Today was the first Sunday after cleaning out the toy cabinet. I was very curious to see if the hour or two of work made any difference and I was pleased with the result. Play time was MUCH cleaner. The kids found the toys they do play with much easier and GONE were the cluttered mass of plastic knick knacks spewed across the floor. Woo-hoo! Clean up time was even more manageable.
So every Saturday night or Sunday morning I find myself writing out a list of songs to sing. I then use that list to put tape on the back of the laminated pictures I hang on the wall with sticky tack for the kids to pick off. I realized it would be much easier to simply write the songs down here for me to reference. If you have any songs you do that your kids like please let me know. I would love to try them out. I would really like to learn some more church oriented songs that are still active. Any ideas?
In no particular order:
Give Said the Little Stream
We Are a Happy Nursery (modified from We are a Happy Family)
Book of Mormon Stories
Rain is Falling
Do As I'm Doing
Popcorn Popping
If You Are Happy and You Know It
Once I Was A Baby (modified from Once There Was A Snowman)
Once There Was A Snowman
I'm All Made of Hinges
I Am Like A Star Shinning Brightly
If You're Very, Very Small
In The Pretty Tree Tops
If You Chance to Meet A Frown
Head Shoulders Knees and Toes
Father Abraham
The Primary Colors
Hmm, I know I left a few out but that's normal. There are now 14 kids in my nursery. I generally have 12 show up. Since every kid gets to pick a picture off the wall, we have a pretty long singing time. That's why really short little songs like If You're Very Very Small are helpful. Even though singing time lasts a while, the kids seem to get into the songs and enjoy themselves. I think it's one of the most fun parts of nursery to them. I do my best to have hand motions or so something the kids can hold during each song to keep them involved. More on that later.
10 comments:
My sunbeams like "The Wise man and the foolish man".
I'm glad you're back, by the way. I was wondering where you had gone! :)
In our ward the Primary music leader comes in during the last 15 minutes of the block and leads singing time with the nursery. New face, reason to pick up the toys, nursery leaders get a chance to collect their thoughts and organize the craft-of-the-day for parent pickup. Everyone wins. We had a bin of animal puppets and so Old MacDonald was in the rotation even though it's not a Primary song. Very popular.
My daughter learned "I Love to See The Temple" in nursery and they learned it all through actions. I'm sure you could create your own, but let me know and I can teach them to you.
Love your ideas!!! I'm in the nursery too!!!
can you give me your email, katy, so I can invite you to my blog?
I am a Child of God
Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam
are two really popular songs in our nursery. We also sing Old McDonald and The Wheels on the Bus (both with pictures for each animal/action), though they aren't actually church songs.
I like "The Chapel Doors" and "I'm so glad when Daddy/Mommy comes home"
Katie,
I have been asked to be the nursery leader at my church, and its is quite the challenge, first off we were not members when my kids were young so I dont know any of the nursery songs or primary songs, also my youngest is not 15 years old, I was wondering if you could recommend a website or a CD that I could get that would have some of the songs that you have listed on your blog....I currenly dont sing with my nursery kids, their previous leader did, I just dont have that talent so a CD would be great...any suggestions would be wonderful, also the lyrics to the songs, I have tried to google some on your list and no luck....Sincerely an eager but lost leader.
my husband and I were JUST called to nursery. We are at a loss on what to do during singing time. Thus far the kids are all on the younger side and the attention span is not really there. Last week it ended up he and I doing head shoulders/knees/and toes while they watched us for about 15 seconds and then walked away to do something else? I'm not even sure they can sing at this age??? we don't have kids (I'm on my way to my first) and are not sure what a young 2 year old is capable of...help?
Hi Lynne,
You could cut out a bunch of circles (keeping it simple, but you can always get more creative) with primary / kid songs on each circle. Tape 'em to the board / cupboard / wall (whatever's available) and have each kid (one song at a time) choose a song to sing / learn. Hope that helps. I'm still getting this nursery thing down, and I've been here for 6 months as a leader, and served as leader in other wards. Just haven't thought to be organized til recently. Love finding helpful sites, like this blog...or this site:
http://www.sugardoodle.net/Nursery%20Program/index.shtml
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