix until it is the desired color. Microwave the mixture on high for about 4 minutes. Stir the mixture, then microwave again for about three minutes. Continue these two steps until the mixture is the thickness and texture you desire.  Be very careful, the mixture will be very hot. After it cools down, pour the goo into a tall, clear plastic container, or into a glass jar with a wide mouth. The clear container will allow the children to see the goo and bugs. Do not fill the container to the top. Make sure that when someone reaches into the goo, it doesn’t overflow. Put a paper plate under the container during the activity to catch any drips.

Aug 30 2010

Gift Package Review Game

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 Gift Package Review Game

To help review a song for the Primary program, I had the children play a game. I had wrapped a bag of candy with several layers of wrapping paper. The children sang the song we were reviewing as a child tried to open the package. It wasn’t easy to open  because I had the child wear heavy gloves and use only spoons to open the package. They weren’t allowed to stab the package with the spoons. As the child tried to open the package, the other children were singing the song and taking turns rolling some dice in a bowl. When one of the children got a seven on the dice, they got a turn to try and open up the package. This game was fun for the children, and they didn’t realize they were singing the song over and over again. I would review words they were having trouble with in-between changing over to a new child opening the package.  I was surprised at how well they sang during the game, even junior Primary. But I did tell them before we started the game that if they didn’t sing, we would have to stop and sing the whole song all the way through before we could continue the game.

Aug 19 2010

Word of Wisdom #4

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 What does the Word of Wisdom say is good for our bodies? – Game

Preparation

  • Print one copy of the food pictures  Cut out each food item. Cut out the food titles and paste each title onto the top of a seperate sheet of cardstock. Put these sheets into a page protector. Attach the food pictures to the back of their category page with rolled pieces of tape.
  • Items Needed: A Doctrine and Covenants for each person, a watch with a second hand (or a timer), one dry erase pen.

Game

Have the family look up D&C 89:16.

  • According to this scripture, what does the Lord say is good for our bodies?  Explain that the fruit of the vine would be fruits and vegetables. So, according to this scripure, fruits, vegetables, and grains are good for our bodies. (Show the three category sheets.)

Tell the family they are going to play a game that will show them the abundance of good foods the Lord has given us to eat. Start with the fruit category sheet. Tell the family they will have two minutes to name as many different fruits as they can. Have them take turns naming a fruit, starting with the youngest in the family. Keep going around until the time is up.  They can say “Pass” if they can’t think of a fruit. Take the pictures from the back of the category sheet and stick them onto the front as they are named. If you don’t have a picture to go with an item that is named, write its name on the category sheet with a dry erase marker. Do the same activity with the vegetables and the grains. Afterward point out all the good foods they have to choose from that are healthy for their bodies.

Explain that we should eat a variety of these healthy foods.  Even some good things can be harmful if used too much. (Read D&C 59:20)  This scripture indicates that we are to be wise and use moderation in all things.

  • How might it be bad for our bodies if we eat mostly one kind of food and we don’t eat enough of other kinds of foods? We wouldn’t get all the nutrients we need.

Have the family look up D&C 89:12.

  • What does the Lord say in this scripture concerning eating meat?

Tell the children that during Joseph Smith’s time, a nearby group from another religion followed a very strict diet and did not eat meat at all. What did the Lord say concerning this? Read D&C 49:18–19  Explain that the Lord told us we should not abstain from eating meat. Meat is a good and acceptable food, but it should be used in moderation.

Aug 18 2010

Word of Wisdom #3

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 What does the Word of Wisdom say is bad for our bodies? – Game

Preparation

  • Print the Word of Wisdom game pictures. Cut apart  the picture of the boy and the picture of the garbage can on the dotted lines. Also cut the smaller pictures apart on the lines.
  • Items needed: D&C Scriptures for each person, blindfold, tape.

 

Lesson and Game 

Ask the family members to close their eyes and imagine they have a baby sister (or have them think about a baby sister or brother they have). Tell them that they love their baby sister very much and have lots of fun playing with her. One day the baby gets sick and won’t eat or play. You take the baby to the doctor and he says that the baby is sick from something she swallowed.

