I Belong To The Church of Jesus Christ Primary Singing Time Ideas
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Uniforms of a Different Sort * Props Introduction * Flags for Jesus * We are One Body PUZZLE * Concentration Match (Pictures & Words) * I and I'll Games * Hop Around the World * Rhythm Sticks * Directional Marching * Different Languages * Build a Church * Action Verbs * Song Actions Galore! * Paper Cups * Bells * Finger Puppet Fun * Rubeus Puzzle * Ping Pong Style * At-Home 5 Sticks Activity
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an iPad or similar device and show the kids that way.
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Hold up one of the uniforms (or pictures) and ask the kids, "Who might wear this? What does it mean when they wear it? Does that show something about themselves or something bigger?
Then ask the kids, "What group do you belong to and what do you wear to represent those groups?" (ex: dance, soccer, basketball, choir, orchestra, etc.). Take answers.
Then show a picture of missionaries and ask them who they are, what their "uniform" is, and who they represent. Then point out their Sunday clothing and ask them who they are (i.e. Children of God and when we are baptized we take upon us the name of Jesus, and we represent/stand for God, and become a member of? Kids answer: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
Hold up some pictures of people getting read to be baptized and ask: "Who can be a member?" Reinforce that anyone can become a member and be baptized if they are willing to accept and live by the laws and teachings of God.
2. PROPS INTRODUCTION
[Idea and picture thanks to Rachel P. Roberts]
Especially helpful for Jr. Primary but fun for both Jr. & Senior, props help the kids learn the song faster as well as works on recall association.
WHAT YOU NEED:
PROPS
I belong to the church... - a picture of your church building
I know who I am - a mirror
I know God's plan- a set of Scriptures
I'll follow him in faith- a (framed) picture of Heavenly Father or Prophet
I believe in the Savior Jesus Christ- a cut out of Jesus
I'll honor His name- sacrament tray
I'll do what is right- a play shield with CTR on it
I'll follow his light- flash light
His truth I will proclaim- missionary tag
HOW TO PLAY:
Sing a phrase of the song and ask the kids which prop they think goes along with the phrase. Hold the prop up and sing the phrase again. Repeat until you've gone through the whole song.
EXTENSION ACTIVITY
Mix up the props and invite one child for each prop to come up and hold the prop then as everyone is singing, put the props in order.
I know who I am - touch flag to chest to the SMALL beat
I know God's Plan - draw a big circle left to right
I'll follow Him in Faith - make the flag march (move flag up and down a little bit) to the SMALL beat
I believe in the Savior Jesus Christ, I'll honor His name - raise flag up high above head (4x-to BIG beat)
I'll do what is right - bring flag across body touch chest/heart, 4x-to SMALL beat)
I'll follow His light - raise flag up slowly as high as they can & hold
His truth I will proclaim - raise above head and move in rainbow side to side. 4x to BIG beat.
4. WE ARE ONE BODY PUZZLE
This activity provides visual, tactile/fine motor skill and logical challenges, as well as helping reinforce the lessons of loyalty and how every member of the church is important.
TO DO BEFORE PRIMARY SINGING TIME: Place all of the person puzzle pieces on the board EXCEPT ONE piece, which you should keep with you.
[Also see BUILD A CHURCH ACTIVITIY, which can work for this theme as well].
ONLY AVAILABLE IN THE GOLD LIBRARY and NOT on Etsy
HOW TO PLAY:
Ask the kids if they would be loyal and do good things for the groups they are in? Share this quote by President Hinckley: “You who are members of this Church must have a loyalty to it. This is your church. You have as great a responsibility in [what you do] as I have in [what I do]. It belongs to you just as it belongs to me.” (Ensign, Jan. 2001, 9–10.) Emphasize to the kids that it's important that we are loyal to God and His church, just like are to the other groups we are in.
Then sing the song and do the puzzle....
As everyone sings, tap kids to come up and put one of the puzzle pieces in their place. Keep repeating the song and tapping kids to come up as until all the pieces have been placed, except the missing piece.
