Name That Tune - with a Number Cube

This number cube is used to play "Name That Tune." I have the sides marked with numbers 2-5. I write a list of songs that I want to review and give the list to the pianist. Then I ask a child to roll the cube. Whichever number is rolled, the pianist plays that number of notes from one of the review songs on the list and the children have to name the song. If the children cannot guess, the pianist keeps adding a note until the song is recognized. To increase the challenge, I have the pianist play the notes from random places in the song, rather than the beginning.

Using Costumes in Singing Time

Children love dramatization. If you are careful with time, costumes can add so much fun to singing time. You have to keep the costumes really simple and easy to put on and off. Otherwise, it takes too much time to dress and undress. This month I’m using simple costumes to dramatize people in the scriptures who followed God’s plan. I’ve written a “Who Am I?” riddle on eight cards and selected a review song that we’ll sing after guessing who the person is. I’ll put the costume and the riddle card into a small paper sack and choose children, to portray the scripture person. I’ll ask another adult to take the children out of the room to dress, then bring them back in, altogether, to sit on a row of chairs. While the children are dressing, we’ll review the song “I Will Follow God’s Plan.” One at a time, I’ll invite the children forward with their riddle. After their identity is guessed, the child can help me lead the song, in costume. ;o)  Here are more pics from my costume box, along with the riddles I’m using:

“I lived during the Old Testament time. I was very beautiful and lived in the king’s palace. I was forbidden to go to the king, but risked my life in order to ask the favor that would save the lives of all my people. Who am I?” (Esther) “Shine On” -144  (Esther's costume is the one above-just a head scarf/band)

“I was alive during the New Testament. As a young woman, an angel appeared to me and told me that I would have a very special baby. I humbly said that I was willing to do whatever was asked of me. Who am I?” (Mary) “Once Within a Lowly Stable” -41

“I lived during the time of the Book of Mormon. The Lord asked me to build a boat and take my family across the ocean to a promised land. I didn’t know how to build a boat, but I learned how. I was obedient to the Lord. Who Am I?” (Nephi) “Nephi’s Courage” -120 (This is built on the idea of an apron with velcro. Very quick to put on and off.)

“I lived in the early days of the Church. The prophet Joseph came to me for help to publish the Book of Mormon. I didn’t have enough money, but I signed an agreement to sell my farm, if necessary, so that the book could be printed. Who Am I?” (Martin Harris) “The Golden Plates”  (This vest is also based on an apron, with ties on the neck and side.)

“I lived at the end of the Book of Mormon. I was asked to take all of the records that had been kept by our prophets and copy them into one record. This record would be preserved by the Lord for a people far into the future. Who am I?” (Mormon) “Book of Mormon Stories” -118 (This belt can be used alone and tied either in the front or back. It can also be tied around a length of cloth draped over the shoulder.)

“I lived during the Book of Mormon time. I, along with other Lamanite mothers, faithfully taught my children the gospel. I taught them to have faith in God. I taught them that God would deliver them, if they did not doubt. Who am I?” (Mother of a young soldier in Helaman’s army) “We’ll Bring the World His Truth” -172 (This one goes on and off over the head. Very easy!)

“I lived during the time of the Old Testament. The Lord commanded me to go into a strange land and spy out the best way to conquer the people. Later, he commanded me to lead the armies of Israel and take the land of Canaan. He told me to be strong and to have courage and that he would see to our success. Who am I?” (Joshua) “Dare to do Right” -158 (This costume also goes on over the head. It is based on a tabard-style apron.)

“I was married to the prophet in the early days of this dispensation. I studied the scriptures and prepared the first hymnbook for the church. I was also the first president of the Relief Society. I tried to be a faithful wife and helper. Who am I?” (Emma Smith) “I Will Be Valiant” -162

Thanks to my sweet daughter, who modeled all the costumes.

Music Aid - The Grab Bag

The Grab Bag is another simple aid for choose and review. I use it with pictures or objects connected to the theme. For instance, I use the topical index in the songbook as a guide and choose several small pictures; the scriptures, ordinances, commandments, service, nature, family, etc. then I place all the pictures into the sturdy paper bag. Without peeking, I have a child pull a picture from the grab bag and show it to the children. Then I ask the children if they know a song that matches the picture somehow. We sing the song. The grab bag is essentially like the Surprise Sack or the Apron or the Everyone Can. It is just another aid for choosing. The more of these options I can design, the greater variety I can offer the children.

