Well we all know how kids love treats as a motivator! Last year I did Charlie The Reverent (CTR) and gave him armor as we learned each song. This year I thought maybe I could get away with no motivator board? But then I read about other fun ideas music leaders are doing and thought it might be fun to do something! SO I made this "cookie choir" motivation board. My cookie recipe takes 8 ingredients and wouldn't ya know -- there are eight songs we're learning this year! So as they pass off each song, they will earn an ingredient and I'll move it over to the mixing bowl (it's on there with rolled painter's tape on the back). Simple!
Our Primary kids are singing two songs this upcoming Father's Day: - Love is Spoken Here's 2nd verse - My Dad We started off wanting to do something else two weeks ago, and then I changed my mind, so I really have only had two weeks of practice with them. Normally should be okay, but they weren't "getting it" as easily as the Mother's Day songs. Who knows why! So I knew I needed to spend more time on it this past Sunday, the last chance! I don't necessarily LOVE focusing a ton of Singing Time on these types of things. It feels like a task with undue pressure and never enough time to practice. But I know the reward is great, because the moms and the dads love having the kids sing to them on their special days! I liked some Singing Time ideas I was seeing about balloons online. I know our Primary kids are big on excitement and big props and objects so I knew the balloons would go over well. I brought in a bag of balloons and a sign that said "Pop Songs" = Pop, like Dad, and Pop, like POP! THE BALLOON JUST POPPED!
I knew I had to analogize balloons to the Holy Ghost, the topic of the week, and I wanted to get in some When I Am Baptized practice (song of the month). I started off doing a rainstorm (where we rub hands, snap fingers, clap, pat thighs, stomp, then in reverse). I told them I wanted to show them what PEACE actually felt like. At the end of the rainstorm when it was quiet, we quietly started "When I Am Baptized." It was nice. Then I introduced the "Pop Songs" and talked about balloons and how they are related to the Holy Ghost. Thank goodness for the analogy I found online! I told the kids if you blow up a balloon and ask two kids on opposite sides of the room to touch it, obviously they can't. But if you let the air out of the room, everyone can feel it. The Holy Ghost is not confined by a body and therefore can influence everyone similar to that. It was a bit of a stretch of an analogy but, hey, there you go. Then I had a volunteer teacher come up and sit up near me the whole time. They were the judge. If the kids were singing the Father's Day song well, they'd blow up the balloon a little. If not, they'd let air out. The goal was to get it so big that we could pop it! It worked GREAT. One balloon per song. Then I did another balloon for both songs in a row. I had them sing nice and loud, I had them stand up, etc. I did feel badly that a couple of kids in each group were TERRIFIED of it popping. I told them that when I was a kid, that was one of my biggest fears too so I wouldn't surprise them with the pop. They'd know so they could cover their ears or leave etc. One little Sunbeam was so terrified he bolted from the room, and they found him across the building in the kitchen! Okay, that's sad and I feel badly but it was funny too. He's a sweet boy. What I drew for the "My Dad" flipchart:
