This is for YOU Sheri....

Okay...there will be no order to this...just as the pictures appear if i can make it match up. I believe in having an aersonal to pull from and then it makes the prep and presentation easier. Mostly kids just love surprise and participation. The apron below is just one of 3 different aprons I have...each with different sized pockets...one has huge pockets that I stuff with puppets or the actual song visual or aid for them to pull out. The grab bag is used the same way...build suspense and then let them take turns pulling out the stuff. I have a few puppets that I use as meters...if they sing good the turtle will come out of his shell, or the Frog will jump and croak or the mice will peek out of the box...
























I use this apple--with a green sock WORM to help teach them to lead the music and help me.... and I made an elephant with a grey sock for the trunk...they are braver when they have the visual to hide behind to give it a try. The container with the red and green yarn strips I use to help with learning the words. Once I have been over it a few times, we sing the song while a child pulls out the string...when it is green they sing the words when it is red they hum...or whatever other action you like. They really like it if you add...stand up on red, stomp your foot on green when you start to sing..twirl, clap etc. Tne next poster is just for the idea that I take interactive pages from the friend or other kid magazines and blow them up at Kinko's poster size and have them HELP do the activitiy---like that one is CONFERENCE themed...there were hidden pictures of objects in the picture...when they found one then they could pick a song, or lead the music or Hide the Object. They NEVER tired of Hide the OBject ...no matter how much they disliked the song. One child goes out of the room while another hides an object...when the child enters, the children in the room guide the searching child to the object by
singing
loud or soft depending on how close or far away they are from the object...great for word repetition. I like to use and make visuals where they put their heads or hands in them...it helps them to keep still and not cut up while helping...plus they get a kick out of it. The kids also LOVE when you use photos of them ...I would use my ditigal camera and have them pose for a word or hold a picture of a word or draw a picture for the words in the song, take the picture and then print them just on reg paper in black and white. I've also tried to have someone photographing different singing times of when kids have been PEREFECT singers and put them on display..smiling, SITTING in their seats. One of my favorite phrases a real music teacher taught me is"EVERY song begins with SILENCE"...so you teach that to the children and after I while they learn you can't start the song until you have their attention and SILENCE. If you go to a teacher supply store you will be in heaven. I bought a pair of these blow up yellow dice that I have the kids roll...on one will be a song to sing and the other will be who or how to sing it, i.e. hum, boys only, fast, choppy, talk it
teachers only.. . I found that with the little ones not being able to read, the more PICTURE cues the better...but I would also try to help them MEMORIZE a word while teaching a song...you'll be AMAZED that those 3 year olds will be able to tell you that that word is OBEDIENCE even if you just write it on the board next week...and the BIGGER the picture the BETTER. I like to mix it up...but i found that putting the visuals on paint sticks made it easier for the little ones to keep the pictures high enough for the others to see...no so much bulk or two handed co-ordination needed. THe big SPINNING flower will come out at Michael's in Spring...I just put the song choices on there and let them spin...another favorite!Anytime you can use water, dirt, fire...you've got em'! I fill up my large tupperware bread bowl and let them choose a duck like the carnival game with the songs on the bottom...fun way to start teaching them DUCKS IN THE POND. I use a remote control car to weave in and out of the aisles towards those singing the best...sometimes I let THEM use it to help me pick the next helper...or I have songs on the wall and they drive the car to the one they want to sing. I 'm big on teaching them how to lead the different beats...you can see my jar of "batons"...let them choose, and often had several leading at the same time with the different sticks. The flyswater, sword and big butterfly are usually the first ones chosen. I also took at cheap straw hat from the dollar store with a bunch of strange objects to hot glue gun on to the hat. Each week, the best participating class got to choose and object for me to glue on the hat and then THEIR teacher would wear it during singing time the next week and then we'd pass it on the next....at the end of the year it was WAY gooped up...the wierder the objects I could find the better...we invited the Bishop in on the last Sunday in December and presented him with our BEST hat. The tubes are BOOM WHACKERs...you will LOVE THESE!!!! They are like chimes, except you have to hit them on your HEAD to get them to make the tone...yes, it can get a bit irreverant, but when they leard you are serious about not bringing them back if they get crazy...they get GREAT FAST. They are SO EASY To use because the whackers are marked and co-ordinate with the guitar chords at the top of each bar of music. I love to hide things under their chairs. ANY Game can be converted and used...liked JINGA or KERPLUNK...and I can pretty much pull ANYTHING into a gospel theme...so if you are stumped call me. The bowling, soft darts, basketball hoop...all boy favorites. I learned quickly that if you can cater to the boys the girls will still LOVE it and it will help with order. For senior it is fun to write the song on a poster--all words and then take strips away...or to have a puzzle for them to solve underneath the word strips like that old TV show....any crossword , word seek and find...you can google those and then print them big and use them for theme and concept reinforcement. I use bean bags and they have to pass it like a hot potatoe each person saying ONE word of the song as he gets it and then passes it. You can divide them into 2 sides and see which side can make it all the way through the song with no mistakes the fastest. Have teachers only learn the song while the kids watch...then the kids end up knowing it by the end...make a few teachers do solo parts for phrases and invite the bishop in to solo as well. THis works especially well if you have a new song with rythyms that need to be clapped...you can even let the kids clap with their teachers to help them. Singing time BINGO if fun but alot of work. I'm for simplify after you have your arsenal.
If you can still find one of those dancing flowers that is fun to turn on when they sing so they can see how their volumne affects the dancing. For the little ones as much hand action as you can include will help...keep those mouths and hands AND feet busy...busy is happy. OH...I am so envious...I love my calling right now...but CHOIRESTOR will be my favorite forever. I have some more stuff...but I couldn't get to it in the basement...if you run out and want more call me and I"ll go drag it out.