I love bringing instruments into singing time! Jingle bells are an excellent choice because of how simple and fun they are to play! This month, I’ll be using this Choose the Right Jingle Bells activity to review Choose the Right.
**See all Choose the Right Singing Time Ideas!**
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Jingle bells can be excellent instruments to use any time of the year! Although many of us think of using jingle bells during Christmastime, why not use them the rest of the year?
Jingle bells can be a great way to keep little ones engaged in singing time. They can also be great tools for learning and practicing tricky rhythms.
If you have room in your primary budget for instruments, this set of 24 wrist band hand bells would be a great addition to your primary toolbox!
There are a few ways to play jingle bells. One way is to put the band around your wrist and shake your wrist to sounds the bells. You can also grasp the band with your hand and shake the bells. Either way, you’re in for some fun!
Choose the Right Jingle Bells
The idea for this activity is pretty simple. Jingle bells are so fun because they are very versatile and easy to play. For this activity, we’ll be trying out different rhythms with our jingle bells while we sing Choose the Right.
Start by reviewing a verse of Choose the Right (flip chart here). After your primary children feel confident in the words, pass out the bells. Choose a specific rhythm to play on your jingle bells and have some fun!
How many ways can you play jingle bells? I’ve made a list of my favorite ways to use jingle bells that you might consider using for this activity.
5 Ways to Use Jingle Bells in Singing Time
- Shake the bells to a steady beat – this can be done by finding the major beats of each phrase.
- Shake the bells on every word! If you have a fast song, this one can be really fun!
- Up & Down – For this one, alternate shaking the bells up high and down low. You could make cute signs for this or just point up and down when you want to switch.
- Signal Word – Choose a “signal word” from the song. This is usually a word that occurs often (Ex. the word “right” in Choose the Right). Every time you sing this word in the song, shake your bells.
- Group Bells – Have children choose a partner. Each partnership receives one wrist bell and takes turns shaking the bells. The primary chorister signals when to switch.
Feel free to get creative with this! Kids have the best imaginations, and they can probably give you lots of fun ideas for your jingle bells.
Activity Instructions:
- Start by briefly reviewing a verse and chorus of Choose the Right.
- Then, pass out the jingle bells and let the children explore the instruments for a minute or two.
- Try to develop a rhythm together before introducing the music. See if you can shake your bells at the same time.
- Start singing and shaking your bells to the beat of Choose the Right.
- Try shaking your bells every word of the song, or try another one of our fun ways to use jingle bells!
Extension Ideas:
- Have each group create their own jingle bells pattern. Have them perform their pattern in front of the class, and have the class try to guess what the pattern is!
- Choose a signal word. Instead of having the children play their bells on this word, have them hold their bells quiet every time they sing this word.
- Create a short bell pattern for children to follow. For example, you might have them shake their bells up high for the first two phrases, then shake them low for the next two.
- Have a “band” leader! Choose a child to come up to the front and instruct the children when to play their bells. Have them lead the verse!
Head over here for another fun singing time idea using Jingle Bells to teach The Holy Ghost.
Choose the Right Jingle Bells Printable Helps
To help you prep for this activity, I’ve created a simple 1-page guide that includes 5 fun ways to use jingle bells! This page can serve as a helpful guide if you run out of ideas during singing time! Simply print out this page and keep near you while you lead the song.
You’ll find additional extending helps including a printable lesson plan and jingle bell pattern cards in 3 sizes included in the INSTANT Primary Singing membership when Choose the Right is the featured song of the month.
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 a fun movement activity to review Choose the Right this month, check out this Choose the Right Lion & Mouse game!
