Fairy Tales and Nursery Rhymes

How to use music in the Nursery (video clip)

Nursery Music Quilt

I made "shakers" from baby food jar filled with macaroni noodles, popcorn, rice, etc and hot glued lids down. I play songs from the primary cd and we march and dance for a while.  I also sing chorus' to some of the primary songs with them. (Follow the Prophet, Nephi's Courage, Search, Ponder and Pray, songs like that) They catch on pretty quick. They also love the Hello song, Book of Mormon Stories, Popcorn, A Happy Family - those little quick ones are great. Even if they don't sing along, the songs become familiar and they start getting it.  Plus, those songs will be more familiar to them when they get into Primary.  Every Sunday before I leave we sing Jesus Wants Me For A Sunbeam. They are all getting to know that one pretty good now! (Idea by Heidi)

Music in Nursery by Kristen Hudson - great ideas on how to teach some songs
 

Music that coordinates with each lesson

Nursery CD - Did you know there is a Music CD that comes inside the Nursery Manual?  There are movement activities on there and more.  Our children eat it up.  It is very age appropriate.  We turn out the lights (calms them down) and tell them they have to listen very carefully to know what to do (they'll tell them to jump, clap, twirl, etc.)  Use it, it's great!

This is just an idea from something our nursery kids did in my old ward: The Primary President thought it would be a good idea for the nursery kids to get acquainted with the primary room. We had a window of 15 minutes between junior and senior sharing time when our primary room was empty. So the nursery leaders would walk the kiddies into our primary room and the chorister would do singing time with them. The nursery leaders liked this for a couple of reasons: First of all, it took up some walking the kids back and forth from nursery to primary:) And also, it gave the nursery kids a chance to practice walking reverently in the hallways. It really helped to prep them for coming into sunbeams. They were familiar with the primary room, knew how to get there, and knew how they were expected to behave in the hallways. The nursery kids loved the change of scene and and the "special trip" to the primary room. If your primary presidency has an open window where the primary room is empty, perhaps you could consider this to help change things up. (Idea by Becky Westerberg / ga02262007)

Old McDonald had a farm - (from www.wondertime.com) here are some cute visuals that could be used while singing this song (this is a pdf file and requires Adobe to view it)

Wiggle Worm Songs - Scroll down to the last file called "Wiggle Worms".  Click on pdf file and print.  It is a fun one!

One thing that has helped our kids calm down is singing. Not just an organized singing time but just spontaneous singing. We can have a couple of criers and start singing anything and they stop.  Another thing that our leader does during our playtime which is first is she walks around and randomly (and quietly) passes out animal crackers. This also distracts those who are missing their mom. As far as activities, we do dancing to music. Play a hand game. The had game is just following simple instructions with their hands. i.e. "open" "close" "touch your nose" etc. (Karen Gillmore)

Ring around the rosies

Reverence Song for Nursery

Shake your sillies out by Raffi
 

The music is in the bag

There was an old woman who swallowed a fly
 

Treasuring Singing

Wiggles

Yearly Music Schedule