Independence Day!!!! (Song Review)

 

I figure if you are looking at my blog for Independence Day Singing Time ideas then you most likely have my viewpoint on celebrating fourth of July in primary.  If you want to skip my thoughts on the subject and get right into the activity then skip the introduction and go straight to the next section.  

INTRODUCTION:

I saw a post on the Facebook group page, Latter-Day Saint Primary Music Leaders.  The poster asked, "Do you think it is okay for the primary to say the Pledge of Allegiance to start out our Olympic (or 4th of July) activity?"  It shocked me how many people replied with comments, like, "Church is about Christ, not politics.)  How is saying the Pledge of Allegiance controversial?  Celebrating America's birth or gratitude for the USA coincides with the gospel of Jesus Christ.  It is because of the freedoms that were given to citizens when the country was founded that the gospel of Jesus Christ was able to be restored!  Prophets, past and present, have given talks on the United States of America, the Constitution, and the founding fathers.  I remember as a little girl President Benson's many talks on the United States of America.  Just last year there was a talk in sacrament meeting about freedom of religion in our country.  I also think about the 12th Article of Faith, which says, "We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law."  The most recent talks about the laws and the Constitution was given by President Oaks in General Conference.  Here are some quotes from that talk:

"The United States Constitution is unique because God revealed that He “established” it “for the rights and protection of all flesh” (Doctrine and Covenants 101:77; see also verse 80). That is why this constitution is of special concern for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints throughout the world."

"Without a Bill of Rights, America could not have served as the host nation for the Restoration of the gospel, which began just three decades later."

"Our belief in divine inspiration gives Latter-day Saints a unique responsibility to uphold and defend the United States Constitution and principles of constitutionalism wherever we live."

"I testify of the divinely inspired Constitution of the United States and pray that we who recognize the Divine Being who inspired it will always uphold and defend its great principles. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen."

I know that this talk by President Oaks was mainly about the Constitution and the rights of the people.  The talk shows how the USA Constitution was divine from God.  The Pledge of Allegiance is a way to express devotion and love to the founding of our country and our freedoms.  The Star Spangled Banner (the national anthem) is in our hymn books.  There are also other patriotic songs in the hymn book and children's songbook.  

In no way is it controversial to say the Pledge of Allegiance or sing patriotic songs in Sacrament Meeting, Primary, or any other church meeting.  We should recognize our blessings that we have because we live in the USA!  There are many hardships and controversies happening in the USA at this time.  However, the foundation of our country is divine and should be recognized.  Never, ever, should anyone ask the question if it is okay to do something patriotic in primary.  If someone has an issue with it then that is their problem.  There is nothing in the church that would be against something patriotic.  

With that said, here is the activity I did for Independence Day.  I just wish I had remembered to take pictures!

SUPPLIES NEEDED FOR INDEPENDENCE DAY SINGING ACTIVITY:

SUPPLIES NEEDED:

*Beach ball

*Squirt Gun (I think my husband got a little one at The Dollar Store)

*Party Poppers for the number of songs you want to sing

*Glow Sticks

*Small USA flags for each person in primary (There might be some at the Dollar Store.  I got the small flags from Walmart.  I am sure there is a store online that has them cheaper.)

*Some play musical instruments (Not actual instruments, but instruments like plastic kazoos or tambourines.)

*Poster Board

*Red marker (preferably a red permanent marker)

*White star stickers (I made the stickers with my cricut, but the stars do not have to be stickers.  They can also be made out of white paper.  The stars are going to be placed on the US flag.)

*Any red, white and blue decor you would like to put around the room

Links to Some 4th of July Supplies:

I bought items for this activity because I did not have the supplies around the house.  I also prepared it last minute, so I was scrounging for the items at local stores instead of ordering them on Amazon or somewhere I could find the items cheaper.  Here are the links to some of the items that I used for the 4th of July singing activity:

4th of July Beach Ball or 4th of July Beach Ball(I wanted a 4th of July beach ball, but I could not find one in any store.  You can order a 4th of July beach ball or buy a red or blue beach ball like I did at Walmart.)

Party Poppers (I used the red and blue party poppers in the package)

4th of July Glow Sticks 

kazoos  (I spent way too much on these kazoos.  At first I was thinking that every child in the primary would need a musical instrument when I first ordered them.  Then I decided that I was only going to have about 8-10 kids come up to play the musical instruments.  I got the rest of the play instruments from my mom who taught school for many, many years.  She gave me a container that had play cymbals, tambourines, drum sticks, and maracas in it.  You can ask a local preschool or grade school teacher, or ward members if they have some play instruments.  If you can't find any then get creative.  You can use Fourth of July paper plates as cymbals, toy blocks to make a beat, a few kazoos, a harmonica if you have one laying around, etc.)