For my choose and review week this month, I’m using the Grab Bag with pictures that match the scripture theme. I chose the songs I wanted to review and used the scriptures listed with the song at the bottom of the page in the songbook. I typed out the verses and attached them to the pictures. When a child chooses a picture, I’ll have them read the scripture and challenge the other children to think of a Primary song that matches that scripture. I think I can predict which songs the children will think of. If someone names a different song, we’ll sing that song instead. I just want to reinforce the idea that we learn the gospel from the scriptures. These are the scriptures and songs I am using:

16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. (New Testament / Matthew 5:16) Shine On

6 I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High. (Old Testament / Psalms 82:6) I Am A Child of God

56 Even before they were born, they, with many others, received their first lessons in the world of spirits and were prepared to come forth in the due time of the Lord to labor in his vineyard for the salvation of the souls of men. (Doctrine and Covenants / Section 138:56) I Lived in Heaven

23 Learn of me, and listen to my words; walk in the meekness of my Spirit, and you shall have peace in me. (Doctrine and Covenants / Section 19:23) Come, Follow Me

14 But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven. 15 And he laid his hands on them, and departed thence. (New Testament / Matthew 19:13 - 15) When He Comes

18 For I will declare mine iniquity; I will be sorry for my sin. (Old Testament / Psalms 38:18) Repentance

2 Yea, behold, I will tell you in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you and which shall dwell in your heart. (Doctrine and Covenants / Section 8:2) The Holy Ghost / Listen, Listen

34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. 35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. (New Testament / John 13:34 - 35) Love One Another

12 And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation... that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, it shall have no power over you to drag you down... because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall. (Book of Mormon / Helaman 5:12)The Wise Man and the Foolish Man

17 Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD thy God which he hath given thee. (Old Testament / Deuteronomy 16:17) Give Said the Little Stream

Tutorial - Wonky Bean Bag

I made this wonky beanbag to increase the challenge of tossing beanbags. The beanbag is simply a large, stuffed yo-yo. I made it somewhat rounded, like a ball, so that it would not land flat. This increases the challenge, because you can’t completely predict where the beanbag might roll. I added rice for weight and flattened it some, so that the beanbag wouldn’t roll right off the mat.

I first cut a large 7-inch circle out of fabric.

I used a running stitch or gathering stitch around the edge of the circle. I didn’t bother turning the edge under, because I knew that I would glue a button on top of the gathers to cover the raw edges.

Next I pulled up the edges of the fabric circle to form a cup and collected a handful of polyester fiberfill and about 1/3 cup of rice.

I shaped the fiberfill into the cup shape inside the fabric circle, leaving space in the middle of the stuffing for the rice.

The rice goes into the middle of the cup.

I put a small amount of fiberfill on top of the rice.

Then I pulled the string tightly and secured the gathers with a knot.

I finished the wonky beanbag with a button. Then I flattened it a bit and played with it, to break it in. ;o) It works really well. It generally behaves like a beanbag, but has just enough roll to be unpredictable, thus increasing the challenge.



Music Aid - Pitch Sticks

I refer to pitch sticks in my teaching plan for our new song, “If I Listen With My Heart.” I received a number of e-mails asking about pitch sticks, and thought I should show you a picture.

Pitch-level conducting focuses the attention of the children on the melody of the song and the up and down quality of pitch. Usually I use my hand to show the children how the melody moves up and down and invite them to follow me. This activity can be very helpful to children as they learn a new song, because some of us struggle to hear the melody. It isn’t always easy to hear the piano, which is why singing the song clearly and distinctly to the children is so important. Children find it easier to hear the tones of the human voice as opposed to the tones of the piano. I know this is not good news to those of you who don't link to sing alone in front of other people, but I encourage you to try to overcome your reluctance. Really, the kids will learn the melody easier from a voice. Adding the visual quality of pitch-level conducting is also helpful. Please see this post for an explanation of how to conduct this way.

When I use my hand, I have to be very deliberate in portraying the notes. Each note needs to be clearly separate from the last. The notes will often remain on the same level of pitch. In this case, rather than moving my hand up and down, I move my hand forward in a bouncing motion, one bounce for each of the same note. The children seem to have a harder time being precise, and their movements sometimes become pretty “muddy.” Some children don’t concentrate and others don’t participate at all. I find that when I hand out these simple sticks and show the children how to hold them between both hands, the concentration increases and the children are more willing to participate.

