Winter Olympics

This was brand new this year--a winter counterpart to my Summer Olympics! The kids were really into it, especially since it coincided with the Olympics in Sochi. 

Supplies needed:

• icons to represent 8-10 of the events featured in the Winter Olympics. I used these:
• Curling
• Ski Jumping
• Speed Skating
• Cross-Country Skiing
• Figure Skating
• Biathalon
• Ice Hockey
• Bobsledding
• (I would definitely add 1-2 more next time--I used up every event in Junior Primary!)
• list of 8-10 songs (one for each event)
• a pink poster with a picture of a girl
• a blue poster with a picture of a boy
• tape/pins to hang the icons on your board

Set up:

1. Pin/tape your icons onto the board--easy as that! 
2. Have your boy/girl posters accessible.

Game play:

1. Announce that the Primary Winter Olympics are now in session!
• describe each event they will be participating in (the actual event, not what they're going to be doing in Primary)
2. Have a child come up and pick an icon. Name the event ("Ooh, speed skating!"), and then describe how the Primary will "compete" in this event. Here's what I did for each of my events:
• Curling = Do As I'm Doing (p. 276), "sweeper" actions
• you'll almost certainly have to explain curling and the sweepers, so make sure you know what you're talking about!
• Ski Jumping = sing the entire song with a crescendo. Start off very quietly and end fortissimo (like a jumper preparing to jump and then launching).
• I also had the kids crouch down low as we began singing, then slowly stand up and ended in a "ski jump" position when we hit fortissimo.
• Speed Skating = sing the song as fast as possible
• Cross-Country Skiing = sing all verses (make sure your song has more than one!)
• Figure Skating = boys/girls sing (this is where the posters come in)
• explain that this is pairs figure skating, where a man & woman skate together, but not always doing the same thing at the same time. For our Olympics, the boys and girls will be singing the same song, but not always at the same time.
• hold up the boy sign for the boys to sing, girl for girls, or both together
• Biathalon = do two things at once! Sing a song plus do some other action.
• For Junior I had them jump up and down on one foot while singing
• For Senior I had them pat their head and rub their belly while singing
• Ice Hockey = sing staccato (like the puck shooting around the ice)
• Bobsledding = either you or one of the children is the bobsled captain.
• explain that the in bobsledding the team members must all lean the same direction in order to build speed and/or keep the sled from tipping.
• the "captain" stands in front of the Primary and leans to either side (or stands up straight) and the Primary must mimic their actions while singing. 
3. Sing the song for that event, then move on to the next event! Hopefully your Primary will love this as much as mine does. 

Around the World

This one is inspired by the song "Children All Over the World" (p. 16), which was one of my favorite Primary songs as a kid.

I like this one because it works well for both Junior and Senior (with a few adjustments for Senior!).

Supplies needed:

• large map of the world
• small slips of paper with 8-10 ways to say "thank you" in different languages
• be sure to include the six languages specifically mentioned in "Children All Over the World" (p. 16): "Gracias", "Malo", "Wir danken dir", "Tak", "Merci", "Kansha shimasu"
• Here are the ones I've used:
• Gracias (Spanish)
• Malo (Tongan)
• Wir danken dir (German)--they usually just say "Danke", so I put that on the slip, too.
• Tak (Danish)
• Merci (French)
• Kansha shimasu (Japanese)
• Dank U (Dutch)
• Asante (Swahili)
• Obrigado (Portuguese)
• Spasiba (Russian)
• list of 8-10 songs you want to sing (one for each language)
• I also add in "Children All Over the World" (p. 16) at the end (for Senior at least)
• for Senior Primary: clues to help them figure out which country each language is spoken in.  Obviously most languages are spoken in multiple countries, so take your pick! Here are the ones I've used in the past:
• Gracias (Spanish) = PERU
• -Nearly half of this country is covered by the Amazon jungle
• -It has a range of huge mountains called the Andes running through it
• -Three famous cities: Cusco, Machu Picchu, and Lima
• Malo (Tongan) = TONGA
• -Consists of 170 islands, 48 are inhabited
• -guns, gambling, and going shirtless are all illegal
• -name comes from ‘Tongahahake’, means ‘the wind that blows from the SE’
• Wir danken dir (German) = GERMANY
• -Shares a border with nine countries 
• -From 1961 to 1989 this country was divided in half by a wall
• -Home to the Black Forest, Bach, Brahms, and Beethoven
• Tak (Danish) = DENMARK
• -there is not a single mountain in this country, highest hill is 560 feet
• -they invented Legos
• -home to the Vikings, Hans Christian Anderson, and Copenhagen
• Merci (French) = FRANCE
• -When the Romans occupied this country, they named it Gaul
• -largest country in Western Europe
• -famous for guillotines, Bonaparte, and the Eiffel Tower
• Kansha shimasu (Japanese) = JAPAN
• -Home to more than 200 volcanoes
• -rice is eaten at almost every meal, including breakfast
• -The national sport is sumo wrestling
• Dank U (Dutch) = HOLLAND/THE NETHERLANDS
• -this country has twice as many bikes as cars
• -home to the tallest people in the world
• -they grow and sell the most tulips in the world
• Asante (Swahili) = KENYA
• -the equator runs through this country
• -home to elephants, lions, zebras & giraffes
• -capital is Nairobi 
• I also sang them the "Asante sana, squashed banana" song from Lion King when they got stuck on this one. Not sure how much it helped!
• Obrigado (Portuguese) = PORTUGAL
• -In Roman times it was known as Luisitania
• -90% of the population is Roman Catholic
• -world’s largest producer of cork
• Spasiba (Russian) = RUSSIA
• -national obsession with chess
• -first to send a person into space
• -largest country in the world
• tape/pins for the map and language slips

