Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Ideas for If the Savior Stood Beside me

(Hand in Hand by Greg Olsen)
If you haven't visited Sally DeFord's site - and page dedicated especially to this song - DO IT NOW! You really won't regret it (well, maybe other than spending all that time listening to ALL the different arrangements)
When looking for an image, I found this post - while it's not really a singing idea, it is a great story about how this song truly applies to life. Whether or not I tell it to the kids, I really like that I now have this perspective
Primary Singing Time Singing Magic has a great flip chart and activity
And then, something I am really excited about: A Make your Own Scratch off  Word Game!
My description does not do it any justice, so just go over to Notes From a Novice Primary Music Leader and check it out. If I was able to make the Child of God children, I think I can totally do this.

Sunday, February 24, 2013

What do YOU know about "My Heavenly Father Loves Me?"

(This image is from lovemom.com - apparently this is a pillow case that you can buy and it comes with crayons that you use to color it)
Originally, I wanted to write a post about how my 17 year old daughter DID NOT KNOW this song. It made me cry - and laugh at the same time - it was weird. She vaguely remembered the part about "the velvet rose", but that was it. Truly - a travesty.

(from wikipedia.com)
 But that's all I had at the time and I didn't feel that it warranted a post.

However, I also didn't even know the name of the song myself. That seems terribly strange as now, after February is almost over, I have said it, sang it, and written it so many times that it seems like I have always known this song is titled as it is. But truly, when I saw the song in the Sharing Time Outline, I had NO IDEA what song "My Heavenly Father Loves Me" was. I kept on thinking that it was the one IN the outline, but when I looked it up in the songbook, I was like: "Oh yeah!!! The one about birds and roses and that goes incredibly high at the end"

Speaking of going incredibly high at the end: Was that how you learned it? Well, believe it or not, that was NOT how it was originally written. That super high part was the optional part, but was misprinted in the Sing With Me (that fabulously orange and canvas covered book) as the melody and In the Leafy TreeTops has a fabulous post about it that everyone should read.

Did YOU know all these things? I am so very grateful for the internet and the fact that I can find out all these awesome things!!!!

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Missionary Game

And your next cut and paste idea is............................(drum roll please)........................ This super awesome missionary game from Susan Fitch Design.

I found this on Primary Notes 29 (I love finding other people's cut and paste ideas!!! Thanks so much!)

Susan Fitch Design has all of the parts in a zip file and you have to download each jpg. I have put each jpg in a word document and if you would like to have a copy of my word doc, just comment below. {Didn't ask the author yet, so I didn't feel it would be right to post a pdf of all of her jpgs} Keep in mind, this is all Susan's work - I just copied and pasted (LOVE that control-V action!!!!!)

If the Savior Stood Beside Me activity from the Friend

I was surfing around the lds.org website and found this great activity centered around "If the Savior Stood Beside Me"

So, five years ago, this song was learned in primary as well. I'll probably use this diorama if the fabulous ladies in the primary presidency don't have the same idea. I'm going to use this for the fourth week in March (and may bring a game, just in case someone does have the same idea)

Singing Clock

Oh where, oh where would we be without the Friend? I think I forget about it way too often. In the wake of new ideas and this rambling treasure trove of the internet, I become like a kid in a giant candy store with my eyes wide and not able to focus on anything for more than a minute. So slowing down for a second, here is a fabulous idea from the Friend - a resource that I need to keep going back to way more often than I do.
I found this awesome singing clock via the chorister group on facebook. From the Friend, of course. October 1983, idea by Pat Graham and illustrated by Beth Maryon 

Monday, February 18, 2013

Bubble Gum Ben (or Billy or Bob)

Found a great idea on the Facebook Choristers page:
Bubble Gum Ben (Or maybe Bob or Billy or Brad - I have a son named Benjamin who might get a bit possessive, so I'll probably have to change it). The above image is from livecrafteat.com and in the post, the author said if you emailed, she would send you a pdf of the tracings of her pieces. So lets hope I get the pdf!!! (I did use my yahoo address, so I am hoping beyond hope that it doesn't go to her junkmail)

UPDATE: Got my pdf just a few hours after I emailed her! Thanks so much Katie!!!!!

