What better way to teach a song about loving and including others than by doing something together? Grab a partner and try this fun I’ll Walk With You Rhythm Partners people interactions activity!
I’ll Walk With You Rhythm Partners
This rhythm partners activity is meant to be a fun way to add some movement into your singing time by having children work together to master a rhythm pattern while you review I’ll Walk With You!
Sing through I’ll Walk With You once, then have the kids choose a partner. Make sure everyone has a partner before you start.
Choose someone to come to the front and demonstrate the pattern with you. If you want to do some prep ahead of time, you could teach the pattern to one of the teachers before primary and have them demonstrate it with you.
Before demonstrating the full pattern, show the pattern key included on the first page of the printable. Demonstrate each action and show them which symbol matches each action.
Have the kids try the pattern without the music. Start SLOWWLY with the first page, then move on to the second. You’ll notice that the second page is the same as the fourth page. You could draw an arrow from page 3 back to page 4 if that helps the kids know where to go next in the pattern.
Once the kids are familiar with the pattern, see if they can keep the pattern while singing!
Start with the first two pages. Repeat those pages a few times. Then, try page 3-4 a few times. When you’re ready, put the whole song together! Sing through the song a few more times with the pattern.
If the kids aren’t ready to try the entire pattern, that’s okay! You can even start with one or two of the actions and add the rest in later!
I’ll Walk With You Rhythm Partners Pattern:
This rhythm partners pattern includes just 4 different actions to do with a partner. This pattern uses 2 solo actions and 2 partner actions. These actions can be adapted if you want to do the entire pattern solo.
I’ve created a printable pattern to use during primary. I’ll go over the full pattern below, but be sure to grab the printable and watch the demo video included later in this post!
- March in Place
- Double High Five
- Pat Your Knees
- Single High Five
Page 1: REPEAT 2X
“If you don’t walk as most people do ” – MARCH, DOUBLE HIGH FIVE X2
“Some people walk away from you” – MARCH, DOUBLE HIGH FIVE X2
“But I won’t” – PAT, SINGLE HIGH FIVE
“I won’t” – PAT, SINGLE HIGH FIVE
Page 3: REPEAT 2X
“Jesus walked” – MARCH
“Away from none” – SINGLE HIGH FIVE, SINGLE HIGH FIVE
“He gave his love to everyone” – PAT, DOUBLE HIGH FIVE, PAT, SINGLE HIGH FIVE
“So I will! I will!” – PAT, SINGLE HIGH FIVE, PAT, SINGLE HIGH FIVE (Do an extra “I will” high five.
Page 2 & 4:
“I’ll walk with you” – MARCH, SINGLE HIGH FIVE
“I’ll talk with you” – PAT, SINGLE HIGH FIVE
“That’s how I’ll show my” – PAT, DOUBLE HIGH FIVE
“Love for you.” – PAT, SINGLE HIGH FIVE, PAT
Extension Activities:
- See how your primary kids can rearrange the pattern! Try switching some actions around. Does it keep up with the rhythm? Which actions are their favorite?
- Switch partners! Anytime during the song, call out “SWITCH” and have everyone find a new partner. You’ll probably want to pause the music briefly until everyone has found a new partner.
- Divide up the pattern! Have small groups do the actions for page 1, pages 2 & 4, and page 3. Then, switch until the groups have had a turn with each page!
- For a fun “single high-five” challenge, have the kids switch from giving a cross-body high five to a straight high five.
Check out this Baptism Rhythm Partners idea for another activity using body rhythm in primary!
I’ll Walk With You Rhythm Partners Demo Video
I enlisted my cute sister’s help to demonstrate this rhythm partners pattern for you! In this video, I’ll explain each of the 4 actions used in the pattern and sing through the entire song with the actions. Hopefully this video helps you feel more prepared to take on this activity!
Remember that you never have to teach the entire pattern in one week! Keep it simple by learning the pattern a few lines at a time. You might even consider teaching the first half of the pattern one week and learn the rest the next week! It’s a great way to get in lots of repetition!
–> I’ll Walk With You Rhythm Partners Demo Video <–
I’ll Walk With You Rhythm Partners Printable Pattern
Grab this 4-page printable pattern to help you prep for this fun rhythm partners activity! The first page includes a key for all 4 of the actions and a picture that represents the actions.
I’ve included 3 additional pages with the pattern for the entire song. You’ll notice that the pattern for page 2 & page 4 are included on one page since that pattern is repeated.
Hopefully this easy-to-read printable helps the children catch on to the pattern quickly! Try practicing all the actions first before showing the full pattern.
You’ll find a printable lesson plan and 8 full page pattern cards included in the INSTANT Primary Singing membership when I’ll Walk with You 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 out this fun I’ll Walk With You Ribbon Wands pattern for another great way to review this song!
How did your primary children enjoy this rhythm partners activity?
