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It's a commonly asked question, especially when it comes to Primary Singing Time and Primary Programs... "How do I get my kids to sing louder??? Here's some tips and tricks from Music Leaders and Choir directors on how to do just that. . . [Freebies throughout - even near the end, along with many of my favorites - so be sure and go through all 25!].
As a vocal professor and singer, I'd be remiss in not emphasizing the importance of teaching kids to sing with more volume in a healthy way. If you only tell kids to sing loud, they will probably do it in the WRONG way... with tension and from their throat. So, before you tell the kids to "SING LOUDER," teach them HOW TO actually do that ...
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Before I get into the ideas, let me share one of the top BEST ways to get the kids to sing louder. Get ready to have your mind blown...
THE BEST WAY TO GET YOUR KIDS TO SING LOUDER IS FOR ALL THE TEACHERS & PRIMARY PRESIDENCY (and Music Leader, of course) TO SING LOUD.
As one Music Leader shared (thanks Tommy Davis):
1. Children will sing out if their leaders and teachers .... Lead!!!
2. Asking a child to sing out, without their teachers, is like asking them to sing a solo. Kids need the sheer volume to feel comfortable.
3. How can you tell if you did a good job teaching the song if, a) no one sings out and b) even the teachers don't know the words.
Teachers and Leaders, even if you don't know the words well or even if you don't think you have a good singing voice, if YOU SING WITH CONFIDENCE REGARDLESS, your kiddos will learn to do the same! So BE BRAVE & SING OUT!
The other reason they may not be singing out is they just don't know the words well enough yet. So review, review, review some more! ;)
TIP:
Say "Sing Beautiful and Powerful!" or "Lovely Loud!"
1. FORTE & PIANO / LION & MOUSE
Teach the kids that forte means loud and piano means soft.
Example game: Hold up one or the other card randomly and have the kids sing at that dynamic level. ("Dynamics" = how loud or soft you play or sing).
The kids use their hands and bodies to create big waves going up and down throughout the group. Have the kids stand up and raise their hands at the highest part of the wave (and that's when they sing the loudest (but not screaming). [Note: I would rather use the hoberman sphere - #13 on the list - than the wave because it's easier and probably more appropriate for a church-setting than the wave].
3. KNOW THE WORDS
This may seem obvious but, the better the kids know the words, the more confidence they will have and the more confidence they have, the louder they will sing.
TIP:
GIVE THEM VISUAL/NUMERICAL FEEDBACK.
Sometimes students need a clearer understanding of what we are asking them. “Sing louder” is pretty vague. Try something like this:
Let a child who is singing really well wear the "Singing Star" light-up glasses then pass on to another person who is singing with good volume.
I like this 12 pack at Amazon because it has other shapes than stars, which you can then use for other songs and singing time sessions.
*Amazon Affiliate Link
5. WHAT DECIBLE CAN YOU SING AT?
WHAT YOU NEED:
Decible App
HOW TO USE:
Have the kids try and get the highest decibel on the app they can without singing unpleasantly. (You can even keep track song-by-song and encourage them to "break their record." ;)
6. SING SO THE BISHOPRIC CAN HEAR
Usually the Bishopric offices are not close to the Primary Room. Tell the kids to sing loud enough so the Bishop can hear them.
One of the times (pre-plan with Bishop), have him come into the room from out in the hall a ways down, when he hears them singing loud enough.
TIP:
Teach the kids HOW to sing loud
(more open mouth and breathe deep).
7. POST IT NOTE
Have one child leave the primary room when everyone starts singing. Have that child walk down the hall as far as they can while still being able to hear the other kids singing. When they c an't hear everyone singing anymore, they stop and put a post it note on the wall then return to the primary room. After primary the kids can go find out how far they got. Encourage them to beat their record whenever you need them to sing louder.
Beat Your Record (Optional): You (or have a primary teacher) can stand in the door frame or just outside the primary room with the door open and watch the student going down the hall. When the student stops, the teacher in the door frame can encourage the kids if they need to sing louder -- "You haven't beat your record yet. So-and-so isn't there yet but they can't hear you so they have stopped. Sing louder so they can keep going..." etc.
8. SLINKY SINGING
Move the slinky up and down vertically. The kids sing louder as it becomes longer. You can also invite a child who is singing really good to come up and control the slinky.
Boys vs. Girls volume competition always seems to get kids to sing louder. Do other competition versions as well (i.e. class vs, teachers vs. students, Primary Presidency vs. students, Primary Music Leader vs. students, left side vs right side, etc.).
TIP:
Make them laugh. Laughing requires more breath. Harness that breath for singing!
Make them Smile (still with space in the mouth) helps to project sound forward.
Choose a "detective" to go out in the hall. (Optional: Give them a detective trench coat, hat, glasses, to wear).Choose someone inside the Primary room to hold a small bell in their hands.
Everyone cups their hands together and pretends to have a bell in their hands. They all shake their hands as if they are ringing the bell and start singing. The "detective" comes back into the room and walks around and tries to hear and find the bell.
They have till the end of the song to find the bell.
If they don't, the group wins and if they do, that child wins.
TIP:
Say "Sing Strong" instead of "Sing Loud"
Have the kids literally scream a song as loud as they can and than asked how it made them feel. (It made me feel terrible). Then tell them to sing the song again but this time sing as loudly as they'd screamed the song-by opening their mouths a bit wider and taking deep breaths- but this time sing STRONG & BEAUTIFUL. Then ask them how they feel. (It made me feel good). Tell them to remember how and where their voices and bodies felt different each time so that they won't let their bodies go into screaming mode but "strong & beautiful" mode.
Whenever the kids need to sing louder, pull out your BIG EARS to wear... Tell the kids you can't hear them and put on your ears. Tell them you still can't hear them and that you need their help to shrink your ears back down to normal size and the only way to do that is for them to sing louder. Once they have reached the desired volume, take the ears off.
Another Option: Allow individual students who are singing really well to wear.
Want an easy, fun, motivational way to get your kiddos to sing louder? Then introduce your kiddos to BIG-EARED BEN! He loves to hear good singing and can't wait to show you which face he thinks your singing deserves!
With lots of mouths to choose from, your kids won't get bored seeing Big Ben come out to play! Plus, 2 fun Halloween mouths are included for some extra special October singing! ;)
The kids sing louder the bigger the ball grows and softer the smaller it grows.
If you are comfortable, let students also have turns using the ball.
*Amazon Affiliate Link
15. ICECREAM SCOOPS
The louder the kids sing, the taller the ice cream cone gets.
Also great for using to help get kids excited to learn new songs. The harder they try and the more of the song they memorize, the more scoops the ice cream cone gets!
[Idea and picture thanks to Ivy Mull]
HOW TO MAKE:
Paint styrofoam balls different colors
Cover styrofoam with painted paper for the cone
Stick toothpicks on the bottoms of each to keep together
Or get my primary program ice cream cone board printable and just use one cone and all the ice cream scoops to stack on to the one cone (tape to board or wall or poster boards taped tall together.
These are great for around Mothers or Father's Day months but will also work anytime of the year. When the kids sing loud, Mom or Dad stay awake. When they sing too soft, Mom or Dad fall asleep.
DAD/MOM are SOOOOOO TIRED because they are up all night with their new baby. You've got to sing loud to keep them awake!
19. SING YOUR TESTIMONY / SING IT LIKE YOU MEAN IT
Sometimes you don't need any gadgets and gizmos to get to the goal...
Briefly talk about how the gospel makes you feel, invite some kids to share how the gospel makes them feel, then remind them to "SING YOUR TESTIMONY." That will go a long ways in helping them sing louder naturally and appropriately.
Tell the kids that every time you make a heart sign with your fingers during Primary Singing Time or the Primary Program, that is to remind them to sing out their testimonies clear and strong!
You can also use the expression, "Sing It Like You Mean It!" to remind the kids to sing out. Briefly talk to the kids about what the song means to them, and what that feels like. Then whenever they need it, hold up the "SING IT LIKE YOU MEAN IT!" sign (free in the printables library - register below).