I used the pitch sticks this last Sunday as we worked with the song. The kids could easily see the jumps in the melody. I also asked them to discover the words that came on the quick eighth notes. That was more of a challenge and they had to concentrate. The pitch sticks helped them because they were moving the sticks as well as listening and they could see the sticks move quickly on the eighth notes. When all four words in the first verse were discovered, I had the chance to talk to the children about how to sing these words precisely. So, the pitch sticks can also be helpful for visualizing rhythm.

Music Aid - Color Grid

This is my color grid. It is a really simple choosing device. Usually I just assign a review song to the different colors and let the children toss the bean bag to choose the song. Sometimes I use this mat at the end of singing time, choosing different ways to sing a song that we've worked on that day. I've also used it like a tic-tac-toe grid with discovery questions about the song. By the way, I use the multi-colored square in the corner as a wild card. The kids never know what might turn up here.

This particular grid is made with fabric. You can make an easier color grid simply by taping colored paper together. Laminating the paper would make it sturdier. I made one with the fabric so that it would hold up forever! :o) I've also used a color grid in sharing time to choose review questions, etc. The kids seem to like to toss beanbags.

I know this is simple. I'm almost embarrassed to show it to you, but simple is often a very good choice in an activity.

I also have an ulterior motive for posting this now and it has to do with those ten-year old boys. Check back because that post is coming up tomorrow.

Music Aid - Sing/Hum Puppet

This is my "sing/hum" puppet. She is made from cardboard with felt face pieces and yarn hair. When a child shows the face with the eyes and mouth open, the primary children sing the song.

When the face shows the mouth closed, the children hum. It's that simple.

Music Aid - Singing Shapes

These are my singing shapes. Each shape represents a different way to sing a review song. For instance, the monkey indicates that we begin singing a song in the regular way, but then sing “ahh” whenever the monkey is held up. The kids usually choose these shapes from the pockets of my apron but sometimes I bring them in the surprise sack, or some other container for variety. I can use these shapes to review a song that I’ve recently taught or use them with several songs on a week of Choose and Review. We can use one shape throughout the whole song, or, sometimes I put them together in pairs with a rubber band and then we change from one to another in the same song. However we use them, the kids always respond well to singing shapes. This is what these shapes currently mean in our primary.

Monkey - sing “ahh”
Owl - sing “ooh”
Turtle - sing slow
Rabbit - sing fast
Lion - sing louder
Lamb - sing softer
Bee- hum
Bird - regular singing
Cowboy boot - boys sing
Princess crown - girls sing
Purse - teachers sing, or child's teacher leads
Team pennant - your class sings
Hand - choose a hand action like snapping fingers, clapping, etc.
Hammer - pound the rhythm or the beat
Parrot - echo singing with myself and the kids, or I divide the room in half or between boys and girls.
Octopus - child conducts with a sideways figure eight
Heart - sing your favorite song
Frog - everyone uses their hand to "hop" from note to note (pitch level conducting)
Snail - another shape for singing slow

Music Aid - Monkey Hat

This is a fun foam Monkey hat that I found in a dollar store while I was on vacation. I'm putting it in with my other nursery singing time stuff to use with the song "Do As I'm Doing." I could use it with the Jr. Primary kids also, but our group is combined and I'm not sure how far I could push the older kids and I'm afraid it might become a reverence issue. But, for the little ones, I think this guy's pretty cute!

Choose and Review - Title Toss

Title Toss makes a fun singing time, however it takes a little work to prepare. But then it can live in the closet and be pulled out when you have extra time or when you've had one of those weeks and need to use something you've already prepared. I believe in being prepared for one of those weeks!

Just type the titles of MANY songs into the computer. Adjust the fonts and sizes and then print the titles out. Cut them out and randomly paste them onto a poster board. I say random, but you should mix the rest songs or wiggle songs in throughout the other titles. I also used appropriate stickers to enhance the poster a bit. When you're ready for singing time, put the poster on the floor and hand a child a beanbag. Invite them to toss the beanbag to choose a song to sing. You can adjust the tossing distance according to age or ability.