Set up:

1. Hang up your map
2. Have the language slips on a table or in a bag for the kids to pick from
• I reinforced my slips by taping them to construction paper. If you're planning on doing this activity multiple times over the years (and using the same languages), this might be a good idea.
3. Have your list of clues ready for Senior Primary
4. Have tape/pins ready to put the languages on the correct place on your map

Game play:

1. Have a child come up and pick a language slip.
• JUNIOR: Pronounce the word and have the Primary repeat it.
• tell them what language it is
• tell them the countr(ies) where it's spoken and a fact or two about the countr(ies).
• put the language slip in the right place on the map and sing the corresponding song
• SENIOR: Pronounce the word and have the Primary repeat it.
• DON'T tell them what language it is--instead, read them the clues.
• If the clues aren't enough, tell them the language. If that's not enough, start giving them geographical clues ("It's in Asia, near China", etc.)
• put the language slip in the right place on the map and sing the corresponding song
2. Try to leave yourself 5 minutes at the end to teach the Primary "Children All Over the World" (p. 16). I don't usually try with Junior, but I always do with Senior!

Synonyms

Another Senior only game--they need to have a good grasp on language in order to make this one work! I usually pair this one with Missing Halves for Junior. 

Supplies needed:

• list of 8-10 songs you want to sing
• synonym "titles" for each of the songs on your list, written/printed on small slips of paper. Here are some I've used in the past:
• When I Am Immersed (I Enjoy Searching For Color Spectrums) = When I Am Baptized (I like to look for rainbows) p. 103
• Cherish Your Fellow Men = Love One Another (p. 136)
• A Little One's Supplication = A Child's Prayer (p. 12)
• I Am a Member of the Congregation of Jehovah = I Belong to the Church of Jesus Christ (p. 77)
• I Am the Offspring of Deity = I Am a Child of God (p. 2)
• The Sage Constructed His Dwelling Upon The Stone = The Wise Man Built His House Upon the Rock (p. 281)
• Obey the Seer = Follow the Prophet (p. 110)
• The Troops of Alma's Son = Army of Helaman (p. 172)
• The Tome of Nephite Tales = Book of Mormon Stories (p. 118)
• Word of God Strength = Scripture Power (sheet music)
• He Commissioned His Son = He Sent His Son (p. 34)
• Hope For Things Which Are Not Seen, But Which Are True = Faith (p. 96)
• If You Are Exhilarated and Aware of It = If You're Happy And You Know It (p. 266)
• small bag/container to put the slips in

Set up:

1. Put your slips in your bag/container. That's it!

Game play:

1. Explain to the children how to play. 
• This is usually best done through an example, so use one of the examples above that you DON'T have in your plans that day.
2. Have a child draw a slip and read it to the Primary.
• Usually after they read it once, I read it again for clarity. 
• If necessary, use some definitions as hints ("What is a seer? Oh, like a PROPHET?") 
3. Once they've guessed correctly, sing the song, then play again!

Mad Gab

I love the game Mad Gab and had seen some versions others had made for their singing times. I borrowed a few titles from them and then had a great time with my husband coming up with some of our own!

This is definitely a Senior only game! 

Supplies needed:

• list of 8-10 songs you want to sing
• small slips of paper with the Mad Gab titles for each song written/printed on them. Here are ones we've used over the years:
• Poppy Core Paw Pink = Popcorn Popping (p. 242)
• Low Of His Poke In Ear = Love is Spoken Here (p. 190)
• Gigs Add They'll It Ills Trim = "Give," Said the Little Stream (p. 236)
• Bug Have More Men Store Rice = Book of Mormon Stories (p. 118)
• Knee Vice Core Rage = Nephi's Courage (p. 120)
• Won Stare Us As Gnome An = Once There Was a Snowman (p. 249)
• Rev In Tall Leak White Alley = Reverently, Quietly (p. 26)
• Lad Heard Yea Prop Hits = Latter-day Prophets (p. 134)
• Fall Loathe Heap Raw Fit = Follow the Prophet (p. 110)
• Key Up Duck Amen Mints = Keep the Commandments (p. 146)
• Dews Aimed Owing = Do As I'm Doing (p. 276)
• I'll Hike Duel Hook Foreign Boas = I like to look for rainbows (When I Am Baptized, p. 103--they don't usually know the title of this one so I use the first line)
• small bag/container to put the slips in

