When I Am Baptized: I like to look for Rainbows – Ideas for Younger and Older Children

by | posted in: Activities for Older Children, Activities for Younger Children, Interaction, Lesson Plans, Movement, Teaching Principles, Visual | 26

Rainbow over grass field - I like to look for rainbows

Younger Primary

  1.  Paint the Rainbow with scarves
  2.  Put the Pictures in order
  3.  Story Song
  4.  Paper Plate pattern (see comments for a pattern on Facebook)
  5.  Egg Shaker pattern
  6. Follow the “treasure” map on the floor

Older Primary

  1. Story Song
  2. Envelope Game
  3. What Makes a Rainbow Activity
  4. Hand Bells Accompaniment
  5. Egg Shaker Pattern
  6. Follow the “treasure” map on the floor

Other Ideas

  1. ASL signs and Another version of ASL signs

26 Responses

  1. LeeAnn Quinlan
    | Reply

    There is not a link for the Paper Plate pattern. I love all of these suggestions. Thank you so much for sharing you talents and expertise.

  2. Cristi Thompson
    | Reply

    Do you list these activities in the order you would use them? In other words, what is the best way to begin/introduce the song?

    • Sharla Dance
      | Reply

      Good question… Singing is Re-producing something. A child needs to hear a song over and over again in an engaging way before they are ever asked to sing. Any of these activities would be a good introduction, but I often will do Song Story first and then move on to another activity. The next Sunday I usually do some kind of movement activity (I usually have to practice singing and moving at home). The Sunday after that I will do something else, each time allowing the children to be engaged with some sort of challenge appropriate to their age. I want them to to be involved and hearing the song at least a couple of Sundays before I ever asked them to sing, just so they can hear the song enough times to truly take it in.

      Hope this helps. Thank you for asking. I would love for you to keep asking about things!

  3. Cristi Thompson
    | Reply

    Thank you. I just bought your book and am excited to try this method. BTW, I’ve been in Primary many of my 65 years, still trying to get it right.

  4. Amber
    | Reply

    Dear Sharla,

    Thank you for all of these activities! I love your methods of teaching! This is helping me so much. I love my calling, but life is very busy for my right now and I’m having such a hard time coming up with activities. This lightens my burden a ton!

  5. Natalie
    | Reply

    Hi, Sharla

    Thank you for alway sharing your talents and ideas. I have a question that was not asked in your workshop I just viewed. I love your methods and try to incorporate them in my singing time as much as possible. I feel like I use all the different way of teaching the song in the 1st & 2nd verses of the song. If there is a 3rd verse, by the time I get to it, I have exhausted all my/your ideas. Do you suggest repeating some of the methods for different verses of the song? For example, use the same melody map? Or do you actually incorporate 12 different ways to teach the song if there is 3 verses? Thanks, I would appreciate your input.

    • Sharla Dance
      | Reply

      Dear Natalie, Yes, use methods again. Also, look at this list and see if there is anything you might could use. This particular list is for Older Children.
      Body Rhythm Patterns
      Egg Shaker Patterns
      Scrambled Beat Poster
      Paper Cup Patterns
      Rhythm band with egg cartons, jingle bells, and rhythm sticks
      Rhythm stick patterns
      Action Word Actions
      Story Song
      Wind wand patterns
      Crack the Code
      Fill in the Word Posters
      Hand Bells
      Envelope Game
      Eraser Pass
      Paper Plate Patterns
      Silent Video
      Melody Map
      Color Code
      Take it in, Take it out

      Thanks for asking, Sharla

  6. Tyffanie
    | Reply

    I’m so happy I found this sight. I’ve never been a music leader and I just got called to be the Stake Primary music leader! I’m in Puerto Rico and will not only do something I don’t have experience with, but in Spanish! I will be in Utah this summer. Will you be doing any workshops over the summer? What suggestions do you have for singing time when the Jr and Sr primary are together?

    • Sharla Dance
      | Reply

      Dear Tyffanie, Que te vaya bien con todo! I will not be doing a workshop over the summer, but there is a video of a workshop from January with this year’s songs that uses a lot of different ideas. If you combine ages, you have to do something to engage the older children and challenge them at the same time you are doing simplified things with the younger children. For instance, the younger children beat this rhythm and the older children figure out how to put the words to the same song in order. Please ask me specific questions and I would love to answer. Take care Sharla

  7. Sally
    | Reply

    Would you please let me know where you got the Light of the World video you used in the workshop (that was available for purchase) when you presented I”m Trying to Be Like Jesus?

  8. RaeLynn
    | Reply

    This is the best resource out there for Primary/Music teachers. Thank you so much for sharing all your knowledge and hard work with the rest of us. What a blessing!

  10. Kristine
    | Reply

    Ok, so I just did my first full on Sharla Dance method music time yesterday. I sat down stunned in both music times. The time zoomed by the children were engaged and I (who am in no way a singer) ended with one of my life’s bravest moments-in a song story. Wow! It was magical! Now I need to schedule the rest of the next three weeks from my song chart! We are a little behind in songs so I am teaching When I Am Baptized with Nephi’s Courage.

    A question about the scarves with the above youtube link-What is the story that goes with the scarf lesson. It looks like you drew a rainbow, a tree and a stream and the scarves told the story of the song. Will you share with me what “story” you told that went with the picture and the scarves.

    Thank you friend!
    Kristine

  11. MelAnie Jesse
    | Reply

    Thank you for providing such wonderful ideas and lessons for all of us so that we as chorister can help primary children all over the world learn beautiful gospel songs.
    I have a question that you might have the answer to. Have you heard the 3rd verse to When I am Baptised? I would like to teach this to the jr. primary to sing on their own. If you do have it would you be able to pass it along.
    Thanks
    MelAnie

    • Sharla Dance
      | Reply

      Hi MelAnie, I have not heard it! When you find it, pass it along!

  12. Lynn
    | Reply

    In this song, I am practicing for the program and getting the kids to emphasize certain words,and in the word “again” do you pronounce it when singing more like rain?

    • Sharla Dance
      | Reply

      When I pronounce words, I like to sing them pretty much like we say them so the words don’t call attention to themselves, and the message is clear.

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