New and refurbished ideas for LDS Primary Music Leaders (a.k.a. Primary Choristers)

Friday, March 2, 2012

SPEC—TACULAR SINGING SUNGLASSES

There I go again with those alliterations.  Don't you just  loooooove how it rolls off the tongue???  Spec—tacular Singing Sunglasses!  Yeah, I know, it is just another fun, fancy, smancy name I made up for a well known Primary singing game.  Some of the names I've heard it go by are: Headband Hero, Word Nerd, and Hat Game.  It's been a couple of years since I've done this one, so I guess it is time to bring it back, except this time with a little bit of a President Hinkley "BE" STING to give it a little oomph using his "6 Be's", and maybe a couple of extra "Be" songs for good measure (probably won't get through them all, but at least there is a good choice to pick from.)

The basics of the game is that a Key word written on a word strip that has been chosen from the song or phrase you are working on is placed on a hat, in a sweatband, on glasses or smacked-dabbed with tape on a child's forehead.  Everyone can see the word except the child who is standing there in front of everyone else with the word prominantly displayed on his/her head or forehead.  The Primary sings the song or phrase but omits singing the word or la-la's over the word, or what works better for JR is to sing the word louder than the rest of the song. In JR Primary, since most of the kids can't read, have the child leave the room for a moment while you tell the rest of the children what the word is. The guessing child needs to listen carefully while singing the song in their head while everyone sings out load so he/she can figure out what the secret word is and then gives the answer at the end of the song or phrase you are singing.  This is a great way to review a song over-and-over-and-over-and-over-and-over. . . again. 

I will be using this as a choose and review singing time and this is how I will be doing it.

ITEMS NEEDED & FILES

  • "Stand for the Right" visual found in this post 
  • Picture of Gordon B. Hinkley
  • Pictures that represent the 6 "Be's" plus pictures for the extra "Be's" you have chosen.
This is the Bee file for the following two items:
  • Bee "Word Strips" with the Song Key Word—1 for each song/picture you will use. You can print the small bee images, one bee for each song, and write the key word for each song on the back of them.  I cut and laminated mine since I figured I may use them again for another activity.  Can just use a piece of paper.
  • Bee on a Big Stick visual (optional but good for cueing the children).  I cut the bee out, laminated it, painted a paint stirrer stick that I then adhered my bee to.
Oooo, a hand model I will never be.
  • Spec—tacular Singing Sunglasses or other Key Word contraption holding device (hope you understood that technical jargon I used.) Instructions for the glasses & other spectacular eyewear options below.
  • Bee Hand Puppet for each JR child.  (This is my file but I originally got the hand puppet idea from here.)  Just print on regular paper, cut around the music note frame leaving a little white border around it, fold in half, staple along both sides 3 times leaving the bottom open for inserting the hand. You could use your CTR sticks instead that can be found in this post for your children to raise to help clue the guessing child or just have them raise their hand or stand up on the secret word as they sing it.
  • Song Key Sheet of songs you would like to sing (This is an example of mine)
Some of these items are optional depending on how much you want to do. Adjust for what works for you.

HOW TO PLAY
  1. I plan on reviewing "Stand for the Right" first for a couple of times along with using sign language (cheat sheet file in this post) to get some movement in and warm them up.
  2. Then I may switch out President Monson's picture with President Hinkley's from my SFTR visual on the board.
  3. I will have the pictures I've selected to represent my "Be's" scattered face down on the board along with a word strip bee with the correlating song's key word written on the backside of the bee but taped with the word down on top of each back of the picture.  If you choose to just use a word strip, just make sure the word is face down on the back of the picture and cannot be seen through the paper.
  4. Select a child to come up and pick a picture.  Show the picture and quickly ask about or explain the picture on how it helps us to stand for the right.  Here is a link to Hinkley's 6 Be's talk that he gave to the youth if you would like to review it.
  5. Have the child put on the Spec—tacular Singing Sunglasses. Remove the "Be" key word or word strip from the picture and place or adhere it on the Spec—tacular Singing Sunglasses making sure the guessing child does not see the word (remember for the younger children, you may have to have the child leave the room first so you can tell the rest of the Primary the word.)
  6. Sing the song that goes with the picture.  The "Be" key word may be in the song more than once, so be careful not to sing any of them.
    1. For JR, I plan on using the bee hand puppets I made last year when I taught the SFTR song, except in this game, I will have the JR stand up and hold up their bee hand puppet when we sing the secret word. Of course, I will hold up my Bee on a Big Stick for both JR & SR as a cue for them. 
    2. For SR, you could have them Bzzz and/or stand on the key word instead of not singing it.  
  7. After singing the song, have the guessing child tell everyone what he/she thinks the word was.
  8. Repeat taking turns with the picking and singing process.

HOW I MADE THESE SPEC—TACULAR SINGING SUNGLASSES
(Get it? Spec—tacular)

A variety of Spec—tacular Singing Sunglasses to choose from!
Shortly after I was called as Primary Music Leader I went to a 3D movie and while waiting for the movie to start, I was staring blankly at my 3D glasses when suddenly, the music leader brain cells in me started churning and churning for ways to use this awesome piece of junk potential singing treasure in singing time. My Spec—tacular Singing Sunglasses was born!  To make these, I cut off 3" from the bottom of a page protector. Used glue dots to adhere it to the top rim of the glasses.  Cut a colored piece of card stock to fit inside of it to help keep the page protector from flopping over and to give it some fun color.  The key word strip slides inside the sheet protector or you can tape it on the front.  I then cut out a treble clef and a music note or rather a sixteenth note with some scrap fun foam to give it a singing time awesome look.  And voilà! The most Super Spec—tacular Singing Sunglasses ever!  For the JR, try using the child size 3D glasses for a better fit on their small heads.  If you want something easier, there are fabulous and stylish glasses you can pick up from the dollar store nearest you and use as is or with a piece of tape wrapped around the center for a wordy-nerdy look or just use some ol' glamour style pair of glasses you have hanging around the house. 


2 comments:

  1. You amaze me with your awesome ideas, seriously you help me out so much with my singing time! Keep the awesome ideas coming! And THANK YOU!

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  2. This is so fun, I have seen it done with the hat or headband but the glasses is so cute, I know the kids will get a kick out of it. Thanks again for a wonderful idea!

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