PRIMARY SINGING OLYMPICS: SUMMER GAMES

Of course with the Olympics starting this week, you can't help but think about doing a Primary Singing Olympics. A couple of years ago I had worked on a winter Olympic version, but I think I got sick and had to scratch it . . . so I'm excited for another chance. I have seen a variety of ideas over the years for doing an Olympic Singing Time and have borrowed from the many great ideas out there as well as I have added many of my own twists and turns to it as I am most often inclined to do. This is pretty simple to do and I think it will be a fun way to review the program songs. With it being the 5th Sunday of the month, I do have the whole Singing and Sharing Time, but this can be adapted for a regular Singing Time or you could even take a couple of weeks to do it.


You can't have a Primary Singing Olympics without a torch, so I plan to start off bringing my torch out with a quick blurb about the Olympics and how hard these athletes work for years to come and perform at the Olympics and then tie it in with how hard we have been working on the songs in preparation for the Sacrament Meeting Program. 


Of course, we have to have the all important 
Torch Relay, so I will have the lights turned off while my torch is lit while we sing the song (I will also have a battery powered lantern for an extra light source since our Primary Room is quite dark with the lights out—and don't forget a light for your pianist) and as we sing the song standing up, the children will respectfully and reverently pass the light to each other down the rows. The last child will bring the torch back up to me and then I can set it on the table in its base.

Ignore the garland in the picture. I decided not
to add it to the torch but do if you want some sparks.

Red and yellow cellophane wrapped and pleated
around the head of the flashlight. 

The torch was pretty easy to make with found objects around the house. This is how I made mine with what I had. Revise with what you have.

1. Unroll about 14" of the yellow cellophane roll and cut off.
2. Tape about a 1" piece of double-sided tape to the base of the head of a flashlight and adhere one end of the cellophane to the tape on the flashlight. Then make a pleat and tape it down.
3. Continue taping the cellophane down on the flashlight head and pleating as you go around the flashlight. This will help to puff out the flame a little so your flame doesn't look like a column of fire.
4. Make some small snips in the top to give it some small flames. You should be able to still unscrew the top of the flashlight from the handle in case you need to put new batteries in.
5. Unroll and cut off about a 12" strip of red cellophane and cut out some triangle-shaped flames along the cut edge. Be careful because these can tear off easily. Had to fix a couple that tore on me.
6. Tape and pleat the red cellophane around the flashlight head like you did the yellow cellophane. You could use tissue paper if you don't have any cellophane, but cellophane will let the light show more, but then again, you don't even need to use a flashlight. You could just use a paper towel tube.
7. Leave the flashlight handle as is or wrap gold paper or foil around the handle to give it a more torch-like look and you are done OR
8. Instead of wrapping it in gold paper, put the flashlight in a gold, tall, plastic drink cup. I stopped in the $ Store several days ago when I was running an errand in the same strip mall and I happened upon a tall cone-shaped drink cup there that would be perfect for the torch. I was sooooooo trying to figure out something that would hold the torch upright on the table and this had a base at the bottom that would do it perfectly and I can pull the base off if I want to when I am holding it like a torch. I was so excited by the cheap find. I just spray painted it with some leftover gold paint I had on hand—less than 5 minutes. TIP: put it on a stick while you paint so you don't get paint on your hands.
9. With the cellophane flames on the flashlight, just turn it on and drop it into the torch cup and voilà!  An Olympic Torch! It does look pretty cool with the lights off.

