Thursday, August 16, 2012

 I have 5 months left before I get my braces off! At the beginning they put an appliance on to spread my teeth apart, then they put in springs to pull my jaw forward while it's still growing. Then I got springs which I have had since January. Last visit they put power chains on me which is just a rubber band pulling my teeth together... I think. Next visit, October 2, I get the springs taken off and some kind of rubber bands put on for the final stage. Last visit, sometime in June, they put power chains on me. Just rubber bands pulling my teeth together... It think. Yesterday they put the power chain on me again and I don't know when I get to have that taken off but like I said earlier, I get the springs taken off October 2. They said that after that, I get rubber bands on until January- March. Then I get the braces taken off!! So excited.

Monday, August 6, 2012

Primary Chorister Games

This isn't so much for you as it is for me, but if you have the chance to use these ideas then this post has helped both of us. :)  None of these are my own original ideas.  Each came from another blog, but they have proven successful.
PRIMARY MAD SCIENTIST
Jr and Sr Primary for Review
Pick some colors. I went with six. Decide on what songs those colors will represent. For example, Purple = Popcorn Popping, Red = I Lived In Heaven, etc.

Get enough spoons and cups for each color. Make sure the cups are clear. 

Place the cups on a cookie tray (for spills). Fill most of the cups about halfway with water. I filled 4 with water. Fill the other cups about halfway with white vinegar. I filled 2 with white vinegar.

Place one or two drops of food coloring on each spoon. Now add some baking powder over top. Not so that the spoon is heaping, but enough to definitely cover the food coloring. 

The idea is that a kid comes up, picks a spoon, and puts it into a cup. Whatever color it turns, is what song you sing. If the cup is vinegar and fizzes, you get to do something extra special for that song (for example, Sing Like A..., Simon Says, etc).  The above picture does is not the result of a glass of fizz, but it will spill over, so the cookie sheet with raised sides and tea towels for clean up are important.

I had a pitcher that just happened to be clear, to pour the used 'potions' into.  After the first fizzy mixture was poured in, all other used potions fizzed once added to the pitcher, and the kids loved this just as much.

PRIMARY BATTLESHIP

Jr and Sr Primary for Song Review and Repetition for Learning
Somebody made this from posterboard, then laminated it, and they affixed sticky-back velcro to the center of each section.  While that is my ultimate goal because it's much more attractive and colorful, I simply made a grid on the chalkboard with chalk and labeled the top and bottom with numbers and both sides with letters. 

With the posterboard version, she made red Xs for "miss" and each water transportation got a different colored circle.  The verse of a song that needed the most attention was given the Battleship and was colored black.  The others were shorter and each section of that boat represented a different verse for the song the boat represented.  I just used my chalk to make and X for "hit" and a filled in dot for "miss".

PRIMARY NAME THAT TUNE
Sr Primary for Song Review
I gave them one clue at a time, and the points they earned went down for each new clue they needed. The first clue was worth 5 points, the second brought the points down to 4, and so on.  I started with the hardest clues and we worked our way to easiest.
Clue 1:   I clapped out the rhythm of the words as they are sung
Clue 2:   Melody Map (pictured above, except that I didn't give picture clues along the map)
Clue 3:   The first letter of each word in the title, for instance "IKTMRL" would be I Know That My Redeemer Lives"
Clue 4:   The first 4 notes are played on the piano
  
PRIMARY U-NO

Jr and Sr Primary for Repetition in Learning
I handed out 7 UNO cards to each class.  We played Uno, with all the Uno directions and rules.  The only difference is that each color was assigned to a verse of a song we would practice when that color was played.  

