Young children love music! Music is instrumental in all areas of a child’s development. The purpose of the music award to spend time playing with music and rhythm. This award is full of fun activities your Little Lambs will enjoy.
Story: Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin
Zin! Zin! Zin! a Violin by Lloyd Moss is a great introduction to the instruments in a chamber orchestra. Lloyd Moss used rhyming text to describe each instrument as he counts them to ten. Marjorie Priceman’s whimsical paintings are fun to look at while listening to the text.
Craft: Maracas
Supplies:
- Empty & dry water bottles
- Dried Beans
- Optional label
In past years, I have purchased mini water bottles for this craft. They’re a bit flimsy, but they work fine. This year, I purchased 8 oz bottles. They are much sturdier, and I like the square shape. The ones I bought are not currently available, but I think these are very similar.
I printed the labels (on higher-quality copy paper so I could print in high quality) and then I laminated the front of the page. I wanted the extra protection of the lamination, but also needed the paper to be flexible to go around the bottle. I cut the labels and taped them to the bottles before our meeting. The labels are in the free pdf at the end of this post.
The Little Lambs will put either beans or rice in their bottle. Paper funnels will make the filling less messy. I encourage the kids to make one maraca with rice and one with beans so they can hear two different tones. But, some kids will mix everything together, and that’s just fine too! The teacher or the parents can glue the lids on as they close them. I put superglue on the bottle rim. I have used hot glue in the past. So far, I haven’t had a kid remove a glued-on lid. (However, I think it’s possible that a motivated child could..)
Play: See Me Move
This activity is in the Little Lamb Leader’s Guide. You will need a drum or other percussion instrument. Play a slow beat and have the kids jump in time to the beat. Increase the speed. Once they have that down, you can add in new elements such as waving play scarves in the air. For more ideas, check the Leader’s Guide.
Activity: Hand Clap
We played Double, Double which is the game the Leader’s Guide recommends. This video will teach you how to play.
Action: Cooperative Musical Circles
Cooperative Musical Circles is like musical chairs without the chairs and everyone wins!
While the music plays, kids and adults walk around the outside of the circles. When it stops, everyone finds a circle and jumps in! Remove a circle each round. Once there aren’t enough circles for everyone, you’ll want to share your circle.
Closing Circle Time
Story: My Family Plays Music
My Family Plays Music by Judy Cox is written from the point of view of a young girl in a very musical family. She introduces us to many types of music from bluegrass and big band to a pipe organ in a cathedral. Although the focus is music, it’s also all about family. Our main character introduces us to each member of her family and their style of music as she plays a (different) percussion instrument with each of them.
Song: Jesus Loves Me
Jesus Loves Me feels like the best song to sing with preschoolers!
Closing Prayer
Extra Time: Free Play with Instruments
If you have children’s instruments, the kids will love the opportunity to play with them. I have a collection of rhythm instruments we’ve collected over the years of sharing the house with kids! If I didn’t have a ready supply to borrow from, I’d check with the Sabbath School teachers. Beginners and Kindergarten often have a few and might be willing to share with you if you ask really nicely.
Reminder
I chose these activities to fit my club’s meeting length and needs. Your club is different than mine! I have more activities here than are required to complete the award. If you have less time, prioritize a book, a hand clap/rhythm game, a craft, and play an action game to music. Add more activities in to fit your time constraints. If you have extra time, you could repeat a fun activity or add in other music-related activities. Pinterest is a great resource for activities and book suggestions.
What music-related craft do you like to create with your little lambs? Please tell me about it in the comments!
If you use these ideas, could you do me a favor and come back and comment about how they worked for your club? I’d love to hear about your experience.