Primary-ly Kindness

I've been doing the music in primary for just over a month now and....

I absolutely LOVE it!

The kids are funny, unassuming and honest.

 

I noticed a few things right away....

The kids noticed my lazy eyes. It's hard for them to tell who I'm looking and its been quite funny really. I had a very young child stand a foot from me and just stare at the eye that wasn't looking at them, trying desperately to figure it out. They meant absolutely no harm. It just made me smile. Always calling the kids by their names solves most of the issue.

 

The other thing was that the kids are loving, kind and accepting of each other MOST of the time...But sometimes through not understanding one another can show frustration or be unkind....

 

With most of them heading back to school I thought last Sunday was a perfect time to talk about differences and kindness.... 

 

I asked if any of them had ever been made fun of?  and how it mad them feel??I then showed them this picture (my entire life of photos is the definition of AWKWARD)

I told them a little bit about me...My twin sister and I were born early, my muscles don't work the same way theirs do (cp), spent my entire childhood in physical therapy to work on balance and walking, I spent most of Kindergarten and all of Grade 4 in casts and a wheelchair and rode a special bus to school....{And that was why my eyes didn't work together}

 

 I talked about how sad it made me feel when other kids made fun of me or were unkind. But that I always knew my Heavenly Father loved me. 

 

I then taught them (some already knew it) one of my favourite primary song.....

 

I'll Walk With You

 

If you don’t walk as most people do,
Some people walk away from you,
But I won’t! I won’t!
If you don’t talk as most people do,
Some people talk and laugh at you,
But I won’t! I won’t!
I’ll walk with you. I’ll talk with you.
That’s how I’ll show my love for you.
Jesus walked away from none.
He gave his love to ev’ryone.
So I will! I will!
Jesus blessed all he could see,
Then turned and said, “Come, follow me.”
And I will! I will!
I will! I will!
I’ll walk with you. I’ll talk with you.
That’s how I’ll show my love for you

 

 

 

You never know if the message really sinks in....but they were all singing and that's all I needed :)

 

A few other things I have found works well...

Instruments, they love to make noise. It works well on "Choose the Right" the can make noise every time they sing the phrase "choose the right" ....they actually project more.

 

Rainbow wands (totally stole the idea)....sitting still is hard, so when I found this idea, I thought it was perfect....Picture way toned down rhythmic gymnastics in primary....Works well for "When I Am Baptized", Although movements with the ribbons could be figured out for many different songs....Helps with rhythm and melody.

 

 

1. I like to look for rainbows (arch above head)

 whenever there is rain (squiggle ribbon down)
And ponder on the beauty of (wave beside head)

 an earth made clean again.(big circle in front of body)

2. I know when I am baptized (arch down at feet)

 my wrongs are washed away,(figure eights to each side)
And I can be forgiven (circle at feet)

 and improve myself each day.(slow squiggle up)

Chorus
I want my life to be as clean (figure eights in front)

 as earth right after rain.(big circle in fr5ont of body)
I want to be the best I can (shoot wand in air)

  and live with God again (circle above head)

 

Needs a little find tuning and we need to discuss proper use and when we are done , the wands go immediately under their chairs etc...But well worth the effort to make....

 

Dollarama is my knew best Friend!

 

Wood dowels (10 in a pack) the thinker the better ($1)

 

5 or 6 colours of ribbon (1-1 1/2 inch) ($2 each)

 

Stapler

 

Double-sided tape

 

 

-cut ribbon to two foot lengths

-staple together

-place a 2 inch strip at stapled top of ribbon bunch

-wrap ribbon sticky side in 2 or 3 thimes around dowel

 

I spent $13 and made 30 wands...but have enough ribbon to make 30-50 more.

 

Primary music is SO MUCH FUN!!!