Picture a Christmas

Music Source: LDS Children's Songbook - 50
https://www.lds.org/music/library/childrens-songbook/picture-a-christmas?lang=eng&_r=1

Disclaimer: I haven't had a chance to play this one with my primary yet.  I do proof each chart after I finish it, but sometimes errors do slip through.  There may be words or notes that are incorrect.  If you find an error, please let me know.

Pages: 6

Required Bells:

Sample:

Files:

Picture a Christmas

Once within a Lowly Stable

Music Source: Children's Songbook - 41
https://www.lds.org/music/library/childrens-songbook/once-within-a-lowly-stable?lang=eng&_r=1


Disclaimer: I haven't had a chance to play this one with my primary yet.  I do proof each chart after I finish it, but sometimes errors do slip through.  There may be words or notes that are incorrect.  If you find an error, please let me know.

Pages: 6

Required Bells:

Sample:

File:

Once within a Lowly Stable PDF

The Ninth Article of Faith

The Ninth Article of Faith

Versions (Scroll down for all versions):

Chart in F Major Major (Children's Songbook)

Chart in C Major (No Sharps)

Magic Cookie Program Review

Have you ever had magic cookie bars, hello dolly bars or seven layer bars?  They're all the same thing generally consisting of a graham cracker crust, chocolate chips (and sometimes other baking chips as well), shredded coconut and chopped nuts all drizzled with sweetened condensed milk and baked until they stick together in a bar cookie.

Last year I wanted to do a cookie review activity where the kids earned ingredients for cookies for every program song they passed off.  Originally I was thinking they would earn ingredients like flour, sugar, butter,... then I though that it would be even more fun if they could choose ingredients to make their own custom cookie.  Enter the magic cookies!  Okay, I grew up calling these cookies hello dolly bars, but I figured magic cookies would be more fun for primary.

A Child's Prayer

A Child's Prayer

Versions (Scroll down for all versions):

Chart in B-flat Major (Children's Songbook)

Chart in C Major (No Sharps)

Color-coded music for accompaniment

Music Source: LDS Children's Songbook - 12

https://www.lds.org/music/library/childrens-songbook/a-childs-prayer?lang=eng&_r=1

Families Can Be Together Forever

Song Title: Families Can Be Together Forever

Music Source: LDS Children's Songbook - 188
https://www.lds.org/music/library/childrens-songbook/families-can-be-together-forever?lang=eng&_r=1

Disclaimer: I haven't had a chance to play this one with my primary yet.  I do proof each chart after I finish it, but sometimes errors do slip through.  There may be words or notes that are incorrect.  If you find an error, please let me know.

Pages: 8

Required Bells:

Sample:

Files:

Families Can Be Together Forever PDF - Recommended
Families Can Be Together Forever PUB - Requires Publisher to open but allows you to edit


Simple Teaching Activity: Four Corners

This is a fast and easy way to teach a song that requires very little prep.  I use this when I need to teach a song fast.  The kids pick up the song quickly this way, and they enjoy it.

Print the phrases of the song on separate pieces of paper in large font.  You can put pictures on the paper too, but it's optional.  Place each paper on the wall in a different corner of the room.  Using Families Can Be Together Forever as an example:

• Corner 1 has a paper with the words "I have a family here on earth" printed on it.
• Corner 2 has "They are so good to me"
• Corner 3 has "I want to share my life with them"
• Corner 4 has "Through all eternity"

Have a teacher stand in each corner with the papers.

Tell the kids that you are going to count to 5 and you want them to run to one of the corners.  Everyone needs to be in a corner by 5.

Have the teachers in the corners teach their groups their phrase.  Sing the song with each group singing their phrase in turn.  Sing the song once or twice then have the kids find a new corner and do the process again.  Repeat until the kids have been to all the corners and know the whole song.

Repeat with other verses and the chorus.

Want more handbell tips as well as simple activities for teaching and review?  Look for them at the bottom of each post, or check out the complete list here.

Other ideas for teaching Families Can Be Together Forever
Camille's Primary Ideas
OCD Primary Chorister
OCD Primary Chorister 2
OCD Primary Chorister 3
Singing Magic
Sunbeam Singing

I also have a freezer meals blog! After my third child was born I felt like I spent all my time either cooking or cleaning the kitchen, so I started doing Once a Month Cooking.  I cook a lot of food every 1 to 3 months.  Then we eat the meals I made from the freezer in between.   It has made my life a lot easier, and I blog about it at A Very Large Bowl.  Check it out!

The Eighth Article of Faith

I never had a chance to try the Article of Faith handbell charts with my primary before being released, but I think they would be a great way to review.  The songs are short, so you could probably play several during one singing time.

Music Source: LDS Children's Songbook - 127
https://www.lds.org/music/library/childrens-songbook/the-eighth-article-of-faith?lang=eng&_r=1