Once Within A Lowly Stable

Our second song we are learning for our ward Christmas Program is "Once Within a Lowly Stable."  This is a particularly hard song because the wording is a little old fashioned and odd but it's a beautiful song.  I'll use the "add a line" style to teach this song.  I have one class sing a line or phrase after me and tell everyone else so listen carefully because they may have to sing it later. . .you can joke and say "don't you dare listen to what I'm teaching them because you wouldn't want to learn the whole song and impress me too much!"  Anyway. . .after having all the classes learn a line switch them around and sing it again.  Finally after one or two switcheroos sing the whole song together.


I also found an amazing addition to this song here that tells you how to add handbells to this song that sound really great.  I borrowed some from someone in the ward and am excited to introduce them next week when we know the song. I thought I would put all the kids names in a hat who want to play the handbell and then draw 3 names to make it fair.  Here's the gist of the handbells.

Play each of the following notes for 2 counts works like a charm!!  Good Luck!
GGGGGGAAGGGGGGBBAGAGGGAG

Serving Scarecrow

Since Sunday's theme is about how serving your neighbors is serving God I thought I'd introduce serving scarecrow. . .I got the clip art for him from a friend who had one of those Primary Helper books.  So I thought after talking about how serving others is how we serve God I picked some service songs to put on the corn and birds and I'll just let kids decorate Mr. Service Scarecrow right up!!

1. When We're Helping We're Happy
2. Give Said the Little Stream (in Sr. Primary have them scoot one seat to the left/right each time they say "give"
3. I Hope They Call Me On A Mission
4. Our Primary Colors
5. Fun To Do (pick service items to do)
6. I'm Trying To Be Like Jesus
7. Called To Serve(march in place)
8. Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam (to maintain reverence let them jump up like popcorn on the "beam" words but not actually sing them. . .works like a charm!)

Nursery Props and Ideas

I made some new props this week to try out in nursery. . .I have a 22 month old so I tried them out and she seemed to really get into actually having something to hold during songs so maybe it will be a success. . .I'll let you know.

 Follow the Prophet sticks. . .they can raise them in the air when you say prophet (I only do the chorus bytheway) or march with them and yes if you're wondering I did defile my Ensign and cut out all the President Monson pictures I could find. . .my printer was broken!

 Jesus Wants Me For a Sunbeam. . .they loved to jump up in the air with them on "sunbeam"

 Do as I'm Doing shakers . . .got them at the dollar store in the party section and they are so crappy made that they aren't very loud so they're perfect!

Christmas Bells!!!!  Yeah Christmas is Coming!!

And Here's My List of Songs (thus far!) that would be awesome for Nursery

1. Book of Mormon Stories (actions)
2. Jesus Wants Me For a Sunbeam (sunbeams on a stick)
3. Popcorn Popping (actions)
4. If You're Happy and You Know it (actions)
5. Daddy's Homecoming (actions)
6. Do As I'm Doing (Shakers)
7. Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes (actions)
8. I Hope They Call Me On A Mission (march)
9. Once There Was a Snowman (actions)
10. I Am a Child of God (hold hands and slowly walk in a circle)
11. Christmas Bells (shake those bells)
12. Birds in a Tree (actions)
13. Smiles (actions or poster)
14. Oh How We Love To Stand (actions)
15. Hello Friends
16. Falling Snow (actions)
17. It's Autumn Time
18. Little Seeds Lie Fast Asleep
19. In The Leafy Treetops
20. Rain is Falling All Around
21. Give Said The Little Stream
22. My Heavenly Father Loves Me
23. A Happy Family
24. When We're Helping We're Happy

Nursery Ideas

I just started going into the nursery today and it was tons of fun but I still needed more ideas. . .thank goodness for all you creative men and women out there willing to share.  Here's one to get you started on nursery singing time.

Singing Time in Nursery

I also used Christmas Bells today and let them ring bells while I sang it a few times and they loved it!

Christmas Bells Are Ringing

So I just found out that our Primary gets to sing not one but two songs for the Ward Christmas Program in December . . .so besides celebrating our program being over and singing some songs of gratitude we are going to have to start singing some holiday songs.  This Sunday I plan to let them celebrate the end of their Christmas Program with some favorite song singing and then we're going to work on Christmas Bells are ringing.  Because of the time constraints I have asked a wonderful soprano in the ward to sing the descant and the primary will all just sing the simple verse.  Here's what we'll do.

 I put together a big poster with clipart for those visual learners . . .I usual talk/sing about the song one phrase at a time and hang up the posters as I do it.  Here's what I came up with using google and sugardoodle and such

Christmas Bells

Are Ringing

Hear What They

 I'll make a poster with a big Capital and lowercase letter "U' for "say to you"

Jesus is Born

In Bethlehem, In Bethlehem

 After teaching them the basic words and tune of the song and letting them sing it while ringing bells I found at the dollar store,  I will introduce the sign language . . .if you use this site you can look up the following words and they work amazing with this song for all those kids that love actions

• Christmas (use Christmas-1 under Religious Signs)
• Ring (I used another site to find "ring" as in ringing a bell) and to do this sign you droop your right hand at the wrist and smack it against your left palm like the thing inside a bell
• Hear
• Say
• Jesus
• Born
• Bethlehem

Good Luck and pass along some ideas if you have some.

I Will Return!

This week is finally our Primary Program so I will return soon with holiday ideas and fun. . .I also get to start going into each nursery for 10 minutes each Sunday so I'm super excited to start some testimony singing in there . . .any ideas?!!

My Blessings Part 2

So I got creative last week and tried to play the guitar because I really wanted to use it for primary . . .let's just say that I'm not a stellar as I hoped I would be after all these years!  Then I remembered that one of the Elders in our ward played in a band before he came on a mission. . .so it was an awesome opportunity to get the missionaries in Primary and get the guitar!  So last Sunday I told the kids that because they had been working so hard on our "8 song Race" to prepare for the Primary Program that we were taking a vacation and were not going to be singing any Primary Songs for the whole day!!!  I then introduced them to my "band" and we learned to sing "My Blessings" with the guitar and then with the guitar and piano.  It went really well and to top it off I had the other missionary in the companionship bear his testimony of music and gratitude and blessings!  It was an awesome Sunday.  The song is really quite easy for the kids to learn and in Sr. Primary they learned it good enough to sing both parts together . . .remember don't underestimate these little souls!!