The only problem with this activity is that it might take the pianist some time to look up the page number of the song. This won't bother an experienced pianist because they often remember where the songs are and can find them quickly. But, to make it easier, you could copy the index in the songbook and have it available so that they don't have to keep flipping to the back of the book to look things up. Or, make an alphabetical list with the page numbers and keep it with the poster.

"Rain" Puppet

This is my rain puppet. We're just going into what we call our "monsoon" season when we often get a rain storm in the afternoon. So, I am just in time to get this finished to use with the younger children in singing time. This puppet has been in my brain for some time now. I made it specifically to go with the song "Rain is Falling." BTW, I am having so much fun singing with the nursery kids. Sometimes they get so excited to see me and that feels pretty good ;o).

To make the puppet, I used an ordinary white cotton knitted work glove as the base. I used plain white thread and a long needle to tack bunches of polyester quilt batting down on top. I tried to keep as much of the thread as possible on top of the glove so that it wouldn't catch on my fingers when I put the glove on. Then I took some blue, gray and white acrylic paint and dabbed it on the batting and the bottom of the glove to create a rain cloud look. The paint actually helps stabilize the batting. I used nylon thread and blue crystal beads to make the raindrops. I threaded the beads on the nylon and then tied knots to suspend the beads in the air. I threaded the beads on to the bottom of the fingers so that the raindrops would dance. When I wiggle my fingers, the crystal beads catch the light and sparkle beautifully.

This puppet is somewhat fragile, in the respect that the littlest nursery kids could tear it apart fairly quickly. Because of that, and the fact that the beads are small in size, I'll restrict its use. (I'll try at least, perhaps I won't even be able to use it in the nursery, depending on the various factors at work there.) I'm hoping to make some smaller puppets (larger beads or drops dangling from a popsicle stick or maybe a child's white tube sock) for the kids to use as we sing the song.

Here are more pictures.

Music Aid - Category Cube

A category cube is another favorite music aid for singing time. On each side of the cube is a picture representing a category of primary songs, such as Action, Gospel, Jesus, Family, Seasons, etc. A child tosses the cube and then the children are challenged to think of a song to sing from that category. You can ask the child who rolled the cube to think of the song or open it up to the whole group. Younger kids nearly always need help.

You could adapt the idea simply by labeling pictures with the categories and then laminating them. Put the pictures in the pockets of an apron or a sack to draw from. Or, put them face up or face down on the floor and toss a bean bag to choose one. In an emergency you could just write categories on slips of paper and choose them from a basket or can, but the pictures really seem to help the kids. Rolling the cube makes the choosing more random. The same category comes up frequently when rolling the cube, but that's okay because there are so many songs still to choose in each category. If you want to remove that randomness, use either of the adaptations. This way you are sure to have each category chosen.

I have two of these 6-inch cubes with different categories. I keep one handy for when the kids have had enough of my planned activity. The cubes are also useful when I have extra time.

Music Aid - Flower Spinner

Everyday items can sometimes be put to good use in Primary music. This is a lawn decoration that I found in Hobby Lobby that works very well as a spinner to choose songs. This is a good time of year to look for something similar. I'll assign a review song to each color and have a child spin it. The color that points to the black band on the stem will tell us which song to sing.

I spent several minutes checking all the pinwheels in the rack to find one that was well balanced and random. This is important since you don't want to be stuck singing the same song again and again if the same color keeps coming up. Still, even with a well balanced spinner, the odds are high that we'll spin the same color at least a couple of times. I can bring the surprise sack and sing the same song using a different musical aid, such as the slinky or the bell or the baton with a fancy on it. Or, I can assign additional review songs to the color and sing a different song. If we spin the same color three times I could ask the child to choose a favorite song.

If I am reviewing a song that I have recently taught, I could also use the spinner to choose different ways to sing the song such as boys/girls sing, teachers only, sing/hum, stand to sing, etc.

"Eensy, Weensy, Spider" Puppet

This is my “Eensy Weensy Spider” puppet. I use this most often when I sing with the nursery and the kids are fascinated by it. They don’t usually want to use the puppet at first, but after they become familiar with it, everyone wants a turn. Be prepared for them to want to pull the eyes off - they are nursery kids after all.

I first made a loose, flat pompom of black yarn. Then I cut a length of black elastic to fit over my hand and sewed it together in a circle. I used a hot glue gun to glue the elastic securely to the bottom of the puppet and glued a circle of black felt over the seam. This also helps to secure the elastic to the yarn and creates a bit of a finish on the bottom. Then I simply glued a large black pompom on the top of the flat pompom and glued wiggly eyes on. Slip the elastic on your hand and the spider is ready to “crawl up the water-spout.”