  •  How would you help your baby sister so she doesn’t get sick again? (By keeping her away from the items that could make her sick.)
  • What could happen if you put something in your body that was bad for it? (Your body could be harmed.)

Heavenly Father and Jesus love us very much. We are Heavenly Father’s sons and daughters, and Jesus’ brothers and sisters. They don’t want us to be sick and unhealthy. They want us to be happy and strong. They know what things will hurt our bodies, so we were given commandments to avoid those things.

  • Ask the family members if they remember what these commandments are called and where they are located in the scriptures. (Word of Wisdom, D&C 89)

Have the family look up and read D&C 89:7.

  • What item does the Lord say is not for the belly? (Strong drink)
  •  What does it mean by strong drink? (Have the family read the top half of D&C 89:5. Strong drinks mean alcoholic beverages.)

Show the picture of the beer and wine to the family.

Tape the picture of the boy onto the wall. Tell the family that according to this scripture, alcoholic beverages are not for the body. Tape the garbage can to the wall about five feet away from the picture of the boy. Put a piece of tape on the back of the alcohol picture and hand it to a volunteer. Place the volunteer several feet away from the pictures on the wall, with no obstructions in the way.

Blindfold the volunteer. Tell them the object of the activity is to keep the alcoholic beverages away from the body (the picture of the boy) and put it into the garbage. Spin them around once and point them in the right direction. Tell them if they would like help they can ask one family member to give them directions. Explain that we can always get help in life from the Lord and from people in our lives that we trust.

After the family member has finished his/her turn have everyone read D&C 89:8.

  • What does this scripture says is not for the body? (Tobacco) Show the family the picture of tobacco products. Tell them that this commandment also includes chewing tobacco.

Do the same blindfold activity with the tobacco picture. Afterwards explain that in Joseph Smith’s time, people did not have the medical knowledge that we now have. They didn’t know about the bad effects of smoking and alcohol use. But the Lord knew about these bad effects and he warned the people.

Next have the family read D&C 89: 9.

  •  What does this scripture says is not for the body? (hot drinks)

Show the family the picture of the tea and coffee. Explain that prophets have told us “hot drinks” refers to tea and coffee. When this revelation was given, tea and coffee were the hot drinks being consumed at the time.

Give the picture of tea and coffee to another family member and do the blindfold activity again.

Afterwards ask if they know what other item is harmful to us that recent prophets have warned us not to use.  (Illegal drugs)  (If the children ask about medicinal drugs, explain that some drugs can help us when we are ill, but they should be used only with a parent’s or doctor’s supervision.)

Show the picture of the drugs and do the blindfold activity again.

Aug 17 2010

Word of Wisdom #2

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 How the Word of Wisdom Came to Be – Story

Preparation

Print one copy of the pictures from Doctrine and Covenant Stories chp 31. Cut the printed sheets in half  on the dotted lines.

 Story 

(Going in order, read the numbered paragraphs below as you show the corresponding numbered Doctrine and Covenant Stories picture to the family.)

1. How did we get the Word of Wisdom? In Kirtland, Ohio the Lord instructed Joseph Smith to form a school to teach the leaders of the Church about the gospel and prepare them to serve the members of the Church. This school was called the School of the Prophets.

 2. The school was held in the evenings in an upstairs room of Newel K. Whitney’s store.

 3. Many of the men smoked pipes or cigars which filled the room with smoke. Some of the men chewed tobacco and spit it all over the floor making it very dirty. People at this time did not know that tobacco was bad for their bodies. Joseph Smith did not like teaching the school “in a cloud of tobacco smoke,” because the meetings there were sacred.

4. Emma Smith, Joseph’s wife, cleaned the room after each meeting. She and Joseph became concerned about the brethren’s use of tobacco, and Emma did not like cleaning up the mess the men made with their pipes and chewing tobacco.

5. On 27 February 1833 Joseph Smith entered the room where the School of the Prophets was held. The room was filled with tobacco smoke. Joseph had just come from the clean outside air, and the smell of smoke was offensive to him. He left the room and asked the Lord what he should do about the situation. The Lord answered Joseph’s prayer with the revelation we now call the Word of Wisdom (D&C 89). In the Word of Wisdom the Lord tells us what things are good for the body and what things are bad for the body.