Singing Sport Sign Example

I will have my Primary Singing Olympic sign posted at the top of my board (pictured at the top of this post.) If you want the Olympic sign a little bigger, you could print that page in poster format on two or more pages. I did mine on two pages. Then I will have my Singing Sport Signs for the different sports posted on the board underneath it. The link to all the files I made are posted below. I will have a child pick one of the sports and we will sing the song assigned it while doing the "sport" activity. You could also just post the signs in the order you want to do them in and proceed in that order. I have to admit that I kind of got carried away during my brainstorming session when I was going through the list of sports that are in this year's Olympics and trying to think of names for the sports and activities. I did some "singing" word play on the sport names. I know the kids may not get them all, but the teachers might think they are fun and I had fun thinking of them. During my brainstorming, I ended up with WAAAAAAAAAAAY more sports than you will ever do for your singing time and I created signs for each one as well, so at least you have quite a variety to pick from. Just select the singing sports activities you want to do for the time you have. I've also attached a key sheet file for the sports and songs. Just select which sports you want to do and write in the songs you want to do on the key sheet. You could even just write what the song is and activity on the back of your sign if you don't want to refer to a key sheet. Don't forget to take any items/props, if needed, for each sport activity you have chosen. I've tried to keep the props simple to none. If there are any props needed, I've listed those items in each section on the key sheet.  Here is a list of the songs and sport activities that I am thinking of doing:


TORCH SONG RELAY: If the Savior Stood Beside Me
RHYTHMIC RIBBON: When I Am Baptized
SYNCHRONIZED SINGING: Nephi's Courage
SHOT PUT IN ORDER:  Choose the Right
ARCHERY ARTICULATION: The Wise Man and the Foolish Man
TENNIS WORD: Dare to Do Right
SAILING SERENADE: As a Child of God
TRAMPOLINE TRIPLE TIME:  Stand for the Right
VOLLEYBALL VIRTUOSO:  I'm Trying to Be like Jesus
MOUNTAIN BIKE MEDLEY: Stand for the Right and Dare to Do Right Medley


Probably won't have time to do all 10, but I'll be prepared just in case with the last two.


I tried to use most of the actual olympic pictograms for the signs but many of the sub-categories didn't have any, so I just created my own, so many are not the official pictograms in case you were wondering. Although I don't care for the Olympic font London chose, I used it anyway for a more authentic look.  I tried to do a variety of "sport" activities; however, don't expect them to be these big running, relay type of sport activities for the children to do. I find too much playing around type activities make it difficult to keep some semblance of reverence as well as the children get too busy "playing" instead of singing, so I try to select activities more conducive for singing that the children enjoy doing but still gives them some movement, variety and a challenge. There are a few more "sporty" events on the list just in case you want to throw in one or two for a moment or two of added play time.


I also plan to have someone be a judge; maybe one of the presidency members or maybe take turns having the teachers help judge. This is optional, but kids seem to like to perform well when they are being watched. I will give the judge three paddles: GOLD MEDAL, SILVER MEDAL and BRONZE MEDAL. They are the big medals in the file that I have cut out and attached to tongue depressors. If the children sing the song/verse well, the judge will hold up the GOLD MEDAL after they sing. If they sing okay but the song still needs some work, then the judge would hold up the SILVER MEDAL paddle. If we could really use a bit more work on the song, then the judge would hold up the BRONZE MEDAL paddle. Oooooo, I sure hope we don't earn too many bronze medals!


If the song has more than one verse, I plan on only having them sing the first verse then stop to be scored by the judge, then sing the second verse, stop and be judged and so on. Whatever paddle the judge holds up, I will put up a smaller version of the medal next to the Singing Sport Sign. So, if there are three verses to a song, there should be three medals next to that sport sign when done to reflect how we did on each verse. This will be a fun and incentive way for everyone to see how many gold, silver or bronze medals they have earned as well as it lets you know what needs more work. I've included in the file all three versions of smaller medals as well as a black and white version if you would prefer to print on colored paper instead of in color or print on white and just color them in. Just print and cut out how many scoring medals you might need for the number of songs/verses you plan to sing.


I haven't brought a treat all year, but I decided to for this activity because you just can't have an Olympic event without a medal, so of course I've done the obvious GOLD CHOCOLATE COIN that I hot glued some blue curling ribbon to. If you don't want to do an edible treat, I've included little gold medals that you can print on gold card stock, punch out and tie curling ribbon or yarn to make a gold medal.


Another gold medal option would be is to wrap a cookie in gold foil and then glue ribbon or yarn on it.

Hope you have some

OLYMPIAN SINGING FUN!!!

Primary Singing Olympics—Nalani


Primary Singing Olympics Key Sheet-Nalani