Activity: Christmas Symbols

This Sunday I'm going to discuss with the Primary children the purpose of the decorations and things at Christmas time and how they are symbols of Christ.  I'm going to use the Sharing Time lesson in a 2004 issue of LDS Living for this Singing Time.  There are also other symbols you could use in addition to these if you choose.

The lesson suggests having enough of each ornament for each class in the Primary to decorate the tree.  I'm just going to have one of each for time's sake because it is after all, Singing Time!  The lesson does not specify songs to sing but suggests to sing Christmas songs that the children are familiar with to reinforce the concepts taught.

The symbols and songs I chose are:

• Tree
• Away in a Manger (v3)
• Star (and lights)
• Stars Were Gleaming
• Candy Canes
• Once within a Lowly Stable (v2)
• Angels
• Samuel Tells of Baby Jesus (v2)
• Red, White & Green Ornaments
• The Shepherd's Carol
• Gifts
• Little Jesus

Additional symbols I thought about but didn't include were Wreath: crown of thorns, eternal love (Mary's Lullaby); and Santa: generosity and kindness (Have a Very Merry Christmas).

I made printouts of a simple tree (for two pages) and of the symbols I listed above (on one page) that can be downloaded below:

     Tree                                     Ornaments

     

Bells Chart - Christmas Music

Here are a few bell charts I made for some Christmas music.  I converted two of the songs into the key of C in the LDS.org music library, and the others are in the original key and have either a sharp or a flat (if you only have the 8 note bell set you can just leave out those notes you don't have).  I have the 13 note bell set.  My Primary kids are really excited to get to play the bells this week!  They love them!

For the Christmas songs that we only get to since once a year I will also post the words on the board so everyone can sing along while they play.

ANGELS WE HAVE HEARD ON HIGH: Bell Chart

CHRISTMAS BELLS: Bell Chart

JOY TO THE WORLD: key of C

Bell Chart                                 Sheet Music

       

THE FIRST NOEL: key of C

Bell Chart                                 Sheet Music

       

Picture a Christmas - Simple Sign Language

This year I'm teaching Picture a Christmas from the Children's Songbook for one of our ward Christmas party songs.  I wanted to teach it with sign language so I called upon a friend of mine in another ward to make a video of the sign language for this song (since she knows ASL and has been teaching this song in sign language in her Primary the last few years!).  She is so sweet and did it for me!  Thank you Sara.  :)  Here is the link to her YouTube channel to view the simple sign language for this song.  (She even told me that she doesn't end up doing all the signs she does in this video with her Primary.  I have found that if I do too many signs for my Primary that the kids are too focused on doing them right and not singing hardly at all.  Just something to keep in mind.)

Simple Sign Language for "Picture a Christmas"

Away in a Manger (Children's Songbook)

Here is a flip chart I created for the Primary songbook version of Away in a Manger last year.  I went over it with the children as a flip chart and also had printed just the pictures and cut them out for them to put in order on the board as a supplemental activity to review it.

Flip chart:

Just pictures:

Christmas Song Nativity

~~ Credit: OCD Primary Chorister ~~

Put together a nativity scene on the blackboard as you sing Christmas songs. Print and cut out the document below. Write a song name and page number on the back of each one (my suggestions are listed). One by one, have the children choose a piece to place on the board. Sing the songs as you go.

If your kids don't know enough songs, you can bring Hymnals in for the older children. Ask younger children to sing "ooooh," like an angel if they don't know the words. Many children will know the words from home and almost all of the children will recognize the melodies enough to sing along.

(I changed a few of the song selections:)

The Shepherd's Carol - p. 41

Away in a Manger - p. 42

With Wondering Awe - hymn 210

Once within a Lowly Stable - p. 41

Stars Were Gleaming - p. 37

The First Noel - hymn 213

When Joseph Went to Bethlehem - p. 38

Picture a Christmas - p. 50

Lamb

you choose

~~ Credit: OCD Primary Chorister ~~

Christmas Singo

~~ Credit: Camille's Primary Ideas ~~

Bingo with a Christmas singing twist!  I like the way Camille calls it "Singo."  When a Christmas song is pulled, you sing that song.

Camille found a quick and easy way to make custom bingo cards.  Seriously, SO EASY!  And it even has a calling card to print and cut up with all the squares.  So nice!

Here's the link: DLTK Cards - Bingo

I did the 5x5 option, with the title "SINGO," with the customizable "Christmas - Religious" option for the theme.  I added 14 songs in place of some irrelevant images and others I could do without.  Then when you go to print the card you can refresh it as many times as you want to generate a new card!

For Senior Primary I'll do as Camille does and have them turn around and put their cards on their chairs while they kneel on the floor and when we sing they will just stand up and face front.  And for Junior Primary I'll pass out sheets to teachers only and have the kids play together against classes.

Camille suggests a high five for getting 5 in a row??  I guess that will have to do!

Hopefully this will work out nice and it will be fun!!

~~ Credit: Camille's Primary Ideas ~~

Samuel Tells of the Baby Jesus - Chorus

I decided I want our Primary to sing this song for one of our musical numbers at the beginning of December (which is why I'm getting ready to work on it now!).  I really like Camille's idea for the chorus using toilet paper and paper towel rolls:

"So for the activity, I'm going to just write out the words of the chorus on the chalkboard. We'll read and sing the words. Then I'll ask the Primary if anyone knows what "Hosanna" means (as it's the first 2 words in the chorus). We'll talk about it's definition which is: 

• an exclamation, originally an appeal to God for deliverance, used in praise of God or Christ.
• a cry of “hosanna.”
• a shout of praise or adoration; an acclamation.

"I'll proceed to pass out the "bugles" (one for each child - no sharing, yuck!) and tell the kids we are going to "shout praises of adoration" using those cute little rolls. 

"I'll erase one of the "Hosanna" words and we'll "bugle" that word, while just singing the other words without the tp rolls. I'll continue to erase another word, and the Primary will get to "bugle" more words as they are gradually erased. Eventually being able to "bugle" the whole song with no words on the board.

"Since Jr. Primary mostly can't read, I'll still have the words up and we'll just read them all together. We'll review the words we've erased and they can try to remember which ones to "bugle."

http://www.camillesprimaryideas.com/2012/11/samuel-tells-of-baby-jesus-chorus-part-1.html

She added an update to her post after she did this with her Primary and noted the success:

"I just have to share how singing time with the toilet paper rolls went today...it was a total hit. I've never had kids sing their little hearts out. Even those little 11-year old stinker boys sang! It always amazes me how the most simple things tend to be the most successful."