Do you ever teach any of the hymns? You can easily teach one of the years with this Behold the Great Redeemer Die Draw the Shapes activity as a fun way to sing through your verse of choice with lots of repetition and adding movement that will help keep the kids focused!
This song is only featured in the 2023 New Testament Primary Songs list, so it’s a good one to teach if you feel prompted to do so as it won’t come up again for 4 more years!
Behold the Great Redeemer Die Draw the Shapes
How to Play:
Sing through Behold the Great Redeemer Die hymn (flip chart here) once, before introducing this activity.
Tell the children you’re hoping they can help you lead the music, but with some fun shapes as the pattern! Can you draw in the air with me? Tell them they need to keep their shapes only as big as the space in front of them, so their neighbors have enough room to draw, too.
Let’s practice sizing. Should I make it THIS BIG (Draw a circle that stretches as wide as you can reach!). How about THIS SMALL (Make a teeny-tiny circle that you can barely recognize as a shape). Show me what size circle you would make.
Let’s add it to the song! Can you start with the circles? We are going to draw circles when we sing the line that repeats – watch me so you’re ready!
Sing through the song and draw circles on the repeating lines of the song. Pause after the first line (the 3rd line of the song) and say, let’s switch directions, can you draw the other way next? Finish singing through the song.
You guys did so good – let’s add our other shapes! Put the poster of the different shape patterns up on the board. We’ll draw each one during one line of the song. You can watch me to know just when to switch!
Sing the song again and tell them to pretend they are up front leading the music!
Draw the Shapes Shapes Patterns:
- Repeating Triangle – Draw the three sides of a triangle with one side per word or note and continue to trace the triangle through the 1st line of the song.
- Downward Slashes – Start at the top right and slash downward to the center point. Then start at the top left and slash downward again to the center point. Repeat through the 2nd line.
- Circle Clockwise – Trace a circle in the air following the way the clock spins through the 3rd line of the song.
- Circle Counter Clock – Switch directions and trace your circle now spinning in the opposite direction. Keep tracing a circle through the 4th line of the song, the repeating phrase.
- Squiggle Line – Make short loops up and down like hills and valleys through the last line of the song while you sing.
Extension Activities:
- Invite the children to spread out all around the room and sing once drawing the shapes as big as they can! Then, have the children sit back down in their seat and draw the shapes as small as possible on the palm of their hand.
- Try switching the order of the actions. Which one should we do first? Then next?
- Can you draw FAST! How about super slow? Try to keep the singing speed the same.
For another fun similar activity, head over to see this I Am a Child of God Finger Lights lesson plan and activity!
Behold the Great Redeemer Die Printable Draw the Shapes Pattern Chart
Here in this post you’ll find a free 1-page printable guide with the 5 different shapes to draw in the air. You won’t need to use any printables if you don’t want to, but it can be a helpful tool for some learners in your Primary room to have something to reference!
Members of the INSTANT Primary Singing monthly packet will find extended printables included when Behold the Great Redeemer Die is the featured song of the month. That includes a printable lesson plan and full page shape actions for all 5 actions that can be repurposed for other songs or played in a unique order with the extension ideas!
To access the free in-post printables for this post, you’ll just need to create a free account or login with the Grow.me tool. Then, confirm by email and refresh the page and ALL my free printables will automatically unlock in every post!
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For another engaging lesson plan, head over to see this fun Behold the Great Redeemer Die Song Trivia game!
What other fun ways could you extend this draw the shapes activity? I can’t wait to hear how this activity went with your Primary children!
