I’ve been having so much fun with the Baptism song! Make sure you pop over to see all the different activities we’ll be using for learning this song. Today’s activity is a fun drumming the beat pattern for Baptism!
** See 20 Baptism Song Singing Time Ideas here **
Baptism Drumming the Beat
How to Use this Drumming the Beat activity:
Start with singing through the song 1-2 times, and then introduce the activity.
You can have the children just watch the first time through the activity with you demonstrating the pattern. Ask what they noticed. What is the pattern?
Let them practice by singing (without piano) the first few lines of the song. Do they have it? Let’s try it with the music!
Sing through the song with the drumming pattern.
Ask if anyone knows it and wants to come up front to help you lead. I let anyone who wants to come up, join me up front. Usually that’s about 80% of the kids! If you have a huge Primary, ask half the room or one class who wants to come up to help you lead, and rotate through the different groups taking turns.
Possible “Drums”:
- The children’s laps
- Hymn books (or other hard cover books)
- Stand behind the chairs and drum along the top edge of the metal chair back
- Drum on the floor
Extension Ideas:
- Pull out hymn books to use as your drums, instead of their laps. Demonstrate the activity with one child. Then split off and each of you teach another person. Keep splitting off until everyone in the room is participating. This will work best with older kids.
- Ask the kids to help come up with alternate patterns to drum the way through the song. What patterns can they come up with?
- Turn it into a “team” drumming experience. Have the children pat their partners hymn book to the right and then to the left all together for the two slow beats. The for fast drumming are right in front of them, then quickly one to the right, then one to the left. Repeat! You’ll want to have hymn books or have the children stand up behind their chairs so there isn’t any personal touching or boundaries crossed.
Beat Pattern for Baptism Drumming
Baptism Drumming Pattern:
- 4 fast taps of drum/lap
- 2 slow taps
- Repeat
Following the Music:
- 4 fast – Jesus
- 2 slow – came
- 4 fast – to John
- 2 slow – the Bap-
- 4 fast – tist
- 2 slow – in Ju-
- 4 fast – dea
- 2 slow – long a-
- 4 fast – go
For another fun experience making music together in Primary, see this clever My Heavenly Father Loves Me recorder sheet music!
Baptism Drumming Pattern in Action
Keep in mind, when watching this video, that we sing this song faster than LDS.org’s speed. I prefer the song to not be so slow and drawn out. 🙂
If you run in to any problems loading the video for the Drumming the Beat pattern, just head to my Primary Singing YouTube playlist to find that lesson!
Want a printable lesson plan for this activity? Join INSTANT Primary Singing! It includes printable 1-page lesson plans for each of the monthly singing time ideas!
Next, head over to these other fun Baptism Song activities:
