Wiggle Worms

I found at IKEA in Draper this week these little toys.  They are 50 cents each.  I bought ten of the snakes, to use as wiggle worms.  I have seen this idea before but with my  hands the way they are I haven't been making these things.  Each one will represent a wiggle song that the kids can pick when it's time.  I think I will even put one in the nursery song bucket.
We started Father's day songs today.  The kids remembered Fathers pretty well and Daddy's Homecoming they know well.  We will start the Grandfather song next week.

Army of Helaman

For one of our optional songs we are learning Army of Helaman by Janice Kapp Perry.  I made up visuals for the chorus and taught that first.  Because my hands have been suffering lately I looked online for visual aids for the verses and I found them at:
http://www.jollyjenn.com/flipcharts.html
Actually this site has tons of visual aids for many of the songs, all using pictures from the friend.  I borrowed a printer from a friend and printed these out.  The kids really took to the song, and after 3 weeks they finally have it!
We have combined our Jr. and Sr. primary now because we have so few children since the ward split.  It's really nice to have everyone together and teach just once a Sunday.  Also, this allows the nursery kids to come into the primary room for singing time.  It's a treat for them and a ten minute break for their leaders.  By the time they come into primary they will already be comfortable with the room, where they sit, the presidency and singing time.  Hooray!

Bowling

A fun way to review a song, with a plastic bowling set.  The child bowls, and depending on the number of pins knocked down that's the way they sing the song.

1. Stop/go
2. loud/soft
3. boys/girls
4. teachers only
5. change seats
6. turn around
7. hot/cold game
8. singing dice
9. characteristic dice
10. your choice

I saw this in California last week while we were visiting with family.  The kids loved it.  She used this to review the mothers day song they were learning and the kids hardly noticed they were repeating the same song, they wanted to try all the different ways to sing it.

Mothers Day

We were asked to sing 4 songs for mothers day.  We are singing A Happy Family, I often go walking, Grandmother, and Dearest Mother, I love you.  The kids knew three of them and they learned Dearest Mother very quickly.  We practiced for two weeks and had stake conference this last Sunday, so hopefully with the visual aids they will do just fine for mothers day.