Here’s another fun activity to teach this song as part of your New Testament LDS Primary Song this year. Try using this fun Behold the Great Redeemer Die First Letters activity. Each line of the song is represented with just the first letter of each word and broken down into sections. You can cut them into strips and rearrange and help get them back in the correct order.
Behold the Great Redeemer Die First Letters
How to Play:
Cut up the first letters row by row and scramble them up on the board.
Sing through Behold the Great Redeemer Die hymn (flipchart here) once before introducing this activity. You can focus on just a single verse or include any verses you are teaching.
Put the first letter strips up on the board in a random order. Ask the children what they think these set of sequence of letters might represent? If they guess correctly, you can move on to sing and have the children listen for which one would come first.
Let’s sing through the song and see if we can find any clues! Sing through the whole song, then if the kiddos need an extra clue, sing just the first line of the song. Find the correct first set of letters.
You are so good at this, let’s find the next one! Sing through the song and search for the second set of first letters to put in order.
Continue to work your way through the song until you have all of the letters in the correct order.
Add an action for the purple letters – which represent the Savior. You could make the ASL sign for Jesus, clap, pat, snap, dab, stomp, or whatever the kids might like to do.
Extension Activities:
- If you’re focusing on more than one verse, you might use the first letters as a full page for each verse and have the children help rearrange the posters into the correct order.
- Sing the first letter only for a fun challenge one time through! It’ll be fun and silly but also the kids will think through the words internally as they are singing.
- Flip over 1 or 2 sections of letters. Have the children sing only the flipped over letters part of the song!
For another great song with a similar activity, head over to this Stand for the Right First Letters lesson plan!
Behold the Great Redeemer Die First Letters Chart
Included in this post is the 1st verse first letter chart with specific colored first letters that represent the Savior.
You’ll find additional first letters for all the additional verses (2-6) and extra large size. These extended printables are included in your INSTANT Primary Singing membership when Behold the Great Redeemer Die is the featured song of the month.
Get more out of singing time with the INSTANT Primary Singing membership that includes printable lesson plans, tons of extended printables and an ad-free experience for each featured song of the month, or get immediate access to the entire song list for the year!
Learn more about INSTANT Primary Singing membership options here!
Have questions or need more help, see this FAQ page here.
For another really fun and engaging singing time using a different learning style, head over to see this Behold the Great Redeemer Die Draw the Shapes activity next!
What other fun ways could you extend or expand this first letters lesson plan?
