The Singing Hospital

 

Introduction:  

It is that time of the year when primaries are getting ready for their programs.  Some primaries have already had their programs.  My ward's primary program is in November, thank goodness!  If it were up to me, I would be having the program in December.  I got called right before summer break.  Most families where I live go on vacation for every break throughout the year, including three day weekend, so they are missing each of those Sundays.  During the summer, our ward numbers go down by 3/4's.  School started up which was great because everyone was in town.  I tried to cram as many of the program songs down the kid's throats (figuratively, or course!).  I was able to teach the songs, but most of them are still not down pat.  Then we have had General Conference which led right into a two week Fall Break.  Then we will have Stake Conference.  I am picky about the children knowing the words to the songs and projecting their voices.  I do not feel that any of the songs are ready for the program.  I have had to take a step back and realize that the most important aspect of the calling is helping the children learn gospel truths and to love coming to primary.  I have no idea how the primary program will turn out, but it is what it is.  I need to have some fun or I will start getting grouchy and taking my calling too seriously.  

Since most of the primary will be gone on Sunday, I have decided to do the activity, Singing Hospital.  We won't be passing off any of the songs to earn an ice cream sundae party, but we will be working on getting the songs ready for the Singing Pass off Test which will earn the children an ice cream sundae party.

Singing Hospital Activity:

This is a simple and great way to review the songs.  The children do not want to send a song to the ER!  

I first ordered a cheap doctors coat costume and stethoscope off off of Amazon.  The last time I did this activity I was able to borrow an actual doctor's coat and stethoscope from a doctor in my ward.  If you know any doctors you might want to ask them.  

I printed off the title of each song that we are going to be singing in the program.  I only made them a little over 1/2" X 4-5" so the song titles can fit inside the hospital bed.  More on that below. 

(There will be two other songs in the program, but they will be sung by smaller groups.  The Sunbeams will be singing "Jesus Once was a Little Child" and the Senior Primary girls will be singing "I'm Learning the Ways of Jesus".)

I put each title in a little can.  I will pick one of the songs or have a child pick one of the songs out of the can.  We will then sing the song.  After the song is sung we will go over the medical song checkup list.  If the song that is sung does not pass the doctor checkup list then the song must go to the hospital.  If the song is put in the hospital then we try to help heal the song so that the song can be discharged from the hospital.  Example:  If the song did not pass the hearing test, then the children need to work on projecting their voices to help the song be discharged from the hospital.  

I have done this activity without the hospital poster.  I think the hospital part is fun, but if you do not have time then the activity will still work great!  Here are the PDF's that I tape on the board at the front of the primary.  It has each part of the medical checkup that the song needs to pass off in order to have a healthy diagnosis. 

Making the Hospital: 

Supplies Needed:

*Paper for printing

*Scissors

*Poster Board

*Glue or Tape

*Black marker

I pieced together the hospital in the picture at the beginning of this post.  I used a paper cutter and scissors to cut out the hospital. The pieces are not perfectly aligned, but it works for the activity!  I wanted to glue the pieces of the hospital together onto a poster board and then laminate the entire board, but for right now, I just taped it on.  I used a razor paper slicer to cut a space in the bed for the song to "lay" down.  You can use scissors if you do not have a razor cutter.  You can also tape the song onto the bed and not cut out a space in the bed to slip the song title.  I outlined the hospital with black permanent marker because the pictures are blurry.  Once I outlined the pictures, it no longer looked blurry.

Here is a video of the completed Singing Hospital and how the "song" lays in the hospital bed:

(I meant to say, "Doctor Checkup", not "checkoff"

There are two beds to lay the songs.  I tried to make it look like the viewer is looking through the window of the hospital.  Just go with it!  haha.   Here are the PDF pieces to the hospital:

  

I hope this activity is fun for your primary!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ykXT3isndhID1Ha_Lcx7MLqMizKospjn/preview?