Aug 16 2010

Word of Wisdom #1

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Object Lesson

 Preparation:

Print one copy of the car and family picture.

Object Lesson
(Show the car picture)

  • What is this a picture of? (A car)
  • Where do cars come from? (From the manufacturing plants that make them.)
  • Who knows more about cars than anyone else? (The people who make them or repair them.)

Show the car manual) The people who make the cars provide an instruction book. The instruction book tells a car owner how to take care of their car so that it will last a long time and give good service. The car manual tells what kind of fuel to put into the car.

If someone put water in their cars gas tank, what would happen? (The car would not run, and it would probably be damaged.) A car needs the right fuel to run properly. It also needs other proper fluids and care.

(Show the picture of the family.)

  • Who created the earth and our bodies? (Jesus, under Heavenly Father’s direction)
  • Who would know more about our bodies than anyone else? (Our creator)

The Lord wants us to keep our bodies in the best possible condition so that we can be healthy, happy, and accomplish all that we need to do on the earth. Just as makers of cars provide instruc­tions on how the cars should be cared for, so has the Lord provided us with instructions on how to care for our bodies.

  •  What are these instructions called? (The Word of Wisdom)

The Word of Wisdom is found in the scriptures, in D&C 89. The Word of Wisdom tells us what things are good for our bodies and what things are not good.  Just like a car can be harmed with the wrong fuel, so can our bodies be harmed by putting things in them that are not good for them.

Our Heavenly Father gave us the wonderful gift of a body. We need to show our gratitude by following His instructions and taking good care of our bodies.

Aug 2 2010

Missionary #2

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Why Share the Gospel – Scripture Story and Object Lesson

 Preparation

  • Print pictures from Doctrine-and-Covenant-Stories. Divide each picture page by cutting on the dotted lines.
  • Gather ingredients to make a chocolate cake. Also collect a mixing bowl, a spoon, and a few extra odd items such as pickles, mustard, etc.

 

Scripture Story – Apostasy and Restoration

 (Teach the following story using the pictures from Doctrine and Covenants Stories as visual aids.  Read the following corresponding text as you show the pictures to the family.)

#1) The gospel has been on the earth since the time of Adam, whenever there has been a righteous man who has authority to administer in God’s name, and a people who are willing to listen to and accept the gospel.

#2) When people reject and rebel against the commandments of God, they are in a state of apostasy (a turning away from truth). They lose the blessings of divine guidance and authority. This happened several times during the Old Testament time period. Another time period apostasy occurred was after the Savior was resurrected.

#3) After Jesus’ death and resurrection, the apostles continued to teach people about Jesus and his gospel. Many people joined the church, but soon apostasy began to creep into the church. Some of the people began to turn away from the truth and teach false ideas based on their old religious beliefs.

#4) During this time period, there was also persecution going on from outside the church. Many church members were persecuted and killed because of their beliefs. One by one the apostles were all killed by these persecutors.  After the apostles died, the priesthood keys and authority were no longer on the earth.  Because of the wicked state of the people, they were not restored to the earth at that time. Without prophets and apostles to lead and guide, more and more error crept into church doctrine. Knowledge and understanding about many important doctrines were lost, including the knowledge of the purpose of life.

#5) Ordinances were also changed. Baptisms began to be preformed on babies instead of waiting until a child had grown to the age of accountability. Baptisms also began to be done by sprinkling water instead of  by immersion.  Because of the changes to doctrine and ordinances, and the loss of priesthood keys and authority, the true church was no longer on the earth.

Object Lesson

Show the family the chocolate cake ingredients you gathered. Tell them you don’t have the recipe, but  it doesn’t matter because you think you can remember how to do it. Tell them you also want to make a few changes and add some things to the cake that you think will make it taste better.  Mix ingredients in random amounts, and add a few of the extra items.  Ask the family if they think your concoction will make a delicious chocolate cake? Why not? Without the right ingredients and recipe, the end result won’t be as hoped for.

Tell the family that just as the cake needed the correct ingredients, it is also necessary for a church to consist of the correct components, which includes correct doctrines and ordinances, and power and authority from God.