Get a tennis ball, cut a slit for the mouth and add some eyes. Talk to the kids about how important it is that when they sing loud, to not sing and tighten their throat, but that they need to open their mouths TALLER (don't say wider as they will just spread horizontally, which isn't good- you want VERTICAL SPACE when singing) and take deep breaths.
Squeeze the tennis ball anytime during singing to remind them.
Or, get a trex hand puppet (Walmart, $3.00) - same concept. :) [Idea thanks to Jolene B. Tanner]
21. GIANT SOUND ICON POSTER
WHAT YOU NEED:
Very large WHITE, RED, & GREEN poster boards
Large Permanent Black Marker
HOW TO MAKE:
Draw an icon with sound waves on the white poster with pencil.
Cut out the icon and sound waves, leaving the outline on the white poster board.
As the kids sing, hold up the white poster (or display on an easel) and put either the red poster board behind it or the green one (RED if they need to "turn up the volume," i.e. sing louder or GREEN if they are singing great).
SOUND WAVE BARS VERSION:
You know when you hit the sound bar icon on your computer and it "turns up" the volume - more sound wave bars appear? Well, here's another variation on the sound icon that's also fun and easy that you can use to motivate your kids to reach the appropriate volume level...
HOW TO MAKE:
Draw the sound icon (without the sound waves/bars) and DO NOT CUT ANYTHING OUT. Then on a rectangle strip, draw many sound bars, getting bigger each one from left to right. (Note: You will need to attach some additional white rectangle length strip to the left side of the sound bars so you have room to slide the strip through without the rectangle strip coming out of the loops).
Attach bands on the back of the sound bar poster (like belt loops on pants) across the poster horizontally, until the cut dotted line slot, wide enough to fit around the rectangle sound waves/bars strip. Slip in the sound waves/bars strip into the bands (like a belt through belt loops) and then through the dotted line slit on the white poster board, so the strip comes out in front.
Then, if you need to "turn the volume up" with the kids singing, show them more sound waves/bars - slide the rectangle strip to the right to display more sound waves/bars - and if you need less, show less sound waves/bars. The goal is for the kids to get all the sound bars displayed = good, appropriate loud singing, and not lose any bars.
Super simple, easy, and effective.
Get the smaller green, red and black sound bars 8.5x11 size, free in the printables library
22. HEADPHONE HEARING
[Idea thanks to Mariela Pastrana]
I sometimes have one of the teachers sit or stand at the front, facing the kids, wearing headphones (noise canceling) that can block the sound super good. The children sing and the teacher raises their hand to show they can hear the kids clearly and lowers their hand when they can't hear them clearly. Children can also take turns in wearing the headphones.
23. FOUR CORNERS
[Idea thanks to Brittany Hansen]
One child is blindfolded in the center of the room and the rest of the kids pick a corner of the room to sing in. The blindfolded person who's "it" decides which corner sang the loudest and prettiest and then picks a friend in that corner to be the next person to be "it." My kids love it and they sing loud and strong every time!!
24. GOLDILOCKS & 3 BEARS - PRIMARY STYLE!
[Idea thanks to Parker L. Jacobs]
In the Primary Story version, Goldilocks isn't hungry, or tired or wants to sit down. She wants to learn how to sing at Church. She went to the primary and Baby Bear sang (song) very quietly. Then in Relief Society, Mama Bear sang (song) juuust right. Of course Papa Bear sang (song) just a little too loud in priesthood.
I also explained that I usually ask them to sing Papa Bear when I really want them to sing Mama Bear and yet we're still sounding too Baby Bear. It clicked! I was told it's the best they've ever sung!
You can use the figures to hold up as a really quick easy sign as to what volume the kids are singing then hold up what volume you want them to be singing at (Papa Bear). You can also hold up the different signs and have them kids alternate their volume accordingly.
25. BALLOON HIGH!
Have someone hold a normal size helium balloon or a really big balloon (with a smile drawn on it) at the back of the chapel. When the kids are too soft, have them lower the balloon and as they sing louder, the balloon gets raised higher. Have them stand on a chair so they can be seen.
