I love singing Nephi’s Courage with my Primary children (and kiddos at home). It’s just such a fun song and about one of our favorite Book of Mormon heroes that it’s a great song to sing. Many of your Primary children will already know the first verse, but you can extend the song to teach them either of the additional verses or just have some fun with this song on a couple of weeks and continue on.
Nephi’s Courage is only on the suggested song list as part of the Book of Mormon Songs for Primary Come Follow Me list. So I really like to included it, if only a couple of times, to share this beloved song with my Primary!
Nephi’s Courage Body Rhythm
Sing through Nephi’s Courage (flip chart here) once, before introducing this rhythm pattern.
Ask the children if their hands can follow your hands. You shouldn’t need to explain the pattern too much, just start demonstrating it while you sing through the verse. Pat with your hands alternating from your right hand to your left, and then one big clap on the final line for each phrase through the verse.
Pause before the chorus, and ask the kids: What was the pattern? Did you catch it? That’s right! Pat with every other hand, then clap at the end of the phrase! Let’s do it again together!
Start from the beginning of the song and sing again through the verse.
You can continue this simplified pattern through the chorus, clapping on “do,” com-“mands,” “way,” and o-“bey.” Or, switch it up to the slightly more difficult pattern for the chorus.
To introduce the chorus, freeze after the verse and say try to follow my hands for this. Sing just the first line of the chorus: “I will go, I will do the thing the Lord commands” What was different about that pattern? Let’s do it again together!
Continue to build up the chorus, then start from the beginning and sing the whole song.
Nephi’s Courage Body Rhythm Pattern:
- Pat your right hand on your lap, then alternate to your left hand on each note. Clap on the final note/word of each line.
- The / Lord / com- / mand- / ed / Ne- / phi / to / go / and / get / the / (plates)
- R / L / R / L / R / L / R / L / R / L / R / L / Clap
- Continue this pattern through the verse, clapping on: plates, gates, try, re-(ply).
- Switch up the pattern slightly for the chorus: Pat right, left, clap x2 for “I will go, I will do” pat both hands down together for 4 beats “the thing the Lord” then clap twice for “com-mands
- Switch up the pattern slightly for the chorus: Pat right, left, clap x2 for “I will go, I will do” pat both hands down together for 4 beats “the thing the Lord” then clap twice for “com-mands”
- Return to alternating pats right and left hands, with a clap on “way”
- Pat both hands together for 4 beats “he wants me to” and end with 2 claps on “o-bey”.
- Then, repeat the chorus pattern.
Extension Activities:
- Invite the children to find a partner and clap across to their partner for each of the clap actions. You can then join two groups to a group of 4 and clap outward with one hand to the right and one hand to the left to clap all together.
- Challenge the kids to come up with their own changes to the pattern for the chorus!
- You can simplify the pattern to just alternating pats for very young Primary children.
Nephi’s Courage Body Rhythm Demo Video
Sometimes, it’s easier to show you then to just try to describe the pattern! To help you better visualize how this pattern comes together, I created a quick and simple Nephi’s Courage Body Rhythm video to help you see the pattern come to life and an overview of this lesson plan all in one spot.
For another fun similar activity, head over to see this Book of Mormon Stories Partner Rhythms singing time activity!
Nephi’s Courage Body Rhythm Printable Song Helps
This free in-post printable includes a one page simplified pattern guide to show the three different main actions you’ll use in this pattern.
Join INSTANT Primary Singing for extended printables including quarter and full-page action cards, pattern guide by verse and chorus and directions for each verse. You’ll find these bonus files included when Nephi’s Courage 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 another fun review idea, head over to this Nephi’s Courage Words of a Prophet singing time activity!
What other fun ways will you use this Body Rhythm singing time activity in your Primary room?
