Queen for a Day

For the month of May the primary counselor over music asked me to teach Teach Me to Walk in the Light (Children's Songbook p. 177) as one of the songs we will be singing for our Sacrament Meeting Presentation. I LOVE this song and I am thrilled to be teaching it! I have made the following into a flip chart:


I will print it in storybook form so two pages will show at a time. I’ll laminate the pages and then bind it all together on the left side.

I think this is a familiar song to the children and their teachers, so it’s just a matter of polishing it a bit through repetition. I will explain how the children sing the first verse, the teachers sing the second verse, and everyone sings the third verse together. Then I’ll use the flip chart I made to explain the words of the song. Then we will sing it all the way through once.

Since this Sunday is Mother's Day, we will then review the song by playing Queen for a Day. (See instructions below.) I will alternate the verses, having a child choose from my bag for the first verse, then only the children will sing. I’ll ask a teacher to choose something from the bag on the second verse, and then only teachers will sing. For the last verse I will have either a child or teacher choose from the bag, and everyone will sing it together. There will be 15 items in the bag, so each verse will be sung three times during the game.


Queen for a Day

Preparation

Gather the items listed and put them in a bag. (I use a big cloth laundry bag with a drawstring that my grandmother made for me when I was young. It’s what I keep all my Singing Time surprises in, so when they see me carrying it into Sacrament Meeting the kids get really excited!)

Ask a mom in your ward to be “Queen for a Day”. I am going to ask the Primary President to be our queen. You could also ask an elderly woman, but make sure she has a sense of humor!

Find a tiara for your queen. I found one at my local dollar store. You might also borrow one from a teen in your ward.

In the Primary room, decorate a chair like a throne. (I’ll throw a large pink tablecloth over the chair and attach a large pink bow around the back with a big bow. Maybe I’ll add some silk flowers.

How to Play

Explain to the children how our moms do so many things for us every day, and on Mother’s Day, she deserves to be a Queen for a Day!

Introduce the mom as the primary’s Queen for a Day, and thank her for participating. Escort her to the specially decorated “throne” and place a tiara on her head.

Tell the children that you have brought your mystery bag, and inside there are items that show all the ways our moms care for us. As we pull out each item we will honor our queen by placing it on her.

Call a child or teacher up to the front to choose an item from the bag. Don’t let them peek; just allow them to choose the first thing they feel.

Have the child/teacher place the item on the “queen” and explain how the item relates to moms, then sing accordingly:
• FRYING PAN-Moms cook and bake for us: sing like bacon- (sing staccato short and choppy, bob up and down on chairs as if they are a hot pan.
• BATH TOWEL-Mom’s do our laundry: do the twist while singing
• KEYS- Mom drives us wherever we need to go. Sometimes mom is in a hurry: Sing fast while driving
• BOOK-Mom reads us stories: sing through hand puppet
• JUMP ROPE- Moms tries to keep in shape: jogging or jumping invisible rope while singing
• POM-POMS- Mom goes to our games and cheers for us: clap hands to the beat
• COWBOY BOOT – Mom likes horses/helps on the farm: sing like a cowgirl/cowboy
• HEART PILLOW- Mom prays for us: sing reverently and softly with eyes closed
• SONG BOOK: Some moms play the piano, some don’t: sing without the piano
• BABY DOLL: Mom loves her children: sing like a baby
• CLOCK or WRISTWATCH- Mom stays up all night with sick children: Sing without blinking
• POWER DRILL-Mom helps solve problems and she can fix anything: pat head and rub tummy
• IPOD-Mom likes good music: sing with ears covered like headphones
• HANDKERCHIEF – Sometimes moms cry: cry sing
• SWIMMING GOGGLES- Mom takes us swimming: sing with nose plugged

Finish by thanking the “queen” for being a good sport, and remind the children to be extra good when they get home by being kind to their siblings, picking up after themselves, and helping dad do all the things mom would normally do, so she can truly be Queen for a Day.

Have fun!