RED - We have been saved for these latter days to build the kingdom in righteous ways
YELLOW - We hear the word our prophet declares, let each who's worthy go forth and share
GREEN - We know his plan and we will prepare, increase or knowledge through study and prayer
BLUE - Daily we'll learn until we are called to take the gospel to all the world
 
If it was a number card, we would:
1st time, normal.
2nd time same color, roll dice to take out words.
From then on, roll die:
   1 march
   2 sing quickly
   3 one person one word at a time
   4 tap beat with one hand on lap & rhythm with the other hand on lap
   5 class solo
   6 lead music

Otherwise:

DRAW TWO – 2 classes
SKIP – skip every other word
WILD – which color and how to sing it
DRAW FOUR – Choose color, this class begins singing from anywhere, stop and next class sing next 4 words
REVERSE – sing line previous to the color/line played

PRIMARY CANDYLAND
 Jr Primary for Song Review

Need: colored paper (below), large marker, Candyland cards w/o doubles, temple pic

I took 4 pieces each of blue, yellow, purple, red, orange and green construction paper and on each I wrote either a song (I Love to See the Temple, Jesus wants me for a sunbeam, etc.) or a way to sing a song (standing on one leg, eyes closed, kids only, teachers only, etc.)  Then I laid them out in a repeating pattern into a little path along the floor at the front of the room. 

I chose a child to come pick one of my Candyland cards (I'd already taken out the ones that had two of any color on it). Then they would move their little token.  If they landed on a song, we'd sing that song.  But if they landed on a way to sing, we would review "If I Listen With My Heart" (or whatever song you are working on) by singing it in that way. 

The last "space" was a picture of the temple...a substitute for the candy castle. 

PRIMARY KERPLUNK

Jr and Sr Primary for Song Review or Repetition in Learning

Kerplunk is a commercially sold game. It has a vertical column with holes running horizontal that you put sticks through. Marbles go into the column. You pull out the sticks one by one until the marbles fall. The tray at the bottom is divided into 4, and you can turn the column for each turn. 

I will teach one verse per week, and split the verse into 4 parts. For example, if I used Kerplunk to teach the 1st verse of I Know My Savior Loves Me, I'd split the 1st verse into parts, one part for each part of the 1st verse, ex: 

Part 1 
A long time ago in a beautiful place, 
Children were gathered 'round Jesus
Part 2 
He blessed and taught as they felt of His love.
Each saw the tears on His face.
Part 3 
The love that He felt for His little ones
I know He feels for me
Part 4 
I did not touch Him or sit on His knee
Yet Jesus is real to me
Part 5 (if no marbles fall)Chorus
We will start out with the column facing the #1 in the tray. If any marbles fall, we will sing Part 1. Then we turn the column to face #2 and continue. Again, any time no marbles fall, we'll sing the chorus. Once all the marbles have fallen, take a break to sing a fun song. Pick a child to lead the fun song so that you can set up the Kerplunk again (it takes a minute or two to put the sticks back in). At the end of Singing Time just before time is up, I'll have them sing the entire song.
 
PRIMARY JEOPARDY
Sr Primary for Song Review

I made my Jeopardy board with laminated posterboard and colored craft foam. I had 8 songs for the Primary Program to review, so I made 4 categories, pairing up songs according to similarity in message or style, and choosing one word from the title of each song for the category. 

I arranged the colors, then wrote point values to each foam card. On a piece of paper I wrote 4 questions per section.  From these 4 questions, I chose the easiest to answer and on the back side of the 200 point foam I put the question, answer, and what song we will sing whether they get it right or miss. Then I went to the next, the next, and kept the hardest question for the 1000 point card.

I am using duct tape to secure the foam cards to the laminated posterboard.  When they choose the category and point, I will remove the card, read the back, and put it aside, leaving a space on the posterboard where the card once was.  

I will pull a name stick out of a can to determine the person who will choose the category and points and answer the question.  I'll give them 5 seconds to confer with their class, then that person will give their answer.  If they get it right (or give another answer just as correct) the whole Sr. Primary will get the points, and we will sing the song.  If not, I will give them the answer, they get no points for that question, and then we will sing the song.