As a Child of God: Ideas for Younger and Older Children

It is helpful to the children to teach one verse in at least three different ways for at least three different weeks.  Here are some ideas.

Younger Children

1. Melody Map -

What do you see? What do you notice? After receiving the children’s answers, tell them you will tap a child on the shoulder so that they can come up and put a picture of a child on the melody map as you sing. Sing as many times as needed and tap different children to put the pictures up on the map. Sing again and follow the melody line with your finger as you sing.

1. Egg Shakers –

Ask the children to follow your hands. Sing the song and do this pattern with a shaker. (The children don’t have an egg shaker yet.)Hand out the eggs and do the patterns again. As an extender activity, ask the children to hold their eggs so they don’t make any sound. Do the new pattern as you sing. 

1. Draw the Song for the Children –

As you sing, draw simple figures on a whiteboard or a chalkboard.  Here are some ideas. 

1. Action Word Actions –

Figure out simple actions for the following words, then do them with the children as you sing.  An extender activity would be to do the actions without singing (very strong for helping the children hear the words inside their head). 

Older Children

1. Melody Map -

What is the same? What is different? What do these posters have to do with this song? Sing the song and ask the children questions about the various symbols on the map. Have the children sing only the words with the symbols, then the next time, only the other words and NOT the symbol words. 

1. Egg Shakers –

Show the pattern to the children.  The pass around the back is challenging, then they shake on these specific words.  After you have done the pattern, ask them to list those words on the board.  An extender activity is with a partner. 

1. Action Instead –

Show (or make up) actions for each of these words. Sing the song, doing the actions. Tell the children that instead of singing these words, you will do an action instead and not sing the word. (You do sing all the other words.) (The ASL sign for Holy Ghost is what I use for that action.) An extender activity would be silent sing with those particular words, and sing all the rest. 

1. Hand bells – 

Make this chart to go with the song.  Explain the rules for the handbells, pass them out, and play the song.