  •  How and when was the gospel of Jesus Christ restored to the earth again?  In 1830, through Joseph Smith

 

#6) When Joseph Smith was young, he noticed how the different churches interpreted the same things in different ways. He wanted to know which of all the teachings and churches were correct.

#7) As he prayed for an answer, God the Father and Jesus Christ appeared to him. The restoration process then began. Joseph Smith, who had been chosen for this responsiblity because of his faithfulness in the preexistence, helped restore the gospel of Jesus Christ to the earth once again.  Because of the restoration we now have vital truths, knowledge, and the true priesthood authority that had been lost.

Jul 26 2010

Pioneer: Songs

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Table of Contents

I’m a Pioneer Too

Friend July 2020 “I’m a Pioneer Too” Song and Sing-Along Music Video

  1. From England to Samoa, From Kenya to Peru, Brave pioneers in every land Helped spread the gospel true.
  2. Some pioneers pulled handcarts; Some sailed across the sea. On plains and shores and mountains, they Blazed paths for you and me.
  3. They listened to the prophets, Built towns and temples too. Their faith was strong in Jesus Christ. Their courage saw them through.
  4. Chorus: The Lord has trails for me to blaze And work for me to do. Each time I bravely walk with faith, I’m a pioneer too!

When I Hear of Pioneer Children

Friend July 2016 “When I Hear of Pioneer Children”

  • When I hear of pioneer children,
  • Of trials and courage and faith,
  • I want to be willing as they were
  • To look to the Lord for my strength.
  • I’ll follow the prophets as they did,
  • For I want to build Zion too!
  • I’ll try to have faith to do hard things
  • When that’s what He needs me to do.
  • When I hear of pioneer children,
  • I want to be strong for my day.
  • I’ll try to keep all the commandments
  • And be a true Latter-day Saint.
  • I’ll stand as a shining example
  • That others who follow will see,
  • I’ll be like those pioneer children;
  • The Lord is depending on me.

Come, Come Ye Saints

Friend July 2017 “Come, Come Ye Saints” Simplified sheet music and music video

Pioneer Song Review Games

  Pioneer Choosing Activity

Since it was Pioneer Day this week, I decided to have the children sing pioneer songs for music time. I started out with a choosing activity. I used the crickets and seagull idea from Sugar Doodle. I covered the outside of a metal bowl with green tissue paper to make it look like a green hill. I printed off some crickets and a seagull from clip art on Microsoft Word.  I used double sided tape and taped a strong magnet to the back of each cricket. I also wrote the name of a pioneer song on the back of each cricket. I put the crickets on the bowl. I taped one end of a string to the back of the seagull. I taped the other end to a dowel rod. On the back of the seagull’s beak I attached a paper clip.

In Primary I told the story of the crickets and the seagulls. After that I had a child “fly” the seagull to the crickets and pick one up with the beak. We sang what song was on the back. I chose the following songs to put on the back of the crickets:

Pioneer Children Sang as They Walked

For this song I had the senior primary children get up and move over one seat every time they sang the word “walked”. This only works if you have all the children sitting in an even number of rows and in one section with no aisles. The children in the front row will move to the left, the children in the second row will move to the right, and so forth. When a child comes to the end of their row, they will go to the row in front of them. If they are already on the front row, they will move to the back row.

The children loved this activity. The teachers even wanted to participate, which was good because they helped any children that were unsure of what to do. (I had pages of a flip chart made by Jolly Jen posted on the board just incase someone didn’t know the words.)

For junior primary have them slowly walk randomly around the room as they sing the first two lines. Then have them stop and do the following actions: rub their hands together for washing in the stream, hammering action for work, jumping rope for play, making a tent with finger tips pressed together for camped, making a book with open palms together for read, and making praying hands for the word prayed. Then have them start walking again as they sing the last line, but this time have them walk back to their seats. On the last walk word have them sit down.

The Handcart Song

For the handcart song, I used the hand cart racing activity -July Friend 1981 Funstuff.  Since we aren’t supposed to use competition in Primary, I had the teachers do this activity. The kids thought that was funny. I tied the two strings to two empty chairs in the front row. I had the words/flip-chart made by Laurie Lee posted on the board. I told the teachers they could begin racing when we started singing the second half of the song. (The children knew the second half of the song better than the first, so they were able to watch the race and sing at the same time.)

