Goodbye Song for the 12 Year Olds

So I try to do special things for those kids turning 8 and those that are turning 12 and leaving to go to Young Men and Young Women.  For the 8 year olds we always sing "I Belong to the Church of Jesus Christ" very exuberantly to welcome them as the newest official members of our church and congratulate them on the choice they made to be baptized. 

For the 12 year olds we use the song "You're Happy Birthday" but sing it like so!

"This month is such a special one it's goodbye time for you.
We'd really like to celebrate this happy day with you
John-ee-ay and Jenny-yo (substitute names or first and last name if 1 child)
There's something we must do
We'll sing a song that we all know
Goodbye to you!"

Add it waves or actions or whatever. . .it works great!!

Birthday Song Idea

So I'm always trying out new ideas to make our birthday kids feel extra special and maybe a little silly too when we sing to them.  I invested in an awesome party hat,some Mardi Gras sparkly glasses, and some Happy Birthday tiaras at the dollar store(I'll snap some pictures and post them soon) and I let the birthday kids sport whichever they want while we sing to them.  They love it and very rarely does anyone turn down the opportunity to wear them, when they do I just volunteer to wear them for them!!

Another fun thing we do when singing that song that says "zippidy a and heidi ho . . " I put in the kids' name in a silly fashion.  So if the kids' name was James Brown we'd say "James-idy a and Brown-ee-YO"   and on the YO I do a really dorkified  like gangsta hand motion . . .and if there are two kids we sing one kids first name in the first slot and the other in the second.  It always turns out really silly and the kids think it's hilarious.