PREPARATION:

1.  I drew a USA flag on a poster board.  I used a yard stick to make the red stripes straight and I measured the length between each red stripe.  I made stripes from the top to the bottom of the poster board.  Then I got an blue 8.5" x 11" cardstock paper and stuck it in the upper left-hand corner of the poster board.  I laminated the blue cardstock paper with my little laminator because I did not have time to go to a place like Office Max and get it laminated.  I am now going to laminate the entire thing so I can use it on future Independence Days.

2.  Type or write out each song on a strip of paper and then place them in the party poppers.  I had to look up how to get the strips of papers in the party poppers.  The YouTube video was not about how to place something in the party poppers, but it explained how to open the party poppers, which gave me the information I was looking for!  Here is the link to the YouTube video:

How to take apart Party Poppers

3.  Make a paper star.  I laminated my paper star.  It should be about the size of your hand.  It is to play find the star (like find the note).

4.  Make sure to put water in the squirt gun before Primary starts!

5.  Put everything you will be using for the activity in a box so that it is easier to carry into primary

6.  Set up everything before Primary starts including any decor you want to put around the room.  Put tin foil over the windows in the primary room so that when the lights are turned off for the glow stick song that it is dark.  Warn the primary pianist that the lights will be turned off so that she can be ready to turn her phone flashlight on.  I put my phone flashlight on also so that she had extra light to see the music.

CELEBRATING INDEPENDENCE DAY PRIMARY SINGING TIME ACTIVITY:

This singing time activity is actually pretty simple after you have all the supplies. Before the activity begins, tell the primary children that they can earn stars to put on the flag.  They can earn up to three stars.  One star for knowing the words, another star for singing at a good volume, and another star for being respectful.  The song with the beach ball is rowdy, so I gave them the star for respect even though it was rowdy.  

 1.  Pick a reverent child to come up and pop one of the party poppers.  Find the strip of paper with the song written on it.  Then do the corresponding 4th of July activity to go along with that song.  You may need to explain some of the activities so they get the correlation between 4th of July and the activity.

2.  After the song is done, put the amount of stars they have earned on the flag.

Here are the activities that I did to go along with each song.  You can assign each activity to the songs you are teaching in primary for the year.

*The Liahona:  TURN OFF THE LIGHTS!  Children lead with glow sticks that I put under their chair before primary started.  They loved the glow sticks and they got to keep them.

*Nephi's Courage:  Use the beach ball.  One side of the room throws it to the other side of the room, like beach volleyball.  I always give rules or expectations before an activity like this one.  I told the children that they are not allowed to spike the ball or throw it hard.  It has to be soft.  They did a great job!  

*Scripture Power:  Find the star.  This is played the same way "Find the Note" is played.  The children sing soft when the finder is far away from the star and sing louder the closer the finder is to the star.

*I Will Be What I Believe:  Use the squirt gun.  4th of July is extremely hot where I live so it is a must to include water activities on Independence Day.  Squirt the children singing the song well with the squirt bottle.  The kids love this too!

*I Know That My Savior Loves Me:  Use the little flags for the children to lead the music with you.  I had the little flags in Mason jars on the little table in the front of the room.  I did not want to stick the flags on the ground under the children's chairs before primary because I respect the flag and want the children to learn to respect the flag.  I put them in about 5 Mason jars so that some teachers could grab them and pass them out quickly.  After the song, I had the same people gather the flags and put them back into the jars.  This song is a reverent, smooth, beautiful song, so I chose this song for the children to lead the music with American flags.  I turned towards the white board so that the children could copy me leading the song.  Here is a picture:

*For three of the songs I had about 5-10 children come up to play instruments for the "4th of July parade."  You could even have the children that are playing the instruments march in place or march around the room.  I knew the children would love being picked to play in the marching band parade, so that is why I have three songs that include the instruments.  It is not a pretty sound, but the children have so much fun.  It is to celebrate our country, so it should be fun!  The songs that were chosen for the marching band were Dare to Do Right, Choose the Right Way, and I Will Be Valiant.  I gave the children a star for respect for these songs also, since obviously it is going to get loud and rowdy.

Here is a picture of the "4th of July Parade" instruments that I used:

My dad passed away in February of this year.  He was a drummer.  The drumsticks were the last drumsticks he used before he passed away.  I had the "drummers" in the parade use the floor to make the drum beats.  That way it was not so loud!  I had about three tambourines.  Again, you do not need to go out and buy play instruments to make a marching band!