Tell the kids they did a great job putting the person together but what do they notice? (A piece is missing). Tell the kids that each church member helps makes up the BODY of the church and each is important. "This is like our own body." Our ears are part of our body, our nose, our hands, our feet, our eyes, and all the parts. Could you do without your ears? What about your eyes?... All our body parts make up our body and each is important, just like members of the church."
Add the last puzzle piece to the puzzle and sing the song again.
VARIATION:
Puzzle Per Class - Make a smaller (8.5x11) person puzzle for each class. Write the name of each child and teacher on the puzzle pieces. Have the teacher leave their piece out and follow the same process as outlined above.
5. CONCENTRATION MATCHING GAME - PICTURES & WORDS
[Idea thanks to Sharla Dance]
WHAT YOU NEED:
Picture Visuals - matching pictures from lds.org, images that show children members of the
church and Savior and the song visuals in the bundle 1.
Word Strips - Word Phrases from the song and matching meaning word phrases
This visual activity is a good contrast to movement activities. The kids try to find the matching picture by flipping over two papers (posted up on the board in a grid, face down) while you sing the song. This concentration game only uses pictures so that the littles kiddos can fully participate as well. It's a great activity because the kids hear/sing the song over and over again as they try to match the pictures. For the song visuals, cut each picture in half & have the kids try and match the halves together. (Extension Game: Have 6 kids come to front and give each one a picture and have them put the pictures in order. Note: Make a second copy of the song visuals if you don't want a cut in half version for this game).
WORD MEANING CONCENTRATION MATCHING
This activity is a concentration matching game that helps explain some of the deeper truths of this song in a fun way. The kids work to find the matches between the song lyrics and the meaning of the song lyrics (ex: “I am a child of God” matches with “I know who I am?”) and the pictures (double copies of two different pictures of Jesus Christ, and two different pictures of some children, eight pictures total).
“I know who I am.” = “I am a child of God.”
“I know God’s plan,” = “The Plan of Happiness.”
“I’ll honor His name.” = “I won't use God's name in bad ways.” (I would also briefly add a comment here that honoring God's name (or their families name), means ACTIONS as well, not just what they say or don't say -- means not doing anything that would bright shame upon God/their family name.
“I’ll follow His light." = “Jesus is my Guide.”
6. "I" and "I'll". . .
Kids work to put the I and I'll statements in order.
Sing the song and ask the kids to count how many times they hear the word I or I'll (repeat more than once if necessary). After singing, have them show you on their hands how many times (9 times). Sing again to check.
I belong
I know
I know
I’ll follow
I believe
I’ll honor
I’ll do
I’ll follow
I will
ADD THIS ACTIVITY HERE OR USE AS A REPETITION LEARNING EXTENSION OR REVIEW ACTIVITY:
Have the kids stand up on the I's and I'lls
Tell the kids to look around the room (or just on the board) at the nine statements. Ask them how many times of singing this song they think it will take for them to put them in order?
Start singing (have everyone join if appropriate) and tap kids on the shoulder and have them get a strip and put it in order.
Once you've gone through the song a couple times and the words are all in order, check the order by pointing to each word strip as singing. Then repeat and ask the kids to ONLY sing the words on the word strips! Then switch and have them ONLY sing the words that are NOT on the word strips.
(By now you will probably have sung the song at least 4 to 5 times with extreme concentration and participation by the children).
ALSO SEE #12 ACTION VERBS FOR FURTHER EXTENSIONS ON THIS GAME
TAP RHYTHM EXTENSION:
Have the kids tap ONLY the I and I"ll (verb) parts of the song (2 fingers on palm of other hand) as they sing and vice versa.
7. HOP AROUND THE WORLD
[Idea thanks to Sharla Dance]
This movement activity has the children hopping & moving and gets the really engaged, participating, and quite enthusiastic. It's great for the children’s brains because the round the world crosses the midline and engages both sides of the brain. The big motor movement to a specific beat helps the brain with impulse control, and gives blood to the brain to nourish it as it is practicing the impulse control. But the biggest benefit is… it is fun! The children have an experience with the song that engages their pleasure center in the brain, making it more memorable than without the fun!
