Sealed! Families Can Be Together Forever

I saw a great idea floating around online and thought our Primary would click into it, so I did it this past Sunday as an "icebreaker" and the kids seemed to really enjoy it! Some of the adults commented after that it was a neat concept. Thank you inter-webs!

So here's what I did to introduce the song!

My songlist:

Families Can Be Together Forever, pg. 188
I Am a Child of God, pg. 2
Family History, I Am Doing It, pg. 94
Hearts of the Children, pg. 92
I Love to See the Temple, pg. 95

The Family, pg. 194

I brought an empty gallon-sized Ziploc bag and a Little People family (mom, dad, brother, sister, baby) and a picture of a temple.

I told the kids we were going to learn "Families Can Be Together Forever" this month and that I wanted them to pay close attention to what I was going to do, and see if they could figure out why I did it.

I started singing the song (some kids sang with me) while I put in the Little People one by one, and the temple picture. Sealed the bag. Shook it around a little, and turned it upside down in time with the end of the first verse. I asked the kids why I did all of that and the Junior kids kind of got it, and the Senior kids pretty much got it. Either way, great! We talked about being sealed, etc. Then I asked them to pay attention again, and this time I sang it through and took the temple out, and dramatically turned the unsealed bag upside down -- Kersplat! Kind of violent and the boys got a kick out of it especially. It made for some good discussion, and I pointed out that many families are not sealed for various reasons and that the reason we're talking about this song is so the kids can plan for their own futures regardless of their own family situation. We sang it again to seal the family back up! So that was three times practicing the first verse and they had it down by then!

Then we sang various family songs. I called up a kid, the picked one of the Little People and put them in the Little People house and we'd sing like that family member (also an idea I found online). 

Mom: Take off my wedding ring and show the kids down each row as we sing. Talk about the symbol of eternity in wedding rings.

Dad: Sing each line twice because dads like to repeat themselves

Teenage sister – Sing super fast because teenagers are always running around
Brother: Sing staccato because boys are always jumping around and bouncing off walls
Baby: Sing in a baby crying voice