It is really hard to get those pictures to move along the string, so it was funny watching the teachers try all kinds of ways to make them

To Be a Pioneer

For this song I used the pictures found on page 3 of the July 2010 Friend (flip-chart). I posted them on a display board. You could put the do’s and don’ts on different sides. I had a child wear a bonnet to represent a pioneer. She did the actions to the first part of the song such as: pretending to push a handcart, waving goodbye, walking. Then when it came to the part “to be a pioneer” she pointed to herself.

I told the childen they could develop the characteristics of a pioneer such as courage, faith, and working for a cause that is right. I used a boy with a missionary tag to be a modern pioneer. He pointed to himself when we came to the ending part “to be a pioneer”

Friend July 2019 “To Be a Pioneer” Simplified playing version and music video.

Fun to Do

We also did Sugardoodle pioneer actions to the song Fun to Do. I had them start off with bouncing on their chair to represent riding in a wagon (Riding in wagon is fun to do). Then I asked if they could think of any other actions pioneers did. I gave them some suggestions. They came up with “getting warm by the fire is fun to do”. They put their hands out like feeling the warmth and then rubbed their hands together. They also wanted to do milking a cow.

Jul 20 2010

Song: Come Follow Me

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Friend October 2020 “I Can Play It: Come Follow Me” Also includes a Sing-Along video.

Teaching Idea: Walking in His Footsteps Activity

To introduce the song “Come Follow Me”, I did the song “Do As I’m Doing” with the children.  We did cleaning (washing windows and dishes), and we did praying (folding arms, bowing head, closing eyes). We also did jumping jacks, but singing the song three times was a little much.

I had the children guess what action we were doing. After they guessed, I asked if it was important that we do that thing and why? After the song, I pointed out that they had followed my actions during the song, doing important things we should do every day. Then I explained that following Jesus’ example (July’s theme) means doing the same things Jesus did. I asked the children, “What things did Jesus do when he was on the earth?”.

I had made copies of the footprints found on page fifteen of the 2010 Outline for Sharing Time (click on blue words under the footprints). On the blank side, I had put one of the following labels on each footprint: forgave, prayed, loved, was baptized, taught, obedient, served, humble. We talked about the ways Jesus did each one of these things. 

I used the flip chart from Primary Singing Ideas  to introduce the words to the song. We talked about how “following in Jesus’ footsteps” meant to follow him and to do the same things he did.

We also discussed the part where it talks about being one with the Savior. I explained that being one with the Savior means having the same purposes, desires,and goals he has. I asked the children what his main goal is. They responded that it was to help people return to Heavenly Father’s kingdom.  I expained that as we do the same things Jesus did, our hearts gain that same goal, and that it was the only way (for thus alone) to become one with the Savior.  

Activity                                                                                                                                                                                                                               After we were done reviewing the words to the song, we sang the song once, and then we did the activity that would help them learn the song. I put the footprints on the floor in a circle, with the words of the song facing down and the labels of things Jesus did facing up. I picked four volunteers. I had them walk around the footprints while everyone sang the song.  The pianist stopped playing half way through, and the kids stopped walking. I had folded papers in a small bowl with the same labels that were on the footprints. I picked one out and whoever was standing on that footprint picked it up. That child then told how they could follow Jesus by doing the thing that was on the footprint. Sometimes they had a hard time thinking of things, so I told them they could call on someone else to answer.

The child then showed the words that were on the bottom of the footprint, and we took those words off the flip chart. (In order to make the words removable, I had cut the words off the flip chart pages and had put the pictures into page protectors. I taped the words to the outside of the page protectors so they could be removed.)

After we took those words off, I had that child stay and pick the next word from the bowl when we stopped singing again.  When there were four footprints left, I had another four children come up. This group could only walk on one foot print at a time.

The activity was an effective way to teach the meaning of the song and have repetition so they could learn the song.

Note: The children do have a hard time singing at first when they are watching the other children walk around the footsteps. Tell the children you are watching for good singers to be the helpers in doing the footstep activity. This well help them sing.