HOW TO PLAY:
If you count 1-2, 1-2, you'll notice the strongest beat is on 1. Kids hop on the strong beats (downbeats) or the song (i.e. --long, church, Je-(sus), Christ, etc.). Have the kids follow you in 2-footed hops (jumps) on the strong beats, as singing, for one phrase, then switch to full-circle arm motions for the next phrase. Keep alternating the jumping and circling after each phrase.
Circle Movement- starting on the left, circle both arms up and around then repeat on the right side.
8. RHYTHM STICKS
[Idea thanks to Sharla Dance-see article with all IBTCOJC ideas here].
This movement entices the older children to follow a pattern with the rhythm sticks and helps them practice feeling the beat. It is challenging, fun,
and rhythmic.
WHAT YOU NEED:
Rhythm Card Patterns
Rhythm Sticks for each child (use unsharpened pencils for a cheap alternative)
[You can also substitute maracas or egg shakers instead of rhythm sticks]
This movement activity challenges the children to march in place while moving their hands (empty or holding a B of M) different directions as they follow the "special guest’s" movements to the song.
WHAT YOU NEED
Book of Mormon stick figure for each child to hold
HOW TO USE:
10. DIFFERENT LANGUAGES
Kids learn how to sing the first phrase of the song in different languages.
[Also pairs really well with Activity #7]
WHAT YOU NEED:
Words to the first phrase in at least a few different languages
Optional: Pictures of kids from each of the countries you chose to display.
11. BUILD A CHURCH
A fun tactile, motor skills game that emphasizes there are members all over the word.
Let kids build the "church" out of blocks, Legos or other building items you may have or,
use the tissue boxes with kids from around the world to build the church. (Choose as many pictures and boxes as you'd like to use. Many more pictures are provided in the bundle than you may use). Emphasize that people from all over the world are members of the church and all are children of God, even those that are not yet members.
Briefly emphasize that buildings have to sit on a strong foundation - just like the wise man and the rock - so they don't fail, just like we need to build our lives on the gospel.
Boxes of a variety of sizes with word strips attached (see picture below)
GAME #1: HOW TO PLAY
Give 9 kids one word strip each and have them come up to the front. Everyone sings the song while the nine kids try to put themselves in order. If they don't get it by the end, sing the song again. Once they are in order, sing the song again to check and have the kids each raise their card when their word comes. Repeat and let new kids come up and arrange the strips in order.
From a music leader [Megan Roper] who did the activity: "Very successful and fun, and almost no prep!"
GAME #2: HOW TO PLAY
Let the kids build the boxes in order as everyone sings (reinforce the idea of needing to have a strong foundation, just like buildings must have so we must build our foundation on the gospel). Repeat and let kids build the boxes different ways and in any direction, as long as they are in order. The goal is to have it stand through the whole song.
With 5 different options for movement patterns to go to this song, the kids will never get bored!
OPTION #1a:
I belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Trace an outline of a badge)
I know who I am (point to self)
I know God's plan (point to heaven)
I'll follow him in faith (have two fingers following each other, bouncing to the beat)
I believe in the savior Jesus Christ (tap heart to the beat)
I'll honor his name (hand to heart and bow or curtsy)
I'll do what is right (point to the right)
I'll follow his light (giant arm circle)
His truth I will proclaim (touch your mouth and then put arm outward as if sending your voice out)
OPTION #1b: See video below, starting at the beginning of the video.
OPTION #2: SIMPLIFIED ASL, see ASL video below primary singing video.
OPTION #3: Lap-Clap-Snap-Thumbs
Lap - Clap - Snap - Thumbs is a simple movement pattern that fits this song. Do each 1x and keep repeating throughout the song. Display the cards on the board. Rearrange the cards on the board and repeat the song with the new action order. (For an added challenge, make 2 patterns-print 2 sets of cards to display and change from one pattern to the other every phrase. For a super challenge, change the order EVERY SONG PHRASE).