"Smiles" Puppet

This is my “smiles” puppet. He has been in my box for many, many years and is a little worse for all the wear. He used to be on a stick, but it was broken off years ago. I’ve been going to redo him for a long time, but he still works so I haven’t gotten around to it. I originally made him to go with the “Smiles”song (CS-267), and still use him that way to sing with the Jr. kids and in the nursery. I have to take some care with the nursery kids as they always seem to want to pull the mouth off.

You can see that he is made with felt, glued onto a cardboard foundation. The foundation is simply two pieces of poster board, cut into a head shape. The mouth is made separately so that it can twist up for a smile and down for a frown. I cut a mouth shape out of poster board and put a brad through at the center. Then, using plain white glue, I glued two pieces of red felt on the mouth shape, covering the brad on the front of the mouth and allowing the brad to poke through the felt on the back. After the glue was dry I trimmed the felt to the shape of the mouth. Use enough glue so that it covers the felt completely. The dried glue will strengthen both the felt and the cardboard. Then I glued the rest of the face and the hair to the front of one of the cardboard head shapes. Again, spread the glue so that it covers the felt in an even layer. After the face was dry, I poked the mouth through at the proper spot and spread the brad loosely at the back so that the mouth would twist. Then I glued the second head shape on for a backing, carefully leaving a space around the brad so that it could move freely between the two pieces. I also originally put in a popsicle stick to hold the puppet, but would now use a tongue depressor at least, or even a paint stirring stick which would be even more sturdy. Just don’t put it too near the mouth so that it doesn’t interfere with the movement of the mouth.

The kids love to use this puppet and he really isn’t too hard to make. If my directions don’t make sense, please let me know and I’ll try to update the post to be more clear.

I’ve also used this puppet with questions or statements in singing time with both Jr. and Sr. Primary. For example, if we were singing about reverence on a week with a choose and review, I would write on a slip of paper “Jeremy was in such a hurry to be the first in his classroom that he ran out the door and down the hallway. Is this being reverent?” I would invite the children to choose the scenarios one at a time, answer the question and turn the mouth. Then sing an appropriate song about reverence. The activity works with all kinds of themes.

Fishing for Phrases - Song Review

Back in February when I read that month’s Friend magazine, I was struck (this post) by what a great story Elder Jose A. Teixeira told about learning to listen to the Holy Ghost.

After I teach “The Holy Ghost” I’ll use this brief story on a subsequent week as an attention getter to introduce a fishing activity to review the song. Following the story, I’ll dump out the fish onto a blue cloth or paper. Depending on how well they learn the song the first week, I can use the fish in one of three different ways.

If they still are unsure of the song, I’ll write half of a phrase on the fish. I’ll divide into 2 groups, perhaps boys and girls, and then invite a child from one of the groups to fish. I’ll sing the first half of the phrase to the group and they will need to sing the second half of the phrase back to me. If they can then sing the whole phrase with me they can “keep” the fish. If they don’t remember or can’t sing the phrase well, then the fish gets thrown back to be chosen again.

If they learned the song pretty well the first week, then I’ll number the fish and correlate that number to a phrase in the song. (Be sure to help the pianist mark the music.) As the fish are drawn, the pianist plays that phrase. If the children correctly guess the phrase and sing it well then they keep the fish. If not, then the fish gets thrown back to be chosen again.

If the kids learned the song really well the first week we won’t divide into groups. I’ll put directions on how to sing the song (such as boys/girls sing, stand to sing, etc.) on a few of the fish along with several other review songs on the rest of the fish for variety.

The "Everyone Can"

I call this the “Everyone Can”. It is a truly simple aid to use with another review activity that focuses on the gospel principles we learn from the Primary songs.

This activity centers on those principles that are related to the things we do. “Everyone Can” choose the right, make a happy home, keep the commandments, be kind, love their neighbor, etc. I choose a topic and then identify songs with phrases that help teach the principle I wish to teach. Then I write action statements for each of the songs on slips of paper or card strips, throwing in a few negative statements also. The papers go into the “Everyone Can” to be chosen one at a time. If the statement is something that everyone CAN do, I have the children stand up while we sing the song. If the statement is something they should not do, they remain seated.

