Faith (song from the Children's Songbook)

I was released as Primary Music Leader several years ago, but I still see posts on the Facebook page and noticed that many of the songs I taught are back again.  So I looked through the list and decided that I should post the flipcharts that I made those years ago so new leaders can use them an not "re-invent the wheel" as one commenter put it.

The song "Faith" on page 96 of the Children's Songbook is on the list for April (2023) so I pulled out my flipchart for it.  As I looked at it, I realized that I had forgotten many of words, especially since my flipchart has very few words to help me. Then I remembered that I there were many children in Junior Primary, most of whom did not yet read.  So I set out to make a flipchart with few words and mostly pictures that would help them remember the words I taught them to sing.  I also was trying to have as few pages as possible to save on ink and page turning.  I only put "Faith is knowing" once on each page because it is repeated for the second line again so I would just point to the same words and the kids knew even those that couldn't read that we were repeating the same words.  

What I don't have anymore, because I left it in the Primary closet for future leaders, is a poster I made where I had a sun that started at the bottom of the poster on a string that went to the top and through the poster to the back where I could pull it and show the sun rising.  Same thing with a seedling accordion folded at the bottom that would "grow" as I pulled the string.  Kids loved coming up to be the helper who got to pull the strings!  I don't remember the rest of the poster and unfortunately it is no longer in the closet.

I love teaching this song to children because the gospel principles are so important and the imagery is powerful and memorable.

You can find my flipchart here:  Faith (few words, 2 pages)

He Sent His Son

I love the way this song asks a question and then gives the answer.  In fact, once while we were practicing I had the kids sing the question parts and the teachers and leaders sing the answer parts just to help them hear and understand more clearly.

One year we were even asked to have the children sing it for the Ward Christmas program which I thought was very appropriate.  In my opinion, this song always brings a strong Spirit and the children can even feel it when you point it out to them.

You can find my flipchart here:  He Sent His Son

I Will Follow God's Plan for Me

When I started out to teach this song to my primary, most of which were in Junior Primary, I tried to come up with a way to engage the littles and help them understand and identify with the words of the song.  I decided to use physical objects and put them all in a pre-wrapped gift box with a wrapped lid that we could easily open to display all the items.  I had the gift in the center of a small table and had all the kids stand around it as we chose items to match the words in the song. 

The last page of my flipchart is "God's Plan for Me" which I printed out used to discuss the milestones of the plan had them raise their hand if they had done the milestone.  Of course all of them could raise their hand on the first two signs or milestones, some of them could raise their hands on being baptized and adults could raise their hands on the others.

I rolled up "the plan" into a scroll with a rubber band around it and put it in the box. Other items I had in my gift box were two squishy balls (one was a smiley face for "happy" and one was a globe for "earth"), a small laminated picture of heaven (like in the flipchart), a flashlight for "God's light", a baby doll, a very small set of scriptures, a beanbag heart, a spade (you could also use a wash cloth or something else representing "work"), a pair of Barbie shoes, and a little toy house.  I also had from a previous song on prayer a little pyramid with pictures of children and Jesus praying on it (pictured below, I printed it on cardstock and covered it with packing tape so they wouldn't smudge).  You could also use a small framed picture of someone praying or something like that. 

As we sang the song, the child holding the item that matched the words would hold it up high, they ended up jumping when it was their turn.  After each verse, the kids with an item would give it to someone who hadn't had an item before to hold for the next time through.  After a few times through the song and each child had been able to hold an item, I had them put their item in the gift box for the last time through.  Many repetitions were very easy to get this way.

The flipchart doesn't have all the words, but has pictures to represent the words which helped them remember easily without lots of pages.

You can find my flipchart here:  I Will Follow God's Plan for Me

A Child's Prayer

When I started teaching primary music many years ago, I was genuinely surprised at how much the children loved the song "A Child's Prayer." I had not learned it growing up (of course I grew up way before the Children's Songbook came out) and so was unfamiliar with it.

A few years later when I started to teach it as part of the program that year, I didn't really love the pictures the previous chorister had used, so I made up my own flipchart.  It was fairly easy to teach since most of the older kids already knew it, but I wanted the littles to be able to learn it and have helps to sing along.

I made the second part just one page with fewer pictures since that is the part we have the adults in the room sing.

You can find my flipchart here:  A Child's Prayer

Jesus Once Was a Little Child

This is a song I remember well from my childhood and I think every child should be taught, especially the second verse.  At first I was worried about some of the words, especially "vexed" since they are not common anymore, but the kids really got them after a little discussion and especially loved saying vexed!

It's such a fun way to teach children especially important principles - Jesus was a child like me so he understands me, a little child should be pure & meek & mild, even children can learn not to get mad when things don't go our way, telling the truth is important.

I worked hard to find just the right pictures for this one, pictures that the children would identify with and would quickly and easily portray these principles - especially "vexed."

You can find my flipchart here:  Jesus Once Was a Little Child

Pioneer Day Singing Time

A couple of years in Primary I did a Pioneer Day of singing. There was a bit of prep before hand, but the results were fantastic.  

Days before I got a big box large enough for a sunbeam and drew wheels on it with marker - this would be our "wagon" (or you could just use a wagon if you have one, but the kids loved pushing a child around in the box).  I collected sticks to make a "campfire" with and brought a blue blanket to be a "river."  I also got some paper cups and some pieces of paper that we wadded up into balls for a pioneer game of toss and catch.  Then I made a few pioneer button spinners (you can find lots of examples online).  I also prepared some snacks, I chose dried apple slices and pretzel sticks.

Following is my plan with dialog and songs to sing.  I planned out which corner to do each section in and placed my objects around the room accordingly.  The kids know about half of the songs which helps them not feel too uncomfortable when we sing the songs they don't really know.  You can play the songs from the Church music app if that helps.

The kids had a lot of fun and remembered the activity for years!  It also helped them be interested in Pioneer stories of their own.  I told them to go home and ask their parents if they have any pioneer ancestors and to ask them to tell their stories.

You can find my Singing Plan here:  Pioneer Day Singing Time

Praise to the Man (vs. 1-3)

Several years ago I taught the primary children "Praise to the Man" verses 1 & 3. I was a little nervous that the words would be too hard or that they wouldn't understand.  I'm not sure how much they really understood all the words, but THEY LOVED IT!  

With a little explanation of some of the words and phrases, they were able to learn the words, we kept the tempo upbeat and the kids really enjoyed singing this song.

You can find my flipchart here:  Praise to the Man