I am thrilled to share this fun Families Can Be Together Forever Ribbon Wands primary activity with you! I am so glad we are teaching Families Can Be Together Forever in primary. This song has always been a favorite hymn of mine, so I’m excited to teach it to my primary kiddos.
This movement activity is a great way to get children engaged in singing time! With just 4 simple actions, your primary children will love trying this ribbon wand pattern as they sing this sweet song about families!
*See all Families Can Be Together Forever Singing Time Ideas*
*This post contains affiliate links*
There are a lot of options when it comes to purchasing ribbon wands for primary. I have seen lots of cute DIY ribbon wands from other singing time choristers. I have also been told how awesome this 40 piece ribbon wand set from Amazon is!
I have loved my set of Orzizro ribbon wands from Amazon. These ribbon wands are pretty long, but they have been perfect for my small primary! I love that these ribbon wands have handles, making them easier to grip for my Sunbeams!
For this activity, you’ll just need enough ribbon wands for each child to have one. If you have a larger primary, you could also have children get in pairs and share one ribbon wand. Whichever ribbon wands you choose to use will be great for this activity!
Before we jump right in to the activity, I want to remind you that we always have these cute ribbon wand action cards in our digital store. These cards have been an absolute lifesaver for those busy weeks.
This set come with 32 different action cards that can be used with any primary song! I like to just have the kids pick a few cards and post them on the board. Then, we create the shapes as we sing! Grab your set and you’ll always have a singing time idea on hand!
Families Can Be Together Forever Ribbon Wands
My primary kids have really enjoyed using ribbon wands the past year. Every time I bring out the colorful ribbon wands, I immediately have everyone’s attention. My Junior primary children especially love picking shapes to create with their ribbon wands!
For this activity, I wanted to keep things pretty simple. I chose 4 simple actions and arranged them to create a pattern for the verse and chorus of the song! This pattern was made specifically for the first verse of the song, but can definitely work for the second as well!
4 Ribbon Wands Actions:
- Circle: What better way to represent the eternal nature of families than with a circle? For this action, use your ribbon wand to create a large circle shape in front of you.
*In the pattern, this action is the first shape you’ll create while singing the verse. The circle comes back at the beginning of the chorus, and then on the first time you sing “And the Lord has shown me how I can.”
- Back and Forth “U”: For this shape, you’ll be making a large “U” shape or upside down rainbow with your ribbon wand. Start with your wand up high on the left side of your body, then swoop it down low and back up to the right side.
*In the pattern, this action comes up in the verse when you sing “They are so good to me.” It them returns in the chorus twice, on the phrase, “Through Heavenly Father’s plan,” then again on the repeat of “And the Lord has shown me how I can.”
- Heart: A heart, of course! I love bringing this action in because it’s a good reminder to the children that we should strive to love our family members. Make a large heart in the air!
*I used this action twice in the pattern, once in the verse and once in the chorus. In the verse, this shape comes up when you sing “I want to share my life with them.” It comes up again in the chorus when you sing “I always want to be with my own family.”
- Star: The last shape in this pattern is maybe the most challenging. When I tried to make a star shape with my ribbon wand, it wasn’t as easy as I thought it would be! This one is a fun challenge!
*The star shape only comes up once in the pattern. When you sing, “Through all eternity” in the verse, make your star as fast as you can!
How to Play:
- At the beginning of primary, review the first two verses of (Families Can Be Together Forever (lyrics here!)
- Pass out ribbon wands and introduce the activity by creating some shapes together.
- Then, demonstrate the ribbon want pattern and allow the children to try them out. You can draw out the pattern or post the printable below.
- Add in the music! Sing Families Can Be Together while using the ribbon wand pattern.
- Keep practicing and using the pattern! For some extra fun, see if the kids can add in their own actions to the pattern!
Extension Ideas:
- Divide the class into two groups. Have one group do the first half of the actions, and the other group sing the second half while doing the actions.
- Split the class into two sides. Assign half of the actions to one side, while the other side takes the rest of the actions.
- Do an action swap! Switch two of the actions in the pattern and see if the kids can follow the new pattern!
- Play Follow the Leader! Have one child stand in the front and lead the ribbon wand pattern! Take turns being the leader.
For another fun ribbon wand activity, try this Love One Another Ribbon Wands review activity!
Families Can Be Together Forever Ribbon Wands Demo Video
I created this short demo video to give you an idea of what the ribbon wand pattern for this song looks like in action! In this video, I demonstrate each of the 4 actions in the pattern, and sing through the entire first verse with the actions. Enjoy!
Check out this video on the Primary Singing YouTube channel here!
Families Can Be Together Forever Ribbon Wands Printable Lesson Plan & Pattern
Use this printable pattern sheet to help you as you prepare for this fun ribbon wand activity! It’s just 2 easy to print pages to use as reference sheets!
You’ll find a bonus large pattern posters and black and white printable option included in the extended printables in your INSTANT Primary Singing Membership when Families Can Be Together Forever 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!
For more information on why I use a content lock or how to create your account, you can see the FAQ page here.
Try this fun Families Can Be Together Forever Egg Shakers activity next!
How did your primary children enjoy this fun Families Can Be Together Ribbon Wands activity?