For instance, if I wanted to teach about honesty I could choose songs from the gospel section of the songbook with phrases that teach this principle. Remember that there are several aspects of honesty, so any number of songs may apply. I might write a statement such as, “An honest child listens to the promptings of the Holy Ghost.” “And with his light I’ll do what’s right Each time I make a choice.” (The Holy Ghost CS-105) Another statement might read, “An honest child tries to make things right when they have made a mistake.” “I will try in all I do and say To live the gospel more each day.” (I Want to Live the Gospel CS-148) “An honest child always tells the truth.” “I’ll form good habits in my youth, to keep my word, to tell the truth.” (I Believe in Being Honest CS-149) “An honest child is courageous.” “Sometimes I am tempted to choose another way.” (Nephi’s Courage CS-120) “An honest child knows he can repent” “And I can be forgiven and improve myself each day.” (When I Am Baptized CS-103) Two or three negative statements add variety. “An honest child quickly blames someone else if an accident happens” “An honest child knows that mistakes don’t count if no one ever finds out.”

Sometimes it’s fun to put inexpensive smiley face stickers in the bottom of the can. I’ll give them out at the end of primary or give them to the teachers to put on the children. The sticker reminds them that everyone CAN be kind, smile, be reverent, choose the right, etc.

The Friend magazine has lately published several quizzes that easily adapt to this kind of singing time. Look at "What Kind of Friend Are You?" on page 28 of the May 2009 issue and you'll see what I mean. The statements in "Choose the Right Words" on page 9 of the January 2010 issue would also make a quick and easy singing time.

"Pick My Pocket" Choose and Review

"Pick My Pocket" is another review activity designed to help the children make connections to the principles taught in the Primary songs.

Look at the words to the songs you want to review and identify the principles that you would like to emphasize. Design a situation (case study) that will help to illustrate this principle for each of the songs. For example, one of the principles taught in the song “I Know That My Savior Loves Me” is that Jesus loves and blesses children in all ages of history - His character is unchanging. A situation could be written thus. “Some kids at school laughed at the answer Kara gave to a question. As we sing this song, listen for something the song teaches us that would help Kara feel better.” I like the phrases "the love that he felt for his little ones, I know he feels for me." or "wrapped in the arms of my Savior's love, I feel his gentle touch." After singing the song invite the children to share their ideas. Don’t hesitate to share what you had in mind as well. Especially if they “don’t get it.” Briefly discuss and testify of the principle.

Write the situations on slips of paper and put them into the pockets of an apron or some other pocket. The pocket in the picture is simply laminated cardstock with a small paper pocket on the back to hold the slips of paper. I use it sometimes as an alternative to my apron. Invite the children to choose the situations and sing the songs.

Name That Tune -By Rhythm

This musical game gives the children an opportunity to remember the rhythms of Primary songs that they know. Use a percussive rhythm instrument like sticks or wood blocks. A tone block with a wooden striker makes a clear sound. Whatever you use should make a sound loud enough that the children can hear it well.

Start by tapping the rhythm of a familiar song and ask the children if they recognize the song. This might be harder than you think because many Primary songs have similar rhythms. The kids will have to concentrate, and might just guess. Help them out if they need it. After they guess the correct song, invite them to sing it with you. After a few examples, give the children a chance to come up and tap out a song. The point of this game is not just to provide another way to choose review songs, although it does do that, but rather to help the children pay attention to and remember the rhythm of the songs. If the song you are teaching has many different rhythms in the phrases, you can also use this game to help review. Tap out the rhythm of a phrase and ask the children to guess which phrase. Have the children sing the phrase.

Song Review - Surprise Sack

When I have a list of songs that I want to review, I bring the surprise sack. I put a number of my song review aids in here and have the children draw one out to use with each of the songs we sing that day. I regularly use the bell, the baton with a fancy on it, the glove, the color cube, the slinky, rhythm sticks, puppets, and always a wiggle worm or a wooden heart for choosing a favorite song. I've explained these aids elsewhere in the blog. You can look under the music aids label or the reviewing songs label.

I also use the surprise sack on the weeks I'm teaching a song. I can put few fun things in the bag for when the children get restless or need a change of pace. We can stop and pull something out of the surprise sack.

I made my sack many years ago out of rugged corduroy fabric and it has held up well. You could easily substitute a sturdy gift bag instead.