Pat lap 8 counts - clap hands 8 counts - hand-over-hand jive (move LH over RH and move slightly side-to-side 2x then move RH over LH and repeat). Keep repeating this movement - point with thumb over left shoulder with LH then point with thumb over right shoulder with RH. Keep repeating this pattern for the duration of the song.
THE WHOLE PATTERN REPEATS 2x for the song.
This is a "cool" movement pattern so, with this movement pattern, emphasize to the kids how "cool" it is to be a member of the church and ask one student at the end of each song repetition why they think being a member of the church is so amazing.
OPTION #5: PARTNER CLAPPING
[Thanks to In a Pinch Primary Music]
Pattern: Pat - Clap - Pat - Clap then call "FREEZE!" after "...I'll follow Him in faith." Tell the kids you think
that's too easy for them so you'r going to add on: Shoulder - Clap - Shoulder - Clap
Touch the opposite shoulder w/opposite hand so you cross the body.
Now GRAB A PARTNER...
Clap one hand together (cross) then clap your own hands together -
Cross - clap - cross - clap and go through "...I'll follow Him in faith" then call out "FREEZE!" and tell the kids you have another part you want to teach them.
Pattern, with partner: touch arms/fists together 2x - then make X by touching forearms of one arm then the other- high five and circle down.
So: FIST-FIST-X-X-High Five
(For Jr. primary just keep the pattern the same and don't do the addition).
Then put both patterns together: cross-clap-cross-clap-fist-fist-x-x-high-five... and keep repeating that pattern throughout the song.
EXTENSION FOR MOVEMENTS:
Add egg shakers or maracas and repeat movement patterns Options 1-2 with the instruments.
14. PAPER CUPS
[Idea and pictures thanks to Sharla Dance]
JR. PRIMARY PAPER CUP POP
Paper Cups make moving the beat more fun. Each child has a paper cup that they move to the beat as you sing. The children follow your paper cup as you beat 8 times in different places.
8 beats tap bottom of the cup (Note: Starts on the 2nd half of the word “be-long”)
8 beats tap cup on leg (switch comes on "latter-day")
Switch to the shoulder, crossing your body to tap 8 times. (starts on “know”)
8 beats tap bottom of the cup (starts on "fol-low")
Repeat that sequence again, or come up with new places to tap or pop the cup. For younger children, stay in one place for eight beats.
SR. PRIMARY PAPER CUP CHALLENGE
Paper Cups and moving to a pattern makes this a challenging, rhythmic, and fun activity for the children. You demonstrate the pattern and sing, having the children follow you with imaginary paper cups. When you finish the song, pass out the paper cups. Sing the song again and do the patterns with the paper cups. The children are moving, challenged, and participating… and it is fun!
Make enough finger puppets for each child to have 1. Bounce the finger puppet to the beat as singing. Let the puppet bounce to the beat on different places on the body as singing.
Display the pictures and word strips as pictured to the right. Have the kids figure out what the picture symbols mean (which words they match and which are left off).
Have them sing all the words with symbols on the board and you sing the others and vice versa.
EXTENSION: Sing and tap all the words with symbols on the board and inner-sing and tap only on the words
not on the board and vice versa.
18. PING PONG STYLE
Idea and description thanks to Sandy Payne Hanks
We sang I belong to the church of Jesus Christian of latter day saints for our program. It was a struggle to remember the middle of the song. Until we tried it a new way....
I broke the song up into phrases. I said left side stand up turn and face the right side of the room and sing the words testifying to them. Then sit down. Right side stand up turn to the left side the next phrase and sit down. I call it ping pong. I belong... then I know who I am... then I know God's plan...we did the whole song. Then it was done.
I made sure there was a big quiet pause. It was so cool. Then one kid said. That was cool can we do it again. Then more kids chimed in ya can we do it again. It was so fun we did it again 3 more times switching what side of the room would start. We nailed that song. I had 3 different families call me that day and during the week. Saying their kids were singing it at home with their siblings ping pong style.
BONUS: AT-HOME STICKS ACTIVITY
See video starting at 6:08.
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