If you are looking for a way to add some movement in singing time without increasing energy levels too much, this Liken the Scriptures Yoga Poses activity is a great fit!
You will likely find that many of your primary children are kinesthetic learners (more purposeful movement ideas), meaning that they learn by doing! Try these simple yoga poses for a fun way to incorporate some movement as you teach Liken the Scriptures in singing time!
Liken the Scriptures Yoga Poses
How to Play:
If you have a big primary group, you may want to consider an alternative room set up. One option is to stack all the chairs ahead of time and have the children sit on the floor with their teachers. Or, you can simply have the kids move their chairs to the side to make some room for singing time.
Before introducing any of the yoga poses, sing through Liken the Scriptures once. Feel free to grab a copy of our flip chart for this song if the lyrics are still a little shaky.
Has anyone ever tried yoga? Today we’re going to try some yoga poses while we sing our song. In this song, what did Nephi build? A boat! Let’s see if we can pretend to be boats.
Demonstrate the boat pose by sitting on the floor and raising your legs out straight while reaching your arms across to your legs. That’s pretty cool, right?
Nephi was brave, and you can be brave too! This next pose is called the “Warrior Pose.” Let’s all stand up! Step forward to lunge with one knee while keeping your back foot straight. Reach both arms up.
The triangle pose will probably be the trickiest one. For this pose, step forward with one foot again, this time keeping your front leg straight. Keep your back leg straight as well. Now, twist your body slightly so that your body is facing to the side while your legs face forward.
Then, reach one hand down to your front foot while your other hand reaches straight up. Switch and try it on the other side. Use this entire sequence for the line, “The Lord has a special message for me in ev’ry scripture story I read.”
Then, salute by standing straight and reaching your arms up. Now, sit criss-cross like you are reading the scriptures!
5 Yoga Poses:
Here’s a quick outline of all 5 yoga poses for the first verse and chorus of this song. Don’t worry too much if you don’t have the poses down perfectly – it’s all about trying something different and adding some movement.
- Boat Pose – Sit on the floor, then raise your legs out straight while leaning back slightly. Reach your arms straight to the sides. “I MAY NOT BE ASKED TO BUILD A GREAT, BIG SHIP OR SAIL MY FAM’LY ‘CROSS THE OCEAN BLUE.”
- Warrior I Pose – Stand up straight, then step forward with one foot and bend your knee. Keep your back foot straight. Reach arms up. “BUT IF I HAD THE FAITH AND COURAGE NEPHI DID, IMAGINE ALL THE GREAT THINGS I COULD GO AND DO.”
- Triangle Pose (Alternate Each Side) – Stand up straight, then step forward with one foot, keeping this foot straight. Keep your back foot straight. Twist your body so that your chest is adjacent to your feet. Then reach one arm down to your foot, while the other hand raises to the air. “THE LORD HAS A SPECIAL MESSAGE FOR ME / IN EVERY SCRIPTURE STORY I READ.”
- Salute Pose – Stand up straight, then reach your arms up high. “AND I CAN BECOME WHO I’M STRIVING TO BE.”
- Easy Pose – Sit cross-legged on the floor. Put your hands in a “prayer” position or on your knees. “WHEN I LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES TO ME.”
Extension Activities:
- Split into 5 groups – one for each yoga pose. Have each group spread out and practice their pose. Then, sing through the song and “popcorn sing” while each group does their pose.
- Choose a few brave helpers to come to the front and try each yoga pose. Then, pick some new volunteers to come up and try them.
- Scramble the yoga posters on the board ahead of time. Have the kids rearrange the posters so that the lyrics are in the correct order. Then try all the yoga poses in order!
For another fun similar activity, head over to see this Choose to Serve the Lord Yoga Poses singing time activity!
Liken the Scriptures Yoga Poses Printable Song Helps
This free in-post printable includes 5 yoga pose posters to pair with the first verse and chorus of this song.
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Head over to this Liken the Scriptures Sand Blocks activity next for 5 fun rhythm challenges to try along with this primary song!
What other fun ways will you use this yoga poses singing time activity in your Primary room?
