January 29, 2012

Opening Song: A Child's Prayer (p12)
Closing Song: I Love to See the Temple (p95)

Wiggle Songs: Fun to Do (p253), I Wiggle (p271)

Program Song: As a Child of God, new song in outline

Identify the doctrine: Heavenly Father gave me the power to choose. The Holy Ghost will help me make good choices that bless me and my family.

Help children understand it:

1. Attention Getter:
• Have household cleaning items displayed on the table (behind the mess on the floor, have a bucket to put toys in under the table), toys and books on the floor, after making a mess, sit down and pretend to watch TV. Have one of the kids pretend to be my mom in asking me to clean my room. I'll say no. The parent picks them up. Have them ask me to help with the dishes. I'll say no. The parent asks me to do the dishes, I'll say no. Etc. Carry on until the kids get the picture. 
2. Instruction:
• Then ask the "parent" how they felt when I kept saying no. 
• What should I have done differently? 
• Talk about how even the small things we do are acts of service.  
• What are other ways we can serve our family?
• Our families are strengthened by our service. We should serve happily.
3. Listening and Singing Experiences
• Sing the third verse, showing the pictures.
• Sing the verse together. Sing it several times in different ways (starting soft and getting louder, in a funny voice, boys vs. girls)
• Put third verse in the poster. Sing covering up different pictures to "quiz" their memory.
• Sing all verses together (put pictures up on the board with magnets for 1st and 2nd verses)

Help them apply it in their lives: This week I challenge each of you to serve your families at least once a day! I promise you that if you do, your family will be happier and you will be strengthened as a family.

Songs of the Heart: Ask the teachers and leaders to write down their Songs of the Heart. If the kids have more songs, they can add hearts as well. Sing Songs of the Heart (put used ones in a ziplock until all hearts have been used, then put back in) until it's time to close.

January 15, 2012

Opening Song: Reverently, Quietly (p 26)
Closing Song: My Heavenly Father Loves Me (p 228)

Wiggle Songs: Hinges (p 277), Do As I'm Doing (p 276)

Program Song: As a Child of God, new song in outline

Identify the doctrine: Heavenly Father gave me the power to choose. The Holy Ghost will help me make good choices that bless me and my family.

Help children understand it:

1. Attention Getter: 
• Show pictures of my family.
2. Instruction:
• Heavenly Father loves us so much that He sent us to earth in families. When I'm with my family I want to be my best self and I feel happy.Think about how you feel when you're with your family. Ask for a few contributions.Today we are going to learn a new verse to our new song As a Child of God that talks about how we feel when we're with our families.
3. Listening and Singing Experiences: (adapted from:  http://mypianolesson.blogspot.com/)



As a Child of God Poster

• But first a quiz from last week: give older kids stanzas on paper, give little kids pictures. They are to put them in order on the floor, when finished, come up to the front and put on board (magnets). Have Sister Ames play As a Child of God twice through while they put them in order.
• Put pictures on poster, introduce poster. Sing 1st verse (use actions learned last week).
• Sing 2nd verse to kids. Ask them to listen for what feelings come from family love, raise their hand if they hear answers (safe, happy, peace). Whisper to neighbor what feelings they heard, call upon 1-3 children to answer out loud.
• Show pictures for each stanza, put on poster. Sing 2nd verse with kids.
• Sing several more times, covering different pictures until they can sing the entire verse with all pictures covered on poster. Invite kids to come up and choose which picture to cover. 
• Sing 1st and 2nd verses together (show pictures for 1st verse on poster only).

Help them apply it in their lives: I testify that when we make good choices, we bless our families with feelings of safety, happiness, peace, and love. This week I challenge each of you to choose the right.

Songs of the Heart: Last week I told you that one of my favorite Primary songs is called My Heavenly Father Loves Me. I want to know what YOUR favorite songs are. I am going to give each of you a heart. With your teachers' help, I want you to write your name on one side and your favorite Primary song on the other. When you are finished, I want you to bring it up and put it in my Songs of the Heart can.

Fast Finisher: Songs of the Heart

January 8, 2012

Second go with "As a Child of God" (it will be similar to last week, repeating since there were only 5 kids)

Opening Song: I'm Trying to be Like Jesus (p 78)
Closing Song: Search, Ponder and Pray (p 109)

Wiggle Songs: If You're Happy (p 266), Head/Shoulders/Knees and Toes (p 275)

Program Song:  As a Child of God, new song in outline

Identify the doctrine: Heavenly Father gave me the power to choose. The Holy Ghost will help me to make good choices. Good choices bless my family and me.

Help children understand it:

1. Attention Getter: 
• Another one of my favorite superheroes is Spiderman. He has this amazing power to shoot webs and swing from building to building. But as cool as that power is, I have an even better power.
2. Instruction: 
• You are a child of God. Because Heavenly Father loves you so much, He sent you to earth with a special power. It is the power to Choose the Right (hold up the CTR shield). Yesterday, I used my power to choose the right by choosing to help my husband put away our Christmas boxes. I also used my power to choose the right by choosing to read my scriptures before going to bed. Fold your arms when you know an answer to this question: How did you choose the right yesterday? Call upon those children who want to share how they chose the right.
3. Listening and Singing Experiences:
• Last week we learned the first verse to a special song about the power we have to choose the right. I'm going to sing it for you. If you know the words, you can sing along. As we sing, I want you to listen for WHO helps us use our power to choose the right. When you hear the answer, cross your feet. Sing the first verse and chorus. Call upon someone to answer.
• I'm going to sing the chorus again, this time I want you to listen for rhyming words. Put your hands on your elbows when you hear the rhymes. Ask what the rhyming words are (light, right). This time, sing the chorus with me. What actions could we use for "light" and "right"? (Ask Alissa if they came up with actions last week). Decide upon the actions and sing the chorus again with the actions.
• There is something very important that we do that blesses our families and us. I'm going to sing the first 2 lines, when you hear what it is, put your hands on your knees. Ask what it is we do (make good choices). What actions could we use for "power to choose" and "me and my family, too"? (Ask Alissa about last week's actions) Decide upon the actions and sing the first 2 lines with those actions.
• Let's sing the whole song with the actions. 

Help them apply it in their lives: I testify that we have the power to choose the right. The Holy Ghost helps us make the right choices. This week I want you to share with your mom or dad 2 things that you do to choose the right, we'll talk about it next week!

Songs of the Heart: One of my favorite Primary songs is called My Heavenly Father Loves Me. I want to know what YOUR favorite songs are. I am going to give each of you a heart. With your teachers' help, I want you to write your name on one side and your favorite Primary song on the other. When you are finished, I want you to bring it up and put it in my Songs of the Heart can.

Fast Finisher: Songs of the Heart