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. 

Musical Dice

This one is a lot of fun and a great way to reinforce music theory that you've taught the children! Just a warning--you MUST have a confident accompanist in order to do this activity. If your Primary pianist is struggling or uncomfortable, this one will probably stress them out.

Supplies needed:

• 6 sets of opposing musical terms. I use the following:
• forte vs. piano
• Treble Clef (girls) vs. Bass Clef (boys)
• a cappella vs. accompanied
• staccato vs. legato
• Adagio vs. Allegro
• stand up vs. sit down
• pictures to represent each of the 12 terms above, printed very large (1 per 8 x 11 piece of paper)
• 12 pieces of thick construction paper 
• I like to have a pink piece to glue the Treble Clef on and blue for Bass Clef (helps the kids remember which one is which)
• marker
• one die, preferably in some small container to avoid die-tossing across the Primary room
• list of 8-10 songs you want to sing

Set up:

1. Glue your pictures to your construction paper
1. Don't forget to use pink for Treble Clef and blue for Bass Clef
2. Arrange the papers into their sets (forte and piano together, etc.) You should have 6 piles.
3. Label the back of each paper in the set, giving each a number from 1-6 to correspond with the numbers on the die. For example:
1. forte vs. piano (write '1' on the back of both of these)
2. Treble Clef (girls) vs. Bass Clef (boys) (write '2' on the back of both of these)
3. a cappella vs. accompanied (write '3' on the back of both of these, etc.)
4. staccato vs. legato
5. Adagio vs. Allegro
6. stand up vs. sit down
4. Place sets on the table or floor in numerical order
5. Have your die (in container) ready

Game play:

1. Before beginning, give the kids a quick review/introduction to all the terms on the pieces of paper. I usually just hold up each set and remind them of what "staccato" means, etc.
2. Choose a child to come roll the die. The number they roll indicates which set they get to use.
3. You can either hold the set yourself or let the child hold them (one in each hand).
1. Whichever picture is held up high is the one the kids have to follow. So if the child is holding "staccato" in one hand and "legato" in the other, he should pick one to hold up high--that's how the Primary knows how to sing.
2. Alternate between the pictures, lifting them up and down at intervals so the Primary has to keep switching back and forth between "staccato" and "legato" or "Adagio" and "Allegro."
4. Sing the songs in the order. 
5. Two things you may want to keep tabs on:
1. If you're letting the kids hold the pictures, make it clear that they can't just continuously swap back and forth the entire time. That ruins the fun! If you have to take over mid-song, do it!
2. Make sure your pianist is comfortable with the songs you've chosen and is capable of following the directions. This one will even keep your pianist on his toes!

Your Turn to Lead!

I like this game gives the kids a  chance to lead the music, as well as teaching them how to follow a chorister. Don't pull this one out until your kids are familiar with tempo (allegro-andante-adagio) and dynamics (forte--mezzo-forte-piano). 

This is also one of the few games that can be used as is for Junior and Senior Primary!

Supplies needed:

• 3 pictures representing the three tempos (allegro, andante, adagio). You can see mine above.
• 3 pictures of the dynamic marks (forte, mezzo-forte, piano). I found mine using Google.
• 6 pieces of heavy paper, 3 of one color, 3 of another (make them identical sizes and big enough to glue the pictures listed above on).
• glue stick
• List of songs you want the Primary to sing (you can have one list, or separate lists for Junior and Senior)

Set up:

1. Glue the 3 tempo pictures onto 3 pieces of heavy paper (same color).
2. Glue the 3 dynamic pictures onto the other 3 pieces of heavy paper.

Game play:

1. Show the Primary each of the cards and review what they mean (allegro means fast, etc.)
2. Explain that the way you know the tempo of a song is by how fast the chorister waves his/her arm
1. Show them how you'd lead an allegro song, an andante song, and an adagio song.
3. Explain that you can figure out the dynamics of a song by how BIG the chorister makes his/her leading.
1. Show how you would lead a forte song (big waving), mezzo-forte song (regular), and piano song (very small motions).
4. Explain that now some of THEM are going to get to lead the music! Choose one child to come lead the music.
1. Take the 6 tempo/dynamic cards to the pianist. Put them face down and have the child pick one of each color (so one tempo card, one dynamic card). Don't let the Primary see!
1. Whisper in the child's ear to make sure they understand how to lead that combination (forte+adagio=big, slow movements, piano+allegro=tiny, fast movements).
2. Explain to the Primary that the child is going to lead the music, but they (the audience) have to figure out the tempo and dynamics by watching how the music is lead.
3. Sing the first song on your list with the child leading (you can help lead if you'd like).
4. When the song is over, have the Primary try to guess which dynamic/tempo the child drew. See if they're right!
5. Repeat with another child, sing song #2, etc.

