Pioneer Day

Sorry I didn't get a chance to post this before Pioneer day, but I'm posting it anyway just in case anyone wants to adapt it for another use.

Since so many people were in and out of town in July (including me!) and we had to prepare a song for Pioneer day, I decided to spend July just focusing on pioneer songs and activities. Our Primary program is not until November so I will have time to teach them the song for July later. So the last Sunday in July I just wanted to finish out the month with one last pioneer-focused activity.

I found a clipart picture of a campfire, printed out 4 copies, and glued one to each side of a box. Then I found several short stories about pioneer children and wrote them on pieces of construction paper. I also wrote a few pioneer songs and other fun wiggly songs on pieces of construction paper. I made a small covered wagon with oxen (found the pattern in an old Friend magazine). When the kids came in, I had set up the chairs in a circle with the "campfire" in the middle. I put the pieces of paper with the songs and stories face down in a line with the wagon at the beginning of the "trail."

I started by telling the kids that at the end of a long day of walking, the pioneers would sit around a campfire and tell stories, sing songs, read scriptures, and pray together. (They were all LOVING sitting in a circle!) I had them pass a beanbag around the circle while the pianist played Pioneer Children Sang as They Walked and when she stopped, the child who had the beanbag came up and moved the wagon to the first piece of paper. Then we would read the story (I brought simple props to go along with each story) or sing the song. The idea was that they would help the wagon move along the trail to the Salt Lake Valley.

I Spy

Update: I did this activity in my primary and it was really fun! I planned to repeat The Handcart Song, which we were practicing for Pioneer Day, over and over but it turns out they already knew the song (especially Sr. primary) and didn't need to sing it that many times so I just let the kids pick their favorite songs. Both Jr. and Sr. LOVED this activity. I highly recommend it. And it's so easy to prepare and carry out! For Sr. I made the changes more subtle than jr. I'll definitely do this again!

I just read about a cute activity on SugarDoodle (LOVE that website) that I definitely want to try! It was posted by Julie Summerhays:

"We played a version of "I Spy". I first had them look at me, my clothes, my hair, everything, then I dissappeared into the hall to put on or took off something that they would have to spy. I then came back in and we sang one of the songs and I picked someone to tell us what I had changed or what they could spy that was different. We were able to sing about 7 songs, so I brought 7 things to change. I took off the item every time, so it wasn't too confusing. We did a review of the program songs and it worked out so well - the children LOVED it. Here are some of the things I did: Change my shoes, put on a headband, put on a bracelet, put a sticker on my skirt that blended in with the pattern, changed one earing, put a barrett in my hair, put on or take off a necklace. For the senior, you could make it much more difficult."