Set up:

1. Put your slips in your bag/container--easy, easy!

Game play:

1. Explain to the children how to play Mad Gab. 
• This is usually best done through an example, so use one of the examples above that you DON'T have in your plans that day.
• read them the Mad Gab title and see if they can guess what it really says. Repeat it several times, accenting different parts of the sentence. 
• Usually you'll have a child or two catch on pretty quickly. If not, repeat the sentence with almost the correct pronunciation/accent until they can "hear" what you're really saying
2. Have a child draw a slip and read it to the Primary.
• Usually after they read it once, I read it again for clarity. 
• I'll also repeat it several times with different parts accented until someone "gets" it.
3. Sing the song, then do it again!

Summer Olympics

I got a bit of inspiration from the 2012 Summer Olympics and came up with this activity. The kids LOVED it! (I also have a Winter Olympics). 

Supplies needed:

• icons to represent 8-10 of the events featured in the Summer Olympics. I used these:
• 100 Meter Dash
• Javelin Throw
• Table Tennis
• Marathon
• Archery
• Rowing
• Gymnastics
• Hurdles
• High Jump
• Diving
• list of 8-10 songs (one for each event)
• tape/pins to hang the icons on your board
• optional: picture of a crescendo sign and decrescendo sign to help the kids visualize how they're supposed to sing

Set up:

1. Pin/tape your icons onto the board--easy as that! 
• have the crescendo/decrescendo signs ready if using

Game play:

1. Announce that the Primary Summer Olympics are now in session!
• describe each event they will be participating in (the actual event, not what they're going to be doing in Primary)
2. Have a child come up and pick an icon. Name the event ("Ooh, the hurdles!"), and then describe how the Primary will "compete" in this event. Here's what I did for each of my events:
• 100 Meter Dash = sing allegro/as fast as possible
• Javelin Throw = sing legato (nice & smooth, like the arc of a javelin through the air)
• Table Tennis = sing staccato (like the ball bouncing back & forth)
• Marathon = sing ALL VERSES of this song (make sure your song has more than one!)
• Archery = Do As I'm Doing (p. 276), archery actions
• Rowing = alternate which side of the room sings (like alternating which side rows). You can either direct this yourself or let the child do it.
• Gymnastics = Head, Shoulders, Knees & Toes (p. 275). Make them end with arms in the air like they've just completed a gymnastics routine!
• Hurdles = at the end of each phrase of the song, jump (like you're hurdling)!
• High Jump = sing the entire song with a crescendo. Start off very quietly and end as loud as possible (like the high jumper starting in low and jumping as high as he can)
• Diving = sing the entire song with a decrescendo. Start off as loud as you can and slowly fade out (like the diver starting up on the high dive and diving toward the water)
3. Sing the song for that event, then move on to the next event! Hopefully your Primary will love this as much as mine does. 

Independence Day Matching

A fairly standard matching game using Independence Day symbols and facts!

I do two versions of this--one with simple picture matching for Junior and one with fact matching for Senior.

Supplies needed:

• For Junior: 8-10 pairs of Independence Day/USA themed pictures (Uncle Sam, flag, etc.)
• For Senior: 8-10 sets of matching facts. These are the ones I use:
• Statue of Liberty = Gift from France
• July 4th, 1776 = Adoption of the Declaration of Independence
• Inalienable Rights = Life, Liberty & the Pursuit of Happiness
• National Motto = In God We Trust
• Sewed the First American Flag = Betsy Ross
• Paul Revere = One if by land, Two if by sea
• Star Spangled Banner = Francis Scott Key
• "This land shall be a land of liberty unto the Gentiles, and there shall be no kings upon the land" = 2 Nephi 10:11
• First National Capitol = Philadelphia
• corresponding number of squares of thick paper (to cover each of the pictures/facts)
• marker to label each paper square (1-20 or however many you have--makes it easier for the kids to pick which two they want to try to match)
• list of songs you want to sing (one song per pair)
• tape/pins to hang the pictures and covers

Set up:

1. Pin/tape your pictures/facts onto the board in nice, even columns and rows. Make sure to mix them up to make matches harder to find!
2. Cover each picture/fact with a square of paper, making sure the squares are in numerical order.

Game play:

1. Very simple--invite children to pick two squares, continuing to call on new children until a match is made. Once a match is made, sing the song and continue.
1. I always give the child the option to "ask the Primary" if there is a known match on the board and the child is unsure of where it is. 

