PRIMARY MUSIC SINGING TIME ACTIVITIES to Motivate Children to Sing
LOAVES AND FISHES keyword choose-a-song
23 pages (color/black-and-white visuals and instructions)
DESCRIPTION: Help others pick primary songs or hymns using the keywords found on the loaves and the fishes. It’s great fun trying to think one up!
For example, children choose a Primary song or hymn to sing that matches the keyword found on one of the fish or loaves of bread. Tell of Jesus’ miracle, feeding the 5,000 with just five loaves of bread and two fishes (Matt. 15:32–38).
To Make: Print, color, and cut out the visuals. Laminate. Also laminate half a poster board. Then mount basket bottom on poster as follows. Use double-stick tape to mount edges and bottom of basket and handle. Cut along dotted line to create basket opening and leave basket open to insert fish and loaves. Use blank fish to write in any additional keywords you want.
Ahead of time, select songs children know that match subject of keywords, e.g., for “SMILE” sing “Smiles,” p. 267, or “I Am like a Star,” p. 163 in Children’s Songbook. Song titles and page numbers can be written on the back of loaves and fishes in case child can’t think of one. Songs can be easily printed from the Church website www.lds.org by locating: Music, Children’s Songbook, or Hymns, and “TOPIC”.
To Use:
Choose children one at a time to draw a fish or a bread loaf out of the basket and read the keyword aloud and call on or ask other children to name a song they wish to sing representing the keyword.
Note: The keyword does not have to be in the title. If the child wants to sing “I see my mother kneeling with our family each day,” for the keyword FAMILY, they can look in the Titles and First Lines Index of the Children’s Songbook. The words begin the song “Love Is Spoken Here” (p. 190).
