Picking our Christmas Songs

This week in Singing Time, I will be presenting several different songs and asking the kids which ones they would like to sing in Sacrament. We'll go over

Picture A Christmas 50 - I am using this flip chart posted on Sugardoodle, Thanks Sister Duff!
We'll also go over When Joseph went to Bethlehem 38-39 and I'll be using this Flip chart (it took me forever to find it again to reference it!) Thank you Bridgette!

So, I'll present those two songs and review Samuel Tells of the Baby Jesus 36 (thanks again, to Sunbeam Singing) and ask each child (yes, each one - last week we had a total of 8 children for the ENTIRE primary that attended, but I am hoping for more this week) which one they would prefer.

I am also presenting
Christmas Bells are ringing 54 and using this flip chart.(Thank you, Brother Mortensen) Because, as noted in other blogs, this one is so easy. It has 17 words. So I think we can get that one down without a problem.

Stars were gleaming 37  is our opening song, and if I feel that they are familiar with it and enjoy that one, we may sing it during sacrament as well. That is exactly why I picked it.

December Singing Time Schedule

I have spent the majority of today on Singing Time. I will be gone the 4th and most likely 5th Sunday, so I have been working hard at getting those things ready so I can hand the binder over on the 16th and say "Here, have fun while I'm gone"

Here is my song schedule for December - I have completely stolen the format from Camille over at Camille's Primary Ideas. Thank you so much Camille! But I did have to alter some of the songs:

Singing Time Schedule

December 2012

December 2nd:

Reverence song:  Stars Were Gleaming p. 37

Birthday song:  Have a Very Happy Birthday! (1st verse) p. 284

Welcome song:  We Welcome You p. 256

Singing Time:  Christmas Bells p.54 When Joseph went to Bethlehem p. 38 Picture a Christmas p. 50

December 9th:

Reverence song:  Away in a Manger p. 42

Birthday song:  Have a Very Happy Birthday! (1st verse) p. 284

Welcome song:  We Welcome You p. 256

Singing Time:  practice sacrament songs

December 16^th: SING IN SACRAMENT MEETING

Reverence song:  Picture a Christmas p. 50

Birthday song:  Have a Very Happy Birthday! (1st verse) p. 284

Welcome song:  We Welcome You p. 256

Singing Time:  Christmas "Singo" - like Bingo but with a Primary-Christmas twist                                              Picture a Christmas p. 50

                           Away in a Manger p. 42

                           When Joseph went to Bethlehem p. 38

                           Oh, Hush Thee My Baby p. 48

                           Christmas Bells are Ringing p. 54

                           Once Within a Lowly Stable p. 41

                           The Nativity Song p. 52

                           Sleep Little Jesus p. 47

                           Stars Were Gleaming p. 37

                           Who Is The Child p. 46

                              Samuel Tells of the Baby Jesus p. 36

                              With Wondering Awe Hymns, 210

                              Mary’s Lullaby p. 44

                              Joy to the World, Hymns 201

                             Hark, The Herald Angels Sing, Hymns 209

December 23^rd:

Reverence song:  When Joseph went to Bethlehem p. 38

Birthday song:  Have a Very Happy Birthday! (1st verse)  p. 284

Welcome song:  We Welcome You P. 256

Singing Time: Christmas Story (just like the Thanksgiving Story over at Camille's Primary Ideas - I have already made the story in Word and will post some of the pictures I used later)

Mary’s Lullaby p. 44-45

When Joseph went to Bethlehem p. 38

Once within a Lowly Stable, 41

Away in a Manger, 42-43

The Nativity Song , 52-53 (v. 4)

Stars were Gleaming, 37

With Wondering Awe, Hymns 210 (v. 1)

Joy to the world, Hymns 201

December 30th:

Reverence song:  Beautiful Savior p. 62

Birthday song:  Have a Very Happy Birthday! (1st verse)  p. 284

Welcome song:  We Welcome You P. 256

Singing Time:  Un-Decorate the Christmas Tree (Put Christmas Tree on Board and have children pick an ornament to take off and then sing song on back of ornament)

                        