Allegro, Andante, Adagio Animals

(Just realized the elephant is pictured here under 'allegro animals'. Not sure how that happened!)

I use this as my very first lesson in tempo. My Primary President suggested that I incorporate some music theory into my singing time lessons and this was one of the games I came up with. It really helps the kids visualize the tempos and what they mean.

I do this activity slightly differently for Junior and Senior Primary. Instructions for both versions are below.

Supplies needed:

• Tempo sign with tempo names & speeds (Allegro=fast, Andante=medium, Adagio=slow). Mine is at the top of the picture above.
• 3 strips of paper--one that says "Allegro", one "Andante", one "Adagio."
• 12 different pictures of animals--4 that are fast/allegro animals, 4 that are walking speed/andante animals, and 4 that are slow/adagio animals. The animals I used are listed below.
• 12 envelopes labeled 1-12
• pins
• FOR SENIOR: Find the Latin name for each of the 12 animals you picked (the Latin names for the ones I picked are listed below). Print off the list of names and cut into individual strips.

List of Animals (according to tempo):

Allegro Animals--cheetah, lion, horse, deer
Andante Animals--man walking, elephant, pig, bear
Adagio Animals--snail, tortoise, starfish, sloth

List of Latin Names for Animals:
(I am in no way an expert on the nomenclature for animals. This was all done using Google and Wikipedia, so I'm not 100% positive that this is the 'correct' nomenclature. But the kids don't care).

Bradypus tridactylus (sloth)

Homo sapien (man)

Helix aspersa (snail)

Elephas maximus (elephant)

Sus scrofa domesticus (pig)

Asterias rubens (starfish)

Ursus maritimus (bear)

Panthera leo (lion)

Acinonyx jubatus (cheetah)

Odocoileus virginianus (deer)

Geochelone gigantean (tortoise)

Equus caballus (horse)

Set up:

1. Select 12 songs that you would like the Primary to sing. You can have one list for both Junior or Senior, or two separate lists.

1. JUNIOR:
1. Pin the Tempo sign at the top of the board, with the Allegro, Andante, and Adagio signs below (see the set up in the picture at top).
2. Put one animal inside each of the 12 envelopes.

1. SENIOR:
1. Pin the Tempo sign at the top of the board, with the Allegro, Andante, and Adagio signs below (see the set up in the picture at top).
2. Pin the 12 animals up underneath the tempo group they belong to.
3. Put one Latin name inside each of the 12 envelopes.
1. ***(If your Senior singing time is after Junior, the set-up is really easy--just leave the Tempo sign and Allegro, Andante, Adagio signs where they were, along with any of the animals that Junior placed in the correct tempo group).

Game play:

1. BOTH (before playing)
1. Explain what "tempo" means (how fast we sing/play a song). 
1. Give them an example of a piece of a song played fast, medium, and slow.
2. Teach them the proper names for fast (allegro), medium (andante), and slow (adagio)
1. Have them repeat the names with you.

1. JUNIOR:
1. Choose a child to come up and open one of the envelopes. Have them show the animal to the Primary, then decide if it's an allegro animal, andante animal, or adagio animal (note that their definition might be different than yours--is a pig 'andante' or 'adagio'? You can either correct them or just go with what they say).
2. Pin the animal under the selected tempo, then sing the first song on your list AT THAT TEMPO
3. Repeat, but with animal #2 sing song #2, etc.

1. SENIOR:
1. Choose a child to come up and open one of the envelopes. Have them read the Latin name (if they can!) to the Primary, then try to decide which animal it is. They can ask for help if they need it.
2. Pin the Latin name under the correct animal, then sing the first song on your list AT THE TEMPO that animal is placed underneath.
3. Repeat, but with animal #2 sing song #2, etc.

***Just a brief note--I warn the kids up front that I can never make it through an entire song at adagio tempo. I tell them to watch me carefully because at some point I will speed it back up to normal. This keeps them on their toes (and keeps you from singing the entire song at a snail's pace).