Sunday, February 10, 2013

Songs for posting for the Valentine's Activity

I had not originally thought that I would post the songs that I post, (how is that for confusing?) but then I decided: if I have to make this up in word, why don't I share it so others don't have to?
So here you go: All the words to all the songs that I have planned for my Valentine's Day mashup

Songs for Posting for Valentines Day by Laura Henckel

Saturday, February 9, 2013

This year's Valentine's Day Lesson

Today's post title is actually a misnomer: for I plan on this year's Valentine's lesson being the Valentine lesson for EVERY year! You know, because I am lazy like that. I garnered my ideas from Camille's Primary Ideas and Primary Notes 29 and have a complete post here.
Still haven't made my snack, but it seems easy, so hopefully I will follow through.
Happy Heart Day Singing!!!!

Wednesday, February 6, 2013

5th Sunday Ideas

I often browse through the oodles of primary blogs (see list at right) and think: "Oh, that's a great idea - I'll do that weeks and weeks from now" and for some reason I don't stop to think "And yes, I had better write that down or make a post or something so I won't forget it"

So I forget and then consequently spend unmentionable amounts of time looking for that idea again.

As a consequence, my posts won't be as chronological as I initially planned.

So today's cut and paste idea is:
The Every Last Lyric Game from Sunbeam Singing
found on google images

And no, I never have heard of this game, but it sounds like a super game for Senior Primary. In our branch, we plan on having a Singing Time Sharing Time (Singing time for the whole block), so I am trying to come up with ideas to fill up the whole time.


Apparently you write something down continuously until someone rolls doubles. So in this case, it would be writing down lyrics to songs you are reviewing.

Sunday, February 3, 2013

Songs for posting in February and Super Lame Giveaway

Like Camille from Camille's Primary Ideas, I post songs. I got the idea from her and I love it.

Each week, I have our opening song and birthday and welcome songs printed out on normal paper, put into page protector and put in a binder. I then hang said binder over the music stand and everyone is able to read the words to the songs.

Also like Camille, I have one birthday song sung for the whole month and one welcome song sung for the whole month (being a branch, there are weeks and sometime months that go by without need for a birthday or welcome song or either, so monthly rotation is the way to go for me).

Then I do have a different opening song for each week of the month. I try to plan to sing songs relating to the monthly theme and in doing so, I flip to the back of the Songbook and search under topics. (This can lead to very unknown songs, but I kind of like it.) February was "Creation" and these are the songs I found:
The World is So Big 235
All Things Bright and Beautiful 231
The World is So Lovely 233
God is Watching over All 229

I am not familiar with any of these songs - which means I have to practice a lot (and I completely forgot to do so yesterday because of my quandary and just bombed today's opening, but the singing time went SO VERY WELL!).
So I made sure that I had all of these songs for posting - as I knew most of them would be unfamiliar.



When looking up the words to post, I was looking for God is Watching over all, and even the church website did not post the words. My first thought was to type them up anyway, but I decided that if the church didn't, then I shouldn't either, so I found images via google to represent what I thought were the main words.
I had decided weeks ago that I would post them on the off chance that if any of you would like to sing this obscure song, you wouldn't have to find pictures

So here is where my Super Lame Giveaway comes in:
I accidentally printed off two copies of my songs for posting. I have an additional copy of all songs in the document except for "Choose the Right Way".
You can print the items in the document, or if you are the first person to comment and leave me your email, I will mail you mine that I accidentally printed. I didn't want to waste all that paper (10 pages) and ink by just recycling. So hopefully someone else will want them.

Yes, it is SUPER LAME, but at least someone might get some get some use out of them