                                Joy to the world, Hymns 201

            Away in a Manger p. 42-43

            Stars were Gleaming p. 37

            Christmas Bells p.54

Samuel Tells of the Baby Jesus p. 36

                        Jesus wants Me for a Sunbeam p. 60

                        I am a Child of God p. 2

                        I Belong to the Church p.77

                        Follow the Prophet p. 110

                        Popcorn Popping p. 242

                       I included some non-Christmas songs simply to mix it up and I am also thinking of including some secular songs such as jingle bells and we wish you a merry Christmas, but I am not positive on the protocol for such things, so I will ask first

December Singing Time

A new month is about to dawn and I am really excited about doing Christmas songs. I've found some new sites today and plan on using some of them so here it goes:
Sunbeam Singing created some trees and decorations so you can create a game or review a song as needed
Pattie's Primary place has a bunch of ideas on how to prepare a song for singing in Sacrament Meeting closer to Christmas. I really need to focus on this as I will be out on that Sunday before Christmas, so we may go ahead and do it earlier
Singing a Song is Fun to Do has bell instructions. Even though we don't have bells, I have been meaning to talk to our primary president about it and see if we can purchase such things. The bell charts she made seem very easy for the kids to follow, so I definitely will be checking that again.
Primarily Singing talked about reviewing Away in a Manger. She also referenced using an idea found on sugardoodle which goes like this:Shake,Rattle, and Roll game by Amanda Perkins-The kids went crazy over this game. I got it off of "Win it in a Minute" and used it to go over The Nativity Song for Christmas. I had 18 bells in a tissue box with a ribbon attached for a belt. I tied the box to a kids back and they had to try and shake all the bells out of the box. First we sang a verse without the game, and I picked a child that was singing loud. They wanted to try it so bad, that they sang so well, and it was hilarious watching the kids dance, shake and jump to remove all the bells. You could use golf balls, at another time of the year, and try attaching songs on each ball. I will definitely be using this game again!
She also talked about using this idea from Beehive Messages using mittens, which seems totally awesome. I may have to buy some knit gloves, though.

 Today's adventure with Samuel Tells of Baby Jesus didn't go as well as I expected with Jr.

I should have probably just used a flip chart like this one from Sugardoodle. I only had 4 (in each singing time, actually) and they just kind of watched me sing - badly - as I did not learn the song myself. I've even read about learning the song inside and out before presenting and I just didn't for some reason. I guess I thought I could wing it, but I could not.
Sr. went much better (as I had actually sung the song a couple of times) and we only got through verse one. I might do verse 2 next week with them and start on our Christmas line up

 

Posting Songs

Camille over at Camille's Primary Singing Ideas posted several posts on staying organized. One of those posts involved posting songs. This is where she types up the words to a song and puts them in a binder and drapes the binder over the music stand so that everyone in the primary room can read the song.
This is a fabulous idea, and the teachers really like it. And it is not that hard, since the LDS website has actually posted all the words to the songs and all I have to do is copy and paste. Tonight I'll be working on the aforementioned Samuel Tells of the Baby Jesus and will first type up the words so I can post them.
Love, LOVE these blogs!!!!!!!

Addition: Here is the site for the words to the songs in the Hymn Book

More Singing Time Stuff

How I love blogland. The other sisters in primary think that I'm doing great, but really, all it is is borrowing all these fabulous ideas from the net. AND all those handy dandy comments led me to another blog!!!!! How exciting!
http://sunbeamsinging.wordpress.com/ has just given me next week's singing time where we will be doing Samuel Tells of the Baby Jesus.
Primary Singing Ideas for Leaders blog recently posted some very pretty schedules for 2013 and I think I will use schedule 3.
I used Camille's idea for a Thanksgiving story for singing time today and it was a HUGE success. Even better than the fall leaves, which surprised me.
I am thinking of using the idea for Our Christmas Story Tree eventually, but I'm not sure if I'll get around to collecting all those items.
Whatever the case, thank you, blogging singing time ladies! You make my life so much easier!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am now Primary song leader

And I need to bookmark really useful engines sites (sorry, Benjamin rubs off on me)
http://camillesprimaryideas.blogspot.com/ I may never have to plan a month's worth of songs again
http://iheartprimarymusic.blogspot.com/ this site listed a BUNCH of sites (but without links, so copying and pasting is required, but worth it), because I found this site
http://afprimarysingingtime.blogspot.com/ which has provided me with tomorrow's singing time in which we will do Life is O'verflowing With Beautiful Things a song highlighted in the July 2009 Friend
YAY for mormon mommy blogs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That have to do with singing time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!