Pioneer Day

I like to pull this one out on whatever Sunday happens to be closest to July 24th. It tends to be a crazy singing time, but the kids LOVE it!

I chose only four of the pioneer songs in the Songbook since the kids in my Primary aren't at all familiar with the songs. If you feel like your Primary could do more/different songs, go for it! But this activity is specifically designed for the songs I chose. 

Supplies needed:

• 4 pictures to hang on the board:
• people pulling a handcart (The Handcart Song p.220)
• oxen pulling a wagon (The Oxcart p. 219)
• pioneer children walking (Pioneer Children Sang As They Walked p. 214)
• pioneer family (To Be A Pioneer p. 218)
• wagon (large enough for a child to ride in)
• Items needed for The Handcart Song
• wagon
• poster of the Salt Lake Temple
• Items needed for The Oxcart
• wagon
• two pictures of an ox with string attached (so they can be worn around a child's neck)
• Items needed for Pioneer Children Sang As They Walked 
• bar of soap (keep it wrapped in paper, otherwise the kids like to pick at the soap)
• toy hammer
• small wooden toy (something a pioneer child would have played with)
• scriptures
• Items needed for To Be A Pioneer
• wagon
• a sign with "1,000 Miles" printed on it with a string attached (so it can be worn around a neck)
• toy sword
• packet of seeds
• toy hammer

Set up:

1. Obviously this singing time is heavy on the props. Try as best you can to separate your props into piles for each song (the wagon and the toy hammer will be used in multiple songs).
2. Pin the four song pictures up on your board
3. Try not to leave the wagon somewhere the kids can get to it easily. Otherwise you'll be pulling kids out of the wagon before Primary even starts.

Game play:

1. Talk to the kids about Pioneer Day and why we celebrate it on July 24th. Then explain that we're going to be learning some songs about pioneers.
2. Have a child come up and pick one of the pictures on the board. Sing the song using the following props and actions (I also sing each song at least twice to help the kids feel more familiar with it):
1. The Handcart Song (p. 220)
• you'll need SEVEN children to help with this one
• "When pioneers moved to the West"--have a child point West
• "With courage strong they met the test"--have a child flex his muscles
• "They pushed their handcart all day long/And as they pushed they sang this song"--have a child push gently on the back of the wagon each time the word "push" is sung
• "For some must push"--same as above, have child gently push on wagon
• "and some must pull"--have another child at the front of the wagon gently pull when the word "pull" is sung
• "As we go marching up the hill"--have a child march in place
• "So merrily on our way we go"--have a child give their biggest smile
• "Until we reach the Valley-o"--have child hold picture of Salt Lake Temple
• have the Primary do the actions along with the children up front
2. The Oxcart (p. 219)
• you'll need THREE children to help with this one
• Give two of the children the ox pictures to wear around their necks. The third child will ride in the wagon.
• Have the two "oxen" GENTLY and SLOWLY pull the wagon around the Primary room as you sing
• have the Primary march slowly in place while they sing
3. Pioneer Children Sang As They Walked (p. 214)
• you'll need SEVEN children to help with this one
• "Pioneer children sang as they walked and walked and walked"--have a child walk in place to the beat. He will repeat this action EVERY time the phrase "walked and walked" is sung (3 times in the song).
• "They washed in streams"--give a child the bar of soap and have them pretend to wash themselves with it
• "And worked"--give a child the toy hammer and have them pretend to hammer something
• "And played"--give a child the small toy and have them play with it
• "Sundays they camped"--have a child make a tent/teepee shape with their arms over their head
• "And read"--have a child hold open the scriptures
• "And prayed"--have a child fold his arms and bow his head
• "Week after week..."--back to your walking child!
• have the Primary do the actions along with the children up front
4. To Be A Pioneer (p. 218)
• you'll need EIGHT children to help (including a pair of siblings/cousins, if possible)
• "You don't have to push a handcart"--have a child gently push the wagon
• "Leave your family dear"--have two children (siblings/cousins would be best) hug each other and pretend to be sad
• "Or walk a thousand miles or more to be a pioneer"--hang the "1,000 Miles" sign around a child's neck and have him walk in place
• "You do have to have great courage"--give a (very responsible) child the toy sword and have them hold it up triumphantly
• "Faith to conquer fear"--give a child the packet of seeds and explain that "faith is like a little seed"
• "And work with might"--give a child the toy hammer and have them pretend to hammer something
• "For a cause that's right/To be a pioneer"--have a child point to the audience's right (their left)
• have the Primary do the actions along with the children up front
3. This is a crazy, fun activity, so make sure you give yourself a bit of time at the end to bring things to a nice, calm ending. Be sure to share your testimony of the importance of the pioneers (both those who walked the plains and their modern counterparts).